Original subtitles

Ha, ha, ha.

No! No, no!

No.

No. No.

Not so fast, you nincompoops.

Where's the car?

What are you gaping at?

I should like to thank you for all your care and kindness.

For the whole of my life, I've never been so miserable.

Well, I wish you all a good day.

I hope forever.

Come along, come along. What's keeping us? I didn't know he was being

today. Discharged? He's been expelled. There goes the old fox at last.

What have you done?

Goodbye, Sir Alfred.

Bye. Bye.

You think he'll be back again?

He does. I'm leaving.

Oh, my, what a miserable day. Just perfect for your homecoming.

You know, I always say it's worth having the rain just to appreciate the

sunshine when it comes.

Oh, tell me, is there too much draught? Shall I shut the window? No, just shut

up, will you?

Now you're being naughty again, Sir Wilfred.

We must keep our spirits up.

I adore London. It's so eccentric.

Were you knighted at the palace, Sir Wilfrid?

No, at the zoo, I think.

Look, there's Harrods. I buy all my stockings there.

Amazing.

You know...

I almost married a law student years ago, but he caught pneumonia and went.

like that.

Died of fright, didn't he?

Remember, you've been flat on your back now for two months.

Oh, stand back, stand back.

Williams, I came...

I was afraid after your heart attack that... But here you are, your old self

again. Any more of such sentimentality and I go straight back to hospital.

Not likely. They won't take you back.

Then so put those in water.

Come along, Carter.

Ugly.

Musty.

I never knew I could miss anything so much.

Missed you too, Carter.

Musty old buzzard.

Thank you, sir.

I'm not a religious person, sir.

When they took you away in that ambulance, I lit a candle.

Oh, thank you, Carter.

Well, actually, I was lighting it for myself, sir.

I mean, if anything happened to you, what would happen to me after all these

years? Ah, indeed.

I started with your first murder trial, you know.

Indeed, you did.

37 years ago, and still got the same wig.

Face it, Carter, will you?

Yes, sir, I'm... I'm afraid we put it away, sir. Put it away?

Oh, in mothballs.

Mothballs. I suppose you thought I wasn't going to practice again.

No, sir, we have several interesting briefs for you. A divorce case, tax

very simple, excellent fees.

Never that.

I'm sorry, Sir Wilfred, but you're not to undertake any more criminal cases.

The doctors.

Doctors? They've deprived me of everything.

Tobacco, alcohol, female compassion.

You can bring me a bigger box, bigger mothball.

And put me away in it too.

11 .30, Sir Wilfrid.

Time for a nap before lunch.

Later.

Come now, let's get you upstairs.

Let's get you undressed and we'll lie down.

We?

What a process.

I could strike.

Oh, you'd never do that. You might break your cigars.

What cigars?

The ones you've been smuggling.

How did they get there?

In hospital, he'd hide the brandy, too. We called him Wilfred the Fox.

I'm confiscating these.

Just one?

No. Upstairs, please.

I mean, there's a path after Beale's.

Not for, not for you, not us.

Cigars, Sir Wilfrid, are... Some dark night I shall plunge her thermometer

her heart.

Oh, no, sir, you mustn't walk up. We have the lift now.

That lift hasn't worked for a year. Indeed, sir, that's why we haven't

for your return.

The doctor was adamant about it. He ordered it. Are you sure that it's...

yes, it's quite reliable now. Shall we go?

Good morning, Miss O 'Brien.

Ah, there you... So, Wilfred, how very good to see you back on the

job again.

Nothing scheduled except a few double -siddle cases.

Well, in that case, I think I might have something interesting for you. I have

my client right here with me, and, uh...

This is Mr. Leonard Vaux.

And he's in quite a ghastly mess, I'm afraid.

Oh.

How do you do, Mr. Vaux?

Well, according to Mr. Mayhew, not very well, sir.

Sir Wilfred, it's 11 .45.

I know what the time is.

Sorry. Next year, Mayhew.

Nice, nice to have met you, my boy.

My pleasure, sir.

Here we are.

Come along, Sir Wilfred.

Sir Wilfred!

Sir Wilfred!

Sir Wilfred!

Well, he's convalescing. He really can't accept any case of a cruel nature.

The doctor has requested all of us to speak to him.

Ah, gentlemen, Sir Wilfred.

He's all right, Carter. We're not taking his brief.

But may he was an old friend. I'm sure he could... Do with some advice.

Oh, yes. Well, I could give you five minutes, couldn't I? Well, there's very

kind of you, Sir Wilfred.

Oh, no, thank you. Just you and I, please. Thank you.

Sir Wilfred!

Your nap!

You go ahead and start it without me.

This is your fault, Mr. Carter.

How can you say that?

I told you. Excuse me.

But if it's anyone's fault, it's mine.

It seems silly to me now, but Mr. Mayhew thinks that I might be arrested at any

moment. For what?

Well, for murder.

This woman, a middle -aged widow, was living with a housekeeper in Hampstead.

The housekeeper claims that Mr.

Vowell visited the widow the same evening she was found dead.

Struck in the back of the head?

I see. He seems to be a nice harmless chap.

Simply caught in a web of circumstantial evidence.

I wonder, could you perhaps think of a line of defense?

I think best with a cigar.

Oh, yes.

Yes, of course.

He's a man of good character.

An American with an excellent war record.

I know you'll like him.

She's confiscated the matches.

The light.

Oh, sorry.

I'll get you one.

No, no, no.

You don't know, Miss Crimson.

This will take all our cunning.

Young man, a rather important point. If you could just join us.

For a moment?

Of course, sir.

Thank you.

Sir, give me a match.

What?

Give me a match. I'm sorry, I never carry them.

Oh, my God.

You said I'd like it. I do have a lighter, however.

Charming fellow.

Mr. Vole, you may or may not have murdered a middle -aged widow which

the life of an old barrister.

Oh, it's all so fantastic. I haven't murdered anyone. My God.

I hate violence of any kind.

I'm only here because Christine, that's my wife, thought I might be implicated

in some way.

Do I really need two lawyers?

Excuse me, it just seems silly.

Mr. Vole, those who commit murder in this country face the hangman.

Is that silly?

No, sir. I didn't mean... Hey, you.

You explain to him, will you?

I am a solicitor, Mr. Lowe. Sir Wilford is a barrister. And only a barrister can

plead a case in court. The fact is, I made a statement to the police.

