Alfred Hitchcock Presents s04e20 Episode Script

Oh, good evening.
We seem to have had an art exhibition here.
I realize artists are supposed to suffer, but I can't understand why they insist on sharing their sufferings with us.
This one is called, "Nursery Wall.
" Strawberry jam.
Now, we come to the prize-winner.
I wonder what this one's called.
"Nude with Necklace.
" I don't think this is a painting you should be allowed to look at too closely.
So, while I am appreciating it, I shall ask you to look at another exhibit, one that may not be a work of art, but is wholesome enough for your children to watch.
Well, half hour to opening.
Let's make it a good day.
Let's make it a Maynard day.
Yes, Mr.
Thurgood.
We always try, Mr.
Thurgood.
That's the spirit.
The Maynard spirit.
Yes, Mr.
Thurgood.
Yes, Mr.
Thurgood.
Good morning, Mr.
Thurgood.
Good morning, Henry.
Nice day.
I thought it was a bit chilly.
Well, maybe it is at that.
We didn't used to notice the weather so much, did we, Henry? Yes, we didn't, Mr.
Thurgood.
But guess we're not as young as we were either.
No.
But Maynard's can still get a few good years out of us.
A lot more than out of those two.
Well, at this rate we'll never be ready to open on time.
Here, lend me a hand with these.
Yes.
Now what have I done? Oh, it's nothing, Henry, nothing.
What's going on? Oh, Mr.
Maynard Good morning, sir.
It's just a little accident, it's nothing.
No, sir Excuse me, sir, but I Thurgood, I'd like to see you in my office as soon as you've finished here.
Yes, sir.
I'll be right along.
You shouldn't have taken the blame for me like that.
Oh, forget it.
I wonder what he wants to see you about.
Well, nothing important, I'm sure.
Nothing at all.
There, the new plans.
Maynard's is going to get that face-lifting it's been needing for a long, long time.
You're going to change Maynard's? Change it? Thurgood, I'm going to revolutionize it! But, Mr.
Maynard, it's been the same for 50 years.
That's the trouble.
Oh, Thurgood, just imagine, instead of this dark, dusty, closed-in old mausoleum, it's going to be open and airy and light.
There'll be a curved ramp that goes up the full three stories.
There'll be display cases along the walls, customers can pick what they want.
Indeed, sir.
Well, if you don't mind my saying so, it sounds a little excessive.
Oh, is that how it strikes you? Yes, I suppose it would.
Well, that's the way it's going to be.
What would your father say if he were still alive? I expect he'd feel as you do.
Well, I suppose as you get older it's a little difficult to accept any radical change.
But I'll do my best, sir.
Now, it's getting on for opening time.
If you'll excuse me Thurgood, that isn't the only thing I wanted to talk to you about.
Yes, sir? Sit down, Thurgood.
Please.
You've been with us for a long time.
Thirty-seven years, sir.
Yes, I know.
And there was your father and your grandfather before you.
Yes, sir.
As long as there's been a Maynard's, there's been a Thurgood working for it.
We've shared a fine tradition, haven't we? Well, you've given your whole life to the store, it doesn't seem quite fair.
Why, you've scarcely had time for yourself.
Oh, I've no complaints, sir.
Besides, when I retire in three years, I'll have more time than I need.
But that isn't what you meant, is it, sir? No.
It isn't.
Thurgood, why don't you retire now? It isn't as if I were firing you.
You'll have your pension.
Why don't you take these few extra years and enjoy yourself? Why don't you and your daughter Thelma, isn't it? Why don't you and Thelma take a nice, long trip? You could really enjoy your hard-earned leisure.
Why Where have I failed? It isn't you, Thurgood.
Not at all.
It's time.
Just time.
You think I'm too old.
You do understand, don't you? The new store Why, that ramp alone, you'd have to be up and down it a hundred times a day.
How long do I have? Well, there's no sense in prolonging it.
You might as well have all the time you can for yourself.
I thought the end of the week.
Five days.
Of course, you'll also get a bonus.
So much to do and so little time to do it in.
Well, sir, I'd better get started.
I'll make it a good week.
A real Maynard week.
That's the spirit.
Go out in a blaze of glory.
I'll do my best, sir.
Mr.
Throckmorton, it occurred to me that with your wife's birthday coming up you might allow me the privilege of serving you once more.
Thank you, sir.
Tomorrow, 2:30.
Tuesday.
Thank you very much.
Then I'll expect you sometime this afternoon.
Goodbye.
You've really had yourself quite a week, haven't you, Thurgood? Well, it hasn't been too bad, sir.
Indeed, it hasn't.
Since this is your last day why don't you take off early and celebrate? If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to finish out the day as usual.
Maynard's isn't going to be the same without you.
I wish there was another Thurgood to take your place.
I've always known that someday I'd have to face the fact that Maynard's would be going on without us.
Now that it's here Forgive me, sir.
I understand.
