Original subtitles

Good evening.

I am now in the real estate business, selling cemetery plots.

For our modern nomadic civilization,

the old -fashioned cemetery presents a difficulty.

A plot bought in Maine is of little use when someone moves to California.

However, we have now solved this problem with portable plots.

Now, at last, you can take it with you.

Thus... Whether driving on the freeway or on a vacation or a honeymoon, you

be ready for any eventuality.

Actually, we don't sell the plot.

Just the whole.

Here, for example, is one model.

Three by six by eight feet. You can see it would be quite easy to carry and

would fit into any excavation in any part of the country.

A final word about plots.

Tonight's is about a young criminal lawyer whose sense of ethics gets him

dangerous situation.

But first our sponsor takes a moment to point out a few simple truths.

Everybody rise.

I love you.

Will the foreman of the jury please stand?

Mr. Foreman, has the jury reached a verdict in this case?

We have, Your Honor.

And do you find the defendant innocent or guilty of the charge of murder?

We find the defendant innocent.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

The defendant is dismissed.

Court adjourned.

I think the good lawyer. The evidence proved Lou innocent.

And nobody else did.

Okay, let's go home.

Listen,

Murray.

What about your fee?

I'd like to take care of it, huh?

Don't worry about it, Lou.

What I owe, I pay.

Settle later.

Look, why don't you go home, relax, have a couple of drinks?

Lou, don't drink.

Really? Hmm, funny. Just being a salesman out in the road now, you don't

it. Or gamble, or anything.

The only vice this guy has made.

Hey, what are you writing, a biography?

Listen, I just want to settle what I owe you, Counselor.

I'll relax afterwards.

Mr. Osterman's waiting for me, but... Well, if you'd like to come up to the

office. Great. Great. That's fine with me.

Oh, you wait in the cab, all right? I'll just be a couple of minutes.

Don't stop talking to the hacky, you hear?

Why should I talk to the hacky?

He wears pants, don't he?

Come in, Lou. Sit down. Make yourself comfortable.

Oh, that's okay. I did a lot of sitting in court.

Mr.

Murray, about the money I owe you.

Supposing I pay you back 100 bucks a month. That be okay?

Sure, Lou. Fine. 100 a month.

Some months I'll be able to swing a little bit more.

You know what it is being a salesman. I got good months, I got bad months.

There's no urgency, Lou.

Tosterman won't go to the poorhouse if he makes a payment or two.

I'll, uh...

Sign a paper if you want. That won't be necessary.

She's beautiful, ain't she?

Huh? Melanie, she's beautiful, huh? Oh, you're a very lucky man, Lou.

Yeah, that's what they all say.

Except they don't say man.

Oh, what do they say? Lucky dog. That's what they say.

You know...

I have to watch her every minute, you know, all the time, even in my own

Somebody will ring the doorbell, and she'll go to the door wearing a

or that housegoer of hers with the buttons opened on me.

It don't matter to her, but guys, you know what I mean? I think so.

Like that kid Freddy, the grocery kid. He was just making a delivery, and she

went to the door.

I know what the kid thought, seeing her like that.

I know what they all think.

Well, it was an unfortunate thing, Lou.

Kid made a pass, your wife told you, and then the next day they find him killed

and robbed. It was a circumstance.

Oh, I get a kind of burn in my head here.

That's why I don't drink, you see, because when I drink, it's worse.

Hello. It's over.

Yeah. You're a free man now. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Free.

I killed that kid.

You... Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, I killed him.

I took the money out of his pocket to make it look like he was mugged.

No, I didn't want the money. I put it in the poor box at the church on the

corner.

You swear to me you... didn't kill that boy?

Took the case if I told you the truth, wouldn't you?

Why are you telling me now?

Because of all the congratulations.

See, I hate guys who think they're better than other people.

You may not believe this, Rydell, but I've never defended a guilty man.

Hey, that's the first time for everything, huh, Constance? I accepted

story. I let you plead innocent.

Yeah, well, what's the difference? You get your money. Justice. That's the

difference, Rydell. Justice?

Hey, don't worry about justice, Murray. You don't lose any sleep over that. No

justice in this jungle.

Boydell. What?

