04x18 - The Last Dark Step

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Aired: October 2, 1955 – June 26, 1965.*
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American anthology series featuring dramas, thrillers and mysteries.
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04x18 - The Last Dark Step

Post by bunniefuu »

Good evening,
friends and suspects.

From time to time,

we receive letters asking
us to help viewers commit

the perfect crime.

Naturally, we don't want
to be put in a position

of encouraging
hardened criminals.

Amateurs, perhaps.

I think the first thing to remember
is not to leave fingerprints around.

Where homicide is concerned,

one should be
as tidy as possible.

I think I have
just the thing.

One, two, three,
four, five. Six.

I happen to have
over , of these.

The gentleman who made them
was a production genius.

He just couldn't count.

Next, we have
a training film,

and I want you latent criminals
to pay closest attention.

Well, it is kind of
a pretty piece of glass.

I guess I bought it
at the right five and dime.

Don't joke about anything
so beautiful, Brad.

I've never seen
such a lovely stone.

I'm glad that
you like it.

Brad, I know I shouldn't
seem so burstingly eager,

but about the date
for the wedding.

Mom and Dad are waiting in San
Francisco, and I promised them...

I know.

Well, there'll be so
much for them to do.

Friends and relatives
to notify and...

Well, things I
won't even enumerate now.

And being here in Los Angeles,
I can't help them very much.

You said you wanted that
kind of a wedding, Brad.

I want whatever you want.

Darling...
Mmm-hmm.

Do you think
we might say

within a month?
Or two months?

Well, what do you say
to three weeks?

Three weeks?
Mmm-hmm.

Oh, Brad!

You just give me two or three days
to settle this real estate thing

with Harry Gavin, and then you
can tell your parents for sure.

You know I love you.

But I can't
see you tonight.

I promised Harry I'd drop by
the office no later than : ,

and I gotta get out
of here. Do you mind?

Not as long as it's
Harry Gavin, dear,

and not that
lady novelist.

Now, you mustn't be
unkind about Leslie.

That is over with,
isn't it?

Yes, it's over and out of season
like a five-cent phone call.

Or you might say last
year's Valentine's card.

Now, come on, I gotta go.

You upstairs, Les?

Yes, come on up.

You're late! I've been
waiting and waiting.

Come here.

What's the matter?
There's nothing the matter.

That's a stupid answer
if I ever heard one.

Come on, now. You've either
been out with another woman

or you need a new
brand of pills.

Which is it?

That's very funny.

How come you're
working so late?

Television script. Has
to be delivered tomorrow.

Why television?
What about the book?

Money, darling.
Rapid money.

So I can continue
to afford you.

Oh, Brad, would you fix the
plug on this miserable lamp?

You're so clever
and I'm so helpless.

You do that, and I'll
fix us a drink, huh?

Oh, I don't
want a drink.

You're such a bore
when you're not drinking.

You get that Sir Lancelot look in
your eye and all I feel like doing is

kicking you in the face
for your precious nobility.

You're very sweet.

Yes, I guess I am,
aren't I?

No one should know
better than you, darling.

Oh, you're so clever
at fixing things.

Oh, tell me about the
real estate business now.

Did you and your companions just
redesign the whole Pacific Coast today?

What if I told you it was a
whole lot better than you think?

What if I said there was
a real future in this,

and that for the
first time in my life,

I feel that I have,
sort of, found myself?

"Found yourself"? You sound like
a great, big, lost collar button.

But go ahead,
enjoy your dream.

It's no dream.

All right. All right.

That's exactly what you said when I
financed your sporting goods store.

Do you remember that?

Let's not
quarrel, Brad.

I'm not really fond of you
for practical reasons, anyway.

Hey, I thought we'd go down
the beach tomorrow, huh?

For what?

For fun, of course. I didn't
think we'd go down to dig clams.

Look! I think we'd better have a pretty
clear understanding about ourselves.

I've put off talking
about it too long as it is.

Now, things just can't go on the
way they've been between you and me.

Pacific Glens is a...

It's a large-scale operation
with important people,

and it needs just a touch
of respectability about it.

Oh, well, of course
it does. Yes.

I thought you'd
sneer at that.

The fact is simple enough.
I want to get married.

Oh, Brad, you astonish me.

Respectability actually
means that much to you?

Well, all right then.
I'll marry you.

That's not exactly
what I had in mind.

I intend to marry
somebody else.

