09x23 - The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Perry Mason". Aired: September 21, 1957, to May 22, 1966.*
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Defense attorney Perry Mason defends dozens of falsely accused people during courtroom drama, and he manages to clear all of them, usually by drawing out the real criminal on the witness stand.
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09x23 - The Case of the Tsarina's Tiara

Post by bunniefuu »

Betrayed.

I have been betrayed
by my own countryman.

It's not for the money alone
I am weeping,

but when a White Russian
has survived the terrors of the Reds

only to fall from honor,

when I become a victim
at the hands of my own countryman,

I should be preserved
from such a day.

Madame Galinova,
how have you been betrayed?

How? You ask how?

With those.

And to think I trusted him,

a White Russian.

This jewelry is somehow involved?

But of course.
Else why would I be here?

Why would it be here?

Two months ago,
Vyacheslav, the Cossack--

- Who?
- Vlyacheslav, the Cossack.

Vyacheslav, the Cossack?

GALINOVA: Oh, that's his stage name.
You know, darling, he's a magician.

But he is really Vyacheslav Gerznov,
a boy from Kharkov on the River Don.

He comes to me,
he is without funds.

He appeals to me, fellow Russian.
So I help him.

He lives in my guest house.
He drinks my wine.

- He eats my food.
- This was all as your guest?

GALINOVA: Oh, no. He kept
promising me that he would pay.

And did he pay?

He did. With that junk.

And would you believe it,
he had the nerve to tell me

that that is worth
far more than he owes me.

- Sentimental value, perhaps?
- Never mind sentimental.

I want Vyacheslav sued.

Better yet, I want him imprisoned.

Well, first we have to establish
that there has been a fraud

and this, uh, junk, as you call it,
is really worthless.

Mm. How do we do that?

By going upstairs to Platoro's,
a custom jewelry firm.

I'm attorney for the company. I think
they'll give us an expert appraisal.

Ah, wonderful. Heh.

Already, darling, I am drawn to you.

[GALINOVA SIGHS]

I am afraid you placed your trust
in the wrong man, madam.

They are worthless.

Thank you very much, Mr. DeVry.

Is, uh, that lucky partner of yours
back from his trip yet?

No, not yet.
Another three or four weeks, at least.

Gerard still has to cover Africa.

Wait a moment.

Uh, do you mind if I...?

The stones...

...they're real.

Real diamonds?

Undoubtedly.

[GASPS]

Vyacheslav said that his grandmother
carried them in a bundle

on her back out of Russia.

Russia?

Excuse me a moment.

Here it is.

Look.

One of the lost pieces among
the crown jewels of Russia was this.

The Tsarina's Tiara.

[GALINOVA GASPS]

Oh...

If it is what it seems,
and if it can be authenticated,

it could be the cultural discovery
of this decade.

Uh, how much would it be worth
if authenticated?

Conservatively,
three quarters of a million dollars.

- Three--?
MASON: Mr. DeVry,

would you arrange
for the expert examination,

and meanwhile,
keep the tiara in your vault?

Of course.

I will prepare a receipt.

That's mine, isn't it?

Vyacheslav can't take it back,
can he?

He signed the jewelry over to me,
and I signed a receipt accepting it,

so that's legal, no?

If he had the right to assign it to you
in payment of his debt.

That's what we have to determine
as soon as possible.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

[CARNIVAL MUSIC
PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS]

MAN:
Ice-cold lemonade.

Come over and get your
ice-cold drinks. Bring your girl over.

One, please.

I settled my debt with Sonya.

The trinkets I gave her
were not just a few baubles

I no longer use on the stage,
they were my legacy.

But Vlyacheslav Gerznov
is an honorable man.

He gave, she accepted,
and he will not take them back,

although they're worth
a great deal more

than the lousy bills
I owed Sonya.

- Now, please, go.
- Uh, Mr. Gerznov,

I just wanted to be certain
that you actually owned the jewels,

- that you had full title to them.
- Vatch! Vatch, baby!

I can't stand familiarity. Go away.
Can't you see two men are talking?

But, Vatch, you gotta see this.

Please come into my dressing room
where there is quiet. Come in.

Now, where did you get the jewels?

My grandmother and I,
we sailed down the Don from Kharkov,

running away from the Bolsheviks.

