Original subtitles

(suspenseful music)

(suspenseful music)

(knocking on door)

- Please, gentlemen, how many times

must I ask you to go away?

Mrs. Craig refuses to see any reporters.

- [Reporter] We only want a minute.

- You've any idea what happened to Mr. Craig?

- Yeah, did he have any enemies?

- All right, you can go in, Cedric.

- Very good, Mr. Weldon.

- I appreciate how anxious you boys are for an interview,

but Mrs. Craig is under a very severe strain.

- Who are you?

- I'm Anthony Weldon, a friend of the family.

- Well, how about giving us the dope on the case, huh.

- Yeah, any idea what happened to him?

- Was there a ransom note?

- No, no note.

You know as much about this as we do.

- What about the police.

Did they find out anything?

- Not that we know of.

Suppose you ask them?

- Well look, could we go in

and have just a minute with Mrs. Craig?

- I'm sorry, but that's impossible.

Now, if you boys will show a little consideration,

I promise to keep you informed.

Otherwise, I shall have to ask the police to keep you away.

That's all there is to it.

- Well, he's a big help.

- I just called the police.

They have nothing to report.

- [Ed] Oh, we're getting nowhere.

I think we oughta call in a private investigator.

What do you think, Mr. Phillips?

- Well, if everybody else agrees.

It's all right with me.

- Very definite, my dear.

That's the kind of initiative

I've had to put up with all my life.

- Oh please, Aunt Delia, must you always pick on him?

- What do you think, Tony?

- A splendid idea.

Anybody particular in mind?

- Yes, I'd like to get a fella named Nick Trayne.

He's a good friend of mine.

- (scoffs) I thought you'd get a friend of yours

to protect my charming stepmother,

who is so grief stricken.

- Tina, I'm ashamed of you.

- Oh, it's all right, Delia, Tina's overwrought.

I know she doesn't mean it.

- Oh, don't I though?

- Don't pay any attention to Tina, Mrs. Craig.

She's terribly upset.

- I know, Billie.

Is this Nick Trayne a good man, Mr. Moline?

- He's one of the best.

He used to be chief investigator

at the District Attorney's Office.

- Well, then by all means, let's get him.

- Well, it may not be so easy.

He gave up the DA's job a long time ago.

- Oh.

- Said he was fed up with the detective business.

- What's he doing?

Where's he now?

- I don't know.

I'll have to look him up.

- Oh, if he's as good as you say,

you must get him by all means.

- I'll do my best.

Well, Billie, you better come along with me.

If Mr. Trayne agrees to take the case,

you'll have to drive him back here.

I have some business to attend to in town tonight.

- Yes, sir, can I get you something, Mrs. Craig?

- No, thank you, dear.

- Will you be leaving right away Mr. Moline?

- Right away.

- I'll be right with you.

(suspenseful music)

What kind of a gag is that?

- You got me, but if I know Nick, it must be a pip.

- What sort of a fellow is he?

- He's a little on the eccentric side.

- A little?

- Clever men usually are.

- Come on, here we go, come on.

Sit down now, nice doggy.

Hello, brother, hiya, sister (speaking gibberish).

- I beg your pardon?

- (speaking gibberish) Don't you think?

- I, I'm sure I don't know.

- Don't know, well, suppose we go inside and find out?

(chuckles) Geez.

(whistles) Come on, come.

- That wouldn't be brother Trayne, would it?

- No, he's not that eccentric.

- (whistles) I hope.

(Double-talker speaking gibberish)

(Double-talker laughing)

(Double-talker sneezes loudly)

(Double-talker laughing)

(Double-talker speaking gibberish)

- Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, ooh, ooh, ah (laughing).

(speaking gibberish) Come on, come on.

Shedding (laughs)!

Here we go, come on, come on.

That's a nice boy.

That's a nice boy (laughing loudly).

Woof, woof (laughing loudly)!

(Double-talker speaking gibberish)

- Are you sure we're in the right ward?

- Yes, now look, if Nick is stubborn and is hard to handle,

I want you to help me sell him the idea.

- Me?

- Yes.

- How?

- Well, I just want you to insult his professional ability.

That's one thing he can't stand.

- Oh, I see.

- Oh, you don't know how happy you made me, brother Trayne.

- My dear sister,

if I've done anything to alleviate your distress,

I am profoundly gratified.

- [Sister Lapidus] And when shall

I see you again, Brother Trayne?

- [Nick] Any time you want

to unburden yourself, Sister Lapidus.

- [Sister Lapidus] So I say next week sometime?

- [Nick] Yes.

- And you'll be surprised how much new troubles

I'll have for you by that time.

- Very well, next week then.

- Goodbye, Brother Trayne.

- Goodbye, Sister Lapidus.

- (speaking gibberish) Thanks (speaking gibberish).

- There's one more thing I forgot to tell you,

and you know, you know I told you something about my man.

Will you keep quiet and let me talk, you nuisance you?

You remember my nephew, Maury,

the one that's in the car business?

Do you remember him?

Well, that's what I wanted, never mind.

It will just have to go on my next week's troubles.

(speaking in foreign language) Brother Trayne.

(speaking in foreign language)

(Double-talker speaking gibberish)

- Hi Ed, what're you doing here?

I mean uh, Brother Moline.

Do you desire to unburden yourself, huh?

- Oh uh, yes, yes.

I have something of great importance to discuss with you.

- Well uh, come right in.

Here, do come right in.

Oh, I'm sorry dear brothers and sisters,

but I'll be occupied until closing time.

Please come back tomorrow, not you.

- This is Mr. Nick Trayne, Billie.

Billie Hilton, Nick.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- Sit down, please.

Now, my dear brother and sister,

if you would like to get down to your case,

I would (chuckles).

Just a matter of routine.

You know I always do that.

I set the alarm, customer comes in, I turn it off,

the times up and I've made another two dollars.

- What goes on?

What're you supposed to be?

- Promise not to laugh?

- Yes.

- A professional listener.

- Come again.

- I charge two dollars an hour

and listen to people's troubles.

- Why do people tell you their troubles?

- Well, because nobody

can keep their troubles to themselves.

