Original subtitles

Dizzy Gillespie was never like this.

Not unless he was Mozart.

Well, who are those quiet cats?

Beecham String Quartet.

Biggest thing in quartet since Rigoletto.

I've got an exam tomorrow, Chief.

Yes, I hope not.

No, no, I thought they were supposed to transpose to an F major here.

Must be thinking of a different Allegro.

I'll use the earphones.

You can go back and study, Mark.

I play a mean kazoo if you get tired of this.

What'd you say?

I play a mean kazoo if you ever get tired of this. You don't have to holler.

I'll remember that.

Our newest recording.

And as far as I'm concerned, it's our worst. Our very worst.

Is this what must happen with so -called success?

Or the sudden inundations of love?

My musician -less Valentinos.

Just listen to this.

Incredible.

Unforgivable.

Old King Cole with a merry old soul.

But at least his fiddlers cared.

Well, mine.

Oh, no.

As ever, you're changing the subject again.

Well, what is it to be this time? A discussion of the, uh... Overture of

With Fortissimo Cannon?

really didn't think you'd have the guts, my dear.

But I prepared myself for this.

As I warned you.

Lay fuzz on these sacred grounds.

I never would have believed it.

Do you think they'll give us the third degree, Tony? Oh, I'm clean, I swear it.

If they don't let me go, I'll take them to the Supreme Court.

Higher, I'll take it to Leonard Bernstein.

I've seen deeper mourning in my time.

Well, the killer was looking for something, but not money.

Found Beecham's wallet in the bedroom drawer.

Nearly 300 bucks intact.

That's conveniently unimaginative.

I mean, when you consider the types we've known who try to cover up by

money.

Striegels.

I'd like a list of everyone who was here on the conservatory grounds last night,

including descriptions of any strangers you might have seen.

Oh, there were no strangers, sir.

Who was around last night?

Very few people.

We're in spring recess now. So you'd say, then, there was no one else here

beside yourself, Mr. Beecham, and the handful of students.

Right. And, of course, the other three members of the quartet, and Donald

Flood's wife, and Elizabeth Flanders, the manager.

You've been on tour, Miss Flanders?

Munich, Germany, was our last European booking.

Now he's dead.

Murdered. It's incredible.

Do you have no idea who might have done it?

No, of course not.

Who would want to destroy genius?

What sort of madman... The madman was obviously looking for something.

Any ideas about that?

No.

And to answer your next obvious question, Lieutenant Ironside, Chief.

Chief.

I like that.

I like dealing with the top.

No messing around. One gets right to one's point. No nonsense.

Your point being?

I was out most of last evening.

Alone.

I went to see a film, a Garbo revival.

That's called an obligatory alibi in your parlance, I believe.

Anna Christie.

I noticed the title on the marquee down the street, Classic Theater.

Yes, that's correct.

Wonderful actress, Garbo.

Miss Flanders, since you're the manager of the group, I think I should tell you

first.

We have to ask the gentlemen some routine questions.

Oh, that's ridiculous.

You don't really believe they had anything to do with it?

Besides, you're all dreadfully busy. I've arranged a memorial concert for

We won't interfere with that.

I want to hear their...

obligatory alibi to see if they're as clear -cut and straightforward as yours.

Yes.

Very well. But I really have no idea where they all are this morning.

Donald and his wife were going to take a friend's house at the beach and

Jeremy... We'll locate them, Miss Flanders.

And I assure you, if they have nothing over which to be concerned, you

have nothing over which to be concerned.

Ten, count them ten, of the students were together in one of the bungalows

night, drinking beer and singing madrigals yet.

What about number eleven, if I haven't lost count?

A violin student named Tony Savo. He wasn't around last night, and he wasn't

around this morning for questioning.

One of the kids said he'd be back later. We'll check him out, Vince.

Anything new around here, aside from that great -looking appetizer?

I assume it's followed by lunch.