They seem quite satisfied.

They seem satisfied.

He made a statement and thinks that's the end of it. You are a principal

suspect. Why? Why should I be arrested for something I haven't done?

Relax, Mr. Lowe. You are now in the hands of the finest barrister in London.

Hey, you.

I may have taken your cigar, but I'm not taking your case.

Hold that, will you? I submit we call for Mr. Brogan Ward.

A very able man.

Oh, Carter.

Ask Mr. Brogan Ward to come to me as soon as he leaves the court. Yes, sir.

Wilfred, I have never known such insubordination since I was a nurse in

front lines during the war.

Oh. Thanks very much.

What sort of work do you do?

I work at all sorts of jobs.

Mechanics, mostly. I like working on cars the best. Picking up new gadgets

them. I see.

But you're not working now?

No.

How did you get to know Mrs. French?

On Oxford Street.

One day I saw this old lady carrying a lot of... Old lady?

Well, she was in her 50s, wasn't she?

Well, she's carrying a lot of packages, and then right in the middle of the

street, she dropped them.

She was trying to pick them up, and I saw this bus coming towards her.

I yelled at her, and she managed to get to the curb in time.

And then?

Well, I picked up the packages for her. I wiped some of the mud off. I tried to

calm her down. I presume she was grateful.

Well, you'd have thought I tried to save her life.

And then?

Well, then she asked me to come and see her.

And so you went.

Well, I thought it would be rude to refuse.

She seemed very lonely. Her husband had been in the colonial service and died at

the age of 45.

Poor guy, heart attack.

Please, smoke while I'm smoking.

And so... Well...

And then you saw her

quite frequently.

Yeah, we'd...

Sip sherry and play canasta.

You know, it's really weird to think of her now, lying there in that living

room, murdered.

Oh, I assure you, they've moved her by now.

Not to have done so would be unfeeling, unlawful, unsanitary.

You say that he was in her place on the night of the murder? Oh, yes, but I left

before 9 .30. The housekeeper claimed that Emily French was still alive when

came back at 10.

How much money did you get out of her? Nothing. Not a cent. The truth.

How much? Why should she give me any money? Because she was in love with you.

Excuse me, sir. It just... That's ridiculous. She liked me.

She, um... Yeah, she even pampered me.

Like an aunt. But that's all.

I swear it. Why didn't you tell her you were a married man?

Oh, I did tell her.

Did you take your wife to see her?

No.

Why not?

Well, because.

Well, she was under the impression that Christine and I didn't get along too

well. Did you give her that impression?

No, she seemed to want to believe it that way.

But you never corrected that impression.

I was afraid she'd lose interest in me. Because she was rich.

Yes, I suppose so.

And you were after her money.

I... Were you?

Yes, in a way.

I was hoping for a loan. That's all for an invention of mine.

That's all it would have been.

Is that so bad?

The housekeeper was out.

Just you and that lonely woman in the empty house.

How easy it would have been. No.

When I left her, she was alive.

I know things do look bad for me.

But I swear to God I didn't do it.

You do believe me, don't you?

No, you're wrong, Mr. Vole.

Things don't look bad for you.

They look absolutely terrible.

You have no alibi, no witness.

Just my wife.

The testimony of a devoted wife, I'm afraid, does not carry much weight.

Ah, Logan Moore.

Come in, come in.

So good to see you out of the hospital.

Glad to get rid of you.

Ah, you know me, Hugh.

This is his client, Mr. Leonard Bowen.

The Emily French murderer.

Indeed. How do you do?

Ah, not too well, I'm afraid. He's no alibi. He's a hot potato.

I'm delivering it right in your lap.

Much obliged.

Well, your best defense will be lack of motive.

If he's spunting on her, why kill her off?

No motive. No money, I'm afraid.

You'll have to sue for your fees.

I'll simply put a lien on his 80 ,000 pounds.

What 80 ,000 pounds?

Why, the 80 ,000 pounds that Mrs. French left you.

Left me?

They found her will this morning.

Congratulations.

My God, you've got to be joking.

80?

I can't believe it.

I've got to call Christine right now.

This inheritance doesn't make things look any better for me.

I wouldn't think so.

So now they'll say I did have a motive.

I would think 80 ,000 pounds.

A very handsome motive.

Excuse me, sir. There are two gentlemen here asking for Mr. Vo.

The police?

Yes, sir. Tell them to come in. Yes, sir.

My God.

Is this it? I'm afraid it may be, my boy. But I had no idea she'd leave me

money. How could it be a motive? Now, don't worry, Mr. Brothermore. We'll

all that out in court.

Ah, Chief Inspector Hurd.

Congratulations on your promotion.

Oh, thank you, Sir Wilfred. Sorry to disturb you in your chambers.

Oh, not at all. We have your dangerous Mr.

Vole here.

You are Leonard Vole?

Yes.

I have a warrant for your arrest on the charge of murdering one Emily French.

I must warn you, anything you say will be taken down and may be used in

evidence.

Do I have to be handcuffed? That won't be necessary.

I'll go to the station with you, see you're properly charged.

Will you explain to my wife?

Yes, of course.

I can't believe this is happening.

Well, did you give him your monocle? test?

Yes, I did.

And? Curiously enough, he came through with flying colours.

Excuse me, Sir Wilfred, but Miss Plimsoll has issued an ultimatum. If

in bed in one minute, she will resign.

If you refuse to take proper care of yourself, Sir, I will be forced to

too.

I think you look like a caged cobra.

How do I manage to resist you?

Wilfred, would you care to question Mr. Verne's wife?

Sorry, I'm in no condition to cope with weeping women.

You want a dozen handkerchiefs?

No.

That will not be necessary.

How do you do?

I am Christine Verne.

Verne?

I'm Wilfred Robarts.

This is Mr. Brogan Moore.

There's some rather bad news for you, I'm afraid.

Don't be afraid.

I'm quite disciplined.

He'd been arrested, hadn't he?

And charged with murder.

I told him he would be.

You show extraordinary fortitude.

My friend here will take on your husband's defense.

Oh.

You will not personally defend Leonard.

Well, regrettably not.

My health, you see.

I've heard you described as the champion of the hopeless cause.

Perhaps this cause is too hopeless.

I intend to have a very serious discussion with Dr. Harrison. It was a

mistake to let you come back here. I should have taken you directly to some

-off resort like Bermuda.

