Original subtitles

Back in the days when the gladiators were the with-it pop stars of Rome,

this is where they fought each other,

with bulls, lions, bears,

something for every member of the family.

Even women fighting with dwarves,

imagine that on television.

Hey, Tony!

Where have you been?Sorry, Simon, we couldn't meet at my place,

I'm being watched.

I'm on to the biggest story of my life,

it's a reporter's dream!

You see, let me tell you about the girl.

No, I'd better tell you about the man, first. Y'see...

Why don't you slow down and get your breath, hm?

Well, it's like a big jigsaw puzzle,

only I've managed to get a fact here and a date there,

and put it all together in my little book.

You see, I've managed to track the man who likes lions,

and I think- The man who likes lions?

I'd better tell you about the girl first.

Y'see-

Tony!

Too late for a doctor, better call the police.

I am a policeman, detailed to follow Signor Allard.

Vittorio Leale of the Metropolitane.

Special police of Roma.

Can I see your passport, please?

So you are the famous Simon Templar.

You say Signor Allard, he was your close friend?

Yes, he asked me to meet him here.

For what?

He didn't say, he just said it was urgent.

And?That's all. He wasn't here 20 seconds

before somebody threw that knife.

Did he mention any names, Signore?

You were tailing him?Yes.

Why?

That is police business.

Was he wanted for anything?

He had not committed a crime, if that's what you mean.

Then why the police interest?

We were trying to protect him.

Not very efficient, are you?

Now, look, Signor- No, you look, inspector.

A man you're supposed to be protecting

is killed in broad daylight right under your nose.

I want to know why.

Is not your affair.

I see.

My passport.It will be returned in due course,

provided you follow my advice.

Which is?

Do nothing about this incident.

Incident?Allow the police to handle it, hm?

That way you live longer.

It is maybe not a good thing to go to his flat.

A knife in the back.

Yellow dog, who would do such a thing?

Don't worry, Franco, we'll find them.

We?

Oh.

I, ah, just made you my partner.

Think, Frascatto, eh?

If you lived here, where would you hide it?

Polizia!

Somebody beat us to it.

I don't understand.

What don't you understand, Franco?This!

What does it suggest to you?

Somebody looking for something, eh?Bravo.

What do we do now?

We look for the phone.

Pronto.

I found it.

Pronto.

Signor Templar, we go, eh?

We look.

Mamma mia!

My partner.

Your head, she is sore?

You have the general idea. What about our friends?

They get away.

Now, what's the date today?

24th, why?

You find something?An invitation.

Tiberio Magadino requests the pleasure of Mr Tony Allard

at the Magadino Galleries

for an exhibition of the works of Claudia Molinelli.

MAN: Bellissima!

But I tried not to paint people,

but rather what they represent.

Mm.

Per favore, avoid pastels, Claudia.

Monsieur Jacques must be anchored in hard.

Synergetic colours, mm?

I agree.

La Principessa Alexandra di Cristameni.

Ah, Claudia, cara!

Thank you so much for coming.

And Tiberio, how are you?

Very well.

How divine for you, Claudia,

your own show.

I do so wish I was talented.

Well, I shall look at everything

and I promise to buy at least three.

Expensive ones, I hope.

She is really very sweet.

Or she's a fool.

Ah, but harmless. You are far too critical of other people.

Yes, I suppose I am.

I'm sorry.

HERALD: Mr Tony Allard!

Who is he?

I don't know.

Excuse me.

Tony! How nice to see you!

Thank you.

How much you've changed.

Since last Friday.

Monkey gland injections. You should try them.

Why does Simon Templar come to my gallery

and pretend to be Tony Allard?

That's a good question. Can you answer it?

Well, Tony asked me to come and I want to buy some paintings.

Oh, Tony couldn't make it?

Unfortunately no.

Work's been killing him lately.

Isn't he splendid?

In a way, he's a protest.

Against what?

Oh, the pale, grey flabbiness of man today,

weakness, incompetence.

Can't you feel his strength?

Frankly, no.

Marvellous archetype.

The sort of man who raised Rome to the peak of her power.

ANNOUNCER: Sir John McKenzie! Oh, excuse me.

Sir John.

No, thank you.

Miss Molinelli?Yes?

I'm Simon Templar, a friend of Tony Allard's.

How do you do?

Congratulations, your work's very interesting.

Thank you.You know Tony well, don't you?

Yes, I do.

Have you seen him recently?

Yesterday, why?

Are you in love with him?

You are... very curious, Mr Templar,

and a little rude.

Plead guilty on both counts, but I'm after information.

Then ask Tony.

I sincerely wish I could.

What do you mean?

I'm sorry to break it to you so bluntly,

but Tony is dead.

No, it's not true.

Oh no!