And in the little bag
upon which I rested my head at night,

we carried my inheritance.

Your grandmother gave you
the jewels then?

Mm-hm. Yes. And I betrayed her
by giving them to Sonya

to pay for bread
and wine and lodging.

Oh, if you only knew how my heart
bled, but we made an agreement,

and I will not take back
one single bead.

Vatch, you've got to see this.

Madame Galinova doesn't want you
to take anything back.

WOMAN: Vatch!
- Don't "Vatch" me. Go away.

A Romanov,
and this peasant calls me Vatch.

Well, good night, Mr. Gerznov.
Thank you.

- Good night.
- Look.

[YELLS IN RUSSIAN]

The crook! That thief!
Thief! Liar! Bolshevik!

[YELLING IN RUSSIAN]

It is not enough
that you have stolen my birthright?

It is not enough that you demean me
by making me wait like a peasant?

I, who descended directly

- from the tsars of all Russia.
- Oh.

It is not enough that I come here
like peddler at court?

Tell me, lawyer, why am I here?
Why do I come to her?

I should come to you?
To a tent with sawdust on the floor?

Sawdust? Madam, I warn you,
I may be poor, but I am proud!

- Now, recriminations aren't going--
- Proud?

You come from shoemakers
and egg-sellers.

In a minute--
In a minute, I'm going to leave.

So leave already!

Mr. Gerznov,
you agreed to the settlement.

You told me in my office.

That I should take one-third
and she will get two-thirds?

Listen, if I was begging in the streets--
If I was begging in the streets,

I would not take one ruble
less than half!

Then there's nothing else
left to discuss.

Mr. McCauley, I'll advise the court of
the circumstances and we'll go to trial.

But let me make it clear, there will be
no offer to compromise at that point.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Uh, first, I'll talk to my lawyer,
but I will not be convinced.

He is a fakir.
I should not give him one kopeck.

- Why I should give my inheritance?
MASON: Consider the cost of a trial.

- Drinks like a fish,
McCAULEY: She accepted your offer.

- But he has the brains of a donkey.
VYACHESLAV: Don't quote me the law!

GALINOVA: To an animal like that
I should give hundreds of dollars?

McCAULEY: You do as you like,
but with another lawyer.

MASON: Even after taxes,
there's a great deal of money.

Attention, please.
Uh, my lawyer has convinced me.

I beg my grandmother, may she rest
in eternal splendor, to forgive me.

But I accept.

- I'll take one-third.
- All right.

- It is done.
- I kiss your hand, madam.

Gentlemen.

[VYACHESLAV CLEARS THROAT]

Galinova. Honey, I read the papers
and I just had to see you.

[PAULINE GASPS]

I've got one heck of an idea.

Pauline, you're gonna
make me late for tennis.

I think maybe...
Maybe I'll take tennis lessons.

I assume you've, uh,
read the contract carefully.

VYACHESLAV:
Mm.

Now, if you'll, uh...
If you'll just sign it.

Now, don't forget, honey,
we're going to talk about it,

but don't sound off to anybody,
not until I make up my mind definitely.

- Of course, darling.
ROLF: Pauline?

Hold your horses, Rolf.

The idea is harebrained, Pauline.
I just won't have it.

Keep talking,
you won't have anything.

Mr. Mason, from now on,

you are the lawyer
for the Maison Galinova.

Why, thank you, madam.

It's been an experience handling
this matter for you, but I must decline.

Oh, I am desolated.

Oh, but for all you have done for me,
I thank you, darling.

Such a day this is.

As far as I'm concerned,
there'll never be another one like it.

[GALINOVA CHUCKLES]

WOMAN [OVER PA]:
Alegre Airlines, Passenger Van Ness,

arriving on Flight
from Rio de Janeiro.

Please check in
at Alegre ticket counter.

Passenger Van Ness, report
to Alegre ticket counter, please.

I'm Gerard Van Ness.
You have a message for me, I believe.

Yes, sir.

VAN NESS:
Thank you.

I left Rio unexpectedly.

My luggage should be arriving
on tomorrow's flight. Will you call me?

I can be reached
at Platoro's during the day.

- Yes, sir. I'll notify you.
- Thank you.

MAN [OVER RADIO]:
Time check, : .

