Original subtitles

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Alfred Hitchcock.

Tonight's play takes place in merry old England and is called I Killed the

Count.

When they asked me to wear this, I demurred.

I didn't realize it would be an invitation or summation to take over.

Empty. Now, what does that imply?

Oh, well.

Let the play begin.

Count Matoni, your tea.

Oh, there you are.

Too drunk to make it to bed this time.

Well, I hope you slept it off.

Count Matoni.

Wake up. There.

It's Hayter.

It's awful.

Simply awful, Inspector.

Having a tenant shoot himself in Oxley Court.

All the publicity.

The notoriety.

I'm afraid Count Maturney didn't shoot himself, Mr. Martin. Someone did that

him. What?

Do you mean that he was murdered?

In Oxley Court?

How dreadful.

Mr. Martin, will you tell us a little about your late tenant?

His previous address, references, business habits, friends, that sort of

Yes, I'll get his address from the records, of course.

But I'm afraid there's nothing else that I know about the Count.

He's only been here about three months.

So far as I know, he had no business.

The maid's here, sir. Do you want us here now?

Yes, sure. And you'll get us whatever else you can from your records, will

Yes, immediately.

This is Polly Stevens, Inspector.

The maid on this floor.

She's the one who discovered the body.

Ah, yes. Thank you.

Won't you sit down? All right.

We know you've had rather a shock, Polly, and talking about it may be

disturbing. But I'm afraid we must ask you a few questions, so I'll be as quick

as I can, and you just try not to let it upset you.

Oh, I don't.

Good.

Why not?

Oh, I've been mixed up in so many murders and robberies and whatnot. It's

story to me.

I'm always losing a job because me employer got arrested or shot or

That's how I lost me last one.

I see. Then you'll probably know the kind of question I want to ask you.

Now then.

When did I last see the deceased alive?

Did I notice anything unusual?

Who were his friends?

Did I ever hear him quarrelling?

Yes, well, I suppose we just run through that batch for a starter.

Well. I last seen him last night when I came in to turn the bed down. About

nine, as usual.

He came in as I was leaving, drunk as usual.

Am I going too fast for you?

No, no, no, go on.

As for friends, I never saw him with anybody else.

No wonder if you ask me.

You didn't care for him, then?

He wasn't no gent, I'll say that much.

I see.

Tell me, have you ever seen this before, Polly?

Yes, it is.

He keeps it in that drawer there.

Now, when you came in this morning, did you notice a cartridge case by any

chance on the floor or anywhere?

No, I didn't.

Can I get on with me beds now? I'm getting terribly behind.

Oh, yes, of course, yes. And thank you for being so helpful, Pauline.

Do you want to talk to some of the other tenants now, sir?

No, I think we'll finish with our landlord first.

Oh, yes, sir.

Oh, thank you.

Here, this is your first murder since they passed you out of Hendon, isn't it?

Yes, sir. Yes, well, it should be a good experience.

Of course, I'm afraid you'll find that some of that beautiful theory they

you at Hendon won't stand up in actual practice.

But don't let that worry you. No, sir, I shan't.

Just remember to be thorough and persevere and you'll be all right.

You can take my word for that.

I have a rather good record myself, as it happens.

Twelve murders so far, and eleven convictions.

Oh, that's very good, sir, isn't it?

What happened to the other one, sir?

Let's run over what we have, Rose.

Oh, yes, sir.

The time of death, according to Surgeon Dodds, probably between midnight and 2 a

.m. Cause of death, gunshot wound in temple from close range.

Probably from gun found here.

which belonged to the deceased, account Victor Matoni.

His wallet, found here, with two very good fingerprints in blood on one of the

banknotes, sir.

Very obliging of him, I think.

Yes, sir, if they belong to the murderer.

Well, of course, Red.

This tassel, or whatever it is, looks like it might have been torn off a

or something.

But it doesn't seem to match anything in here.

Well, let me see it.

And this turned -over lamp, and that's about all, sir.

Yes, but no cartridge case.

No, sir.

Strange, you know.

A fired pistol, a bullet, no cartridge case.

Shall I send the pistol and the wallet down to the yard, sir?

