Original subtitles

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to tonight’s discussion program.

Since we talked for hours without reaching any conclusions, whatsoever,

we call the program Dead End.

I have heard of anti-intellectualism,

but this is a new high.

Perhaps, I should remove my microphone.

I see it can become rather lethal.

[blows]

This demonstrates that contrary to what I said previously,

our participants can reach conclusions, and all at the same time.

It is very upsetting, however, because we have half an hour left.

Too bad they couldn’t wait,

but I see our sponsor is already rushing to fill the void,

and on his heels, a story.

[laughs]

Have you read this book? It’s pretty funny.

Eh, no, no. No. It’s all right.

Here, let me...

[stammers] No, I don’t want coffee, I have coffee at home.

-[man] It’s all right, I’ve already got it. -[sighs]

[man] Ah, ah, ah.

Oh, I forgot mine.

What’s that you’re reading?

Principles of Abnormal Psychology.

-Must be some kind of brain, huh? -No, not really.

I’m a secretary, I work for a doctor.

A psychoanalyst.

Must really be pretty smart.

My name’s Jimmy French.

A fair’s fair. I told you my name.

I’m Maude Sheridan.

That’s a pretty name, Maude.

I never liked it much.

[laughs]

You must like your job though, huh?

I mean, working for a...

What did you call him?

-A psychoanalyst. -Yeah.

He’s one of the finest doctors in the country.

No kidding? What’s his name?

Dr. Ernest Cooper.

He’s written several books himself.

Perhaps, you might’ve...

No, I guess you wouldn’t have.

Well, I better get going.

I gotta meet a guy downtown about a job.

Hello, Maude, sorry I’m back so late.

Mr. Harrison show up yet?

Oh, no. He just this minute called, Dr. Cooper.

He said he won’t be able to make his regular appointment, today.

Did he say what was bothering him?

No, he didn’t, but he said he thought he would be able

to make his regular appointment on Thursday, 2:00 PM.

Thanks, Maude. If he calls again, put him right through.

I’ll tell him I can fit him in tomorrow if he wants.

Yes, Doctor.

[phone rings]

Dr. Cooper’s office.

Wh-Wh--

Who did you say it was calling?

Jimmy French.

You remember? The automat, last night.

Well, of course, I remember. Um...

H-How did you know where to reach me?

Well, I remembered what you said about working for a Dr. Cooper, so...

I just looked you up in the book.

Uh, listen, Maude...

I hope you don’t think I’m fresh or anything, but,

I was wondering if I could see you sometime?

-Tonight, maybe? -Uh...

W-Well, I don’t know, it’s awfully short notice.

Um, I was going to go home and wash my hair tonight.

Um...

But, I-I-I guess it’d be all right.

[sighs] It’s a little late, isn’t it?

It’s only 11 o’ clock.

Would you like a cup of coffee?

I’d like a beer, better.

I think I have some in the refrigerator.

You like living alone, Maude?

I don’t suppose anybody ever really likes living alone.

Skip the glass.

Uh...

Jimmy, why do you have trouble finding work?

Don’t, uh, you have a profession?

Well, I’ve got a couple of things, but no profession.

You see, I quit high school in my second term. That was my big mistake.

When I was a kid...

I was in hot water all the time.

Stealing cars, tires.

I was even arrested a couple of times.

Wow.

You were young then. You, you didn’t know any better.

Yeah.

You mustn’t keep blaming yourself for things that happened in the past.

You get a lot of guilt feelings that way.

Doctor...

how much do you charge an hour?

[both laughing]

Be serious.

I am.

You see, I’ve had four different jobs the past year.

None of them worth more than 70 bucks a week.

I’m not the kind of a guy

who can take a girl out to fancy places.

I don’t like fancy places myself.

Maude, you’re great, you know that?

[chuckles]

I better be going, huh?

Goodnight, Jimmy.

Thanks for the movies.

Goodnight, Maude.

Here we are,

specialty of the house...

roast beef.

Pour the wine will you, darling?

You like roast beef, don’t you?

Yeah, sure I do.

It’s too well done, isn’t it?

No, it’s fine.

Jimmy, what’s wrong?

I can see something’s the matter.

Nothing’s the matter. Only me. That’s what’s wrong.

Jimmy!

Why didn’t you say something?

Maude, I told you a lie.

I told you I was a wild kid.

I was just an ordinary kid.

The guy I described, the car-stealer,

the guy who gets himself arrested.

That’s me, now.

Right now.

-You don’t mean that. -I’m telling you the truth.

I’m no good, I’m a crook,

a cheap crook at that.

Oh, Jimmy,

you couldn’t be.

It’s even worse.

I’m not just broke.

I’m in debt, living on borrowed dough.

If I don’t pay it back, I might even go to jail.

Jim...

Well, that’s what they do to guys like me.

Jimmy, I have some money.

I have three or four hundred dollars in the bank.

It’s 2,000, Maude.

-2,000? -Yeah.

I’d be some bargain husband, huh?

No money, no job.

Nothing but debts.

-You better forget about me. -No, Jimmy!

These things can be worked out.

Maybe they can be worked out.

I wasn’t gonna say this, but...

There’s a way if you’ll do something to help me.

And it’s the only time I’ll ever ask you to do such a thing

because I’m gonna change, right after it’s over, I’ll change.

Right after what’s over?

Just one more job.

Only one, so help me.

But it’s gotta be a good one.

I want you to bring me the files from the doctor’s office.

As many as you can carry.

Only the current cases, the ones he’s had recently.

No, no, let me finish.

I just want you to borrow them overnight.

And I’ll go through them, real quick.

So fast, you can have them back in the office by morning.

I’ll find what I’m looking for right away.

W-Why Jimmy?