We'll have to keep in touch.
Well, I'm off to lunch.
I'll be back in about an hour.
May I be helped, please? Why, of course, madam.
What can I do for you? Well, I am not sure exactly.
But something magnificent.
Something for a very special occasion.
Well, I'm sure we can help you, madam.
Maynard's specializes in special occasions.
What is the event? Oh, I thought I told you.
It is our anniversary.
Oh, then you want something for your husband.
Oh, no, no.
For myself.
It's from my husband, of course.
But, he doesn't know it yet.
I see.
I'm Mrs.
Rudell.
Mrs.
Anton Rudell.
You know Dr.
Anton Rudell, the psychiatrist? Poor darling.
He's supposed to be so well-adjusted.
But he is awfully absent-minded.
I know if he forgot our anniversary he'd never forgive himself.
So, I thought I'd better remind him.
That's an excellent idea, madam.
Now, let me see What about that? I have just the dress for it.
That's one of our finest pieces, madam, and rather expensive.
May I see it, please? Why, of course.
It's beautiful.
I'll take it.
I mean, Dr.
Rudell will.
With the tax, madam, it comes to $181,500.
Oh! You know, I think my husband should see it before he pays for it.
I don't want it to be too much of a surprise.
Yes, madam.
When can we expect him? Oh, good heavens.
He's much too busy to come here.
You bring it to the house.
His office is there.
When Anton sees me wearing it with that dress, he won't be able to resist it, I know.
I was beginning to worry.
I was afraid you wouldn't get here.
Nothing could have kept me away, madam.
Is the doctor here? Oh, yes, he'll be out any minute.
May I have the necklace, please? It's even more beautiful than I remembered.
Excuse me, madam, but if you don't want to spoil the surprise, may I suggest that you hurry.
Oh, yes, yes, of course.
$165,000, it's a lot of money.
Oh, trust me, madam, I can be very convincing.
Hello.
Good afternoon, Dr.
Rudell.
I'm Andrew Thurgood.
Oh.
Did you have an appointment? In a manner of speaking, yes.
I'm from Maynard & Co.
What can I do for you? Well, if you don't mind, I think I'll wait a bit.
It's supposed to be a surprise.
She'll be here any minute now.
She? Your wife, sir.
I think she'd rather have you see it before I say anything.
Oh.
Jessica has planned a surprise for me.
Yes, Doctor, and I I hope you'll like it.
She's counting on it so.
Oh, Jessica has excellent taste.
I've got to agree with you, Doctor, and an excellent sense of value.
Why, it's worth every penny of it.
Brazilian cut diamonds.
There isn't another neck Oh, there I go, spoiling the whole thing.
Brazilian diamonds? How much is this necklace? Well, perhaps we'd better wait until you see it.
Perhaps we'd better not.
Well, with the tax, Doctor, it comes to a little more than $181,000.
And worth every penny of it, too.
What? Jessica! Yes, Anton, what is it? What's this about you buying a necklace? Excuse me, Doctor.
That's Mrs.
Rudell? Of course, it is.
Then who was that girl? I'll never forgive myself, never.
After 37 years, that something like this should happen.
Please, Thurgood, you've got to get hold of yourself.
You can't go on like this.
You were right.
I am old, too old.
I don't deserve to work for Maynard's anymore.
I'm a silly old man.
Filled with false pride, I wanted to show off.
To prove what a great salesman I was.
What you were losing by letting me go.
Thurgood, look No, don't try to tell me it's going to be all right, because it isn't, it never can be.
I've disgraced the name of Maynard.
I've disgraced the name of Thurgood.
Take it easy, you haven't disgraced anyone.
The police are on the case and the insurance company.
She won't get far.
I should have known.
Coming in off the street like that.
Putting on airs, pretending she was a lady.
Telling me to meet her in her husband's office.
Her husband! And I handed it over to her, a $165,000 necklace.
Please, Thurgood, you've got to control yourself.
I don't want to make it more difficult for you than it is.
I could have made the same mistake myself.
In any case, the necklace is insured.
Thank you, sir.
Now, I don't want you to think any more about it.
Leave it to the police.
This job was obviously done by a master criminal.
You really think so? The way it was worked out, positively brilliant.
Must have taken months of planning.
The timing, the way it was set up.
Meeting you right there in the doctor's office.
You don't suppose that Dr.
Rudell was in on it, do you? I don't suppose anything.
Let's leave that to the police.
Now, I think you ought to get home.
I'll never forgive myself as long as I live.
The first robbery in my 37 years at Maynard's.
Well, there were two others before your time.
And our employees weren't blamed for them.
We're certainly not going to start now.
Look, I don't think you're in any condition to go home alone.
I'm going to call your daughter.
Oh, no, no, no, don't call her.
Well, why not? You're still too shaky.
I don't want her to know.
Well, I understand how you feel, but it's going to be in all the papers.
Oh, yes.
I'd forgotten.
