Original subtitles

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

tonight's topic is self-defense,

a matter of importance to everyone,

especially the ladies,

the first rule is to be suspicious of strangers,

especially if they are stripped to the waist,

and have arranged mattresses on the floor in advance,

in nine cases out of ten they are jujitsu instructors,

put out your hand and appear to be friendly,

then pick out a corner of the room,

I have a feeling I�m not going to pass this course,

I won't tell him why it was he couldn't throw me,

he was standing on my foot,

now our story follows this one minute attack,

on your sensibilities against which there is no defense.

SELF DEFENSE

Goodevening.

I�m sorry I haven't any change.

You can't break a five?

No, it's all right you, you take the beer and pay me later.

I must have an honest face.

Uh no I I have some change here...

Oh no mr please,

never mind and don't worry about the beer.

Don't turn around,

stay right where you are and don't turn around.

Go, you got the money, go go.

My husband's gun, I was afraid to reach for it.

It keeps here.

-Gerald R Clark is that your name? -Yes.

-Age? -38. -Yes.

2114 North Hope Street,

That's apartment 11.

-Married? -Single. -Occupation?

I�m a radio engineer at station WLPQ.

Lieutenant, how's the boy?

Pretty badly wounded but he's still alive.

-Who is he? -Kid named Phillips.

Jimmy Phillips, 18 no previous record.

-What's the rest of that lil? -Uh mother divorced,

works as a switchboard operator for an answering service,

father remarried living somewhere in New Jersey,

unable to locate.

Mr Clark,

-Would you mind telling us something? -Sure.

-You've never been that liquor store until tonight. -No.

How'd you happen to go there?

Well I was on my way to a friend's house to play some cards and I,

decided to pick up some beer so I just stopped off at the first place it was open.

-Never saw the lady who owns a store before? -No.

Well,

now please don't misunderstand me,

I think you shed a lot of nerve going after that kid,

but,

that thing had been stolen from you,

and you didn't even know mrs Grubber,

why'd you take such a risk?

Because he pointed his gun at me.

I�ll get you.

Look when I was in the army in world war II,

I served in France and Belgium and Germany,

never on the line though I never had to kill any, but,

I did see a man get killed once though.

I uh was outside a bar in Brussels,

a british soldier,

a friend of his shot him,

by mistake I think,

they were having an argument about a girl and and this one fellow had a gun and,

and he kept pointing at the other one and they kept yelling at each other,

and and all of a sudden that the gun went off,

and that was the end of a man's life,

and and the one who got shot I was watching him and,

he kept wanting to do something, he kept looking at that gun,

that was pointed at him,

and he he didn't know what to do,

it made me realize how special a load gun is when it's pointed at you,

and tonight when that kid pointed that gun at me,

and I thought what makes him think that he can do this to me?

and I I had to fight back, I...

Homicide,

homicide lieutenant Schwartz,

oh yeah,

oh well uh haven't called me back as soon as he's free, huh?

Look lieutenant uh do you suppose I could make a phone call my friends are probably,

wondering what happened to me.

Yeah, sure, as far as that goes you can leave now.

Now we know where to get in touch with you.

I suppose it sounds empty to say I wish it hadn't happened.

Mr Clark,

don't let it throw you,

man's got a right to defend himself.

Oh yeah, yeah.

Right over here ma'am, have a seat.

I�ll tell the lieutenant you're here.

-Lieutenant? -Uh, no I�m not a policeman.

Excuseme.

-Can I help? -No.

Lieutenant we'll see you in a minute.

Right here.

Please.

Thank you.

I can't believe,

I don't understand it,

you think you're doing your best for your children,

try to give them things,

love,

I tried with Jimmy,

-Jimmy? -I can't give him everything,

I did help him buy his automobile that I,

I guess he must have needed something else,

nobody was caught tonight, only a store with an empty gun.

Empty gun?

He was shot three times and the gun wasn't even load.

Wait a minute hold on.

-Yes mr Clark. -Is it true?

-Is what true? -That the kid I shot was carrying an empty gun.

Yes but there wasn't any way you could have known that.

Excuse me doc go ahead,

hmm, yeah,

she's waiting outside the office,

yeah I�ll tell her, well you did the best you could,

okay doc thanks for calling.

Philip�s boy died five minutes ago.

...that are the dead who die in the lord,

from henceforth yea saith the spirit,

that they may rest from their labors and,

their works do follow them,

the peace of God which passes all understanding,

keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge of love of God,

and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord,

and may the blessings of God almighty,

the father the son and the holy spirit,

be upon you now and remain with you all,

amen.

Excuse me, uh,

-are you a relative of mrs Phillips. -No.

-She works for me, why? - You run the answering service?

That's right. Who are you?

My name's Clark, Gerald Clark, I�m the man who killed her son.

Oh,

What do you want?

I know how she must feel about me and I, I don't expect to change that but I,

I was wondering if there isn't something that I could do to help,

uh uh I�m not trying to buy my way out of this but,

but well the funeral maybe I could pay for that.

I�ve already taken care of it.

-Then may I share the cost with you. -Well this isn't necesary.

she wouldn't have to know about it I wouldn't want her to,

I would consider it a favor,

please.