What do you want with Dr. Cooper’s files?

What good are they gonna do you?

It’s just an idea I got last week.

This analyst stuff is pretty personal, isn’t it?

I mean, they have to tell the doctor everything, don’t they?

Well, of course they do.

There can’t be any secrets from an analyst.

-It would defeat the whole purpose. -That’s right, no secrets.

So, if I can see the doctor’s notes,

if I could go through them real fast,

there’s bound to be plenty of stuff that people would like to hide.

Stuff they’d pay money to keep quiet.

-Jimmy, you’re talking about blackmail. -So what?

Your boss has a lot of rich patients, right? It wouldn’t hurt them.

All I want is enough money to pay off the loan

and a few more grand to get us started.

Won’t you even listen? Won’t you even give me a chance?

No, I couldn’t do such a thing. I wouldn’t!

Not even for me?

For us?

All right, if that’s how much it means to you.

You shouldn’t ask me to do such a thing. It isn’t fair.

-It isn’t fair, Jimmy! -[door closes]

[doorbell rings]

Yes?

-Is Mr. French in? -He’s out.

-Did he say when he’d be back? -I just rent rooms, lady,

I’m not his personal secretary.

Would it be all right if I waited?

You can wait in the hall, that’s OK with me.

I’ve been calling you for two weeks.

You haven’t called me once.

I didn’t wanna bother you.

It just won’t work, we’re too different.

Jimmy!

I brought the files.

Dr. Cooper’s files.

Please, try to keep them in some kind of order.

They’re just notes, anyway.

A lot of it you won’t understand.

You’re telling me. It’s like reading a foreign language.

I can’t make head or tail on some of them.

What are these typed ones?

Those are transcriptions from patients’ conversations.

Sometimes, Dr. Cooper likes to take them down word for word.

I worked for Dr. Cooper for seven years.

It’s only because he trusted me completely that I was even able

to get to these files.

Don’t worry about it.

You’ll have them back in the morning.

Just the same, what we’re doing is wrong.

I haven’t had any dinner yet, have you?

No.

I came directly from the office.

I’ve got some hamburger meat in the freezer.

We can have a real home-cooked meal together. Just you and me.

I’ll fix it.

It’s like we’re married, huh?

My name’s French. I got a 2 o’clock appointment with Mr. Harrison.

Oh, yes, Mr. French, one moment, please.

Mr. French is here, Mr. Harrison.

Yes, sir. Go right in, please.

Thank you.

Come in.

That transaction you mentioned this morning,

was it a home or business property?

How’s that?

What sort of real estate are we talking about?

[chuckles] Oh, no.

Did I say real estate? No, no.

You didn’t get my meaning, Mr. Harrison, this is something personal.

And, uh, what does that mean?

Well, you see, I would’ve come to your house, but...

I didn’t think that would be smart. Not with your wife around.

-My wife? -Yeah.

It’s not the place to talk about Diana, is it?

Oh...

Well, now...

Who are you?

I’m just a guy who knows things.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Mr. Harrison.

You want to fool around?

That’s your business.

I’m no saint.

But of course, that’s only my opinion.

Other people...

They’d think different.

I mean, this Diana’s only 18

and you’re what, Mr. Harrison,

55?

-Get out of here. -Yeah.

Now, you take your wife, for instance.

She don’t know about Diana, does she?

You’d be pretty unhappy if she did.

I don’t blame you for that.

How do you know about this?

I got connections.

Yeah, your wife would be pretty upset if she knew about Diana.

I’d hate to see that happen, wouldn’t you?

What do you want from me?

Like I said over the phone,

a transaction.

One simple deal, and you can stop worrying.

-You want money? -That’s right.

Just one payment and that’s it.

No installments, no deposits.

Just one lump sum, we call it quits.

I want $10,000.

How do I know you won’t be back?

I’m not greedy.

Once you pay up, you don’t see me no more.

I want it in cash.

-You’ll, uh, have to give me a time. -Time for what?

I don’t have that sort of money here.

Could you come back?

I’ll tell you what.

You get that money,

and you bring it to my place.

At 9:00 tonight.

-Morning, Maude. -Morning, Dr. Cooper.

I suppose you heard the bad news.

No, I haven’t.

I’ve lost a patient.

-Who is it? -My problem patient.

I should’ve known better.

I should’ve realized that he needed more help

than what I was able to give him.

Then, it might not have happened.

-Mr. Harrison? -Yes.

Mr. Harrison.

I knew he had a force in him

that was getting closer to the surface every day, but

I never realized that

something like this would happen.

He killed a man last night, Maude.

The police contacted me this morning.

He shot and killed a man who was trying to get money from him.

Killed?

A blackmailer.

A man named French, James French.

He was threatening Harrison about a young girl named Diana.

But Harrison wasn’t going to pay.

Blackmailer.

I can’t understand where he could’ve learned such a thing.

How he could’ve made such a terrible mistake.

There’s no cause for blackmail.

No real cause.

There was no Diana.

Only Harrison’s delusion.

A fantasy.

He was guilt-ridden by something that never existed.

When the blackmailer threatened him,

he protected a delusion with murder.

The ultimate rationalization.

I think our point should be quite clear.

In these times, a thorough grounding in psychology

is essential in any profession.

Even blackmail.

For receptionists, a slightly different lesson:

Never pinch the boss’ files.

You see Maude was tried and punished as an accomplice to the crime.

In precisely 60 seconds

I shall return to warn you about next week’s program.

I may not be back with Dead Endnext week.

You see, the producers prefer to be called intellectuals,

and they feel that my presence here

tends to give credence to the epithet "Egg-head."

It’s absurd, of course.

Next week, Alfred Hitchcock Presents will be seen in the spot.

Until then, goodnight.