Original subtitles

("Alfred Hitchcock" theme music)

- Good evening.

If you see three young men with electric guitars,

please send them back.

They seem to have wandered off.

They can't be far, however,

for they are still plugged in,

all evident to the contrary.

I'm convinced that music had charms

to soothe the savage breast.

For example, this set of drums

was made by a tribe of Aborigines,

a people completely uncivilized,

yet they built every one

of these lovely instruments out of human skin.

Of course when it came to drum sticks

they were rather unoriginal.

They made these out of plastic,

which we supply them at a modest profit.

Unfortunately we keep running out of salesmen.

This evening's program is not completely musical.

We also bring you a play.

It concerns violence and revenge

in a small mountain town.

The time, one minute from now.

(dramatic music)

(upbeat music)

- Now you drive carefully, Stoney.

- All right, all right.

You ain't got no right, Fred.

- I got all the right in the world,

this is my place.

Now I won't allow you to

talk out to Riley McGrath like that in my place.

Now you go on home, Stoney.

Go on.

(laughing)

(upbeat music)

- Yeah, Fred, what is it?

- I'm awful sorry about that disturbance, Mr. McGrath

- Ah, forget it.

Oh, you got some good pickled pigs feet?

- Yes sir, fresh jar.

- Fine, fine, fine.

Hey, hey,

bring us a couple more beers.

- Yes sir, two beers coming up.

(upbeat music)

(laughing)

- Let's go man.

- Don't touch me, boy.

- Oh let him have his say.

- This is a free country, Mr. McGrath,

wouldn't you say so?

That it's a free country?

- Yeah.

- And nobody's gonna stop me

from saying what I'm gonna say to you.

- Get on with it.

- You may be fooling everybody around here,

but you ain't fooling me.

I'm not going to sell.

I've worked too hard paying for my hundred acres,

and no law of yours is forcing me to sell.

- Get him out of here.

- Get away from me.

- Come on, Stoney, get out of here.

- You're a crook.

(bottle smashing)

- You get out of here now.

- I ain't afraid of you, Mr. McGrath,

not like everybody else in this state.

You're a liar.

(gunshot)

(upbeat music)

- He's dead.

- Fred, call 634, get Sheriff Reynold here right away.

If his wife answers, find out where he is.

Tell her who you're calling for.

- Yes sir.

- Let's go.

(upbeat music)

- 21.

22.

- It's my turn.

- I didn't miss.

- You ain't never gonna miss.

I want a turn before I have to go to sleep.

- Okay here.

That don't count. (laughing)

I wasn't ready.

- Okay, that don't count.

- Don't eat up all daddy's cornbread,

that's his supper.

- There's still two pieces left.

(dog barking)

- There he is now.

- No, it ain't him.

Ain't the old truck.

Old truck makes more noise than that.

- You Stoney Lichen's boy?

- Yeah.

What's the matter?

Where's my daddy?

- Both of you his boys?

You boys better come with me.

There's been an accident.

- Go on, Fred.

Mr. McGrath shot him, sure,

but old Stoney was acting like a wild man.

- Mr. McGrath said he had a couple

of beer bottles in his hands,

was coming after him with these bottles.

Is that right?

- Yes, sir.

- You say it was self defense?

- Well he was coming at him with his bottles

and he was drunk, yes, sir.

- My daddy didn't have no gun on him.

If he had had a gun on him

and had pointing it at him,

then that would be a different thing,

but it ain't self defense to me

when a man with a gun shoots down a man that ain't got none.

- Well it seemed to me like self defense.

- What was Riley McGrath doing here in the first place?

- Well hew as just stopping by

on his way back from

an important political rally in Charleston.

- Why didn't McGrath stay then?

- There was no real need for him to stay here.

I went right to his home,

I questioned him there,

got all the information I need.

He was tired, upset, taking handfuls of heart pills.

I told him to go to bed, get a good night sleep.

You two boys do the same.

- That all you gonna do?

- Well son there's seven people here all seen it,

they all tell the same story,

all willing to swear it self defense.

- Come on, Verge.

- Here's the key to his truck.

His stuff is in his pocket.

Well here, here, take it.

- Had a good day,

sold about half of 'em.

- Look at all the money, Verge.

- Good prize too today, about $10.

(Wilford crying)

Now don't you cry, Wilford.

You hear me, don't you cry on me.

(Wilford crying)

(glass breaking)

- Hey Sheriff help!

Hey sheriff!

(glass breaking)

- Hey, hey that's enough.

You cut that out Liken.

(chickens clucking)

- Turkey'll be ready by the time anybody gets here.

