Alfred Hitchcock Presents s02e36 Episode Script

Good evening.
Have you seen a small boy with an apple on his head? I know he's here somewhere, but my eyes aren't what they used to be.
Oh, oh, there he is.
I missed again.
I think I'd better quit.
I even missed the boy that time.
Tonight, the flickering shadows on our magic lantern screen tell a story of life in the big city.
It is called, "Father And Son.
" What's this supposed to be for? Well, you said you had to have some more money.
I said a couple of quid.
Well, you ain't going to get it.
I shouldn't even give you this much.
Oh, now look, Dad.
Sam, I told you the last time, there ain't going to be no more money.
I know what you told me, Dad, but if you'd just listen a minute.
I don't want to listen! I've heard it all before.
You, a grown man.
It's time you stood on your own feet! What's the matter? You afraid if you give it to me, there won't be enough left for you to get drunk on? Now, don't you talk to me like that! All right, all right, I didn't mean anything.
Never mind what you meant.
You just listen to me.
I may be no great shakes.
Maybe I'm not.
I never claimed that I was.
But let me tell you, the worst thing I ever did was let you go on the way you've been doing.
You'd get a job quick enough and hold it if you didn't have me to turn to every time you run short.
What are you talking about? I got a job! All I asked you to do was lend me a couple of quid until payday! Payday.
What pay You haven't been to work all the week.
You didn't even bother to quit this time, just didn't show up yesterday.
Who told you that? They telephoned for you here yesterday, so it's no good trying to lie about it.
I wasn't lying.
I just didn't want to worry you till I got another one.
But there wasn't any use of my staying in that job.
It wasn't right for me.
Well, what is, eh? What is? You, a grown man of 35.
You've never held a job for more than two weeks in all your life.
Well, you're a great one to talk.
What did you ever do but stay half drunk most of the time.
Well, if I take a drink or two, it's to help me arthritis.
Some days I can hardly move, it hurts so bad.
Don't give me that, you're an old lush.
If you wanted me to be so much, why didn't you try being something yourself? I did try.
But somehow, I don't seem to have made a very good job of it.
You can say that again.
Why, you never even ran the shop until mum died.
Spent most of your time down at the pub, getting yourself soused.
Now, all of a sudden, butter wouldn't melt in your mouth.
Well, you don't fool me none.
Well, whatever I have or haven't done, you're not going to turn out the same way.
Don't worry, I won't.
No, you're so right you won't, 'cause I ain't letting you.
No.
I'm gonna make you do something with your life.
Will you stop acting like I didn't want to? I got plans, see.
Yeah, and you're going to need 'em, 'cause you ain't got me.
No.
No, I've given in to you for the last time.
Yeah, well, must close up now.
It's past 6:00.
What about the money? No, Sam, no more money.
Look, Dad, tomorrow I'll do whatever you want, but tonight I've got to have a couple of quid.
I have to have it.
Do you understand that? Look, Dad, if I don't get it from you, I'll have to get it from someone else.
And you may not like what I have to do to get it.
Well, I haven't liked anything you've done for a long time now, so why should this be different? No.
At least if you do get it, you'll be getting it on your own, and that'll be something.
Now, leave me alone.
I'll leave you alone, all right.
Because if you wanna know, you make me sick to my stomach! We're closed for the night.
Joe, wait! Gus, where did you come from? Let me in.
Gus.
Oh, I better just Here.
Now, no more now.
Give a girl a chance to get her breath, will you? I'll be back later.
Don't go away.
Hello, Mae.
Oh, it's you.
What do you want? Sit down a minute, will you? I told you to stop bothering me, Sam.
It's no go.
I have to talk to you.
Oh, all right.
Now, what are you gonna say you haven't said before? Don't talk like that.
You know how I feel about you.
I ought to.
You told me enough times.
Is it my fault if I'm a little short of money just now? You've been short of money ever since I knew you.
Anyway, it doesn't much matter.
I won't be here after tonight.
What do you mean? I'm going away tomorrow.
Who with? What kind of a way is that to talk? I'm going on a little holiday.
Going down to Brighton for a week or so.
Not alone.
I know you, Mae.
I ought to have my head examined, wanting you, knowing what you are.
But I do and there's nothing I can do about it.
You want to hear something, Sam? If you was worth it, I'd open your face with me nails, but you ain't.
All you're good for is whining about not having any money.
And you haven't the guts to do anything about getting some.
If I get the money, will you go with me? I'll even marry you.
Oh, don't do me no favors.
Answer me.
What happens if I get the money? Tell you what, come back and ask me when you've got some.