Yes. Yes, have the prints checked against our records, and as soon as the

surgeon has the bullet, have it checked against the gun.

Yes, sir.

Listen to this, Raines.

Lord Sorrington regrets that he must ask Count Maturney to regard the dinner

invitation provisionally extended for Monday the 17th as definitely cancelled.

By Count Sorrington, eh?

So he knew the count.

Doesn't sound very happy about a duffy.

Yeah.

Oh, try and get him on the telephone. There's a number here. Grosvenor

something. Yes, sir.

That's odd, sir.

What?

Well, this is dated the 1st, sir. That's 13 days ago.

Well, this is only postmarked yesterday.

Yes,

that is.

I wonder what it's been doing since... Come in.

Grosvenor 9555, please.

Here is the count's previous address, Inspector. In Rome.

Thank you.

Is Lord Sorrington there, please?

Thank you.

Yes, Mr. Martin.

Oh, there don't seem to be any references, I'm sorry to say.

He always paid his rent in advance very promptly, so we didn't ask for anything.

Oh, by the way, Mr. Martin, is this flat occupying?

Excuse me, sir, I have his office on the wire now.

Oh, good.

Inspector Davidson of Scotland Yard here.

I'd like to speak to Lord Sorrington, please.

No, I'm sorry, I'm afraid you'll have to interrupt him.

Lord Sorrington, this is Inspector Davidson of Scotland Yard. I'm so sorry

disturb you, sir, but there's been an accident to a friend of yours, Count

Victor Matoni.

Who did you say?

There must be some mistake, Inspector. I've never heard of the man.

I beg your pardon. Are you sure?

Because... Could you please come over to the Count's flat, sir, so we can talk

about this?

Oxley Court, Baker Street.

That's quite impossible, Inspector. I have an important engagement in a few

minutes.

Here.

Well, what if you insist in... In about an hour, then?

We'll try not to keep you long, sir.

Thank you so much. Goodbye.

Now, this next flat.

We noticed the doors were unbolted on this side.

Is that usual?

Oh, no, sir. No.

Dear, it's been a great worry to me.

There was a terrible scandal here once when...

It was before my time, of course.

Yes, of course.

Is the flat occupied now?

Well, yes, in a way.

What do you mean, in a way?

Well, a gentleman named Rupert... Dear, I'm afraid he's rather mysterious, too.

He engaged the flat two weeks ago by letter, enclosing a week's rent.

Only a week?

Oh, yes, yes.

The furnished flats are let by the week sometimes.

So I thought he would just stay a week.

But on the following Friday morning, Polly found another week's rent in an

envelope on the table.

What does he look like?

Nobody has seen him, as far as I know.

Except Mullet.

The night liftman on the first night.

Polly dusts the room every day, but she says it doesn't look lived in at all.

I should like to have a word with Mr Rupert, it is then.

I don't know. We could see. Good.

Now, Mr. Martin, what other tenants are there on this floor?

Well, in this wing, only Mr. Rupert, Inspector.

That flat is unoccupied.

Two ladies in the other wing and one empty flat there. They've all been told

to leave until you've seen them, sir. One of them is of the theatre. A dancer,

sir. A Miss Laloon.

Oh.

Steady, Ray.

Another week's rent. So he was here last night.

Look here, sir. A cartridge case.

So it is.

And now we're getting someplace.

What is it, Inspector? What does it mean?

It means that you're not likely to be seeing your Mr. Rupert. Not as a tenant,

at least.

You mean that he shot the Count?

A tenant shot a tenant?

If he didn't, he would have some very difficult questions to answer.

If he found them here, the cartridge case could have been ejected there.

Look at this, sir.

What? It's a letter to a Bernard K.

Froy. Dear Mr. Froy, I must repeat that I have nothing whatever to discuss with

you. I do not wish to see you either here at my flat or... My hat, sir, it

stops. There's a space and then it goes on.

Froy has just come in room.

Can see him in mirror.

He has gun.

If anything happens, you will... And that's all, sir. Let me see.

Is that the Bernard K. Freud, the American fellow, the racehorse owner and

player and all that?

I doubt if there are two Bernard K. Freud.

Get me the Dorchester Hotel right away, please.

I believe we can let you return to your duties now, Mr. Martin.

