Original subtitles

LAURA

Subtitles by Seglora

What a terrible way for a beautiful dame like that to die

I've seen her murdered in all kinds of brutal ways

But this dame,that face,blasted at close range with a shotgun

Hello Danny what are you up to?

You scared the life out of me

I think you were through with investigating the place

That doesn't give you any right to be here

-How did you get in ? With a pass key? -Yeah

Being the janitor's son. I'm just going over her records

What's that your plan?

I guess Laura was playing them the night she died

They were her favorites

Do you know Mr MacPherson.

Why would anyone want to kill a smart girl like Laura Howe?

I don't know ,Danny,that's what I am here to find out

Try to catch him.If I catch him

You felt a lot of her,didn't you?

A lot of her? There was as much her as my own ma

She always had time for me

Although so busy.Loved Laura? She was never to busy for me

I'm sorry for you,Danny

You know something? I think I would have liked her too

Everybody did

But there was only one thing I didn't understand about her

Her suitors

What are they?

Mr Lydecker and Mr Carpenter

What about them?

I never knew what she saw in those two squares

You don't like them?

No

Jealous?

No.But I shouldn't want to marry that slob Carpenter and that drip Lydecker

Mr Drip Lydecker, to you sonny

What were you saying my midget friend?

I mean it.She was too good for you

That is a matter of opinion

-Hello,Lydecker -How do you do

The flesh is still warm and they sit here ghoulishly playing one of her record

It was the last record she played. She liked it

An unfortunate weakness in one whose taste was otherwise flawless

Those of us who loved her preferred to cherish the memory of a gracious soul

What brings you here,Mr Lydecker?

Precisely the question I was about to ask you

Didn't I read that the constabulary had evacuated the premises

You haven't answered my question

I was curious to see the devastation that usually follows in the wake of the police

For the past three days I've been sitting in my apartment

shuddering of the thought of their heavy hands on her things

You're not riding your usual the flowery calm at the moment,Mr Lydecker

So you read it?

I didn't say that

Is it per chance too literate for you?

Frankly too corny,now I like to know what brings you here

I want to be of help to you,Mr MacPherson

There are some things about Laura that I only knew

and if I may say so,to solve the puzzle of a woman's death

one must first resolve the mystery of her life

That's pretty elementary,Watson

Greetings

Don't stand there gaping,Bessie

The detective is holding an open house, why don't you go and whip up some canapes

Bessie came up here with me to help me take inventory

Is that all right with you?

Go right ahead

But nothing leaves the apartment until I'm through with the case

Laura's sister wrote and ask me to take care of her things

Why you?

Why not? As her fiance I would be expected to,wouldn't I?

I can still see her lying there

Bessie,be quiet will you

I'd better get started on her things

Mr Carpenter,can I have some of her records?

-Well -The vultures gather

Danny you better run along now

We'll talk about the records in a few days

we will make a list of the ones you want, and see what we can do about it

Shelby.As a possible heir it may interest you to know

that the Ascot gallery is for things they can sell this picture

I'm keeping it myself

I don't know why.The painter was so much in love with her

that he lost all perspective

You are jealous of him

Laura thought enough of it to hung in her living room

Does it look like her?

Yes it does.Remarkably,captures all her.Warmth and vitality

Nonsense.Makes her look like a wilful empty headed jade

I resent that.She may have been spirited but

she was sane and thoughtful in everything she did

That's what I liked about her

What do you know about it?

More than you think

Even though I never met her

Second-hand amnesia

Often more objective than first-hand contact

I've been looking at this dame for three days now

Been through her correspondence, cheque books,bureau, closets

I know her choice in food,liquor, clothes and perfume

All that adds up to one thing

She must have been quite a dame

Would you kindly refrain from referring to Laura as dame

How would you call her?

She was a woman of distinction, of great beauty and character

I'm sure of that

She must have been quite a dame too

Seems to me that you're more interested in the victim than the murderer

Could you come in and look at a few things,Mr Carpenter?

Yes

I wish he takes it away, violates my memory of her

Why?