They have nobody to talk to, so they come to me

and I listen sympathetically.

- What's the gag?

- There's no gag at all.

It's on the level.

It makes them feel better,

and I make a living without raising my blood pressure.

- Is this uh, part of your racket,

or did you just have a shampoo?

- Huh, oh this (chuckles).

Just a little professional touch.

Makes me look like a swami.

Very impressive, don't you think?

Abdul's Turkish Bath.

Right now I have more of these towels

than Abdul has (laughs).

What's on your mind, Ed?

- Walter Craig's disappeared.

We're afraid he's been kidnapped.

- Yeah, I read about it.

- We need your help.

- Oh, no soap, Ed.

I quit all that a long time ago.

- Now, wait a minute, this is different.

- Save your breath.

I tell ya, I'm through.

- So this is the famous Nick Trayne

you've been raving about?

Doesn't look to me as though he could

find his way through a glass door.

- Oh, you're wrong, Billie.

Nick has mopped up many big cases.

- Scotch or bourbon?

- Oh no, he had quite a rep when he quit.

- If he was so good, why did he quit?

That doesn't make sense to me.

- Sweet little wench, isn't she?

Well, if you must know sister,

I quite the business because I got tired

of spending all my time with murderers and thieves.

- Did you have to send you diploma

back to the correspondence school

when you stopped detecting, brother?

- Oh, Billie, I think that Mr. Trayne

must've had his reasons for refusing.

- You're darn right I have.

- I could imagine.

How would it look in the papers?

Great Nick Trayne comes out of retirement,

to solve mysterious disappearance and flops.

- Oh yeah, well let me tell you something?

There never was a case I couldn't crack.

- My, what big talk.

If you're not afraid why don't you crack this case?

- How about it Nick?

What do you say?

- Ah, I'd be crazy to go back in that detective racket.

- Go back?

- Billie, ah, that's too bad, Nick.

Mrs. Craig is quite willing to pay quite a large fee.

To say nothing of the $25,000.00 reward.

- $25,000.00, $25,000.00!

(scoffs) But of course, money means nothing to me.

- Now I know you're a sap.

There never was an ear on anybody

that wasn't sympathetic to that tune.

- No?

- No.

- Well, here's two, one here and one here.

Do you see them?

- Mm hmm, with a vacuum in the middle.

- That last crack leaves me with just two choices.

Either I take the case or I take you over my knee.

- You wouldn't have the nerve to do either.

- Oh, wouldn't I?

- No.

- Well, before I get through, I'll do both.

Right now, I'll take the case first.

- Oh, great, it's definite, let's go.

You'll take him down to Craig.

- Your ribbing act was quite amusing (laughs).

Now, let's get down to business.

How long have you worked for Mr. Craig?

- Two years, he and my father were great friends.

When Dad died he offered me a job as his secretary.

- Is he a nice fella?

- He's one of the best, gentle and considerate.

- How come you live with the Craig's?

- Well, he conducts his business from his home.

It's much more convenient that way.

- I'll bet it is.

I'd ask you to go to work for me

if I thought you'd live at my house.

- You work fast, don't you?

- Well, if I work too fast, tell me where to get off.

- Okay, you can get off right here.

- What?

- Because here we are.

(Nick laughs)

Mrs. Craig, this is Mr. Trayne.

- I'm glad you're here, Mr. Trayne.

- Thanks.

- Mr. And Mrs. Phillips.

- [George] How do you do?

- [Delia] Mr. Trayne.

- How do you do?

- Mrs. Phillips is Mr. Craig's sister,

and Tina, Mr. Craig's daughter,

her fiance, Arthur Wallace.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

- And Tony Weldon, Mr. Craig's closest friend.

- It's a pleasure.

Now that you're here maybe we'll get someplace.

- Perhaps, but first I'd like to find out

what each of you know about this.

- If you think I'm going to summit

to a cross examination tonight,

you're sadly mistaken, goodnight!

- Now, see what you did, Tina!

- What did I do?

What's eating them anyway?

- Oh please forgive her?

She's been under a great strain.

- [Delia] We all have been.

- Perhaps it would be better to wait till morning.

A good night's sleep will do us all some good.

- That's okay with me.

I'm in no hurry.

- Would you have Cedric show Mr. Trayne to his room.

- Certainly.

- And now, if you'll pardon me.

I'll go to my room too.

- Hate and death are in this house.

If you're wise, you'll leave right now.

Come along, George.

- Is she on the level?

- Yes, but she doesn't mean a thing.

- Delia thinks she has psychic powers.

There isn't a cult that she doesn't belong to.

- Looks like she'd make a good zombie.

- Oh, you'll get used to her.

Well, I think I'll be getting home.

- You live far from here?

- No, just out in back in the guest house.

If you get a chance tomorrow, drop in.

I'd like to talk to you.

- Thanks, I will.

- Goodnight, goodnight, Miss Hilton.

- Goodnight.

I'm beginning to think that everybody around here

is a little bit nutty, except us,

and I have my doubts about us.

- Want me to drive you back to your listening post?

- Very funny, very funny.

Supposing you tell me all you know.

Go ahead, I'm listening.

- Two dollars an hour?

- No, this one's on me.

When was Mr. Craig last seen?

- Ah, night before last.

He went to his room about 11 o'clock.

No one's seen or heard from him since.

- Well, didn't his wife hear him get up?

- No, they have different rooms.

- Oh, personally I don't go for that kind of a marriage.

Where were you then?

- I was in my room.

- What were you doing?

- I was undressing.

What's that got to do with it?

- Oh nothing, just a healthy curiosity.

Well, please go ahead as they say in the DA's office.

- Very well, in the morning

the butler found Mr. Craig's bed hadn't been slept in.

- And you haven't had word of him since?

- No, and everyone's at their wits end.

- Judging from what I saw here tonight,

they didn't have far to go.

- Mr. Trayne.

- Just call me Nick.

How long have the Craig's been married?

- Three years, Mr. Craig lost his first wife

when Tina was 12.

- Tina, that's the little spitfire

that started the walkout, huh?

- Yes.

- No love lost between them I take it.

- Amazing bit of deduction, Mr. Trayne.

