Original subtitles

you

The urgency.

In the study, Mrs. Peel.

For the man who has everything.

For delivering that parting shot.

Bang.

It's unique, isn't it? Whichever way you aim it, you hit the chandelier.

Here's the file.

Shall I recap?

Do.

First victim, Walter Carlson, found dead in his apartment on the 5th, fractured

skull. Number two... Are you listening?

I'm all ears.

Andrew Denham in his penthouse on the 6th, fractured skull.

And last night, Samuel Hammond.

Fractured skull? Mm-mm. Broken neck.

My mistake.

Here's a list of their holdings.

Carlson was chairman of Conversional Imports. Denham, head of Automatic

Industries.

And Hammond on the board of electrical industries.

All up in the top bracket.

Where the vultures gather.

Beanie?

Few reach the top without making enemies.

Revenge?

Professional killers don't use a battering ram. Whoever came in there was

in a wild frenzy.

Did Hammond have any appointments yesterday?

Arachi, 2.30. That's the only appointment for today. No other entries.

Looks as though we've reached a dead end.

Correction, three dead ends.

One could be a fourth.

Hey, you!

Here, where do you think you are?

1-0-4-5-7. Have you got that figure, Jim?

Yes, fine, Bob. How's the Hirachi deal?

I've seen the rep this afternoon.

Hang on a minute, will you?

Lambert here.

What? Well, why call me?

You've got a dozen men in security. Don't bother me about a thing like that,

please.

You still there, Jim? What's the trouble?

Someone's got him without a pass.

Now, look, I want an estimated cost for the first quarter.

Jim, hold it, will you? Hold it.

What do you want?

What do you want? Get back. Keep away.

Keep away from me, do you hear? Keep away.

Here are the witnesses' statements.

Less painful to have used the handle.

They vary a little.

What? Male, they say, between 6'2 and 6'6, wearing a dark coat, hat, gloves,

and some say spectacles.

Have they ever seen you before?

No. Odd, isn't it? In spite of the maze of corridors out there, he knew exactly

where to find Lambert.

Did they hear anything?

Well, they heard the door, the shots, and a curious whip-like sound.

Whip-like?

Extremely helpful.

To add to the confusion, he was bulletproof.

Mrs. Peel, Hammond's diary.

Didn't he have an appointment today?

At the Harachi Corporation.

They're an electronics firm. He probably did business there. So did this poor

fellow. Honorable gentlemen, our representative, Mr. Dusamo, will be in

your capital London city on the 12th. Will you kindly telephone the

appointment obedient and faithfully? Harachi Corporation.

He obviously did leave the telephone.

Made an appointment here for three.

Really?

Karachi.

They were in the news a few weeks ago.

They've developed a new circuit element to replace the transistor.

It could revolutionize the electronics industry.

I see.

Lambert was probably competing for the European concessions.

Well, this fellow's out of the race now. He can hardly compete with a broken

neck. Just a minute, Steve.

The position of the head.

He's been hit from the front, and yet there isn't a trace of bruising on the

face. Conclusion, honorable lady?

Yinku. Yinku?

It's a karate blow.

Delivered by an expert, it breaks the neck easier than a hangman's noose. Many

in this country, experts?

Very few.

Barely a handful in the whole of Europe.

Please state your business, Mrs. Peel.

I'm interested in karate.

Interest is for the onlooker.

From students, we require dedication.

Nightly attendance for practice and demonstration.

We never tolerate absentees.

I appreciate that.

Then appreciate too, Mrs. Peel, that karate, unlike judo, is not a sport.

It is a science, an art, a discipline.

The word karate.

Means empty hand.

But the hands, though empty, can become more deadly than any weapon.

It is the concentration of force and the development of courage.

Please.

Some of my students can split a roof tile with one finger.

And one, whom we call Oyama, the tall mountain, can shatter a door with a

single stroke.

It is difficult for a woman to compete in such company.

It's the idea of competition that appeals to me.

Then I suggest that perhaps fencing will be more suitable for your purpose.

I think not, Mr... Here I am known as Sensei.

The knowledgeable one.

Oyuka, Mrs. Peel is leaving now.

What makes Oyuka the exception?

Oyuka, the immovable one.

It's a third dan at judo, a first at karate.

There are few men who could pass her if she did not wish them to.

And if I could?

I shouldn't try, Obaki.

The foolish one.

But if you can, you'll be most welcome.

