All language subtitles for Alfred.Hitchcock.Presents.S04E05.The.$2000000.Defense.1080p.PCOK.WEBRip.AAC.2.0.H.265.-EDGE2020_track3_[eng]

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Good evening.

My name is Alfred Hitchcock.

And the program is
Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

In the interest of
enlightening our audience,

we are inaugurating a new policy

for this portion of the program.

From time to time, we plan
to interview important figures

in various fields.

Tonight, we have with us

one of the world's
outstanding mathematicians.

If you will, sir.

Good evening, sir.

I shall begin the
interrogation at once.

My first question
concerns a matter

which has no doubt
been bothering

members of our
audience for many years.

How much is two and two?

(clopping)

The opinions expressed
by our guest are his own

and in no way
reflect my own views

or those of my sponsor.

And now, sir, what is your
favorite television story?

(clopping)

I think he's telling us that
his favorite television play

is "The $2,000,000 Defense,"

in which case we are in
for a very long time of it.

Long enough, in fact, to show
you "The $2,000,000 Defense."

But first, my sponsor wishes
to put his two cents in.

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Yesterday, Mr. Ashley, occupying
this same witness chair,

you testified to having engaged
the services of Malcolm Purdy,

a private detective.

Now, am I correct?

You have to speak
up, Mr. Ashley,

for the excellent reason
that the Court's stenographer

can't record the
nodding of your head.

I made that statement.

I did hire Malcolm Purdy.

Now, isn't it true that
you engaged Mr. Purdy

to trace and make reports on
the activities of your wife

because you suspected
her of infidelity?

Yes.

And you concede as well that
the man named in these liaisons

as your wife's companion
was Mr. Thomas Ward.

The same Thomas Ward who
was your investment counselor

and who was in charge of
your various financial holding.

I do, I do.

You know that I do.

We've been over all this.

Well, I'm so sorry to
be tiresome, Mr. Ashley.

Referring once more to your
sworn testimony of recent date,

do you still admit
going to Mr. Ward's home

and confronting him with a
.32 caliber automatic pistol?

I do, but it was
only to frighten him.

It was never my
intention to kill him.

Oh, I see, it was
an accident, you say.

An accident, yes.

Instead of being frightened,

he came at me.

The gun fell from my grasp
and accidentally went off.

How accidentally, Mr. Ashley?

The safety was on.

I've told you
this time and again.

It was never my
intention to kill him.

Of course, the safety catch.

You're certain about
that, aren't you?

I could not be more certain.

All right, Mr. Ashley,
that will be all.

Thank you very much.

Your witness, Mr. Robeson.

Any questions, Mr. Robeson?

No questions.

The witness may step down.

Thank you.

The State would like to
call a witness in rebuttal.

Will Mr. John Keller
please take the stand?

It's not going
well, Mark, is it?

Do you promise
to tell the truth,

the whole truth
and nothing but--

Take it easy, Lloyd.

He's their gun expert.

He'll talk holes in any target
they put in front of him.

Mr. Keller, may I
ask you how long

you've served the
Police Department

of the City of New York as
a specialist in ballistics?

For thirteen years
and seven months.

Thank you very much.

Now, Mr. Keller, I offer
you State's Exhibit "B,"

and I ask you if you are
able to tell this court

precisely what type
of weapon this is.

I can, sir.

It's a .32 caliber
Colt automatic,

pretty generally referred
to as a pocket model.

I see--thank you.

Now, this gun, Mr. Keller,

that you are
holding in your hand,

have you ever seen
this gun before?

I have.

Would you be kind
enough to tell the Court

under what circumstances
you saw this gun?

I examined this gun in the
performance of my duties

as ballistic expert.

The purpose of the
examination was to determine

whether or not this
gun fired the bullet

that was recovered from
the body of Thomas Ward.

And what were your
findings, Mr. Keller?

I found that the weapon referred
to had fired the fatal bullet.

I see, thank you very much.

Mr. Keller, will you be kind
enough to describe to the Court

and to the jury the type of test

or procedure that you followed

before arriving
at this conclusion?