Claudia!

Is that what they were looking for?

Yes.And you knew where it was?

Tony told me. He said,

if anything ever happened to him,

that I was to come here...

And what?

Give it to me, please, Mr Templar,

this does not concern you.

Oh, but it does.

Tony was my friend, he asked me to help him.

Have you seen this before?

Some of it, but... He made a few additions, recently.

January 10th, 1963, New York.

Renfrew, what does that mean?

I don't know.

There's a note here, the man who likes lions, who's that?

I have no idea.

There's a list of appointments.

Question Signor Zambetti,

il Lombardo, 21 Anzio,

Friday the 25th at 11am.

That's tomorrow. Might be interesting.

Oh, don't go.

Why not?

Tony was going.

Well, yes, but I begged him not to go,

I pleaded with him to give it up.

You know Tony,

he would give anything for a story.

Even his life.

I'm going to find out who did it.

No, Mr Templar, please.

Please, keep out of this and don't ask any more questions.

That little black book killed Tony,

and it will kill you, too.

Oh...

Oh, you startled me.

There is a doorbell, you know.

Er, would you... like a...

Cup of coffee?

No.

Just my curiosity satisfied.

You walked out of your own exhibition,

leaving 100 guests wondering where you were.

I'm sorry.

Why?

I had just found out Tony Allard was dead.

And that upsets you to that extent?

Well, yes, he...

He was a friend of mine.

Where did you go?

I walked.

Where?

The, er, Borghese Gardens.

You were seen leaving in a taxi.

Well, yes, I took a taxi and- and I walked!

You went to Tony Allard's flat,

with Templar. Why?

Why?

Well...

As a matter of fact, I...

I wrote Tony some letters.

Letters?

You mean love letters?

How medieval.

I, er...

I wanted to, er...

To get some before- before the police found them,

I did not want to become involved

in an unpleasant situation.

The nasty publicity.

You were perfectly right.

Buongiorno.

My name is Tony Allard, I would like to see La Signora Zambetti.

Grazie.

You're not Tony Allard.

No, my name is Simon Templar.

You have one moment to explain, Signore.

Then I call the police.

Well, Tony Allard was a close friend of mine.

Was?

He was murdered yesterday.

I want to find out who did it and why.

I'm sorry to intrude at a time like this,

but Tony had an appointment with Signora Zambetti,

and I wanted to take his place.

I am Serafina Zambetti, her niece.

She died yesterday morning,

of a heart attack, they say.

The truth is, her heart was broken.

She died of grief.

Two months ago, her husband, my uncle,

was found dead in his hotel room in Rome.

Beside him, an empty bottle of sleeping pills.

The official verdict was suicide.

Three days later, Rudolfo Berreeni made an announcement.

Who?

Rudolfo Berreeni, his accountant.

He said there was a shortage in the company funds,

80 million lire.

Lies! All lies!

My uncle could not kill himself,

and as for stealing from his own company?

Never! Never.

Where did Tony fit in?

He came to see my aunt,

he believed that my uncle was murdered.

By whom?

I don't think he knew,

but he gave great comfort to my aunt,

she worshipped my uncle,

she would have done anything to clear his name.

How about you, do you believe in him?

Look at him.

Is that the face of a coward?

A thief?

No.

80 million lire,

where has it gone if my uncle stole it?

When his estates were settled, my aunt had barely nothing to live on.

Painted by a Claudia Molinelli?

Yes, my uncle sat for her in Rome.

When?The portrait was finished two weeks before his death.

Now where do we go, eh?

Back to Rome.

Tony had two more appointments listed for today.

Here we are.

Rudolfo Berreeni.And who's he, eh?

He was Zambetti's accountant.

Franco?Si.

I know, we have the company.

Lose 'em.

Who is it?

Rudolfo Berreeni?

I didn't say anything. I didn't tell anybody.

I didn't say anything to anyone!

Don't! Please! Please!

Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!

All right, we'll do a trade.

Your life for information.

Information about what?

Vincenzo Zambetti was my friend,

and I- I betrayed him.

Why?

Two men came, Signore.

First they threatened me, and then- and then they offered me money.

What exactly did they ask you to do?

I fixed the books, Signore.

80 million Lire.

To make out he was a thief and to ruin his good name.

After he was dead.

It was easy, Signore.

One can make figures do anything.

All his life, Vincenzo Zambetti was fair

and good to me,

and I repaid him...

Who asked you to do this?

It is called The Organisation.

Mafia?No, Signore, it is not the Mafiosi.

Well, who contacted you?

Two men, Signore.

No names, just threats, what they would do to me if I refused.

Zambetti was murdered?

Yes.But you've no proof?

Never would he kill himself.

Such a man, never!

Who's the man who likes lions?