Never. You just wanted to see me in those nasty little shorts.

these on, if you please.

Both tops and bottoms.

I'll make your bed.

I must say, I feel rather sorry for Mr.

Vole. That wife of his sounds absolutely horrid and foreigner.

I think English girls are so much more caring and sensible.

My mother... Oh, I come from Dortmund. My mother used to say...

that no self -respecting Dorset man would ever dream of marrying a

Have you ever stayed in Dorset? Oh, I do so love it.

Such a happy, happy childhood. Ah, yes.

Oh, well, my career now takes me to so many places I have no time to be

homesick.

No.

No, that isn't true.

Sometimes I feel just... so lonely, you know.

So lonely.

Oh, but one must keep busy. One must keep active.

I think you'll agree with me there.

It's so rewarding, you know, to be in the service of those who need

care.

Do you like fish?

All of us must do what we do best in this world.

And so I remain...

To the club, Williams.

Yes, sir.

Forgive my haste, but my nurse might be following on her broomstick.

You must understand, Mrs. Vole, that your husband's entire defense depends on

his word and yours.

Unfortunately, a jury, often skeptical of a man accused of murder, supported

only by the word of his adoring wife.

Always. Indeed.

He's quite right.

Oh, I see.

Aren't these beauties?

Yes, well... No, no, you go on, my dear fellow. Question this charming lady. I

won't interrupt you.

Yes, well...

I take it, then, that you knew that your husband had been seeing Mrs. French

regularly.

I knew it from the day he came home with a pair of green socks.

They had knitted for him.

See? A pair of socks.

Well, that's quite natural.

Almost endearing.

Leonard can be very endearing.

He has a way with women.

I only hope he will have an all -woman jewelry.

He will be acquitted in time.

You know she'd left him money in her will?

A great deal of money.

Your husband had no previous knowledge of it.

Is that what he told you?

Surely not suggesting anything different.

I do not suggest anything.

Quite obviously.

Mrs. French looked upon your husband as a son or a nephew.

My God, what hypocrites you are in this country.

Oh, I'm sorry if I shocked you, Sir Wilfred.

No, no, not at all.

Please go on.

There. Is that more comfortable for you, Sir Wilfred?

Hope you don't mind this.

Doctor said I should take a stroll twice a day.

I don't mind in the least, but I don't see what more I can tell you.

Well, let's go back to the night of the murder.

Your husband came home before 9 .30.

Is that correct?

Is that what you said?

Yes. Then it is correct. He came home before 9 .30.

Do you want the truth, Mrs. Wold? You're going to be under oath.

Yes. The truth and nothing but the truth.

Mrs. Boal, do you love your husband?

Leonard thinks I do.

Well, and do you? Am I already under oath?

Mrs. Boal, whatever your gambit may be, do you know that under English law, you

cannot give testimony against your husband?

How very convenient.

The prosecution will attempt to hang your husband.

A husband who loves you?

Loves me.

Leonard worships the ground I walk on.

I assume that you love him as much?

You want to know too much.

Auf Wiedersehen, gentlemen.

Don't worry.

If Leonard needs an alibi, I shall be very convincing.

There will be tears in my eyes when I speak.

You're a very remarkable woman, Mrs. Vole.

And you are satisfied, I hope?

I'm damned if I'm satisfied.

I want your honest appraisal. Do you think Leonard Vole is innocent?

I don't know.

I'm sorry, but of course I'll do my very best.

You needn't concern yourself.

I shall take it on from here.

Sir Wilfred.

You may wish to know that I have called Dr. Harrison and given him a complete

report on your shocking behavior. Give me a match.

Sir Wilfred.

Did you hear what I said?

Give me a match.

Sir Wilfred, I want you to know how grateful I am, sir, that you are going

represent me.

I struck a bargain with my doctors.

They let me go on with the case as I go off for six months to Bermuda.

Thank you, sir.

Let's hope we'll both be the better part of it. Would you put these on, please?

What for?

Because these are the clothes you wore on the night of the murder.

We'll circulate a photograph and hope that a witness might have seen you

leaving, Mrs. French.

To verify the time.

By the window, please. We really need this.

A hat, please.

My wife knows what time I came home.

One more in profile, please. I just can't understand why Christine hasn't

to see me.

It's been over a week.

I'll pick up the negatives later, thank you. Right.

Now wait just a minute.

Are you keeping something for me?

Is Christine all right?

All things considered, Mr. Verlo, I think your wife's taken it very well.

It must be damn tough on her.

We've never been separated before.

Not since we first met.

Was that in Germany?

Right.

I was with the Air Force stationed outside of Hamburg.

I met her in a nightclub.

She was waiting on tables and hoping to land another job, acting in a theater.

You brought her over here?

Yes. I rented a flat on... Earl's Court Road.

And when she saw it for the first time, she was so happy, she just broke down

and cried.

How did war mean?

She lost all her family in the war.

I'm all she has.

Oh, yes, yes.

I understand that.

You don't really know how she feels about me, but you'll find out when she

testifies.

Mr. Will, I'm not putting your wife in the witness box.

Why not?

To your father. The complexity of our language.

Prosecution might catch her out.

We hear it may be Myers for the prosecution.

We can't afford to take any chances.

He's good. All alone.

Irritating, Mayor. Mr. Myers.

I take great pleasure in beating him.

Officer. The Christine must be better.

You must trust me, if only because I'm a mean, ill -tempered old man who hates

to lose.

Let us wish each other good luck.

Sir Wilford, you don't understand. I can't face this without Christine.

I need her.

Without her, I'm tough.

It's really rather touching, the way he counts on his wife.

Like a driving man crushing at a razor blade.

Is your name Leonard Vole?

Yes. You are charged on indictment that on the 14th day of September, 1954, you

murdered Emily Jane French.

Vole, are you guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

Members of the jury, you are sworn to try this case on evidence.

You must shut out everything from your minds except what takes place in this

court.

You may proceed for the prosecution, Mr Myers.

May it please your Lordship.

I appear in this case with my learned friend, Mr Barton, and for the defence,

Sir Wilfred.

Sir Wilfred Robarts and Mr Brogan Moore.

I trust we are not to be deprived of the learned and stimulating presence of Sir

Wilfred this morning? My Lord, may I assure my learned friend that Sir

is in the Old Valley and will be in his seat shortly.

