Original subtitles

Ann.

Ann, pull in that horse.

Oh, she'll kill that horse.

She'll ride him to death.

Ann, hold up.

Well, go get her.

It was your idea, letting her ride him.

Ann.

Ann.

Ann, you all right?

I'm all right.

I guess he shied at something.

What got into you, letting that horse run like that?

You might have been killed.

Is that bad?

What are you talking about?

Joe, I...

I can't stand her.

Why does Daddy have to let her come out here?

How is she?

Okay.

Ann, if you'd listen to what I tell you about horses...

Shut up.

Who do you think you're talking to?

I said shut up.

Come on, honey. I'll take you back to your school.

You know something, Joe?

I never thought I could say this...

but I'll say it now.

I could...

Just... Just don't say anything, honey.

Come on.

Red riding boots.

Aren't they beautiful? All that hand-tooling.

It seemed like such a nice gift for Ann.

Or it did when I ordered them last month.

Girls and horses.

How long has your ex-husband had the ranch out there, Jill?

He bought it when we separated a year ago.

Burt had visions of himself

being the country bachelor, I guess.

And for a while it was marvelous for Ann,

when she'd visit him.

Only then along came this Rita Conover?

She and Burt are getting married soon.

Ours is supposed to be one of those, uh, sensible divorces.

You know, th-the kind where everybody stays good friends.

Only I can't seem to get that point across to my daughter.

I've looked over this report from Ann's school.

But I'm not sure what kind of advice I can offer.

When they told me they were having a psychologist

give her some special tests, I thought it was nonsense.

But then I met the psychologist,

and he's a very bright young man.

"Deep-seated emotional disturbance. Rebellion.

Flat refusal to adjust to her father's remarriage".

What does the doctor recommend?

Well, it would be funny if it weren't so tragic.

He asked about Burt and me

and wanted to know if there was any chance

of putting Humpty Dumpty together again.

Jill, from a legal standpoint...

Perry, it isn't legal advice I want.

I need a friend.

And I thought if you went to Burt and...

And told him about this, that...

Told him what about it?

Well, if there's any danger of...

Of Ann's really being seriously ill...

well, the least they can do is postpone their marriage

for a little while, don't you think?

This report the only reason

you believe postponing their marriage

would be a good idea?

Well, of course it is.

You don't think I still love that man, do you?

Perry, just talk to him.

Burt respects you.

Where can I reach him?

What is it you're trying to say, Joe?

Mr. Farwell,

we've only known each other a short time.

Long enough to speak up. Here, like a drink?

No, thanks.

Mr. Farwell, it's about your daughter, Ann.

Yes, Rita said that, uh,

she had a pretty bad spill the other afternoon.

Well, that's not it, sir.

It's the way Ann feels about things.

Miss Conover's an awful good rider, and, well,

to a kid, I guess she must seem kinda sophisticated.

Kinda pretty in a fancy way, she's...

What do you mean by that?

Well, sir,

I guess you remember the first day

that Rita came here at the ranch.

The day you met her.

I certainly do.

She was driving around looking for real estate.

Now she's found it, Joe.

But what you getting at?

Sir, I'm only thinking about Ann.

Well, I figured it's a kind of a shock

for the father to get married to somebody who's not your mother.

Heh. Joe, Ann's an overly imaginative child.

She'll get used to the way things are. She'll have to.

Excuse me.

Yes?

Oh, Mr. Mason. How are you?

What can I do for you?

Is that so?

No, no, I hadn't heard.

Uh, here, wait a minute, Mr. Mason.

Joe, um, take that outside, will you?

We're through talking. Nothing else to discuss.

Yes, sir.

What kind of tests you say they gave her?

You'd better walk him for a while, Rennie.

Oh, and fix that stirrup. You didn't fix it yesterday.

Here, take him.

Okay, Your Highness.

What?

Okay.

Here. Tie them around your neck.

You know, when you walk like that,

you remind me of a taffy machine?

What's...? What's all this I hear about a wedding next week?

Is that any of your business?

Sure it is.

Let go of me or I'll call Joe.

Maybe I'll call him.