Can't have folks sitting up all night and not feed them.

- I don't know nobody what'll come.

We never see nobody.

- Stoney never was social.

It's wrong to grow up without making friends.

You boys never having friends,

when you die there's nobody to sit up with you.

- I don't think he'd care.

- Look at this table,

how did this table get this way?

- (laughing) Them's mumbly peg holes.

Me and Verge and daddy play mumbly peg on the table.

- Your mama had this table

brought all the way from Charleston,

cost her nearly $50.

(dog barking)

- That's the law.

(chickens clucking)

- Liken, you'd be very smart just to forget all about this.

Just stay here, pick your peaches.

Nothing you can do.

- Verge.

Aunt Ida Mae and Aunt Mary Jane are here.

They cooked up lots of food.

- I'll be right there Wilford.

Put some water on the stove, huh?

I'm gonna need a bath, county jail's mighty dirty.

You got fleas in your jail sheriff.

Fleas and trained rats.

- Well I wouldn't do anything to have to spend

anymore nights in there.

You had the comfortable cell.

(chickens clucking)

- And the Lord speak unto Moses,

saying "Command the children of Israel,

"that they bring unto thy pure olive oil

"beaten for the light, to cause the lamps

"to burn continually.

"Without the veil of the testimony

"and the tabernacle of the congregation,

"shall Aaron order it from the evening

"unto the morning before the Lord continually.

"It shall be a statute forever in your generations."

- Verge.

Might as well go to bed.

- I'll go to bed tomorrow night,

after he's out of the house

and in the ground for good.

You go on and go to sleep.

- No, I ain't gonna leave you sitting up alone.

- Aunt Ida Mae and Aunt Mary Jane are here.

- They don't count.

- It wasn't self defense, Wilford.

Daddy may have come at him,

but he wasn't gonna hurt him none.

- No.

- He shot daddy just like you'd shoot a quail.

- He said he was drunk, Verge.

- That don't make no difference.

Daddy's dead.

- I know, ain't nothing we can do about it.

- Yes, yes there is something.

- Can't bring him back to life.

Can't make him be out in the orchard in the morning

before the sun comes up,

calling us to come help.

- No.

Can't do nothing about that.

- That's what I said.

- But there is something,

something to do.

- Don't say that, Verge.

There's nothing.

Like mama, all gone.

- I'm fixing to do it, Wilford.

It's all I been thinking about

ever since I saw daddy dead on that sawdust floor.

- What are you talking about?

- And he that killith any man shall surely be put to death

and he that killith a beast shall make it good.

Beast for beast.

And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor,

as he hath done, so shall it be done to him.

Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

Chapter 24, verses 17 through 20.

- I don't know for sure what you're saying, Verge.

- Saying I'm going to kill Riley McGrath.

- Verge.

- Shh.

(suspenseful music)

Now I done set my mind to it,

ain't nothing gonna stop me.

- Morning Mr. McGrath.

(suspenseful music)

(chickens clucking)

(dog barking) (chickens clucking)

- Where you been, Verge?

Verge, I've been waiting for you.

You been out possum hunting?

Verge, I'm talking to you.

I'm scared here all alone at night, Verge,

you know that.

This is the third night this week you've been gone all night

and I don't like it.

I had to get up and sit out on the porch

till the sun come up.

- Know where Riley McGrath is right now?

Sitting up in his office,

opening up his morning mail,

and drinking coffee.

Well about 10:00 he's gonna go downstairs

to the Sigafoose Babershop,

get a shave and a shine.

That's the expensive barbershop I showed you

on South side of the square.

Hair cuts cost $1.25.

Now, Wilford, Riley McGrath has his hair cut once a week,

whether he needs it or not.

Then back up to his office to do more dirty work.

About 12:15 he'll go downstairs,

get out, get something to eat.

He ain't got no favorite place to have dinner,

but every Monday, Wednesday and Friday

he has supper over to Stonewall Jackson Hotel.

You should see that hotel, Wilford.

He's got these big glass lights,

about the size of our trucks,

hanging all over the place from the ceiling.

They just sparkling and glowing like icicles.

Every Tuesday night he goes and visits

a lady friend over by the railroad station.

Saturday nights he goes

and plays poker over at the common judges.

And every other Thursday he goes

and sees a Dr. Sanders.

He's got a bad heart, Wilford.

- How come you know so much about him, Verge?

- I made it my business,

that's what I've been doing for the past month,

following him around,

ever since the morning after the funeral.

Oh he ain't seen me.

Don't know nothing about it,

but I wanted to know where he was

every minute of every day.

