01x18 - A Tangled Web

[bunniefuu]

["Alfred Hitchcock" theme music]

- Good evening, ladies and
gentlemen.

I hope you will pardon
me if I don't get up.

It's rather a shock to
awaken and find yourself

fastened to the floor like a
carpet.

I told these little people
that this was no way

to treat a tourist, even
if it is the off season.

But they say they don't care.

They have a new and sensational
tourist attraction, me.

I'm being advertised as
a lilliputian Disneyland.

Of course, there is some
compensation.

I think I am probably the
first member of my family

ever to be declared a national
monument.

Tonight's story is called "A
Tangled Web,"

a title I find embarrassingly
apropos.

In it, a young girl falls in
love

and follows her young man with
no regard

for his past or future.

As for your future, it
includes a commercial,

one which I intend to
watch all the way through.

I shan't move a muscle.

[mysterious music]

[objects thudding]

- Hello?

[suspenseful music]

Who's there?

[woman screaming]

[engine roaring]

- Okay, then, go.

- [Man On Radio] The robber
escaped

with several thousand
dollars worth of jewels.

Mrs. Spaulding was
discovered by her butler

wrapped in a blanket and
locked in the closet.

She is suffering from shock and
is under

the care of her physician.

The entire area has been
alerted.

- Were you alerted, Marie?

- I?

I am poor.

- Oh!

I am poor, je suis poor.
[laughs]

Poor, poor, poor Marie.

Where's mother?

- Your mother went to the
hairdresser.

- The hairdresser?

[both laughing]

- And to a bridge game.

- The bridge game.

- And then to a fashion show.

- Ah.

- David.
- Hmm?

- Have you ever seen a real
robber?

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh?
- Mm-hmm.

- What do they look like?

- They look like me.

- [Marie] Mm.

- Like David Chesterman.

Two eyes, a nose, two ears, two
arms.

[David chuckling]

Two legs, 10 fingers, and 10
toes.

- David!

- Hello, Mother.

How was the bridge party,
and the hairdresser,

the fashion show?

- I had a suspicion this was
going on.

You're fired, my dear.

- Mother.

- You heard me, David.

She's fired.

She does understand
that word, doesn't she?

What is it in French?

[speaking foreign language]

That's final.

- I'm going with her, Mother.

We're going to be married.

- Wonderful.

- Mother!

Mother!

[vase shattering]

Listen to me.

- I heard you, David.

You're going to marry the maid.

At least, this afternoon
you're going to marry the maid.

Well I wish you luck, my dear.

Maybe you can control Mr. Temper
Tantrum.

Frankly, I'm bored.

My wedding present to
you will be my absence.

On second thought.

Here.

[coins clattering]

Buy yourself a toaster.

- Oh, David.

- Go, go, go on, pack your bag.

Go on!

Do you like the way I proposed?

What, don't you want to marry
me?

- Yes, I want to very much.

- You don't know very
much about me, Marie.

- I know that when you're
near me, I'm very happy.

That's a lot to know
about someone you love.

Maybe too much.

They say marriage, that's what
it's for,

to find out everything.

- Would you want to marry
a man, no matter what...

[David laughs]

Wait a minute.

No matter what he was really
like,

just because you loved him?

- [sighs] Oui.

- Would you want to marry me,
if--

- Oui.

- If I was a robber?
- Oui.

- Criminal?
- Oui.

- Bad man?
- Oui.

- m*rder*r?
- No.

[both laughing]

You wouldn't k*ll anything.

Where are we going?

- We're going to visit an old
friend of mine, on business.

Mm.

[Marie laughing]

Karl?

[David whistles]

- And this is Marie.

- [David] Yes.

- I'm Karl.

He's talked about you
incessantly

for the last eight months, my
dear.

Oh, but David, you failed
miserably

in describing how lovely she
really is.

Please.

[Karl sighs]

You mustn't mind my staring at
you.

I don't see the likes of you
every day.

She's a great beauty, David, a
Renoir.

You were right to keep us apart.

I declare a love w*r here and
now,

I'm going to steal her from you.

What do you think of that, my
pretty?

