Original subtitles

Thank you. I will need a cab.

Game's over.

He called for his coat.

He's coming out.

How could I have made such a fantastic mistake?

And how could one of my oldest friends have taken such advantage of it?

Good lesson for you, Yustov.

Trust no one. Oh, my dear fellow.

The last person I trusted was the midwife who delivered me.

Sent them of the soul.

Oh, don't forget your case.

Oh, thank you. Good night, Houston.

Good night.

Oh, Mr. Rogers.

Dr. Holman, brilliant game. Brilliant, brilliant. Thank you.

I wonder if you'd do me a favor.

Mrs. Hallman didn't expect the game to finish so soon. She went to a motion

picture. When she comes back, would you tell her that I've gone out to listen to

some jazz music?

Jazz, Doctor? Isn't that subversive? Oh, absolutely.

But relaxing.

I'll miss many relaxing things about your wonderful country when I go home.

Jazz, milkshakes, smart young government girls.

Would you

get me a

taxi, please?

to all units.

Subject has left the hotel, proceeding north on J Street.

Six cleared.

6 to 19.

Subject has entered the club.

Position yourself at the rear of the house.

a Quinn Martin Warner Brothers production starring Ephraim Zimbalist

also starring Philip Abbott, Stephen Brooks,

with guest stars Donna Winter, George Voskovic,

John Zandrelan, and special guest star Paul Lukas.

Tonight's episode, The Defector, Part 1.

Claude. Well, Arthur.

Don't tell me you've come all the way out to Dulles just to greet me.

Just to greet you.

Claude Townsend, Inspector Erskine. Inspector. How do you do, sir?

Somebody taking care of your luggage?

Yes, all taken care of.

That's one of the advantages of being in the diplomatic service.

No delay at customs.

Sometimes I think it may be the only advantage.

They've been giving you a hard time at Antwerp?

Well, it's always hard to organize a conference like this.

But at least we'll all be sitting around a table again.

Papers have been calling it the last real hope for peace.

Melodramatic, but near the mark, I think.

The problem is we've no idea what they'll propose, what they'll balk at,

they'll bend to.

We've received considerable intelligence data, but no closer to breaking it than

we ever were.

If a suspected espionage agent like Holman really is ready to defect...

the information we've got.

We put him under 24 -hour surveillance.

Mr. Erskine, please report to the nearest courtesy telephone.

Mr. Lewis Erskine. We'll see you on the car.

What?

Erskine?

When?

As a matter of fact, Arthur, Holman's knowledge...

The codes could mean the difference between war and peace, between victory

defeat. He'll have to make up his mind soon.

The moment he indicates he wants asylum, we'll take him in.

I'm surprised they let him out of the country this time.

The rumor is that he'll never do it again, chess champion or no chess

The man's too much a westerner at heart.

His wife's English, of course you know that.

Yes, I know.

He asked to take his children along on this tour, but they turned him down.

That might have a bearing on what he does.

In fact, the children are still at home.

Arthur!

Arthur!

It's been an accident. A fire. Holman's been hurt.

Holman? How badly?

I don't know. I'll call you as soon as I can.

Explosion. Just a few seconds after Holman went into the club.

All but three.

They're trapped by a fallen beam. The firemen couldn't get to them. What about

Holman? He's still inside.

I haven't moved from here since it happened. Except to call you and then

took over.

Back entrance?

Hollard and his men covered it. They're still there. I just talked to them.

Same story Holman didn't make.

Poor devils.

Your Excellency.

Thank you.

What do you touring chess champions do? Carry aspirin in your pockets like the

Americans carry chewing gum?

I learned the habit from my youngest son, Your Excellency.

He became a Boy Scout on our first trip to America.

He taught me always to be prepared.

Well, I wish he had taught me.

I was certainly not prepared for this.

Do you know what I said to Kessler?

Dr. Holman is thinking of defecting to the Americans.

Please see that he reconsiders.

Yes, the thing was badly done.

But then at least now we know the problem is solved.

Oh, but he bundled everything.

Now we'll have investigations, inquiries, probes.

Yes?

Yes, send him in.

Captain. Your Excellency.

My landlord said you had called.

Yes.

I wanted to know how you slept last night.

Quite well, Your Excellency.

This was your work.

It was not meant to explode in a nightclub.

Then you used a bomb.

Where?

The briefcase?

Of course.