You accept me to let you walk out of here?

Yeah. Forget what you told me? You think I'm just because you've been acquitted?

You think I'm going to follow the way of some filing cabinet and mark the case

closed?

You're good enough a choice, Counselor.

came into the office.

Ink was still wet on his law degree, but I knew the boy had something.

What was it, Papa?

Convictions. It's a rare thing to have, Karen. Oh, I know, Papa.

Some of us believe what it's convenient for us to believe.

Oh, we're not dishonest. We're just, uh... Uh... professional.

That's it, I guess.

Ned has the purity of an amateur.

Oh, Papa, I don't want him that pure.

I don't mind a little corruption.

Well, take the Hardman case.

You told me about it before, Papa.

Here's a boy, 15 years old, brother of a notorious gangster doing a stretch at

the time.

He was stabbing an old man on the east side.

I tell you, I wouldn't have given any lawyer a snowball's chance with a case

like that. Didn't he want the office to touch it?

But Ned insisted. Why?

Because he believed the boy was innocent.

He believed.

That's the point. And he proved it to the jury.

When Tony Hardman got out of the pen, he was pretty grateful.

Why, he sent Ned a... Ned, congratulations.

Oh, thank you, Ned.

What kind of a car was it that Tony sent you, Ned? A foreign, wasn't it? A guy,

English. A hand tool, and he sent it back. Oh, well, Ned's patriotic. He only

drives what they make in Detroit. Yeah, the motor had an accident.

You look tired.

Well, I had a little.

Papa's about to tell you what a brilliant job you did in court, and how

is of you.

Right, Papa?

Hmm.

And I know who's going to do the congratulating and how she's going to do

Old word. Don't forget the party. I won't, Papa. Not a party.

What party?

For you, tonight. A victory celebration.

I can do without the cheers.

Yeah? Yeah.

What is this?

Something's bothering you.

Don't you feel well?

It's just after the trial blues, I guess, that's all. Oh, is that the case

the defense?

I'm afraid so, Your Honor.

I love you, Karen.

Would you have the stenographer please read that back to the court?

Question. Does the defendant, Edward Murray, love Miss Karen Osterman?

Answer.

Any kinds of losers, counselor?

Tony, how are you? What are you doing here? I couldn't shake your mitt in

so I figured I'd wait here in the lobby.

Yeah, I sat in the back pew.

Figured nobody would recognize me in the back.

Got time for me to buy you a drink, counselor?

Tony, I'm sorry, but I'm kind of bushed. I've had a long day.

Yeah, sure.

Hey, how's that Margie?

She's fine.

There's something bugging you, kid?

You got that look.

Why is it a girl?

I don't fool around.

Money.

I got all I need.

Remember what Tony said?

You got troubles. Tony wants to hear about it. I owe you a favor.

Tony, that was a long time ago. A favor's a favor. Yesterday, today, or

tomorrow. How is it, brother?

Kid's going to be an architect in about a year. How do you like that? Great,

great. If it weren't for you, we'd have been hustling nickels in a pool room.

Now, Tony, I'm happy about the boy, but you don't owe me anything on his

account. Now, look, kid.

When I do as big a favor for you as what you've done for me, then I close the

books. Look, Tony, I really have to go.

Why don't you stop by the office some afternoon?

I don't want to give the place a bad name.

Come up to the apartment. We'll have a drink there. When?

Thursday. What time?

Nine o 'clock.

This is a surprise. Come on in.

Thank you. Is Lou home? No. Hey, you know what time it is?

One o 'clock.

Gee, where'd the morning go?

Oh, Lou went down to Mr.

Fleming's office, his old office. Mr. Fleming's the sales manager.

Hey, you don't think Lou will have any trouble getting his old job back, do

I mean, you know how business people are. I mean, they can't blame Lou, can

they? No, Mrs. Riddell. Oh, you wouldn't want to sit down?

Gee, I ought to get dressed, but then I get dressed and I don't have anything to

do. You see, Lou don't like me to work, and he just likes me to stay home.

Hey, would you like some coffee? No, no, thanks. Hey, how about a root beer? I

got some root beer in the refrigerator. Could you sit down and talk to me for a

moment?