Your Honor, please.

Yes, Counselor?

Your Honor, I think
we can dispense

with this lesson in ballistics.

Defense concedes
that Mr. Ashley's gun

fired the shot
that killed Mr. Ward.

Is Prosecution
agreeable to this?

Yes, Your Honor.

The State has no desire

to prolong this
trial unnecessarily.

Mr. Keller, I'm assuming
that you're familiar

with the general mechanics
and operation of this gun.

Am I correct in my assumption?

You are, sir.

Well, then, Mr. Keller,

in your opinion as
a ballistics expert,

could this type of gun
be discharged accidentally,

as Mr. Ashley
has just testified,

while the safety
catch was engaged?

It could not.

Are you certain about that, sir?

I am absolutely certain.

Thank you, Mr. Keller.

Mr. Keller, may I ask you then,

if this gun could be discharged

while the safety
catch was engaged,

if it were dropped
accidentally or otherwise,

from a height of,
well, say, several feet?

It could not.

If it were slammed against
a hard surface, Mr. Keller?

No, sir.

Then are you willing to state
that in your entire experience,

thirteen years
and seven months

of handling and
testing firearms,

you never heard of such
an accident taking place?

I am willing to
make such a statement.

Thank you, Mr. Keller,
that'll be all.

The defense may
cross-examine the witness.

If you will excuse
me, Counselor,

I find that it is now 4:30,

and I would like to call
a recess at this point.

The jury will remember
my instructions,

neither to discuss this
case among yourselves,

nor permit it to be
discussed in your presence.

Court is adjourned until
10 o'clock tomorrow morning.

Mark?

I'm terribly worried for him.

I know.

It's one of the
unfortunate by-products

of a married woman
falling in love.

There are almost
always casualties, Eve.

I knew he was jealous,

but I never thought
it would come to this.

The heart's gone out of him.

Lloyd was always so strong.

Don't blame yourself entirely.

I do blame myself.

There's Tom dead
because of what I did,

and now there's every
chance that Lloyd may--

Oh, Mark, please don't
let it happen to him.

I'll do my best, I can
promise you that much.

But let's not flood the
courtroom with tears, huh?

*

I have a proposition for you,
something I know you'll like.

Yes?

I guess it would be
safe to say, Mark,

that now with Tom Ward dead,

you know more about my financial
affairs than anyone else.

Not only how much I inherited,
but how much I've earned.

I guess, at the moment, I'm
worth at least $4 million.

Using one of your
expressions, Mark,

that isn't exactly
cornflakes, is it?

No.

No, I wouldn't say so.

I'm willing to
split it with you.

Half for you and half for me.

On what condition?

By whatever means necessary
you wring an acquittal

from that jury tomorrow.

You can do it, you've
got the imagination

to bring it off, I've
seen your work before.

That isn't very
flattering, Lloyd.

-What isn't?
-Well, your assumption

that I'd work harder
for an old friend

just because, well--

just because there's that
kind of money involved.

We're not saints, Mark.

Nor are we living in
a society of saints.

I sometimes wonder if that apple
that got stuck in Adam's throat

wasn't a rolled-up $50 bill.

You could be right.

That's half of all
I possess, Mark.

A two million dollar
fee for an acquittal.

Would you put that
in writing, Lloyd?

Yes, I will right now.

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(gun firing)

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I'd say that this was an
exceedingly well-planned,

or we might say, a happy
sort of accident, Mr. Robeson.

No arteries severed and a
minimum of tissue damage.

You say the safety catch was on?

Just as surely as
my pants were on.

Otherwise I never would
have dared to slam it

on the top of that desk.

You know, I was beginning to
believe that ballistics expert.

There you are.

I suppose you know as
well as I do, Mr. Robeson,

that when a doctor is called
to treat a gunshot wound,

he's obliged to
notify the police.

Naturally, doctor.

Frightful publicity.

I can see the headlines now.

But I don't suppose
there's any way

we can keep it
out of the papers.