- The battle is lost before it
is begun.

We are on our way to be married.

- Oh, how unfair, how unjust
life is.

This is a time of rejoicing.

There, you see?

I live in the back room.

Ah, happiness.

There was a time when
I too believed in it.

When I too believed that love
was the answer to everything.

- Karl's been married four
times.

- Yes, heaven help me.

So you see, my dear, I know
what I'm talking about,

and you can take it from me
that love does not exist.

No matter what you believe,
there is simply no such thing.

Ah.

[singing "The Wedding March"]

To the bride and groom.

May you not m*rder each
other before the year is out.

[both laughing]

- I'll drink to that.

But first.

- Ah, David wants something.

Never comes to see me
unless he wants something.

- Mother gave us 60 cents for a
toaster.

- Oh.

How much do you need?

- 500.

- What security?

- This.

- Oh.

- We can't get married,
Karl, unless you say yes.

- I hold your destiny in my
hands.

- Yes or no?

- Oh, how could I say no?

If you lose her, I lose her too.

I don't usually keep that much
cash,

but I've got an extraordinary
new client,

who insists on paying cash for
everything.

She lives on Beacon Hill.



One, two, three, four, five.

- We have a long way to go, so
let's go.

- Ah, she's perfect,
David, absolutely perfect.

She didn't say a word.

How clever you've become in your
old age,

to marry someone who can't talk.

- Goodbye.

- [Karl] Ah, it does speak.

Au revoir.

You come and see me again.

Let yourselves out.

[door closes]

[cheerful music]

[woman laughing]

[Marie laughing]

- David, don't.

Don't.

- Take it!

Take it.

It's only a joke, I'll pay him
later.

Come on.

- Oh, you're bad.

- Are you happy with your
honeymoon, Mrs. Chesterman?

- Am I?

I'm so happy, Mr. Chesterman.

- Excuse me, but your pictures
are ready.

- [Both] Ah!

[Marie laughing]

- Oh!

This is our wedding picture
for our grandchildren.

- No more rides.

- Let's go ride the roller
coaster.

- No, [mumbling].

- Oh!

Oh, my dress!

- What's the matter,
you drunk or something?

- You ruined my dress.

- Here, try to clean it up with
this.

- The lady said she was sorry.

- What lady?

[woman screaming]

[shelf crashing]

[people shouting]

[glass shattering]

- David, no!

Don't!

- Watch out, that's acid!

- David!

- Grab him, grab him, police!

Police!

- You should take up darts
as a serious sport, David.

I work off all my hostilities.

No, seriously though,
you should do something.

You might k*ll someone someday.

- David only kills with kisses.

- Ah, the most painful kind of
death.

- Show him the present we bought
him.

The official wedding photograph.

- Oh. [chuckles]

I shall treasure it forever.

- [Marie] You see how serious
David looks?

All frowning, bad, he's mean.

- The camera never lies.

I'm going to bed.

- Good night, Karl.

- Good night.

[mysterious music]

[Marie and David laughing]

[suspenseful music]

[ominous music]

- Wig making began in
France in the 14th century.

The first wig was worn by Louis
the 13th

to cover his baldness. [laughs]

That's very coarse hair.

Oh, yes.

There's a difference.

[horn honking]

[Marie gasps]

- Santa Claus.

Would you like a ride in my new
sleigh?

No questions.

Por vous.

Here.

Now go inside, put them on, go
on.

Go on, go.

Four, five.

And voila.

- And what did Teddy
think they were worth?

How much did he give you?

- I'll never tell.

- You're too happy, David.

You have too much of everything,
too easy.

[David sighs]

- Home again, home again,
jiggidy jog.

- David, I can't face your
mother.

- You won't have to,
unless you go to Rome.

She's flown the coop.

[door rattling]

Oh, great.

[door rattling]

She's not taking any chances.

[Marie gasping]
[David shushing]

[glass scraping]

[tapping on glass]

[gentle music]

Easy.

[both laughing]

[switch clicking]

[David laughing]

- Oh.

- She's a thorough one, she's
turned off the electricity.

Gotta hand it to her, good and
cheap.

