Original subtitles

Good evening, and welcome to sing along with Hitch.

I have a feeling this will be much better if we could hear you singing.

As it is, it strikes me as a rather limited form of entertainment.

And you have no idea how insecure one can feel

when he knows that at any time he can be replaced by a bouncing ball.

For those of you who are too shy or for some reason have not chosen to join us,

I have an enticement.

Perhaps if you sing loud and lustily enough

you will drown out the commercial

after which our story.

Remember, the competition tends to become rather fortissimo.

Yes, yes that’s right. Uh-huh.

The hearing will be held, uh, at the Municipal

Court on the 27th.

Ye-- no, Mr. Wedge will be speaking to you before that, Mrs. Hamilton.

N-No, not at all.

Yes, bye-bye.

[hanging up the telephone]

Please, miss, it’s almost half an hour.

Couldn’t you ask him if he’s free?

Mr. Marino is still out here.

-Can you see him now? -Yeah.

Well, send him in.

I am Benjy Marino’s father.

-Yes, I know, now-- -You know about my boy, about his trouble?

Well, I read about it in the paper and I’m sorry for him

but I’m sorry for the other kid, too, the one that was killed.

But not by Benjy! That’s the truth, not by Benjy.

He didn’t do it. That’s why I’ve come to you, Mr. Wedge,

because people tell me you’re the best, the best lawyer for my boy.

You should go to the juvenile authorities,

Mr. Marino, they’ll recommend someone for you.

That boy’s dead, Mr. Wedge, and they say my Benjy did it.

I went to the jail, I talked to him.

He said to me, "Pop,

I didn’t kill that boy.

You believe me, Pop?"

I said, "Sure, Benjy. If you say so, I believe you."

I believe him.

Let me call the State’s Attorney’s office for you,

-in case you need, they appoint a-- -Please! Please! I have money.

The family all got together.

I run a fuel and oil business. I’m selling the truck.

I can pay what you ask, Mr. Wedge.

It’s not a question of money, Mr. Marino, I got a schedule as long as your arm.

The papers, they make it sound so bad. They say there were witnesses.

They say they saw him with a knife.

How could they say such a thing?

Oh, I don’t say he’s an angel.

He runs around, he fights.

A boy without a mother is sometimes a wild, wild boy.

But, what can I do?

I have a 24-hour business.

How much time do I have to be a father?

Well, let me recommend a lawyer for you, Mr. Marino,

-another lawyer, there’s-- -No, no, no.

I don’t know about anybody else. I only know you.

But I can’t work miracles.

-I only go by facts. -That’s all I want.

The fact, he’s innocent.

He’s innocent.

What can I say to you?

I have one boy.

He’s 17 years old.

He’s not a grown man.

They got him down in that jail, they say he’s a murderer.

But he’s innocent.

He’s innocent.

I swear on his dead mother’s grave.

He’s innocent, he’s innocent.

My name’s Wedge, I’m your attorney,

your father hired me to handle the case.

-Am I getting out of here? -Not till after the trial, and that’s if you’re lucky.

What about bail? Can I get out on bail?

Bail’s been refused.

When’s the trial?

Look, don’t rush the trial. We need the delay.

-Why not-- -Do you think this is gonna be easy?

I didn’t cut that guy. I had nothing to do with it.

You admitted to the police that you knew Kenny Archer, didn’t you?

Sure I knew him. We went to Manual Trades together.

They tell me he ran with a gang called the Aces.

Did you ever hang out with them?

With that bunch?

I was a Baron. The Barons don’t mix with the bums.

All right, you were a Baron and he was an Ace,

that makes you natural enemies, doesn’t it?

Look,

Mr. Wedge,

we don’t have that kind of gang.

We’re not a bunch of hoods,

we’ve got a basketball team--

Why do you carry a knife, Benjy?

It’s only a Boy Scout knife, they sell them all over.

I just use it for...

whittling.

You know?

Who do you think you’re kidding?

Look, whose side you on?

Now, I didn’t stick Kenny, somebody else did. I swear I didn’t kill him.

I’m not making accusations, kid. That’s the prosecution’s job.

Sit down.

