Human Desire (1954) - full transcript

Good to see you back, Jeff.

Town looks great.

80% better than
Korea, I'll bet.

100%.

No medals?

They ran out of them.

Take it away!

Take it easy.

(BELL RINGING)

(BRAKES SCREECHING)

Hi, Jeff.
Hi!



How's the soldier?
Fine.

How come they didn't
make you a general?

They'll make me
a general next time.

YARD DISPATCHER ON PA: Pick up the
string of box cars on RIP One.

set them in
on the wash track.

Pick up the string
of box cars on RIP One.

set them in
on the wash track.

Heard you were checking in.

John Statton. Call
diesel maintenance.

John Statton. Call
diesel maintenance.

How are you,
Mr. Thurston?

Good morning,
Mr. Warren.

Been away three years, and all
he says is "Good morning."

Three years and 43 days,
Mr. Warren.



Welcome home.

Feel a draft?

Oh, the old man ain't so bad.

Oh, I almost forgot. You're taking the
83 into Kentville tomorrow morning.

Well, ain't that Foley's route?

He's down with bursitis.

What do I do?
Lay over?

Well, you can deadhead back
on Number Four.

How do you like that?
First day back and I get stuck on relief.

Well, that's railroading.

Where you staying?
At a hotel?

No, Alec's.
The food's better at his place.

See you later.
Yeah, so long.

YARD DISPATCHER ON PA: Carl Buckley.
Check with the yardmaster.

Carl Buckley.
Check with the yardmaster.

Hi, Alec.
You remember Carl Buckley.

Sure, Carl was with me the night
of the big slide up the pass.

Remember?
Remember?

It was 30 below.

Yeah, Carl's done all right for
himself since you've been away.

Assistant yardmaster.

Congratulations.

Thanks. I've been lucky.

Carl Buckley.
Check with the yardmaster.

Carl Buckley.
Check with the yardmaster.

Thurston still on your tail?

Every time something happens around
this yard, he chews me out first.

Last week we were working double shifts.
That's how heavy the load's been.

I'd get home nights, my wife
would hardly recognize me.

Carl Buckley. Report immediately
to yardmaster's office.

All right, I'm coming.
I'd better go before he blows out his liver.

Got himself a wife, huh?

Yes, sir.
He sure did.

(HAMMERING)

Just try it.

(LAUGHING) Ah, don't ruin
your bread and butter.

JEFF: Whenever you want to get rid
of that big ape, I'm available.

Jeff!

Oh!

(SOBBING)

Well, what are you
bawling about?

Oh, shut up!
I can cry once in a while.

I... I fixed up
your old room.

(DOOR CLOSING)

ELLEN: Is anybody home?

Jeff!

I don't believe it.

Where are the pigtails?

Gone.
And the freckles?

Scrubbed away.

Three years.

Oh, they grow up too fast.

It wasn't fast for me.
It was real slow.

Last year I couldn't
keep up with her.

One night she was
out on a date,

and the next she was home
playing with her dolls.

Ma, you...
(ALL LAUGHING)

Is Jeff going to be staying
with us again?

Yeah, if she doesn't raise
the rent on me. Hmm?

Wonderful. Come on.
I'll show you the way.

Now, I remember the way.

Is it still permitted?

What?

Kissing her.
Why don't you ask me?

Come on.

I'll be the bellhop.

Don't expect a tip.

Oh!

I'll have a million
questions to ask you.

I know you want to get
settled first, but...

I was settled as soon as
I saw this house again.

Oh!

(GRUNTING) There.

Now you're home.

I brought you
something from Tokyo.

Oh, what is it?
Hang on.

Well, hurry up.

No, that's not it.

(LAUGHING) What is it?
You've got me all excited.

Wait a minute. There!

Oh!

Oh!

Jeff!

Oh, it's lovely.

Shall I try it on?

Well, that's what
I bought it for.

Oh!

Were the girls pretty in Tokyo?

Yep.

Did you date any, uh,
beautiful Japanese girls?

Well, the officers got a hold of most of
the beautiful ones before I got there.

Poor Jeff.
Mmm.

What are you going to do
now that you're back home?

All the time I was overseas,

I figured that if ever I got
back to running an engine again,

I'd be the happiest
guy in the world.

Nothing but a lot
of fishing, trains,

and for excitement,
a big night at the movies.

Didn't you leave something out?

What?
A girl.

Oh.

The right girl
for the night at the movies.

Do you know one?

I think so.

I think she'd be
exactly right for you.

I'll introduce her to you
one of these days.

Isn't that what soldiers
want the most?

