The Crime of Doctor Crespi (1935) - full transcript

(soft music)

(suspenseful music)

(siren wailing)

[Orderly] Operating room.

Good afternoon, Taft Clinic.

Just a moment please, I'll see.

Who is it?

The aviator.

Well, get him out of here quick.

[Orderly] He won't be talking so smart

when Crespi's around.



Please, please lady, can
you tell me something now?

Nothing yet.

No?

Maybe in five minutes.

Cinque minuti?

Five minutes.

Five a minutes, cinque minuti.

Cinque minuti, some cinque minuti.

Extension 26.

(telephone buzzing)

Hello, how's the little woman.

You shouldn't call so often.

How about tonight?

I think it'll be all right.



Lady.

No, still nothing.

Maybe in five minutes.

Five minutes, all the
time you say five minutes.

It's a pass five minutes.

I'm sorry, you'll have to
call the public hospital.

Dr. Crespi never excepts cases

unless recommended by a physician.

Good afternoon.

Yes, Dr. Thomas.

May I see Dr. Crespi?

Just a moment, Doctor, I'll find out.

Yes.

Patient in room 605 is
leaving this afternoon.

I thought you'd like to
make your customary call.

There's been a little trouble

with Dr. Field's appendicitis case,

but the patient is resting easy again.

If Dr. Fields would be more careful,

we could avoid these unpleasant incidents.

The Italian lady Di Angelo,

in ward three, came in with five.

Five?

Is that all?

No, Dr. Thomas is
waiting to speak to you.

Send him in and have some
flowers sent to Mrs. Angelo

with my compliments.

She deserves more.

Don't you think that's a little bit

too generous, Dr. Crespi?

Good afternoon, sir.

I'd like to talk to you about
the patient in room 310.

Yes.

He passed away.

That's too bad.

I thought he'd pull through.

Will you make out the certificate?

What time?

I think 3:45.

You think!

I wonder, Dr. Thomas please,

let's understand each
other once and for all!

I don't pay you to think!

I pay you to know!

I wish you'd be more thorough!

This isn't anything to think about.

A person is dead or he's not!

If he's dead, he died at a definite time,

and that time is important!

Yes, sir.

I'll fill in 3:45 as you suggest,

but in the future I must
insist on the exact record.

(telephone buzzing)

Miss Gordon speaking.

Yes, he's still here.

What?

I should say I will tell him.

Quintuplets.

Scuse me.

What's a matter for you people,

all the time a five minutes.

Quintuplets.

Please, a please, no call a me name.

I'm a gentle man, a please.

One,

two,

three,

four,

five.

You have five bambinos.

Five, cinque bambino.

Oh boy! (Speaks in Italian).
Cinque bambino.

Oh Momma Mia that's a lot,
Momma Mia that's a lot.

Cinque bambino, cinque bambino.

Little man, you had a busy day.

Just a moment, Mrs. Ross, I'll find out.

(telephone buzzing)

Dr. Stephen Ross.

Too bad.

(telephone buzzing)

Crespi.

Dr. Crespi, Mrs. Ross is
calling on the outside phone.

Who?

Mrs. Ross?

Tell her you can't locate me, yeah.

Sorry Mrs. Ross, I've tried every place,

and I can't locate him.

No, I can't.

Oh, I was afraid he wouldn't talk to me.

Too bad, Dr. Crespi
is one of very few men,

perhaps the only man who can save him.

Oh but Dr. Kane, isn't there
someone else we could get?

Perhaps, Mrs. Ross hasn't
been able to talk to Dr. Crespi.

Well that's too bad.

There's a time element
that makes delay dangerous.

Perhaps we better see about getting him

at the Medical Center.

Oh no please, please
let me try once more.

If I could only talk to
him, I know he'd do it.

He must.

Oh, hello.

Good afternoon, Mrs. Ross.

Is Dr. Crespi in his office?

Just a moment, I'll see.

I don't wanna see her.

Yes, but what shall I tell her, Doctor?

Please tell Mrs. Ross
that I'm in consultation.

Oh please, Andre.

Don't think I'm terrible
coming here, Andre.

Perfectly all right,
you're always welcome.

Well, I wouldn't bother you Andre,

but it's so dreadfully important.

Come now Estelle, it
can't be that important.