Allow me to congratulate you.

- Oh, I'm very clever that way.

You'll get used to me.

Where did you hide the body?

- Why, why for two pins I'd slug you!

- Ah, don't take it that way.

I just thought if you killed him,

I'd find out right away,

and save a lot of time around here.

- Mr. Trayne, do I look like a murderess?

- Mm, no, but you look very interesting.

- I ought to twist that sympathetic ear of yours.

- What, and deprive me of my living?

- You rang, Miss Hilton?

- Yes, Cedric, will you please show Mr. Trayne

to one of the guest rooms?

- Very good, Miss.

Will you follow me, sir?

- I'd prefer it that way.

Well, so long.

I'll um, I'll see you in my dreams.

- If I see you in mine, it'll be a nightmare.

(Nick chuckles)

- Here you are, sir.

- Okay, it'll do.

- Very good, sir.

- Oh uh, hey, you, Cedric,

how much do you charge to haunt a house?

- I don't know, sir.

How much do you usually charge?

- (chuckles) Oh, a drip, huh?

(Delia screaming)

(suspenseful music)

Where is that coming from?

- It's downstairs, Delia.

I heard a scream, I heard it!

(Delia sobbing)

- [Nick] Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Phillips!

- [Tina] What is it, Auntie, what is it?

- What is it, dear?

What's the matter?

- Pull yourself together and tell us what happened.

- [Delia] Look (sobbing) oh!

- [Tina] Father!

- Oh, Mr. Craig.

- Dad, Dad!

Is he dead?

- No, he's alive all right.

Better get a doctor right away.

- Arthur, get a doctor quick.

- Yes, dear.

- Somebody help me carry him up to his room.

- Allow me, sir.

- Don't you ever sleep?

- No, sir, insomnia.

- Insomnia huh, I'll bet he's got it so bad,

he can't even sleep when it's time to get up.

- Well, good morning, Mr. Moline.

- Good morning, Cedric.

Where is everybody?

- In the living room, sir.

- Thank you, good morning, Helen.

- Oh Ed, this is terrible, terrible.

- Oh, there, there.

Now, I'm sure he's gonna be all right.

Hello Tina, hello Arthur.

- [Arthur] Hello, Ed.

- Hello Nick, what did the doctor say?

- I don't know yet.

He's still upstairs with him.

- Strange, very strange.

What do you make of it?

- You got me, but a guy doesn't walk out of this house

in the middle of the night,

and come back in that condition

without somebody pulling a fast one.

- I warned you last night young man,

but you wouldn't listen.

The ascended spirit is ordained to punishment.

- You said it sister.

That which is ordained is ordained.

- The truth will burn its mark upon the spirits.

- That which is ordained is ordained.

- In ascendance will be found complete perfection.

- [Nick] That which is ordained is ordained.

- We will talk again, Mr. Trayne.

- Yeah, ma'am, I mean sister.

(chuckles) Somebody comes around here with a butterfly net,

I'll know who they're after (laughs).

- How is he, doctor?

- Well, I can't tell yet.

I've never seen a case quite like this one,

so I hesitate to make a diagnosis without consultation.

- Well, is he in pain?

- No, there is no pain.

- But Doctor, what happened to him?

- I'm sorry to say that Mr. Craig

has suffered a severe brain injury.

- A brain injury?

- Yes, I'll arrange with Dr. Bruhling, a brain specialist,

to see him at once.

Until then I can tell you nothing.

- Oh, poor Walter.

- Oh, Doctor, I'd like to have a little talk with you.

- Yes, Mr. Trayne.

- What do you think about the ah, the,

let's go in the library.

Say Doc, did you find any evidence of violence?

- No, nothing at all.

- Strictly between us, what do you think of his chances?

- I can't tell.

- Can't or won't?

- I can't.

- I'm the sympathetic listening ear around here, Jeeves.

- I beg your pardon, sir.

- Okay, why must there be a butler in every murder mystery?

I'm sorry, Doc.

Do you think Mr. Craig could've come back to this house

by himself in his present condition?

- There is no evidence of paralysis.

He can probably walk,

but I doubt if he came back here unassisted.

- Well, thanks, Doc.

That's all I wanted to know.

- That's quite all right.

(Billie screams)

(Nick gasps)

- [Billie] Oh Nick, don't ever do a thing like that again.

You scared me out of my wits.

- That makes two of us.

- Nick, how could this have all happened?

- I don't know.

If Craig had been killed,

an autopsy would've established a time and cause of death,

but as it is in his present condition,

we've got nothing to go by.

- If we could only find out why.

- Yeah, that's the rub.

If we could find out why then we're getting someplace.

Footprints, somebody must've carried Craig

through this window last night.

- [Billie] Do you think it's someone in this house?

- Now don't try to pin me down.

I'm only guessing.

Those look like prints made from rubber overshoes.

- [Billie] I wonder whose they could be.

- That's where you come in.

Try and find the shoes that fit those prints.

- [Ed] What're you two doing?

- Just talking about the weather.

Incidentally, where were you during the rain last night?

- In bed, sound asleep.

- Can you prove it?

- I regret to say no.

I sleep alone.

- Kind of lonesome, isn't it?

Ah, nice shoes you've got on, brand new, aren't they?

- Yes, say, what do my shoes got to do with this?

- Oh, nothing, I hope.

Well, I'll be back in a jiffy.

I just wanna talk to somebody.

(dog barking)

- Blitz, come here, come on, boy.

Go on, get in the house.

Sorry, Mr. Trayne.

Blitz barks a lot, but I know he wouldn't bite you.

- (chuckles) But does he know it?

Say, how about that little talk we were gonna have?

- Surely, come on inside.

Sit down.

- Thanks.

- Smoke?

- Sure.

- You know, I can't tell you how shocked I am about Walter.

Best friend I have.

When the doctor made me quit work on account of my heart,

Walter insisted that I come here and live.

- That was nice of him.

- [Tony] Poor chap, you know, I'd give my right arm

to be able to help him.

- Well, since you know him so well,

supposing you tell me something about him?

- Oh, Walter's a fine man, generous and good to a fault.

He was pretty lonely after the death of his first wife,

and about three years ago he married Helen.