I had it sitting against my leg all during the chess game.

Where was it meant to explode?

The hotel?

I told him to take the case to the club, where it would be picked up by another

of our agents.

He had passed a hundred messages like that for us.

I told him to leave the hotel at exactly 9 .30.

The ride across town should take 20 minutes.

He should have been killed in the cab.

Well, I told them I was too old for this post.

All I wanted to do was retire to my estate, feed my ducks, play with my

grandchildren.

Now we'll have the FBI asking questions, dodging our footsteps.

Still, there's one thing they'll never find, isn't there?

Holman.

Your Prime Minister ought to have a very satisfied look on his face when he sits

across from the Americans at the Antwerp conference.

Well, I'm not satisfied.

Jim and I have been over the reports a hundred times, and I tell you there's

something phonier than a $3 bill about the whole business. Lewis, Holman was

known to have been in the club last night. Couldn't there have been a

substitution? How?

He was under constant surveillance from the time he left the hotel.

Was he?

Let's see.

Come in, Jim. What?

Did you bring the reports?

Yes, sir.

9 .16 p .m., subject emerged from hotel main entrance.

Two cabs, one from the street, one parked, entered the dorm and summons.

Subject entered the near cab, number 4108, which then proceeded north on J

Street. What is your point?

Jim, when you say the near cab, you mean the one nearest the subject, right?

That's right.

I lost sight of Holman for a couple seconds, sir. I saw him walk to the

and then I saw him inside the cab pulling off.

Could you see his face in the cab? Not clearly, no.

Turner, could you when the cab passed?

No, sir. I saw a man in a hat, an overcoat, and a muffler.

Now, Jim, this cab, 4108, the one parked on the street, he'd been there for some

time, right? There's a chance for the driver to have picked up other fares.

That's right.

But he waited for Holman.

Yes.

Orlin, how would you describe Holman's behavior during his game with your

I'd say he was extremely tense and patient. He played very fast.

Well, he was a champion. Why shouldn't he play fast?

The man has been known for years for his calm deliberation. He had something

else in his mind last night.

Let me put everything else on my desk aside.

I talked to the Metropolitan Police. They're willing to ask you officially to

send in the disaster squad to speed identification of the bodies.

This could be a wild goose chase.

Are you convinced this is important enough for me to stop everything else at

work?

How important is the Antwerp conference?

Let me Gary do a disaster squad.

Of course, there has to be an investigation.

All out and immediate.

Everyone understands that.

Everyone wants that.

might have decided to help us.

He might not have.

I'm simply saying that with Holman dead, if Holman's dead, if Holman's dead,

the West may be at a terrible disadvantage at Antwerp.

But at least there'll still be a conference.

The point, Arthur, is that everyone is edgy before a meeting of this sort.

Now if our friends on the opposite side begin to think that the nightclub

investigation is designed just to embarrass them... The investigation is

designed to find out why three people were murdered, and by whom. You can't be

sure it was murder.

Oh, yes, we can.

We know.

Spectroscopic examination of material found at the source of the fire revealed

traces of magnesium, iron oxide, and white phosphorus.

Incendiary bomb.

Right. Apparently, in the briefcase, Holman or his substitute was carrying.

Well, I know you're busy. I just want to bring you up to date on what was

happening. Oh, thanks.

I can assure you, Claude, this investigation is going to be conducted

utmost discretion.

No publicity.

No waves.

And, of course, if we find out that Holman is alive, it won't matter much

the opposition thinks.

Arthur, if you learn that Holman's alive...

And you find him before the conference starts and he cooperates with us.

I promise you the Cold War will be half won.

Actually, it's gone very well.

We've been able to identify two of the victims already, Inspector.

One from a set of prints on file at the Bureau.

The other from a tattoo of a Social Security number.

Obviously, neither of them is Holman. No, sir.

This is the unknown.

Mail found near the source of the explosion.

You haven't been able to raise any prints at all?

No, not yet. Hands are too badly charred.

Except for a little patch of skin on the right thumb.

We're going to try to develop something from the underside of the skin.

And you might send over a set of Holman's prints for comparison.

Well, now, that's another little problem we've been wrestling with.

There's nothing on file.

You could try his hotel suite.

Yeah, we could have. We had time.

Holman and his wife were great entertainers. As a matter of fact, they

the suite next door for parties.

There's been a steady stream of chess fans in and out of that suite ever since

they registered.