Maybe I'll call Mr. Farwell.

Hey, boss.

Rennie, please.

Maybe it won't come off anyway.

How much do you wanna bet you don't get married next week?

You just keep your dirty mouth shut.

You too.

O-o-oh, Rita.

No matter what happens,

we can always work out something nice,

between you and me.

Rita, can I see you a minute? No.

Now hold on. Let the old man speak his piece.

Were you talking to her?

Who, me? The foreman told me not to.

Never disobey the foreman.

She's the world's champion louse.

Rennie, if that little girl Ann

gets to moping and jumps off a bridge,

I tell you, I'll...

Well, I've been waiting for you.

Never mind the drink, darling.

I wanna get away from here.

I wanna go into town. I...

I want to go anyplace

where you and I can have a long talk.

Now, wait a minute, Rita, I, uh...

I just had a long talk with an attorney.

Perry Mason.

Well?

It's about Ann.

Oh, what about Ann?

Well, apparently...

Apparently, she's been put through

a hatful of psychological tests

at her boarding school.

Now it isn't just Jill who's worried about her,

it's everybody, even a doctor.

Burt, I've done everything I can

to try to make friends with your daughter.

I know you have.

She just won't have it, that's all.

She's made up her mind not to accept it.

Well, anyway, I thought if I talk to her again this evening...

Why not talk to me?

Rita, I know how you feel...

Come out with it. Admit it.

You can't go through with it.

Your wife's still got you shackled, hand and foot.

When Jill goes to work on you with that girl,

you're licked.

That girl is my daughter.

Oh, Burt, I'm... I'm sorry.

Oh, I just can't take any more of it, that's all.

I just can't.

Everyone's trying to stop us and...

Oh, now, don't cry.

There's just one way for things to be straightened out.

It's for us to go to Las Vegas right now.

What?

Not next week, not next month,

but first thing tomorrow morning.

Oh, Burt, please.

If it were done,

if we were married,

Ann would just have to understand.

Oh, darling, please?

Please, Burt?

Hi.

I'm trying a new approach.

You have to think French.

See?

What'd your father say?

Not much.

We went for a little ride.

He said he's going to marry her tomorrow.

Just like that? That's all he said?

Oh, yes. He loves her.

He wants us all to be friends.

Huh. What's so bad about that?

You don't understand.

No? I'm on my third father right now,

and I never had it so good.

I just don't dig you, Ann.

Why'd you wait till now to make all the fuss?

They've already got the divorce.

I know. I thought I got all over it.

Only then my father met that Rita Conover.

And nobody would believe me

when I told them what she's like.

But I know.

Kathy, every time I see him with her,

I get cold inside,

and I start thinking terrible things.

I don't know what's the matter with me.

If he marries her,

I think I'll die.

If you do, will me these new red riding boots, will you?

Kathy...

how'd you like it if I gave them to you?

What's the catch?

Just do me a favor.

Tonight.

Blew a tire, huh?

No wonder.

Lucky you didn't turn over ten times.

What?

We had a report on you,

when you sideswiped that farmer.

What farmer?

What are you talking about? I didn't sideswipe anyone.

Let's just see your license.

I haven't done anything.

This car belongs to Mr. Farwell. He's my boss.

You going on a vacation, Mr. Dixon?

No, it's for his honeymoon.

He wanted this car up at Pine Lake when he gets back.

I mean...

Here, officer.

You'd better look at this.

Yeah.

Guess I'd better.

All right, what's her name?

Rita...

Conover.

You, um, got here at 10:00 this morning?

Yes. Rita stayed here last night.

I stayed in town.

I had some last-minute business things to attend to.

Well, Mr. Farwell, if you were going to, uh, Las Vegas

to be married today,

why was your car on its way to Pine Lake?

With, uh, someone else driving it?

That was the plan.

I have a cabin up there.

We loaded my car with all the heavy things last evening.

Canned goods, fishing equipment.

I told one of my men to drive it up there and leave it,

in time to catch a ride back on the bus.

In the meantime, I used Rita's car.

We were going to take it to Vegas

and go straight from there to the lake.