Met her in Moline's office, but--

- Moline's office?

- Yes, she was his secretary.

The Craig's are, oh, I guess you'd call it snobbish,

and it wasn't very easy for her at first,

but she came through like a trooper,

and now everybody likes her.

- Yeah, there seems to be

two trains of thought on that subject.

- Oh, if it's Tina you're referring to,

that's because she's young and I regret to say selfish.

- How about the Phillips?

- Well, George Phillips has been a failure all his life.

It's made a bitter woman of Delia.

It's one reason she's turned to cults.

- Have there been any clashes between members of the family?

- Not to my knowledge,

well, with the exception of Tina and her stepmother.

- Well, I guess I'd better get back.

- Well, if I can be of any further service.

- Thanks, I may call on you.

- Oh Nick, where in the world have you been?

We've been looking all over for you.

Dr. Bruhling the specialist is here.

He's upstairs with Dr. Taggert now.

- Good, I wanna talk to him alone.

Oh Ed, if Craig died, who'd inherit the estate?

- Most of it would go to Tina, why?

- Oh, oh nothing.

I'm sorry to bust in this way,

but I'd like to have a few words with Dr. Bruhling.

- This is Mr. Trayne.

Mrs. Craig has engaged him as a special investigator.

- Hiya, Doc, what's wrong with him.

- Mr. Craig may not regain possession

of his mental faculties for perhaps a year or two.

- Poor guy, it isn't amnesia, is it?

- No, no, no, in Mr. Craig's case,

the cells of the cortex of the brain are paralyzed.

- Well, how could that happen?

- (chuckles) I'm a doctor, young man, not a clairvoyant.

- Does he have to stay in bed?

- Oh, no, no, no, he can walk,

but he shouldn't be permitted to do so alone.

Therefore, he'll require constant watching.

- Okay, Doc, thanks a lot.

- Psst, Mr. Trayne.

- Oh hello, Mr. Wallace.

What's on your mind?

- Where can we talk?

- Huh?

- I say, where can we talk?

- Well, come into my room.

Go ahead, shoot.

- Mr. Trayne, in view of what happened,

I think you ought to know everything.

- Yeah, I agree with you there.

- Well, if it wasn't for Mr. Craig

being found in that condition this morning,

I wouldn't have thought anything about it.

- Neither would I.

- Then you know?

- Know what?

- What I'm about to tell you.

- Oh, for the love of Mike, get to the point.

So far you've told me nothing,

except that you didn't wanna tell it to me.

- Well, that's right, I didn't,

but the more I thought of it,

the more convinced I became that you had a right to know.

- To know what?

Spill it, will ya, spill it.

- Please, please, not so loud.

He'll hear it.

- Who hear what?

What is this, a game?

If it is, let me in on it, I'll play.

- Do you know who I saw in the garden late last night?

- I'll bite, Mr. Bones.

Who did you see in the garden late last night?

- George Phillips.

- Are you sure?

- Certainly, I could see him clearly from my window.

- Doesn't anybody sleep around here at night?

- Well, the banging of the shutters woke me,

and when I went to close them, I saw him.

- Was he alone?

- As far as I could see.

Do you, can you possibly conceive

that George Phillips was the one who, who.

- Who brought Craig back?

I don't know.

- Why, imagine George doing that to Mr. Craig.

It's too monstrous to conceive.

- I guess that's why you thought of it.

- Well, I, I must go now.

You won't say anything about this to anyone, will you?

- I wouldn't tell a soul, not even George.

He might not like it.

- (chuckles) Thanks.

- Oh, Nick, I.

Oh, hello, Mr. Wallace.

- How do you do, Miss Hilton?

Say, those are my overshoes.

What're you doing with them?

- Well, I, I just thought I might be going out tonight,

and in case it rained I'd be already.

- Well, you might at least have asked me for them.

- Nick, Nick, those, those shoes

match the prints we saw in the garden.

- No kidding?

- Yeah.

- Well, why did you give them to him?

- Why did I give them to him?

He just took them away from me

while you stood there looking like a dope.

- How was I suppose to know

that those were the rubber shoes?

- Well, what did you think I was doing,

collecting for the rubber drive?

- All right, all right, anybody would think we were married

the way you yell at me.

Say, that's funny.

Do you know why he was here?

- To give you a written confession I suppose.

- Oh, cut the sarcasm.

Where's Phillip's room?

- Down the hall by the staircase.

- Well, let's go down the hall by the staircase.

Oh, Mr. Phillips, I'd like to talk to you.

- Not here, meet me in the garden at eight o'clock.

- I beg your pardon, sir.

- Well.

- Dracula, the butler, could certainly show up

at the most inopportune times, come on.

(bell tolling)

(frogs croaking)

(George moaning)

Mr. Craig, what have you done?

Phillips, oh, Mr. Craig, why would you wanna do.

(frogs croaking)

Mr. Craig, how in the world did you ever.

(frogs croaking)

- Say, what's the big idea?

- That's what I wanna find out.

Now, start talking and fast.

- What do you mean?

- Ah, don't play any dumber than you are.

Did you kill George?

- George, George, dead?

Why, I don't believe it.

- Well, if you don't believe it, go and ask him.

He's over there.

- I, I don't know anything about it.

- Oh, of course not,

and I suppose you're wearing gloves on a warm night

because you don't wanna soil your hands shooting people.

- But he was stabbed.

- Oh, if you didn't know he was dead,

how did you know he was stabbed, not shot?

- Well, I, I don't know, I, I--

- Yeah, you just guessed it.

Well, I'll give you a chance to explain it to the police.

The coroner find out anything, Pete?

- Just that he's dead.

- Great, that makes it official.

- It's a funny thing,

but no sooner do you get back in this racket

then someone gets killed.

- Maybe my face scared him into suicide.

- Yeah, maybe it did.

All right, junior, what've you got to say for yourself?

- Yeah, all we want is a signed confession,

and we can all go home.

- You can't intimidate me.

I know my rights.

I won't say anything without a lawyer.

- (chuckles) He wants a lawyer.

- Maybe he doesn't trust us.

- Come on, Buster, start talking.

I'm here to do business.