You may proceed, Mr Myers.

Thank you, my Lord.

The facts in this case are very simple.

Medical testimony will prove that Mrs. Emily French was murdered by a blow from

a blunt and heavy instrument.

It is the case for the prosecution that this blow was struck by the prisoner,

Leonard Bowles.

This is ridiculous.

That's a bit of nervous heartburn.

I always get it the first day of the trial.

240 over 130.

You shouldn't be here at all.

I should be in the courtroom.

The trial has begun.

A syringe, Mr. Pimpsall.

Now be a good, brave boy, Sir Wilfred.

It may interest you to know that I am descended from a warrior family which

traces its brave past back to Richard the Lionheart.

You're to have a calcium injection daily.

A tranquilizing pill every hour.

And in case of a sudden pain or shortness of breath, pop one of those

nitroglycerin tablets in the black box under your tongue and I'll leave you

drops as well. That's enough, Doctor. The judge will be asking for a saliva

test. Ah, we'd better get that thermos of cocoa with me.

Help me to wash down the pills.

Let me see that, please.

My learned patient is not about substituting brandy for the cocoa.

Oh. It is cocoa.

So sorry.

Yes, take care of that, Carter.

Now, Sir Wilfrid, in the courtroom, you must avoid over -excitement. Watch your

temper. Keep both your voice and your blood pressure down.

Oh, it's all right. Thank you, Doctor. I shall be quite safe with the pills and

the cocoa.

So long, Carter.

We therefore place the time of death at between 10 and 10 .30 p .m.

That is just before Janet McKenzie called us. Was the severe blow to the

the neck the cause of death?

Yes, sir.

Death was instantaneous, caused by one blow from a heavy and blunt instrument.

No other signs of a struggle?

No, sir. One blow. Would that indicate to you that the murderer had taken her

surprise? My lord, I am taken by surprise as my learned friend should

solicit from the witness an opinion and not a fact.

Quite so.

Mr. Myers, it seems that Sir Wilfred has joined us just in time to catch you on

a point of legal procedure.

Please rephrase your question.

My lord, I withdraw the question.

Did you say the room gave the impression that a robbery had taken place?

Yes, a window was broken with glass on the floor and fragments were found

outside. The fragments outside, however, were not consistent with the window

having been forced from the outside.

So what you are saying is that someone had attempted to make it look as if the

glove had been forced from the outside.

Oh, that's the truth.

My learned friend is putting words in the witness' mouth.

The answer is his own questions.

The presence of the witness would be superfluous.

Quite, quite.

Don't you think so, Mr. Myers?

Yes, indeed, my lord.

Was any of the lady's property missing?

Nothing, according to the housekeeper.

Is it not your experience, sir, that burglars usually burgle when they break

into a house?

Yes, sir.

Do you produce a jacket, inspector?

Yes, sir.

And is that the jacket?

It is, sir. I propose that that be tagged Exhibit 1.

Where did you find it, Inspector?

It was found in the prisoner's flat. I handed it to our lab to test for

bloodstains. Did you find bloodstains?

Oh, yes, sir.

An attempt had been made to wash them out. What tests did the laboratory make?

First, to determine that the stains were human blood, and then to classify the

group or type.

And were the stains of a particular type? Oh, yes, sir.

Every type, I know.

Did you test the blood of the dead woman?

We did, sir.

There was also a typo. Thank you very much, Inspector.

Inspector, is it not possible that the burglar might enter an empty house and

then suddenly encounter Mrs. French and strike her, and then, discovering that

she is dead, panic, flee without taking anything?

Yes, sir, it's certainly possible.

My Lord, I must admit that it is entirely impossible to guess what goes

the mind of an entirely imaginary burglar.

You're quite right, Mr. Miles.

Please let us confine ourselves to the facts, Sir Wilfred. When you questioned

the prisoner as to the stains on his jacket, did he not show you a recently

healed scar on his wrist and tell you that he'd cut himself while slicing

with a kitchen knife?

Yes, sir, that is what he said.

Did his wife not tell you the same?

Yes, sir.

But afterwards... No, just yes or no, if you please. Did his wife tell you he'd

cut himself while slicing bread?

Yes, sir.

I'll ask you to examine this knife.

Will you please test the edge with your finger?

Oh, no, careful, I'll be careful.

Do you agree that that knife is razor sharp?

Yes, sir.

Such a knife could inflict a cut which would bleed profusely.

It might. Now then, you stated the blood on the prisoner's jacket and the blood

of Mrs. French of the same type. Oh.

Correct. If the prisoner's blood should be of the same type, oh, then the stains

on his jacket might very well have resulted from the knife.

Did you analyze the prisoner's blood?

No, sir.

I have a certificate.

North London Hospital.

The door is certified to be type O.

Call General McKenzie.

Silence!

Take this in your right hand and read aloud what's on this card.

I swear by almighty God that the evidence I shall give to

this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Thank you, madam.

Is your name Janet McKenzie?

Yes. Were you a companion housekeeper to the late Mrs. Emily French?

I don't think he could get through the trial without his medicine every hour. I

was her housekeeper. I have no opinion of so -called companions, poor feckless

bodies, afraid to do a bit of honest work.

But you did know her very well.

Ten years.

She trusted me.

Many's the time I'd prevented her from doing a foolish thing.

Will you tell us, in your own words, what happened on the evening of

the 14th?

It was a Friday, my night out, and I went off to see my niece, a five -minute

walk.

I'd promised to take her a pattern, a paper pattern, and I'd been there for a

while, and I remembered, I forgot it.

So I walked back to the house in the rain.

The phonograph was playing in the sitting room.

Mrs. French was laughing.

She was in there with him.

No, that isn't true!

I heard them.

Are you quite certain you heard Mr. Vole?

Aye. He visited her often enough.

So I went up to my room and I fetched the pattern.

And then I heard this noise.

Crashing glass and a thump. And then another thump. And what did you do?

I was frightened.

So I ran down to the sitting room, and there she was, dead.

And everything tossed hither and yon.

Did you really think a burglary had taken place?

Oh, my lord, I must protest. Quite right. I will not allow that question to

answered, Mr. Myers.

How much did you know about the prisoner?

I knew he needed money.

Not that he ever asked her for it. He was too clever for that.

Were you aware that he was a married man?

No, no, indeed we were not, Janet.