Oyuka!

You attacked her as a woman, but she has the skill of a man.

A bad mistake, Oyuka.

Harachi, good afternoon.

If you could come tomorrow afternoon at 3.

Will you please be seated?

Thank you.

Yes.

Very well.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

I'm from Industrial Deployments. I have an appointment with Mr. Tussamo at

three.

Tea, Mr. Lambert?

I'm not Mr. Lambert. You're not Mr. Lambert. He's regrettably indisposed.

You have a letter of authority?

There.

Thank you.

Yes? Mr. Lambert is indisposed. Mr. Steedy is here from industrial

deployment. Please ask him to come in.

You may go in.

Thank you. We'll have the tea later, Miss... Smith.

Smith.

I am sorry to hear that Mr. Lambert is indisposed. You are from Industrial

Deployments. Yes.

You are acquainted with our recent development?

You produced a new circuit element for the transistor.

I'm here to negotiate the rights for concession.

This heralds a new age, Mr. Steed.

Computers no bigger than a cigarette box, pocket television, and radios

smaller than a wristwatch.

No worldwide patent?

Hardly necessary.

The manufacture of the element is complex and would require a capital

outlay of 50 million, ten years before we have competitor.

So you give the concession to the company, which gives the biggest slice

of the profit.

Admirably put, Mr. Steed.

Pointless to ask if you've had any offers already.

We have saying, Mr. Steed, in darkness, ceiling is always higher.

Confucius? Tosamo.

Regret other competitors cannot be disclosed. Well, of course, I'll have to

get in touch with my board, but I'm sure we can make a favorable offer. Of

course, our production facility is nowhere near measure up to yours.

We started with room no bigger than this. Please go on.

This was site of first plant producing transistor radios.

Extended in 1958, following record exports.

And that section over there.

A research division established in 1960 to manufacture inexpensive record

player. Most successful and achieved highest profit for company, which

enabled us to extend the factory and brought many government contracts.

Excuse, please.

Yes? Your next appointment is here, Mr.

Tosamo. In one moment.

Very well, sir.

Well, you'll be hearing from me shortly.

This way, please.

Thank you.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

I am ready now.

How do you manage it?

As Tosamo might have said, we have a proverb.

He who talks too much forgets his listener.

Son of Confucius.

Steed.

How often do the Karate Boys get together?

Nightly. Have you got a list of the members?

Yes, it wouldn't help very much. Most of them have got Japanese pseudonyms.

I must say, I can't wait to meet Oyama.

The tall mountain.

What's he got that I haven't got?

A hobby.

Archaeology, philateling, knitting.

Splitting doors.

Hey, this is interesting.

Victim one, Carlson Negotiator, Conversion Imports. Two, Denham

Automatic Industries.

Hammond, Electrical Industries. Lambert, Industrial Deployments.

If you kill off one negotiator, they'll obviously replace him with another.

It's not too easy. They must need a lot of reorganisation. To summarize, only 36

hours in London.

Well, that leaves us United Automation and Jeffco Products Limited.

Which is your preference, Mrs Peel?

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.

Fascinating. How much does the retail add?

£4. But our terms are very favourable with orders above a gross.

Well, it's certainly a possibility.

I shall have to speak to Mr Jeffcott first. Will he be long? I'll go and see.

Mrs Peel? Yes?

How do you do? I'm sorry to have kept you. I understand you represent Winland

Fentles Change Tours.

We're just opening up a new toy department. Well, I'm sure we can find

plenty to interest you. We've no equals in the field of electronic toys.

Here's something we're all very proud of. He comes when he's whistled.

Really? Yes, go on, have a try.

WHISTLE BLOWS WHISTLE BLOWS I'm not very good at whistling.

No, you're not, are you? Here, try one of these.

It's marvellous.

Of course, these novelties are only a fraction of our business at the moment.

We produce everything from tea makers to radar equipment.

And with a new advance in electronics, well, we've a lot more ideas on the

drawing board.

Oh?

Yes, well, Mrs Peel, if I may just leave you now with our catalogue. I have

rather a pressing appointment.

You'll find the details of our full range in here.

I do hope we'll see you again.

Well, I'm really very interested in you.

And now, a demonstration of Temeshawari by a student of whom I am truly proud.

A fifth dan at judo, a fourth dan at karate, Oyama is an example of what can

be achieved through practice and dedication.

I give you Oyama.