- My name is not Buster, it's Arthur Wallace.

- A very pretty name,

but it doesn't explain why you killed Phillips.

- I didn't kill him!

I had nothing to do with it.

- What were you doing in the garden?

- I went there to meet Tina, Miss Craig.

- What about your gloves?

- Well, I, I'd just driven up.

I have an open car.

- And you always wear your gloves when you drive.

- Yes, how did you know?

- Look, this is a very simple matter.

Just tell me why you bumped the guy off.

- I refuse to say any more without a lawyer.

- What did you do with your rubber booties?

- I, I won't answer that.

- Maybe he used them to plug up his tires.

- Ha, I never thought of that.

- Okay, you can go now, but don't leave the house.

Call Miss Craig, will you?

- This murder ties up with what happened to old man Craig.

When we crack one, we'll crack the other.

- What's Craig got to do with Phillips?

- Well, I found the old man standing over Phillips body.

- This is a fine time to tell me.

I'm gonna get him.

- What for?

- What for?

To put him under arrest.

That's what's for.

- Oh, you might as well arrest those goldfish.

- Why?

- He doesn't know anymore what it's all about than they do.

- What do you mean?

- I mean he's non compos mentis.

- Is that so, what's that?

- Well, he eats and sleeps all right, but he's in a fog.

- The guy's batty?

- And how, but if you ask me, that's just a coverup.

He was planted there.

Uh oh, here comes the personality kid.

- Did you wanna see me?

- Mm hmm, sit down, Miss Craig.

- I'd rather stand if you don't mind.

- It's okay with me.

Your boyfriend's in a jam.

- A lamebrain like you would get anybody in a jam.

You wouldn't know a murderer if he had a sign on his back.

- Looks like she knows you, Nick.

Are you supposed to meet Buster tonight?

- If you're referring to my fiance, yes.

- When?

- At eight o'clock.

- Where?

- In the garden.

- Why the garden?

- Well, I saw Billie examining his rubber shoes,

and knowing how she feels about you,

I figured it was for your benefit.

- What do you mean eh, how she feels?

- My room, and stayed there until 10 minutes.

Then I went down to the library,

but no one was around, so I went back upstairs.

I stayed there until eight o'clock.

- How did you know the exact time?

- I learned to time at the age of five.

Anyway, when I came back downstairs,

Sherlock Holmes here

was playing cops and robbers with my fiance.

- Anything you wanna say?

- Plenty, but it wouldn't be fit

for her dainty, little ears.

- If you masterminds would question my sweet stepmother,

you might get somewhere.

- We intend to, lady, we intend to.

Okay, you can go now.

- Thank you.

- Isn't she sweet though?

- Tell us, where were you at after dinner?

- Well, I went back to my cottage

and stayed there until Cedric told me what had happened,

and then I hurried here.

- Anybody in your cottage with you?

- Just Blitz.

- We'll question that Blitz guy next.

- Finnegan, go get Mr. Blitz.

- Blitz is Mr. Weldon's dog.

- Why don't someone tell me these things?

Where did you go after dinner?

- I went into the library.

- Were you there all the time?

- Yes, until I heard Arthur and Nick arguing in the garden.

- That was about five minutes after eight, wasn't it?

- I think so.

- Anybody come into the library while you were there?

- No.

- How come Tina Craig didn't see you

when she went in the library at quarter of eight?

- Well, I must've been looking at those books.

- Because you weren't in the library.

You were out taking Phillips temperature with a knife.

- That's ridiculous, why should I wanna kill George?

- That's just what I wanna find out.

- Now, look Ed, either you're lying or Tina Craig is.

Which is it?

- All right, I did leave the library.

- Where'd you go?

- Out into the garden.

- Did you see George Phillips?

- Yes, he appeared nervous,

and he walked away as I approached him,

so I let him alone and then I came back into the house.

- Why didn't you tell us this before?

- Because I didn't wanna lay myself open to suspicion.

- That don't sound kosher to me.

- You must admit it wasn't very bright on your part, Ed.

- Well, perhaps not, but it's the truth.

- Okay, you can go now.

(Pete exhales deeply)

- Look, honey, tell Dr. Bruhling

Nick Trayne wants to see him right away.

- Have you an appointment?

- No, but this is very important.

- All of Dr. Bruhling's cases are important.

Just what's wrong with you?

- Listen sister--

- Dr. Bruhling insists that I find out as much as I can

from patients before he sees them.

- Okay, if you insist.

- That'll be enough.

- Well, you asked me.

Besides, I thought nurses knew all about those things.

- Dr. Bruhling says he'll.

- (chuckles) I thought he would.

(hand thuds)

- Hello, Mr. Trayne.

- Hi, Doc.

- What's this nonsense you've been telling my nurse

that your wooden leg needs lubricating?

- Well, she insisted I had to tell her something.

- (chuckles) I thought as much, sit down.

Now, what's on your mind?

- Well, Dr. Bruhling, yesterday you said

something had happened to the cortex cells

of Mr. Craig's brain,

what did you mean by that?

- Well, in some way Mr. Craig is being

what we doctors call decorticated,

Which means that a portion of the brain

has been temporarily paralyzed.

- No kidding?

Well, how could that happen

to one part of the brain and not the rest?

- Well, perhaps I could explain it to you

with the aid of this chart.

Come this way.

As man developed during millions of years, so did the brain.

As man found more functions to the body,

the brain kept pace.

Cells were developed to do new jobs.

The last of these cells were those of the cortex,

which we refer to as the cortex cerebral.

Now, these cortex are there controlling his thinking,

speaking and all those things which man learned last,

and as they were developed last,

they are therefore the youngest,

and they've always been the weakest,

and they die before any other part of man's body.

Now, young man, you get it?

- Well, I, I think so.

So that's how it happened to Mr. Craig, huh?

- Exactly, only in Mr. Craig's case

the cells are not dead, merely paralyzed.

- Well uh, this decortication or whatever you call it,

can this be done deliberately?

- That's the only way it can be done.

- Well, how is it done?

- Well, you see, these cells require a great deal of oxygen.

If while an anesthetic is being administered,

certain chemicals are added and the oxygen is cut too low,

then the cortex cells are paralyzed.