Sit down.

Now, I’m gonna go over this thing the way the police have got it

and you tell me where they’re wrong, huh?

At ten minutes to midnight on October 9th. You and two other guys

were walking down Thurmond Street.

You just come out of a movie house.

Kenny Archer just come out of an apartment building

on Thurmond and Avenue C, you bumped into each other.

There was some horseplay but the next thing that happened

you and the other two guys were running away

and Kenny fell to the sidewalk

and started crawling toward the stoop of a house.

Now there were two people sitting on the steps

of that building.

They saw you running away

and they saw Kenny die right in front of them.

Then a half an hour later,

the cops picked you up in your old man’s store

and you still had the knife in your pocket.

It wasn’t me.

The rest of that stuff it’s true.

But I didn’t hurt Kenny.

All right, who were the other two guys?

-I don’t know. -Don’t give that!

I tell you I don’t know!

They came out that movie the same time I did.

But I never saw them before. One of them must have done it.

When I saw Kenny was hurt, I ran away.

-That’s how it was. -But you had the knife.

But I didn’t use it!

Look, kid, that knife is Exhibit A, you know what means?

-Leave me alone! -The witnesses saw you holding the knife--

You are not here to help me!

Yes, I am, kid, the only way you can be helped.

Now, listen to me and do what I tell you.

I want you to plead guilty. Do you understand?

That’s the only thing you can do. If I put this case in front of the jury,

you’re gonna spend the rest of your life in a cage.

-You plead guilty, the judge may give you a break. -Nuh-uh.

I won’t do it! I am innocent.

I’m not going to stay in jail for something I didn’t do!

-I’m talking sense to you, boy, will you listen to me? -But I didn’t do it!

-I swear it! -I’m trying to help you, son.

I’m not your son.

I got a father.

Let me out of here, will you?

You’d better talk some sense into him.

I told him if he’d plead guilty in the second degree,

the judge is bound to be lenient.

But then he goes to jail for something he didn’t do.

Look, Mr. Marino, because you’re his father

doesn’t give you the right to ignore the facts.

The facts are wrong!

I know,

you don’t like to lose cases.

If my boy pleads guilty, you lose nothing.

Your record’s still good.

All right, if you feel that way about it,

if you think that’s my reason, get yourself another lawyer.

Please, please, I don’t know what I’m saying.

-I don’t know anything about the law. -Well, I do.

And I know this much, Mr. Marino, your faith in your kid is very commendable.

But it’s no defense in the courtroom.

All right, we plead not guilty.

I’ll do what I can to make it stick.

Why shouldn’t it?

It’s the truth.

Why shouldn’t stick?

Because the prosecution has got witnesses.

Mr. Dankers, you were present

at the time of Kenneth Archer slaying, isn’t that so?

That’s right.

Would you please describe what happened?

Well, I was sitting on the stoop,

getting a breath.

Then the kids come running up the street.

I didn’t pay no attention until they stop fooling around.

Next thing I know,

one of them drops to the sidewalk,

and the rest of them run away.

Then the kid,

crawls up to the stoop.

Only, he dies before he gets there.

How far away from the boys were you when scuffle occurred?

Uh, not far.

Maybe 40 or 50 feet.

I see, close enough for you to get a look at them?

-I only saw one of them good. -[lawyer] Oh.

There’s a street lamp near the apartment building,

isn’t there?

Yeah.

So you didn’t have any trouble seeing the boy who stabbed Kenneth Archer.

I didn’t see the actual stabbing.

But I saw the boy run away with the knife in his hands.

Do you see the boy in this courtroom now, Mr. Dankers?

Yeah, I see him.

It’s that one over there.

Mrs. Archer, I-I’m very sorry,

I’ll try to be as brief as possible, but I must ask you these questions.

You said that Kenneth was a good son.

Yes.

-Yes, he was very good. -All right.

He was always helping me around the house.

[lawyer] Did he ever get into any trouble?

No, never, never.

-Was he ever picked up by the police? -No.

He never, never was.

All right.

Did he ever get into any fights

with other boys?

No.

All right, Mrs. Archer.

Sorry.