Signore?You don't know?

No, Signore.

Anything else?

There was talk about a woman.

I don't know, she was an artist.

An artist?

Pictures. She painted.

How long since you had a decent meal?

Yesterday, the day before, I don't know.

Here, take this.

Grazie, Signore.

Just one good reason,

why we come to the zoo?

Tony Allard was looking for a man who likes lions.

Where else would you suggest?

So, how long we wait, eh?

Franco, why don't you go buy some peanuts?

Lions don't eat peanuts.

I do.

Oh.

TIBERIO: Magnificent, isn't he?

I go for gophers, myself.

Gophers?

Really?

And what're you doing here?

It seemed the obvious place to look.

May I?

Very elegant. Where'd you get it?

That was made for me in London.

Who made the knife?

Knife?The knife that killed Tony Allard.

The handle was carved exactly like this.

Really?

Shame about Allard.

You knew him well?

Not as much as I'd have liked.

He introduced me to Claudia.

Obviously you're the man who likes lions.

It is a taste shared by many others.

I don't keep it a secret.

And they are absolutely superb.

There must be about a hundred thousand carved lion's heads inRome.

Practically a city emblem.

What about Tony Allard's little black book?

You found it?

Very interesting reading.

And quite puzzling, too.

I'll give you 50 thousand dollars for it.

You must want it very badly.

I do.Is that why you killed him?

As an enemy, Mr Templar, I trust you'll prove an exciting opponent.

I generally do.

I hope you'll find your gophers.

Come in.

We followed him to Zambetti's, and then we lost him.

He was at the zoo.

Looking for the man who likes lions.

He knows too much, eh?

Who told him?

Tony Allard, or Claudia?

Why not ask her?

I intend to, tonight.

OK, Harry, that's exactly what I wanted.

Thanks for your help. Bye.

Franco, we are on to something big.

Pronto?

Ah, I've had my call to New York.

Mm? Well, why do you think I hung up?

Grazie.

Miracolo, under all that water!

It'd help if the operator would surface.

Ah.

Ispettore, do come in.

I will not detain you, Signore.

I come only to return your passport.

Well, thank you.

It's my pleasure. Good day, Signore.

You mean, ah, no lecture?

Pardon?

Well, aren't you going to tell me to mind my own business,

not to pry, to be out of Rome in 24 hours?

You are most welcome in Rome, Signor.

I hope you enjoy your visit.

Why the sudden switch?

No switch, Signore.

This is a free country.

Do as you wish. Enjoy yourself.

Well?

He is baffled and curious.

It would be a pity if he, er...

Yes, I will be most distressed.

On the other hand, he might be as you say a, ah, catalyst.

The one ingredient that will cause the explosion.

And when the explosion happens...

I will be there to pick up the pieces.

Oh, Mr Templar.Greetings.

May I?

I was just going out.

On your way to the forum, no doubt.

How well did you know Vincenzo Zambetti?

I knew him professionally.

Oh. And, er, what are you like?

Professionally.

What is it you want, Mr Templar?

Yesterday, in Tony's flat, you made some very interesting remarks.

I try never to be boring.

Which you aren't, you're fascinating.

And yet, two years ago, nobody in Rome had heard of you.

Then I was just beginning as an artist.

But you weren't even living here.

I told you, Mr Templar, please keep out of this.

And I have declined the invitation.

Then you have to pay the consequences.

Which are?

As I told you before, you might get yourself killed.

My, but you're a deep one, aren't you?

Now, Tony listed some dates here.

Here has January the 10th, 1963, New York.

November the 12th, 1964, Paris.

July the 9th, 1965, Montreal.

February the 7th, 1966, London.

These dates mean anything to you?

Nothing.

They do to me.

You see, since I saw you yesterday,

I've been a very busy boy on the transatlantic telephone.

Which, of course, brings us to the man who likes lions.

Tiberio Magadino.

Your sponsor, your mentor, and what else?

Professionally, or unprofessionally?

Get out.

You were very big with Tony Allard.

And he got himself stabbed.

You don't actually believe I had anything to do with that?

I don't know what to believe.

You don't give me one answer to any question.

We're on the subject of murder. Vincenzo Zambetti.

You painted his portrait, and he got himself killed.

By something called The Organisation,

which is not the Mafia, so what is it?

And are you in it?

Claudia, I'll, er, I'll give you ten seconds,

and if nothing is forthcoming,

I shall place a few well-deserved whacks

on that delectable posterior of yours.

My. The party is warming up.

I want that book.

My favourite reading.

Now, we are going visiting, you and I.

All right, get yourself killed, I don't care.

You're not gonna do it.

Now, will come quietly, or do I twist your arm?

Franco, we have a museum piece here.

The original ice age lady.