Mm.

Doctor, do you believe
me when I tell you

the safety catch was on?

I'm not a jury, Mr. Robeson.

*

Now, Mr. Keller,

if I remember at all correctly,

you testified yesterday

that you fired a
shot from this gun.

I did.

And your purpose was to
prove that this same gun

fired the shot that
killed Mr. Ward?

-That is correct.
-Thank you, Mr. Keller.

Am I right in assuming that
you released the safety catch

before you fired the shot?

Naturally, otherwise
I would still be

standing in my laboratory
pulling the trigger.

(laughter)

Mr. Keller, the burden
of responsibility

would rest on us all more easily

if we could lighten
it with humor.

But at whose expense?

Mr. Lloyd Ashley, the same man

you're attempting to send
to the electric chair

with your glib,
smug testimony?

I object, Your Honor.

I ask the counsel's
last remark be stricken

and the jury instructed
to disregard it.

The objection is sustained
and the jury so instructed.

Humorously or gravely, sir,

in any mood that does not
shy from objective truth,

would you say that the safety
catch on a gun of this type

could not be
accidentally joggled loose?

To the best of my
knowledge, I would say so.

To the best of your knowledge?

Well, that's a comfort to me.

(laughter)

Mr. Keller, did you
ever make any tests

that might legitimately
confirm your strong opinions

in this matter?

I'm not exactly
sure what you mean.

Specifically, Mr. Keller,
did you ever load this gun,

State's Exhibit "B" which
I'm holding in my hand,

and then try dropping it on
a hard, unyielding surface?

Did you, sir?

Well, no.

Knowing what the basis
of our defense would be,

you didn't take the trouble
to make such a simple test?

Now, please answer the
question, Mr. Keller.

No, I did not make such a
test as you've described.

Why?

Why did you not?

Wouldn't it have seemed
the obvious thing?

Or were you afraid you might
confirm the defendant's story?

No, that wasn't it at all.

Then why?

Tell me, Mr. Keller,
or tell the Court.

Tell someone in the
name of common sense,

why you didn't bother to make
such a simple, obvious test?

I don't know.

I suppose it just
never occurred to me.

How reassuring, Mr. Keller.

How very nice.

A man is on trial for
murder in the first degree.

The one life granted
him by his creator

is in the hands of
fallible men like you and me.

And yet it never occurred
to you that a simple test,

such as I have outlined,

might be the key
to simple truth?

Let the record show the witness
did not answer the question.

Yesterday, Mr. Keller,

under direct examination
by the District Attorney,

you testified that
a gun of this type

could not be discharged by
slamming it on a hard surface.

Did you not?

With the safety catch on?

Of course, Mr. Keller.

Yes, I did make
such a statement.

And this morning,
roughly 18 hours later,

have you had any reason
to alter your opinion?

No.

I see.

There now, Mr. Keller.

As an expert, sir, would you
examine the safety device

on State's Exhibit
"B" and tell the Court

if it's in the proper
position to prevent firing?

It is.

Would you rise, Mr. Keller?

Please.

Stand right where you are in
front of the witness chair.

Now, Mr. Keller, I'm going to
ask you to prove to the Court

and the jurors here assembled

that the gun in question,
with its safety catch applied,

cannot be discharged
accidentally.

Just drop it or
if you prefer, sir,

cast it forcibly to the floor.

Your Honor, I protest this cheap

and highly irregular
bit of vaudeville

which is inherently
dangerous to everyone--

Did you say
dangerous, Mr. Herrick?

Well, I meant--

Well, I must ask that such
an implication be disregarded.

Irregular was the word
that I intended to stress.

If that is the sole basis of
your objection, Mr. Herrick,

you are overruled.

Proceed, Counselor.

Thank you, sir.

If you please, Mr. Keller,

demonstrate to the
Court and the jury

that State's Exhibit "B" could
not possibly have been fired

in the manner claimed
by the defendant.

Just raise it above
your head, Mr. Keller,

and blithely let it
drop to the floor.

It's not a rocket to
the moon, Mr. Keller.

