Alfred Hitchcock Presents s04e16 Episode Script

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
And watch your step, please.
I'm certain that any of you who have wearily pushed rich maiden aunts in their wheelchairs share my appreciation of elevator shafts.
I also find the elevator quite easy to operate.
It works just like a yo-yo.
Well, not exactly, but we do use the same grade of string.
We are now about to have our first commercial.
And I want to assure you that it will only last 60 seconds.
I have to tell everyone this because I understand it gives people the sensation of being trapped between floors.
Courage.
There now, you look absolutely enchanting.
Haven't you a little compliment for me? Do you approve of my new hat? You're a darling, Vanessa.
Never, never mention age.
Age cannot wither us, nor custom stale our infinite variety.
Yes, dear, this week has been a little depressing.
Anniversaries are so dismal, especially one particular anniversary.
But I promised not to bring up the past, didn't I? Think of it, He'd be 47.
Why, if he'd lived Now we mustn't get maudlin.
We girls have been very fortunate.
Vanessa, you're really the lucky one, don't deny it.
I know exactly what I'll be doing this evening, playing bridge with the dull married couple and their dull daughter.
And you, now, don't you look so coy, Vanessa.
You know what you'll be doing.
You'll be going for a walk with your boyfriend.
You know, he is good-looking.
A little young perhaps, but so well-mannered and polite, almost naive.
Just the sort of nice young man that an old charm girl like you can wrap around her little paw.
Ah! There he is now! Let me straighten your collar.
Now, do I look all right? Are we ready to welcome him? Good evening, Eddie.
Hello, Miss Fox.
Well, you needn't stand out there.
You want me to come in? Well, I think by now you can be permitted to call on Vanessa.
Hello there, Vanessa girl! You sure have a pretty apartment.
Well, I'm glad you like it.
Vanessa and I had a great deal of fun doing it the way we wanted to.
It's very nice.
There, you see, Vanessa! Not every young man would appreciate a room like this.
Thank you, ma'am.
Ma'am? Heavens, Eddie, you make me sound so ancient, like something out of Charles Dickens.
No! No, no, call me Miss Fox.
Yes, Miss Fox.
Oh, Eddie, I'm going out tonight.
How will you get in? You could give me a key.
Oh, no.
Vanessa and I never permit anyone else to use our key.
Do we, Vanessa? I'll have the super let you in.
And from now on, if any reason I'm not here and Vanessa needs her walk, you can always have him let you in.
Yes, Miss Fox.
You'll be here tomorrow night, too? No, ma'am.
Tomorrow is my day off.
Miss Fox, could I have that $5 now, please? But I gave you your $5 for this week and for the next.
I'd like the $5 in advance.
Well, now, I don't want this getting money in advance to become a habit.
Are you gambling or something of that sort? Oh, no, no! I would just like the $5.
Vanessa.
What are we going to do with this spendthrift? You'd never forgive me if I held out on him, would you? Here.
Thank you, Miss Fox.
Oh, Vanessa, you naughty girl! All over Eddie's uniform.
I've just brushed her.
All right, Eddie, run along with Vanessa.
Tomorrow, young lady, you're going to get your hair clipped and your nails done.
You look so pretty when we pay attention to your hair.
Oh, I know it's a bore, but we girls must keep up our appearances.
Here.
Come on.
Come on.
We'll go and see who's calling on Mummy.
Oh, you're such a problem.
Mummy's ridiculous problem.
Eddie! Can I come in, please? Yes.
I hardly recognized you.
Where did you get that dreadful jacket? And Vanessa and I never wish to see you unshaven again.
I I've got to have $50.
What? I know, but I have to send a money order right away.
Well, if you're in trouble, I'll understand.
I know sometimes No, ma'am.
You don't understand.
It's not for me.
Well, is it for your father, or your mother, or someone in the family? No, not in the family.
Well, then who is it for? My girl.
Your girl? Yes, you see, she's been in the sanitarium for almost a year.
It's her lungs.
The state pays half her expenses and I'm supposed to pay the other half.
And I've done all right so far, but then, I got this, this morning.