Uh-huh. That
or a good steak.

(LAUGHS) Well, I can
fix that up for you, too.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO)

CARL: Vicki?

I'm in the bedroom, Carl.

You're home early.

Yeah, I'm kind of early.

Did you have a good day, baby?

I took a walk, bought some
stockings on sale.

Look at them.

Anything wrong, Carl?

I tangled with Thurston today.

They brought 10 cars of
perishables in on Number One.

Somebody forgot to unload them
and the whole shipment spoiled.

He started to chew
me out, and well...

Well, I blew up.

Well, good for you.
It's about time.

He fired me, Vicki.

Fired you?

I just couldn't take
any more of it.

He's been trying to lower
the boom on me for years.

One mistake and I'm out.
Afraid I'm going to get his job or something.

Maybe you can
talk him out of it.

I tried that.
I went back in to see him.

It was no soap.
I even went to Hurley.

He said he couldn't
do anything for me.

Don't take it to heart, honey.

You can get another job.

What other job?

All I know is railroading.

I'm tired of this town, anyway.

We've always wanted to go east.

Well, this is our chance.

For what?

(TURNS RADIO OFF)

In five years I would
have got a pension.

There's nothing to worry about.

I worked before we got married.

I can work again.

Wait a minute.

I don't want my wife working.

I didn't marry you so you
could take care of me.

Vicki,

I've been thinking.

What about this fella, Owens?

Do you think you could put in
a good word for me?

Mr. Owens?

Why Mr. Owens?

He's a big shipper.
He does a lot of business with the railroad.

Your mother used
to work for him.

She was his cook
or something, you said.

She was his housekeeper.

Well, I thought you
could talk to him.

I need somebody
important to help me.

I just can't walk into
his office and...

And start asking for favors.

Why not?

Big men like him are used to
having favors asked of them.

You said, once, he liked you.

If Owens puts in a word, why...

Why they'd listen.

All right, I know I should have
been smarter with Thurston, but,

well, you know me.

One thing I can't stand is a guy
trying to put something over on me.

Look, baby,

call Owens.

Tell him we'll come
to the city tomorrow,

and that you want to talk to
him for a couple of minutes.

I'd rather not, Carl.

Why not?

What's wrong with a wife
trying to help her husband?

Come on, baby, what do you say?

All right. Forget it.

Are you sure you want
me to call him?

I wouldn't ask you
if I wasn't in real trouble.

I got nobody else to turn to.

All right.
I'll call him.

Long distance, please.

All aboard.

(BELL RINGING)

(HORN BLOWING)

Vicki,

you'll be sure and tell Mr.
Owens exactly what happened.

In the yard, I mean.

I want him to know it wasn't my fault,
that Thurston had it in for me.

You'll remember, won't you?

I'll remember.

Maybe I ought to go to Mr.
Owens' office with you,

and explain to him exactly...

I can explain anything to him
that needs explaining.

(SIGHING) All right.

Say, did you call Jean?

Yeah, she said we can
use her apartment.

You can wait there for me.

Oh, fine.

(HORN BLOWING)

(BELL RINGING)

(BRAKES SCREECHING)

(RINGING STOPS)

(CHATTERING)

Why, Mrs. Buckley.
We haven't seen you in some time.

Is Mr. Owens in?

He's expecting you.

Mrs. Buckley is here,
Mr. Owens.

OWENS: Send her in.

Go right in.

How are you, Vicki?

Well! You've put on a little
weight since you got married.

(CHUCKLES)

Now, tell me,
what's on your mind?

All the trouble I go to
just to look passable.

Zip me up, will you, Carl?

You dames, you spend more
time getting dressed...

Have to.

It's much better to have
good looks than brains,

because most of the men I know can
see much better than they can think.

I wonder what's keeping Vicki.

She has no sense of time,
you know that.

She was the same way
when we lived together.

It's 6:30 already.

If you're married, that's late,

and if you're single,
it's early.

Well, how do I look?

Fine. Fine.

Say, are you still running around
with that Harry what's-his-name?

He went and married
somebody else.

(LAUGHS) And since he
took that attitude,

I didn't want to have
anything more to do with him.

So I found another guy,
a real doll.

The only trouble is, I'm
much younger than he is.

But it all evens up.
He's got more money.

Tell Vicki I couldn't wait.

And be sure and lock up
before you leave.

Okay, okay.

And stop worrying, Carl.

All women are alike.

They just got different faces so
that the men can tell them apart.

She'll show up.
See you.

(DOOR OPENING)

I was worried. I thought
something happened to you.

