Original subtitles

("Alfred Hitchcock" theme music)

- Good evening.

Do you sometimes get the feeling

that things have changed since you were a boy?

I'm quite convinced that either firecrackers

have become much larger or people have become smaller.

This particular model is for the child who has everything

and wants to get rid of it.

You will be relieved to know

a child cannot buy one of these,

unless he is accompanied by an adult,

actually the stores will sell this to a child,

he just needs the adult to carry it home for him.

This evening's tale takes place in California,

where the climate is sunny,

but dispositions are not necessarily so.

Our heroine survives one tragedy

only to learn that she is not at the end of her trials,

but at the beginning.

Speaking of beginnings, I had hoped to open our show

with some attention-getting sound,

fortunately our sponsor has come to the rescue,

noise is a specialty of his, he has long been an advocate

of beginning a show not with a whimper, but with a bang.

(melodic orchestral music)

(light melodic music)

- Look, honey.

- Victor, hey!

Hi, darling, hi!

Hey, Pedro, get me a vodka tonic, huh?

(speaking in Spanish)

Make it a light one.

Aren't you supposed to be taking a nap, young man?

- He just refuses to sleep.

- Oh, Victor, you're a bad, bad boy, you know that?

I can take care of him this afternoon, Nanny.

- He's got to have his nap.

- [Dianne] Oh, just for a little while.

- You spoil him.

- I suppose you don't, you were much stricter with me,

when I was his age.

- Ah, you had need of it, dear.

He's very well behaved.

- Thanks.

(birds twittering)

Hi, hey, look, Victor, here,

here's Mommy's horse, see, watch.

* Gallop, oh, gallop, a jump *

* Gallop, oh, gallop, a jump *

Oh, darling.

That's what Mommy's learning to do,

I mean, Mommy's learning not to fall off the horse,

while the horse is learning to jump, see.

(phone ringing)

Ah, you just wait about three more years

and Father will buy you a pony,

a real live pony, how's that, huh?

Pedro!

Somebody answer the phone!

And then you're gonna learn to jump

just like Mommy's learning, huh, there you go.

Nanny!

(phone ringing)

I'll be right back, here, I'll be right back.

Hello.

Victor!

Darling, where are you?

- In San Diego.

No, no, we just flew in from Washington a few minutes ago.

- And you're on your way home?

Oh, I'm so glad.

- By the way, I have another admirer of yours

here with me, a certain attorney.

- Larry Hawthorn.

- Right, we have some contracts that need revision,

so I thought I'd bring Larry home to dinner with us.

- Wonderful!

- How's my son?

- In robust health.

I promised him you'd buy him a pony,

so he could go riding with me.

- Hadn't he better learn to walk first?

And you, you're feeling alright?

- The answer that occurs to me is feeling no pain,

but that's what they say about drinking people

and I'm no longer drinking people, remember?

- I know, darling and I'm proud of you.

- Well then, hurry home.

- I will.

Goodbye.

- Sounds like everything is just fine.

- She hasn't had a drink since we adopted the baby.

(melancholic orchestral music)

(glass shattering)

- [Dianne] Victor!

- Mrs. Gibbs, had the baby ever climbed by himself before?

- No, sir, not enough to get out of the playpen.

- What happened when Mrs. Castillejo returned from riding?

- She went into the house to take a shower and change

leaving me with the baby.

When I heard the telephone,

I picked the baby up and put him in the playpen.

- When did you realize that Mrs. Castillejo

answered the telephone herself?

- Well, I left Victor in the playpen

and then I went into the living room

and when I got there, I heard Mrs. Castillejo

talking with her husband on the phone.

- And you just stood there listening?

- Alfred, I was in the car with Mr. Castillejo,

I heard his end of the conversation,

why, the whole thing wasn't more than a minute long.

- Then are you saying that you think it's possible

the baby managed to climb out of the playpen

and meet death by drowning in no more than a minute?

- I believe the investigating officer

proved it could be possible.

- You were Mrs. Castillejo's nurse too years ago?

- Oh yes, yes, till she went away to school,

when she was 12.

- And you have been in retirement for some years?

- Until last year, when she wrote to me

to say they thought of adopting the little boy

and I came out because she wanted me to,

see, she's like one of my own.