Sure. You know, Lou says I'm a lousy housekeeper, but then I guess he didn't

marry me because I was neat.

Um, Mrs. Heidler, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?

Sure, go ahead.

Uh, do you mind if I finish my nails? I was doing my nails.

Go right ahead.

Thanks.

Mrs. Rydell, uh... Before the trial, you told me that Lou was the jealous type,

didn't you?

Uh -huh.

Was there ever any justification for his jealousy?

What do you mean?

The delivery boy, Freddy. Lou was furious about the pass he made at you,

he?

Well, he didn't want to pin any robes on him.

Did he threaten to harm the boy?

What do you mean, harm?

Hurt him.

Well, he said the kid needed a lesson, that's all.

What kind of a lesson?

I was slapping him out just to teach him to keep hands off. That's all.

Mrs. Rydell, the trial's over. Lou is legally innocent.

And a court can't charge him twice for the same crime, so you have nothing to

hide. I ain't hiding nothing.

Lou taught that boy a lesson, didn't he, Mrs. Rydell?

A lesson that killed him.

That's a lie.

What are you trying to pull at me? Lou murdered that kid, didn't he? He said

You're crazy. Lou never said nothing like that. That delivery boy was robbed.

Why should Lou rob a delivery boy? He don't need no delivery boy's nickels or

dimes. Close your coat.

Huh? Close your coat!

Because if you don't, Mrs. Rydell, the same thing might happen again. So close

it, because I'm not interested.

And keep it closed.

Because Lou might not find some fool like me to believe he's innocent and

it to a jury.

You stop trying to scare me.

Now button the coat. You can't give me orders. Button that coat!

I didn't mean nothing like that.

I love Lou.

I love him. Sure you do, miss. This is Rytel. Why didn't you explain that to

before he killed that kid?

What's the matter?

Hi.

Why is she tearing me?

You know how the joke goes? The husband forgets a derby and comes home and finds

two derbies.

Are you okay, babe?

I'm all right, Lou.

I was just passing by. And thought you'd say hello to my wife. That's nice. You

don't get much company.

I got good news, baby.

Saw Fleming today. He said I can start any time I want. Same territory.

Oh, that's wonderful, Lou.

I guess we got it made, huh, counselor?

That's right, Lou.

We've got it made.

Well, one thing anyway.

You got that coat button for a change.

Sit down, Ed.

Ed, did you go uptown to see Mrs. Rydell yesterday?

That's right.

Why?

A question?

What question? If there were any questions to be answered by Mrs. Rydell,

trial was the proper place to ask them.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance.

Look, Mr. Osterman, let's not play games. Murray went uptown to tell my

that the verdict in my case was wrong. He went up there to scare her by telling

her I was guilty.

Ain't that right, Counselor? Is that the reason you went, Ned?

Yes.

See, Mr. Osterman, I ought to sue him, lawyer or no lawyer. Are you out of your

mind accusing your own client after an acquittal?

One hour after that acquittal.

Lou stood in my office and told me he actually killed that boy.

Huh? Is that true? What?

Oh, come on now, Mr. Austin. What do I look, nuts?

Why would anyone do a stupid thing like that after a jury says freedom? I ought

to be put away if I did anything like that. Yeah, perhaps we can arrange that

too. Hey, ask him. Ask him the other reason he went uptown.

That is the only reason.

You saw my wife, Mr. Rossman. She's beautiful, ain't she?

Well... Yeah, well, that's the other reason.

Mr. Rydell, Mr. Murray is engaged to my daughter.

Well, that don't make him no choir boy.

Can't you see he demands a psychopath?

You got no right to persecute me or chase my wife.

Oh, no, of course not, Mr. Rydell. There must be some misunderstanding.

I'm sure Mr. Murray has no interest in your wife. At least that's true, isn't

it? I wouldn't go near his wife if she were no velvet swing.

It's too dangerous.

Bridell might wait for me some dark night like he waited for that delivery

I'll sue you, Murray.

Oh, you hear me, Osterman? You don't stop this kid from talking like he is.

swear I'll sue this whole company for a suit for slander.

Mr. Murray will apologize.

Yeah, sure. Sure I will. To the state.

