An Unsuitable Job for a Woman (1982) - full transcript

I was wondering
when you'd turn up.

- Had a late night.
- Oh, yeah?

Babysitting.

Can you talk to Mr Pryde
about my money?

'Cause he's shut himself in
the office again, and he won't answer.

Drunken old sod.

Oh, Bernard.

Well, you make the tea.

Bernie, why do you do it?

Jesus Christ.

It's disgusting. I don't know how
you put up with him drinking like that.



Yesterday, I came in, you could
smell it on him first thing in the morning.

Mind you, it's not that
he seems drunk most of the time.

It's just the smell.

I'm not sure I like this colour.

It's a bit red.

I usually go for
more of a purple.

Mind you, it wouldn't be so bad
if he drank vodka.

At least that doesn't smell.

There.

What do you think of that, eh?

Fine.

I'm not sure.
I think a purple's better.

Look...

I think you might as well
go home now.



Nothing more for you
to do today.

Yeah, but I've come in now,
so you've got to pay me.

I'll pay you.

Right, that's three days,
counting today.

Well, take care of everything.

I know you will.

The tape recorder's a present,
by the way,

and there's my gun
hidden in the drawer,

but don't go waving it around,
'cause I never did get a permit.

Sorry.

If you are Cordelia Gray,
then you're fifteen minutes late.

That notice said you'd be
back here by eleven o'clock.

I know. Sorry.

I was expecting
to see Mr Pryde.

Will he be long?

I'm sorry, he's dead.

I've just come back
from the funeral.

He must have died with
a remarkable speed and discretion.

I only spoke to him last week.

He killed himself.

Well, I seem to have
wasted my time, Miss Gray.

Goodbye.

Please don't go.

I was Mr Pryde's assistant.
Er... Partner.

I'm sure I could help.

Can you come now?

Yes!

Er... Where?

I have a car.
You'll be back this evening.

Oh, is there anyone
you should tell?

No. There's only me.

What does Mr, um...

Callender.

Yes.
What does he do?

He's in business.
And politics.

Property, finance, construction.

I'm surprised
you haven't heard of him.

Perhaps I have.

He makes money.

Yes. He makes money.

What does he want with me?

I'm sure he'll
tell you that himself.

Thanks very much for your help,
Sergeant. It's much appreciated.

Yeah, try and get the pen back,
will you? It's quite a good one.

I mean, I know he's upset
and everything.

Maskell.

Your pen.

Terrible habit.

Thank you, sir.

Miss Gray was trained
by Mr Pryde.

- She was his assistant.
- Er... Partner!

Partner.

I was expecting
an ex-policeman.

- How old are you?
- Twenty-three.

My son Mark was twenty-one.

Five weeks ago,

he disappeared from the house
where he lived with his friends,

and spent his last days
living in a derelict cottage,

working as a gardener.

Eighteen days ago,
he hanged himself.

Why?

I'd give anything
to know the answer to that.

It should be easy
for someone like you

to find out about
him and his friends.

You don't have to say
you're working for me.

I probably represent
something unacceptable to them.

Will you see what
you can find out?

I'll start tomorrow.

I have to fetch
my things first.

Good.

I remember it was, um...

nine twenty-three exactly
when I found him.

He was hanging
from a hook by a belt.

Chair was on its side.

- Did you move him?
- Oh, no.

I left it to the police.
I couldn't bear to.

I wanted to put the chair back
to support his feet. It was...

irrational, I know.

I think it's very natural.

It's beautiful.

Yes.

Here, take the keys.
I must be getting on.

Look around.
Stay if you want to.

The boy made it
quite comfortable.

Oh, thank you, but his family
have booked me in somewhere.

Just as you please.

I must be getting on.

Oh, they're like wild animals.
Can't keep them out.

All over the garden,
trampling the plants.

They broke a window
in the cottage yesterday.

It'll take ages to get
someone to come and fix it.

Get away, you little brutes!

Damn good thrashing's
all they're fit for.

It wasn't so bad when
the young man was here.

Must have been useful
having him around.

I don't like your generation,
Miss Gray.

I don't like your arrogance,
your selfishness and your violence.

Any compassion you do have
seems curiously selective.

You pay for nothing
with your own coin,

not even your ideals.

You invite punishment
like those children outside,

and scream
when you're punished.

The men I was brought up with
weren't like that.

Do you think Mark Callender
was like that?

Oh, perhaps not.

At least the violence he practised
was on himself.

- That's rather harsh.
- He was a dropout!

Dropped out of his studies, apparently.