-Is it enough? -This is very thoughtful of you.

That's the least I can do, mr uh...

-Will, Henry Will. -I�m I�m glad to know.

-Thanks for letting me help. -Forget it,

and don't punish yourself too much about this,

I knew jimmy, his mother's a fine woman but,

he wasn't the angel she likes to think he was,

his death's been very hard on her sure but,

no matter how you add it up it was his own fault,

eventually she's going to have to face that.

Uh, mrs Phillips.

Mr Clark?

Mr Clark,

the reason I,

came here today is because this morning when I came to work,

mr Willet told me about the,

money you gave him yesterday.

Oh I wish he hadn't done that.

I�m glad he did I I�m I�m very grateful,

Well, it's nothing it's nothing at all,

-I just wanted to help. -Well you you've helped,

and it was most generous,

I um,

I had a a long talk with lieutenant Schwartz,

and he's trying to make me see what happened and how jimmy...

Uh, mrs Phillips.

Thank you, I�m trying to come to terms with it and I,

I thought maybe perhaps you might help.

Well certainly uh,

anything mrs Phillips.

I wondered if you'd talk to me.

Well uh, anytime mrs Phillips anytime at all.

-Now? -Well I�d like to.

But I�m just on a coffee break I,

how about when I get through working tonight I�m off at 8:30?

-That will be all right. -Um, well where should we meet?

It doesn't matter, somewhere where we might talk.

Uh, there's a coffee shop right around the corner Al's.

Yes I I know the place but,

isn't it rather noisy?

Yes.

Well my place is just a few blocks from here,

could we meet there?

Yes,

yes I think that would be fine.

That's 2114 Hope street apartment 11.

Apartment 11. All right.

-Nine o'clock? -Yes nine o'clock we'll be fine.

Thank you.

Good evening mrs Phillips, won't you come in?

Thank you.

-May I take your coat. -Yes thank you.

-Did you have any trouble finding the place? -no.

The numbers on the mailbox are in sequence,

but the way they have the apartments ringed around the swimming pool,

it's pretty easy to miss the one that you're looking for.

You have a lovely apartment mr Clark.

Well thank you it's uh it's comfortable may I get you something a,

coffee or a drink I have some imported beer. -Coffee would be fine.

I won't be a minute.

-Mr Clark. -Yes.

As I told you I had a long talk with lieutenant Schwartz.

Well maybe it's too soon to talk about it.

-No. -We don't have to.

Yes we do I want to.

Whatever you say.

Lieutenant Schwartz explained to me what happened that night,

and I read mrs Grubber�s statement so I�m,

not trying to minimize what jimmy did.

Mrs Phillips there's no point in blaming Jimmy now.

Oh what he did was wrong, walking into the,

store with a gun scaring people half to death,

that poor old lady mrs Grubber.

Yes.

And you,

you were frightened too,

-Weren't you? -Very.

Because you thought he'd shoot you,

-kill you. -That's right.

After Jimmy left the store you took the Grubber�s gun and followed him.

Yes.

-And shot at him. -I shot at the car.

How many times did you shoot?

I don't remember.

Lieutenant said four shots had been fired.

-Then I guess they were. -And the three of them hit Jimmy.

Yes.

After you fired the first shot why did you fire the second?

Because all it did was smash the window.

But you just said you were only shooting at the car.

I meant I was shooting to stop the car.

And after the second shot did the car stop?

Yes.

Then why did you fire the third?

-Because I was afraid. -But Jimmy didn't fire back at you.

But that didn't mean he wouldn't I didn't know his gun was empty.

And even after that,

after shooting at him three times and not having any fire return,

you still walked up to the car,

and fired another shot.

Yes because he might have been lying there waiting for me.

-With an unloaded gun? -But I didn't know that.

-And it never occurred to you? -Why should it.

He stuck a gun in my back and he threatened me you don't know what that's like,

you don't know how it feels having a gun pointed at you,

I had every reason to believe that gun was loaded,

what would you think, what would anybody think?

I�m sorry about your son mrs Phillips,

I�m so sorry I can't see straight,

but I I don't know what else I can say.

I didn't start this, I didn't want it to...

This gun is loaded mr Clark.

Listen you don't know what you're doing.

Don't, don't I didn't know his gun was empty,

-I was just frightened. -The way you're frightened now?

I was trying to defend myself that's all,

what good will it do to kill me? you'll just ruin your own life,

what will it solve it won't bring it back,

you'll be killing me for nothing,

for no reason in the whole world,

I�m not the one who started this trouble with your son mrs Phillips he did,

I thought his gun was loaded I swear,

You don't have to be afraid anymore mr Clark,

I�m not going to kill you,

goodbye mr Clark.

I told you not to point a gun at me.

I realize it's impolite to point,

but Gerald�s reaction was a trifle drastic,

I think you too will be glad to know,

that he was subsequently apprehended,

as he emptied his revolver into the figure,

of uncle Sam in an army recruiting poster,

and now I shall be back after this word from a very prudent gentleman,

who points with pride but only to himself.

That is all we have to offer tonight,

we shall be back next week with more of the same,

until then, good night.