Would counsel care to cross-examine?

Well, what do you say, Benjy?

Look, kid, if I could work miracles, I’d work one. You can get life!

Even if you got out on parole in 20 years, you know what you’d be worth?

Now, you’re gonna plead guilty.

Benjy, will you please plead guilty?

No.

I didn’t do it.

I didn’t!

Not going so well, is it? Mm.

Of course is not going so well.

I wish I could figure out some way to get that old man on the stand.

He’s got a fanatical faith in that kid of his,

it might just rub off on the jury.

Do you think he’s innocent?

That question is immaterial,

irrelevant and none of your business.

You do not look all well.

You don’t look at all well.

And I think when this is over, you ought to see a doctor.

You know that’s not a bad idea.

Do you remember Doc, uh, Hagerty?

But he’s not the kind of doctor I mean.

-I mean a good all-round GP. -Yeah, yeah.

I’m going out. I’ll be at the Dugan Hospital

if anybody wants me.

I don’t understand you, Vernon, you say the police already examined the boy’s knife

for bloodstains, using the standard benzidine test.

That’s right. And they didn’t find anything,

so they claim that the kid had wiped the blade clean.

But you told one time there was some kind of the test that’s even more sensitive.

There is. It’s called the reduce phenolphthalein test.

It’s a lot more sensitive in my opinion,

but it’s not universally accepted.

Yeah, well, could you make that test now?

It’s all right with me. Just get me the boy’s knife.

No, I can’t do that, it’s court property.

But could, could you demonstrate the test for me using another knife

that’s just like it?

-I suppose so. -Good.

I picked this up on the way over.

It’s the same type that Benjy Marino carried.

Pretty cheap, too, 98 cents.

The cheaper the better.

Well, first, we’ll put some whole blood on the blade.

And we’ll wipe off all traces of the blood.

Here, take a look.

See any stains?

Clean as a whistle.

Now, we’ll try it in the solution.

Now, the blade may look clean, but

with a cheap knife, the blade metal

is usually porous, so it retains microscopic quantities of the blood.

Mm.

Changes color and gets dark, huh?

If the solution changes color, Vernon,

you can be sure there was blood on the blade.

There’s only one drawback.

What’s that?

This test doesn’t prove whose blood was on the knife.

If your boy cut his own finger, it’ll work just the same.

He’ll look just as guilty.

-Hello, Benjy. -Hello, Mr. Wedge.

Now you listen to me and listen carefully.

I’ve thought of something that might just save you.

It’s a test, now, this is a chemical test that can determine

whether or not there’s ever been blood on your knife.

Now, I’m gonna make that test in court tomorrow. And if it’s negative,

the jury will know that you didn’t kill Kenny Archer.

No, I don’t understand that kind of stuff.

I’m not asking you to understand anything. But if you stabbed

that kid, a jugful of chemicals is going to turn dark, and you can kiss your freedom goodbye.

Now, there’s something else.

If you ever cut anybody with that knife,

the chemicals are going to turn dark, too.

Now, you tell me something, and I want you to tell me the truth.

Has there ever been blood on that knife?

I told you I never cut him.

Do you understand my question? I wanna know

if there’s ever been blood of any kind on that knife.

No.

-It’s brand new. I never cut nothing with it. -Are you sure?

You never cut your own finger?

I said it was clean.

Mr. Wickers, if the prosecution has no further witnesses,

do you wish to make your summation?

[Mr. Wickers] Yes, Your Honor.

-Your Honor. -Yes, Mr. Wedge?

Something has occurred which I consider

to be a paramount importance to this case.

I ask the court’s permission to introduce new evidence for the defense.

[Mr. Wickers] Objection.

The defense has had sufficient time for the introduction

of evidence. I suggest that this is a delaying tactic.

What sort of evidence, Mr. Wedge?

This is a demonstration, Your Honor, which in my opinion,

will clearly establish the guilt or innocence of my client.

If Mr. Wedge would like a postponement--

I don’t want a postponement. I want to make this demonstration.

If I may describe it.

Very well, counsel. You may proceed.

What is this, Mr. Wedge?