Dropped out of his family obligations.

Finally, he dropped out of life.

Literally.

Oh, those bloody children!

I don't know.

I could chase them off
for you, if you like.

No, they'd only come back.

Thank you, anyway.

I want it settled
before the next meeting.

Good.

Do you, er...
mind if I use this?

Good idea.

That's the latest one.
They're very good.

When I was younger, I was always
impressed how very important men

never seem to have
any papers on their desks.

Friends of mine seem to manage it.
I've never discovered the knack.

Er... Those quotes
have come through.

Put them through to Tokyo.

Oh, God. Andrew, take it
in the next room, will you?

Look, I'm a bit rushed.
Come upstairs while I pack.

I need to go soon.

Have you lived here long?

Used to belong to
my father-in-law.

Oh.

- What do you think of it?
- Very impressive.

Yes. I used to think so,
when I was young.

Hardly a home now.

Don't you live here anymore?

As little as possible.

Elizabeth and Andrew
still have rooms here,

but they stay in the town
most of the time.

Thought of turning it
into an old people's home.

At least then it would
serve some useful purpose.

I like to pack for myself.

Then I know what
I'm travelling with.

Don't you have
anyone to pack for you?

Would you prefer to select

your own ties,

rather than have somebody
do it for you?

Mark appears
to have been rather tidy.

Yes.

Yes, I suppose he was.

He...

was the sort of boy who'd wash
his hands before a meal, and then...

forget to comb his hair.

He could be downright
perverse at times.

His mother died
when he was young, you know,

and he went away
to school.

He was a shy boy.

Didn't enjoy going away.

I don't think he really
forgave me for sending him.

What could I do?

You never remarried?

Nearly.
Mark never took to her.

Mark have any, er...
problems?

Not as far as I know.

Had all the money he needed.

He inherited a lot from his grandfather
when he was twenty-one.

Did he have a girlfriend?

He never spoke to me about women.

If he had affairs, I presume
they were heterosexual.

Don't you think that they were?

Difficult to tell nowadays,
don't you think?

Last time we talked, you wondered
what kind of despair would...

The answer may not be pleasant.

Will you promise me one thing?

I'll try.

That whatever you find out,
however terrible,

you will tell me.

- I can't promise...
- Promise.

All right.

I promise.

I taught Mark something once.

That, in the final resort,
it is necessary

to finish what one has started.

I want to know what
led him to his conclusion.

Because, in the end,
really,

death is no solution.

It was the only solution
for Bernie Pryde.

You're late.
The helicopter is waiting.

Oh, there is one other thing.

- Do you have any photographs?
- Photographs?

- Do we have photographs?
- Yes, yes, I can take care of that.

Would you mind waiting, please?

Excellent. Elizabeth and Andrew
know where I am, if you need me.

She's not right.

She's quite suitable.

What is a girl like that
going to find out?

Well...

it's done now, isn't it?

When did you last see Mark?

Oh, it must have been about, um...

It wasn't very good of him,

but it gives you an idea.

Oh, no, it was very good.

He looks better
with his hair shorter.

Oh, I thought he looked
rather good like that.

Looked very happy.

I didn't know
he and Andrew were friends.

Yes.
Andrew was almost brought up here.

He went to work for Mr Callender
when he left school.

He was like an elder brother
to Mark.

And Mark never showed any interest
in taking after his father?

No.

Who was the girl with them?

I can't remember her name.

I'm sure Andrew can.

Oh, she was Andrew's friend?

No, Mark's.

Would you like to
wash your hands?

Yes, I would, rather.
I had to change a tyre, you see.

Well, the bathroom's just through there.
I'll go and find the photographs.

Thank you.

Huh.

Oh.

Sorry, I was, um...

just looking round.

- This was Mark's room.
- Yes, yes. Er... I stay here now.

Oh, did you get my message?
I phoned your hotel last night

to make sure you
got here early.

Yes, I phoned the hotel. I...

I got stuck for the night
in the cottage.

It was fine. I liked it.

Think I'll stay there.

This is a nice room.

Yes, I...
I like it more than mine.

Keep the fish company.

Who feeds them
when you're not here?

Oh, um...

Someone comes in every day
from the village.

- Just to feed the fishes?
- Not quite.

I've just seen
a film of you both.

Mark was very attractive.

Yes, he was.

Who was the girl with you?

Isobel.

Do you know where
I can find her?

Um... Point of fact,
she's still in the house

where Mark used to
live with his friends.

Oh, I'll give you the address.

- Where have you been?
- I've been looking at Mark's old room.