Nothing ever happens to me,
darling. You know that.

Did you think I was lost?

I didn't know what to think.

Say, what happened?
What about my job?

You got your job back.

Mr. Owens called Rogers, the superintendent,
and everything's taken care of.

Does that make you happier?

I knew you could fix it, Vicki.

I caught Mr. Owens
just in time.

He was taking the train
for Chicago tonight.

Come here.
Oh.

Don't, Carl.
I'm hot and tired.

I... I'm going
to take a shower.

You know, I'd like to see Thurston's
face when he hears the news.

He's going to burn.

Honey, next time, try to get
along with him, will you?

Yeah, sure.
Pretty soon I'll have his job.

You haven't said anything
about getting your job back.

Aren't you happy?

Sure I'm happy.

Vicki, you were
gone five hours.

You can't just barge in on
a man as busy as John Owens.

He had a lot of appointments and, well, then
he had trouble getting in touch with Rogers.

I telephoned Owens' office
and you weren't there.

When?

About 3:30.

We went out for a drink.

Where'd you go?

Some bar.

You should have
telephoned me. You...

You knew I was anxious.

There was nothing
to be anxious about.

I told you Owens
would do it for you.

You told me?

I thought you said
he didn't like doing favors.

What are we arguing about?

You wanted your job back,
didn't you?

Well, you have it.

I couldn't just
ask him and run.

That bar,

what was the name of it?

Some bar downtown.
I don't know the name.

And you just sat there
for three hours talking?

Yes.

This Owens must have
a lot of time to waste.

He's got a big office and he can take off
in the middle of the day for three hours.

What did you find so
important to talk about?

Old times.

Old times,
for three hours, huh?

I didn't keep track
of the time.

I was trying to get you
your job back.

And he was glad to help you.

Did you thank him?

Of course.

How?

Exactly what does that mean?

What has he got, a private apartment
he can drop into for a drink?

Is that the bar you went to?

Of course. And we had champagne,
buckets of champagne.

And he has a bear rug
in front of the fireplace,

and we toasted marshmallows
all afternoon.

Now, will you stop being so
stupid and let me take my shower?

Sorry I'm so jealous, Vicki.

It's just that
I love you so much.

Oh, don't paw at me.
I'm sick of it, from all of you.

"All"?

What went on this afternoon?

He was glad to help me, huh?

Now I see why.
(SCREAMS)

I've got the whole picture now.

He's rich,
he's got a big estate.

I got his leftovers, didn't I?

I got what he didn't want,
didn't I?

It went on after we were
married, didn't it?

No! No!
I haven't seen him.

I wouldn't have seen him
today if you hadn't made me.

(WHIMPERS)

You've been making a fool
out of me, both of you.

He palmed you off on me, didn't he?
Admit it.

Admit it or I'll kill you.

It's true, it's true.
Don't hit me again.

(SOBBING)

Get up.

Get up.

(EXCLAIMING)

You said Owens was going
to Chicago tonight.

Oh, Carl, please.

Here, write what I tell you
to write. Go ahead.

What do you call him?
"Sweetheart"?

"Lover"?

(SOBBING) Carl.
Write.

John Owens!

Message for Mr. John Owens!

MESSENGER: Mr. Owens!
John Owens!

Over here, boy.

Hey, Russ!

Yeah?

You got any room
for a free passenger?

Sure, we're riding light.

Track One, please.

I'll let you know
what space I can give you.

Yeah.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come on.

Go on!

That was Warren, one of our engineers.
Did he see you?

I don't know.

(DOOR OPENING)

He's gone.

Warren might still be there.

I can't go past him like this.

Get him out of the vestibule.

How?

What can I say to him?

I don't care.
Just get him out of there.

And don't get any foolish
ideas in your head, Vicki.

Remember that letter you wrote.

Go on.

Could you tell me
where the Club Car is?

Up ahead, about three cars.

Thanks very much.

I thought it might be nice
to have a drink.

Yeah. Yeah, I could
use one myself.

Do you mind if I join you?

Not at all.

Oh!

What's the matter, you got
something in your eye?

Don't rub it that way.

Let's take a look, huh?

No, I don't see a thing.

I guess it's out.

Thanks for the surgery.

Uh, say, I just remembered,

the Club Car's closed
by this time.

We could sit down someplace
and have a smoke, if you like.

How about it?

I'd like to.

How about in there?

This isn't yours, is it?

(LAUGHING) Mine?

Uh-uh.

Now, you see?

No luggage, no comic books.

Thanks.

I'll leave the door open,
just in case, huh?