Oh, it is lunch.

And very healthy, and lots of it. Now, dig in.

New item.

Report from Ballistics.

The gun used to kill Anton Beecham had a silencer. German -made, pretty rare

variety, probably purchased in Europe.

Liked by somebody on tour recently.

Possibly bought there, then used and disposed of here.

Probably in the bay, where it won't be retrieved easily, if ever.

So that this was very much premeditated by he, whoever.

Or she, whoever.

Item two.

Mmm, Mark.

Very good.

Nothing beats chives marinated in sour goat's milk.

Chief. We checked out the classic theater where Miss Flanders said that

gone to see Greta Garbo in Anna Christie.

Except the show changes every day, and that night, Greta Garbo was making like

Anna Karenina. Well, Miss Flanders will probably say she was too upset at the

moment to remember which.

But why would she want to kill Beecham?

This group with their bread and butter, they were beginning to rack up a

fortune. Here, have another one.

Since when has logic had anything to do with murder?

I'll stick to it if you don't mind. And to me, it's more logical to concentrate

on Beecham's three hybrids. Good thinking.

Well, nobody minds.

I'd like to zero in on that Daryl Podell.

He looks very interesting.

Now, what is Paul Newman going to say about that?

I don't seem to be getting very far with him.

But Al's out at that beach house with Donald Flood and his wife, so you can

check them both out.

Ed, Jeremy Daniels belongs to you. He's at the conservatory.

You can help Fran when you're finished with him.

I happen to have another appointment.

Oh, thank you.

It's all right, Toby. It's all right. We're home.

It's okay.

Tony!

Hi!

Hey, how was L .A.? Oh, it was very lonely.

And it was hot.

Yeah, well, not as hot as the Lombard Conservatory, right?

Poor Anton.

You know, I can't name any people who had cut a vacation short because of poor

Anton. Don't be funny, Tony. Not about this.

Are the others still there?

Yeah. Are the police questioning Donald Flood? Yeah, they're ripping into

everybody who was around last night.

But I wasn't around.

I called you at exactly four minutes after midnight from Santa Maria, right?

Of course.

Look, this is weird enough as it is. Don't you start that now.

Yeah, you're right.

Come on, I'll take you down to the wharf. I'll buy you some lunch. We'll

the sailboat and forget all about it, okay? I'm sorry, Tony, but I have to go

right now to the conservatory.

Why? Because I wired Chief Ironside to meet me there.

Hey, honey, look, I don't want you to get involved in this mess. I am

Diane Lombard.

You founded this conservatory when you were, oh, about four years old.

No,

my dad founded it when I was about six.

But for the past couple of years, I've been working here as his secretary.

How'd you learn about Beecham's death?

Newspaper? No, Tony phoned me.

Tony?

Tony Sarvo. He's a student here and, well, we're pretty close.

He picked me up from the airport, but he had to go back to Santa Maria because

his mother is sick.

So I understand he was here for a while this morning.

Yes, just to pick up some music.

How about your father, Diane?

Has he been notified?

Uh, my dad's dead, Chief Ironside.

I'm... I'm very sorry. I assumed that...

He was on spring vacation, too.

Oh, no.

No, he died just a few months ago.

Shortly after that, I found these.

This note and this tape. I'm on the paper.

This is a message from Anton Beecham.

A premonition, I guess, about the murder and the murderer.

This is why I had to speak with you today.

If anything untoward should happen to me, dear Martin, weep a bit.

Then study the Mussorgsky Quartet, Op. 89.

And then, as ever, listen well.

That is the message?

Yes.

Well, we've got quite a code on our hands.

Or is it a coda?

You wouldn't just be able to decipher that, would you?

Well, it was a very private fun and games between my dad and Anton.

You see, they studied music together in New York when they were boys, and the

code was invented there.

Over the years, they'd send each other these musical messages instead of cards.

At Christmas, birthdays, the usual sort of holidays.