For saving his miserable skin, for not sending him to the chair. Ned!

I don't know what went on in your office.

I don't know what Rydell said or didn't say, and I don't care.

But I do know that anything that happens reflects on this law firm, and Mr.

Rydell was tried in court. Mistried?

You tried the case, you won his acquittal. That's all I'm concerned

And let me remind you, Ned, in case you've forgotten, a lawyer hasn't the

any more than a priest does to violate something told him in confidence by his

client. I also know a lawyer goes into court to obtain justice.

Are you conducting a class in law, Mr. Murray?

When I need a refresher course in the function of the law, I'll go back to law

school.

Meanwhile, I'll run this law firm, the way I've run it for 25 years.

And that doesn't include betraying a client's trust or retrying them in

after he's been legally cleared.

Legally, do you understand?

If you won't believe me, maybe the district attorney will.

Ned! I'll sue you.

Don't kid yourself, I won't.

Who said I'm kidding myself?

I was sleeping.

Oh, at 8 o 'clock?

Well, aren't you going to invite me in, or is Thursday girl night at the skating

rink? I'm sorry, darling.

A Greek bearing gifts.

Oh, what is it?

It's not a snake. Open it.

Watch.

You're beginning to need a woman, I can see.

I was saving it, but...

Your birthday isn't for six months, and it's even longer for Christmas, so...

What'd it cost?

Oh, darling, really, you shouldn't ask the price of the gift.

Well, I only ask because, uh... I mean, if you're trying to bribe me, uh... Oh,

am I trying to bribe you? Yeah, I get that little feeling.

Oh, I see.

What's, um... What about, uh... What about my old sex appeal?

That might be more effective.

Shall I try?

What can you lose?

Well?

I guess I'm fireproofed.

Want a drink?

You. Father.

Did you really whistle at each other?

I'd love to have been there.

Sure.

Ringside, huh? The best seats?

Don't you feel silly fighting with poor Daddy over some idiotic salesman?

The whole thing amuses you, doesn't it?

You don't expect me to take it seriously, do you?

I do.

Oh, darling.

Now, what's that mean?

That means...

Of course you take it seriously.

And I do understand.

I honestly do, Nan.

But... Oh, dear. Why just now?

When everything was going so beautifully, I mean, why spoil things

Exactly what am I spoiling?

Do I have to spell it out?

Yeah, letter by letter.

You haven't even said you liked your pipe.

It's a beautiful pipe. Exactly what am I spoiling, Karen?

Oh, for heaven's sake. Suppose that awful man did kill that boy.

Yes. Well, what I mean... Of course he ought to be punished.

But why must you feel that it's your special duty to see that he is?

Because I am responsible for Lou Rydell's being set free. That's why.

Must you feel so responsible?

Apparently.

I'd put some lemon in here.

Thank you.

Have you gone to the district attorney?

I'm going tomorrow.

And I can't make you change your mind?

I don't think so, darling.

Even if I try, I... I wouldn't like you to try.

Oh, I don't understand you.

The whole thing seems very simple to me.

Why must you be so obstinate, Ned?

Oh, is that what your father says it is?

I'll tell you what else father says if you're interested. I'd like to hear it.

Oh, he said that if you go to the district attorney tomorrow, you can find

yourself another law firm to work for.

What about his daughter?

What did she say?

About what?

Do I find myself another daughter, too?

Not yet.

How long have I got?

A little longer.

Did daddy tell you to say that, too?

No, Daddy didn't tell me to say that, Counselor.

I make up my own speeches.

Karen, Karen, wait. Please, wait. I've obviously waited too long, Mr. Murray.

Now listen to me.

Now listen to me. It won't come off. I'll nail it.

Hey, Counselor, you left a little in the bottle.

Tony, I'm drunk.

What are you doing here?

Well, I was invited, remember?

I came to get that drink, but it looks like you've got a head start.

I had a tough day.

Yeah.

That's a nice pipe.

Yeah.

I owe you a drink.

Yeah, well, forget about the drinks.

I'll fix us a nice pot of hot coffee. Good idea.

Yeah.

Come on. Put your feet up there.

After I fix the coffee, I'll come back and then we'll talk about what made it a

rough day, huh?