In case what?

In case one of us gets nervous.

Do I look nervous?

Yeah, just a little bit.

It's all right, though.
It's very becoming.

I had a headache,
couldn't sleep.

Well, there's more to life
than sleeping, you know?

(LAUGHS)

Took that turn curve
kind of fast, huh?

Well, the engineer's
a friend of mine, he...

(BELL RINGING)

Hello, Warren.

I didn't know you
were making this run.

Oh, honey, this is Jeff
Warren, one of our engineers.

You've met my wife?

How do you do,
Mr. Warren?

Mrs. Buckley.

See you later.

They must have
found him by now.

Now or later, what
difference does it make?

Why'd you take
that money from him?

They'll think it was a robbery.

Sure carried a bankroll,
didn't he?

Don't bother to look.
It's not there.

Burn it, Carl. Please.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

We're going to go on like Owens
never existed. Better maybe.

How, Carl?

Owens was an accident.
An accident I took care of. That's all.

If you don't burn that letter,

it means the end of everything.

No. This letter is going
to keep us together.

There's not going to be anybody else, Vicki.
There's nobody else.

Jeff?
(DOOR OPENING)

Yeah?

Honorable sir, breakfast ready.

So am I. That's quite an outfit.
Who gave it to you?

A fella.

Well, you look like a quiet afternoon
at the Teahouse of the Rising Moon.

Eggs, Jeff?

No, just coffee, Vera.
I had breakfast on the train.

Come on.

Where's Alec?
Down at the yards.

Uh, fix the toast,
Madame Butterfly.

Did you do anything
in the city?

Oh, nothing exciting.

Do you know
Carl Buckley's wife?

Vicki?

Oh, is that her name?

She's pretty.
Did you meet her?

Yeah, I saw them
at the depot this morning.

She used to work
at the station in the city,

the magazine stand.

That's where Carl met her.

A little young to be married
to Buckley, isn't she?

Does that matter
if she's young?

No, I guess not.

They get along all right?

If they don't,
she hides it pretty well.

You up? I was going
to wake you.

Didn't you come in
on Number Four?

Yeah. Why?

They had some trouble on it.

Scratch my back, will you?

Found somebody this morning
up at Rainbow Gap, murdered.

Just came in over the wires.

Don't stop scratching,
over a little further.

Murdered?
Yeah, knifed in a drawing room.

There, that's it, right there.

(SIGHS)

Porter found him.

Did they identify him?

A man named Owens.

They got the sleeper off
on the spur.

The police are all over it.

There, that's good.

Well, that's bad for the
line, a thing like that.

You're not safe
anyplace nowadays.

It must have happened
while you were on the train.

I thought you told me
skirts were getting shorter.

(LAUGHING) Oh!

Vera, why can't somebody check
the buttons on my shirt?

What would men do if there were no
women around to sew buttons on?

If there were no women around,
we wouldn't need any buttons!

Oh!

(LAUGHS)

CORONER: The body of John Owens was
found in Drawing Room F of Car 842.

Compartments G and E.
on either side. were unoccupied.

Due to the autopsy report
on the time of death.

we are particularly interested
in the hours before midnight.

The robbery and murder took place
sometime during that period.

What is your occupation?

Brakeman.

Brakeman.

CORONER: How often during that time did
your duties take you through Car 842?

Well. That's the rear end of the train.
so I'm there pretty often.

Do you recall seeing anyone
who didn't belong in that car?

Or in the next one?

Jeff Warren.
He was in the corridor of 843.

He was deadheading home.

He told me to remind Russ.
That's the conductor.

that he was waiting for
a place to sleep.

Mr. Warren, how long were you
in the corridor of the Car 843?

About 20 minutes.

From when to when?

Well. it'd be just a guess.
I'd say between 12:30 and 1:00.

During that time,

did you see anyone exit
from the Owens' car?

JEFF: Yes.

Who?

The brakeman.
on this way through.

Who else?

Just a couple of passengers.

Would you recognize them again?

I might.

We'll start with the car in
which Owens' body was found.

Will the passengers who occupied
Car 842 please stand up?

PROSECUTOR: Any of these,
Mr. Warren?

And of these people go in or
out while you were in Car 843?

No.

Sit down, please.

And now, will the occupants of
the next car, 843, please rise.

Any of these,
Mr. Warren?

Answer the question please,
Mr. Warren.

Any of these people go in or
out while you were in Car 843?

No.

None of these. Either.

A lot of good that
does the railroad.

"Murdered by person
or persons unknown."