Why? I'll show you why

I've gone through that already

Take another look at this album and see if you think the portrait does her justice

Now then

Do these look like anything like worn on the portrait?

Has that fool painter caught it anything of that?

The real Laura

Look.Here what she look like when she is getting started in the advertising business

I gave her her start but it was through her own talent

that she was enabled to rise to the top of her profession and stay there

Through me she met everyone and captivated them all

She had warmth and vitality,she had an authentic magnetism

But it was through me that she became what she did

I created the beautiful woman you see here

I wouldn't take so much credit if I were you

Seems to me that nature gave you a mighty big hand

You mean you would compare these pictures with the one I created?

Yes.And you know something? I like the other one better

That doesn't surprise me

You seem to me that your taste runs more

to the fronts of Flatbush and the dames in the Bronx

Were you in love with her?

My love for Laura was not merely a man's desire for a pretty bimbo

I was a cold and egocentric man

who amused himself by showering a naive child with treats and trinkets

Her gratitude warmed me

Was she in love with you?

Helas,no

But she considered me to be the wisest,wittiest

and the most interesting man she had ever met

I was in complete accord with her on that point

MacPherson,you wouldn't understand this

but I tried to become the kindest,gentlest and most sympathetic man in the whole world

And,brother,you failed

Someday,MacPherson,at the slightest provocation

I'm going to take after you in my column Hamilton Tongs

I may even see to it that you lose your job

Now,shall we have a drink on that?

Well,Sherlock,a clue, a bottle of the cheapest bourbon,where did this come from?

The only bourbon that Laura ever used was old reserve

I put it there

Was this Miss Howe's?

She wouldn't drink that awful stuff

Whose was it?

I don't know

Bessie,you thought a lot of Miss Howe,didn't you?

I loved her

Ask anyone.Anyone who ever came to this apartment

It wasn't only on account of the thousand and one sweet things she did for me,

the presents and clothes she gave me

It was because she was so sweet herself, because she was a real fine lady

Bessie.You thought so much of her

you'd like us to find her murderer, wouldn't you?

Yes

What about the bottle then? Who are you shielding?

-Her -Her?

-Miss Howe -Miss Howe is dead

But her reputation isn't and I did not want anybody

getting any wrong ideas about her because,rest her kind soul

That's why I took it off from the dressing table

and put it in the cabin before the police got here

What did you do then?

I washed the glasses and locked the bottle

and I took away and wiped everything in the apartment

I don't believe in fingerprints

You know what happens to people who destroy evidence?

I don't care,I would do it all over again for her

You are going back about your work I'll talk to you later

Shelby.Bessie has been revealing some interesting things about your fiancee

Apparently I was not your only rival

What do you mean?

She deserted us on Friday night to keep a tryst with someone in this apartment

That's a malicious lie

Mute evidence

A bottle of the cheapest bourbon and two glasses

Cut it out Lydecker,we have no proof of anything

So don't talk like that about her,do you understand?

My,my,my,my

I am beginning to think that if Laura had lived,

there would have been three of us in love with her

With the exception of the fact,Mr MacPherson

that had she lived,you would never had met her

You didn't exactly travel in the same circles,did you?

Rather ironic,don't you think?

I must remind myself to do a column on it sometime

I think we could all do with a drink

Hello Hendrix.I am at the Howe's place

Better get a man to tail Carpenter.

Just left here ought to be at the Althea Club in 10 minutes

Call the HQ and let another man take your place

Nothing much.So long

You suspect him?

I suspect everyone,you included

How exciting! I've never been a suspect before,I think I shall enjoy it

I'd better be running along now

Will you put a tail on me too,when I leave?

That won't be necessary

Why not?

I'm going to take a run over to your place with you

Whatever for?

I don't know,maybe I just like to see how the idle rich live

Frankly,man,I've no time for such nonsense

I have an appointment, I must shave and bathe

That's fine.I'll scrub your back

It's an exact duplicate of the clock in her apartment,isn't it?

Yes,and incidentally and the other clock on suite too

There are several things in her apartment

which belong to me and I intend to get them back

If Shelby thinks for a minute

that he or her sister is going to have them he is sadly mistaken

Now see here,MacPherson, it is all very well

if you are going through her correspondence but mine?