Another operation.
She's only 20.
Twenty? Well, I must say, half her medical expenses is quite a burden for you to assume.
Yes, but you see, we're going to get married as soon as she gets out of the sanitarium.
That's why I thought you'd lend me the money.
Eddie, you earn a perfectly good salary.
$70 a week, that's not my take home pay.
Well, I think you should have managed better.
You've romanticized an attachment to a sick girl, never for a second considering where you'd get the money.
How do you think I manage to live the way I do? By planning.
I live on a fixed income, and every cent is budgeted.
It's only $50.
Eddie, I couldn't possibly spare you $50.
Yes, Miss Fox.
Excuse me.
Eddie! Eddie, I Good evening, Miss Fox.
Good evening, Jerry.
Honestly, Vanessa, just because your boyfriend has tonight off and I have to walk with you, is no reason for you to be cross.
I'm not going down there, so stop being so stubborn about it.
It's dark and dirty down there.
No, no, Vanessa.
Very well.
You always get your way.
Now, Vanessa, let's turn back.
Miss Fox! Miss Fox! Here you are, Miss Fox.
Oh, thank you, Sergeant.
Now, beside the ring, there was the leopard muff containing $180.
I don't care anything about the money.
I only want the ring back.
Not only is it valuable, but it's a memento.
Well, could you describe the man? Well, he was a young man of more than average height.
I can still feel his sleeve against my skin, rough, cheap material.
Did he speak? I only remember Vanessa barking.
How peculiar! Vanessa didn't bark until he attacked me.
Almost as if As if she knew him.
Well Sergeant, would you mind? Why, certainly not.
Hello.
Oh, speaking.
Good, I'll be right down.
Miss Fox, do you feel well enough to go down to the station? They've picked up a man in a bar about a block from here waving a wad of money, and he can't explain the money.
He has a bad record.
You know, we could wrap this up tonight.
I May I? Thank you.
Take a good look, Miss Fox.
No, it's not he.
Are you sure? Couldn't possibly be.
Vanessa, you're utterly irresistible! Miss Fox, I just came on duty.
They told me you wanted to talk to me.
Yes, Eddie.
Please come in.
Eddie, you know I was robbed of some money and my ring? Yes, Miss Fox.
I wanted to see you to ask your advice.
My advice? Yes.
Please, come and sit down.
Vanessa, run along.
There's a dear! Oh, please, come and sit down.
You see, Eddie, I don't care anything about the money.
All I want is my ring.
I assure you, whoever stole it will have a very difficult time getting rid of it.
Sure.
A ring like that would be hot.
Exactly.
So, you see, whoever took it might just as well return it to me.
Well, he mightn't figure it that way.
If I were to forget the $180 that I lost, and say no more about the matter, wouldn't you agree that I was being extremely lenient with the thief? He still mightn't figure it that way.
See, he could break the ring up and sell the diamonds separately.
Or he could wait until the heat was off and sell it out of town somewhere.
Is that what you'd do? Gosh, I don't know what I'd do.
Eddie, if it were you who stole the ring, wouldn't you want $500 and no questions asked? How could he be sure that you'd keep your word? Then, you don't think my plan will work? No, ma'am.
Very well, Eddie.
I merely wanted your advice.
You may go.
Yes, Miss Fox.
Sergeant Kirby.
Uh, wait a minute.
You Eddie McMahon? Yeah, that's right.
You walk Miss Fox's dog.
Correct? Sure.
Yesterday was your day off? What of it? Well, you were seen leaving this apartment.
Miss Fox can tell you about that.
Eddie, do you really want me to tell? What's there to tell? Eddie asked me to loan him $50.
I refused.
What did you want $50 for? Oh, something about a sweetheart.
He was really quite desperate.
Miss Fox All right.
Wait a minute! Was it McMahon? Well, I hoped it wouldn't come to this.
I gave you your chance a little while ago.
I offered you a great deal of money and you refused.
I can still feel your jacket as you choked me.
How could you do that to me? To me? I didn't take your ring! Can you positively identify him? That's a lie! You know that's a lie! I'm sorry, Eddie.