Well, I've got the police
checking the passenger list

for anybody with
a prison record.

You think it was robbery?
Could be.

What about the missing watch?

Can't you put a tracer on that?

Whoever did it would have
to be pretty stupid,

trying to fence
a hot item like that.

Well, that's your department.
We've got a...

A big responsibility
to the public.

Sure, I know.

If a guy has to get himself murdered,
why don't he pick one of the airlines?

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING
ON JUKEBOX)

Hiya, Buckley.

Oh, hiya, Warren.

Buy you a drink?

Naw. Naw, naw.
This is on me.

Hey, we'll have
the same thing again.

Give Mr. Warren
whatever he wants.

I'll have a beer.

Make mine a double
this time, will you?

You seem very quiet tonight,
Mrs. Buckley.

"Mrs. Buckley"?
What, are we being formal or something?

Her name's Vicki.

Well, here's to us.

(MUSIC STOPS)

(MUSIC RESUMES)

Excuse me. Would you
care to dance?

Beat it.

All I did was ask
your wife for a dance.

I said beat it!

Stop it, Carl.
Aw, I'll push his face in.

What does he think Vicki is?
A pickup or something?

VICKI: Carl!

Come on, take it easy.
Go on, take a walk.

I'll put a ring in his nose.

Do you think you ought to
call it a night, Carl?

I don't mind my friends
dancing with Vicki,

but I don't like no
grease monkeys coming in.

Here. Come on, let's go home, huh?
Come on, Carl.

Now, wait a minute.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Come on, let?s go.
All right.

(TRAIN PASSING)

(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)

Easy.

I think I can manage now.

Come on, I'll put you to bed.

I can get to bed myself.

In the morning,
he'll have a prize hangover.

(HORN BLOWING)

When I first came here,

I thought I'd never
get used to the trains.

Now when it's quiet,
I get nervous.

Don't you think you owe
me an explanation?

About that night on the train?

I should have told you I
was married, shouldn't I?

When I met you, you were coming out
of the car where Owens was killed.

You don't think I had
anything to do with...

I don't know.
What were you doing in there?

Owens was an old
friend of my family.

He'd been so wonderful about getting Carl's
job back that I wanted to talk with him.

I left Carl asleep
in our compartment

and I went to Mr. Owens'
drawing room.

And?

He was dead when I got there.

It was horrible.

You found him dead and you
walked right out of the car?

Why didn't you call the
porter or the conductor?

I was frightened.

Not when you met me,
you weren't.

I didn't want to get involved.

I couldn't tell anybody.

Didn't you even
tell your husband?

I couldn't.

Why not?

You don't know what
my life's been like.

You don't know my husband.

I used to know
Carl pretty well.

Nobody knows him.
Nobody but me.

I couldn't tell him I went to
Owens' compartment that night.

I wouldn't dare.

He'd suspect something awful.

I don't know what
he might have done to me.

Carl?

It doesn't seem to fit somehow.

He has a terrible temper
when he gets jealous.

You saw him tonight, when that
man asked me to dance with him.

Carl's so much older than I am.
Maybe that's it.

I feel sorry for him, but...

He's done things to me I...

I can't even talk about.

I never could talk
about this to anybody.

But I couldn't keep it
inside of me anymore.

I had to talk to
somebody about it.

I'll never be able to thank you
for what you said at the inquest.

(DOOR OPENING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

This is cold.

What's the matter with you?

Every time I go to touch you,
you've got some excuse.

We can't go on living like this.
We're married.

We got our whole life
in front of us.

Oh, Vicki, why can't it be
like it used to be?

Because it can't.

Every time you touch me, I
see you in that compartment,

standing over him, with
a knife in your hand.

Do you think I can forget it?

You killed him.
That ought to satisfy you.

Yeah, it should, shouldn't it?

Now I wonder
if it was worth it.

Well, it's a little
late for that.

(WATER RUNNING)

It would have been better if I'd
never found out about you and Owens.

Vicki, I love you.

You think I can stay in this
house without touching you?

That's the way
it's going to be.

I'm all alone, Vicki,
and I love you.

It's too late for that.

It's not too late.
If you loved me, it wouldn't be too late.

If you really loved me,
you'd destroy that letter.

You don't care about
me at all, do you?

It's that letter.
That's all you're worried about.

If that's the way you want it,
that's the way it's going to be.

If I can't have you, as long
as I've got the letter,

nobody else is going
to have you.

(THUDDING)

(SIGHS)

(TRAIN PASSING)

(HORN BLOWING)

Is Mr. Warren there, please?