- I understand.

Well, I'm sure you realize

that if I had any suspicion of negligence or carelessness,

I'd have to put this before the jury formally.

It does appear that Mrs. Gibbs

did not exercise perfect judgment

in leaving an 18-month old baby alone

even for so short a time.

However I find no culpability, this was accidental death.

Thank you, all, you're free to go.

(gentle piano music)

(mellow melodic music)

- Thank you, Pedro.

Dianne, I think it would be better

if Nanny were to leave here now right away.

- You're not blaming her, are you?

- It's just that I can't help thinking

if she'd stayed with the boy,

if she'd watched him as she was supposed to,

it never would have happened.

- But darling, just letting her go--

- Please.

It'd be better for all of us.

I'll speak with her myself, if you prefer.

- No, no, no, no, Nanny's my responsibility.

I'll tell her.

Nanny.

- Come in.

- You've packed,

you've already packed?

- Well, he expects me to leave, doesn't he?

- Yes.

Oh, Nanny, it's wrong.

I didn't think he'd blame you.

- The important thing is that he isn't blaming you.

- But I'm letting you be hurt and I can't do that.

I didn't think he'd react this way.

Nanny, I'm gonna tell him the truth.

- What are you going to tell him?

That you were with the baby, holding a drink?

- But you're not the guilty one, he mustn't blame you.

- Dianne, in the past when things went badly,

you know what happened.

You don't want that now.

You promised him that you'd give it up.

When the baby was here, it was better,

but better's not what you promised,

you promised to give it up entirely

and he believes that you have.

Oh, my dear,

don't you see, he'd never be sure,

he'd always be wondering deep down

was it only one drink or was it several,

that kept you from watching the baby?

I took it upon myself to lie for you, Dianne,

it doesn't matter if they blame me.

That poor, wee babe has gone,

it's a terrible punishment for you to bear,

but you've got to bear it, Dianne

and you've got to keep that promise

and you've got to take hold of yourself once and for all.

- I will,

I will, Nanny, I will, I will, I will, I really will.

(melodic orchestral music)

- Excuse me, Senora.

There is a young lady at the door to see you.

- [Dianne] I told you I didn't wanna see anyone.

- Well, she happened to mention

the Santo Cecilia's Mission Orphanage.

- Oh, alright, show her in.

- Very well.

Senorita Sandino, Senora Castillejo.

- How do you do?

I suppose my husband called you about the baby's toys?

- No, but it is about the baby, that I wanted to see you.

- Oh?

- I don't suppose my name means anything,

the sisters wouldn't have told you.

- Wouldn't have told me what?

- I'm the mother of the little boy you adopted.

(melodic orchestral music)

The baby that drowned was my son.

(mellow orchestral music)

I was so happy when I found out who adopted him,

so happy for him, that I could almost forget

how much I wanted him with me.

Try to understand my feelings,

I've lost him twice.

- Miss Sandino, is there anything we can do for you?

- Oh, I didn't come here for sympathy,

I wanted to meet you and I'd like to see where it happened.

- Mrs. Gibbs, the nurse used to take him out

every afternoon to play in the sun by the pool.

- [Consuela] And she never left him alone?

- [Dianne] No, she was always very careful.

- [Consuela] But if she'd been with him that afternoon,

he'd still be alive.

- [Dianne] Well, she didn't really leave him even then.

- I know, Mrs. Gibbs lied to protect you,

she wasn't even with him, you were,

you left him and you were drinking.

- No, I wasn't.

- Vodka and tonic, Mrs. Castillejo.

- One drink.

- You were drinking at the bar talking on the phone

and your back was to the baby, so you couldn't see.

I know how you regret those few little moments,

but these are things we have to live with, both of us.

- [Pedro] Pardon me, Senora.

Senor Castillejo's car just arrived.

- I'm sure your husband doesn't know the truth.

- Please,

Miss Sandino, would you leave?

Can't we talk about this some other time?

Please.

- No.

(door opening)

- Dianne.

Darling, I know I'm a bit early, but,

oh, I didn't know you had company.

- How do you do?

I'm Consuela Sandino, your wife and I are old friends.