Are there any of those other tapes around?

I don't know, but I can sure look.

Is there anything about what we've just heard that strikes your musical ear?

Well, sure.

They're all the first two bars of familiar enough pieces.

The first is by Schubert.

The second by Ambroise Thomas.

Then Bach.

Bach.

Johann Sebastian or one of the sons.

Come on, you know music.

Yes, from A to B flat.

That's my dad.

This was taken about a year ago.

He's a fine -looking man.

Tell me, how did he... Had he been ill?

No, it was an accident.

He and Donald Flood were... Well, I'd rather not talk about it.

Chief Ironside, does any of this help you so far?

It narrows things down a bit.

Both your father and Anton Beecham knew the murderer.

I'll get busy with this list.

Thanks. I got some official business to take care of, so why don't we go to

Knott's off the line?

Okay, okay.

Help yourself to a beer. It's right here.

You couldn't be off the belt.

Well, would you like to see my ID?

No, I'll take the real deal.

Just when you phoned and you said you were coming over, I thought... Yes?

Well, the idea of a lady police.

Yes?

Why don't we start all over?

Hi.

I'm Gerald Fidel.

I'd like to get to know you better.

I'm Fran Belding.

And I'd like to know about your activities last night.

Well, I had a date.

Things were pretty active.

Does that answer your question?

Not exactly.

Mr. Beecham was murdered at 11 o 'clock.

I get back to my bungalow at the conservatory at about three.

No, it wasn't one of them. They're strictly music fans.

You're black.

Yes, sort of.

And then who were you then?

Well, it would be kind of embarrassing if you talked to me as you married.

Oh, besides, she and her husband left today for Hawaii.

An anniversary.

She didn't exactly leave a poor -witting aunt.

I see.

Mr. Poldell. Daryl.

Daryl.

What was your personal relationship with Anton Vigil?

He was a great talent.

A great violinist.

And I loathed him.

Why? Because he had no respect for people, their feelings, their lives. Not

music. And perfection in music.

He called everyone my dear.

And he hated everyone dear.

You know, you have a perfect nose.

Has anybody ever told you that before?

The surgeon who fixed it.

You're putting me away.

Maybe. The gorgeous lady cop has put me away.

And Daryl, Donald and his wife are using that house too, aren't they?

Ah, you're gunning for them too, huh?

Yeah, well, they ought to be back in a little while.

It'd be a good chance for you to stick around.

Cheer me on.

Rah, rah, rah.

No, thanks.

Yes, Antoine and I had our differences, but I respected him very much.

According to this interview with Beecham, he once said, Jeremy Daniels,

violinist, is the best musician of the poor, myself included.

Yes.

I mean, yes, he did say that. More than once.

And it didn't exactly make Don or Daryl climb the walls with joy, Daryl

especially.

And Beecham also said that you were like a son to him.

Well, I think he was pushing it a bit.

We did argue.

Lots of the time.

But so do some fathers and sons, I guess.

Beecham consoled young Daniel some troubled times.

That's true.

It was after my girl, this girl I was going with, Amy.

She died suddenly.

And Anton... But, yeah, Anton was very good about things then.

Around about 11 last night, Jeremy.

Hmm? Oh, yeah.

Last night.

Well, I was in my bungalow, Sergeant Brown. It had been a long day, and I

some sleep.

I took some pills around 10, 10 .30.

And I didn't wake up till this morning when I found out what had happened.

It's still hard to believe, isn't it?

Impossible to believe.

We were in our bungalow at the conservatory, Donald and I, sleeping.

She was.

I was up, drinking.

It helps me unwind after a day with dear Anton.

Why don't you go and do something about that off -key hack?

Edward!

off at you, Westphalian witch.

Tell us what before we find out, Mrs. Blood.

They got along very badly.

Anton and my husband.

Because of this.

The bottle.

The constant drink.

Anton threatened to replace Donald if he didn't stop.