When he's on the night shift,

I hardly see him at all.

When he isn't, he comes
home, eats his supper,

and back to Duggan's
and plays cards.

And when he's drunk...

Why did you marry him?

He used to hang around at the cigar
stand at the terminal where I worked.

He was always
so nice and pleasant.

He looked big, solid, decent.

That's what I wanted most,
I guess.

Somebody decent.

You never can tell
about men, can you?

(CHUCKLES)

Well, they say the same thing
about women, you know.

I guess.

Everything's so complicated.

If you let it be.

I wanted a home.
I wanted to belong someplace.

It isn't easy for a girl, drifting
around from one job to another.

After I married,
I felt a little unhappy.

But I figured that
wasn't so important.

Most women are unhappy.

They just pretend they aren't.

That's not true.

Anyway, I didn't mind
so much then.

I mean, when he touched me.

But now, I can't stand it.

Everything turns cold
inside me.

Is it wrong to feel
the way I do?

No.

I don't know what I'm doing
in the same room with him.

I feel lost, alone.

I guess I'm not much
of a woman or a wife,

am I?

Everybody makes mistakes,

the wrong job,
the wrong marriage.

I mean, the army was full of guys who
were real glad to get away from home.

It must be a strange feeling.

What?

To be surrounded by death,

the way a soldier is
during the war.

Well, you don't think
about it after a while.

I mean, you're usually so
cold or hungry or sleepy.

Death, well, it just comes
as sort of an accident.

Is it difficult to kill a man?

I mean, for a soldier.

That's what they give you
medals for.

Why?

I just wondered.

Maybe because of what
I saw on the train.

No, it isn't difficult, Vicki.

It's the easiest thing
in the world.

You make it sound so simple.

Hey, hey, this is some
conversation we're having.

I'm sorry.
It's my fault.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

(DOOR CREAKING)

There must be someplace
we can go.

I've got so much
I want to say to you.

We'll find someplace.

Friday I'm going to the city.

Where will you stay?

A girlfriend of mine
has an apartment.

Will you meet me there?

Of course I will.
Okay.

(TRAIN APPROACHING)

Jeff!

Can I come up?

You'll get yourself dirty.

(LAUGHING)

Thank you.

I'm selling tickets
to the Brotherhood dance.

Two dollars, please.

All right.

Now, let?s see.

One, two.

Thank you. I wish I could
make this run with you.

My father let me ride with him
once, when I was a little girl,

only then, it was
a steam engine.

And I pretended
I was the engineer.

Did he let you
blow the whistle?

Once. It was so loud,
I started to cry.

I don't anymore, though.

Don't what?

Cry.

Yeah? Well, let?s try it
and find out, huh?

Oh! Don't you dare.

Jeff.
Yeah?

Who are you going
to take to the dance?

I don't know yet.

She's very pretty.

Who?

Mrs. Buckley.

What do you know
about Mrs. Buckley?

Intuition, plus a dozen
phone calls.

Are you in love with her?

It's kind of a personal
question, isn't it?

I know it is. Are you?

That's still
a personal question.

Is she going to
leave her husband?

I haven't asked her yet.

When are you going to?

You don't think much
of the idea, do you?

Well, don't forget
about the dance.

That'll remind you
to make up your mind.

About what?

(HORN BLOWS) Hey!

(SOBBING) See? I told you
it wouldn't make me cry.

CONDUCTOR: All aboard!

(BELL RINGING)

You were out kind of late
last night, weren't you?

I couldn't sleep.
I took a long walk.

You've been taking long walks every
night the last couple of weeks.

What do you want me to do,
punch a time clock?

I was just asking.

This is a small town, Jeff.
People notice things.

Yeah?

You think something's on the quiet,
and it turns out everybody knows.

Stay away from her.

You shouldn't fool around
with a married woman.

It's no good.
It ain't right.

Sunday's my day for sermons.

(BELL RINGING)

(HORN BLOWING)

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

You've got to leave Carl.

I can't.
Why not?

Because I can't.

(MUSIC STOPS)

Five minutes ago
you said you loved me.

I do.

All right, then,
what are we arguing about?

I mean, we can't go on
meeting this way,

like in a borrowed apartment
or a railroad shack.

That's no good, Vicki.

I want you to marry me.

It's what I want, too.

Then what's stopping you?

I'll explain things to Carl.
You're not chained to him.

I am, Jeff.

What's the matter,
are you scared of him?

No, it isn't that.

Well, I don't get it.
If you're not scared of him, then...

Not of his beating me.
He's done that before.

It's the police, Jeff.
That's what I'm afraid of.