Sorry, I should have asked.

I think I would have liked Mark.

At least, I think
I understand his childhood.

The photographs.

I would like them back.

Of course.

Goodbye.

I do hope
you know what you're doing.

This is a nice place.

Yeah. Mark found it.

It's due for demolition soon,

to make way for some big
development of his father's.

You're not a friend
of the family, are you?

No.
No, I met Mark on holiday.

We were very young.

Oh. Childhood sweethearts?

It was a long time ago.

What was he like
when you knew him?

Mark? He was great.

He listened to you
when you talked to him.

Do you know what I mean?

Yes.

I didn't know him very well, but...

going off and killing himself...

seemed so unbelievable.

It was betrayal.

Isn't that rather harsh?

Isobel?

Yeah?

You coming?

Oh, I'll see you there.

Did you do this?
It's very good.

- Do you like it?
- Very much.

It's amazing.
Really captures him.

- Here.
- Oh, I couldn't.

Go on, take it.

I've got tons of them.

Thanks.

You must have been
very fond of him.

What was he like
when you knew him?

I never really knew him.

Maybe none of us did.

What do you mean?

Do you ever get jealous?

Yes.

Yeah.

Mark used to get jealous.

It really changed him.

Is that why he left?

I don't know.
He didn't say.

Did you ever visit him
in the cottage?

I didn't know where he went.

Did anyone?

I even phoned his family.

They didn't even know.

Who did you speak to?

Some woman.

She came here once.
On his birthday.

Er... A rather striking woman?

- Bit severe?
- Yeah, that's right.

How did you know?

Oh, er...
Mark must have told me about her.

What did she want?

I don't know.

Maybe it was something to do
with this inheritance?

We didn't know about that
at the time.

What are you doing?

What are you?
A journalist?

Oh, look, I must have
left it on by mistake.

- Some fucking journalist.
- Give it to me.

- Have you got everything you want?
- Please.

I mean, I can go on.

What would you
like me to say?

"Girlfriend confesses.

"I drove him to his death."

Is that the sort of thing you want?

Do you really think
he killed himself over you?

Go on, get out.

What are you doing here?

Why didn't you tell me
that you visited Mark

just before he disappeared?

What are you talking about?

On his birthday.

Oh, that.

Wait there.

I went to give him
something from his mother.

But she died when
he was just a few months old.

As she was dying,
she asked me

to give it to him
on his twenty-first birthday.

Oh, of course.
You knew Mark's mother.

And I knew Mark
even before his father did.

I helped to bring him
into the world.

- I trained as a nurse.
- But Mark was born in Italy.

How did you know that?

It says so in his passport.

Oh.

Eve wanted to
have her baby in the sun.

I went with her.

You must have
known her very well.

Yes, we were
best friends at school.

I spent most of my holidays
at Garforth House.

What was it
that Eve gave you for Mark?

- A prayer book.
- A prayer book?

Eve was very religious.

I'm not.

Nor was Mark.

Jesus Christ.

Why did you kill yourself?

Can't have been over that girl.

You seemed happy here.

Did someone kill you?

Miss Gray?

I'd like to ask you
a few questions.

We can talk outside.

How did you know
I was here?

Old girl at the house
thought I should know.

I'm quite capable
of looking after myself...

What you doing here?

I have the "old girl's" permission.

Mr Callender asked me
to find out about his son.

- Asked you to what?
- You heard, Sergeant.

He never told me that he was
unhappy with the coroner's verdict.

He's not.

He asked me to find out
why Mark killed himself.

More than our share of suicides
in this part of the world.

You won't find much here,
apart from the usual story.

Rich young man drops out,

gets himself worked up
over some woman...

What woman?

He was a loser.

All that money,
and he still couldn't hack it.

It can get
pretty depressing out here,

even at this time of year.

What woman?

He was with a woman
the day he died.

How do you know?

Because the pathologist found
traces of lipstick round his mouth.

Purple lipstick.

Does it seem likely
that he'd kill himself

after sleeping with someone?

Please don't touch that.

Who said anything
about sleeping with someone?

Goodnight, Mark.

Wherever you are.

There is enough evidence
to suggest that he was disturbed.

Suicides usually are.

I mean, interrupted at his work.

What are you suggesting?

That he could have been
strangled first.

I think the pathologist
would have noticed.

All right, then, suffocated.
That wouldn't have left any marks.

No sign of a struggle.

There's no shred of evidence,
in the correct sense of the word,

to suggest foul play.

Face it, Miss Gray,

the boy killed himself.