- How do you do?

- Consuela and I went to convent school together.

- It seems so long ago,

but that's where you turn when there's trouble,

to old friends.

I recently lost someone very dear to me,

someone Dianne knew,

I thought she'd understand my grief.

I didn't know about the baby.

- Yes, it's been very difficult for us.

- I'm sure, that's why I said I didn't want to stay,

even though your wife insisted,

but if my being here even just for the weekend

would help you in any way, I'd be happy to stay, Dianne.

- Well, I think that might be good for both of us,

if you're sure you have no other plans.

- No, none.

Oh, I didn't bring anything with me,

could you loan me some of your things?

- Of course.

- Could I freshen up a little bit now?

- Yes.

Pedro, would you show Miss Sandino

to the pool guest room, please.

(speaking in Spanish) Thank you.

- Excuse me. - Surely.

- Sorry I overslept, Dianne.

Oh, your maid brought me this, I hope it's alright.

- Pedro, will you pour some coffee for Miss Sandino, please.

(speaking in Spanish)

- [Consuela] Is it always so lovely here in the morning?

- That depends on the point of view.

- Thank you, it's very beautiful.

I'm just not used to all this elegance,

not as a guest I mean.

Of course I have worked in some very lovely homes.

- Pedro, I want you to stay.

(birds twittering)

The sisters at the Mission would never have told you

who adopted the baby.

How did you find out?

- Well, Pedro's family and mine

have been friends for many years.

- Then Pedro just happened to tell you

that I was with the baby,

that Mrs. Gibbs took the blame?

- And that you were drinking vodka,

oh, and wasn't there a promise of some kind,

before they adopted the baby?

- Why, yes, there was,

I distinctly overheard her promise Mr. Castillejo,

that she would never drink again.

- Alright, I'm not going to offer any excuses for myself,

but you've helped me to make a decision, both of you,

I'm going to tell my husband the truth about what happened.

- Everything?

- I had one drink, Pedro knows that, he mixed it for me,

isn't that right, Pedro?

- Well, he made one drink, but how does he know?

Maybe you made another and he doesn't know

how many drinks you had before you came home.

- That was my first drink

and I asked you to make it a light one.

- I'm very sorry, Senora,

I just wouldn't want to lie to Senor Castillejo.

- Alright, I'll tell him anyway and he'll believe me.

- Then you want him to know

that the baby's death was your fault?

- The coroner cleared Mrs. Gibbs,

he surely would've cleared me.

- But your husband couldn't forgive Mrs. Gibbs.

- He will forgive me.

- He sent her away.

- Alright, what's your price?

$10,000?

20,000?

- Can you really sit there and put a price on my baby?

- I loved him!

What do you want?

- I don't know, I really don't know yet,

I need some time to think about it.

(somber orchestral music)

- Where have you been?

I've been trying to talk to you all day.

Consuela, I think she's ready to pay any price,

you just name it.

What are we waiting for?

- I like this house

and I don't think I'll be leaving it just yet.

- What are you talking about?

Listen, let's take the money and get out of here,

before something goes wrong.

- She'll pay $10,000, why don't you ask for it?

Then you can take the money and go.

- Alone?

Without you?

Are you kidding, why would I do that?

For myself?

Listen, I want it for you, for us,

so we can have a life together.

Consuela, listen, she said 10,000, maybe 20,

I know she will give you $50,000.

- It'd be very easy for her.

- Then what, Consuela, what are we doing?

- She feels guilty,

she feels responsible for the baby's death

and the drinking helps her to forget,

so we'll see that she continues to drink

and when the vodka's all gone, we'll get more vodka,

or whiskey or whatever she likes.

She can hide it from Victor for a while, I suppose,

but he will find out and then he'll be terribly hurt

and disappointed in her,

he'll need help and sympathy from someone else,

someone who understands him,

who wants to share his troubles,

someone close at hand,

someone like me.

(speaking in Spanish) - Pedro.

- Victor. - Yes?

- I'm glad you're home, Dianne's at the bar.

(melodic orchestral music)

- Victor,

I feel awful

and I look awful

and I'm so ashamed of myself.