What do you got there?

On Friday night Laura had a dinner engagement with me

after which she was ostensibly was going out of town,

she phoned and canceled her engagement at exactly 7 o'clock

I ate a lonely dinner and then got into my tub to read

Why do you find that so interesting?

I told you that at the first time of questioning

Yes,I know,but why did you write it down?

Are you afraid that you might forget it?

I am one of the most widely misquoted man in America

When my friends do it,I resent it

from either sources for the truth for yourself I should find it intolerable,

now why don’t you go and pester Shelby for a change and leave me my bathing

Btw I have a tip for you

it might interest you to know that Shelby collect shotguns

I've seen the collection,

the warehouse records show the guns have not been touched in over a year

there's a layer of dust on the cases

A man might have shotguns that he didn't keep in a warehouse

I doubt that Carpenter have the type that was used

Poor Laura,how ironic,if it was Shelby,

it was discovered his treachery before she died

What do you suppose she saw in him anyway?

All of us who loved her ponder that mystery

-but I suppose that she pitied him -Why?

He was an alcoholic when she met him down–at–the–heels and couldn't hold a job

She managed to get him into her agency

and straightened him out and helped him a lot

Hand me that towel,you?

This one

And the robe

And don't touch anything in there, they are all collector's items

They are fragile

In distance Hello

Yes

Well,well,well,well

What do you looking so smug about?

Tell me,Mr MacPherson,have you ever been married?

I don't know what that have to do with anything,

but no I've never been married

-I thought not -Why?

Your interest in Laura is more than professional

To solve the mystery of a woman's death,

you must first know her life, you said that yourself

Why have you never been married?

The ones I wanted were always married

Very interesting this passion that you have for women that are unavailable

What's this all about?

That call was from the Ascot's gallery,

they wanted to know if I was interested in buying the picture,

in as much as a certain Mr MacPherson has put in a bid for it

What are you doing here?

Who are you?

You're alive

If you don't get out of her at once I'm going to call the police

You are Laura Howe,aren't you?

Aren't you Laura Howe?

I'm going to call the police

I'm the police

Mark MacPherson

Laura?

Yes

What's this all about?

Don't you know? Didn't you?

Haven't you got the papers, don't you know what happened?

No

Where you've been?

In my country place,we don't get the papers there

Haven't you got a radio?

My radio was broken,would you tell me what this is all about?

Somebody was murdered in this room

Any idea who it was?

-No -Sure?

Yes

When did this happen?

Friday night

You'd better have a drink

What are you going to do?

Find out who is murdered

Then find the murderer

You feel up to answering any questions now?

No,let me just get these things off first

Look,I found this hanging in my closet

It's Diane Redburn's dress

Who is Diane Redburn?

One of our models.But it wasn't hanging there when I left

Has she ever stayed here?

No

He killed Diane Redburn thinking it was me

How did she ever get in here?

I don't know

This is Monday night and you left Friday, rather long week end isn't it?

Yes.I always go for a long week end

What train did you take?

7 26 to Stonehatch

Did you see anybody on the train?

No

And then what?

I got off the train at Stonehatch

Anybody knew you on the station?

No

Go on

I got off the train and I went to the garage where I kept my car

It's a private garage and nobody saw me there either

And I drove home

You were there for three days. What did you do?

I read,I worked in my garden

Didn't you go out during all that time?

No,I had everything I needed at the house

No one keeper to see you

Nobody

The police were there Saturday, there was no one in the house

Oh,I went for a long walk on Saturday, I walked for a long time

You were to marry Shelby Carpenter this week,Thursday if I'm not mistaken

Yes

Yet you went away just before your wedding for a long week end to be alone

-Yes,I was upset -What about?

Diane Redburn came to my office on Friday morning

to tell me that she was in love with the man I was going to marry

It worries me although I knew she meant nothing to Shelby

Did he had a key to the apartment?

No

Are you sure she meant nothing to him?

Absolutely nothing

She was found here in your apartment,

wearing your clothes,that must strike you as being odd

Did you suspect that he'd bring her here Friday night?