Stand by for stolen
and recovered cars.

Stolen in the one column, ONT .

In the two column, BTA .

In the five column, CLT .

We have a report,
but no complaint yet on ALE .

Car , Adam requests
a rolling want on ALE .

MAN [OVER RADIO]:
ALE

is an outstanding stolen,
reported but unconfirmed.

Let's look him over.
I'll give him the lights.

[SIREN WAILING]

Would you step out of your car,
please?

- Something wrong, officer?
- Please step out.

Would you take out
your driver's license, please?

Well, what have I done?

Would you tell me
what you're looking for?

We have an unconfirmed
stolen car report on this vehicle.

Well, that's a mistake.
This is my car.

Registration checks out.
"Gerard Van Ness."

- Where do you live, sir?
- Canyon Road,

here in the Valley.
I've been on a trip.

I just got in at International,
and I'm on my way home.

If you've been on a trip,
where's the rest of your luggage?

I left in a hurry.
It's coming on a later plane.

Do you mind
if we check your attaché case?

The key is in my pocket.
May I reach for it?

COP: You're off-course if you're going
home from International.

VAN NESS:
Well, I had some things to do first.

Diamonds.

No, they're zircons, not diamonds,
and they belong to my firm and--

Look, you wanna check on me,
you can call my partner, my girlfriend--

You mind if we take a look
in your trunk?

I mind being stopped in the first place.
I mind being questioned like I'm a thief.

This is my car, those are my stones.

I'm sorry, sir,
but we have to check this out.

I told you, lieutenant,
I got in an hour or so ago.

I was on my way here
when I was stopped by your men.

All right, Mr. Van Ness, let's see
if the g*n is where you say it is.

The g*n's in the desk,
the middle drawer.

Didn't you say you hadn't been here
in over a month?

VAN NESS: Well, I-- I don't remember
leaving those out, but perhaps I did.

Remarkable ice.
Over a month without melting.

- Lieutenant, there's no g*n in here.
- I left it there, I'm certain.

DRUMM: And that was over
a month ago too, eh?

Well, someone's been here.
Broke in, I guess,

helped themselves to the whiskey,
found the g*n...

- Sergeant, check for forcible entry.
- Yes, sir.

Mr. Van Ness,

how well did you know
the decedent?

By reputation. He was a thief.

I never had anything to do with him.

- Are you sure?
- Of course.

Maybe you can explain this for me.

"Returning Friday night.
Will contact you at your motel.”

This was found in the dead man's
pocket. It's signed, "Gerard Van Ness."

Lieutenant.

There are more stains
across the back terrace,

on the lawn, into the garage.

And the grass is matted
as if a body had been dragged.

Mr. Van Ness, can you explain this?

I'm not answering any more questions.
I want to talk to a lawyer.

I think that would be
a very good idea.

You're gonna need one.

MASON:
When Mr. DeVry asked me to see you,

I obtained this copy
of the police investigation report.

It's rather conclusive, Mr. Van Ness.

But I didn't k*ll him.

Whatever you care to tell me
will of course be confidential,

but I must have the truth.

Now, did you do business
with Nils Dorow?

Mr. Mason,
my function in our partnership

is to acquire the gemstones
which Joachim uses

in creating our custom pieces.

I have to, uh, do a lot of traveling.

From time to time,
I've run into Dorow.

He's offered me stones
for a cheap price.

- But I never bought from him.
- Why?

Nearly every stone Nils Dorow
ever showed me, I recognized,

knew exactly
where they'd been stolen.

How could you know that?

My specialty is the precise
identification of precious gems.

I have studied and cataloged most
of the famous stones of the world.

Mr. Van Ness,
your plane arrived at : .

The police stopped you at : .

At slow speeds, the drive shouldn't
have taken more than minutes

from the airport
to your home in the Valley.

Now, what were you doing during
that missing hour and ten minutes?

I went first to Dorow's motel.
He was not there.

Do you think the room clerk
will remember you?

I didn't go to the office purposely.

When you found Dorow wasn't in,
what did you do?

I went to the main post office
to pick up a shipment.

- Good. That can establish--
- It had not arrived.

So I started for home.
That's when the police stopped me.

Did you talk to anyone
in the post office?

It was late.
The windows were closed.