Why did he have to tell me? Why couldn't he keep his mouth shut?

Barks.

What if the doc called it compulsion?

Maybe you think I'm making too much of it, too, huh?

Osterman does.

Karen does.

Sure. Forget it.

Just a small legal error.

I mean, after all, there were more killers in the streets than there are in

death house.

Oh.

I can't fix the world?

All right.

All right, maybe I should.

It's wise, it's prudent.

But somehow I can't.

It sticks in my craw.

Tony, my father was a lawyer, too.

And he had a friend, Judge Lincoln Arthur. Yeah, that's right, the same

Saddle -Lou Rydell's trial.

Well, they loved the law, Tony.

Well, not the law just as a system of punishments, but as the only idea of

justice we have.

I don't know, maybe as a boy I...

I listened to my father and Judge Arthur too long. I don't know.

Yeah, I know.

Everybody got to respect something.

With me, the law is... Cops.

When they catch you, that's the law.

You can't nail this right now on nothing, huh?

No. Double jeopardy. One trial or a customer.

That's the way it is in the books.

with being a lawyer.

You gotta be legal.

Oh, me?

I ain't legal.

What do you mean?

Hey, counselor, why don't you call up the house one night? And Margie will fix

us a nice big dinner. Tony. And we'll open a bottle of wine, huh?

What did you mean by what you just said?

Look, in my business, we don't have double jeopardy.

If I front a guy and he goes wrong, there's no law that says I gotta lay off

him because I made a mistake the first time, see?

I'll take care of everything.

You got a free night to come up and we'll put on the feedback.

Tony, wait.

What is it, kid?

Where you going?

Home.

Margie's got the dinner on the stove.

You got...

Why don't you get some shut -eye?

You go to the office in the morning and tell the old man everything's going to

be all right. No mess.

You're not going to hear anything from this Rydell anymore.

As a matter of fact, this Rydell kind of disappeared.

Disappeared?

They took a boat somewhere.

A slow boat.

For his health.

Mind if I bust in a minute, Ned? Of course not, H .A. Paper says rain.

We can use some out in the country.

I did a little soul -searching last night.

Man gets out of practice with all that sort of stuff, you know.

You know, forgets first principles and all that.

You go to the DA, Ned.

Don't let anything I said yesterday stop you.

It's just my arteriosclerosis.

If you think going to the DA is the right thing to do, you go ahead and do

You mean that, H .E.? Stick with your convictions. That's what counts.

Thanks, H .E. I appreciate it.

But, uh... I'm not going to the D .A.

What?

You were positively right.

I wouldn't have accomplished anything that would have sputtered the firm.

You mean you've changed your mind?

Well, that or... Or my principles.

Well, that does put a different color on the horse, doesn't it?

I can't say that I'm not relieved.

In any case, you would have had to prove that Rydell perjured himself, and we

both know what those chances would have been. That's right, H .E. So you can

relax now.

Of course, I hate to see a fellow like Rydell get away with it.

Yeah, sure.

But we'll leave it to Providence and see that he's punished.

Of course, you know that Karen was pretty upset.

She didn't sleep a wink, poor kid.

She thinks you're mad at her.

I'm not mad at anybody, H .E., not anymore.

She gave me a message for you. Yes?

She said, tell Ned I still can't get the ring off.

Well, you tell her to stop trying, H .E.

Give her a call, won't you, Ned?

She'll be very unhappy.

If it doesn't rain, I might get in a round of golf this afternoon.

I knew they hung up.

What do you mean they hung up? You said alone. Didn't they answer?

Oh, cut it out, Lou. Maybe it was a wrong number. Maybe it was some kid

around with his phone. How should I know?

The, uh... Maybe it was a signal, huh? Look at me when I'm talking to you.

it was a signal, huh?

What do you mean a signal? I said hello.

What kind of a signal is a hello? How about a home you answer?

Stupid.

Lately, we, uh...

You get a lot of wrong numbers.

How come they dial us all the time?

Are you nuts?

One lousy wrong number? Why don't you get the phone shut off if you're so

suspicious?

I got a better idea, baby.

Why don't I just shut it off myself?

Then why is it now on sweetheart they got special rates for two times?

