Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) Movie Script

Here’s a toast to you, Paul.

You’ve torn my Pierre

away from his books

and made him enjoy himself

for once.

Oh, don’t thank Paul.

It was for you I came.

Then I must drink

a toast to Camille.

Oh, no, Paul.

You’ve had four glasses

already.

That’s nothing.

For last year’s

carnival night, I had 14.

Dupin, Paul!

Look at the Arab dancers.

This way. This way.

See the naughty nautch nymphs.

The adorable Arab angels.

Come, we must continue

our studies of anatomy.

Yeah, much nicer

than... than visiting a morgue.

...marvelous performance of dancing.

We have Lady Fatima!

Lady Fatima’s

snake imitations...

Do they bite?

Oh, yes, but you have

to pay extra for that.

Mignette, do you think

you could learn

to do that dance for me?

No.

No?

Well, then...

I guess I’ll have

to join the show.

See, Pierre,

how brown they are.

Is that their real color,

do you suppose,

or have they

painted themselves?

Shall I find out for you?

Don’t you dare.

Introducing

Col. Ha-ha from America!

Bloodthirsty savages

from the wilds of America!

See the redskins

scalp their victim.

First time in Paris.

They are Apaches, my friends,

Apaches.

Like our own waterfront rats.

Just as wild.

That’d be a good name

for our bandits.

Apaches.

Ha, Apaches, why, splendid.

Would you like to try

whether they are real?

I?

And leave you unprotected?

Never.

Oh, Pierre.

Let’s go in there.

Attention, attention,

ladies and gentlemen.

Step closer. Closer.

Behind this curtain

is the strangest creature

your eyes will ever behold.

Erik, the ape-man!

The monster who walks upright

and speaks a language

even as you and I.

The ruler of the jungle,

whose giant hands

can tear a man in half.

Erik, the ape-man.

The beast with a human soul.

More cunning than a man

and stronger than a lion.

Step up, ladies and gentlemen.

Step right in.

Shall we go into this one?

All right.

Soldiers and children,

half-price!

Step up,

ladies and gentlemen.

Don’t miss this opportunity.

That’s good.

Let’s go down there.

Oh! Let’s sit

over there, love.

No, mademoiselle,

not there.

Take a seat in front

so that you can see

everything.

This gorilla killed six men,

you see.

What a funny-looking man.

He’s a show in himself.

Did you notice his accent?

I wonder where he comes from.

I never heard

an accent like it.

Silence.

I’m Dr. Mirakle,

messieurs, mesdames.

And I am not

the sideshow charlatan.

So if you expect

to witness the usual

carnival hocus-pocus,

just go to the box office

and get your money back.

I am not exhibiting a freak,

a monstrosity of nature,

but a milestone

in the development of life.

The shadow of Erik, the ape

hangs over us all.

The darkness

before the dawn of man.

It’s all right.

Don’t be afraid.

It’s only a baboon.

I-I’m not afraid.

Neither am I.

Listen to him,

brothers and sisters.

He is speaking to you.

Can you understand

what he says

or have you forgotten?

I have re-learned

his language.

Listen.

I will translate

what he says.

My home

is in the African jungle,

where I lived

with my father and my mother

and my brothers and sisters.

But I was captured

by a band

of hairless white apes

and carried away

to a strange land.

I’m in the prime

of my strength.

And I am lonely.

Here

is the story of man.

In the slime of chaos

there was the seed

that rose and grew

into the tree of life.

Life was motion.

Fins changed into wings.

Wings into ears.

Crawling reptiles grew legs.

Eons of ages passed.

There came a time

when a four-legged thing

walked upright.

Behold, the first man.

Heresy!

Heresy?

Do they still burn men

for heresy?

Then burn me, monsieur.

Light the fire.

Do you think

your little candle

will outshine

the flame of truth?

Do you think

these boards and curtains

are my whole life?

They are only a trap

to catch the pennies of fools.

My life is consecrated

to a great experiment.

I tell you, I will prove

your kinship with the ape.