You look almost tragic.

Oh it is tragic.

Oh I need your help, Andre.

What is it?

You know ['ll do anything
if it's humanly possible.

Well, it's about Stephen.

Stephen?

Why come to me about Stephen?

Oh he's hurt, dreadfully hurt.

Our car skidded last night on the drive.

Well I'm afraid he may...

They say he may die.

I hope not, for your sake, Estelle.

Don't you think you could've
spared me that visit?

After all, there are many
competent physicians in this town.

You might have gone to one of them.

Oh but that's just it Andre, I couldn't.

They wouldn't let me.

See after the smashup,
we drove home in a taxi,

and then his head started bothering him,

so we called in Dr.
Kay and then Dr. Frank,

and two other men from The Lennox,

and they all agree you're the
only one who can help him.

Oh please, Andre.

Try to understand.

You're the only one who can save him.

Oh, why can't you forgive and forget.

Hmm, forgive, forget, understand.

I do understand, perhaps too well.

I understand how he
turned you away from me,

after I've treated him
like one would a brother.

I understand how he made love
to you right under my eyes.

Oh, but what's wrong with that, Andre?

It was all so honest.

We've been so happy together.

Oh, I've explained to
you a thousand times.

Stephen never knew you
cared for me in that way.

Can't you understand I
could never tell anybody,

not even now.

Oh, Stephen never dreamed
you wanted to marry me.

Oh please Andre, you're the
only one who can save him.

Oh, you must do this
for me and for Jeanne.

Oh Andre, please.

Please, you...

Get me Dr. Kay at the Lennox please.

Lennox Hospital, Dr. Kay please.

Dr. Crespi's office calling.

Kay, this is Crespi, how are you?

Mrs. Ross is in my office,

and I'm calling to find
out the details about Ross.

Mm.

Clot?

Yeah.

Well if you think so, Kay.

I'll have him brought in right away.

I'll see you later, goodbye.

Dr. Thomas.

Thomas, Crespi,

we're bringing in an
emergency case right away.

Where is he now?

Just a minute please,
I'm trying to find out.

At home.

Send the ambulance
to 1214 South Franklin.

Have you got that?

At once, for Dr. Stephen Ross.

No, you are to bring him
here in the ambulance!

Is that clear?

I want this to succeed
for your sake, Estelle.

Oh, dear Andre.

I knew you would.

Will you excuse me?

I have a lot to do and very
little time to do it in.

Will you wait in the corridor?

My dear friend.

My very dear friend.

[Estelle] Why can't
you forget and forgive?

Forget and forgive,

forget,

forgive.

(pencil pounding)

(pencil cracking)

Ah.

Well?

I merely stopped in to say that...

Please, Dr. Thomas,

in the future have the
curtesy to announce yourself.

I'm sorry I presumed.

Has Dr. Ross arrived?

He was brought to 408.

Dr. Arnold was in the receiving room.

Well, let's have a look at him.

(telephone buzzing)

Hello?

Oh Dr. Kay, I've been trying
to get you for some time.

Dr. Crespi has made a diagnosis,

and is operating on Dr. Ross immediately.

Yes, Dr. Frank is with him.

Yes Doctor, yes that's all.

Good gosh, I wish the old man

would give me a chance at a tree finding.

Darn funny business.

What?

Oh nothing.

What's eating you now?

Crespi operating on Ross.

Well what about it?

They've been pals for years.

I know, that's what makes it so odd.

Oh, you're crazy.

Ross is pretty badly hurt.

It's the most natural thing in the world

for Crespi to put him together again.

Gosh, it's just the kind
of a job I'd like to do.

You know a good tree finding
job would establish me.

It's decent of Crespi though.

It's what you'd expect
him to do for a friend.

Maybe so, but a man like
Crespi doesn't forget so easily.

Especially if there's a woman in the case,

especially if the woman happens
to be Estelle Gorham Ross.

Oh, don't be a fool.

Stephen, now don't worry.

[Dr. Crespi] Everything
will be all right.

Will I...

Don't talk please, you'll
need all your strength in there.

I'll promise you I'll do my very best.

Don't worry.

Thank you, Andre.

Time.

Off.

Trephine.

Prongs.

I've been watching
you operate for years,

but this is the finest job
you've ever done, Dr. Crespi.