Go on.
Look at them.

Do you know anything about hanging?

About what actually happens?
Do you?

Hanging is a messy,
stinking, slow business.

If you're lucky,
you have an orgasm before you go.

That's about all
that can be said for it.

Mr Callender should have known better
in getting you involved.

Besides, he's wasting his money.

The boy hung himself.
That's all there is to it.

"Hanged", Sergeant.

The word is "hanged".

He used to wear that
as a belt.

Can I keep it?

Well, nobody else wants it.

Case is closed.

I'll see myself out.

I've been looking for you.

I want to talk to you.

There's nothing to say.

I want to talk to you!

Isobel, I've got to
talk to you.

I told you, there's
nothing to talk about.

You were with Mark
on the night he died.

What are you talking about?

Mark was with a woman
on the day he died.

It was you.

You're crazy.

Lipstick was found on the body.

Purple lipstick.

You're cr...

No, you're jealous.

You're jealous, aren't you?

Yes, I did see Mark.

How did you know
where he lived?

Saw him in the town one day,
and I followed him.

A few days later,
I decided to give him a surprise.

Anyway, what's it got
to do with you?

Just tell me what happened.

When I got there,
he was already hanging.

He was dressed up as a woman.

What?

It's true.

You don't expect me
to believe that?

He wasn't harming anyone.

It was horrible.
It must have been an accident.

He was wearing...

black ladies' underwear.

He'd painted his lips.
All over his lips.

He didn't look like
a human being at all.

That's because he was dead.

So what did you do?

Did you change his clothes?

No.

Did you tell anyone?

I phoned Andrew.

At Garforth House?

Well, did he change his clothes?

I don't know.

Would you want him
to be found like that?

When will he be back?

Oh, he should be back now.

Isobel says she rang you
on the night Mark died.

So, what did you do about it?

I went to see for myself.

Mark doing something like that.

I couldn't believe it.

So you changed his clothes?

When I got there, he was
dressed like the police found him.

Do you think Isobel was lying?

Why should she
make a thing like that up?

Then who changed his clothes?

I don't know.

Listen, um... it's important
that this doesn't get out.

You can imagine
what the press would make of it.

Oh, Christ!
You're just thinking about yourself!

You don't care about Mark!

All you're concerned about is
preserving the good name of the family,

because all this is going to
be yours one day.

I was thinking of his father.

Oh, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that.

I think he deserves
not to be told.

Don't you?

Oh, for Christ's sake,
think of the man's feelings!

Hasn't he been hurt enough?

Hello!
What are you doing here?

Oh, er...
just having a quiet chat.

God save me from
civic receptions.

Andrew, you'd better make
those Australian calls.

They'll be in the office now.

And don't forget the Frenchman.

What's the matter?

I want to give up.

Something's happened?

You found out something?

No, I...
I'm just confused.

Whatever it is,
you'd better tell me.

There's nothing to tell.

The verdict was correct.
That's all there is to it.

Okay, okay.
It's all right. Don't be upset.

Come and sit down.

You're not holding anything back?

Why do you want to give up?

I keep on thinking what might
have happened if I'd met Mark.

Stupid.

I've become obsessed by him.

And I feel I hardly knew him.

Did you try?

In a way.

I wanted him to have
all the things I didn't have.

And he was quite happy
to be a gardener.

Was he really
such a disappointment to you?

Perhaps I failed completely
to understand him.

You probably know him
better than me by now.

I think I do.

I've grown very fond of Mark.

Always want the things I can't have.

What are you doing?

It's still dark.

I don't sleep much.

I'll do some work.

Why didn't you wake me?

I would have woken you
before I left.

Who found the body?

- Isobel.
- Did she change the clothes?

- No.
- Then who did?

I don't know!

Oh!

Oh, this letter arrived
at the house this morning.

It's addressed to the boy, but...

perhaps you want it.

Thank you.

How odd.

It's his grandfather's will.

Mark must have
sent away for it.

But he died three weeks ago.

Take long enough to get here.

Oh, those wretched children.
Their infernal din!

Er...

I'll go and sort them out for you.

Can I come in?

Is this your place?

Yeah.

Did you do this?

Did you scribble over these?

- It wasn't us.
- Honest, that man did it.

- What man?
- The one that was livin' there.

Have you seen this man?

- No.
- Are you sure?

Positive.

- Can I have this?
- Yeah.

Thanks.

This was his as well.

I came to collect Mark's stuff.

Thought you'd given up.

Who told you that?

Your former employer.

What else did he tell you?

Did you do this?