It won't make that
much of a noise.

We're waiting.

Whenever it's convenient,
Mr. Keller, you can just let go.

Whenever it's
convenient, Mr. Keller.

We are beginning to age
a little, all of us.

That will be all, Mr. Keller.

Many thanks to you.

*

(laughing)

Oh, I've been looking
forward to this all day.

Thank you so much
for playing host.

I'd probably have spilled it.

Well, Lloyd,
here's to the victory

and all the good things
friends can share.

You tired?

Yeah, very tired,

and very grateful, too.

I knew if anyone was gonna
get me out of this mess, Mark,

it was you.

When did you first feel safe?

Oh, about the time you
finished questioning Keller.

It was a great show,
beautifully handled.

I guess it's kind of
difficult to put a price tag

on this kind of
value received, Mark,

but I want you to know
that I intend to carry out

my end of that bargain we made.

There's no hurry, Lloyd.

After all, it is in writing.

I know.

But, anyway, I'd like
to attend to it now.

That's pretty
silly of me to think

I'd have a checkbook
in my pocket.

After all, they don't supply
those in the city jail, do they?

You got a blank one?

Well, at these prices, I'd be
happy to crochet one for you.

As a matter of fact,
there must be one somewhere

there in the desk--
try that center drawer.

Center drawer.

I can't say, Mark, that I
regret this bargain in any way.

Incidentally, you may
be entitled to more,

but we won't know that until
the accountant has a chance

to check over the books.

Well, one hand or no hands.

This is a special occasion.

Calls for another drink.

Could I sweeten yours?

No, no, no, thanks.

This will do me very well.

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Well, Mark, using your words,

let's drink to those things
that friends can share.

My money, your whiskey.

*

My wife.

*

What is this?

It's a gun.

Probably the one you used for
your experiment last night.

It was just resting here in
the top drawer all the time.

Lloyd, you'd better be
careful with that thing.

Oh, I'm being careful.

Extremely careful.

I've made sure the
safety catch is off.

It's a bitter turn of
events, isn't it, Mark?

That now you have the
one thing in the world

you love most dearly,

and you won't be
able to spend it.

What on earth are
you talking about?

I never was very
good at riddles.

You recall that
private detective

you urged me to
hire two months ago,

Malcolm Purdy, the
same little fellow

who reported Eve's quiet
liaisons with Tom Ward to me?

Yes.

Yes, I recall him.

What about it?

Well, Mark, you're a
man who enjoys a joke.

This is very amusing.

You see, in all this trouble,

I never did take
Mr. Purdy off the case.

I just forgot to.

And Mr. Purdy being
a conscientious man,

he kept on watching Eve
all the time I was in jail.

Two days ago, he turned
in his final report.

Lloyd, if you want
the check back--

I don't think I need to mention

who Eve has been
seeing all this time.

And I don't think Eve was
clever enough all by herself

to think of using
poor Tom for a decoy

that has all the earmarks
of one of your ideas.

No, come now.

You're just as responsible
for Tom Ward's death as I am.

And if I killed the wrong man
because of your cleverness,

Mark, why shouldn't I
kill the right one now?

Lloyd, if you
just listen to me--

(gun firing)

*

1,999,939.

So much for our story.

Unfortunately, Lloyd actually
had spent all of his money

on his first murder trial.

And when his trial
for the shooting

of Mark Robeson came along,

he didn't have another
$2 million for a good lawyer.

I believe that's
42 or was it one--

Oh, well, I give up.

I don't know how he
does it without fingers.

Now, for something you
can always count on,

after which, I'll be back.

Before our guest left,

I discovered him scribbling
on this blackboard.

Frankly, I don't know
how long we can hold

our scientific
superiority over the horse.

But I think we better
do something drastic,

that is unless you
relish the thought

of suddenly finding yourselves
on the wrong end of a plow,

or chasing each other
around race tracks

while the horses do the betting.

And on this grim note, I
must leave you until next week

when I shall be back
with another play.

Until then, good night.

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