You're joking,
aren't...

That's silly, Brad.
You belong to me.

You're like a sink or a
stove or a clock on the wall!

You're bought and
paid for. I'm what?

You heard what I said.

What do you think I
am? I know what you are.

You're kind of a strutting,
empty-headed peacock

that happens to hold a
great attraction for me.

Don't ask me why. I don't know.
I've asked myself a dozen times

why I have to
wear you on my back.

The only albatross in California
with suits of clothes,

all bought
and paid for by me.

Oh, yes, and you're very
good at fixing light plugs.

You're so nice
to have around.

Easy, Zorro.

It's nice to be
so manly,

but let's not
corn it up, huh?

All right, Brad.

Tell me about her.
What's her name?

What difference
does it make?

Oh, it might make a
great deal of difference.

What does
she look like?

She's very attractive.

And more important,
she's very nice.

Nice! Oh, that's a great
adjective for you to use.

Is that all you can say
about her? She's nice?

What would you
like me to say?

I want statistics.

Is she tall? Does she
have a nice figure?

Yes, she's tall and she has
a nice figure. Now, lay off.

You still haven't
told me her name, Brad.

What's there to hide?

With her there's
nothing to hide.

Her name is Janice Wright.

I believe you met her at the
Ferguson place one night in Pasadena.

She arrived that night
before you passed out.

Wright? A tall girl?
Rather insipid?

From one of those preferred,
sort of, eastern schools?

Oh, yes, I remember.

Really, Brad, you think
she can afford you?

What's that
supposed to mean?

Just what I said.

Can she buy you
clothes and things?

Will she be willing to
drive around in a little car

to keep you supplied
with a big one?

In my own case, those things
never particularly mattered much.

But a girl like that, uh-uh,
she'll get tired very quickly.

I mean,
if things were pinched,

there wasn't
any ready cash,

would she be willing to give you
a big diamond solitaire to hock?

By the way, Brad, where is
the ticket for that ring?

I mean, maybe if
I dressed up more often

like the prize mare
on a merry-go-round,

I'd be more
appealing to you, huh?

Where's that ticket,
Brad? I've got it at home.

I was gonna give it back.
I was just gonna walk out.

Walk out? Is that what you said,
walk out? Look, Les, I've had it...

Listen, I'm going to
do you a lasting favor,

to make sure that you never marry
that precious, Vassar-wrapped bon-bon!

You think you can
stop me? Oh, yes.

Yes, I know I can,
my friend.

Let's see, now, "W".

One of the advantages of my
profession, it taught me to spell.

Wright, Janice,
on Sweetzer Drive.

I wasn't gonna call
her right now, dear.

Not now, or any other
time. I'm warning you.

Yes, Brad.

I don't want to say it.
I better get out of here.

You really wouldn't
call her, would you?

Listen, you've got to get it
through that popcorn brain of yours

that I will do anything
that serves my purpose.

My purpose being to keep
you intact, for myself alone.

Just the way it's been
all these years.

Haven't you any self-respect as
a woman? Haven't you any pride?

Pride? No. I don't have the kind
of pride you're talking about.

I'm not afraid of scenes.

And if you don't believe it,
you just try me. Just try me.

There'll be phone calls,
letters, shrieking matches

that will raise the hair on her
head like a three-dollar wig!

I'll follow you everywhere, and if by the
end of a week she hasn't thrown you over,

you'll both have
a nervous collapse.

Now, do you
understand? Do you?

Yeah.

Yeah, I understand.

Right. Things like this
are bound to pass.

You just had a nervous rash
of respectability, that's all.

I have everything that
you want and need.

Means to support us, a
pressure-cooker kind of yen for you.

Now, this will last, Brad.
The other won't. Believe me.


That's better.

Now, go on and
get out of here.

I've only got about
two pages left on this.

Go on.

Oh, Brad, would you
do me one more favor?

Would you put my car
in the garage?

I parked on the street
and I'll get a ticket.

Oh, I...

I'll leave the key
in the car.

I don't wanna traipse up
here with it, all right?

All right. Just so long as
you call me when you get home.

Love late phone calls.

I'll call.

Hello. Hi.

Naturally, you're a
liar. Love my foot.

But it's nice to hear
you say it anyway.

I couldn't move your car. There's
something wrong with the ignition.

No, it's not the battery.

What I thought I'd do is tomorrow
I'll take it over to Stanton's

and leave it there
for a complete check-up.