This is where you belong,
as the lady of the house.

- Your eyes shine in the dark,
David.

I think you are part cat.

Yes?

- Tiger.

A leopard, ready to pounce.

[both laughing]

- I'm going to have to get a
wonderful cage to put you in.

- Nobody is going to put me in a
cage.

- David, you're hurting me.

Where are you going?

- I have to meet someone on
business.

I'll be back, you go to bed.

We'll sleep in the master
bedroom.

- David.

David.

[door closes]

[doorbell chimes]

[door opens, closes]

Bonsoir, Karl.

- [Karl] Ah, bonsoir, my dear.

- David has gone out again
tonight.

I didn't want to be alone.

It's so dark in here, Karl.

- We are creatures of the dark,
my dear.

There's nothing wrong between
you and David, is there?

- No.

Not really.

- What does that mean?

- Ah, you know, Karl.

You know how he is.

Some days, I never see
him, and then the next day,

he is lying in bed all
day, reading the papers,

staring at me.

I don't know.

Then he makes me to dress
up, and we go to parties.

Or he's happy or he's mad.

I don't know.

- Oh, David is someone who
swings

between two extreme states of
mind.

Exhilaration and apathy.

Most of us are like that up to a
point,

it's perfectly all right.

If you don't swing too far.

You wish you could change him?

- Karl, where does David get
all the money to buy me things?

You know, where, Karl?

- [Karl] Leave him, Marie.

- [Marie] Leave him?

- Someday he's going to get
into very serious trouble.

He's going to hurt you.

I'll never forgive him if he
hurts you.

- Can't be in love without to
get hurt.

That's how you know it's the
real thing.

- A little fool.

- There's something I
don't know about David?

- Come, Marie, you must have a
suspicion.

David is an accomplished
professional thief,

one of the best, he's been one
for years.

- A thief?

- He even has a record,


That's his dream about being
buried alive.

- Buried alive.

- Everything lights up,
becomes clear, doesn't it?

So many puzzles so suddenly
solved.

Leave him, Marie.

Take a long walk and
think about it, carefully.

[somber music]

[door opens and closes]

[door opens and closes]

- [David] Where have you been?

- I can't see, David.

I went to visit Karl.

I'm leaving you, David.

- Before you do, hand me
those scissors, will you?

- You're bleeding.

- Mm-hmm.

I can manage.

Just hand me the scissors.

The scissors!

Hold the light, hold the light.

- Yes, yes, yes, yes.

- Now, why suddenly have
you decided to leave me?

- Karl told me.

Oh, David.

You were shot?

- Yes, and it hurts.

What did Karl tell you?

- That you're a thief,
a professional thief.

- Ah.

Good old Karl.

He didn't mention his part
in the operation, of course.

He's not guilty of anything.

He can't help it if in
passing, he mentions

that a certain rich lady
has a certain diamond

and lives on Beacon Hill.

He doesn't commit any robberies.

Guilty only of an occasional
indiscretion.

- David.

Why didn't you tell me?

- I didn't want to lose you,
Marie.

- I'll pack my things.

- Okay.

[David grunts]

- [Marie] David.

- No, don't touch me!

Marie, get away, get away.

You're leaving, I have to learn

to do things for myself,
beginning now.

It's partly your fault, you
know.

- Does it hurt you?

- Oh, just a little bit, just a
little.

First I just stole for the
thrill of it,

but when you get married,
you have responsibilities.

A wife to support.

I'm glad, you know.

I'm glad Karl told.

- Where's the gauze?

- It's back here.

- I almost had it tonight.

Somebody in the house had a g*n.

- Oh.

- Yes, I ran, and bang.

I didn't think I was
going to get out of there.

It's amazing what you can
do when you're trapped.

Shh.

It's gonna be all right.

- You promise me that you'll
give it up.

- I need you, Marie.

I've tried before to give it up.

It's kind of a sickness with me.

But I'll try again, I really
will.

If you'll stay with me.

- I'll stay.

- And help me.

Will you?

- Yes.

- You love me?

- I love you.