How should I,he has no key

And I don't know that he brought her, and neither do you,you are merely assuming

There are other assumptions as possible

You love this fellow Carpenter so much, you'd risk your own safety to protect him

My safety? Are you suspecting me?

The unfortunate position of having to suspect everyone

Don't you see that I'm just trying to get at the truth

Yes

I see you read things I meant nobody else ever to see

That's strange.You know how I feel about things and people

It's kind of intimacy between us

And I hardly know you

You hardly know me,that's right

But I know a great deal about you

Excuse me,I have some phone calls to make

Sorry but I must ask you not to use the phone or leave the apartment

Shouldn't I let people know that I am alive?

No

Why?

If someone was after you,and knew you were alive,they might try again

Am I under arrest?

No

But if anything happens to you this time,I wouldn't like it

I'd better say good-bye,I 'll see you in the morning

One more thing,it will save us lot of unnecessary fencing

You went away to make up your mind about marrying Carpenter,what did you decide?

I decided not to marry him

I'll see you in the morning, don't worry.Good Night

Good Night

What?

Yes,I'll tell him

It wasn't Laura Howe that was murdered but a model with a name of Diane Redburn

Yeah.How did they find out?

Her sister reported her missing since Friday

she insisted on going through the morgue and identified her

Tell the chief to keep it out of the papers,I want to handle this my way

-Hello? -It's Laura

Don't say anything on the phone,meet me right away in front of the art museum

A little better than to trust dames

Come on

You follow her,I'll tail Carpenter

Taking it down or putting it away Carpenter?

It has been fired lately

Yeah.Used for hunting the last weekend I stayed here

You know about guns,don't you?

Yeah

Why don't you clean it afterward?

Guess I forgot

Is this your initials?

Yes

I gave the gun to Laura

For protection.She didn't want it but I insisted

Her house here is rather isolated

Did you teach her how to use it?

No

She know how?

I don't know never occurred to me to ask

You're a rather vague fellow,Carpenter

You haven't bought it lately,have you?

Didn't you just bring it back to night?

Look,you followed me here,you saw me come in,you ought to know

You realize the spot you are in,Carpenter

if you don't come clean

you'll find yourself under arrest for the murder of Diane Redburn

But I didn't kill her,and I wouldn't taken her if I knew she..

Come on Carpenter,spill the rest of it, I knew you took her there

If you didn't kill her

you better start talking here and now, you are in deeper than you think

I didn't tell you this before,because I'm afraid things look bad for me

Things look pretty bad,so you better get it all off your chest

Laura kept a duplicate key to her apartment at the office

I went over and got it

I had asked Diane Redburn to have dinner with me

Wanted to have it out once and for all

You see she thought,she thought that she was in love with me

Was you in love with her?

No,I wasn't

Go on

And Diane got too upset to talk in public

we couldn't go to her place, she lived with her sister

and I didn't want to take her to my hotel

So we bought a bottle and went to Laura's

We talked for a couple of hours

and then the door bell started ringing

Diane got frightened but knowing Laura

I knew her friends came to see her

all hours of the day or night with their troubles

So I told Diane to answer the door

Why didn't you answer it yourself?

What if one of Laura's friends found me there?

Why send Diane?

I told her she could say that Laura let her use her apartment for the weekend

Why open at all?

They kept ringing and ringing insistently

I think if we hadn't open they would have broken the door in

Anyway I heard Diane go to the front door and open it

There was a moment's pause and then a shot

Awful explosion

For a moment I was too startled to move

when I finally did I found the front door closed and she was lying there

Didn't you go out to see if you could see anyone?

No,no.I didn't I was too confused, too horrified

My first instinct was to call the police

Why didn't you?

I don't know I was scared I guess, not only for myself but for Laura

In a panicky kind of way I felt I must keep out of it to keep Laura out of it

I know it was stupid and hopeless but one thing I had in mind

was the safety of someone whose life was dearer to me than my own

Laura's safety

Don't you understand?

Did you think Laura had done it?

Did you?

I don't remember what I thought

Do you think so now?