Well, so much for your alibi.

Now, tell me about the note
you sent to Dorow

and how you happened
to come home so unexpectedly.

It was at the hotel in Rio.

I was supposed to leave for Africa,

but had a most important appointment
to keep in Brasilia the following day.

Senor Arena and I
were having a farewell drink.

Senor Arena?

Ricardo Arena,
a manufacturer's representative.

We met from time to time
in our business travels.

We've become casual friends.

Then the boy brought me a cable.
It was from Nils Dorow.

"Urgent we meet at once,
L.A., Room , Breeze Motel.

Otherwise, deal off.
You lose business.”

Signed, "Nils Dorow."

- How did--?
MASON: Obtain a copy of the cable?

Our police are very efficient.

Well, I know that sounds as if I--

As if you were doing business
with Dorow.

He threatened you,
and you returned to k*ll him.

You did change your travel plans
and rush back here.

Well, I didn't know
what Dorow might do,

- his thr*at to our business.
- What did you do?

I called my partner to warn him.

But I didn't want him to compromise
himself by contacting Dorow,

- so I wrote a note to Lisabeth.
- Lisabeth?

VAN NESS: Elizabeth Wells,
a young lady, a teacher.

She taught me Portuguese.
She's a friend.

I enclosed my car keys, asked her
to pick me up at the airport.

I also enclosed a sealed note
for her to drop at Nils Dorow's motel.

And you mailed this to Miss Wells?

No, my friend Ricardo Arena
was flying to Los Angeles that night,

so I gave the envelope to him
to deliver to Lisabeth.

MASON:
But she didn't meet you at the airport.

Do you know if she delivered
the note to Nils Dorow?

Well, I've had no chance
to see or talk to Lisabeth,

but the note was on the body.
She must have delivered it.

Yes, she must have.

It's an airtight case, Paul.
Absolutely airtight.

Motive, opportunity,
physical evidence.

Van Ness can't satisfactorily
account for his time

or explain a dozen other
incriminating things.

Yet somehow,
we have to establish reasonable doubt.

In order to do that, don't you have
to have reasonable doubt yourself?

Paul, his partner, Joachim DeVry,

mentioned the Interpol file
on Nils Dorow.

Suppose there might be
something in that?

- I'll find out.
- I'm going to have a talk

with the woman
who taught Van Ness Portuguese.

I can give you her address
and everything we have so far.

Despite what she wrote
in the note to Van Ness,

she did not teach any class
in the school the night of the m*rder.

Look what just came for us
from Madame Galinova.

An invitation to a social event of
international and historic importance.

At her salon.
Oh, Paul, you're wanted on line .

- Your man at police headquarters.
- Thanks.

Yeah, Paul Drake.

[SIGHS]

This tears it.
No, stay with it. Thanks.

They lifted your client's prints from
one of those glasses in his house,

and they found his g*n buried
in his garden. It's the m*rder w*apon.

Yes, I-- I did.

I did deliver Gerard's message
to the motel for Nils Dorow.

[JAZZ MUSIC
PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS]

Did you see or talk to Dorow,
Miss Wells?

No, I--
I left the note for him.

Now, tell me about Gerard's car.

LISABETH: Well, I drove it
to the airport and left the keys.

That was the best I could do.

I, uh... I had to substitute
for another teacher who was ill.

I hope you'll forgive me, Miss Wells,

but I would like to ask you
a somewhat personal question.

How well do you know
Gerard Van Ness?

We're friends. Good friends,
and that's absolutely all.

- And you do want to help him?
- Oh, certainly.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

Oh, I am sorry.

I am too early
for our dinner engagement?

No, it's just that...
This is Mr. Perry Mason.

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH]

LISABETH:
Señor Ricardo Arena.

You are the gentleman to whom
Mr. Van Ness gave his keys

and note to deliver to Miss Wells?

- Si, señor. As a matter of--
- Uh, Mr. Mason is Gerard's attorney.

I see. Well, you can count on me,
Senor Mason. Gerard is my friend.

Marvelous. Absolutely marvelous.

And you know for sure
it's the real McCoy?

Madam, I am only human,
I could make a mistake.

However, the chance that the dozen
other experts who examined the tiara

and vouched for its authenticity
could all be wrong, is very slight. Heh.