Now, uh...

Now do you understand?

Oh, yes, I understand you, uh, packed that car yourself.

Rita and I packed that car together,

between 6 and 8 last evening.

After that, I went back to town, to my office, then to my club.

I didn't see Rita after 8:00.

Well, of course all that can be substantiated.

Mr. Farwell,

you told someone to take that other car

up to Pine Lake.

Who was that?

A swamper, a stableman we have here.

His name is Rennie Foster.

Look, I can explain why I drove the car.

Never mind, Mr. Dixon.

Is that his statement, sergeant? Let me have it.

Rennie Foster went into Reseda

to the movies at 7:00 last night.

You haven't seen him since?

Well, Rennie likes to see the movie twice.

Then he picks up a couple of drinks.

Lots of times Rennie don't show up till noon the next day.

You see, with a kid like that, it...

Never mind, I get the picture.

There was no one here on the ranch last night,

except you and Miss Conover.

She was murdered during the night, you know.

Right in this room.

Yes, sir.

Only my room,

it's clear back by the stable wing.

And you stayed back there all night?

No, as a matter of fact,

I left the ranch a couple of times.

I left it once around 10:00 or 11:00

to pick up some fruit crates. I wasn't gone long.

Fruit crates in the night?

Sure, we're expecting pickers any day now.

You yourself told me we needed more fruit crates

just yesterday, remember, sir?

I'm afraid I don't remember that, Joe.

No, I don't remember that.

Sorry.

But isn't there anything you can do, Burt?

You've always said what a nice man this Joe Dixon is.

And... And you know how much Ann likes him...

Jill, what can I do?

Joe's being questioned about a murder, that's all.

I-I-I've got nothing to do with it.

Burt, you can't mean that.

Oh, Jill, why did you come out here?

There's been nothing but police reporters all afternoon.

I only thought I might be able to help that man. I...

Oh, never mind.

Look, I'm not going to interfere.

It's not right to interfere, Jill.

Not even when an innocent man is in trouble?

And how do you know he's so innocent?

Answer me. How?

Well, I don't really know. Of course not, not really.

Well, then keep out of it.

Well, at least he needs a good lawyer.

And I'm sure he can't afford one.

Why are you so anxious? Tell me why.

And why are you so afraid?

Oh, Burt, what is it?

What's wrong?

Or have you changed so very much

from the person I used to...

Jill.

Jill, I'm upset, that's all. Please, you must believe that...

That there's no reason for us to be... To be involved.

Jill.

Burt, I have to.

What if the man is innocent?

Hello.

May I speak to Mr. Mason, please.

Oh, yes. They're all innocent.

Every one of them.

All victims of a sinister plot

to send them to the gas chamber.

What time was Rita Conover killed?

Oh, around 11, the doctor thinks.

Give or take a couple of hours.

She was stabbed?

Yes, struck a few times too.

There'd been a fight.

And, uh...

well, here.

You'll be, uh, reading this in the papers, anyway.

Fingerprint report.

You mean Joe's prints were found on that paper knife?

That's right.

Joe Dixon began drinking in the afternoon.

Apparently, he kept it up.

You can, uh, take a look at his room out there

if you like.

Yes, I would like to.

He has a rough temper, Perry,

and he's used it before.

So maybe he hit her a few times,

and then picked up the knife.

Well,

if you want a client like that, Perry,

I'll have him brought up here.

And you can talk to him right here.

Only don't say I didn't warn you of what you're up against.

But I didn't touch that knife till the day after the murder.

I guess I must have started to pull it out.

It's a natural thing to do.

You mean, when you opened the trunk of the car

and found her body?

I'm telling the truth, Mr. Mason.

I know, those two men from the sheriff's office,

they wouldn't believe anything I said, but...

The laboratory reports say

that yours were the only fingerprints on that knife.

They don't say your prints covered other prints, Joe.

They said yours were the only ones.

Well, don't ask me to explain it!

I guess you do have a temper, don't you?

Memphis, Tennessee, ten years ago.

I spent a little time in jail, once or twice.

Just overnight, that's all.

What for?

I got in a few fights.