I had to tell them!

Someone else would have told him in time. And tell them, my chutz, how Anton

always threatening to replace the three of us.

Before my drinking, Daryl, because of his highly active social life,

and not that nurturing to the artistic soul.

Jeremy, so that Daryl and I wouldn't think we own the exclusive rights to his

list, I guess.

Not that I think that he really liked Jeremy either or Jeremy him.

Anton Beecham, I am the Empire.

I hate the man.

Everyone who knew him hated him.

Diane Lombard apparently didn't.

Weak Diane.

Nor Martin Lombard.

As Lombard told Chief Ironside that you were with her father when he died, what

happened, Mr. Flood?

It was four months ago.

Anton gave us a couple of weeks off.

The group scattered and Gracie and I came here.

And the accident?

It was just that.

Lombard and I went swimming together.

Had a beat in three miles each day.

It was a very bad day.

The waves were like mountains.

They were angry.

They were going to swallow one of us and they did.

But I didn't say any more than that, Chief Ironside, that it was an accident.

Your expression did.

Oh.

Well... You see, my dad had suggested to Antone more than once that he lose

Donald Flood because he was jeopardizing the quartet.

Now, this is strictly a professional opinion, and it was private.

But I think that Donald Flood must have sensed it.

And the way he drinks. I've seen him become violent with his wife, the poor

woman. And I know that... Well, this is silly of me, I know.

I should forget what I'm not thinking.

Forgotten.

All right, then.

The list.

The list, yeah.

I was right, by the way.

Mussorgsky, look, Mussorgsky never did write any quartets.

Opus 89 is Pictures at an Exhibition, which is for full orchestra.

Pictures at an Exhibition?

You wouldn't happen to have an art gallery in the conservatory.

No, strictly music.

Museum of any sort?

Well, there is the musicology room.

I guess you could call that a museum.

Where is it?

It's over here.

impressive. This was my dad's favorite room in all the world.

And Anton's.

They would spend hours here.

Anton donated these.

His babies, he called them.

Three sons who never talked back.

They're all quite valuable, you know.

For instance, this is an Amati Viola.

He only made three or four of these.

And this is a viol de gamba from the time of Pergolesi.

And this is a fake Guarneri.

But it is a great fake.

It would certainly fool me.

And now, about Anton's message to my dad.

Pictures at an exhibition.

Something to do with this room.

Maybe. And quartet.

Even though it doesn't exist, it must be a key word.

Exactly.

Dopey dopey dopey dopey.

These seem like the only things that weren't touched.

It's like whoever did it had a soft touch for rare instruments, like a

Or a music student.

Do you suppose whoever found what he wanted in here?

It's very possible, Mark.

At least we know he didn't find it in Beecham's bungalow the other night.

Well, how's Diane?

Well, Doc says she'll be okay.

Looks like it was chloroform, but it won't give her anything worse than a bad

hangover. I hope she doesn't feel as bad as you look.

It's been a rough couple of hours.

See, Diane and I are... Well, we got our own thing going.

Did you just happen to drop by tonight, Mr. Sabo?

No, not exactly.

See, I tried to call her about 11.

She wasn't in her bungalow, so I tried the office.

The line was busy, so I kept trying to call, and the line was still busy.

It kind of scared me.

Why?

Oh, come on, Chief. This conservatory isn't exactly a health resort right now.

So you drove all the way up here from Santa Maria?

Wouldn't you?

Feeling the way you do about Miss Lombard, I'm sure I would. And I'm

that you notified me.

She asked me.

Germany, right?

I was trying to remember the shield.

Third arm, isn't it?

Yeah.

When did you get out?

8th January, hallelujah.

Oh, hey, honey.

Shouldn't be... Oh, no, it's okay.

I'm all right. I just have a little headache now.

Thank you for coming.

Can you tell me about it now, or do you want to wait until morning?