Galinova's asking
a monstrous price.

True. It is a monstrous price.

Oh, put it away, Joachim,
before I go out of my mind.

Come on, Rolf, I'll buy you a beer.

- Bye.
- Bye.

I intended to call you.
Tell me, frankly, how is it going?

Not good at all.

As if the m*rder w*apon and the other
circumstances weren't enough,

I've had Paul Drake check Interpol.

In their dossier on Nils Dorow,
Paul found a report

of a recent meeting
between Dorow and another man.

That man's description
fits Gerard Van Ness exactly.

That must have been Montevideo.

The police feel the motive for m*rder
was blackmail.

I simply cannot conceive it.

I have nothing else on my mind.
I've explored all possibilities.

What could Nils Dorow
have been threatening to do?

Who might have been able to open
the door to Gerard's home,

open the trunk of his car?

Who might want to destroy
our business?

I've asked myself
the same questions.

Frankly, I can't answer them.

Gerard Van Ness is going
before the judge tomorrow

with nothing more than what appears
to be a contrived explanation

for the district attorney's indictment.

DRUMM: Yes, Mr. Burger,
we checked the defendant's alibi.

Not corroborated at the motel.

Neither he nor his car
was seen there,

and although he said that he went to
the post office to pick up a package,

to try to pick up a package,

we found that there was no mail
picked up that evening

and none of the post office employees
remembered seeing him there.

Thank you, lieutenant.
Your witness, Mr. Mason.

Lieutenant, considering
the location of the motel office,

is it possible that the defendant
did in fact go to Room

without anyone seeing him?

Well, it's possible if he'd sneaked in.

When you talked to the post office
employees that night,

were any of them stationed in the main
hallway where the boxes are located?

No, we went around
to the rear of the building.

MASON:
Then it is not uncommon

for someone to have opened
a post office box late in the evening,

find that the package
he had expected did not arrive,

leave the remainder
of the mail intact and go,

all without being seen by anyone?

We timed the sequence of events,
Mr. Mason,

as the defendant
claimed they happened.

And having done so,
would you state

that the defendant could have told you
the truth about his whereabouts?

Mr. Mason, if I were to believe that,
I would have to believe

that a third party brought the decedent,
Nils Dorow, to the defendant's house,

somehow managed to open the door,
entertained him there,

placed the defendant's fingerprints
on a glass,

k*lled the decedent
with the defendant's g*n--

- Lieutenant, I didn't ask you--
DRUMM: Let me finish, Mr. Mason.

Bury the g*n, drag the dead man
to the defendant's car,

put him in the trunk,
all on a perfect time schedule,

so that he would be
clear of the place

when Lisabeth Wells
took the defendant's car to the airport.

MASON: Lieutenant Drumm,
I did not ask you if you believed it.

I asked you if the defendant's
statement to the police could be true

in the light of your own investigation.

- It's possible,
- Thank you, lieutenant.

But not probable!

Si. When the cable arrived,
Señor Van Ness was...

Well, he told me this Dorow
was a very dangerous man.

He asked me if I would deliver
a note for him and some keys,

which I gladly did.

All right. I now show you this note,
marked for identification,

which was taken from the body
of the decedent.

Senor Arena, can you tell us
if this was the note

written by the defendant
in your presence

- for you to deliver to Nils Dorow?
- That I cannot say, senor.

I did not read the note.

It was sealed in the envelope
and given to me

before I flew to Los Angeles
a few hours later.

Very well, sir. Cross-examine.

Senor Arena,

when you arrived in Los Angeles,

did you take the sealed envelope
directly to the addressee,

- Miss Elizabeth Wells?
- I had business.

I called her and told her
I would deliver a message to her later,

that it was from Señor Van Ness,

that he wished her to do an errand
for him and meet him at the airport.

Since the envelope was sealed,

how did you know
what the defendant wanted her to do?

I think Senor Van Ness,
in conversation, he told...

Yes, I am certain
he told me these things.

MASON: Now, Senor Arena,
you testified, and I quote,

"Senor Van Ness was...

Well, he told me this Dorow
was a very dangerous man," unquote.

Now, just to be sure
we don't confuse the record,

that sounds as if your knowledge
of the decedent, Nils Dorow,

was based on
what you were told by the defendant.