- So you think that's what happened to Mr. Craig, huh?

- From my analysis, yes, just exactly that.

- Can a thing like this happen accidentally?

- No, never.

- Well, thanks, Doctor.

I think you've given me a pretty good idea

what it's all about.

- [Dr. Bruhling] Glad to be of any service.

- Oh uh, one more thing, Doc,

could Mr. Craig have stabbed Phillips?

- There's no telling what a man

in Mr. Craig's condition could do.

- Well, thanks, Doc.

Some lubricator, Doc.

Good for another thousand miles (whistles).

(light piano music)

My, my, what talent.

- I also play the Victrola.

- Now I'm really impressed.

Where's everybody tonight?

- Well, let's see.

Cedric's somewhere in the house.

Helen's gone to bed and is resting.

Delia's also gone to bed,

having felt very badly all day.

Tina and Arthur are probably holding hands

in some cozy corner,

and Tony and Mr. Moline are upstairs

having decided to stay with the family

until the crisis cleared up.

Here I am, there you are,

which reminds me, Sherlock,

where've you been all day?

- Huh, oh, don't tell anybody,

but I tracked down the murderers, two of them.

- No!

- Yeah, I trailed them to their hideout,

but they discovered me.

There was no escape.

I didn't have a gun.

They started to shoot at me.

- Well, how did you get away?

- I didn't, I was killed.

- Oh, Joe, murdered (chuckles).

And I had to fall for an old one like that.

- Is that the only thing you fell for?

- Exactly what do you mean?

- Well um, they rumor hath it

that though art thy way about me.

- To put it subtly, they rumor is nutty.

- Tina would resent that.

- Tina, so laughing girl's been making up stories about me,

has she, she's right.

- Really?

- I guess I am that way about you, my love,

in a way that wouldn't be fit to print.

(suspenseful music)

Nick, oh, oh (screams).

- Don't you feel well?

- Oh, Nick.

- Whoa, Mr. Craig.

- Oh, Nick.

- Gee, that was close.

Oh Nick, I tried to warn you, but I lost my voice.

- Well, next time put it someplace

where you can find it quick.

Another second I'd been wearing that for a collar button.

- Walter!

- Mr. Craig!

- What've you done to my father?

- What've I done?

A second before that landed I was sitting in the chair,

and he was on the business end of that knife.

- Good heavens, Nick, you don't say he tried to kill you?

- Well, he wasn't gonna give me a shave.

- But I can't understand it.

Walter's always been such a gentle sort of a person.

- [Cedric] Allow me, please.

- Just a minute.

How did Mr. Craig get out of his room?

- I don't know.

I left the room for just a few minutes

to go to the kitchen to get some orange juice.

When I got back he was gone.

- Well, next time you leave the room

get somebody to take your place.

- Yes, sir.

- Nick, Nick, I'm scared.

- That's all right, so am I.

(telephone ringing)

- Mr. Craig's residence.

Who, oh, just a moment, please.

It's for you, Lieutenant Peterson.

- Hello Pete, did you get the information I asked you for?

Good, what did you say the name was, Parson?

- No, Carson, C-A-R-S-O-N, Dr. J.B. Carson.

He ordered the outfit by phone three weeks ago.

Paid for it by money order.

Said he was opening a sanitarium.

- He did, where?

Blakely Road, what's the number?

Make a note of this, 689 Blakely Road.

- And he left instructions

that if no one is there to leave it anyway,

which they did.

- Nobody's even seen him?

Well, that's a big help.

- Say Nick, what's this all about anyway?

- I'll tell ya later, Pete.

Thanks, so long.

Where's the extension here?

There's somebody listening in.

I heard the click.

- It's upstairs in the hall.

- Who was on that phone just now?

- I wouldn't know, sir.

I just came out of Mr. Craig's room.

- You sure?

- Yes, sir.

- If I don't start collecting my old age pension,

it won't be that guys fault.

- Where are you taking me?

- To see a doctor.

- I'm not sick.

- Well, you may be after you see this fella.

His name is Dr. Carson,

and I have a hunch he's the answer to our problem.

- Who is Dr. Carson?

- I don't know,

but Pete told me he bought a cyclopropane propane outfit

under strange circumstances.

- A cyclopro what outfit?

- Cyclopropane, it's an anesthetic machine.

- What's anesthetics got to do with this case?

- Well, I'll get Dr. Bruhling

to explain that to you someday, beautiful.

Anyway, this Carson took over an old dilapidated house.

He said he was turning it into a sanitarium.

- What's so strange about that?

- Well, the strange part is he's not listed

in any of the medical directories

or even in the telephone book.

- Then how you gonna know how to find him?

- Pete told me.

(frogs croaking)

This must be it.

There's no other place for miles around.

- [Billie] Funny looking sanitarium.

- Yeah, maybe it isn't a sanitarium at all.

Maybe he's not a doctor either.

- [Bill] I'll bet this is one place

George Washington really slept in.

- Yeah, and it was probably an antique even then.

Those boards must've come off the front door.

Somebody's been using this dump lately.

Come on, let's try and get in.

- [Billie] Oh, must we?

- Why not, you'll never find out what's inside if we don't.

- [Billie] Well, that won't make me mad.

- Oh, don't be a softy.

(frogs croaking)

I can't see a thing.

- What do we do now?

- Well, let's roam around.

Maybe someone will turn up.

- That's what I'm afraid of.

- [Nick] I bet you could rent this joint cheap.

Remember that name and address.

- Personally, I'd like something a little more modern.

- I'm not thinking of renting it.

I may wanna talk to this guy Hawkins.

(Billie screams)

Boy, what a break.

Now we can get in that open window up there.

- You mean you're actually gonna go into this house?

- [Nick] Why not?

- (scoffs) Why not he says.

- A bit lower, what do you think I am, a midget?

(thunder rumbling)

- Hey Nick, Nick, there's a storm coming up,

and I haven't even got a coat.

Let's go away now

and come back some nice, bright, sunny day, huh.

- Not me, I'm going up.

You wait down here.

- Wait alone, oh no, brother, I'm coming with you.

