Dominique (1979) - full transcript

Where are you going, darling?

- Shopping, I usually
do on Saturdays.

Not this Saturday.

Not unless you drive yourself.

You fired the chauffeur.

I did what?

Last night, after the party.

You quarreled with him, said he'd
been driving too fast.

Don't you remember?

Yes, of course.

John? - Yes, Ma'am?



- Was I unpleasant to
you last night?

Did I ask you to leave?

Why, uh, yes, ma'am.

I need your help.

Perfect.

It's about Dominique.

As you probably know,

she has a birthday coming
up in two weeks.

- I know, I'm doing a
sketch as a present.

If she likes it, I'll sculpt her a
head for Christmas.

- I thought I might give a
dinner party for her.

Help cheer her up. - Good idea.

- It's important that
nothing go wrong.

I want her to get her
confidence back.



And I thought maybe you might
help me arrange things.

Do you think you could?
- Of course.

I'd be glad to.

- I think we should
accept the offer.

- We'd lose control of the firm,
wouldn't we?

We need their capital.

Without it, we could
lose everything.

- Oh, I think we can
get it elsewhere.

- At rates of interest that
could destroy us.

We better accept before they
change their minds.

No.

- Did you see the television
play last night?

Yes, I did.

You should ask Arnold, I was
really frightened.

Frightened?

- Yes, the television
play last night.

The one about the ghost.

I didn't see it.

I wouldn't have been frightened,
though.

I nearly saw a ghost once.

What do you mean, nearly?

You either see one or you don't.

You remember Beauty?

- Our dog, a cocker spaniel.
- She got a virus.

Poor little thing, her legs
kept giving way,

and the vet said she'd have
to be put down.

She always used to sleep in a
little basket by our bed.

On the day that she
was taken away,

I woke up in the middle
of the night,

and I saw her lying there.

I could've reached out
and touched her.

_ [)id you?

- No, I closed my eyes and I said
there are no such things

as ghosts and when I opened them,
she was gone.

What if you hadn't said that?

What if you really believed?

- Oh, it still would've
been an illusion.

I wonder.

- Happy birthday. -
Happy birthday.

Oh, my broach!

Where did you last see it?

- In Dominique's bedroom, I
was doing my hair.

You said how pretty it was.

- Not to worry, Marjorie, I'm
sure it's somewhere.

- Was it pinned down properly? -
Yes, I'm sure it was.

Don't you remember, you said how
much you liked it,

and how pretty it would look
on your blue dress.

What is it?

What is it?

Downstairs.

The conservatory.

Feeling better?

Why don't you tell me what that
was all about last night?

You know very well.

How would I know?

You put it there.

- There was nothing there,
darling.

But I saw it.

And I didn't fire John.

- Well, we'll try not to quarrel
with the next one, alright?

Mrs. Ballard?

No, I'm Ann Ballard.

Mr. Ballard's sister.

Or rather, half-sister.

- Oh, my Tony's Calvert, I'm
the new chauffeur.

The agency sent me.

Oh, yes.

Radio repair, auto mechanic.

Well, these seem quite good.

Do you mind if I, um, check these?

No, of course not, sir.

I've worked for a number of
Americans, sir.

Cars are a bit temperamental,

but I manage to keep them running.

- Mm, salary
acceptable to you, is it?

Yes. - When can you start?

- Well, the agency
suggested I be ready

to start right away, sir.

- Good, you'll find your
quarters excellent,

as well as the food.

Oh, and uh, Tony.

I would expect excellent service.

- Wouldn't be fair if you didn't,
sir.

Mm.

Her one consolation
since the accident.

An accident, sir? - Mm.

She fell down the stairs, been
almost a year now.

Mrs. Davis will show
you to your room.

This way.

What's it like? - What?

Well, the house, the people.

- Mr. Ballard is a partner in a
firm stockbrokers.

You will drive him to the city
each morning and then

come back to take Mrs. Ballard
wherever she wants to go.

You will pick up Mr. Ballard when
he's finished work.

The young lady is Mr.
Ballard's half-sister.

She's an artist, lives in a
cottage down the road.

- And Mrs. Ballard's accident,
how did that happen?

I've no idea.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Dominique.