Well, I must admit, what Mrs. French knew or did not know must be pure

conjecture on the part of the witness.

I will put it this way.

You formed the impression he was a single man. Why? Well, the books she

ordered.

About women who'd married men years younger than themselves.

About Disraeli and his wife.

I knew what she was thinking.

I'm afraid we can't admit to that.

Why? Members of the jury, it is quite possible for a woman to read Disraeli

without contemplating marriage to a younger man.

Concerning her will.

She had it revoked.

The old one.

And a new one drawn up.

I heard her telephoning her solicitor, and so did he. He was right there. You

actually heard Mrs.

French discussing her new will with him?

Yes. He was to have all of her money. No one else meant to her what he did. When

did this take place?

September the 8th. It was a week to the day before she was murdered.

Thank you.

That concludes my examination.

Not just yet, Miss Mackenzie.

You've given us testimony about two wills.

In the old one, who was to receive the bulk of Mrs. French's estate?

I was.

And in the new one, only a small annuity for you, and the rest to the prisoner

Leonard Bowles.

A wicked injustice, if he...

Ever touch a penny of that money? I can quite understand if you feel

antagonistic to the prisoner.

Me?

Antagonistic?

He's a shiftless scheming rascal, but I am not antagonistic to him. His

friendship with your mistress cost you the bulk of her estate.

I never liked him.

Your candor is most refreshing.

You say you heard them on the night of September the 14th?

What did you hear them say?

That they were laughing. What did the prisoner say?

Just laughing.

Quite sure about that, are you?

Aye. The door was closed.

Openly. It was open a wee crack.

To pass the door quickly?

Well, long enough to hear.

Well, come, come, Miss McKenzie.

I'm sure you don't want to suggest to the jury that you were an eavesdropper.

was him.

I know it. But did you see him? Did you actually see him?

Her. What?

I could see her, but I knew he was there. Why? Because you heard him?

Yes. Under the National Health Insurance, Miss McKenzie, did you apply

for hearing aid?

For what?

For hearing aid.

What did he say?

My Lord, I must object to the way this question has been put.

I'll repeat the question, my Lord.

I asked you in a normal tone of voice, audible to the open court. Did you apply

to the National Insurance for a hearing aid?

Yes, I did. Did you get it?

Not yet.

Did you state that you could hear the prisoner's voice in a room?

Beyond. What?

No more questions, my lord.

Perhaps you could help me, your lordship. I applied for the hearing aid

months ago, and... My dear Miss Mackenzie, considering the rubbish being

about these days, you have not missed anything.

And now, if it please your Lordship, I should like to call upon our final

witness for the prosecution.

Call Christine Helm.

Christine. Call Christine Helm.

Please remove your glove, madam.

Take this in your right hand and read aloud what's written on this card.

I swear by almighty God that the evidence which I shall give shall be the

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Thank you, madam.

Oh, I should have thought it only too obvious to point out to this court.

The witness summoned here by the prosecution is the wife of the prisoner,

Leonard Vole, and therefore... My lord, I must call my learned friend's

attention to the fact that I summoned Christine Helm, not Christine Vole.

Your name is, in fact, Christine Helm. Yes, Christine Helm. And you've been

living as the wife of the prisoner, Leonard Vole.

Yes. Are you actually his wife?

No. We...

Went through a form of marriage in Hamburg, but I already had a husband

somewhere in East Germany.

He is still living today.

But you never told Mr. Vaux.

It would have been stupid to tell him.

He would not have married me, and I would have been left to starve over

the rubble. Thank you.

My lord, there is proof of a marriage between the witness and Leonard Vaux.

There is no proof whatsoever of an alleged previous marriage.

I don't...

The alleged previous marriage is extremely well documented.

I have a certificate.

Mrs. Helm, is this the certificate of your marriage to one Otto Ludwig

Helm? The ceremony having taken place in Breslau on April the 18th, 1942?

Yes. This is the paper of my marriage. I would like to see that certificate.

Having had the benefit of Sir Wilfrid's opinion, you may proceed, Mr. Myers.

Thank you, my lord.

Mrs. Helm, are you willing to give testimony against the man you have been

calling your husband? I am willing.

In the night in question, you stated to the police that your husband returned

home before 9 .30. Did he in fact return home before 9 .30?

No. He returned at... Ten minutes past ten. Christine, what are you saying?

That's not true. You know it's not true. As your counsel will tell you, Vole,

you'll very shortly have an opportunity of speaking in your own defense.

Now then, Mr. Vole returned at ten minutes past ten. What happened next?

He was breathing hard, very excited.

He took off his coat and looked at his sleeves.

They had blood on them.

Gone. I said.

What has happened?

And what did the prisoner say to that?

He said, I have killed her. Christine!

Why are you saying these things? Why are you lying?

Silence!

Silence!

Oh, she's awful, that one.

I've known it all along.

Sir Wilfred, would you like me to adjourn for a few minutes?

Your Lordship is most gracious.

I pray, let the witness continue.

All the soap caught up in the suspense of this horror fiction.

Perhaps he had it in installments. My proof.

Unendurable.

Proceed, Mr Myers.

Thank you, Mr Helmer. It's true that you told the police that the prisoner

returned home before 9 .30.

Yes, because Leonard wanted me to say that.

But you've changed your story since then. Why?

I cannot go online to save him.

He married me.

And I was grateful to him for getting me out of Germany.

Always. What he has asked me to do, I have done.

Because I was grateful to him.

But not because you loved him.

No.

I never loved him.

So it was out of gratitude to the prisoner that you gave him an alibi in

statement to the police.

Yes. Now you feel you were wrong to do so.

It is murder.

That woman was a harmless old fool.

But I cannot be an accomplice to murder for him.

He cannot do it.

I will not do it.

So this is the truth.

He returned home after ten with blood on his sleeve, saying, I killed her.

That is the truth.

That is the truth before God.

That is the truth.

Before God.

Thank you.

Mrs. Bull.

Or Mrs. Helm.

Which do you prefer to be called?

It does not matter.

Oh, does it not?

In this country we're inclined to take a rather more serious view of marriage.

However, our Helm would appear.

that when you first met the prisoner, you lied to him about your marital

I was desperate to get out of Germany.

You lied, did you not? Just yes or no, please.

Yes. Thank you. And then, subsequently, when you were arranging the marriage,

you lied to the authorities.