- Is that true?
- Uh, not entirely.

MASON: Then you knew Nils Dorow
before the defendant mentioned him.

Si, that is correct.

He once tried to sell me
some stolen jewelry in Santiago,

although I did not know
it had been stolen,

and I had told him
I was not interested.

You knew him only slightly,

but he attempted to sell you
stolen jewelry and you refused,

and later you were suspicious

and volunteered the information
to the police.

Well, that is practically
as it was, yes.

MASON:
Practically, but not exactly, senor.

The Chilean police threatened to take
your visa if you did not cooperate.

Isn't that exactly the way it was?

A man like that, pfft,
you cannot know what he will do.

I was afraid.

Your Honor,
I'm through with the witness for now,

but I reserve the right to recall him.

Miss Wells,
the note you wrote to the defendant,

which has been placed in evidence,
said that you could not meet him

because you were teaching class
that night.

But, Miss Wells,
the records of the school

show that you were not
teaching class.

Now, where were you?

Why, I, uh...

I intended to teach,
but at the last minute I couldn't.

Where were you that night?

I went out to dinner and took a drive.

MASON:
Were you alone, Miss Wells?

Please answer yes or no
for the record.

No.

MASON: Would you tell us
with whom you spent the evening?

I felt funny about--
I didn't want Gerard to--

Well, I didn't meet him and--

Miss Wells, who was your escort?

- Señor Ricardo Arena.
- Thank you. That's all for now.

The witness may stand down.

Court is adjourned
until : tomorrow morning.

Perry, my men have checked
every house

within a radius of two blocks
of Van Ness' place,

and no one will admit having phoned in
that stolen car report to the police.

But the call came in at headquarters

and was listed as unconfirmed
an hour after Van Ness' plane landed.

Convenient, wasn't it?

The anonymous caller knew when
Van Ness was due to arrive,

was certain the body was in the car
and made sure the police would find it.

[EASY LISTENING MUSIC
PLAYS OVER SPEAKERS]

Right there. Mm-hm. So.

[MUSIC STOPS]

Come. Come, darlings,
we are ready.

And be prepared
for a big surprise. Ha.

My special friends,

you have read, of course, of the great
good fortune that has come to us,

to my friend, Vyacheslav Gerznov,
and the world

in the discovery of the long-lost
masterpiece of the jeweler's art.

The Tsarina's Tiara.

Yes.

And my good friend and patron,
Pauline Thorsen,

who was married to Alexei Odessa.

He was an officer
in the tsarina's guard.

Pauline has purchased the tiara
for three quarters of a million dollars.

[GUESTS CLAPPING]

There you are, Sonya, honey,
a check for , simoleons.

GALINOVA: Mm-hm.
- Certified.

GALINOVA: And now, Pauline,
for three quarters of a million dollars,

this you deserve.

Oh, no, no, no, honey,
it's not for me.

You'll never see this on my head.

No, I make this a gift
to the Art Museum

in memory of my late husband.

Oh, bravo! Bravo!

BURGER: Mr. DeVry, can you tell us
the substance of your conversation

with the defendant on the occasion
of his call to you from Rio de Janeiro?

He said, uh, he had received
a cable from Dorow,

that Dorow had made threats
against our business.

BURGER:
And what was your reaction to that?

Oh, I was appalled.

I couldn't understand it
any more than Gerard did.

Well, why didn't you see Dorow yourself
and save the defendant the trip?

Well, Gerard warned me
against that.

I knew Dorow by reputation,
but Gerard, Mr. Van Ness,

had run into him,
in Montevideo, I believe it was,

and perhaps in other places,
and my partner felt

that I would be exposing our company,
as well as myself,

if I were seen with a man
we both knew to be a criminal.

In other words, the defendant,
Gerard Van Ness,

first insisted on dealing
with Dorow himself,

then insisted on
your not dealing with him,

and then broke off
his own trip unexpectedly

and hurried home to defend himself
and his business against blackmail?

Those are your words.
I did not say that.

BURGER:
At your leisure, Mr. DeVry,

I invite you to study the transcript
of your own testimony.

You'll find out that that's exactly
what you said.

Thank you, sir. Your witness.

I have no questions at this time.

BURGER:
I have nothing further, Your Honor.

The prosecution rests.