Well, if you have to go out to the
Valley, why don't you take a cab

and I'll pick you up
in front of the studio?

: .
Good.

Then we'll go on down to
the beach from there, huh?

That's a good idea.

A drive to the beach might be
the best thing for both of us.

: .

Hi!
Am I late?

Only half an hour.
Where did you get this car?

Oh, I decided to have some
work done on my car, too,

and this is the one
they loaned me.

Just a little dividend
for waiting.

Oh, it's going to be
a beautiful night.

Brad? Yeah. I'll
be right there.

Bring some towels when
you come. I have the robes.

All right.
Let's see now.

We need cigarettes,
lighter...

Oh, here's your junior-sized cavalry
saber that you left behind last night.

I meant to give
it to you before.

What made you
think of that?

I don't know. I thought you might
wanna spear a fish or something.

Not tonight.

Here you are.

Brad? Brad?

Oh, you scared me.
Where were you?

Yeah. I'm sure.

You've always been
the timid type.

Oh, Brad, this is
so much better.

The two of us together, alone,
just the way it's always been.

Kiss me.

We left the door open, Mr. Taylor,
after your superintendent let us in.

You are Bradley Taylor?

That's right.

We're detectives, Mr.
Taylor. My name is Breslin.

This is Sergeant Langley.

So? What could that
possibly have to do with me?

We don't know for sure. But
we'd certainly like to find out.

You know, your lady
friend's been m*rder*d.

m*rder*d? That's
right. m*rder*d.

And real good, too.
The full treatment.

I think I'd better sit down.

Oh, come on, now.
That isn't necessary, is it?

Well, a lot of things become necessary
when a m*rder's been committed, Mr. Taylor.

I'm sorry if you feel
that we're the pushy type.

Where were you
this afternoon?

I was out checking some real
estate properties and some listings.

I was out east of Altadena and then
in the Valley, west of Northridge.

You can check my secretary,
if you don't believe me.

We did. She told us you probably
would be traveling around.

Did you go to
the beach today?

Was that one
of your trips?

I've had those things in
my car for more than a week.

I haven't set foot
on the beach today!

All right.

I can tell you this, Mr.
Taylor, you'd probably be

a lot better off if you had
set foot on the beach today.

Search him,
will you, George?

Now, look, I'm no
boob that you can...

Charlie, will you look
at that pig-sticker?

Mister, how
stupid can you get?

All right.
That's my Kn*fe.

I have it with me all
the time. What about it?

It was washed not long ago in
some kind of cleaning fluid,

and a pretty sloppy job
at cleaning it was, too.

Look, there's still three
strands of hair stuck to it.

And the lab is going to show
us some more things, besides.

You know something,
Mr. Taylor?

You're putting on the best act I've
seen in the last years in Hollywood.

Your lady friend was stabbed seven
times with a Kn*fe exactly like that.

Leslie was stabbed?

Leslie?

I don't believe I
mentioned the name Leslie.

I'm talking about the girl
you had dinner with last night,

Janice Wright. She was
stabbed and m*rder*d today.

She was k*lled
with that Kn*fe.

Now, why don't you come down
off of that dream boat of yours

and give us
all the details.

You must be mistake...

Janice?

That is...

That is impossible.

I'll give you the raw statistics
once again, Mr. Taylor.

Janice Wright, age , and I'm
quoting now from her driver's license.

' ", brunette,
brown eyes.

Oh, come on off it,
Mr. Taylor.

You know these facts and
figures a lot better than we do.

But don't you understand?
I couldn't have k*lled her.

All right, I lied to you
today, I was at the...

Janice.

We didn't invent
the girl's name, Mr. Taylor.

Who else did you
have in mind?

Our training film has brought up
another problem for you criminals,

arch and otherwise.

"Vampire.

"Are you bothered by
unsightly blood stains?

"Are telltale stains
hurting your social life

"and making
the police suspicious?

"Why not try Vampire?"

Well.

While I continue
my efforts,

why don't you listen
to this news report

on a more reliable product,

after which
I will naturally

and inevitably
return to you?

On reading the label,

I discovered that actually Vampire
does not claim to remove blood stains,

it merely changes them
into gravy stains.

They are more
socially acceptable.

Next week, we shall be
back with another story

and some shoplifting hints.

If you desire any of the items
we have demonstrated tonight,

simply rip off the
top of your cell block

and send it in.

Good night.
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