Thanks.

Well I promised you he
would come through, he did.

In a few weeks, he'll be better than ever.

Oh, I wish I could express
what I feel, but I...

Don't say anything,

but you better run along
now and get some fresh air.

There is nothing you can do.

But when may I see him?

Oh, about a half an hour.

I'd like you to take a letter for me,

if you don't mind.

You think Crespi would mind?

Just a minute Dr. Arnold, I'll see.

But I still think you're
darn nice, and I like you.

Thanks, I like you too
when you behave yourself.

What about that letter?

Oh, you'll have to
make that up yourself.

Oh all right, then you take a letter.

Yes ma'am.

To whom?

To the American Medical
Association at large.

To all the doctors in
the world in particular.

Gentlemen,

and those who are just doctors,

like Dr. Thomas.

Your petition that sets
forth that Dr. John Arnold

is the most competent
physician in the world,

that he has the nicest way of laughing

with his eyes and crinkling his nose,

that he should be Chief
Surgeon at The Taft Clinic,

because-
Shh.

- You wanna get me fired?
- But John, it is so.

Oh, I'll have to beat it now.

The boyfriend will begin
to suspect something.

(telephone buzzing)

Dr. Crespi.

Who Fields?

Yeah, Dr. Ross, what's his pulse?

I'll be up in a minute.

Eh, is Dr. Crespi coming?

Yes Doctor, I called him.

The cord, pop that out.

That'll help a great deal.

If you need me, call me.

Dr. Crespi, I can't make it out, sir.

Hardly any respiration,
pulse, or heart action.

I'm sorry, Estelle.

Sorry?

Sorry?

Oh no.

Oh no, it can't be so!

Oh Stephen!

Stephen, oh no, oh my
God Stephen no (crying).

(Estelle crying)

About eight o'clock.

Miss Rexford, would you do me a favor?

Why, of course, Doctor.

Well I'd like you to accompany
Mrs. Ross home tonight.

She's in great trouble and all alone.

You know we just lost Dr. Ross.

Oh I'm sorry, I'll do
anything you wish me to.

Thanks, I'm quite sure she'll need you.

And don't forget, before you leave,

have Miss Gordon relieve you.

Yes, Doctor.

(Estelle crying)

I've asked Miss Rexford to
drive home with you tonight.

Now please, as a physician,
I believe that you need her.

All right. (Crying)

And I'll come later, about nine o'clock.

Is there anything I can do?

No.

Just see that Dr. Ross is put downstairs.

Will you make out the death
certificate before you leave?

Will you check the time, please?

6:15.

Quite right.

Will there be anything else tonight?

Come now, Miss Rexford
will put you to bed.

It's way past your bedtime.

Come kiss me goodnight.

[Jeanne] Night nighty Momma.

Come on darling.

(Estelle crying)

Oh come on now Estelle,

you will have to pull yourself together.

This sort of thing won't do you any good,

and I still feel the
same way about things.

I think you ought to get
away, go out of town.

Your mother's place would be the best.

You think I should?

Perhaps you're right.

I'll go right after. (Crying)

Please Estelle, don't
worry about the arrangements.

I'll attend to everything.

You can rely on me.

Come on, gotta get some
sleep now, it's quite late.

Hello, Stephen, my friend.

My dear friend.

My dead friend.

No, you are not dead, are you?

Despite the fact that I signed

your death certificate hours ago.

They just think you're dead,

but we know different, don't we, Stephen?

You see, the potency of this drug

lasts only for about 24 hours.

You're just coming out of it.

Now then, that's better.

That'll keep you quiet
for another 24 hours.

Your eyes are open, you can
see, you can hear everything.

Yes, and you can feel,

but you can't make the slightest sound,

and you can't move an eyelash,

and here you lie, helpless, paralyzed,

unable to shield yourself,
and you wonder why?

I'll tell you.

You've made me suffer for five long years

by marrying Estelle,

and you can't laugh at me the way you did

when I begged you to let Estelle alone.

Yes, I never forgot that laugh.

You didn't think I could be serious

when I told you that I loved Estelle,

and then you married her,

and ever since then,

I hoped and prayed for the
chance to pay you back someday

with compound interest.

I have something to tell you.