Your Honor, this is a chemical solution

specifically formulated for the detection of bloodstains.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Exhibit A in this case is a knife.

The knife which presumably killed Kenneth Archer.

Now, this knife

was found in the possession of Benjy Marino on the night of the slaying.

However, not one word of testimony has been produced in this court

concerning the vital factor of blood.

Now this knife has not left the possession of this court since my client’s arrest.

However, this clean, shiny blade can still tell a story of guilt or innocence.

Because as any biochemist knows, there is one infallible test

which can determine whether an object of such porous metal

has ever tasted even one drop of blood.

Your Honor, it’s my intention to prove once and for all

whether I’m defending a boy falsely accused or a lying murderer.

I intend to dip the blade of this knife into a solution of reduced phenolphthalein.

A reduced phenolphthalein is the most sensitive

of all blood detection chemicals.

-If-- -One moment, Mr. Wedge.

You say that beaker contains what kind of solution?

Reduced phenolphthalein.

And how can be certain that it contains this chemical?

Could be lemonade for all that we know.

I have a statement from Dr. Hagerty of the Dugan Hospital.

Well, if you plan to produce expert testimony--

I plan only to make this test, Mr. Wickers.

Your Honor, objection!

[judge] State your objection, counsel.

Defense is acting improperly.

The police laboratory has already made

the standard test on the weapon and has found no bloodstains on the blade.

Prosecution has stated that the knife was obviously wiped clean.

Your Honor, the sensitivity of this test--

At no time during this trial has the prosecution

denied the absence of bloodstains on Benjamin Marino’s knife.

Now, Mr. Wedge is trying to demonstrate something we already know.

Using a test which is not accepted as standard laboratory procedure.

I suggest that this so-call demonstration is nothing but pure theatrics,

but with an intention to mislead

and to confuse the jury.

Mr. Wedge,

the court must agree with the prosecution.

You’re not an expert in forensic chemistry.

Mere corroboration of the police laboratory report is gratuitous evidence

and must be considered inadmissible.

Your Honor, my client is willing to have me make this test.

The boy is aware of the chance he’s taking.

I’m sorry, this demonstration is improper.

Objection is sustained.

You may not make the test, Mr. Wedge.

Mr. Wedge, if you please make your summation to the jury.

I believe that Benjy Marino is innocent.

I believe he’s innocent because of a test that I was not permitted to make.

This boy knew that if the results of the tests were negative

he would be condemned to prison for the rest of his life.

And no guilty person would have allowed it.

Foreman of the jury please rise.

-Has the jury reached its verdict? -[foreman] We have, Your Honor.

Please read it to the court.

We find the defendant

not guilty.

You can wait right here in the judge’s chamber.

Your attorney will be with you in a moment.

Bless you, for what you did, Mr. Wedge.

I didn’t come here to be congratulated.

I wanted to see you both for another reason.

The prosecuting attorney was right, Mr. Marino. What I did out there

-was theatrics, pure theatrics. -I don’t understand.

I mean I didn’t want to make that test.

I would have had to if they hadn’t objected,

but that was the chance I took.

You didn’t want to?

Look, if this stuff had turned dark,

it would have been all over for your boy.

I was counting on the prosecution objection,

I figured on it.

I also figured that the jury

would be impressed in the right way.

And that’s all I could hope for.

The knife would have been all right. I know it would.

And how do you know, Mr. Marino? Because you’ve got faith?

Yes.

In that case, there’s only one way

we can find out, isn’t there?

We’ll make the test now for our own sakes.

Why? What difference does it make now?

Because I want to know. That’s why!

Here.

Make your test.

Make your tests now, Mr. Wedge.

Those of you with a passion for peripheral detail

would be interested in knowing

that the actual killers, in this case,

were ultimately brought to justice.

As for this next detail, it is a television commercial.

An item for which I have a passion.

Frankly, I like them because I feel so wonderful when they’re over.

Which is when I shall next see you.

I hope you have enjoyed singing along with Hitch.

It is the best way I know to indulge in a community sing

without actually having to rub elbows with one’s neighbors.

Next week, we should be back, myself and all the gang.

Until then, goodnight.