We eliminated Prince from the Battle of Christmas.

Yeah, a little problem is right.

Here's another one.

Ambassador Corbin and Mrs. Holman are here to claim the body.

to track down the driver of 4108? Yeah, he says that the man he picked up at the

hotel is the same man he dropped off at the club, and that's all he knows.

I want a complete check on him.

Keep him out of surveillance from now on.

Yes, sir.

By the way, this man contacted the office.

He says he has some information you might like to buy.

Tell him I'll meet him at Sharky at, um, 1115. Yes, sir.

Inspector Erskine?

Yes. He came to see the coroner?

Yes, well, he's rather busy, Excellency. I thought perhaps I could help.

Ah.

Madam Holman, Inspector Louis Erskine of the United States Federal Bureau of

Investigation. Mrs. Holman. And this is the chess champion of Eastern Europe, a

country close to mine, Mr. Alexander Houston.

You may have run across my name during your investigation, sir. I was Dr.

Holman's chess opponent the night he, uh... Well, the night of the accident.

Would you like a sedative, Mrs. Holman?

May I have a light, please?

Help me.

They murdered him.

Please, my dear, there is no need to put you through this. I don't know what I

could have been thinking.

Alex, please.

Yes, madame. Shall we wait in the limousine, please?

It has been a while, we agree.

It has been a perfect marriage, you know.

I had thought that she might be needed here to identify the body, but of course

I can do that myself.

Shall we get it over with?

Well, of course you have every right to view the remains, Excellency, but I

doubt that you'll be able to make an identification.

So badly burned?

Yes.

Nevertheless, for my own satisfaction, please.

Inspector, do you think there may be a chance that Gregory Holman escaped the

fire? Well, that seems highly unlikely, doesn't it, sir?

To think that so short a time ago, that mind was plotting chess moves.

Those eyes scanning the board.

And those hands.

Excellency.

Would you excuse me a moment, please?

Of course, Inspector. Please do go and I can find my way out.

Thank you.

It's lucky that you phoned when you did, Inspector.

The maids had cleaned the room.

I always tell them to leave the playing area alone.

I'd planned to take tables down myself this afternoon.

We cancelled the tournament, of course.

This is table six, fourth round.

Holman, you stop.

And nothing's been moved?

Nothing.

Holman apparently played the white.

Yes.

Was he right -handed?

I may think.

He was, yes.

I don't know if we can just determine which fingers we've got.

There's only one way to pick up a chess piece.

Thumb and back index and middle finger in front.

You've got his excellency to thank for this. You know that, don't you?

No.

Is this the true elapsed time of the match?

Yes, sir.

Forty -five minutes for you, staff.

Fifteen for Holman.

That's fast.

Fast?

It's impossible.

It's unusual, not impossible.

You've played as fast yourself at times. Don't compare me to Holman, God rest

his soul.

I'm a genius.

Inspector Erskine of the FBI, Special Agent Rhodes.

The genius, Larry Norton.

Why don't you investigate Rogers, Inspector?

Why don't you ask him why he allows pairings like you, Staub, and Holman?

Everybody knows they throw games to each other.

That's not true. You have no proof.

Do you believe this game was thrown, Mr. Norton?

Why, of course.

Could you tell from the score sheet?

Do you have it, Mr. Rogers?

Then I have to see the other side.

I'll read off the last seven moves.

Ready?

Go ahead.

Knight to bishop four.

Bishop to queen six.

Rook to king six, check.

King to knight four.

Queen to rook six, check.

King to bishop four.

Rook to king five.

Checkmate.

You saw the game.

Suddenly I saw it.

Chess archives.

It was the 17th game of the Le Bourdonnais -McDonald match.

Played in London, 1834.

So the game was rigged.

And Yustov was in on it.

Yes, Mr. Prime Minister.

Well, of course, I understand the importance of this.

Sir, I'm afraid you forget yourself.

I am as staunch a patriot as anyone in... Yes, Mr. Prime Minister.

If the man is still alive, we'll see to it. That's all I can promise.

Goodbye, sir.

Esperon or Harry Keary knife?

Oh, stop playing the clown.

I'm sorry.

Uh, an aspirin, please.

Anyone?

Alex.

What do you think about... What do you think about Holman?

Is he alive?

Could he have somehow discovered that Gessler was after his life and somehow

changed cabs or... Gregory was a very clever man.