That's what the lieutenant meant, I guess.

They got hold of my record.

Fights?

Yeah, when I get to drinking, that's all.

But I quit drinking, Mr. Mason.

I quit all that kind of stuff years ago.

Except for last night?

Now you listen to me!

I took that bottle from Rennie and took a couple of belts

'cause I was sore at Rita.

I was fed up with the things she was doing to Ann.

But that's all, you hear? That's all there was to it.

Joe, how did it happen you were taking that car up to the lake?

Wasn't that Rennie's job?

Well, I figured somebody had to do it.

Rennie told me what the boss's instructions had been

after the car was loaded.

Then when he didn't show up the next morning...

How could Rennie have told you

what Mr. Farwell's instructions were after the car was loaded?

That was after 8:00. You said Rennie went to the movies at 7.

Oh, for the love of...

So he told me before the car was loaded.

Maybe he told me at supper, I don't know.

You're sure haven't seen Rennie since then, Joe?

Of course I'm sure.

Rennie had nothing to do with this, you hear me?

That's all there is to it.

Sure looks to me like Joe took more than a couple of belts.

Oh, I don't know.

Somebody else could have left these here.

Otherwise, this room is pretty neat.

This Rennie's room? Uh-huh.

Quite a difference.

Paul, I wonder why Joe Dixon

wants to cover up for this man Rennie?

Well, maybe he's covering for himself.

Maybe he asked Rennie to get lost

so Rennie couldn't testify against him.

Hmm.

I suppose the police have an all-out search going.

Heh. All points.

Rennie's the kind of a guy who'd try to leave town

whether he knows anything or not.

It's much easier to hide by staying in one place.

Yeah, sure likes the movies, doesn't he?

Yes.

This man Rennie certainly has a favorite here, doesn't he?

Uh-huh. Connie Cole.

Oh, uh, incidentally, that's from a picture

that's playing now in Reseda.

You know, Paul,

I once handled a case for Connie Cole's agent.

There's a crazy idea that just might work.

You see, I'm gonna need Rennie.

Heh. Fine, but how do you find the guy?

I don't. You do.

You're gonna build a trap for Rennie, Paul.

I'm going after someone I hope a little easier to find.

Let's go.

But I can't answer any questions, Mr. Mason.

And I don't feel well.

I understand.

But you know how much your mother's hoping

we can get Joe out of this.

But it looks like nobody

can get him out of it.

The newspapers say his fingerprints...

We've got to try, Ann.

Now, in all the time you spent at the ranch,

was this man Rennie around?

Rennie?

But I don't know anything about Rennie.

He's nothing.

Joe wouldn't even let me talk to him.

That's something in itself, isn't it?

Now, were there any people in particular,

who came often to the ranch with Rita,

people your father wouldn't know about?

I don't know.

Well, think back, Ann.

You were at the ranch nearly every afternoon this last week.

I told you.

I don't know.

I can't help Joe.

I want to, but I can't.

I can't.

Hi.

Thought I'd bring her a transfusion.

She's real shook.

Here you go, Ann.

I'm not hungry.

Real shook.

I'll bring us back some new records from town.

Kathy, if you're going to town you'd better hurry.

You still have three hours

to make up in the kitchen, remember?

Yes, Miss Pennock.

KP.

How do you feel, Ann?

Please leave me alone.

I expect we'd better let her rest, Mr. Mason.

You can't sympathize with her too much.

She just goes to pieces.

I wish there was something I could do for her.

You say her roommate's on KP?

Mm. She was posted for sneaking out

night before last.

Missing at bed check.

Did you catch her when she came in?

No.

It's especially serious with Kathy.

She's 16 and one of the few girls with a car.

She still won't tell us where she went.

Thank you, Miss Pennock.

I'm just gonna run into town and get some new records.

I'll be right back.

So long, kids. I'll be seeing you.

Kathy.

Kathy, may I ask you a question?

Of course.

Where did you get those boots?

Well, I guess you can buy them several places.

They are yours, though? Oh, sure.

See, I... I've got this dewy-eyed grandmother who's a...