Ha, when you are through with her, Signor, she melt.

Here we are.

Claudia.

You're looking lovely.

And Simon, this is a pleasant surprise.

I did not bring him, he invited himself.

I hope you don't mind.

Not at all, I'm sure you'll add to the fun enormously.

Oh, what is it? Ben-Hur's birthday?

Er, no. Mine.

Oh, happy birthday.Thank you.

Get Mr Templar a costume.

I expect all my guests to enter into the party spirit.

If you say so.This way, sir.

Well, it's going to be a very interesting party, isn't it?

OK, Franco, this is for the record.

I'll make sure Tiberio gives us some juicy evidence.

Sit here.

The original wine of Pucinum.

A favourite of the Emperor Tiberius.

An ancestor, no doubt.

Chin chin.

Claudia, mingle with our guests.

Looks as though they're mingling already.

I'm a great admirer of the early Roman culture.

It had much to recommend it.

Force, compulsion, discipline and strength.

At least it produced men.

Real men, unlike our sick, decadent society today.

What does it produce? Long-haired, self-absorbed effeminates.

I'd like to see most of them quietly exterminated.

We're all entitled to get our kicks somehow or other.

You're not taking me seriously, Templar.

And now, my friends, some entertainment!

Lepidus and Apanias demonstrating the noble art of Greco-Roman wrestling.

You're about to witness the happy agony of conquest.

The strongest motivation there is.

Tony Allard's little black book.

Have you decided to sell it?

No, no, it's a great deal more valuable than I thought.

In what way?

Dates. Significant dates.

Such as?

They go back to 1963. January the tenth, New York.

Harold Renfrew, one of America's leading industrialists,

was fighting a strike when he drove his car bang into a brick wall.

Verdict? Accidental death

caused by heart failure, yet he had no history of cardiac trouble.

And he was an expert driver.

As a consequence, the strike was lost.

Victory for the other side.

And you were there.

Was I?

Yes, you left New York the next day.

Do go on.

All right. 1964, Paris.

Mendes Delauries.

An expert flier, his personal plane mysteriously crashes.

Nothing to indicate why.

Before take-off, the plane had had a complete overhaul.

That was November the 12th, a Thursday.

You left Paris the next day. Friday the 13th, unlucky for some.

Oh, I'm not superstitious.

It's just as well, because I have a whole list of dates.

And killings.

Up to Vincenzo Zambetti.

Inspector Galba, please tell him it's urgent.

You're a realist, Templar.

Well, I try.

There are many import and influential people in this world

who have equally important and influential enemies,

and for political or economic reasons they want those enemies defeated.

You mean murdered?

We always make it look like an accident or suicide.

It pays extremely well.

And we have some very satisfied clients.

Some illustrious ones, too.

Even a head of state.

The head of state won't help you now.

Do you propose to kill me?

If necessary.

What I suggest is, you make a dignified exit.

Stroll towards the door as though you were seeing me out.

Shall we?

Where are we going?

The police.

Which way?

Go on.

Wait.

What's the matter?

Too much wine?

Why the concern?

Simon, I'm very, very sorry, I've lied to you.

I've been very stupid.

Now stop, darling.

Confession's good for the soul.

Mendes Delauries was my father.

The man in Paris?

Yes, I, ah, I took the name Molinelli for protection.

I know my father's plane had been sabotaged,

but I could not prove it

and the police would not listen to me.

And I know I should have told you all this before,

but... But I was just so frightened,

I couldn't trust anyone.

You mean he is still unconscious?

You finished?

Come on, let's get out of here. We'll never make it, Simon.

Franco's outside in the car.

The party's over, but you're not going home.

'Who want those enemies defeated'

'You mean murdered?'

'We always make it look like an accident, or suicide.

'It pays extremely well, and we have some very satisfied clients.

'Some illustrious ones, too, even a head of state.'

Tape recorder. Really, Templar, you've seen too many spy movies.

Well, I've got all the evidence, Tony Allard's book, and you.

In fact, everything I want.

Except one thing.

And that hasn't been tried for over 500 years.

Oh, come closer.

Don't be shy.

Magnificent, isn't he?

He's not one of your tame lions in the zoo.

He's all jungle.

Naturally, we don't expect you to go in empty-handed.

I want you to have a fighting chance.

Oh, come, come, where's your gladiatorial spirit?

You'll be evenly matched once you get the knife.

You were saying?

Something about gladiatorial spirit.

Do you really mean it?

Be my guest.

I think you're going to need this.

Mamma mia.

What are you thinking?

Well, I just wanted to see it again.

The feeling of pagan barbarism.

Signorina, how much longer are you gonna wait, eh?

Look, you want to go to Paris or you want to stay in Rome?

Franco, we go to Paris.

He go to Paris.