- Darling, please, don't punish yourself,

because you've had a bad afternoon,

you're under control now,

you can stay that way, you've done it before.

Dianne, you know I have to go away for several days,

I'll be in Washington until Tuesday

and then on to Honduras with Emilio Pradanos.

Oh, I've invited Consuela to stay over while I'm gone,

so you won't be alone.

(melancholic orchestral music)

Goodbye, darling, please take care of yourself, please.

- Please excuse my haste, I shall return in a moment.

The next sound you hear will that of our stations breaking.

This is not precisely what I had in mind.

I did leave it burning in the window,

so that you could find your way back.

Now as if one dud were not enough, we have a commercial.

(melodic orchestral music)

(baby crying)

(baby crying)

(somber orchestral music)

(baby crying)

(somber orchestral music)

(baby crying)

(somber orchestral music)

- Good evening, Senor. - Evening, Pedro.

- Did you have a nice trip? - Very successful, yes.

Is Mrs. Castillejo in?

- [Consuela] Welcome home.

- Hello, it's good to be back.

- I heard you say the trip was successful?

- Yes, it was, very. - Oh, that's wonderful

and you got to come home early.

- Yes, I didn't have to go to Honduras.

- [Consuela] I'm glad.

- Is Dianne in?

- She's asleep.

- Oh, how is she?

- I'm afraid she's been drinking,

I'm so sorry you had to come home to that,

I know how it upsets you.

- Dianne.

(sighing)

Dianne.

Dianne.

- Victor.

Oh, Victor.

Oh, Victor, don't leave me.

Oh, Victor, don't leave me,

please stay with me.

- Alright. - Victor.

- Alright, Dianne, I'm not gonna leave you.

- Oh, Victor, I heard the baby cry, I heard him cry,

I don't care what anybody says, I heard him cry.

I heard the baby cry.

(sobbing)

Oh, Victor, I can't stand anymore,

I keep hearing him

- Alright,

alright, look, we'll talk all about it,

after you've had a little more sleep, come on.

- No, no, no, no, don't go.

Don't leave me alone, I'm afraid.

- Now what about Senator Hayes and the Pradanos?

I'm meeting the plane a little after 11,

I can tell them you had plans I didn't know about,

I can entertain them at the club.

- Oh, no, darling, no,

they'll dine with us here tonight just as you planned.

- You're very sure you can manage it?

- Yes, I'm always alright when you're here,

isn't that true?

- Yes, but it's also true,

that half the time I can't be here.

- You mean you think I'm drunk half the time?

- Dianne,

Dianne, darling,

I know you're never drunk because you wish to be,

but I just don't think you can handle the problem

anymore by yourself, you've got to have help.

- A psychiatrist?

- Perhaps a psychiatrist.

- I heard a baby cry.

- No one else heard it.

- It sounded like a baby, I believed it was a baby.

I admit I was drinking, but I know what I heard.

- Consuela thinks you imagined it.

- Consuela!

- What?

- Nothing.

- Darling, are you sure you want her to stay here?

I can find some excuse to ask her to leave.

- No, no, you must have misunderstood,

I mean, who knows what I might have said last night,

the condition I was in.

What would you like for dinner tonight?

- I'll leave those important decisions to you and Cook.

Well, I'm going to the airport to meet them

and then on to the hotel for the meeting,

so I won't be home until around six.

- I'll be here.

- You eat your breakfast.

(melodic orchestral music)

- That was a daiquiri, wasn't it, Mrs. Pradanos?

- Why, yes.

- I'm so glad that you came here

and Victor didn't have to go all the way to Honduras.

- So am I.

Thank you, will you excuse me? - Surely.

Senator, how would you like some caviar with your vodka?

- Why, that would be real nice, thank you.

- Surely, Carla, caviar for the Senator, please.

Excuse me.

Mr. Hawthorn, Victor tells me that you speak five languages,

is that true?

- Oh, yes and I speak them all at once, saves time.

Where's Dianne?

- Oh, she'll be right down.

- They won't have the temerity

to hold that conflict of interest argument,

I'm mighty sure of that. - Will you excuse me, Senator?

Carla, will you tell Mrs. Castillejo

the guests are waiting, please?

- Good evening, everybody.