Erik’s blood shall be mixed

with the blood of man.

What does he mean?

I wish I knew.

Mesdames et messieurs

if any of you wish to make

the acquaintance of Erik,

come forward.

There’s no need to be afraid.

He is behind bars

and cannot hurt you.

Let’s go up.

Oh, no, Pierre,

I’m afraid.

I’m not afraid.

He likes you, Camille.

Look, he wants your bonnet.

Erik is only human,

mademoiselle.

He has an eye for beauty.

You have made a conquest,

mademoiselle.

Pierre!

Erik! Erik, get back!

You fool,

do you want to be killed?

Oh, but he has ruined

your bonnet.

I will replace it,

mademoiselle.

I will send you a new bonnet

with Erik’s compliments.

Will you tell me

where you live

and what your name is?

Never mind, monsieur.

It was an accident.

But I insist.

Where do you live, my child?

It is not necessary,

monsieur.

Come, dear.

Follow her.

I must know where she lives.

You liked her,

didn’t you, Erik?

Sweetheart.

Have I ever told you

that I love you?

Camille, I love you.

Let me look at you.

You’re like a flower,

soft and fragrant.

Pure and beautiful.

Darling.

And you’re like a star, too.

A white morning star.

And your hair,

it’s full of stardust.

You’re like a song the girls

of Provence sing on May Day.

And like the dancing

in Normandy on May Day.

And like the wine

in Burgundy on May Day.

Oh, Camille, I love you.

And I love you, too, Pierre.

No!

No! No!

No!

A lady

in distress?

Who are you?

Come with me.

Where?

My carriage.

No! No!

Why are you trembling

at my touch?

Your hand is cold.

It chills me.

Come.

I will help you.

No.

Come.

Be patient.

Are you in pain,

mademoiselle?

It will only last

a little longer.

Ah, you are stubborn. Hush!

It will only last

one more minute,

then we shall see.

We shall know

if you are to be

the pride of science!

Oh, hush, hush!

Now, mademoiselle.

Now.

The clots.

The black spots.

Rotten blood!

You.

Your blood is rotten.

Black as your sins.

You cheated me.

Your beauty was a lie.

Dead?

You are...

You’re dead.

Janos, Janos.

Get rid of it.

Get it away.

Will my search ever end?

Three this week.

Three.

Women, all of them.

Life is hard.

The river is kind.

The river is soft.

It rocks them to sleep.

And asks no pay.

Three women.

Always small.

Always young.

A man?

A woman.

Age?

Oh, any, 1,000 or 30.

Cause of death?

Drowning.

Profession?

Yes.

Identification?

None, she was naked.

Number 13.

Well, Monsieur Dupin,

what brings you here so late?

The two women.

What about them?

Monsieur,

would you be good enough

to show them to me once more?

If you wish, Monsieur Dupin,

I will show you three.

Three?

You mean,

there’s been another one?

Yes.

Let me see her.

Yes.

There’s the body.

The same marks.

Marks?

See them?

They’re on the others, too.

Monsieur,

you must let me

take a specimen

of this woman’s blood.

Impossible.

Since that whole body

disappeared last week,

the inspector is very strict

about medical students.

Then you bring it to me.

It’s against all regulations.

Tomorrow night, huh?

Good night, monsieur.

The macaroni’s ready.

And the coffee’s getting cold.

Aren’t you going

to eat your lunch?

You give five francs

to that old ghoul

down at the morgue

and... and I have to

turn magician and pull

a loaf of bread out of my nose

so we can eat.

Dupin, you might

at least have the decency

to come to the table.

Pierre?

Why don’t you go down

to the morgue and live there,

instead of making a morgue

out of our home.

Vampire.

Vulture.

Body snatcher.

Say something.

Come in.

Speak of the devil.

Good morning, monsieur.

You’ve got it, eh?

Yes, monsieur, I’ve got it.

But who knows,

at the price of my job,

perhaps.

I am a married man, monsieur.

I have children.

And if the police

should even suspect

that I was holding anything

back from them,

I should be put behind bars.