Kathy,

Ann's mother showed me those boots.

Now, why did Ann give them to you?

Are the boots payment for a favor?

Are you covering up for Ann, perhaps?

Mr. Mason, I know I ain't oughta be

telling you everything she can think of and...

Kathy, wasn't Ann the one who sneaked off the other night?

I promised.

Please don't ask me.

Please.

Of course I taught her how to drive.

Out of the ranch is the ideal place

to get her used to the wheel.

But that doesn't necessarily mean

that she'd climb out of a dormitory window and...

And go joyriding in her roommate's car.

You're protesting too loudly, Mr. Farwell.

Look, I'm not protesting loudly enough.

Ann's a sick girl.

You've got no right to cross-examine her.

I wasn't aware that I had.

What do you call it, then?

Mr. Farwell, your daughter's been

chewing herself to pieces over this,

and not because I've been questioning her.

Mr. Mason, I want you...

Yes, Della?

Oh.

All right, hold on a minute.

Will you excuse me, please?

Paul find him?

Yes, Paul?

Perry. Well, we got Rennie Foster, all right.

In fact, we got half of Reseda.

That was some stunt you dreamed up.

And now the theater manager wishes you'd come out here

and help him explain to his customers

why Connie Cole never really showed up.

As soon as he put out that sign, the joint was jammed.

And Rennie Foster fell for it too.

He joined the crowd.

Only, so did a couple of Tragg's men.

It looks like Rennie really wasn't

out at the ranch after 7:00.

Oh, well, he didn't sit through just one show,

he sat through two complete double bills.

He gave the ushers a bad time. They remember him.

And then, after all the drinking he'd done,

he apparently fell sound asleep.

You mean they had to throw him out of the theater that night?

No. I mean the manager found him

and woke him up at 10:00 the next morning.

Your would-be witness spent the entire night of the murder

in a theater.

All right, Paul.

Thanks.

Mason, I really must go now.

But you understand, don't you?

If you wanna talk to Ann again,

you get my permission first, not the school's.

I've a feeling the next time I talk to Ann, Mr. Farwell,

will be in court. What do you mean by that?

I intend to subpoena your daughter as a witness.

Why, you can't do that.

A young girl in court? Why, I won't let you.

You should also be warned that if the district attorney

brings her in court, I intend to cross-examine her.

I'm trying to find the truth, Mr. Farwell.

Mister... No matter who gets hurt.

It'll be too bad if a girl in her state of mind

has to be brought into court.

Della, don't you think I realize that?

Under the circumstances, what would you have me do?

And you say rigor mortis is usually complete

within ten to 12 hours?

Then, doctor, what is your opinion on the time of death?

Well, taking in all the other factors too...

Temperature, p.m. lividity and so on.

I'd say Miss Conover died

sometime between 10:00 and midnight.

Thank you, doctor. Your witness.

Doctor, you ascribe Miss Conover's death

to a stab wound with this paper knife.

How deep was that wound?

Four and a half inches.

Would it have required a powerful stroke?

Only moderately.

It's a very sharp weapon.

Would it have required the strength of a man?

Not necessarily.

Now, you mentioned postmortem lividity.

Was this observable on both sides of the body?

Yes, in some degree.

But doesn't such general discoloration

usually indicate that, um, a body had been moved

a few hours after death,

and then allowed to settle in a new position?

Yes, but not too many hours later.

Uh, besides, if the rigor mortis were complete,

the body could not have been put in the car.

Exactly.

It's your opinion, then,

that the body was not put in the car the next day,

nor was it put there immediately after death.

Now, doctor, in your opinion, when was that body moved?

I'd say sometime between two and five hours after death.

In other words, between the hours of 12 midnight

and 5 in the morning.

So it would seem that someone returned

to the scene of the crime in order to move the body.

Thank you, doctor. That'll be all.

Call Mr. Rennie Foster to the stand.

Uh, well, she was giving me

some instructions about how to fix a stirrup,

because I guess I hadn't done it right the day before.

Uh, I suppose that was about 5:00.

Was Miss Conover angry or upset at the time?

No. I mean, not with me, she wasn't.