Well if you promise to let
me come back in a half hour.

Dr. Crespi gave her some sleeping powder,

so I know she won't wake up right away.

All right, 10 minutes then, downstairs.

This is the second
time you broke our date,

and it's always Dr. Crespi.

Well there you go again.

Dr. Crespi this and Dr. Crespi that.

Why, I have to phone all
over town to find you.

That's right John, keep
it up, go on be jealous.

Well I tell you I can't
stand it any longer.

You can't stand it?

Well neither can I.

He could've sent Gordon just as well,

but no, you had to go.

Well, if that's all
you have to talk about,

I'm not interested and I
won't listen any longer.

I won't. I can't.

Stephen, my friend, I have you,

and you shall experience such horrors

as you've never dreamed of
in your wildest nightmare.

How would you like to see
your own funeral, huh?

How would you like to see
me on your graves edge?

Hearing the earth fall on your casket.

How would you like to feel
the cold of your own grave?

Tomorrow, around midnight,

your muscles will be alive again,

but it will be too late.

You will be encased in a casket

which I myself picked out for you,

and eight feet of heavy earth above you,

and in your frenzy you
will pound and scratch,

and you will gasp and suffocate. (Laughs)

Didn't you tell me once that
you liked the carnations

more than any other flower?

Didn't you? I thought so.

I shall send you some tomorrow.

Look for them on your casket.

They will be from me.

I must hurry now.

Perhaps I'll see Estelle.

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Have pleasant dreams.

Good morning, Miss Gordon.

Good morning Dr. Crespi.

Dr. Blakeford called,

he said he'd get in touch
with you later on in the day.

Oh, there was a man here
from the Benton Parlors.

He said you told him to fix up Dr. Ross.

I sent him downstairs.

How long ago?

Oh about 15 minutes ago.

Who sent you?

Dr. Crespi.

I am Dr. Crespi.

I gave distinct orders not to do anything

but to supply the coffin.

I'm sorry sir, I'm a new man on the job.

They didn't say anything
except to fix him up.

You fool.

Keep your shirt on,
I ain't done nothing.

Oh, you haven't started yet?

Why, that's different.

Doesn't really make any difference,

except that the deceased

was unarguably opposed to
men of your profession.

Goodbye.

(knocking on door)

I didn't call you.

I know that,

but I want to talk to you.

About what?

It's about Stephen Ross.

What about it?

You have the charts.

Case is closed.

You're mistaken, the case is not closed,

because the most important thing

does not appear on the charts.

Ross was poisoned and you
can't get away with it.

You be careful, Thomas.

I know you did it, and
I know why you did it.

You couldn't explain.

(hand slaps)

Explain that!

Do!

Go on, hit me, I don't care.

I still say you poisoned him.

(Dr. Thomas grunting)

You murdered him, you
can't beat that out of me.

You can't shut me up, you murdered him.

Murdered, poisoned,
what do you know about it?

[Dr. Thomas] I'll let
everybody know. (Grunting)

Miss Gordon, please get me Forsati.

Yes, the florist.

Forsati?

This is Dr. Crespi.

Thanks, fine, that is, I
want to order some flowers

for my colleague, Dr. Ross.

Yes.

Of course, you can imagine.

We've been friends for years.

Well, I want the most
beautiful floral design

that ever came out of your shop.

Oh, I don't care anything about the price.

Just so that it is the
last word in flowers.

By the way, his favorite
flowers were carnations.

Isn't it funny?

But you could put some roses in with them.

I personally like roses.

Now get that, on one ribbon,

have, "To my valued colleague

in sincerest friendship."

You got that?

And on the other, oh
just Andre, A-N-D-R-E.

(soft somber music)

Oh grave, where is thy victory?

The sting of death is sin,

and the strength of sin is law.

My beloved brother, be
stedfast, unmovable.

(foot thudding)

Come in.

(foot thudding)

Well that's funny, I thought
I heard someone knock.

Any pains of death to fall from thee.

Lord have mercy on us.

Amen.

(bells ringing)
(solemn organ music)

I'm sorry, but I
can't locate Dr. Thomas.

(foot thudding)

Well, I don't know where he is either.

No, I think he's at the
funeral with Dr. Crespi.

All right, I'll call you back.