No use, no use,

we haven’t a centime.

Yes, monsieur.

I must owe you the money.

The morgue

must give us credit.

Then, I will trust you.

Monsieur, the Morgue Keeper,

perhaps you have an extra slab

for my friend here.

Why not take him in?

He eats nothing,

he doesn’t talk.

He never changes

his position.

I’m sure he’d make you

a very fine tenant.

I’ll pack his things

and send them down.

You don’t live

badly here, monsieur.

I had to hurry myself up here

without lunch.

And now you have to

hurry back for your lunch.

Boy, that’s too bad.

Good appetite to you

and your quiet guests.

Goodbye.

Good day, monsieur.

If you’d pay half as much

attention to your studies

as you do to this nonsense,

what grades you’d get.

What did you find out?

After the carnival last night,

I performed an autopsy.

The victim didn’t die

of drowning.

There was no water

in her lungs.

Oh, so that’s what

you were up to.

I thought you were

with Camille.

Hmm?

Of what did the victim die?

Paul, here it is again.

What?

The same foreign substance

in the blood of each victim.

Look, Paul.

All three died

from the same cause.

Some strange poison perhaps.

Something introduced

into the blood streams

that caused their death.

What could it be?

I don’t know.

That’s what

I have to find out.

Oh, Pierre, you must

pull yourself together.

Why, you’re

becoming fanatical.

Look at yourself

in the mirror.

Your eyes are getting glassy.

Just like that

old charlatan’s.

Dr. Mirakle, eh?

What did you make of him?

Oh, he’s a faker.

Did you pay attention

to what he said?

You mean about us being

the product of evolution?

Yes.

Hmm.

Has it occurred to you

that he might be right?

Eat your lunch.

Dr. Mirakle.

He’s a strange man.

Pierre!

Mother. Mother!

See what the concierge

has just brought up.

Mother, come quickly.

I’m coming. I’m coming.

For pity’s sake, what is it?

What are you

so excited about?

See what just came.

A new bonnet.

A bonnet!

Oh, it’s lovely.

Are you sure it’s for you?

My name’s on the box.

Isn’t it pretty?

Oh, now,

who could have sent it?

Maybe it’s from Pierre.

Oh, where would Pierre

get money enough

to get a present like that?

Maybe there’s a card

inside the box.

It’s from Dr. Mirakle.

And who is Dr. Mirakle?

You know, I told you.

The funny old man

at the sideshow

who owns the ape.

Oh, I see.

The ape took your bonnet,

and the gentleman’s

replacing it.

Well, that’s

very nice of him.

It’s a beautiful bonnet.

Shall I wear it to the picnic?

Why not?

I wonder how he found out

where we lived.

But didn’t you tell him?

He wanted to know.

But Pierre wouldn’t

let me tell him.

That’s funny.

Well, anyway,

you have a new hat.

Camille? Camille?

There they are.

Hello.

Ah, there she is.

Everybody, ready.

One, two.

♪ Her father wanted her

to wed a funny ♪

♪ funny little man ♪

♪ Her mother wanted her

to wed a funny ♪

♪ funny little man ♪

♪ My father wanted me

to wed a funny ♪

♪ funny little man ♪

♪ But I would not be wed,

I said ♪

♪ to such a funny

little man ♪♪

Come, fair maiden.

Yon charger champs

at the bit.

Come on, Camille.

Hurry up! Hurry up!

Did you bring the chicken?

My, aren’t you dressed up?

♪ But she would not

be seen she said ♪

♪ with such a funny little man ♪

♪ But she would not

be seen she said ♪

♪ with such

a funny little man ♪♪

Florette,

I am absolutely mad about you.

No, no, no.

Years ago I gave up

believing in students.

But, Marie,

I mean what I say.

And here’s

to a truthful student,

though the animal

doesn’t exist.

But, Mignette,

I give you my word.

You will speak

to my parents tonight?

But it’s you I love, Susette,

not your family.

Whee!

Don’t I look different

to you today?

Different? How?