But then I get along with everybody.

I never have no trouble.

Mm-hm.

Was it then, at 5:00, that you saw the defendant,

Joe Dixon, approaching?

Uh, yes, sir. I mean, he looked kind of red in the face,

and he said, uh, could he see her for a minute.

What was Miss Conover's answer?

Well, she slapped him in the face and she walked away.

Mr. Foster, do you have any concrete knowledge

as to why she slapped his face?

Uh, well, they'd been fighting all week.

I know Joe was kind of sore about the way

she'd been treating the kid, Ann, over there.

When Miss Conover walked away, what was Joe Dixon's attitude?

Uh, well, he blew his stack.

He said how Rita was the world's champion louse.

How he could beat her brains in.

Then he grabbed the bottle out of my back pocket

and drank half of it, right then and there.

Joe, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Your witness.

Mr. Foster, do you always carry a bottle with you?

No. I... For a man who drinks so much,

you have a remarkable memory.

Now, how many drinks had you on that afternoon and evening?

None. I don't drink when I'm working.

Just carry the bottle with you for company, is that it?

Now, what was Joe Dixon wearing? Jeans, I guess.

Was he standing in the sun or in the shade?

I don't remember... Was he smoking?

I-I don't know. Did Miss Conover slap him

with her right hand or her left hand?

I object, Your Honor, to this kind of cross-examination.

May it please the court, prosecution has elicited

some surprisingly detailed testimony from this witness

not only regarding a face-slapping,

but regarding Mr. Farwell's instructions

concerning his car and other matters.

I agree you have every right

to try to impeach this witness, Mr. Mason. Proceed.

Yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Foster, were you ever in trouble with the law?

Well, I...

You implied you were not drinking that evening,

but haven't you ever been apprehended for drinking

or perhaps vagrancy, for causing trouble in some theater?

I must remind you you're under oath.

Sir, I'm wanted for manslaughter in Tennessee.

Order. Order.

Your Honor, that's all right,

because I told them everything.

I didn't lie about anything.

When I called the police headquarters

and asked to see every available record, why...?

Your Honor, may it please the court,

but the records that counsel is referring to

are no part of this case and he had no right to see them.

The witness has never been convicted of a felony.

And furthermore, this last testimony

would not have been proper here,

if the witness hadn't inadvertently stated

that he'd never had any trouble with anyone.

The matter, therefore, is quite immaterial.

I suppose it would be immaterial

to ask if the witness has been offered

some sort of official immunity

in return for his willing testimony here?

We resent that, Your Honor.

It must be apparent to counsel

that this witness would tend to be prejudiced

in behalf of the defendant.

After all, the two men are stepbrothers.

Or wasn't counsel aware of that fact, either?

If defense counsel wishes a recess at this time,

the court will consider it.

Well, Mr. Mason?

No. We'll continue, Your Honor.

I have no further questions of Mr. Foster.

You may step down.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mason.

But it's just that I've always tried to protect the kid.

I know I should've told you he was my stepbrother,

but I never told anybody else.

And with all this Tennessee stuff...

Rennie's stupid, Mr. Mason, but he ain't bad.

He had nothing to do with this...

Call your next witness, Mr. Prosecutor.

And what time was that, Mr. Farwell?

I left Miss Conover at the ranch at 8 p.m. sharp.

What did you do then?

I stopped by the Fernwood School for Girls for a few moments

to a visit with my daughter in the car.

Then I drove into town to my office.

Sometime after midnight, I went to my club to sleep.

Now, once more, concerning the next morning:

You arrived at your ranch at 10:00, is that right?

Yes, yes, it is. I particularly remember,

because I had to open the gate

for a truck from the rug cleaners.

Miss Conover was planning, uh,

quite a bit of cleaning and redecorating

while we were away.

I think that's all, Mr. Farwell. Thank you.

Mr. Farwell...

about the rug men.

Did they enter the room with you?

Yes, yes, they did.

They expected to see Miss Conover.

When I found she was missing,

they asked if they could wait.

Then you stated that after a while you became concerned

that Joe Dixon wasn't on the ranch either,

so you finally called the police,

who had just received the report of your car being stopped.