If, uh, Your Honor please?

Is that the defense exhibit
you were expecting, Mr. Mason?

Yes, Your Honor.
The Tsarina's Tiara.

Your Honor,
I was under the impression

that we were trying
a m*rder case here.

I fail to see how this particular
grandstand maneuver by defense

can contribute one iota.

Are you entering an objection,
Mr. Burger?

Yes, I am, Your Honor,
very strenuously.

Anything concerning this tiara is per se
irrelevant and completely immaterial.

Your Honor, defense maintains

that the damning series
of circumstances

implicating the defendant in the
m*rder were deliberately contrived.

In other words,
Gerard Van Ness was framed.

But until very recently,
I must confess,

the motive for such an action
eluded me.

Now I believe that using the
Tsarina's Tiara and an expert witness,

I can prove to the courts, and hopefully
to Mr. Burger's entire satisfaction,

a clear-cut motive for this action
against Mr. Van Ness.

Well, in that case, Mr. Mason,

subject to our right to object further
at any stage, I agree.

Thank you, Mr. Burger.

Subject, of course, further, to my right
to approve the expert you select.

Who is your witness, Mr. Mason?

The defendant, Your Honor,
Mr. Gerard Van Ness.

[PEOPLE MURMURING]

MASON:
Now, then, Mr. Van Ness,

this is the widely publicized
find of the decade, the Tsarina's Tiara.

- You have, of course, heard about it.
- Yes.

So far, a dozen other experts
have carefully examined it

and pronounced it genuine.

- Do you agree?
- They are all respected men.

- And the, uh, diamonds are genuine?
VAN NESS: Obviously.

- And the metals are gold and silver?
- I would say so, yes.

MASON: This, then,
is the genuine lost Tsarina's Tiara?

I have no reason to doubt it.

MASON:
Take a good look at it, Mr. Van Ness,

as you would if rendering an appraisal
through your jeweler's glass.

As an expert witness.

Why, it's a fake. A fraud.

[PEOPLE MURMURING]

[JUDGE BANGING GAVEL]

Your Honor, this witness
is contradicting himself.

He first testified
that the diamonds were genuine.

Well, they are real, perfectly real,
but this, the tiara, it is a hoax.

This is not the Tsarina's Tiara.

Would you explain, Mr. Van Ness?

Because I recognize these stones.

They are from the Quetzal Shrine
in Central America.

MASON: You are certain of that?
VAN NESS: Absolutely.

I can show you the points
of identification in my book.

It's clear to me.

There, Your Honor,
you have the motive for m*rder.

Someone at all costs
had to prevent Gerard Van Ness,

the one man in the world who could
have exposed the tiara as a fraud,

from examining it.

And what better way
than to have him arrested for m*rder?

Now, there's a fairly
questionable theory, Your Honor.

So far, we only have this self-interested
opinion of one man, the defendant,

that this tiara is a fake.

And that's against the opinion
of an entire board of experts.

There is only one way, Your Honor,
and only one place

to determine the truth or falsity
of my client's testimony.

DRUMM:
Paul, I don't get it.

How could anybody
steal these jewels

without the security chief
knowing about it?

My picked guards are constantly
on duty, day and night.

If anyone even come near,
he would be sh*t on the spot.

[ALARM RINGING]

You see?

Buried under the stones
of the floor are alarm devices.

Only someone with a chart
would know where to step.

I see.

The entire cage, the stand,
all electrically wired.

[ALARM RINGING]

I repeat, senor,
no one could approach where we are

- without setting off the alarm.
- understand.


But as long as we're here, do you mind
if he examines the stones?

RIZAL:
Certainly.

Señores, the stones are worthless,
paste imitations of diamonds.

Your Honor,
before examining the witness,

I want to thank the district attorney

for delaying his cross-examination
of the defendant

to enable the defense to show how
Mr. Van Ness became the scapegoat

in a magnificent hoax.

And now, Mr. Gerznov,

I am not going to point out
the obvious.

Well, I was victimized. Victimized!

- Please sit down.
- Excuse me, Your Excellence.

I was victimized
like a serf in a salt mine.

You were involved
from the beginning.

An integral part of the plan.

You claim to have taken
the tiara out of Russia, so you lied.

It's obvious that you knew
what you were doing every minute.