You’re a blind donkey.

Something new I’ve got on.

It’s my bonnet.

Oh, of course,

it’s beautiful.

And it’s a gift.

A gift? Well, well.

Who from?

Guess.

Honoré, that poet.

Guess again.

That butterfly collector,

Moreau?

Oh, Pierre,

you’d better give up.

It’s from Dr. Mirakle.

Mirakle?

Mirakle.

Yes. Wasn’t it nice of him?

Did he bring it himself?

No, but he sent a note.

So he found out

where you live, after all.

And I can’t imagine how.

He must have had us followed.

What did the note say?

He asked me to come

to his tent tonight.

That’s strange.

What could he want?

You mustn’t go.

Why not?

I wonder what Dr. Mirakle

is up to.

Paul calls him a faker,

but he isn’t.

He isn’t an ordinary man.

I’ll go see

your Dr. Mirakle tonight.

Very well, Pierre.

Get them poles down

to the hallway.

Move this box back.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

How about a little help here,

boss?

Lay that over on the way.

Go on, move it, move it.

Get this box over here.

That’s right. Now move it.

What’s the matter, Erik?

Are you restless?

Be quiet.

What is the matter?

So, we have a caller.

Dr. Mirakle...

No show tonight, young man.

The carnival is over.

I’ve already

seen your performance

Doctor.

I wanted to talk to you.

First, the young lady

to whom you sent the hat

wants me to thank you for her.

Then she is not coming?

She sends her regrets.

Very well.

Good night.

Are you going away?

Yes.

We move to Munich

in the morning.

Excuse me.

I must attend to my work.

I’m a medical student.

And the things you said

in your lecture

were very interesting.

Have you experimented,

Doctor?

Yes.

Have you written any papers?

None to be shown.

I had hoped you would let me

come to see you.

Have you a house in Paris?

No.

I sleep here.

This tent is my home.

Good night, young man.

No, no.

That’s Dr. Mirakle’s stuff.

He’s not going with us.

He’s going to stay in Paris.

Load off.

Pull ahead.

All right, go in the corner.

Erik. Erik.

Let me get this for you.

He got out with the ape,

and I’ll swear

they were talking

to each other.

They went inside, and after

that there was no sign of life.

Not a sound.

So you went home?

Well, I dropped in

at the morgue.

Pierre.

Pierre,

what will you come to?

Why are you always visiting

that horrid old place?

Don’t you worry, darling.

Look.

There’s all of our Paris,

spread out before us.

I like to see

the little lighted windows,

twinkling like stars.

Wouldn’t it be fun

to know all

that was going on

inside those houses?

Perhaps it’s just as well

that we don’t know.

Think of what all those walls

are hiding.

Broken hopes

and bodies and hearts.

Absent dreams.

Starvation, madness.

Crimes of the streets.

And tragedies of the river.

Paris. My city.

I hate to leave you

alone tonight.

Hold me tightly, Pierre.

I could hold you forever,

Camille.

Good night, dear.

Good night, Pierre.

By the way,

you always keep your door

bolted at night, don’t you?

Not always, Pierre.

Be sure and lock it tonight,

dear.

Will you promise?

If you say so.

Good night.

Good night, dear.

Good night, mother.

Pierre?

Yes.

Mademoiselle, you will pardon

the late hour.

But I had to see you.

What do you want, monsieur?

Don’t be alarmed,

mademoiselle.

I’m leaving Paris tonight.

And there is something

I have to tell you.

May I come in?

Oh no, monsieur.

My mother has gone to sleep.

My carriage is downstairs,

mademoiselle.

We can drive

to a café and talk.

Oh, that’s impossible.

But it is

of greatest importance.

Please go away.

Mademoiselle, you must come.

Please. Do me this favor.

Let me close the door,

or I’ll call for help.

But I have a message for you

from Erik.

He talks only of you.

He can’t forget you.

There is something

you must know.

Are you insane, monsieur?

Erik! Erik!

There, Erik.

She’s up there.

Gorilla.