(window thuds)

(Billie screams)

(thunder rumbling)

- Look, don't, don't ever do that again.

- I'm sorry, Nick, but I saw something in that window.

- Where?

- Up there!

- There's nothing there.

- I could've sworn I seen something moving.

- Oh, you must be seeing things, I hope.

- Oh Nick, look,

let's go home before we get drenched, please.

- Oh, quiet.

- Oh hey, wait a minute, wait for me!

(frogs croaking)

(thunder crashing)

- Why don't you watch where you're going?

- Sorry, Nick.

(frogs croaking) (thunder rumbling)

(suspenseful music)

(thunder crashing)

- Didn't I tell you to stay downstairs?

Look, there's nobody here.

- That's fine, now that we know it let's go, come on.

- Don't be silly.

We're gonna search this place from top to bottom.

- Yeah, I was afraid of that.

(suspenseful music)

- Don't do that.

- Why not?

- How am I gonna run if you're holding onto me?

(thunder rumbling)

(suspenseful music)

(thunder crashing)

Nothing here either.

(thunder crashing)

(feet thudding)

(thunder crashing)

(door thuds)

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

(Nick screams)

For the love of Mike, Billie, don't do that.

- Oh, I'm sorry, Nick.

I only wanted to ask you if you saw anything.

- No, it just goes to show you

what funny tricks your imagination can play on you.

- Even funnier when both our imaginations

play the same trick.

- Yeah.

(thunder crashing)

(feet thudding)

- What's that?

- What's what?

(feet thudding)

- That.

- Must be mice.

- I wish you'd tell them to take their boots off.

(thunder crashing)

(clock ringing)

(Nick chuckles)

I'm all right, Nick.

- Maybe you are, but I'm not.

- Nick, this isn't any time for playing.

- Who's playing?

- (chuckles) Let's call it a day and go home, huh?

- All right, but first I wanna have a look down the cellar.

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

- Nick, I don't see any outfit here.

You satisfied now?

- Yeah, I guess so.

Looks like a wild goose chase.

- Yeah.

(wind whooshing)

(door thuds)

(Billie gasps)

Stay here.

(suspenseful music)

Let me out!

Let me out!

Open the door here!

Open the door!

- What's the matter, Nick?

- It's all right, honey.

Let me out!

Let me outta here!

- Nick, what's the matter?

What happened, Nick?

- Somebody locked us in.

- What're you gonna do?

- I don't know.

That looks like the only way out.

Well, we might as well make ourselves comfortable.

Looks like we're gonna be here a long time.

- How long?

- Mm, till somebody finds us.

- That might take weeks.

- Maybe months, by that time beautiful,

it won't make any difference.

- We might starve to death.

- If we don't go mad from thirst before then.

- Darling.

- Sit down.

Billie, now that the end is near,

there's something I wanna tell you.

- Oh, don't talk like that, Nick.

- Well, we may as well face the truth unflinchingly,

but before I die I want you to know that I love you,

and just being near you,

well, it makes me unafraid of death.

- Oh Nick, darling, oh darling I'm sorry.

I didn't mean half the things I said.

I guess I was just fighting against my feelings for you.

I've loved you, Nick.

I've loved you right from the start.

- Oh, darling.

Well, that's all I wanted to know.

Let's get outta here.

- Get outta here, how?

- Well, just open the door and walk out (laughs).

- Of all the low, why I--

- Now, take it easy.

There's no sense getting mad.

Besides, I had to find out if you love me, didn't I?

I may never get a chance like that again.

- As if I could love any man like you, ha!

- Oh now, honey, don't spoil it.

It was a beautiful moment, admit it.

Something you'll be proud to tell to our children.

- [Billie] Our children,

I wouldn't contaminate the human race with our children.

- [Nick] All right, all right.

Let's finish it after we're married.

Right now I've gotta go after that guy Carson.

- Why, the idea of taking advantage of a girl like that.

I, I don't want anything more to do with you!

I never wanna hear the name Trayne again, I never!

(suspenseful music)

(gun firing)

(Billie screams)

- [Nick] Duck!

(gun firing)

You stay there.

(suspenseful music)

- Nick, be careful.

(gun firing)

(suspenseful music)

(thunder crashing)

(suspenseful music)

(screams) Nick, Nick, Nick!

- Come on, get 'em up!

You all right, honey?

- Oh, it's terrible.

- What happened to you?

Who are you?

Can't you speak?

Why, he's just like Craig.

Carson must've practiced on him.

That cinches it.

Come on, we've got work to do.

- Well, what about him?

- Oh yeah, I'll lock him up

and send Peterson right down here.

You go out and get in the car.

- All right.

- Come on, pal.

- [Billie] Home Realtor, Justice of the Peace,

Deputy Sheriff, Air Raid Warden, and Banjo lessons.

- (laughs) I wonder what he does in his spare time.

(doorbell ringing)

This guy rented a house to Carson.

He oughta know what he looks like.

- He'll probably take a shot at us too

for waking him up at this hour.

- [Homer] Just a minute, just a minute!

- Wanna get married while we're here?

- No, thank you.

When I get married I'll do it in style,

organ, orange blossoms, bridal veil, the whole works.

- Kind of expensive,

but when I crack this I'll have 25 G's.

Do you think that'll cover the works?

- Oh, wanna get married, eh?

- Yeah, but not right away.

Um, are you Mr. Hawkins?

- Yep, Homer Hawkins, that's me.

- Well, tell me, did you sell a rent a place

on Blakely Road to a Dr. J.B. Carson?

- Carson, Carson, yes.

Rented him the Greenly place about three weeks ago.

Got a year's lease and six months rent

in advance too (clicks tongue).

- My, my, business is picking up, isn't it?

- Yep, that's the second deal I put over in five years.

Kind of getting worried about my income tax now.

(Billie laughs)

- (chuckles) What does Carson look like?

- I don't know, never saw him.

- But you said you rented him the place.

- I did over the phone.

Sent me the money by mail,

and I put the keys in the mailbox for him.

- What did he say when he called you up?

- Well, he said he was Dr. Carson

and wanted to rent the house on Blakely Road.

- Would you recognize his voice if you heard it again?