Why don't you just lock me up and swallow the key, huh? Go ahead.

Lock me up like I was in prison or something while you're out on the road.

That's what you're waiting for, huh?

Waiting for me to go out on the road. My first road trip so you can be alone.

I ought to break your neck.

Just like I broke that kid's.

What do you mean?

What kid?

What kid?

What kid do you think I mean?

I told you nothing happened.

Just the wrong number, that's all.

Nothing ever happens. You walk around advertising yourself. Look at yourself.

There's stuff I make up and stick in my head here, huh?

Hey, why don't I open up the window so everybody can see and you can put on

own little show, okay? Why don't I do that, huh?

It's Mr.

Murray to see you, Judge.

Ned? Oh, have him come in, Hilda.

Oh,

I don't know.

You need a date, baby. Keep it.

Please, Lou, I didn't make no date.

Ignore him.

What is this story of yours? A parable?

A riddle, Judge. A legal riddle.

Well, let's see if I can state it for you.

A criminal lawyer defends somebody against a murder charge and does it

successfully. He's convinced of his client's innocence and that helps him

the acquittal. Then after the verdict, he discovers his client is guilty.

That's right.

Was it on evidence that has appeared in the trial? Evidence he has

misinterpreted or...

Concealed unknowingly?

No, it was a confession.

And how does he obtain this confession?

It was given him, unsolicited by his client.

Are there any witnesses to this confession?

No, and when he's confronted with it in front of another person, he denies it

completely.

I see.

This is not a legal riddle you're asking, Ned.

It's an ethical riddle.

If you were that lawyer, Judge, what would you do?

I were that lawyer.

Well, I imagine at first I'd be outraged.

I'd feel I'd helped to cheat justice.

I'd feel like storming into the district attorney's office and exposing myself

and the murderer. And then later...

Later.

I'd feel only pity.

Pity?

Pity for a man like Rydell? Are you talking about Lou Rydell?

Yes. And he told you that he murdered that grocery boy?

He felt he was safe enough. He knew he couldn't be indicted twice.

A very rational thought to justify an irrational act.

What? Isn't it possible the man is mentally ill?

He kills a boy for putting an arm around his wife.

Then he confesses when there's no need to confess.

He's dangerous, and he'll do it again. If a man just looks at his wife, it'll

an excuse for another murder.

If Rydell had been found guilty... Then he'd be where he belongs, in a death

house.

I was the judge at the trial. It was my prerogative to pass the sentence, Ned,

not yours.

It was first -degree murder. But there is no automatic death sentence.

I can't tell you anything official about what my sentence might have been.

But if evidence concerning Rydell's mental condition had been submitted, it

possible a jury would have found him criminally insane.

And in that case, I couldn't possibly have given him the death sentence.

I think...

I would have remanded him to a state institution for the criminally insane.

Then you wouldn't have sent him to the chair?

No.

The chair would not have been the justice that Rydell deserves.

I... I must go, Judge.

Are you all right?

Yes, I am.

I have an appointment. I have to hurry.

You're not upset by something I said.

No, no.

There's somebody I have to see first.

Go at 20 -30, one character, as fast as you can make it.

Tom, Tom Bailey.

What's happened?

We got a dying man in there.

My mistake.

Dead man.

for the books, huh?

Tony Hardeman, getting it from a jealous husband.

And you know who plugged him?

An ex -client of yours.

He says Tony was after his wife.

Where is he?

Right down the stairs.

He won't beat the rap this time.

Where do you think you're going, Counselor?

Upstairs. What for?

He's entitled to a lawyer, isn't he?

He don't need a lawyer.

He needs a straight jacket.

That's what I intend to prove in court.

That concludes our story.

Scenes of next week's play will be on view in a few minutes.

One last word in behalf of my cemetery and funeral business.

I'm running a special this week, a combination 10 -day Caribbean cruise and

burial at sea. It's quite popular.

As we learn this evening, the law of double jeopardy protects the criminal

having to face the same charge.

more than once.

No such mercy is shown the television viewer.

In other words, here is another commercial.

That's being a fan. All the best episodes all weekend long. That's

Every weekend, only on TV Land. Always one thing on.