I almost shot him this morning.

Almost shot him down,

just like you'd shoot down an old quail.

Then I got to thinking it ain't enough.

- Verge, you're talking like a loon.

- I want him to know my name when I kill him, Wilford.

I'll figure out a way.

- You're just gonna get your own self killed.

Verge, you're all the family I got.

- I'm gonna go to bed now, Wilford.

- It ain't dark, Verge.

- I'm too tired to care what time of day it is.

Wake me for dinner, will ya?

- We're having (mumbles).

(melancholy music)

- Hey boy.

You looking for somebody?

- Yes sir, I'm looking for Mr. Riley McGrath.

- Well he ain't in his office,

he's next door having a hair cut.

- Thank you, sir.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

(laughing)

- There you are, Mr. McGrath.

- Hey you're 5/8ths Indian Sigafoose.

- You want a scalping, sonny?

- No, sir I want to talk to Mr. McGrath

if he'll talk to me.

- Oh I'm sure he'll talk to you son.

A man like Mr. McGrath never gets too imporrtant

so he can't talk to fellas on the street.

Isn't that right, Riley?

- You know this boy Sigafoose?

- Never seen him before in my life that I remember.

- You from around here son?

- Yes, sir, out North Road.

- How come I don't recollect seeing you

around town before?

- Me and my brother, we hardly ever get in.

- Yeah, well what is it?

Well come on, speak up, what is it?

- Can I talk to you?

- (laughing) I don't know, can you?

You're the one that's finding it hard to do.

What is it?

- And five, 10 and 10 is 20.

Thank you mighty McGrath.

- Here buy your squaw some wampum beads.

- You're too kind great white father. (laughing)

- My daddy was Stoney Likens.

- Is that so?

- Uh-huh.

- Well come on up to my office,

I have an appointment in 15 minutes with Judge Bean,

but I can give you a minute or so.

- I sure appreciate it.

- Come along.

Now boy this matter was settled

in the last term of Judge Bean's court

a week and a half ago.

Your father attacked me son,

I shot him in self defense,

and nobody regrets that more than I do.

- I just don't want nothing to happen to my brother, Verge.

- Nothing's gonna happen to your brother.

- Something might.

Verge claims he's fixing to kill you, Mr. McGrath.

It's all he's been talking about for two weeks now.

- That's a foolish thing to talk about.

How come you're telling me about it?

- I thought if maybe you were to send for Verge

and talk to him yourself,

you know explain how it was self defense it might help.

Stubborn as he can be when he sets his mind to something,

but he ain't dumb.

He's all the family I got left

except daddy's sisters,

and they live way out past Pine High Valley.

- Where did you say you live?

- Beyond North Road, about 20 miles out,

toward Appalachian Way.

- Not too fast now.

Beyond North Road.

- About 20 miles out.

Turn off Appalachian Way.

- Appalachian.

- Way.

- Nothing's going to happen to your brother, son,

as long as he behaves himself.

However, I know how it is to lose your daddy.

I lost my daddy two years ago.

I lost my mama eight months ago.

High blood pressure.

- Oh I'm sorry.

- Yeah the heart is a delicate thing.

I know.

I know that death in the family brings with it

certain unexpected expenses.

- Verge says we gotta plant some cotton

to pay for daddy's coffin.

- Now I'm gonna do something for you boy.

Something that I'm not obliged to do.

Something I'm gonna do out

of the goodness of my heart.

something to spread a little oil

on these obviously troubled waters.

Take it son.

Take it and go with my blessing.

- Thank you.

And he was real nice and he,

Verge he took me up in his office then

and I talked to him a little bit,

and he told me about how his mama

just died of a heart attack.

And I told him--

- I know what you told him.

- Verge, I had to.

What would happen to me

if you don something silly

and they took you away

and sent you down in the electric chair?

- That was a fool thing to do.

- Don't be made at me, Verge.

Look at what Mr. McGrath give me.

Told me it was to spread oil on troubled waters.

There's five 100 dollar bills there.

Five, Verge, I counted them.

- $500.

Well this makes things a side easier.

- Huh?

- Saves a lot of fuss I reckon.

I hope you thanked Mr. McGrath for the money, Wilford.

- I don't know whether I did or not.

- Well I hope you did.

You weren't born in a barn you know,

mama did teach you some manners.

But now I know exactly what I'm gonna do.

I'm gonna write Aunt Idea Mae

and Aunt Mary Jane a note

and ask them to come back here

and take care of you while I'm gone.

- What do you mean?

Where you going?

- I'm going to Charleston.