- I reckon I would.

- You sure?

- Got pretty keen ears.

I know every bird call there is.

- (chuckles) Well, thanks Mr. Hawkins.

I'll see you again.

Maybe you could help me catch this bird.

Say, did anybody ever tell you you look just like Skippy?

Well, that's something.

At least we found someone who knows Carson's voice.

- What's Carson's voice got to do with it?

- Well, maybe we can find out who he is through his voice.

- That's a good idea.

Why don't we have Mr. Hawkins come for dinner.

Then we can invite everybody in town too,

and make them say, this is Dr. Carson,

I wanna rent the house on Blakely Road.

- Don't be funny.

(Billie chuckles)

Say, you've given me a great idea, sweetheart.

- What?

- Quiet, I'm thinking.

(frogs croaking)

How are we gonna wake everybody up?

- I could scream.

- Oh no, don't do that.

They'll think somebody else is being murdered.

Wait a minute.

That oughta do it.

(horn blowing)

Happy New Year, Happy New Year!

- What is that noise?

- [Nick] Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

(horn blowing)

- What is that racket?

(horn blowing)

- What's the idea of this?

- I'm sorry to wake you up like this, folks,

but I need the help of everyone in the house.

- At this hour?

- [Nick] There's no time to lose, Buster.

- Stop calling me Buster.

My name is Arthur Wallace.

- Arthur Wallace, I know.

A very pretty name.

Let's go in the living room where there's more room.

Go ahead and light the lights, will you, Jeeves?

Come on everybody.

Sit down everybody, please.

I've got a wild idea.

Too wild to explain fully.

- Trust you for that.

- I wanna make a recording of everybody's voice.

- A recording at this time of the night?

You must be insane.

- If you think I'm going to play games

at this time of the night,

you've got another guess coming.

I'm going back to sleep.

- So am I.

- Now, wait a minute.

Now, get this and get it straight, all of you.

I was hired for a purpose and I'm tired of fooling around.

Now, I mean business.

Do you understand?

Either you cooperate with me,

or I'll put the lot of you in jail,

and don't think I can't do it either.

Now, sit down!

- Well, you must admit

that what you're asking is rather strange.

- That's putting it mildly.

- I agree.

- However, if there is anything we can do to help,

I'm quite sure we're all willing to cooperate.

- Well, I'm not.

- Good, that's settled.

- Well, might we ask the reason for all this, Mr. Trayne?

- Certainly, I have a hunch this will show us

who's responsible for Mr. Craig's condition

and Phillips murder.

- If that's the case, Mr. Trayne,

we'll be glad to do anything you want.

- I thought you would.

Now, I'd like to have each one of you

step up to this microphone and speak naturally,

so it sounds like a voice over the phone.

- Is there anything in particular you'd like us to say?

- Yeah, I'd like to have you say,

this is Dr. Carson, I wanna rent the house on Blakely Road.

Who wants to make the first recording?

- Oh, I'll be the first guinea pig.

- Oh thanks, Ed, here.

Now say, this is Dr. Carson,

I wanna rent the house on Blakely Road.

- This is Dr.--

- Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute.

All right, go ahead.

- This is Dr. Carson,

I'd like to rent the house on Blakely Road.

- This is Dr., this is Dr. Carson.

- I want to rent the house on Blakely Road.

- This is Dr. Carson.

- I want to rent the house on Blakely Road.

- This is Dr. Carson.

I want to rent the house on Blakely Road.

- Thanks, Jeeves.

- This is a lot of childish nonsense.

Who is this Dr. Carson?

- I'll tell ya in the morning.

Goodnight everybody and thanks.

I think we got it.

(bell tolling)

(suspenseful music)

Oh, so it's you, sonny boy.

You shouldn't go around ruining good pillows like that.

(knife thuds)

Oh, so you wanna play, huh?

(fist thuds)

(suspenseful music)

Give me the police department.

I'll talk to Lieutenant Peterson.

(gun firing)

Oh, so you're in it too, huh beautiful?

Nice work, kid.

I'll get you a police badge for this, uh oh.

Oh, hello Pete, I'm sorry to keep you waiting,

but I think you better get over here right away.

Yeah, Craig's house.

Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you.

- All right, take him away.

Come on, that means you.

- Just imagine Tony and Helen being in this thing together.

I still can't understand why they did it.

- The reason is simple.

Tina was left the estate in Craig's will,

so Helen wouldn't get a thing if he died,

but with him alive

and temporarily incapable of handling his affairs,

Helen would have complete charge of the estate,

and could do whatever she wanted.

- How did Weldon figure in on it?

- Mrs. Craig was in love with him.

Craig found it out so Weldon put him in that condition.

- Well, how did you know they were in love?

- I didn't until she admitted after taking a shot at me.

- But why was Uncle George killed?

- He saw Tony Weldon sneaking out of the house

the morning your father was brought back,

so Tony killed him to keep him from talking.

- But what about Dr. Carson?

- Dr. Carson and Tony are one and the same.

- Oh, so that's the reason for the recording.

- Right, I figured if I could scare the murderer

into believing the recordings would give him away,

that he would try to get rid of the records and me too.

It worked out perfectly.

- That's what I call being on the beam.

- Well, I guess I'm just a sap after all.

Putting the finger on a woman that was gonna pay me 25 G's.

Well, there goes our future, honey.

- I'm sorry, I guess I owe an apology

for the way I treated you, Mr. Trayne.

Would a check for $25,000.00 take care of that?

- Would a check for 25, what?

Say, you're a honey after all.

Put it there (chuckles).

Come on, we got a little business with Hawkins.

- Oh, but darling,

I wanna get married with all the trimmings.

- I'll give you the trimmings after we're married.

Come on, Pete, I need you for a witness.

$25,000.00, oh, come on.

- You don't know what you're in for.

- I don't know what I'm in for, huh?

Come on, honey.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Seems to me I promised you something else

when I took this case.

- What did you promise me, darling?

Oh no, you wouldn't dare.

- Wouldn't I?

- Oh no, Nick, oh!

Oh, no Nick, no!

Nick, you're hurting me, Nick, you're hurting me!

(whimsical music)