The police?

Because of what happened
on the train.

Well, we'll go to them together.
We'll explain what happened.

How you found Owens,
how you got scared.

Oh, no.
No, I can't do that.

Why can't you? Why?

The day I got Carl
his job back,

that same night,

Carl killed Owens.

I lied to you
about finding the body.

I was there when he killed him,

he forced me to go with him.

What do you mean, forced you?

He thought I was
having an affair with Owens.

Were you?

He was like a wild animal.

He knocked me down and beat me.

He called me names.

He said I only married
him because I had to.

(CRYING) He hit me again and
again and again and then,

he made me write
a letter to Owens,

saying I'd meet
him on the train.

I didn't know what
he was going to do.

He forced me to get
on the train with him.

He pushed me into Owens'
compartment, closed the door.

Why didn't you scream
or ring for help?

He threatened to kill
me, too, if I did.

Why didn't you
tell me the truth, Vicki?

Carl has the letter I wrote.

If he ever showed
it to anybody, the police,

they'd think I did it.

That's what
he's holding over me.

That's why I can't leave him.

That's why I had to lie to you.

Jeff. Jeff, if you knew
what I've lived through...

(SIGHING)

Look, I want
the whole truth, Vicki,

because if I don't go
to the police now,

I'll be just as guilty
as Carl is or you are.

Jeff!

It's what you wanted, isn't it?

You had to tell me about
the murder, didn't you?

You had to tell me,
because once I knew about it,

I'd be in it just as deep
as you are.

Oh, no!
That's not true!

Isn't it?

Jeff! Where are you going?

(CRYING)

Carl must have known something about
you and Owens to feel the way he did.

I'll tell you.

Carl's always been jealous
of Owens.

I'll tell you everything.

I grew up in his house.

Carl knew all this, but he
had this insane jealousy.

He'd imagine the most awful
things about me and Owens.

And then he'd beat me and beat me
until I'd admit they were true.

So I'd admit them.

He did horrible things.
They weren't true, Jeff! They weren't true!

(CRYING)

If Carl was so jealous, why did he
send you to Owens to get his job back?

He begged me to see him.
He pleaded with me.

He wanted that job more
than anything in the world.

I didn't want to go to him.

I knew Carl would
only resent it later.

Oh, Jeff!

(SOBBING)

Oh, Jeff.
I was so afraid you'd go.

There's nothing for you to be
afraid of, 'cause I'm not going.

Oh, if only I were free.

We'll work things out somehow.

(BELL RINGING)

(BRAKES SCREECHING)

(RINGING STOPS)

(PHONE RINGING)

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Yeah?

ELLEN: There's a call.
Mrs. Buckley.

Tell her I'll call back later.

ELLEN: Mrs. Buckley, Mr.
Warren will call you back later.

Is there something wrong?

No.

What happened to those things you said you
wanted when you came home from the Army?

What did I say I wanted?

A job, some fishing,
a night at the movies.

Did I say that?

Yes.

Sounds like a nice, quiet,
orderly life, doesn't it?

That's what you wanted.

You said I left something out.

You said I needed a girl.

I said you needed
the right girl.

How do you tell the right girl
for you from the wrong one?

By the way you love her.

That sounds like the answer.

And I wonder if it is.

I don't know too much
about the kind of love

that makes people
hurt one another.

I don't think I want to know.

But I do know there are
other kinds of love

and they're not
so hard to find.

All you have to do

is look for them.

Carl's been fired.

He's selling the house and
we're leaving town tomorrow.

He says I've got
to go with him.

You're not going anywhere,
'cause I won't let you.

I don't want to go.

But there's nothing
else for us to do.

Not as long as
he has that letter.

I've looked everywhere
and I couldn't find it.

He must keep it with him.

Well, he wouldn't go
to the police with it.

He wouldn't want to
get himself involved.

You don't understand him, Jeff.
He's not thinking straight.

He's all twisted up inside.

You want that letter,

I'll get it for you.

If he finds out about
us, he'll kill me.

All right, then
what do you want to do?

What is there to do?

Say goodbye to each other.

I'll go with Carl

and when I can't bear the sight
of him any longer I'll...

(INHALES)

That's not the answer.

You'll forget me.

No.

(CRYING) It's no use.

There was nothing for us to look forward
to even if I weren't going away.

Now, it doesn't have
to be that way.

Yes, Jeff,
that's how it has to be.

We weren't meant to be happy.

It won't be as
difficult for you.

At least you'll be free.

If I had met you long ago, everything
would have been different.