Mrs. Ballard?

Tony, you've got to help me.

He hides things to make me think
I'm losing my memory.

That broach, he put
it on my dress.

And now...

' Yes?

Voices.

Voices?

Calling me in my room.

Mad, isn't it?

But that's what he wants
everybody to believe.

That I'm mad.

Tony, please help me.

Help me find whatever he's doing.

Look, Mrs. Ballard.

Well, I've got a good job here.

Mr. Ballard's my employer.

I can't take your
side against him.

Then you won't help me?

I'm sorry.

- Tony, Tony, Mrs. Ballard,
come quickly.

Quick!

Better fetch a doctor, sir.

I'll cut her down.

I'm sorry.

Did she leave a note?

We found this in her hand.

- "I make only two requests, that
my truskin bracelet

"be buried with me and that
my will not be read

"until the date of my
wedding anniversary,

"October the 31st."

Atruskin bracelet?

- Thou knowest, Lord, the
secrets of our hearts.

Shut not thy merciful
ears to our prayer,

but spare us, Lord most holy.

Oh, God, most mighty.

Oh, holy and merciful savior.

Thou most worthy judge eternal.

Suffer us not at our last hour.

For any pains of death to
fall from thee.

- Do you want me to stay? - No,
thank you, Ann.

Come in.

Good morning, sir.

Mrs. Davis said you
wanted to see me?

Oh, uh, yes.

Tony, you didn't hear anything
unusual last night, did you?

Unusual, sir?

Mm, any sounds.

No, don't think so, sir.

- You weren't playing your
radio around 11?

No, I went to bed early, sir.

- Well, if you do hear
anything different,

would you let me know?

Yes, sir.

That'll be all, Tony.

_ okay-

' Yes?

Mr. Ballard? - Yes?

- This is the
superintendent of the cemetery

where your wife is buried.

I'm sorry to disturb you at this
late hour, sir, but,

something very strange
has happened,

and I thought I'd
better let you know.

Strange?

Yes, sir.

What is it?

- Well, I'd rather you came
down in the morning

and saw for yourself, sir.

Very well, thank you.

- I'm terribly sorry to have to
ask you to come here

like this, Mr. Ballard, I've
no wish whatsoever

to intrude on your grief, but...

It was delivered late last night,
sir.

It was highly irregular. -
Where did it come from?

Come from? - Who delivered it?

Oh, Reeve's, the stonemason.

You'll find them just
across the road, sir.

George, a large double tombstone,
name of Ballard.

- Why, it's up in the cemetery,
a rush order.

Delivered last night.

That's how she wanted it.

Who wanted it?

The lady.

What lady?

What lady?

- Well, the one who
ordered the tombstone.

Did she give her name?

She didn't.

- No, it'll be on the check. - Ah,
but she paid cash.

Oh?

The money's in the till.

What did she look like, George?

- Well, she was all in black
and had one of them

long black coats, and that was
right and proper, too,

because she was in mourning.

Mourning?

- Yeah, she said she
was in mourning.

For her husband.

- In answer to your letter
of October 12th.

It is evident that there
has been a mis...

- "It is evident that there has
been a misunderstanding?"

Misunderstanding.

- "It is evident that there has
been a misunderstanding."

500.

- But Mr. Ballard,
it's against the law!

1,000.

Supposing we get caught?

When?

Tonight.

Will you be alright, sir?

Mr. Ballard?

In the conservatory.

It's in the conservatory.

What?

My wife's body.

Break it.

Break it!

- I can't, sir, where's
the key gone?

I don't know.

- Can I do anything to help, Mr.
Ballard?

- Do you know where the key to
the conservatory is?

The conservatory?

I thought it best to replace
the key where the

late Mrs. Ballard always left it.

The top lid of that desk.

That you, Mrs. Davis.

I'm sorry I disturbed you.

Who is it? - Ballard!

What're you playing at?

What do you mean?

- There was something hanging
in the conservatory.

You had the key.

- What are you trying to say? -
There was a body there.

And now there's nothing.

What are you trying to do to me?

- What are you accusing me of? -
You know damn well.

I leave in the morning.

Just pay me what's owed to me.

Very well.

And a bit more.

This came by hand.

She said it was urgent.