Is that all correct?

Yes, yes, it is.

If the, um, rug men hadn't been there, Mr. Farwell,

would you have called anyone?

Well, I don't understand. What do you mean?

Or would you have just pretended to go off toward Las Vegas,

knowing that later you could go up to Pine Lake

and in secrecy dispose of the body

which was being delivered there in your own automobile.

Object, Your Honor.

Sustained. Mr. Mason, you will confine yourself

to proper cross-examination.

The, uh, police also stated

that an anonymous call from a farmer

who claimed his car had been sideswiped,

led to the stopping of your car and the discovery of the body.

Yet an examination of your car

showed no evidence of any collision.

Therefore, it must be assumed

that the anonymous call was made

only to induce the police to search your car.

I'm gonna ask you, Mr. Farwell:

Are you the person who made that anonymous call?

I certainly am not.

No further questions.

You may step down.

Call your next witness, Mr. Prosecutor.

Call Wilmer Beaslee, please.

Perry.

Raise your right hand.

Do you promise to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

- I do. - State your name.

- Wilmer Beaslee. - Be seated, please.

Will you state your occupation, Mr. Beaslee?

I am a theatrical booking agent for Memphis.

Tennessee, that is.

Now, have you ever known the defendant?

Briefly. I tried to avoid him whenever I could.

Would you state the circumstances?

It was about 12 years ago.

Mr. Dixon was married at the time

to a 16-year-old girl named Georgia Hale.

I think she walked out on him shortly afterwards.

She was stage-struck,

and she kept hounding me to get her a job.

Was that how you happened to meet her husband?

Oh, my, yes. He didn't like the idea at all.

That man has a terrible temper

when he has a few drinks in him.

Just answer the question.

Did you get Joe Dixon's wife, Georgia Hale, a job?

Oh, not exactly. I'm afraid she didn't get much of anywhere

until a couple of years later when she went to New York,

and changed her name to Rita Conover.

Thank you.

I hadn't heard from her in years, Mr. Mason.

And there she was at the ranch one day.

She had a big car and she was a little short of money.

She spotted Rennie

and she knew he was wanted back in Tennessee.

You mean she tried to get money from you?

Blackmail was better than alimony any day.

Guess that's why I always felt so sorry for Ann.

She was the only one who really saw through Rita.

Knew how conniving and downright mean

she really was.

Stay with your own story, Joe.

Well, that's about it.

My new boss came home then. Burt Farwell.

And Rita, she says she's out looking for real estate,

and then the first thing you know,

they're going out to dinner together.

You didn't tell Farwell who she really was?

How could I?

Rita could put Rennie in prison, don't you understand?

Because of a tramp like Rennie,

you were going to let all those people be hurt?

Mr. Mason, once you start covering,

once you start hiding things, you can't stop.

I wanted to tell Mr. Farwell the truth. Honest.

I started to that same day before she was killed.

Then I didn't and...

Then it was too late.

Is that all of the story, Joe?

That's all of it.

All right, Joe.

Come on, Paul. We've got work to do.

Call Ann Farwell to the stand.

Ann Farwell to the stand.

I can't.

You've got to.

Ann Farwell, please.

Go on, honey.

What'll I say?

Well, just tell the truth.

Raise your right hand.

Do you solemnly swear the testimony

you're about to give will be the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I... I do.

State your name.

Ann Farwell.

Be seated, please.

Ann, how long have you known Joe Dixon?

About a year.

See him often?

Twice a week, sometimes more

when he gives me riding lessons.

You like him, Ann?

Very much.

Ann, did Joe know how you felt

about your father and mother splitting up?

About your father marrying Rita Conover?

Yes. We talked about it all the time.

Did Joe ever tell you how he felt about it?

He...

He understood, better than anyone.

Then he didn't approve of it, either?

No.

Joe...

He knew how much it was hurting me.

Did he ever threaten to do anything about it?

I...

I don't remember.

Ann.

You've sworn to tell the truth.

You know you do remember.

Joe didn't kill her.

I know he didn't.

Ann. Please, I...