Well, waiting sometimes pays dividends, but I might as well tell you right now.

Do you mind excusing us, Tony?

Oh, hey, wait a minute.

Diane will be quite safe.

No one was after her, just trying to find something in this room.

Look, I don't care what that guy... Tony, Tony, it's okay.

It's all right.

All right, look, I'll sack out at the dorm. Okay. Call me when you get back to

your bungalow.

I promise.

Chief, you can't possibly think Tony had anything to do with that. As of this

moment, I have to believe that anybody and everybody is suspect.

Now, exactly what happened?

Well, there's really not much to tell.

I was in here phoning you.

Someone came up behind me. There was a hand across my face, a cloth, and a

sickening sweet smell.

And Tony was shaking me.

Why were you phoning me?

Well, I found something that I thought you'd want in the file.

It's an old tape stuck away in some lecture notes.

Want to beat you up to your father?

Yes, it's one of the holiday tapes for Dad's birthday last year.

You'll want the titles.

Please.

Somewhere in that music is a message.

Happy birthday.

Oh, this is insane.

Questions and questions and more questions.

When will this end, if ever, Sergeant Brown?

As soon as we're satisfied with the answers, Miss Flanders.

Oh.

How very glib.

They're only doing their job, Elizabeth.

If police had managers, you'd sign us off it, right?

It's quite a compliment, considering we've accomplished next to nothing so

You will.

Well, getting back to last night.

Beth and I were in a bungalow here, talking.

Reminiscing about Anton and some of our happier memories.

And you saw or heard?

Nothing.

That is true.

That is the truth and that is final. And if this hounding doesn't stop... You're

going to call the police. I'll do more than that.

Whoa, Donald, come on.

Recy, why don't you put him to bed? He's down. He's tired.

We all are.

See, love, the floods and I stayed up all night rapping.

Reminiscing? About Anton.

The good times. And there were some.

Ha!

The three of you together?

Well, I wasn't out on a date last night, if that's what you're wondering.

Respect for the departed. And there's that's wake. It had sudden priority.

Though I will admit, if I hadn't been so bereaved, I think I would have phoned

you.

It's like self -protection time suddenly.

They all have the same line and seem to be pulling for one another.

Well, how's your friend Padel's line?

Great.

But he's a little too spacey for me.

I'll just have to wait for Paul.

Who?

Newman.

Anything on Savo?

He was a student of Beecham's before he went into the army.

Surprise! They didn't get along.

What about the gun?

We've contacted the Department of the Army. They're checking into his files to

see if he ever got permission to buy a gun in Germany. We should hear from

them... Wait a second!

One of you phoned Diane Lombard.

Ask her to come over here.

I don't understand.

Your father's birthday, Diane.

Was it by any chance June the 2nd?

Yes, it was. How did you figure that?

Look at those titles from the second tape. First word from each title.

Like a moonlight.

Key syllable, moon, equaling month.

Sextet. Sixth moon, month, June.

Second symphony, bronze, June the second.

You've done it.

That's wonderful.

Fantastic.

But it still leaves us with this stubborn bit.

D -L -A -J -S -U.

Mean anything to you?

No. The D might stand for the initial D, as in Donald Flood or Daryl Padel.

Or Jeremy Daniels. The D is in the wrong place in Flanders.

Elizabeth Flanders.

What do you know about her, Diane?

Oh, just the usual sordid stuff with lady types like that. She digs money,

success, and young men.

She always handles the young men.

Young male musicians.

Until they realized that all she wanted to do was possess them and they got fed

up.

Ironside.

Yes, Mrs. Flood. What's the problem?

Donald. He's gone.

He began drinking after you people left.

Then he drove off too.

Said he was going for a swim.

Dead on a beach. That's all he said.

I'm frightened for him. I'm very frightened.

It's going to be all right. Now, don't worry.

Yes, we'll see what we can do.

Yes.

Diane, what's the name of the beach where your father and Flood went

Hazard Beach.