I imagine him capable of almost any baffling move.

That he may be in hiding, still afraid for his life, which would explain why he

hasn't tried to contact the Americans.

That brings up an interesting thought.

If he is still in hiding, at least until after the conference,

then we are in no trouble at all, are we?

None.

If only... I was about to say, if only the FBI were not involved.

What do you think would happen, Alex, if I were to say to the American State

Department how deeply deterred my government was over the implications of

investigation? Do you think the FBI would stop?

Not even if I said regretfully that there would be no conference at all in

Antwerp if they continued?

Get me the American State Department, please.

Are you sure Holman handled the chess piece with his right hand?

I'm sure.

Wonderful distinction.

All in our loop.

When can I have a comparison result?

We'll get right to work on it. Give us 30 minutes.

Duell.

Yes?

Yes, I'll tell him.

State Department.

They'd like to see you in Claude Townsend's office as soon as possible.

Try me there if you come up with anything.

Right.

Now, let me make my position in this crystal clear.

First of all, I would never, under any circumstances, ask the Bureau to stop an

investigation. That's the Bureau's business, not mine.

On the other hand, I want to make certain that Mr. Hoover's kept fully

of every single move in this particular international chess game.

Claude, how definite was Corbin's threat?

Well, in upper echelon diplomacy, Arthur,

Nothing's really definite.

You mean, was it official?

Did it originate with the Prime Minister himself?

Yes.

I don't know.

I didn't talk with Corbyn personally.

It may very well have.

Is it your opinion, Mr. Townsend, that the man would risk scuttling what could

be the most important peace conference in the last 20 years because of Holman?

He might, Inspector.

He probably wouldn't, but he might.

Lewis, how close are we to a breakthrough?

Well, we're expecting a conclusion from the disaster squad in, oh, a matter of

minutes as to whether or not Holman is alive.

In addition to that, I'm meeting a man tonight who has some information about

him he wants to sell.

Is the man reliable?

I don't know. I never dealt with him before.

Well, suppose we do this.

The disaster squad will be finished soon anyway.

You just let Corbin assume that you have called us off, and we'll work as fast

and quietly as possible.

Faster and more quietly than you ever have, Arthur.

Chop one as the phrase is.

We're still dealing with a matter of life and death.

For most of humanity this time.

Yes?

Inspector?

Gary Duel, Inspector.

We've made the comparison.

Yes, Gary.

No resemblance between the two at all.

I don't know who our mysterious victim is, but I can tell you positively he

isn't Gregory Holman.

All right, thank you.

Holman's alive.

Good evening.

Inspector.

I understand you wanted to see me.

I understand you're in the market for some extremely interesting information

worth at least $1 ,000.

I think Gregory Holman is alive.

I think he's alive, too.

I hardly have the gall to ask $1 ,000 for the opinion.

Would you have the gall to ask it if you knew where to contact him?

Go ahead.

Inspector, it's not that I'm a greedy man, but I do have a wife and five

children.

My friend Holman had the feeling he was marked for assassination.

His embassy had asked him to drop a certain message at the nightclub.

He didn't know what was being planned, but he decided to try and throw that

timing off.

He asked me to help.

By playing a rigged chess game so he could leave earlier than usual?

Oh.

You are moving fast.

Who was Holman's substitute?

I don't know.

How did he manage the switch?

I don't know.

I asked him what he planned.

He wouldn't tell me.

Who was responsible for planning the bomb? Do you know that?

Mr. Erskine, I came here to negotiate a certain item of information.

When I'm ready to open negotiations on certain other items, I'll be happy to

you know.

You said you could contact Holman.

How?

Are you a chess player?

Poor one.

Nevertheless, you know that at the start of the game...

There are 32 empty squares between the opposing forces.

Holman simply gave a letter to each square, some of the vowels, like E,

repeated several times, of course.

Now, in addition to that, he designated half a dozen public phone booths as

contact points.

They would have been known by a single letter, A, B, C, D, E, or F.

It would be very simple for me to compose a chess game and give Holman

information.

to call me at one of the booths.

How would you get the message to him?

Can you see to it that the chess tournament is resumed?

Probably. The Morning Globe always gives an account of the previous night's

chess game.

No matter where Holman is, I can guarantee you he will read that chess

If you rig another game, you'll have to get your opponent to go along with it.

Yes. And that's where the problem lies.