Hello, Steve.

Hello, Gilbert. Very good of you to come round. Not at all. Will you have a

drink? Dear aunt, I'm seeing the minister about those research estimates,

which gives you exactly three minutes. Time enough. Are you sure?

Positive. I want to know what's happening at United Automation. United

Automation? They produce industrial and domestic appliances.

Who runs it, do you know? Should do. Worked under him for quite a spell. Dr

Armstrong.

Why did he leave the ministry?

Well... You know what we're doing down there. Armstrong refused to toe the

official line.

He felt we should be constructive instead of destructive.

He had some crazy idea about building a machine to clear debris from radioactive

areas.

Top Brass said no, but he went ahead.

Had an accident, wrecked the building, lost half his staff and put himself

permanently in a wheelchair.

And they turfed him out of his job.

With a few tears, I might add.

Well, tell me more.

Well, I think Armstrong was born with a slide rule in his mouth. I'm sure his

first words were pi r squared.

Given a choice between Lollabrigida and an electronic calculator, he would

choose the equation every time.

He's certainly very elusive. How do we find this human computer?

That isn't easy.

He's buried himself under a jungle of gadgetry.

I have to pull some strings.

Well, start pulling.

I'm so sorry.

That's your three minutes.

Well, Benson?

I've seen Kusama again.

Go on.

There are two offers still to come.

Two? Who's the other one?

I don't know.

I couldn't quite hear.

I thought the girl was being cooperative.

She is.

But it's not easy. He keeps the names in a confidential file.

She's trying.

I should be hearing from her. When you do, call me at once.

Understand?

I thought you were supposed to be at Jeffco's. I was, but he's got a board

meeting till six and I didn't fancy squatting outside the factory till then.

Do you want some coffee?

No, thanks.

I thought you were supposed to be at United Automation. I decided to change

into something with a literary sheen. I'm playing it as a journalist.

Getting Jen on automation in modern society.

Will the machine supplant man? Or woman, for that matter.

And will it? Not if I have anything to do with it.

United Automation is impregnable.

Admission by appointment only. And don't forget your punch card. Your what?

What's this for?

I'll figure that out when I get there.

With pleasure.

Mr. Steed?

Yes. Please stay where you are.

My infirmity in no way impedes my activity.

I'm Dr. Armstrong.

How do you do?

I'm afraid this will have to be brief, but please do sit down.

Thank you.

This is the age of the push button, Mr. Steed.

My factory is entirely automated.

That appointment card was neat.

But can't it be duplicated?

It's recoded periodically.

Oh.

You've no staff at all? For maintenance and for sales.

As a journalist, you'll appreciate that we human beings are fallible,

temperamental, and so often unreliable. The machine, however, is obedient and

invariably more competent.

Well, machines can go wrong.

Oh, indeed.

So one builds each circuit in triplicate.

Failure can be rectified automatically, without risk of hemorrhage or surgery.

A perfect trouble-free labor force, available at one's fingertips, as you

can see.

For security, efficiency,

air-conditioned for comfort, and

relaxation.

Well, that kind of music wasn't composed by a computer. It will be in time.

Today we have machines that not only work, but think.

I'll show you exactly how a machine can think.

If you come over here, Mr. Steed.

I hold in my hand a card, which is programmed for complex equations.

We drop it in.

Turn the knob.

The answer.

I'll take your word for it. Correctly programmed, the machine could answer

questions on finance, science, even military and political matters.

It could supplant the human brain entirely.

Is this for publication?

I'm theorizing, of course.

The problem is size.

But with the development of new circuit elements, it can only be a matter of...

Excuse me.

Yes? I've got the information.

Go on.

The offer is from Industrial Deployments. But Lambert's dead.

They've no one else to negotiate.

Well, somebody else turned up.

Who? A man called Steed.

John Steed.

Is that him?

Yes.

He's the one who followed me in. All right. Leave this to me.

I'll be with you in a moment.

I hope this has been of interest.

It has, indeed.

Well, I never let my visitors leave empty-handed.

We hope to market these very shortly.

Solid ink.

Solid? The temperature of the hand electronically feeds a stream of carbon

particles into the nid, emitted only on contact.

Cannot leak or dry out.

Refilled only once in ten years.

The ink manufacturers love you.

You've been very informative, Dr. Armstrong.

It's my pleasure.

What was he doing here?

Snooping, undoubtedly.