Would you be good enough to ask Clifton to step in?

Yes, I'd be glad to. Thank you.

Hello, Dorchester.

Is that Mr.

Bernard K. Froy staying with you?

He is.

No, no, no, I don't want to speak to him at the moment.

Oh, is he?

Goodbye, miss, thank you.

He's there, all right, but leaving this morning, so he thinks.

Come in.

All right, Clifton, off you go. Take somebody with you and get right over to

Dorchester and bring back a Mr. Bernard K. Froy with you.

Bernard K.

Froy? Yes, oh, tell him it's nothing important, but be sure and get him,

understand? Yes.

Well, that didn't take long, did it? You think that Rupert and Bernard K. Froy

are one and the same in the murder?

It seems rather inescapable, don't you think?

Of course, we may have to prove Froy's Rupert, so let's get on with that.

Now, the night liftman, Minnow... Mullet, sir. Whatever his name is, we'll

him next. Yes, sir, right away.

Mullet isn't here yet, sir. We've sent for him, sir. He only lives just around

the corner.

Good. What we're looking for, Johnson, is someone who knows Mr. Rupert in the

next flat.

Have you seen him? Could you identify him? Never set eyes on him himself, sir.

Oh, but you were on the lift last night. Didn't you bring him up or see him?

No, sir.

All right, thank you.

Oh, you don't happen to know Mr. Bernard K. Freud, do you? An American?

Oh, yes, sir. That's one I would know. He was in to see the Count. He was one

afternoon, maybe three weeks ago.

I remember because when I told him the Count was out, he gave me a funny look

and said, he's in all right.

He's just afraid to see me.

Then you'd know him if you saw him again?

Oh, yes, sir.

That's all. Thank you.

No, sir, I never saw Mr. Rupert night or morning.

Wouldn't know he was ever in the place if he hadn't left the rent that time.

Do you go in to turn the bed down at night, whether he's there or not?

Yes, sir.

About what time?

Oh, nine, when I leave here.

Now, did you notice when you went in last night if the rent was on the table?

Yes, sir, I did notice, and it wasn't.

Oh, thank you, Polly. I think that's all for now.

Yes, sir.

Mullet's here, sir.

Mullet, eh?

That's right.

Odd. What's so odd about it?

Oh, nothing. I... I seem to know your face from somewhere.

Oh, I don't know yours.

You're the night liftman here, is that right? That's right. And you showed Mr

Rupert up to the next door flat when he arrived?

Yes, sir.

Now, would you know him? Could you positively identify him if you saw him

Well, of course I could.

Good. Now, have you seen him since that time? Excuse me, sir.

Mr. Foy is here.

Oh, well, Mullet, would you wait in the bedroom, please, for the time being?

We'll call you when we need you. Very good, sir.

Just a minute, Raines.

All right, sir.

Come in, please, Mr. Foy.

I'm Detective Raines, sir. This is Inspector Davidson. He'd like to ask you

few questions.

How do you do? I'd like to ask a few myself.

To begin with, what's this all about?

I'm leaving for the continent this afternoon and I haven't time for games.

We seldom indulge in games at Scotland Yard, Mr. Froy.

We wanted to ask you about an acquaintance of yours, Count Matoni.

Count who?

Count Victor Matoni.

Sorry, never heard of him.

Perhaps I should tell you that Johnson, one of the lift men here, says he can

positively identify you.

and that you called in to see the Count one afternoon, and you said when told he

wasn't in that he was afraid to see you.

Shall I send for Johnson?

Oh, never mind.

All right. I know him.

Didn't want to be connected with him, that's all.

He's a pretty unsavory character.

I stopped by once to try to collect a gambling debt, but it didn't work.

And why did you come by last night, Mr. Fry?

Last night?

But I didn't.

That once was the only time.

And you don't happen to have rented the next flat under the name of Rupert?

Of course I didn't. Why should I?

Would you be kind enough to examine this?

Why didn't you tell me you had this?

So you were here.

Seems rather obvious, doesn't it?

Yes, I'm afraid it does, Mr. Freud.

In fact, the whole thing seems rather obvious.

Inescapable, I should say.

The Count was murdered last night.

Yeah, I know.