Larry, how are you? - Dianne.

(speaking in Spanish)

- Good evening, Dianne, so happy to see you.

- Oh, but you don't have anything to drink,

Pedro, mix us three of something, hm?

- Dianne, don't you think-- - Oh, excuse me.

Oh, Senator Hayes.

- How do you do? - How are you?

- You know my wife,

don't you, Senator? - Oh, yes, we've met.

- Yes, of course. - Meet my wife.

- Hello. - Mrs. Castillejo.

- Oh, and you've all met our Consuela,

isn't she charming?

Hm, I adore that dress,

of course I haven't worn it since last year,

but on you, it's most becoming.

- Thank you, Dianne, shall I tell Cook to serve dinner?

- Miss Sandino tells us that you've had the same cook

for four years, Mrs. Castillejo,

I wish you'd tell my wife how you do it,

we can't seem to keep one for six months.

- Oh, well, there's an old, old saying, Senator

about more diplomacy in the kitchen than somewhere else

and I can never remember where this somewhere else is.

Oh, Carla, Miss Sandino seems to feel

the time has come to tell Cook something or other,

so would you take care of that, please?

She's giving the orders around here.

- Are you alright?

- Oh, you're so thoughtful, Consuela, although I don't see

why you didn't get things started earlier,

I mean, you could've had them all seated by now,

I was late enough.

- [Consuela] Dianne.

- I mean, it's obvious to everyone that I was late.

- Darling, have you told Emilio about your two new horses?

Mr. Pradanos' hobby is breeding polo ponies.

Emilio, Dianne has bought two beautiful jumpers,

she's training them herself, aren't you, darling?

- Victor.

- Oh, Consuela, I don't know what we would do without you

and I guess you're never gonna give us a chance to find out.

Don't be nasty, Larry. - Dianne, please.

- By the way, I wanna, before I forget

to thank you for helping my husband to receive our guests.

- Would you like to go out for a walk in the garden with me?

- That's a good idea!

Maybe we should both leave, hm?

Has Consuela told you about our mutual problem?

Consuela is grieving too.

- [Consuela] Let me take you upstairs, dear.

- Of course, anything you say, I'm yours to command.

(sobbing)

I'm sorry!

I apologize to my husband

and all of you,

but I don't apologize to anything of that, that.

- [Victor] Darling.

(somber orchestral music)

- Wouldn't that set the tongues wagging?

Dianne Castillejo, she's under psychiatric care,

hadn't you heard, she's a drunk, she's taking the cure.

- Dianne, I'm not going to let you

rationalize this any longer,

because I love you

and I know we have a chance to be happy together.

But you're going to have to want to do it yourself,

if you don't, there'll be more scenes like last night.

Now, Dr. Vanorstrum knows of a very good place,

try it, Dianne, only for a few weeks

and you don't have to worry about the house

while you're gone, I mentioned it to Consuela,

she's promised to stay on

and look after things while you're away.

- Yes, she could do that.

- It won't be for long.

- I haven't agreed to it, Victor,

I don't think I can, I'll stay, I'll fight it off here.

- Dianne, that won't work.

- If it doesn't, I don't know what will.

(melancholic orchestral music)

- You'll have to make the decision for her, Victor,

she needs help. - Have her committed?

I couldn't, Larry.

- Well, if she won't cooperate, you'll have to.

- I'm going to ask Dr. Vanorstrum to see her this afternoon,

we'll see what he has to say.

(phone ringing)

Hello.

What?

Thank you.

Turn around, drive home.

She's left,

gone without her car.

(melodic orchestral music)

(children playing)

- Hello, could you help me?

I'm looking for Sister Marie Therese,

do you know where she is?

- Ah-huh.

- Well, would you find her for me

and tell her that Mrs. Castillejo is here to see her?

- Mrs.? - Castillejo.

- Oh, okay.

(children playing)

- Oh, Mrs. Castillejo, how good to see you.

- [Dianne] Sister.

- We were so very sorry to hear about the baby,

we had a Mass said for him. - Thank you.

- Come and sit down.

- Sister, I wanted to see you, because I,

let me explain something first.

You see, there's a situation in our home

and I'm to blame for it,

because I've done something terribly wrong.