I did not tell them the truth because... You lied to them.

Yes. In the ceremony of marriage itself, when you swore to love and to honour...

And to cherish your husband, that too was a lie.

Yes. And then, when the police questioned you about this wretched man

believed in himself, married and loved, you told them... I told them what

Leonard wanted me to say. You told him that he was at home with you by 9 .30.

And now you say that was a lie.

Yes, a lie.

And when you said he had accidentally cut his wrist, Again, you lied.

Yes. And now, today, you'll tell us a new story entirely.

The question is, Frau Helm, were you lying then, or are you lying now, or are

you not, in fact, a chronic and habitual liar?

My lord, is my Leonard Trent to be allowed to bully and insult this witness

this manner?

Mr. Myers, this is a capital charge. And within the bounds of reason, I would

like the defense to have every latitude.

Indeed. The witness has violated so many oaths that I'm surprised the testament

did not leap from her hand when she was sworn in here today.

I doubt there's anything to be gained by questioning you any further.

That will be all, Frau Helen.

Mrs. Helen.

Do you know the meaning of the English word perjury?

Yes. It means to swear false under oath.

And are you aware that in this country the penalty for perjury is a very heavy

term of imprisonment? Yes. I am aware.

Mindful of this, do you say that the evidence you have given is the truth,

whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

So help me God.

Thank you.

That concludes the case for the prosecution, Your Honor.

Mr. Wilkridge, are you ready for the defense?

Hello, members of the jury.

The prosecution very ably presented against the prisoner Leonard Vole

a case of the most overwhelming circumstantial evidence.

You've heard the evidence of Janet McKenzie, a worthy and devoted

and suffered two most grievous losses.

First, the death of her beloved mistress.

And second, being deprived of an inheritance of 80 ,000 pounds which she

fully expected to receive.

May I express my sympathy to her on both these mishaps.

And finally, most damaging of all, The prosecution has produced a surprise

witness, one Christine Helm, whom the prisoner married and removed from the

rubble of her homeland to the safety of this country, giving her his love and

the protection of his name.

Though a wife cannot give evidence against or harmful to her husband, her

marriage to him has proven fraudulent and bigamous.

I would ask you to consider this marriage

for what it is worth.

This, then, is the prosecution's case.

It is now the turn for the defense.

We can present a variety of witnesses to his character, his war record, the lack

of any criminal association in the past.

However, I will call upon the only one witness who can shed light upon this

tragic riddle, the prisoner himself.

I call upon Leonard Stephen Bowe.

Tyler!

Take this in your right hand and read aloud what's written on this card.

I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth,

whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Your name is Leonard Vorel?

It is. Did you or did you not, on the night of September the 14th last, murder

MLA French?

I did not.

Silence!

Have you in fact concluded your examination of the witness, Sir Wilfred?

My Lord, the prisoner has now endured three days of the most profound mental

agony and shock.

The defense feels his faculties should be spared for the cross -examination.

Silence!

When you first made the acquaintance of Mrs. French, were you employed?

No.

You had money then in savings?

Nothing. Did you receive any money from Mrs. French?

No, not a penny.

Did you expect to receive any? No, sir. Did you know that she had left you money

in her will?

No, sir.

When you went to visit Mrs. French for the last time, did you wear a trench

and a hat?

Yes, I did.

Was it this coat and hat?

Yes.

My Lord, the defense circulated this poster in the hope that a witness would

come forth who had seen the accused leave Mrs. French's house at the time

stated. Unfortunately, the effort was without result.

However, the defense will be pleased to hear...

that a witness has now come forward who saw the prisoner wearing this hat and

this coat.

Lamentably, it was not on the night of the murder, but exactly one week before.

Were you or were you not in a travel agency in Regent Street on the 8th of

September, inquiring about schedules and... Prices of foreign cruises?

What if I were?

That isn't a crime, is it? Oh, no, no, certainly not.

Many people go on a cruise if they can pay for it.

But you couldn't pay for it, could you, Mr. Vole?

No.

And yet you came into this travel agency, oh, with a lady, a blonde.

A honey blonde, I understand.

Tell me, please.

How on earth did you expect to pay for such an expensive and luxurious cruise?

I don't know. It was... You don't know? Perhaps I can tell you.

On that very day, you heard Mrs. French alter her will, leaving you the bulk of

her money. I didn't.

I knew nothing about the world. And in the afternoon...

You set about making plans to dispose of the money.

No, there was nothing like that.

I met this girl at a pub. I can't even remember her name.

We had a couple of drinks. We left together.

We went past the display window, and there were posters of blue seas and palm

trees, and we went in.

The man gave me sort of a funny look because I was dressed a little shabby,

it irritated me, so I kept asking for the swankiest tours, you know, all

deluxe and capping on the boat deck, just putting on an act.

An act.

An act when you knew you were going to inherit 80 ,000 pounds.

No, it was nothing like that. I didn't think of killing anybody or...

Inheriting any money. Just a coincidence that Mrs. French was killed only one

week later.

I did not kill her. Then why did Christine Helm testify as she did in

court? I don't know why.

I don't even know why I still call her my wife.

She must be losing her mind.

She seemed remarkably sane and self -possessed to me.

Insanity, then, is the only reason you can think of.

I don't understand it.

God.

What's happened? What's changed her?

I can't tell you unless, of course, she's speaking the truth.

She says you came home with blood on your clothes.

I cut my wrist!

You cut your wrist deliberately.

No! You came home at ten minutes after ten. That's not true!

You've got to believe me. You've got to believe me.

You've got to believe me. And you murdered Emily French.

I didn't. I swear to God, I didn't.

I've never hurt anyone.

Ever.

I...

It's

a nightmare.

It's been...

A ghastly, horrible nightmare.

Good evening, Sir Wilfred. How did it go today?

Sir Wilfred, I'm from Hawkson Hill. I brought you all the muter shorts along

a fitting.

My what? I think you'd better slip into them now, Sir Wilfred. Otherwise, we'll

never have them ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow? My dear man, I'm in the middle of a murder trial.

But it'll be all over by tomorrow afternoon, and the boat train doesn't

until 9 .40.

Well, you work it out.

You know my shape. You've stabbed it often enough.

But, Sir Wilfred, you must go upstairs and have a nice, lukewarm bath and your

calcium injection.

And there's still a great deal of packing to be done.