- To Charleston?

- Mm-hmm.

- Well what are you going to Charleston for?

- Well I got me some money, gonna go to shool.

- What kind of school?

- The kind of school that's gonna teach me

how to kill Mr. Riley McGrath the way I want.

- They got a killing school in Charleston?

- Real slow

so he has to look at my face for a long time

and he knows it's coming.

Well now you promise me, Wilford,

if Mr. Riley McGrath comes looking for you or me

you tell him I took that money

and I went to Charleston,

but you don't know what I'm doing there.

You hear me, Wilford?

You don't know what I'm doing there.

Cross your heart and hope to die.

- Cross my heart and hope to die.

You're gonna leave right now?

- Well the sooner I leave the sooner I'll be back.

Now don't you cry on me.

- Will you send me some picture post cards?

- I'll send you some picture post cards.

Bye.

- Bye.

(melancholy music)

- We have not come to the end of our play.

There is much more,

but we thought it wise to stop here

in order to ease tensions

and break station.

(melancholy music)

(door slamming)

(suspenseful music)

- Just a minute lady.

I'll take it.

(knocking on door)

- Who's that for?

- It's for you, Mr. McGrath.

- Me?

Verge Likens.

Get the car.

- Yoo hoo, Wilford, mail came.

Yoo hoo.

Wilford.

Another card come for you, Wilford.

- From Verge?

- Just like all the others.

- He write anything on it this time?

- Not a word.

- Well he don't have to write nothing on them,

just as long as he keeps sending them to me.

- Seems to me like an awful waste

of money unless you fill it up with words.

- Look at these pokeweeds I found under the hill.

We can have poke salad for supper,

salt meat and cornbread.

- Sounds mighty good.

- Ida Mae looky here,

how good Wilford wiped out all those knife holes

out of the table.

I swear a man in the house without women,

you just never know.

You better get the greens on.

- That makes six.

One a month for six months.

Six months Verge been gone.

Seems about like six years to me.

- You miss your brother, don't you?

Who could that be?

- Maybe it's Verge.

- Likens family live here?

- I reckon we do.

- You Verge Liken?

- No, Verge ain't here.

You his brother?

- His brother, Wilford.

- Mr. McGrath wants to talk to you, Wilford,

sent me out here to fetch you.

- You don't have to go nowhere, Wilford.

- It's all right.

I talked to Mr. McGrath before.

I get to ride in that big car out there?

- Sure.

- Be right back.

- There you are.

Let's go, Mr. McGrath's waiting.

- I wanna ride in the backseat.

- Sure.

Get in.

(doors closing)

- Oh.

- That don't mean us.

- Oh.

- You know anything about that?

It's from your brother.

Where is he?

- He's in Charleston.

I got a card from him this morning.

- What's his address in Charleston.

- He never put one on any of the cards.

Not been able to ever write to him.

- How long has he been in Charleston?

- The day you talked to me,

I came home, give him the money,

and he felt right then.

- What's he doing in Charleston?

Speak up.

- I don't know.

- What do you think your brother's doing in Charleston?

- I hadn't thought about it.

- You wouldn't keep anything from me, would you?

I wouldn't like that if you would.

You have no idea what your brother's doing down there?

- No, sir.

- I believe you boy.

You're a smart boy.

Fine, fine.

There ain't no reason for you

to keep a secret from me is there?

- Huh?

- I said there's no reason for you

to keep a secret from me, is there?

Dede, see that Mr. Likens is taken care of.

Drive him home.

- You sure got a wonderful car.

I never knew they put air conditioning in cars.

- Give me another beer.

- Yes, sir.

- Get rid of that thing.

(bottles breaking)

- Yes, sir.

- Wait a minute.

- Yeah.

- Can you turn on the air conditioning?

- Sure thing.

- Did you forget something?

- That's just what I was gonna ask you.

Where's your brother?

- Charleston.

- I know he's in Charleston, what's he doing there?

- I don't know.

Ah, ah, no, no.

No, no, ow.

- Now where's your brother?

- Like I told you I don't know.

You can beat on me till the sun goes down,

I told you everything I know.

(horn beeping)

- Good morning boys,

gonna be a great day, huh?

- Morning Mr. McGrath.

- Sharpen your tomahawk Sigafoose

I'm in a big hurry.

- Got another 10 minutes to go on Marsh here.

- Well I have to be at the boys club

in half an hour.

I'm making a speech on the flora and the fauna

of this great state of ours.

Think I can trust young Mack here

to give me a good close shave?

- Mack's on vacation,

left yesterday afternoon for California.