But are you sure she was dead?

- I examined her, I
signed the death certificate.

I saw her, Charles.

Not a ghost, I saw her and
last night, I-

' Yes?

Nothing.

I had to tell somebody.

- But it's so unbelievable,
pianos playing,

faces in the night, bodies
hanging, gravestones.

Someone is doing it.

Dominique?

But she's dead.

Is she?

- We saw her buried. - We
saw a coffin buried.

- What are you doing? -
Calling my solicitor.

I'm having her exhumed.

David.

David.

David.

David.

David.

Yes.

What?

I'll be right there.

- I came to make sure
Dominique's grave was tidy.

After all, we were very close,
you know.

And then I saw it.

I called Arnold and, uh,

we thought you ought to see it
before anybody else did.

Morning, sir.

- I don't think I should take
it too seriously.

After all, we can't afford to
lose you, can we?

I mean, the board meeting's on
the 26th, isn't it?

October the 25th.

That's tomorrow.

Who is it?

It's me, sir, Tony!

It's Tony, sir!

I thought I heard shots.

Dominique.

It's Dominique, I shot at her.

I shot at her, but I...

No.

No.

No, I shot right at her.

No, the bullets went right...

Revenge.

That's what she wants.

Revenge.

It was you who drove her to...

It was you and Mrs. Davis.

Why, sir?

Money.

Money, I needed it, she had it.

I couldn't let my business fail.

But I...

I want you to leave immediately.

If you breathe one word of what
you know to anyone,

I will say you were
fired for stealing.

Do you understand?

Dr. Rogers?

Charles?

David Ballard.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No.

No!

No!

- We are gathered here today
to read the wills

of the late Mr. and Mrs. Ballard.

Mr. Ballard's will is quite
straightforward.

Apart from several minor
charitable requests, the entire

estate was to have gone to his
wife, Mrs. Dominique Ballard,

but as her death so
tragically preceded his,

it will now go to his half-sister,
Miss Ann Ballard.

All Of it?

All of it, the entire estate.

- But I understood the business
profits were to be left

with me, to be put back into the
business, of course.

- Mr. Ballard made no
such provisions.

May I continue?

Mrs. Ballard changed her will
shortly before her death.

I don't know why or why she made
the request she did.

I asked her, mind you, but she
offered me no explanation.

Now, in her will, which, according
to her instructions,

was to be read today, Mrs. Ballard
made some minor requests.

Her furs to go to Mrs. Marjorie
Craven, as a gesture of

appreciation for the many years
they'd known each other.

And several charities
will benefit.

But, the residue.

A very considerable sum to go to,

"My only true friend.

"Our chauffeur.

"Tony Calvert."

David.

David.

David.

David.

David.

Did I scare you?

It's over.

All over.

Now we can go away somewhere.

Where nobody knows us.

No.

What do you mean?

- No, you've got his money,
I've got hers.

We're safer apart.

I didn't do it for the money.

I did it for you.

But you did do it.

- I wanted to help
Dominique do to David

what he was trying to do to her.

I didn't mean her to die.

But once he ordered her exhumed,

you agreed there had to be a body.

You agreed to everything.

Even the doctor.

I agreed.

I agreed to the wig, the mask, the
bullets in the wall.

I agreed to everything so we
could be together.

I love you.

You can't leave me now.

You'd never be sure I
wouldn't tell.

Not the one you were playing.

Mine.

Yes, I know.

- Don't worry about it,
it's all worked out.

There is a way you can
fake your suicide.

It would never work.

I mean, there'd have to be a
death certificate.

And who would we get to sign that?

Dr. Rogers.

He's in debt, he'd do
anything for money.

- Oh, Ann,
I don't know.

You know, leaving all my
money to Tony, it-

- He'd give it back,
I'd see to that.

After all, we are going
to be married.

- If it works,
where would I go?

Where would I hide?

- Well, you could
stay at the cottage,

and then I'll get you away.

- You really
think he'd believe

that I'm a ghost?

- Dominique, he will
have seen you buried.

It's either you or David,
you know.

Will you do it?

It's my protection.

But it was your plan.

Your idea.

I did it for you.

- Oh, I did it
for the money.

Tony!

Not blanks this time.