Almighty God, with
whom do live the spirits

of those who depart hence in the Lord,

and with whom the soul's
everlasting glory,

to Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Earth to earth, ashes to
ashes, and dust to dust.

(haunting organ music)
(bells ringing)

Have a nice nap?

Sorry I had to treat you so rough.

You know, if I wouldn't
have locked you up today,

you would've blurted your
ideas all over the place,

and it wouldn't have helped
you or me or the hospital,

and I think I'm gonna
let you go back to work,

but in the future, Thomas,

I wish you would keep
you ideas to yourself,

very much to yourself.

Because the next time
you have any bad dreams,

I'll try the observation ward.

Is that clear?

I can't get away with it, huh?

You can't get away with it.

That's what I told him.

Count me out, it may be true,

but you're never gonna prove
anything on the old man,

even if he did poison him.

Anyway, no grave robbing for me.

It isn't worth it.

It won't take long.

We can dig him up, cut him open,

and if we can't discover any poison,

we can have him back in the
cemetery within two hours.

All right, go ahead and bring him in.

I'll help you work on him.

I can't do it myself, you know that.

Think what'll mean if we
get the goods on Crespi,

and he is guilty.

He never would've locked
me up if he were innocent.

If you can't help me,

I'm gonna spill it to
the District Attorney.

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

I still don't believe it,

but if it ever gets out

it'll put us all under
a cloud of suspicion.

Personally I'd rather be out of it,

but if you feel that way
about it, all right, I'll go.

What time do you wanna start?

About 10.

- Are you sure this is it?
- Yes.

(car engine humming)

Mommy, are we going back to see Daddy?

No dear, Daddy's gone away.

We won't see him for some time.

Why did he go?

Why didn't he kiss me goodbye?

Someday I'll try to
explain it to you dear.

Why can't we stay here?

I'll tell ya later.

See, we must get ready,
we're going away on a train.

We're going to see Grandmother.

(car engine humming)

Miss Gordon, Dr. Crespi.

When Mrs. Ross arrives,

would you send her
immediately to my office?

What?

No, I'm seeing her off.

Deplorable, deplorable.

What a loss to the medical profession.

What do you make of it?

He's been dead for a day and a half,

and rigor mortis hasn't set in yet.

Ready for the instrument.

Okay.

(clock bell ringing)

[Dr. Arnold] Why, there's blood!

It's a good thing you called,
Clara, I was half asleep.

What, you don't see how anyone
can sleep in a hospital?

Say, that's about all
there is to do around here,

and that's just sleep.

It's the quietest spot in the world.

There hasn't been any excitement
since the quintuplets.

No, there's no one here
except the old man,

and he's expecting Mrs. Ross.

You know, her husband was
buried this afternoon.

There's a nice picture of him
on page three in the news.

He's nice looking.

I could've gone for him myself,

but that's the way it is deary.

You never do get near the good ones.

I don't know why, but I
got the funniest feeling...

Oh, but nothing ever happens around here.

I wish it would.

Where is Dr. Crespi?

(Miss Gordon screaming)

So you've come back to haunt me?

Didn't like the coffin I
picked out for you, huh?

Well let me tell you, as a ghost,

you're just as hideous as
the rotten carcass of yours

out at Fairlawn Cemetery. (Laughs)

Stephen, Stephen!

Keep him away from me, Estelle!

Stop, don't move!

John!

Don't worry, I'm not
gonna hurt any of you.

It's all finished.

I'm through.

The great Dr. Crespi.

Don't!

(gun firing)
(Estelle gasps)

Dr. Crespi.

(body thudding)

(soft music)

Good afternoon, Dr. Arnold.

So you've come to take
your family home, eh?

Sure Doc, taking my
wife and the five kids.

I got 'em Raphael, Maria,
Rosie, Mario and Angeline.

Well, if you need us
again, just call us.

Not for some time Doc, you
know, gotta wait a little bit.

Good afternoon, Doctor.

Hello, anything new?

Mrs. Arnold is waiting for you.

You'll find your mail on your desk.

Thank you.

Sorry, the boss is tied up.

A new case.

Mm, not quite?

Mary, who's in there?

Mrs. Arnold.

Oh, that's different.

Doing anything tonight?

Oh, Dr. Thomas.

(romantic orchestral music)