That should mean I won't have to see you for a long time.
Goodbye, Sam.
Fifty pounds? Go away.
Look, Mr.
Schiller, you know me.
That I do, all right.
And I wouldn't lend you a shilling, let alone L50.
I'll put up the shop as security.
What shop? My father's.
Can't put up what you haven't got.
Oh, he's an old man.
He can't live much longer.
When he dies, it'll be mine.
You know something, Sam, if anybody else had made that remark, I'd worry.
I'd think maybe they meant to hurry up things a bit.
But even an old man doesn't have to be afraid of you.
Now clear out of here, I don't even like to look at you.
I thought I told you to get out of here.
What are you waiting for? Feel better, Gus? Yeah.
Good.
How long is it since you had anything to eat? Too long.
Oh.
One doesn't get to eat regular when you're trying to keep one jump ahead of the police.
No.
Now, I heard they were looking for you, but I thought by now you would've skipped the country.
Oh, not a chance.
No? Too tight to move.
It's a laugh, ain't it? After all the things I've done, they're after me for something I didn't do.
And killing at that.
I couldn't kill anyone if I tried.
No.
But if they can't prove it Well, what difference does that make? With my record, they wouldn't have to.
No.
I wouldn't have a chance.
Well, what do you think you'll do now? Well, stay here, if you'll let me.
How long have we been friends, Gus? Well, about 40 years.
Don't ask silly questions.
Thanks, Joe.
Forty years, it don't seem possible.
I don't feel as old as that would make us, do you? Well, I didn't, until tonight.
Well, you're all right.
I'm the one in trouble.
All right? My son just called me a drunk, a failure.
Said it made him sick to look at me.
Sam always had a nasty tongue even when he was a kid.
What made him say a thing like that? Just because I wouldn't give him any more money.
Good for you.
It's about time he stopped sponging on you.
Let him make it for himself for a change.
You're right.
No, I ain't giving in to him this time.
No.
No.
No matter whatever happens, I ain't.
Well, now Now we must find a place for you to hide.
I wish there was somewhere safer than the cellar.
I couldn't take the chance of going out again, even if there was.
Not with 50 quid at stake.
Fifty quid? Yes, reward for information leading to my arrest.
Plenty of people in this neighborhood would sell anyone out for that much.
Yeah.
You'll be quite comfortable down there.
There's a bed, and I'll bring you down a couple of blankets.
What's the matter? Nothing.
I was thinking, of all the people I've known, you're the only one I can trust not to turn me in for that reward.
I guess I haven't always kept the best of company.
Oh, now stop worrying.
No one's going to turn you in 'cause no one knows you're going to be here.
How about Sam? He lives here, he'll have to know.
No, not even Sam.
There's no reason why he should find out.
He never goes down in the cellar.
Says it's too dirty.
You never told him you kept the beer down there, did you? No, no, no, you go on down.
I'll get the things together.
Right-o.
Right-o.
Who is it? It's me, Dad.
I've forgotten my key.
Oh, all right, half a mo.
You're back early.
Yes, I have to talk to you.
Something came up.
Let's go in the back, eh.
All right.
So that's the story.
If I can put up my share, I'll own half the business.
It'll mean a whole new start for me.
Hmm.
What kind of a business is it that your friend has, Sam? Well, it's something in the export-import line.
I don't know much about the details yet.
You can't go putting money into something you don't know anything about.
Oh, well, naturally, I'll find out all about it before I give him the money.
The main thing is I have to have it tonight, you see.
I can't take a chance on losing out to someone else.
How much money would you need, Sam? A hundred pound.
What? Hundred pound Have you gone crazy? Where would I get L100? All right, all right, don't get so excited.
I don't have to have it all at once.
If I could have half of it, that'd do it.
Say, 50.
I don't keep L5 in the shop, let alone 50.
But you can get it.
Schiller would lend it to you, if you put up the shop as security.
He wouldn't lend it to me.
You tried to borrow it from Schiller? Well, I didn't want to come back here unless I had to, after what happened earlier.
But you did come back to me, same as always.
Well, I had no one else to go to.
If I wouldn't give you L2, what makes you think I'd give you this sum, 50? Well, I thought you might change your mind when you knew what I wanted it for.
You always said you wanted me to make something of my life.
Well, this is my chance.
I don't believe it.
I don't believe a word of it.
It's just another trick to get more money out of me, and you're not going to get it.
All right.
I was just giving you your chance.
Oh? For what? To help me.
Now, what are you up to, really? What's this all about? I told you.
Lies.
Not a word of truth in it.
Still doesn't matter.