Well, let him go.

Benson, you're employed to take orders, not give them.

I may be confined to this chair, but I'm perfectly capable of dealing with Mr.

Steed.

But we've someone else to deal with first.

Roger.

Prepare for target assignment.

Right. Well, so long as you can guarantee delivery for tomorrow.

Fine. Bye-bye.

Certainly taking his time. That light went out ages ago.

No other exit?

The warehouse, but his car's parked out front.

How'd you do?

It's that casual air of elegance that always betrays me.

How do I turn it off?

You lay it down.

Looks as though he's been hit by a five-ton truck.

It's extraordinary.

This man is a karate expert.

Not expert enough.

Steed.

Big fella.

Came in here.

Exit Mr. Jeffcott.

Leaving the field clear for Dr. Armstrong.

Who's confined to a wheelchair.

Well, he could have hired someone.

Who could possibly crash in through there and deal with Jeffcott?

Well...

I thought I might be paying Dr. Armstrong a second visit.

So I'm making myself a bevy of skeleton keys.

How's that, eh?

Masterly. It's pretty easy to get in. It's not so easy to get out.

So I've taken out insurance.

Well, I'd like a policy.

One never knows.

One doesn't?

Well, will you get in touch with Mr. Dusamo, Hirachi Corporation?

Oh, I'll give you his number.

What's the Japanese for Hyde Park Corner?

That's nice.

A wee present from Dr. Armstrong.

And if DeSamo's not in his office, have you any idea which hotel he's staying

at? No, try them all. Say you're my secretary and that I'll give him an

offer first thing in the morning.

Strange about Dr.

Armstrong. He's very keen to get that concession.

He doesn't seem to be interested in profit.

If I'm not back by 11.30, I'd stay for breakfast.

You don't need breakfast.

Come along, Benson. Don't be nervous.

He's quite harmless until programmed.

Then only I can stop him.

He's like a child, really. But one day he'll have a brain more efficient than

this computer.

He'll be powered by solar energy, and that casing will stand the blast of an

atomic shell.

Even now he travels with the accuracy of a guided missile directed by a simple

radio transmitter in the pen.

Thank you, Mr. Tussamo.

Mr. Steed will call you tomorrow morning without fail.

Yes, I've got that. 11.30.

Right. Goodbye.

Now, Steed's frequency is .113.

There he is.

I hope with a pen nestling comfortably in his breast pocket.

That's it.

Roger is now tuned to the same frequency.

The concession is ours.

It's getting hot in here. It's your nerves.

It's over 70.

Impossible. Well, take a look.

Must be a faulty thermostat.

Our ring maintenance.

It's come to report.

What's wrong?

The thermostat was altered manually.

There's an intruder in the building.

It's all then.

Count yourself fortunate, Mr. Steed.

The Cybernaut was programmed to capture, not kill.

That's very decent of you.

Oh, is that another one? Looks almost human.

Put it away, Benson.

That's the trouble with man. Such an impulsive creature cannot cope with

crises. Today, one wrong decision, one simple error, could bring complete

destruction. I suppose you have an answer, Doctor.

There, Mr. Seed. The electronic brain.

Oh, not this one. But I have the blueprint here.

A small, complex computer built with these new circuit elements.

Incapable of a wrong decision.

And what's the end product?

The perfect politician?

Exactly.

Government by automation.

Sounds like an electronic dictatorship.

It's the only solution.

I'd say that was up to the voters.

They might disagree.

Once I get delivery from Harachi, an army of cybernauts is only a matter of

time. Doctor, look!

A friend of yours, Mr Steed?

Well, it's an opportunity to demonstrate my radio-controlled cybernaut.

What a charming young woman.

I'm sorry she won't be joining us.

I think you'll agree the automated assassin was a stroke of genius.

Loyal, obedient, and extremely efficient.

Just how efficient you'll be seeing any moment.

I wouldn't if I were you.

Is this your idea of progress?

The ultimate in human achievements.

Human? A cybernetic police state?

Push-button bobbies?

Automated martinis?

Remote-controlled olives?

No, I think I'll stick to good old flesh and blood.

wave device works like a guided missile well get rid of it don't worry i will

that won't help you steve this one has a brain of its own

It moves in the dark. It leaves no mark. It's as hard as steel.

Nine down.

Now, what would that be, Mrs. Peel?

Cybernaut.

Oh.

I don't hold with those newfangled things.