I'd forgotten, but I'd I'd like her to keep her illusions about me a little longer.
Thurgood, I wish there was something more I could say.
What is there to say? Nothing will ever be the same again.
Thelma? Thelma? Thelma, is that you? Who is it? Mr.
Thurgood? Hadn't you better close the door? Daddy, Daddy, we did it, we did it.
We certainly did.
Daughter, I'm proud of you, you were magnificent.
Well, you were pretty magnificent yourself.
No, I think Mr.
Maynard thinks so, too.
He said it was the work of a master criminal.
That was sweet of him.
He also said the way it was worked out was positively brilliant.
Where is it? Oh, it's right here.
May I have it? Oh, Daddy, it's so beautiful.
I enjoyed myself this afternoon, I really did.
I enjoyed being Mrs.
Anton Rudell.
"I think I shall take that I have just the dress for it.
" Oh, you did your part beautifully, my darling.
You know, I never really had the opportunity to examine it at the store.
I thought they might get suspicious.
It is magnificent.
When it's broken up into loose diamonds, it will fetch a big price.
Oh, Daddy, it's such a pity.
It looks so pretty on me.
Shame on you, Thelma.
That doesn't sound like a Thurgood at all.
After all, I'm a girl.
I'm supposed to like pretty things, remember? Oh, I wish we could do something wonderful with the money.
I wish we could go on a long, long trip someplace.
First class.
And I'll buy lots of clothes.
Of course not.
I'm going to do what my father and my grandfather did.
Invest the money.
It'll make a nice little nest egg for us.
Oh, but why? Because I have your future to consider.
It was different when I was a young man.
I had my career at Maynard's to look forward to.
Well, I can't help it if I can't look forward to the same future.
I can't help being a girl.
Well, nobody's blaming you for it, my pet.
I bet.
It's true.
But we have to face things as they are.
You know the Maynard tradition of never employing females.
They've been just as rigid in that as we have in ours.
Work for Maynard's, steal from Maynard's.
But only once in a generation.
That's the Thurgood tradition! I know, Daddy.
I cut my teeth on it.
I feel like the ugly duckling in reverse.
Grandfather, you don't know how lucky you were to be a boy.
And you, Great-Grandfather, you started the whole thing.
And you, my dear, helped bring it to a grand finale.
I couldn't have done it without you.
Thank you, Daddy.
Daddy, how did Grandfather and Great-Grandfather accomplish their thefts? Well, my father, Charles Thurgood, walked off with a double strand of black pearls in a hollow, gold-headed cane.
And your great-grandfather, also an Andrew, I'm proud to say, started a fire.
A fire? Nothing serious.
A smoke screen, so to speak.
But, Thelma, thanks to you, this necklace tops anything they did.
We had to accomplish in one generation what ordinarily would have taken two.
It's too bad we can't tell anyone about it, isn't it? I'm afraid we might be very much misunderstood.
We might even be taken for common thieves, which we definitely are not.
Oh, no.
The Thurgoods have all been honorable, upright citizens who have only taken their rights.
After all, Maynard's would never have been Maynard's without the Thurgoods.
No, the world can never know.
Who could that be? You don't suppose they suspect.
Impossible, I hope.
Who is it? It's George Maynard.
Just a moment, Mr.
Maynard.
What shall we do? I don't know.
I never expected anything like this.
I Coming, Mr.
Maynard.
Daddy, I'm scared.
You go into the bedroom, I'll handle this.
Good evening, sir.
This is unexpected.
I dare say it is.
May I come in? Oh, of course, yes, sir.
Come in.
Thank you.
I hope I'm not disturbing you.
No, sir.
I suppose you know you can't get away with this.
With what, sir? You know perfectly well what I'm talking about.
I don't think so, sir.
It was a nice try, but it won't work.
How could you leave without taking your bonus and gold watch? Here, take them.
Right.
Thank you, sir.
I'd forgotten them.
I know you pretty well after all these years.
You forgot them on purpose.
It was your way of trying to repay for the loss of the necklace.
Well, I won't have it.
Thank you, sir.
It's made me realize what true loyalty means.
My daughter, sir.
I know it's breaking a Maynard rule, but if your daughter will accept, I'd like her to report to work on Monday morning.
In that way the Thurgood tradition will go on.
Thank you, sir.
Oh! Well, I guess, that proves that heaven will protect the working girl.
However, Thelma discovered why the Thurgood tradition was to steal from Maynard's only once in a generation.
The second time she was caught.
I'm still fascinated by this painting.
"Nude with Necklace.
" Lt It's just as good from this side.
This seems to have slipped off.
I'd hate to hang this on the wrong spot.
Look, while I'm fumbling with this, suppose you turn your attention to our sponsor's message.
After which I shall reasonably hasten back.
Next week we should be back with another story.
Incidentally, to avoid any further embarrassment, I bought the painting.
Only to discover that the frame doesn't go with it.
But, I think it's worth every cent.