No,no

On Saturday when one of our men came to the hotel

to tell you that Laura was dead you seemed sincerely shocked

I was.I hadn't expected that mistake

In the dark I hadn't realized how mutilated she was

I mean that anyone would mistake her for Laura

What did you and Laura talk about tonight?

I told her the whole story just what I told you

She phoned you after she promised she wouldn't call anyone

What does she want?

Only natural she wanted to tell me she was still alive

Why don't you tell the truth she sent you off to get rid of that gun

She didn't not.She didn't I was coming here.It was my own idea to come

Looks fine doesn't it?

Did you think it wouldn't?

I hoped it wouldn't

Hello

Why did you break your word and go and see Carpenter last night?

You forced me to get my word

I've never have been and never shall be

bound by anything that I don't do by my own free will

May I have a cigarette?

Sorry

Diane Redburn was in love with Carpenter, you admitted that last night

I also told you that he wasn't in love with her

I'll get it

Oh no,not you again

Don't you ever take time off from your snooping

-Hello,darling -Hello

How are you?

So it is on again is it?

Do I have to get a permit from the Police Department to kiss my fiancee?

What made you change your mind?

Speaking of changing once mind,MacPherson I just came from seeing my lawyer

and he tells me that anything I may have said last night was said under duress

and can't be used against me

besides none of it was true

Smart lawyer you got

maybe he was the one that brought Diane Redburn up here

The Detective will permit me to leave the room and get some coffee

I can't answer questions for my lawyer,MacPherson,

if you like his name and phone number

I like it lot more that that, Carpenter.I like to settle..

What are you doing? Seeing Carpenter?

Nothing could interest me less

I come here to talk business with you but I prefer not to in his presence

I am not interested in what you prefer, he's staying,whether you like it or not

Very well, if that what's you feel about it,I just come from my lawyer

You two have been busy little beavers this morning.What did your lawyer had to say?

It's about my possessions.

That vase I can prove that I only loaned it to Laura and I want it back

And that clock

Waldo

I like to get back to little questioning I was doing when Mr Lydecker fell apart

First of all I would like to know what Carpenter told you last night

Don't say anything Laura let him speak to our lawyer

Our lawyer? So you are covering for each other

You know,MacPherson,I'm beginning to think you lie

just to make an arrest to get yourself a big shot in the headlines

I've got enough on you to make an arrest right now

Quick,MacPherson,the handcuffs

You keep out of it

I think you look kind of cute in bracelets

Lydecker,why don't you just faint again,

the only time when you ever kept your mouth shut

Cut it out

Carpenter

I got out of you what your lawyer says

I like you to repeat what you told me last night in Miss Hunt's country place

I've already told you I..

You two were at my country place last night?

What on earth for?

Laura don't say anything now

After you left Carpenter last night I tailed him there

Why did you go there?

To get the shotgun

What shotgun?

The one he says he gave you, the one up over the mantle

You thought I did it?

-No,Laura -Why didn't you say so last night

I do not know which of you is acting and which of you is lying

I can tell you

Shut up

I don't always like my job

You have to come down to the Head Quarters with me

-You mean I? -Yeah

Well,irony of ironies.MacPherson you must have a twisted mind

You are madly in love with her and still you want to send her to the chair

Lydecker

Laura,do you know that he offered a 1000 dollars

for your portrait when he thought you were dead

My portrait?

We better go

Don't worry darling,let him accuse you,we'll fight

I have every weapon, money,prestige, connections and my column

You just try to prove her guilty, I line up public opinion on her side,

so they'll be howling for your blood

I got your number,MacPherson,you only want to send her to the chair

because you are only capable of loving a dead woman

Lydecker you must enjoy being unconscious

Waldo

You are coming with me

Won't someone give him some brandy

Get your things

Now

I'll take care of this,Frank,you're busy

All right now,let's have it

Look at me

What are you trying to do? Force a confession out of me

You've been holding out and I want to know why

It will go out easier if you tell the truth

What difference does it make what as, you've made up your mind that I'm guilty

Are you?

Don't tell me you have any doubts since you

Yes I can,do I have to have these lights into my face?