Believe me.
But I gave you your chance.
Sergeant, would you please excuse me.
I don't feel very well.
When your man returned from the walk with my poor little dog, he definitely had liquor on his breath! What sort of an employment agency do you run? When will he be here? Well, let's hope so.
Thank you.
Oh, Vanessa, darling, I'll have to walk with you myself, unless we can find the proper person.
Let's hope this next one will be Will be someone we can have a rapport with.
Someone that Ah, here he is now.
Sergeant Kirby.
How very amusing.
I thought you were an applicant to walk Vanessa.
Well, I haven't seen you, good heavens, since the trial.
The day Eddie was convicted, almost a year ago.
Has he confessed what he did with my ring? About your ring.
Eddie McMahon never had it.
Never had it? Do you remember the man you didn't identify? We picked him up on another charge.
We found your ring in his room.
He confessed.
He But I saw Eddie, I saw him! Did you? Well, I thought I did.
I was so positive.
An innocent man has been in jail for almost a year.
Well, if I made a mistake, it was an honest one.
After all, you're the detective.
It was up to you to check these things.
He had no alibi at the trial, whatsoever.
A jury found him guilty.
On your positive identification.
I'll feel a lot better when Eddie is released.
Goodbye, Miss Fox.
Oh, Sergeant! You forgot my ring.
We have to keep it for evidence until Eddie is released.
Well, I hope it won't take weeks and weeks.
I'm sure Eddie feels the same way.
Sergeant? When will Eddie be released? Most likely tomorrow.
Why, Eddie.
How nice to see you.
Morning, Miss Fox.
Hello there, Vanessa.
I'm so pleased you got your job back.
I spoke to the manager about it, you know.
Eddie, you seem different.
People change a lot in a year.
Eddie, I want you to know it wasn't easy for me to testify against you.
I Well, I only told the court what I thought was the truth.
This is your floor, Miss Fox.
Will you walk Vanessa tonight? No, ma'am.
I'm afraid not.
If you only knew how she's missed you.
Yes, ma'am.
Eddie, wait a minute, will you? Yes, Miss Fox.
Knowing you were coming back, I've been holding this for you until we met.
You remember, I was prepared to pay $500 for my ring.
I Well, I had set it aside, and I can't think of a better use for it than to give it to you, as, well, shall we say a birthday present or a re-birthday present? Come, Vanessa.
Oh, how is your fiancée? She died while I was in prison.
Miss Fox.
Good evening, Jerry.
Now, let's not linger, Vanessa.
Let's take our little walk and get back as quickly as possible.
We'll walk to the corner and call it a night, shall we? That's far enough, Vanessa.
Vanessa, for heaven's sake! What is so fascinating about a row of tenements and a lot of dirty shops? Really, Vanessa.
I hate to think I was becoming a silly neurotic about the dark.
All right, dear, we'll go.
You're quite right, Vanessa.
It's ridiculous to be frightened of silly shadows.
We're both quite grown up, aren't we? But let's not tempt fate.
Let's come on home now, dear.
That's right.
A garbage can and a cat.
Vanessa, I might expect you to be frightened of a black cat, but me Let me catch my breath.
Come, darling.
Come, darling.
Let's go home, shall we? Oh, that was silly of me.
I'm so ashamed to have lost control like that.
Vanessa enjoy her walk, Miss Fox? Oh, yes, thank you.
We both sleep so much better after a little fresh air.
I'll take you up, Miss Fox.
George had to leave for a moment.
Good night, Jerry.
Good night, Miss Fox.
Now, shall we have a little nightcap before we go to bed? And then a Brahms Intermezzo or a Haydn quartet Ground floor.
Ladies' lingerie.
Men's accessories.
Notions.
I seem to have missed again.
But it doesn't matter.
Our building, like tonight's program, has only one story and you've seen that.
Here comes the owner of the building.
He doesn't like his employees chatting with their betters.
I'll continue as soon as he leaves.
I hope you'll return next week when we shall add another story.
And now, if you don't intend to climb aboard, please step back off the pad.
Going up.