Ridiculous talk about bulk pay.

How do we know?

The jury may be out for days.

Not in this case, I'm afraid.

Seems far too open and shut.

I watched them when Frau Helm was on stand.

They didn't like her.

True, they didn't like her, but they believed her.

They liked Leonard Vaux, but they didn't believe him.

I must say, their travel agency business with Blonde didn't help matters.

Cigar Wilfred?

Wilfred, do you think she lied?

Do you?

I don't know. I'm not sure.

I am.

She lied.

The only question in my mind is why.

What's her game?

What's she up to?

Why? Sir Wilfred, I hope that in your final speech tomorrow you won't let

yourself get too emotionally involved.

You must think of your physical condition.

He's right.

I want to see you save yourself.

This isn't going to be your last case.

Yes, it is. But till it's over, I'm still a barrister. My client's life's at

stake. That's all that matters. His life.

He's a right to expect the best that I can give.

If I can't stand up to make my last plea for him, I make it sitting down.

If I feel out of breath, I take a pill.

I take two pills.

I'll take the lock.

And the box as well.

Yes?

You have?

Who is this?

No, I'm sorry, but... Leonard Vole?

Yeah, just a moment. There's a woman who says that she has the goods on Mr.

Vole's wife.

Wilfred Rogoff here.

Meet me on Tilby Street.

By the dock.

Number 27.

7th floor. I'll wait an hour. Bring plenty of money.

And come alone.

Hello. Who is this?

There.

Drunken witch.

Every murder trial, we always get some of them.

Always with some ultimatum. Meet me at Tilby Street.

Oh, mother dogs.

Bring plenty of money.

Balderdash!

It's in my condition just to court some drunken harridan.

Well, Fred, you're coming with me, make you.

Good heavens, Wilford, where are we? It looks positively sinister.

Steady, may you?

Here we are, Williams.

Slow down.

I don't like this.

I don't like this at all.

Stay here, may I help you? No.

I can't let you go up there alone.

It's far too dangerous.

I'm coming with you.

She wants to see me alone.

And she shall.

Very well.

But if you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming after you.

Second floor, I believe.

Careful, old friend.

Stay calm.

trips are worth reading.

Never you, my.

I wouldn't have reckoned I'd do without your wig.

You look lovely in them wigs you do.

Thank you.

Would my gentleman friend care for a drink?

No, thank you.

What have you got for me?

Letters. That's what I've got.

Letters. That wife of his wrote.

You mean letters? Letters written by Christine Vould to her husband.

Her husband?

Don't make me laugh.

Poor muddy chump.

He's been talking good and proper, he has.

And these letters are pretty.

I see them.

You can see one.

And then I'll watch me money.

A hundred pounds.

A hundred pounds?

Take it or leave it.

All right.

Little beauty.

You see.

The glow of that now.

Are they authentic?

They're hers, all right.

Where did you get these?

What difference do they make? As long as she gets what's coming to her.

What have you got against her?

Dream about me.

Want to kiss me, darling?

No, I didn't think you would.

Did Christine Lowell do that to you?

You could say as much.

The chap I was going with got to seeing her on the fly.

I'm deeply sorry, madam.

We're scared now.

Put up Leonard Vaux.

You may sit down.

Since the defense has called but one witness, it has the right to be heard

Therefore, Mr. Myers, if you are ready, let us have the final speech for the

prosecution. Lord.

Members of the jury, I believe the only conclusion to be drawn in this case is a

verdict of guilty against the prisoner. I will now, in the course of...

I think you had better begin again, Mr. Myers.

That is, if Sir Wilfred is at all interested in our proceeding.

I am, indeed.

And I now ask that the case for the defense to be reopened.

I'd like a witness to be recalled.

My lord, I must strenuously protest.

Evidence of no startling nature has come into my possession only last night. The

course my learned friend proposes to take is quite unprecedented.

I anticipated my friend's objection, and I am prepared to meet it with ample

precedent. Case of the Crown against Stillman, on page 463,

1926.

Appeal.

Case.

Also, the crowd against Porter, August 11th, 1930.

Winchester, besides, is on page 21.

And further, the case of Sullivan. I'm sure you'll remember it, since you

appeared for the prosecution.

I did.

Oh.

Yes, I recall now.

What is this new evidence you have, Sir Wilfrid? Letters, my Lord.

Letters from Christine Hell. My Lord, the prosecution continues its objection.

If my memory serves me right, in the case of your own objection in the Crown

versus Sullivan, your objection was upheld.

Your memory for once serves you ill, Mr Miles.

My objection was overruled at the time by Mr Justice Swindon.

As yours is now by me.

Call Christine Hell. Call Christine Hell.

You've still got your doubts about Bowles. I don't mind betting you a very

box of cigars.

Mrs. Harold, you appreciate that you are still on oath?

Yes. Do you know a man named Max?

I don't know what you mean.

It's a simple question.

Do you know a man named Max?

Certainly not.

Oh, that's a fairly common name.

Yes, you mean you've never known a man by the name of Max?

In Germany, but that was a long time ago.

I shan't ask you to go back as far as that. Just a few weeks. To September the

20th last.

What have you got there?

A letter.

I suggest that on the 20th of September, you wrote a certain letter. I don't

know what you're talking about.

Addressed to a man named Max.

I did nothing of the thought.

A letter.

was but one of a series written to the same man.

These are lies.

All lies.

He would seem to have been on, let us say, on intimate terms with this man.

Sir Wilfred, that isn't true.

The prisoner in his own interest will remain silent.

I'm concerned only with one particular letter.

My beloved Max, an extraordinary thing has happened.

I believe all our difficulties may be ended. This is a forgery.

It isn't mine.

It isn't even my letter paper.

It is.

No. I write my letters on small blue paper with my initials on it.

Like this.

This.

Happens to be a note from my tailor for a pair of extremely becoming Bermuda

shorts.

Wilfred the Fox. That's what we call him, and that's what he is. Now, Mrs.

you've been kind enough to identify your letter of paper. Would you care to have

an expert identify your handwriting?

Damn you!

Damn you! Leave her alone!

Damn you!

Mrs. Helm. Let me get out of here.

Let me go!

Mrs. Hill!

Usher, give the witness a chair.

Sir Wilfred, will you now read the letter so the jury can hear it?

My beloved Max, an extraordinary thing has happened.