But now it's too late.

It's always too late, isn't it?

No, it isn't.
It isn't too late.

If only we'd been luckier,

if something had happened
to him in the yards...

Where's Carl now?

Where he usually is,
at Duggan's.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING
ON JUKEBOX)

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

(TRAIN APPROACHING)

(DOOR OPENING)

I didn't do it.

Why not?

Maybe because he was drunk.

Because he fell.

I picked him up and took him
over to the dispatcher's office.

They're trying to sober
him up with coffee now.

He even thought
I was trying to help him.

You couldn't kill him.

You tried and you couldn't.

It's all wrong, Vicki.

The whole thing's been
wrong from the beginning.

And I feel dirty.

You feel?

Your conscience didn't stop you
from making love to me, did it?

It didn't bother you
when I was in your arms.

What about your feelings then?

I guess it's only
people like Carl

who can kill
for something they love.

I'd have done anything for you.

Except that.

Yes.

Yes, except that.

You've killed before.

Before?

Oh, the war, huh?
I'd almost forgot.

You thought I could do it
because of that, huh?

Well, there's a difference.

In the war,
you fire into the darkness,

something moving on a ridge,

a position, a uniform,
an enemy.

But a man coming home,
helpless, drunk...

That takes a different
kind of killing.

Yes, and a different
kind of a man.

That's right.

It takes somebody who doesn't
think about anything but himself.

It takes somebody who has no
conscience and no decency.

First, you had to get me to keep my
mouth shut at the inquest, didn't you?

A couple of lies
took care of that.

Then I fell in love with you
and you were sure of me.

And then all it took was a little
push to get me to kill Carl.

You never loved me.

No, it's not true.
It's not true.

I love you. No matter what I
said or did, that's the truth!

That's the lie.

You never told me the truth about anything.
Not even about Owens, did you?

Why don't you say it?

Carl did.

I'm no good.

I'll tell you exactly
how no good I am.

My mother worked for Owens.

He had a big house
outside town.

His wife had been
sick for years.

I was 16 when one day
he came down to the pool

and found me swimming.

He hadn't paid much
attention to me before.

But when he did,

I was too frightened
to say anything.

I tried to run away.
I tried to escape.

And then later,
when I married Carl,

I thought it was all
over and done with.

But when Carl found out,

all he could see
was his own jealousy.

All he could think of was killing Owens
and chaining me to him with that letter.

I thought it would be
different with you, Jeff,

that you'd trust
someone you loved.

I can't tell anymore whether you're
lying or not and I don't care,

because it's finished.

You don't mean that, Jeff.
You can't mean that.

You're all I have in the world.

I was wrong.

I shouldn't have
asked you to kill him.

I'll do anything you want.

I'll go to Carl, I'll go to the police.
Anything, Jeff.

Only you mustn't leave me.
You can't!

Why can't I?

Because I love you.

Here's your letter.

I found it in Carl's pocket.

(BELL RINGING)

(HORN BLOWING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(DOOR OPENING)

Where are you going, Vicki?

I'm sorry about the job and the
drinking and the gambling.

But you kept
pushing me away, Vicki.

You even pushed me
out of the house.

Oh, Vicki,
please don't leave me.

Oh, take your hands off of me.

I need you, Vicki.

I'll do anything you say.

I'll never mention
Owens' name again.

Vicki...

Vicki, I'll give you
back the letter.

(SCOFFS)

You haven't got it.

You haven't got anything.

You haven't got me or the
letter or a job or anything.

It's Warren.

You're going away
with Warren, aren't you?

I'm going away alone.

You wouldn't go away alone.

Not you, Vicki.

All right, I'm broke.
I'm all washed up.

It's Warren. He's young.
That's it, isn't it?

You want to get away from me
because I'm all washed up.

Oh, sure.

How could you understand
anything, you drunken...

I understand.

Don't worry about
my understanding.

Yes, you understand.

You're real bright.

Well, see if you
can understand this.

I'm in love with Jeff
and he walked out on me.

Do you know why?

Because I wanted him to
kill you and he couldn't.

You never knew me.
You never bothered to figure me out.

Well, I'm going
to tell you something.

Owens did have
something to do with me,

but it was because
I wanted him to.

I wanted that big house
he lived in.

I wanted him to get rid
of that wife of his.

But he wasn't
quite the fool you are.

He knew what I was after.

And you know what?

I admired him for it.

If I'd been a man, I'd have
behaved exactly as he did.

Now get out of here
and let me unpack!

Carl!

Carl!

Carl! Carl!

(HORN BLOWING)

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