[all laughing]

[singing in foreign language]

[speaking foreign language]

- Happy birthday, David.

- Happy birthday, darling.

- Ah.

- I knitted it myself.

They said "David who?"

[all laughing]

[singing in foreign language]

- [Karl] I wish it were my
birthday.

[all laughing]

- Oh, poor Karl.

- Poor Karl will cut the cake.

- Oh no, it's David birthday.

The one whose birthday
it is is supposed to cut.

Ah, you spoiled it.

- I'm very sorry.

Here, David, you finish cutting
it.

[clears throat]

- It's a different David, with
a job and a little apartment,

and a birthday cake with
candles,

and a little wife who knits.

[Marie laughs]

You're so respectable, it makes
me sick.

- Ah, and you are responsible.

Telling her the truth lifted me

right out of my life of crime.

- Yes, and we thank you, Karl.

Oh, you should see him
getting up in the morning,

and going to work.

And I pack him a little lunch
and I send him off. [laughs]

He's a good boy.

- I can't even steal a
look at another girl.

- No, no.

Oh, Karl, we are happier now
than we have ever been before.

You see, it proves you are
wrong, huh?

Love does exist, yes?

Admit it, Karl.

Come on, admit it.

- Give him some more
champagne, he'll admit it.

- Yes, I admit it.

Love does exist.

- Hurray!

- I'll make some coffee.

- How's your arm, David?

- It's fine.

It healed fast.

Karl, you couldn't lend
me some money, could you?

About $200?

- I thought you were working.

- I lost that job four days ago.

I got in a fight with the
foreman,

now I get up every day and
pretend that I'm going to work,

just so she won't find
out, but I don't think

I'm going to be able to pay for
this...

- Coffee?

- Yeah.

- Coffee?
- Mm.

- What do you say, Karl?

- One of my richest customers
died today.

Mrs. William Atwell.

Leaving the strangest request in
her will,

that she be buried in one of my
wigs,

and also that she be buried
in all of her jewelry.

Silly old fool, all those
pearls and diamonds and emeralds

swallowed up in the earth,
lost forever, buried.

She's lying in state at the
Evans mortuary, in East Pala.

- Cream or sugar, Karl?

- Mm-mm.

No, when the last drop
of champagne is gone,

it's time for poor old Karl to
go.

Thank you, my dear.

Corner of Dickens and Wilshire.

[somber music]

[both stammering]

[door slams]

- Where are you going?

[tense music]

[engine roaring]

- [Man] Who's there?

[suspenseful music]

- That was short.

Time passes quickly when
you're having a good time.

The next sounds you hear will be
that

of our stations breaking.

Welcome back to "The
Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

But I wish you had brought
along a pair of scissors.

The entertainment I can
furnish is extremely limited,

so I shall turn you over to my
sponsor.

I'm sure he will think of
something to do.

[ominous music]

- [Reporter] The Evans mortuary
at Dickens and Wilshire

was the scene early this morning

of a brutal m*rder and robbery.

Herbert Stone, caretaker of
the mortuary for 15 years,

was found by the morning
mortician

on the floor of the east
parlor, beaten to death.

Stone was on special
duty guarding the body

of Mrs. William Atwell, which
was lying in the parlor.

A knitted scarf with the
initials D.C.

was found beside the body.

Mrs. Atwell had requested
that she be buried

with several thousand
dollars worth of her jewelry.

[television clicks]

- D.C..

Your scarf.

- Go on.

- No.

- Ask it.

Ask it!

- Did you do it, David?

- No.

No.

- No.

- He was there with a
flashlight, but I turned and
ran.

He grabbed the scarf, and all
right, I stole the jewelry,

but I did not beat that man to
death.

- I believe you, David.

- Oh, I've lied to you before,
Marie.

- No, no.

I know you didn't.

- Thank you for your vote of
confidence.

- So what are you going to do?

- Well, the first thing we are
going to do

is to get out of here.

And then we are going
to leave you at Karl's

for a couple of days.

First we have to put those
jewels in some safe place,

till all this cools down.

Now Marie, I have to be alone,

I have to be able to move fast,
you...

I didn't do it.