No! No, no, no.
I was talked into it, yes. I protested.

"This is dishonest," I said.

But she-- She enticed me with wine
and caviar and sturgeon and promises.

Look, she swore it was foolproof.

She never told me
about this Bolshevik Dorow.

I never heard from Dorow.
I haven't heard from nothing.

That's a touching speech,
Mr. Gerznov.

Now, I'm going to excuse you
from the stand temporarily

to give you time to consider
what you've just said under oath.

And I repeat, he is a liar.

But what can you expect
from a son of a peddler?

A Cossack he calls himself? Ha!

He thinks like a peasant,

he drinks like a peasant
and he lies like a peasant.

Madame Galinova, isn't it a fact
that you made the hoax possible?

I curse the day--
In the tongue of my blessed father,

I curse the day I come to you.

I looked for a lawyer
to save me from a liar and a cheat.

And I come to you, my protector.

You mean you did not know

that the tiara had been planted
by Vyacheslav Gerznov?

GALINOVA:
No. All I wanted

was to get back a few hundred dollars
that he owed me.

But no,

it was you who would not sue him.

It was you who had to take me
to the appraiser.

None of this
would have happened without you.

And because of you,
we were told that the tiara was real.

I know I told you
the tiara was genuine, Mr. Mason,

but after ten experts agreed.

It is regrettable, but certainly
it is understandable, I was in error.

After all, I am only a designer.

If Gerard had been there at the time,
it would have been different.

MASON:
Exactly, but he wasn't there.

The great find had to be installed
in a permanent museum exhibit

before he returned,
and you and I, Mr. DeVry,

were the instruments
they used to perpetrate the hoax.

- We were a part of their plan?
MASON: A plan that nearly succeeded.

But when Dorow read
the newspaper announcement,

his greed caused
three things to happen.

First, it made him
demand more money

after he had already been paid
for stealing the jewels.

Second, it obviously threatened
to expose the fraud.

Third, it threatened to bring
the defendant, Gerard Van Ness,

- back too soon.
- Of course.

When they came first to you
and then to me,

they did not know
that Dorow would call Gerard.

Now...

...who was the mastermind in all this?

Someone who expected me to take
the tiara to Joachim DeVry,

a partner in a respected company.

Someone who knew Dorow and had
planned the theft of the diamonds.

Someone who knew Van Ness
intended to return unexpectedly.

Someone who had access
to the house and to the car.

There were several people
who knew all these things

and so had reason to k*ll Mr. Dorow.

But there was only one person

who had a reason
for framing Gerard Van Ness.

This one was the only person

who knew that Van Ness
among all men would recognize

and identify the jewels.

And that person was you,
Mr. DeVry.

I did not know Nils Dorow.
I've never even met him.

You must, uh--
You must believe that, Mr. Mason.

I, uh, cheated, but I did not m*rder.

Didn't you, Mr. DeVry?

Then just explain this.

Interpol could not identify the man
who met Dorow at Montevideo.

Only two persons, the defendant
and Nils Dorow, knew of that meeting.

But you knew about it,

and in an attempt to incriminate
your partner, you told me about it.

You could have learned
of that meeting in only one way,

from the man you k*lled.

It would have worked

and harmed no one.

I planned every step.

I overlooked nothing.

But you did, Mr. DeVry.

You overlooked human greed.

DELLA:
Oh. It's beautiful.

- But I couldn't. I just simply couldn't--
- Please, you must.

I owe you people so much,
my life, everything.

You know, there's one
remarkable thing about this case.

You mean the way Galinova
and Vlyacheslav, the Cossack,

- set you up as their patsy?
- Even more remarkable than that.

The way your ex-partner
had everything so perfectly worked out.

He had to have exactly
the right stones to duplicate the tiara,

and he had to have a buyer
picked out, of ability and inclination.

Madame Odessa-- Uh, Thorsen.

And the funny thing is,
nobody would have been hurt.

Galinova, Vyacheslav, DeVry would've
split three quarters of a million.

Madame Odessa would have been
happy with a gift to the museum.

The museum would have been happy,

and Mr. Van Ness
would never have been the wiser.

But the way it turned out,
everyone was hurt.

Everyone but Della.

And she may be
when she pays income tax on that ring.
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