Ann, I didn't ask you what you thought

about his guilt or innocence.

I asked you if you ever heard him,

Joe Dixon, the defendant,

threaten to do something about your problem.

Please.

I...

Yes.

I guess he did.

When?

The last time was...

the day she was killed.

He was taking me home.

He...

He said there were times

when it was all he could do to keep from...

From what?

He didn't mean it.

He was just angry.

He said it was all he could do to keep from what, Ann?

From...

wringing her pretty neck.

Thank you, Ann.

Your witness, counselor.

Ann, you just said that

Joe took you home on the day of the murder.

I meant to say school.

What time did he take you to school?

About 2:00 in the afternoon.

And then what?

My mother was waiting for me.

She wanted to take me home for the weekend.

Did you go?

No.

Why not?

I wanted to be alone.

I felt so awful about what Daddy was doing.

I just wanted to be alone.

So your mother left you at school.

Did you see your father that day?

Yes.

In the evening.

He came by in the car and we went for a little ride.

You talked?

Yes.

What did you talk about?

Rita.

He said there was no way of changing anything.

That he and Rita were going to be married the next day.

Was that the end of the conversation?

No.

I tried to change his mind,

but it wasn't any use.

So he took me back to the dorm.

Then what did you do?

Then I...

I went to bed.

You stayed in bed?

Yes.

Ann,

are you sure you stayed in bed?

Yes.

Now, Ann...

didn't you leave the dormitory?

Didn't you borrow your roommate's car

and go back to the ranch to see Rita?

Yes.

I did.

Why did you do that?

I wanted to talk to her.

I wanted to tell her

what she was doing to my mother.

I wanted to tell her

about how Mother cried every night

and everything else.

That's all.

I wanted to talk to her.

And then?

I...

I got there.

And I left the car out on the highway.

And...

And...

And what happened then, Ann?

I can't tell you.

I can't.

I can't.

You'd rather let Joe go to the gas chamber? Is that it?

No. Is that it?

No.

Order. Order.

I'll declare a five-minute recess

to let the witness compose herself.

Ann.

Ann.

Ann.

Oh, Ann.

Ann.

Stop.

Let me talk to you, Ann.

I don't want to talk.

I killed Rita.

I killed her.

No, you didn't. I can prove you didn't.

I did.

Who are you trying to protect,

your father or your mother?

What...? Come down from there.

Oh, dear God.

You must have seen me there.

Oh, but darling, I-I didn't kill her.

We quarreled, that's all.

I thought we could talk sensibly.

And... And then she lost her temper and...

I saw you run out of the house.

You got in the car and drove away.

Oh.

And then what did you do, Ann?

I didn't know what to do.

After a while, I went inside and found Rita dead.

Oh, poor baby.

I sat down and tried to think for a long time.

Then I called you.

Then that's why you said you killed her.

To protect your mother.

Oh, Burt.

And that's why you were willing to let Joe take the blame.

You were protecting Ann.

You were all protecting each other.

And now that at last we have that truth,

there's only one person who could have killed.

Rennie confessed to the whole thing.

Seems almost proud of it.

I guess he likes to see his pictures in the papers.

Rennie'd gone too far this time.

Rita was gonna turn him over to the police.

He'd been drinking and arguing with her.

When you arrived, he went into another room.

When you ran out, he took advantage

of the chance to kill Rita and have you blamed.

But I thought Rennie had an alibi.

He did. Just as soon as he got back to that theater

where he'd been in trouble with the ushers before.

He found a fire door still unlatched and got back in,

which isn't too much of a problem for an old popcorn boy.

Incidentally, he made that anonymous telephone call,

made it from the theater.

A very grateful stepbrother.

Well, I am so ashamed of myself.

I thought if I kept quiet...

Well, you see, Perry, I wanted to protect Burt.

I wanted to protect him,

well, just like he tried to protect Ann.

Yes.

You three are still acting like a family, aren't you?

Oh, I don't know about that.

But, well, it's like Burt says:

Sometimes it takes a terrible thing happening

to make you realize

how much you really care for one another.

Thanks, Joe.