- No, then you shouldn't run,
David.

You should--

- What, turn myself in?

- But you're innocent.

- Yes, well tell that to the
police,

they'll be out for blood and
they won't be

too particular whose blood it
is.

[suspenseful music]

- Too coy.

Too coarse.

No.

No, I told you before, Monsieur
Karl,

I'm frightfully difficult to
please.

But once I'm pleased,
I'm terribly satisfied.

Definitely black.

Black's my color, you know.

May I touch your hair, my dear?

That is no wig, is it?

- No.

- Wouldn't be interested in
selling it to me, would you?

- [Karl] No, she's not
interested, Mrs. Flingston.

- $200?

- David needs money.

I will.

- Marvelous.

Monsieur Karl, you always
know exactly what I want.

One of your most splendid
creations by the end of the
week?

- You know, the first time I met
David,

he'd been in prison for a
year, he'd just been released.

He was sent to prison for
the brutal, but not fatal,

beating of an old woman.

Discovered him stealing her
silver.

Turned on her in a fury and
struck her,

again and again and again,
beating her into
unconsciousness.

- Stop it, Karl.

- Oh no, be honest, Marie.

You're afraid he did
it, and you feel guilty

for suspecting it.

- No, I know David stole the
jewels,

but he didn't k*ll that man.

You believe him, don't you?

- Oh, of course I believe him.

You still love him very much,
don't you?

Even knowing that he's
a thief, a criminal.

Perhaps even a m*rder*r.

- Yes.

- You love him even now, don't
you?

[Marie sighs]

Tell me what it feels
like, this feeling of

immortal, eternal love.

- Oh, you know what love feels
like, Karl.

- No.

I know what the opposite
of love feels like,

and I know what it feels
like to be jealous of love.

But what the real call of
love is like, I don't know.

- [Marie] Karl.

- [Karl] It's nothing.

- David!

- What happened to you?

- Oh, it'll be fine when
I've finished styling it.

- Oh, you really cut yourself
bad.

- Oh yes, I did, didn't I?

- [Marie] Ta da.

- Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Karl?

Karl, are you finished with her?

- [Karl] Oh yes, she's all
yours.

- And this is all yours.

- You don't want me to
come to Mexico too, do you?

I'm a good, fast driver.

- No, we need you right where
you are.

If anything goes wrong,
I'll send her right back.

Let's go.

- But what about the jewels?

- I talked to Teddy a couple of
hours ago.

He said he'd handle things as
always,

and I'll get more out of him
this time.

- David, that's dangerous.

Teddy's careless, don't go.

- Who's Teddy?

- [Karl] Don't let him go,
Marie.

- Are going to give me some
money, Karl?

- I'd love to, David, but you
know.

- We can't get far on $200.

Teddy is a nice old man.

You give him this, he gives you
this.

Au revoir, Karl.

- Good luck.

[door closes]

[ominous music]

[rotary phone dialing]

- [Operator] Operator.

- Give me the police.

[ominous music]

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Doesn't look too good, does
it?

- Is he good, the lawyer?

- Oh, he may be good, but I
don't think

he believes much in me either.

There's just too many
fingers pointing right at me,

my record, I can't deny I
didn't steal the jewels.

My scar.

- But you didn't do it, David.

[rattling wires]

- No.

You keep telling them that.

Scream it in their faces,
make them sick of it.

I'm innocent.

I'm guilty of everything else,
but I did not k*ll that man.

- No.

[David sighs]

- Are you all right?

- No.

I can't eat, I can't sleep,
and I'm catching a cold.

- You look cute.

- I love you.

I love you.

- Karl, how's Karl?

- Oh, he is being marvelous.

He's working so hard
to pay for the lawyer.

No word from your mother.

He bought me this hat.

- He's in love with you.

- I know.

- But don't you go
falling in love with him.

- I try not to.

I try.

- Maybe you should take
another sleeping pill.

- No.

No, the two you gave me
earlier will do the job.

- But one more won't hurt.

Marie, you have to sleep.

That's a good girl.

- You called the lawyer?

- Yes.

He thinks it's better that you
don't try

to see David tomorrow.