Thank you

No.I didn't kill Diane Redburn

Why did you tell me the radio in your country place was broken?

Because it was

Not when I tried it

I didn't tell you

I asked the local handyman to fix it before I left the village

How did he get in?

I always leave a key under the flowerpot in the porch

You are too intelligent to make up something I could check so easily

But you are intelligent enough

to broken the radio yourself to strengthen your story

The main thing I want to know is,why you pull the switch on me about Shelby

You told me last night you decided not to marry him

Yes,I suppose I did

But today it was on again.Why?

Well,I changed my mind

What are you trying to hide?

Don't you realize you're involved in a murder

What went on between you and Shelby when you saw him last night?

Did he persuaded you make up?

Or did you agree to pretend you had,was that it?

Well,you see I have

He convinced you

that if you broke the engagement now,

people would think you believe he was guilty

Yes

But now I realize that it is only because he thought I did it

Did you believe he was guilty?

No,I'm sure he isn't

Are you in love with him?

How could I be in love with a man

who brings another woman into my apartment let her wear my things

I'm sorry I had to bring you down here

While I was 99% certain I had to get rid of that 1% doubt

And I did

You see I reached a point where I needed official surroundings

Satisfied now that I am not guilty?

Yes and I apologize

Supposed you had the job to do

You are still a mystery to me,though

How?

Such a charming and intelligent girl

you certainly surround yourself with a remarkable collection of dopes

At the moment I'm thinking of one of initials begin with Waldo Lydecker

Hello

Yes,this is the Howe Apartment

I think there must be a mistake, nobody ordered anything picked up

Yes I'm sure he made a mistake

I do have such a confidant I didn't call anybody about it

Sorry

What was that?

The storage company,they said that someone called them

about picking up grand father's clock in the next few hours

and they wouldn’t be able to make it until the morning

It must be Lydecker

Why do you believe that?

It is his,isn't it?

He gave it to me

He didn't loan it to you?

Loan it to me?

He thought it was you who had been murdered

he came here first things said he had several things he had loaned to you

Grand father's clock was one of them

I can't understand

Why do you think he wants this thing so badly?

He has one exactly like it

Know the combination on it?

I did know it had one

It was Lydecker after all

But why?

You are going to marry Carpenter in a few days

If he couldn't have you,he was going to make sure no one else could

The doorbell rang,Diane Redburn came to the door in your neglige

He assumed it was you he shot

And then he must have heard Carpenter coming in from the bedroom

So he hid in the stairway outside,Carpenter was so scared he run as soon as he could

Lydecker came back and put the gun in the clock

I can't believe it

Waldo,a murderer

Knowing he's being tailed

he knew he couldn't get a package out of the apartment without looking suspicious

Today was the first time he was alone here,

he thought it would go quite a while at the HQ

Yes,but how would he explain to me that he had my clock taken away

Knowing Lydecker he would think of something

main thing was to get the clock out of here

What are you going to do?

I will go to his place right now

Better not touch the clock

Fingerprints would be important

If Lydecker phones,try to be as normal as possible

The door bell rings,don't answer

That's right go for the safety chain latch don't let anyone in,

I'll be back as soon as possible

We can round it up,Lydecker is the killer and we will pick him up now

Waldo!

Yes,Laura,so that's for it going to be is it?

What do you mean?

I am never to have you,am I?

Waldo

You will take and marry Shelby and I couldn't stand that

No please listen to me

Although you are through with Shelby I can see what is happening

What are you talking about?

Do you think I leave you to be bored

by a second rate detective who thinks you are a dame

You think I can spare the thought of him

holding you in his arms and loving you and kissing you

Waldo you are mad

insane

If I am you have driven me to it

MacAvity

You are supposed to be trailing Lydecker

I am going to,when he comes out

You mean he is still in there?

Come on

Waldo if you really loved me, if you really loved me

If I really loved you? I've loved you more than life itself

Waldo,the love of heaven

MacPherson will find us together as it always be,but he will find us both dead

No

Laura

Laura

Laura I love you

In life I could not have you in death you will be mine forever

You're all right Laura

Thank heavens for that

Subtitles by Seglora