I killed him.

I killed her.

Would you care to tell me about it?

However, you're not compelled to make a statement.

And I must warn you that anything you do say will be taken down in writing and

may be used in evidence.

What difference does it make?

I'm cooked anyhow with the letter, everything else.

Yes, I'm afraid you are, Mr. Van.

And besides the letter, there's your renting of the next flat under the name

Rupert. The cartridge case there. Wait a minute, what's this Rupert business?

I don't know anything about him or the flat next door or anything else.

I think you're rather confused, Inspector.

Do you?

We might as well settle this right now, I suppose.

Come in, Mullet.

Now, will you take a good look at this gentleman, please?

Well? Well, what?

Have you seen him before?

No, not him.

Huh?

You mean he's not Rupert?

Ah, nothing like him. Mr. Rupert looks like a real gent he does.

Yes, but... Hello.

Oh, is he?

No, thank you.

Mr. Froy, I'm afraid I must interrupt this for a moment. We shan't be long.

Will you follow me, please?

Clifton, will you escort Mr. Freud to the empty flat opposite, please? Yes,

Come on, sir.

You can go now, Mullet, but don't leave the premises.

No, sir.

Lord Sollington?

Yes. I'm Inspector Davidson.

It's very good of you to come, sir.

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

I should like to know what this is all about, Inspector.

Won't you sit down, sir?

Thanks.

I hope we haven't inconvenienced you too greatly, sir. If we'd known what we do

now, it might not have been necessary for you to come. However, now that

here, all we want to ask you is what you know about Count Mattone.

You see, he's been murdered.

Ah.

But I told you, Inspector, I've never heard of the man.

I'm sure you have some good reason for saying that, sir, but...

Where did you get this?

It came in the post this morning, though apparently it was written a fortnight

ago. My secretary shall hear about this.

Well, obviously I didn't know the fellow, though very slightly.

And if you know him at all, Inspector, you'll understand my reluctance to be

connected with him.

Especially with Scotland Yard involved.

One assumes something disreputable with his sort, you know. Yes, I quite

understand.

So there's nothing you can tell us about him?

No, I'm afraid not.

So, if that's all... I beg your pardon, sir.

Excuse me, my lord. What is it, Rand?

All right, bring him in. Yes, sir.

Now, I'm afraid something's come up to delay us some more, sir.

If you'll be so kind.

Yes, of course.

Do I understand that you believe this gentleman to be Rupert?

There's no believing about it, sir. That's him.

Good morning, sir.

What's he talking about?

Rupert, sir, is the name of the tenant in the next flat.

Why, the man's mad.

Are you sure, Mallet? Well, of course I am.

How could I forget a fine -looking gent like him?

All right, thank you.

Look here, Inspector.

I don't know the meaning of this, but obviously the man's lying.

I'm afraid not, sir.

You'll be difficult to mistake.

Besides, what purpose could he have?

All right.

I did take the flat.

After all, Inspector, you're a man of the world. Is there anything wrong in

that? Wasn't it indiscreet to take such a flat in the same building next door to

someone you knew? Well, it's pure coincidence.

I had no idea that Count Maturney had a flat in this building, much less that...

Oh.

My letter.

You've not been frank with me, sir.

And now I should like you to tell me everything you know about the murdered

Well, you're obviously going to find out the truth sooner or later, so I might

as well admit it.

What do you mean, Watson?

I killed him.

Killed who?

I killed Matoni.

Oh, but that's impossible.

I mean, are you sure? I mean, did you say you killed him?

Yes, that's right.

I killed the Count.

For this is embarrassing.

Our time is running out and here we are with an unfinished story on our hands.

I'm afraid you'll just have to wait until our next show to find out more

just who killed the Count.

Personally, I shall welcome a week in which to think up some answers.

After all, Froy and Lord Sorrington can't both be telling the truth.

There's nothing I detest more than a murderer who tells fibs.

Next time, we should continue the strange case of Count Victor Matoni.

Thus far, our desperate detectives have two very good prospects, but their

confessions seem to ask more questions than they answer.

If all this has managed to pique your curiosity, please join us for the next

installment.

Oh, I know what you're thinking.

No, I did not kill the Count.

Good night.