I won't give it to you, anyway.
No.
I mean what I said earlier in the evening.
Look, Dad, if you're angry about that, I didn't mean anything.
I just lost my temper.
I know.
And it doesn't matter what you said.
It only matters what I said.
No more money, Sam.
Is that your last word? Yes.
Dad, I want you to be sure and understand one thing.
Getting this money means more to me than anything in the world I'll do anything rather than lose out on it.
And I know how to get the money.
Oh? How? It doesn't matter.
But there are ways.
Then I think you should find one of them for yourself.
Right-o! I'll do that little thing.
Well, no one can say I didn't give him a chance.
That was nice of you.
Well, what's that supposed to mean? Nothing.
So you're going to spill it on this chap for the reward? Well, why shouldn't I? He's a murderer, isn't he? How do you know? Well, that's what they want him for.
He belongs In jail.
Where do you belong for doing it, Sam? I don't know what you mean.
I just want the money for us.
Don't you realize what this means? We can go a long way on L50.
Not as far as you think.
You're acting very funny.
What's the matter with you? Let's just say I don't like any dealings with the police.
Oh, that's what's bothering you, is it? For a moment I thought you were backing out on me because you didn't like the way I was getting the money.
I never minded before where anyone got money they spent on me.
I'll say you didn't.
Listen, ducks, we make a great team, you and me.
This is just the beginning.
When are you going to do it? Right now.
I would have gone before, only I was afraid you mightn't be here by the time I'd finished.
I wanted to be sure you'd wait.
I'll wait.
You go on.
I'm on my way.
You won't be sorry.
We're right for each other.
Two of a kind, that's us.
I'll see you in an hour.
How long does it take them to pick someone up? They've been gone an hour.
Lots of things could have delayed them.
You might as well sit down and take it easy.
I don't want to sit down and take it easy.
I just want to get the reward money, and then I'm getting out of here.
Now, is that reasonable? How can you collect a reward before we even know your information was accurate? I saw him with my own two eyes, I told you.
Oh, I don't doubt it for a minute, but we sort of prefer to see him with our own eyes.
Now, if you'll just sign this statement, when they do bring him in, we'll be all set.
What does it say? Just what you told us.
That you saw a man you believe to be Gus Harrison, who's wanted in connection with a murder, enter a shop and not come out.
Subsequently, you saw somebody inside the shop lock up for the night.
As a result, you concluded that he's hiding out there.
That's true.
I'll sign it.
They want you in the other room, Sarge.
Right-o.
You wait here, Mr.
Saunders.
I'll have to ask you not to do that.
I wasn't doing anything.
I just wanted to find out what's going on.
Have they picked him up or haven't they? I wouldn't know about that.
Well, I want to know.
Well? What happened? You got to identify him.
Well, why do I have to do that? I told you.
You still got to identify him.
Bring him in.
Is this the man you saw letting Harrison into his shop? That's the man.
Where's Harrison? He wasn't there.
What are you talking about? Gus Harrison.
My men searched the whole of the building including the shop.
They didn't even find a trace of his having been there.
But that's not possible! I saw him myself! You saw him go in, possibly.
That doesn't mean to say that he stayed.
He did stay.
I waited to make sure he didn't come out.
What have you got to say to that? Nothing.
Nothing at all.
But this man claims that he saw you let Harrison into your shop and then lock up.
Do you deny that? Now, see here What's your name? Saunders.
Joe Saunders.
Well, Saunders Saunders? That's your name, too, isn't it? That's right.
Any relation? He's my father.
Your father! What are you looking at me like that for? I'm doing my duty, aren't I? He was harboring a criminal, wasn't he? This is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me to lead the right kind of life.
Well, that's what I'm doing! Where's the reward money? You said for any information, so I should still get it! We're not handing out rewards for misinformation.
As a matter of fact, I could hold you for making false statements.
And I, for one, wouldn't mind clapping you into a cell.
I wouldn't mind it at all.
I'd enjoy it.
No, no, no, don't hold him.
He was telling the truth.
I was hiding Gus in my cellar, and I got a telephone call from a girl.
Said her name was Mae.
Well, she tipped me off the police were coming, and Gus got away.
Well, what do you say to that? You'll get your reward.
We have to hold you.
There you are.
Take it and get out of here.
Did you hurt yourself, son? Did you hurt yourself? Unfortunately, he wasn't.
Sam was one of those persons for whom all things seem to work out well.
No matter what happens to him, he always manages to land on his head.
That's all for tonight.
Next time, we plan a similar foray into your parlor.
I hope you'll be home.
Good night.