'Course not.

Put it down.

Mark?

I never knew he hated
his father that much.

Very pretty.

"Andrew Lunn.
His master's voice.

"Why should Mark drop out
after inheriting a fortune?"

Because he was a pervert!

I thought you were his friend.

- You sound as though you hated him.
- I loved Mark like a brother.

It's gone quite deep.
I'll get some water.

Sure I can't give you a transfusion?

I doubt you'd have
the right blood group.

Here you are.

Take it. It's quite clean.

Look,

go away from here,
for your own sake.

No good will come of staying.

Blood groups...

A man and a woman,
whose blood groups are both A,

cannot produce a B-group child.

"B rhesus positive."

Add the usual ending,

and bring it back to me
for signature. Thank you, Alice.

Oh, it's all right, Alice.

Miss Gray's in a habit of
walking in unannounced.

Well?

Tell me about Italy.

I thought you were hired
to find out why Mark killed himself?

Yes.
But why was he born?

Really, sometimes it's very difficult
not to sound patronising talking to you.

Why don't you answer my question?

Isn't your elementary biology
good enough to know the answer?

My biology may not be good,
but it's good enough

to know that
A plus A cannot equal B.

Have you read this?

- Where did you get that?
- Mark.

He sent to Somerset House for it,
just before he died.

Shall I read it to you?

"Eve, who by having a child

"displayed at least one of
the attributes of a natural woman..."

She never had that child, did she?

She couldn't have children,
could she?

It was all faked
to get the money.

What was your pay-off?

If you're so sure about this,
why don't you call the police?

Huh!

And they'll believe my word
against Callender's.

"Inspector, I have no proof,
but I found this clue in a prayer book."

- A prayer book?
- Yes.

The one you gave to Mark from Eve.

Isn't that ironic?

What would he have done
with all that money without a grandson?

Well, what was the matter with Callender?
Why couldn't he leave it to him?

The gardener's son was
hardly good enough for a son-in-law.

But now that Mark is dead...

the gardener's son inherits after all.

Have you told anyone else about this?

No.

I can't talk to you now.
I have a meeting.

Go back to the cottage.
I'll meet you there.

Is this yours?

Hmm. It could be.

I haven't used this colour for years.

Where did you find it?

In the pocket of his dinner suit.

Hmm.

Is your meeting with Callender?

Yes.

How do I know I can trust you?

You don't.

There's no-one here
you need to be afraid of.

I helped James and Eve
run away together.

When I saw them again,
things were going badly.

They desperately
needed a son,

and Eve was barren.

So you had the child.

It was a contract,
like any other.

A business contract?

A business contract.

Only I didn't expect my feelings
for the child to be so strong.

James never cared for Mark,

and I wasn't allowed to.

I had to watch him grow up,

without being able to
show him what I felt.

I bought him this.

Mmm...

Poor Mark, he must have
thought I'd gone mad.

All those presents.

How was it
that you found him?

I'd arranged to meet him
at the cottage.

I was the only one
that ever visited Mark.

I saw him,

hanging.

I couldn't let him
be found like that.

I changed his clothes.

He was my son.

You can do anything for your child.
Do you know that?

I washed his face.

I thought the lipstick
would never come off.

It was only later
I became suspicious.

If Mark had done that to himself,

the lipstick
would still have been there.

It wasn't.

Hello?

Yes.

Yes, of course.

There's been an accident.

Bit of a mystery, this,
Mr Callender.

I mean, this isn't what you'd call
a dangerous spot,

and he wasn't exactly
a reckless driver either, was he?

No, no.

He was always very safe.

Maybe it was mechanical.

- What?
- The car.

We'll have it
stripped down, of course, sir.

Yes.

Here you go, Sarge.

Deceased name: Andrew Lunn.

Why did he hire me?

He didn't.

I did.

He couldn't very well refuse.

Mark?

Oh, it's you.

Andrew's dead.

You can feel for him,

but you killed your own son.

No, no, no.

You don't understand.
It's not like that at all.

Mark hated me.

So you killed him.

I...

I didn't say that.

You killed him,

and dressed him up
like some cheap whore.

You poor little girl.

Look at you.

Dressed up like
someone you never knew.

Couldn't you love him at all?

Maskell!

No.

So that's what you
came looking for.

Sergeant, I'm glad you're here.
Miss Gray's been making an allegation.

She thinks I killed my son.

I think she's become
obsessed with Mark.

I'm really far too upset
to have to deal with this sort of...

SUBTITLES BY POWERHOUSE FILMS LTD