That your being in the courtroom

would only upset him and make
him nervous.

You see, he's very worried about
you.

- He's so pale.

It's been so hard on him.

Karl, when you testify tomorrow,

you will convince them that he's
innocent.

- I'll do my best.

- Yes, the third pill really
worked.

I'm so tired.

[gavel banging]

[people chattering]

- [Lawyer] Have you ever
seen this scarf, Mr. Gault?

- Yes.

It belongs to David Chesterman.

I was at his apartment when his
wife

gave it to him as a birthday
present.

[somber music]

I was drunk.

I happened to mention that Mrs.
Atwell,

who was a customer of mine, had
requested

that she be buried with all her
jewelry.

[ominous music]

His eyes brightened when I said
it.

The day after the m*rder,
they came to my shop

to borrow money.

Mrs. Chesterman knew nothing
about it.

He got me a loan, and I'll never
forget

his face when he said it.

He told me he had k*lled the
caretaker.

[people shouting]

[gavel banging]

- [Judge] Order, order in the
court.

[suspenseful music]

[door opens]

- Oh, you brought flowers.

David has been found innocent?

- Soon all this will be
over, and you'll be well,

and then we can go away
together and forget it all.

- Forget?

- I have bad news.

David is guilty.

I tried to wake you this
morning,

I came to bring you
back to the courthouse.

The judge is sentencing
him this afternoon.

- [Marie] Today?

- Oh, you should have seen him,
my dear.

Such a show of temper.

Furious with the jury that
convicted him.

He waived all rights to the
penalty phase

and threw himself on
the mercy of the court.

But there's no mercy for a
m*rder*r.

- [Marie] He's not a k*ller.

- The law has decided that he
is.

There's nothing that can
be done to save him now.

No, don't, don't pull away from
me.

I have a present for you.

- You hate David.

- Yes, I hate David!

I hate your love for each other.

So ardent, so exclusive,
so just for David.

- You would let David die?

- [Karl] I planned it, my dear,
for us.

- David didn't m*rder that man.

- [Karl] Well who did, me?

- Maybe.

- Ah, my poor little angel.

My poor little...

[door slams]

No, no.

You mustn't be frightened of me.

[suspenseful music]

[Karl shouts]

- Taxi!

- Marie.

- Taxi!

Ah!

Municipal courthouse, hurry,
please.

- [Driver] Oh, miss!

Your change.

- Is this the Chesterman trial?

- You're too late, it's all
over.

Sentenced him to death 15
minutes ago.

- Where did they take him?

- Chesterman?

Well, he's probably still
in the building somewhere.

Aren't you Mrs. Chesterman?

- David!

David!

[camera clicks]

David!

- Hey!

Come back in here, hey!

[horns honking]

- Please, find David for me.

Please.

He's innocent.

Believe me.

- That's Chesterman's wife.

[horn honking]

- Yeah!

- [Man] I'll jump.

I'll jump.

- Marie?

- David.

Oh, David.

- Come inside, Marie.

- No, not until they listen to
me, David.

You're innocent.

You're innocent.

No.

- Give me your hand, Marie.
- No.

Not until they know the truth.

- Marie.

Marie.

It's no use.

Don't make it any harder on me.

I didn't mean to k*ll the
caretaker.

- No.

- But I couldn't stop.

Please, Marie.

The only happiness I've
ever had in my life

has been our love.

Now you must forgive me my lie,
Marie.

Now, listen to me.

You must forgive me that,
and live for the both of us.

[somber music]

I didn't mean to k*ll him.

[Marie moans]

Please forgive me.

[Marie crying]

- Yes, my darling.
- Please, please.

- Yes, my darling.

[people chattering]

- We are coming to the
end of the second half

of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

In fact, we're coming to
the end of Alfred Hitchcock.

Two rival groups of little
people were fighting over me,

but they have now hit
upon a happy compromise.

The pendulum drops a few inches
each day,

so by next week, I imagine
I shall be able to host

two half-hour shows
simultaneously.

Until then, good night.

[mischievous music]

[mischievous music]

[dramatic music]