You see, my husband has always wanted a son so badly

and we were very happy when little Victor was with us

and I feel so sure that now,

that another child would help us,

Sister, I wanna adopt another baby.

- Oh, I'm so glad.

- But I wanted to find out if I can't do it now,

soon, quickly without all the waiting?

- I understand how much you must want another child,

but as you know, we take a great deal of time and care

to choose the right baby for each of our foster parents.

- Yes, I know, Sister.

- You said you'd done something terribly wrong?

- I lied about the baby's death,

his real mother found me out.

- His real mother?

- Consuela Sandino.

She's been staying at our house all week.

- Obviously there's some mistake,

the mother of the child that you adopted died in childbirth.

(melodic orchestral music)

- Thank you, Captain.

The police are trying to keep it as quiet as possible,

but I'm afraid we can't keep it out of the press.

- No, I suppose not.

- My men will stay on the job along with the police.

There's nothing more to be done right now.

- Victor,

they'll find her, you mustn't worry.

- Dianne!

Where have you been?

- [Consuela] We've been looking all over town for you.

- Really?

You tried all the bars, I expect?

- Well, yes.

- You called all the hospitals?

- [Consuela] Of course we did.

- But you didn't call the orphanage, did you?

- You went there? - Yes.

- Why?

- I was talking to Sister Marie Therese.

- Well, I don't see what good that--

- Victor, would you please call Pedro?

- I'll get him.

(door closing)

- You threatened me, I'm curious to know

if you have the courage to follow through.

You said you'd never leave here

without telling Victor the truth.

- What truth?

- I'm ordering you to get out of this house.

I lied to you about Consuela, she isn't an old friend,

she came here and told me she was little Victor's mother,

but she isn't, I found that out at the orphanage,

the baby's real mother died, when he was born.

(door opening)

I also lied to you about how the baby died,

Nanny was protecting me, I'm the one who left him,

Pedro saw me.

- Pedro?

Is this true?

(speaking in Spanish)

- It is true.

- Well, tell him the rest of it, Pedro.

I'm sorry, Victor, but the truth is that she was drunk,

she was drunk and she left your baby there all alone.

- Was I drunk?

- Consuela, I told you to take the money and leave.

- Pedro, you made the drinks for her that day, now tell him.

- Vodka and tonic and I asked you to make it light.

How many drinks, Pedro?

How many?

- One.

One drink, that was all I served you.

- But that isn't what you told Consuela.

- I told Consuela one drink,

but she said it was all we needed,

we would threaten to tell your husband,

unless you would give us some money,

so we could go away together,

because we were in love.

In love.

(speaking in Spanish)

Do you know who she loves?

Herself, because she's greedy, greedy for this house,

greedy for $5 million

and greedy for you, Senor.

Your wife, Senor was afraid,

but she was sober, Consuela made her drink.

I'm truly sorry, Senora.

(speaking in Spanish)

- You've been here for 10 years, Pedro,

I could've hoped for a little more loyalty

than this from you.

You, I suppose you've been thinking

we might all spend a few ugly days in court?

Well, I'm not letting you have that consolation,

you're going to leave here now

with nothing, both of you

and if you're wise, you'll go very far away.

Now get out.

- On my way back from the orphanage,

I stopped in to see Dr. Vanorstrum,

he's waiting outside in the car,

he's going to drive me to a sanitarium now.

I tried in all the wrong ways

not to fail you,

but that's over now

and I think you should get a divorce.

I don't want you to worry.

I'm going to try to pull myself together

and...

Goodbye, darling. - Dianne.

I'm so ashamed,

ashamed of whatever it is in me

that made you afraid to tell me the truth,

I failed you.

Don't you understand, I don't want a divorce,

I love you

and wherever you're going, I want to take you.

(melodic orchestral music)

- The storekeeper who sold me my first firecracker

took umbrage at some of my remarks,

one word led to another, but as you see, I won

and am now publicly demonstrating

my disdain for his product.

I had expected the wax would begin dripping by now,

this is likely to take some time,

why don't you amuse yourselves with another commercial

and scenes from next week's show?

(quirky melodic orchestral music)

(exploding boom)

(dynamic melodic music)