Please, no.

Get away.

Stop hunting me. Stop hunting all of us.

I went for a swim.

Book me for that.

Those waves nearly booked you, Flood.

I need a drink.

Coffee.

Black and hot.

You want to talk about it now?

Why did you go to that beach?

I don't know.

Gin.

Too much, even for me.

Too many concerts and recordings this past year.

Anton getting it like that, well, that's rotten.

Even for him.

Too many precious teeth are inside.

Even from Diane Lombard.

The awful things she intimates about her father and my husband that day.

It was an accident.

Drink your coffee, Donald.

More, please.

In a few hours, the concert.

Your head must be clear.

And what's really so important about tonight, Lacey?

A memorial concert at the conservatory for a man we all despised?

Goodbye, Beecham Quartet. Hello, Beecham Trio.

Well, we all know there isn't going to be any trio.

Not for long, anyway.

Because I want to rest.

Jeremy wants to go out on his own, always has.

Daryl.

I think his real dream is bringing culture to Las Vegas.

Anywhere with girls.

Drink your coffee, Donald.

Later we'll talk.

The hall is filling up.

Well, I guess we might as well go in.

Oh, there.

I am Tony.

Those your tickets?

Oh, this is the first trio on the program.

Jeremy will play the Guarneri, Daryl the Amati, and Flood the Dagamba. It was my

idea. Since this is in memoriam and these were Antone's.

That's interesting on the pouch there.

Oh, the crucifix?

Yeah. See, fake Guarneri or not, the guy who copied this was a real tickler for

detail. How's that?

Well, the real Guadagnale always used the cross as his hallmark, as he thought

of himself as the god of all violin makers.

He even nicknamed himself Del Gesu.

That's of Jesus in Italian.

He was a very modest type.

We have to go now, so we'll see you later.

Del Gesu in Italian.

D -L -E -S -U.

First three words on the first tape. Yeah, drop the I -E from the D, combine

with the E -L.

You have del Gesu in Latin.

Let's get backstage.

My dear Anton, I appeal to you to talk to the young man I love.

Granny, read it.

I think that's the only way I shall ever get him to marry me.

But he has threatened to harm me if I don't leave him alone.

Of course, the threat is nonsense.

Still, I beg you to talk to him.

Convince him that marriage will not destroy his career.

As we both know, Anton, He's so anxious to go out on his own.

And you worked so hard to convince him a few years with the quartet will not

jeopardize that future.

Please then do the same for me.

I do not expect to be harmed by him.

But it would destroy me to have to live without my Jeremy.

Signed, Amy. Oh, no.

Amy.

It's a girlfriend who died.

No, no, she killed herself. She found out she was very sick and jumped from a

roof one night.

Jumped, fell.

Or maybe he was pushed.

Now, Diane, if it were suicide, why would anyone be so anxious to get that

I'm afraid Anton Beecham wasn't above blackmail, not when it came to his

and keeping his best musician from quitting.

Thank you.

Get your miserable hands off him. Move.

Jeremy.

Beautiful artist.

My beautiful boy.

Thank you, Sergeant.

If it isn't too anticlimactic, Jeremy Daniels just confessed.

It's not too cliche. I still can't believe it. We thought Flood was...

Flood's a sick man, Tony. He knows it.

Now he's going to do something about it.

Diane, I'm convinced he had nothing to do with your father's death.

It was an accident. Agreed?

Agreed. To me, the real sick one is Elizabeth Flanders.

She obviously knew Daniels was the killer.

She lied about him being with her last night.

Strange woman.

And strangely in love with Daniels. So she lied. Oh, what's the de -gamber,

Mark? It's tilted.

One de -gamber de -tilted.

As for you old fake, my thanks.

You know, Chief, sometimes you make real beautiful music.

Heifetz, Milstein, Ironside.

Every one a master of music.

Yeah.

Hey, the B -Fuck.