All our difficulties may soon be solved.

Leonard is suspected of murdering the old lady I told you about.

His only hope of an alibi depends on me.

Suppose I testify that he was not at home with me at the time of the murder,

that he came home with blood on his sleeves, that he admitted to me that

he killed her.

Leather says he would never let me leave him, but if this succeeds, he will be

leaving me.

They will take him away forever, and I will be yours.

I count the hours, my beloved, until we are together.

Christine.

Silence!

Will you go back to the witness box, Mrs. Hill?

Ask you again, Christine Helm.

Did you write this letter?

Before answering, Mrs. Helm, I wish to warn you. If you have already committed

perjury in this courtroom, I must advise you not to add to your crime.

I keep asking myself, Sir Wilfrid, which is the harder, your head or your

arteries?

Well, all I can say is you better stop chancing your luck.

Well, we're all packed, Doctor. The luggage is in the car.

Oh, I hope the jury doesn't take all afternoon.

I concede.

Congratulations.

Not yet.

Oh, come now, it's all over.

Wrapped up neat and tidy.

What's wrong?

Everything.

It's all just a little too neat, too tiny.

And that's precisely what's wrong with it.

You're not worried about the verdict, are you? It's not their judgment that

worries me.

It's mine.

Members of the jury, are you all agreed upon your verdict?

We are.

Do you find the prisoner at the bar, Leonard Vole, guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty, my lord.

You are found not guilty of the charge and are hereby discharged and free to

leave the court.

Be upstanding!

All persons who have anything to do before my Lords the Queen's Justices of

Central Criminal Court may depart hence.

Let's say we were lucky all around.

The warder has your belongings, sir. They'll take you to Santa Fe, sir, and

they'll release you. Right. I'll go with you. I brought your hat and coat. Let's

go quickly, before they change their mind.

He's quite chipper, isn't he?

Only an hour ago, he had one foot on the gallows and another on the banana skin.

You ought to be pleased, Wilfred.

Aren't you?

Not yet.

It was disposed of the gallows, but there's still that banana skin somewhere

under somebody's foot.

Wait in here, madam, till we get rid of the crowd.

Come on, break it up.

Are you ready, sir? Because Miss Plimsoll will be waiting.

Let me finish the last of the cocoa.

Well,

I'm still beyond her jurisdiction.

You British can get so emotional.

I apologize for my compatriots.

Oh, that's all right.

I don't mind being pushed around or called names, but...

I do have an old run now in my nylons. In case you're not familiar with our

prison regulations, no silk stockings allowed.

Prison? Will I go to prison?

Indeed, you'll certainly be charged with perjury. Try for it.

And to prison you shall go.

Well, it won't be for life, will it?

If I were the judge, it would be.

You loathe me, don't you?

What a wicked woman I am.

And how brilliantly you exposed me.

The great Sir Wilfred Robarts did it again.

Well, let me tell you something.

You didn't do it alone.

You had help.

What are you driving at?

Leonard is free.

And we did it.

We? We.

You remember the first time I came to see you.

And you told me.

That no jury would believe an alibi given by a loving wife. No matter how

she swore that her husband was innocent.

That gave me the idea.

What idea?

The idea that I should be a witness.

But not for my husband, no.

For the prosecution.

That I should swear that Leonard was guilty.

And that you should expose me as a vicious liar.

Because only then would the jury believe.

that my husband was innocent.

So, now you know the whole story, Sir Wilfred.

I'll give you something to dream about, mister.

Wanna kiss me, daddy?

I suspect you're something.

But never that.

Thank you for the compliment.

It is a long time since I was an actress.

But I have never played such a...

And all those blue letters?

It took me hours to write them, to invent Max.

There never was a Max.

There never has been anyone but Leonard.

Only Leonard.

Oh, my dear.

Why couldn't you have trusted me, worked with me truthfully, honorably?

We would have got him off.

I could not take that risk.

You see, you thought...

He was innocent.

You knew he was innocent.

I understand.

No, Sir Wilfred.

You do not understand.

I knew he was guilty.

Oh, God.

That can't be true.

I wish to God it was.

But Leonard did come home a few minutes past noon.

He did have blood on his sleeves.

And he did tell me that he had killed that woman.

He pleaded with me.

I knew only I could save him.

You?

You did save him.

A murderer.

Again, Sir Wilfred. You do not understand.

And a good one.

I knew she'd do something for me, but I just didn't know what or how.

Leonard, darling.

Fooled you completely, didn't she?

No.

It was you, Vole, who really fooled me. After 37

years.

You'll be so blind.

out of it alive.

Better take a pill.

There's still courts in England.

They're not through with you yet.

Well, sure they are. You know that.

You did too good a job, Sir Wilfred. You got me off. I can't be tried again.

That's the law.

Somehow, in some way, you'll pay for this.

I agree.

Let's double your fee to begin with.

And how about a new hearing aid for Janet McKenzie?

And for you, my dear, 5 ,000 pounds to pay for your perjury trial. That ought

get you off easy.

Oh, thank God it's over.

I could never go through that again.

But now, I've got you back.

Christine, Christine, I think that there's something really that we have to

face, and the sooner the better.

What? What are you talking about?

You and I, we've been pretending here all along. In the trial, I mean.

For everyone. We don't want to pretend.

We've changed. We don't want to go back to the way things were.

But, Leonard, I... Believe me, I have absolutely no regrets, but it's over.

No.

We've only 20 minutes to catch the boat train, so we'll... Oh, my God.

You cut me in half.

You cut me in half.

No. I saved your life getting you out of Germany. You saved my life here in this

courtroom. Now we're even, right?

Leonard.

Darling, how much longer are we going to have to stay here?

I'm rather anxious to get out of this place.

We'll be leaving in a minute.

That's one of the few true statements that was made.

You see, we did meet at the travel agency.

Oh, dear God, please listen to me. I love you. Christine, let's not make it

worse. Or they might try you as an accessory. And you know what that means.

I don't care what they do.

Or if they must try me.

Let him be.

She executed him.

A remarkable woman.

Let her bring back the luggage and you can dismiss the car.

We won't be leaving now, will we?

No.

Thank you, Miss Clemsoll.

Get Brogan Moore to my chambers directly, and have May you there too.

We're appearing for the defense in the trial of Christine Wohl.

Come on, old man.

Sir Wilfred!

You forgot your brandy.