I am paired next with Larry Norton.

And to Larry, chess is a sacred thing not to be tampered with.

Unless, of course, you can convince him that peace is also a very sacred thing.

As it is to you, of course.

Hmm? Oh, yes.

Absolutely.

Then you won't be hurt if we ask someone else to take Holman's call.

Wouldn't work.

He only trusts me.

Oh, I think we might be able to find one other person, Mr. Yusoff.

Well, you're the customer, and the customer's always right.

And I'd like you to list me the location of the six phone booths.

I'll decide which one you're to put in the message.

Such a very suspicious nature.

Then we're all playing for large stakes, aren't we?

That's a persuasive man.

He'll cooperate.

Well, if he can promise me that Yustov withdraws from the tournament after

tonight's game, I'll withdraw too, of course.

Agreed.

This is the game composed by Yustov.

Well, at least it's characteristic.

I win.

Well, time is your concept, Duke.

I'll pick her up at 3 o 'clock if she agrees.

Room service, madam.

What?

Room service, your tea.

Are you sure you brought the lemon? I ordered lemon.

Right here, madam.

Thank you. Will that be all, madam?

Thank you. You're quite welcome.

Let's go.

She's having her hair done.

We better not take any chances. Watch the alley.

Good idea. Hey, the paper.

It was just a...

Holman,

thank you for agreeing to an interview.

I'm going to keep you long enough to wash and set your hair.

Mrs. Holman?

Mr. Eskin, I asked the ambassador why no one was allowed to claim my husband's

body. And he said, well, he indicated it was because Gregory might not have been

in the fire after all.

Could that be possible?

Would it surprise you, Mrs. Holman?

Gregory's alive?

Mrs. Holman, when we met, you asked for help.

You said your husband had been murdered.

Why did you think that?

Because he had been so afraid of it.

Mr. Erskine, is he alive?

He wasn't killed in the fire.

We're sure of that much.

You all right, Mrs. Ullman?

We're trying to make arrangements to contact him now.

But this time we'll need your help.

public phone booth on Perry Street tomorrow morning at 10.

If your husband's alive, if we're able to get through to him, he'll call you

there.

Tell him we have to contact him, we have to speak to him before the Antwerp

conference starts on the 20th.

But suppose he calls from somewhere near the booth and he sees your men.

He'll think that I'm acting under some sort of American pressure.

He doesn't want to defect now, otherwise he would have turned himself in to you.

He won't see our men, Mrs. Hellman.

Mr. Eskin, I know my husband.

If there's a least hint that I'm being followed, he'll never trust you again.

Please, let me see him alone.

Trust us.

Arthur.

All right.

You won't be followed, Mrs. Hellman.

Have a word.

I wish I could have the ambassador's word on that.

I don't think Corbin's men will give you any trouble.

If you follow our instructions.

I'm sorry, ma 'am. This isn't expressed to perform.

That's what I need. That's not fine, ma 'am.

Martin, let me pass.

Let me pass, please.

Well, if it isn't Mr. Eustoff.

This is a stroke of luck.

I was just on my way into the embassy to ask His Excellency a few questions.

Nothing important.

You could be of great help. We need some background material on Dr. Holman.

Well, actually, it won't take long, just a couple of minutes.

It'll be done by 10 .20.

I suppose if I told you I had an appointment, you would come along and

questions on the way.

It's a wonderful idea.

Mr. Oskine.

I thought you told me you were a poor chess player.

I am.

Very important.

Not in my opinion, sir.

I've been so worried about you.

Are you all right?

Are you taking care of yourself?

I see. Then Dr. Holman graduated from the University of Berlin in 37.

37? Yes.

Well, I think that about does it.

10 .30?

I'm sorry to have taken so much of your time, Excellency. Please, Inspector, it

was a pleasure.

Stu Scuff?

Inspector?

Alex, what was the man after?

He could have gotten the answers to all those questions in any yearbook.

I don't understand.

You see, Your Excellency, he wasn't asking questions.

He was playing chess.

He was what?

Moves and counter -moves.

Checks and checkmates.

You see, Your Excellency, it's not that I'm a greedy man, but I

do have a wife and five children.

What would it be worth to you in dollars?

If I could prove to your satisfaction that Holman is still alive.

Are you serious?

Entirely.

Not very much.

Unless you can deliver him into my hands.

Yes, yes, Puth.

That's understood.