But it's okay, Mr. McGrath,

I hired a replacement for a couple weeks,

tried him out myself this morning.

I guarantee you Riley

he'll give you a fine, fine shave.

(suspenseful music)

- Sigafoose, how are Mary and the kids?

- Mean as ever, all of 'em.

There you go Marsh,

you can see your ears now.

- What you looking for son?

- I'm fresh out of towels, Mr. Sigafoose.

- There's tons of towels out back.

I'll go get 'em for you,

you just tend to Mr. McGrath,

and see he gets to the boys club on time.

- Mr. Sigafoose, we're gonna need some bay rum

up here too.

- [Mr. Sigafoose] I heard you.

- What's your name, boy?

- Jones,

Odell Jones.

- I want a very close shave now.

- Well Riley, I hope you appreciate

the quality of lather he's whipped up for you.

- Fine, fine.

- You know, I could have sworn I had an extra bottle

of bay rum in there.

Well I'll run up to the drug store and get some.

- Mr. Sigafoose.

Mr. Sigafoose.

We're gonna need a big bottle of witch hazel.

- I hear ya.

- I just wanted to save him from making two trips.

- You didn't cut off my side burn did you?

- No, sir.

- Make sure you don't.

- Yes, sir.

- You related to the Jones that's got the fishing pier

on the big sandy?

- No.

- You sure look familiar.

- Well now Mr. McGrath I wanted meet you for quite a spell.

Seen you once in a parade.

I've been told me some folks I look like my daddy.

But he didn't wanna take the blame,

said I look like my mama.

- Is your daddy the Jones that got the hardware store

up Baltimore Street?

- Well no, sir, Mr. McGrath,

my daddy's dead.

He didn't have no fishing pier

or hardware store.

All he ever had was a little piece of land.

100 acres in the bottom.

Real poor.

Had to work real hard for that land.

Trying to put a road through there.

My daddy wouldn't sell.

Who'd thought one

of those hot summer days out there

picking peaches, all that peace fuzz

itching all over your arms,

all that fuzz gets up your nose.

Who'd ever thought that one of his boys

one day would be able to go into Charleston

and learn a real fancy trade like barbering.

Never had a store bought hair cut his whole life.

He would have been proud.

In fact he only got to Charleston once in his life,

before he married my ma.

- Charleston?

- Mm-hmm.

- You've been in Charleston?

- Best barber college around.

I was right lucky, get hired like this,

first job I applied for right out of school.

- You're not Odell Jones,

that's not your name.

- Hold on, Mr. McGrath,

you're gonna have to sit still Mr. McGrath,

you know you jerk around like that I might cut you.

Now that I got me a trade

I'm figuring on saving my money up,

sending my brother, Wilford,

to the big city.

Open up a barber shop of our own.

- Ah.

- Oh, Mr. McGrath, please sit still,

I might slip and cut you

right through to the gullet.

Oh and, now Mr. McGrath remember your heart.

Remember your heart.

- Open the door!

- Now I wouldn't say nothing if I were you.

I'd just, I wouldn't cry out or nothing like that.

Just sit real still.

(knocking on door)

- What's happening in there?

- Brought this razor with me

all the way from Charleston.

It's a hand owned Sheffield.

Now I spent the whole night sharpening this blade,

Mr. McGrath, just thinking about this moment.

I hope my brother thanked you for the money, Mr. McGrath.

Your generosity springing out of your gills

has made this all possible.

Now hold very still Mr. McGrath,

very still, 'cause my name Mr. McGrath

is Verge Likens.

Verge Likens.

Verge Liken, Mr. McGrath.

Verge Likens.

Now this here is the scary part, Mr. McGrath,

because that old jugular vein

is right about there.

(screaming)

- When I came back he had this door locked.

(crowd chattering)

(knocking on door)

- Open the door.

Likens boy.

(crowd chattering) (knocking on door)

(crowd chattering)

- I'll be right there.

- Stay back.

- I found the bay rum, Mr. Sigafoose,

it was in the drawer with the scissors.

There you go, Mr. McGrath, all done.

- He's dead.

You're under arrest.

- For what?

- Under arrest for killing Riley McGrath.

- You can't arrest me sheriff.

- What do you mean I can't arrest you?

- Well there ain't no law against giving a man a shave.

Gave him a real good one too.

See for yourself.

There ain't a scratch on him.

(Eerie music)

- By the way, I know the secret of these wigs.

They are actually earmuffs

so you don't have to listen to your own music.

Next week we should be back with another story.

And perhaps by then my three companions

would have returned.

Until then, good night.

(dramatic music)