Paul, Paul, Paul, wake up.

Wake up.

What’s... What’s the matter?

What?

I’ve found it.

It’s the blood of a gorilla.

Gorilla?

Those women,

don’t you understand?

They died because

a gorilla’s blood

was injected into their veins.

Camille!

Oh, darling, what is it?

What’s the matter?

Tell me, what happened

to you, please?

I’ll get you a glass of water.

Oh, my baby!

Mother. Camille!

Camille!

Mother.

Hurry up. Give the man a hand.

Someone help me

break it down, please.

Help! Help! Help!

What have you got?

What is it, violence?

What do you think?

Uh.

Money. Jewels.

This is not a robbery.

And there’s no body,

so it isn’t a murder.

He’s carried her away.

She’s gone.

Who are you?

Where do you come from?

He’s her sweetheart.

He... He comes here

every night.

Ah-ha.

Sweetheart.

You may wait for the prefect.

But we must find Camille.

Let me go, you fool!

It’ll be too late.

You may tell all that

to the prefect.

Now, what is your name?

Pierre Dupin.

Now, where do you live?

Oh, don’t you understand?

Her life is in danger.

I understand.

Where do you live?

Oh, you fool.

You stupid fool!

So, your name is

Victor Albert Adolph

Jules Hugo Louis Duborg?

Eh?

Yes, sir.

Why did you

not investigate

when you heard

the first scream?

I... I was afraid.

Stupid,

incredibly stupid.

Yes, sir. I...

Stupid.

What is your name

and business?

I am Franz Odenheimer.

I own a restaurant.

Odenheimer.

In your own way,

tell us what happened.

You see,

I was just going to bed.

Then suddenly,

I heard a scream.

Right away,

I ran across the street.

And I was

one of the first ones

to enter this room.

On the way upstairs,

I heard a voice.

And that voice

was speaking Italian.

Do you speak Italian?

No.

Were you ever in Italy?

No.

How do you know

it was Italian?

Because I am sure

it was Italian.

Ah.

Thank you, sir.

Alberto Montani.

What do you know

of this affair?

Well, I, I also

heard the voice.

But it was not Italian.

I’m Italian. I speak Italian.

When I ran up the stairs

with the others,

I heard the voice.

It’s not Italian, no.

It was Danish.

Do you speak Danish?

No.

Were you ever in Denmark?

No.

How do you know

it was Danish?

My intuition.

It was not Danish.

Oh.

I beg your pardon,

Your Honor.

I am a native of Denmark.

Danish is my native tongue.

I heard the voice,

but it was not Danish.

It was German.

Italian, not German.

Danish.

German.

I say it was German.

Silence!

Italian.

Danish.

German.

Silence.

Bring in the young man.

Monsieur, the prefect

will question you now.

Now, you might as well

come quietly.

Don’t try and make

any more trouble.

Young man, what is your name?

My na...

Oh, I can tell you

who committed the murder

and where you can find him.

Who?

An ape.

He’s out of his mind.

If you don’t listen to me now,

you’ll be guilty

of the second murder.

Second murder?

So you know

there has been one?

Yeah.

If you’ll only listen to me,

I’ll explain.

Very well,

tell us what you know.

There were two women

in this room.

The only door

was locked and bolted.

Everybody heard screams

and the sound

of a terrible struggle.

Within two minutes,

the door was broken down.

No one was here.

One of those women

was carried away.

I tell you,

the other one was murdered.

And her body must be

somewhere in this room.

Mother.

Young man, you know too much.

I arrest you

for the murder of...

Yes, and another murder

may be happening now.

It’s a confession

you wish to make?

No. An accusation.

Dr. Mirakle in the Rue Morgue

is guilty of four murders

so far this week.

And by now, perhaps a fifth.

Do you accuse this doctor?

Dr. Mirakle has

a captive ape.

It committed this crime.

No one man

could have done this.

Three men couldn’t have pushed

that body up the chimney.

I tell you

that ape killed her.

And carried her daughter off

through the window.

You’re insane.

Come on.

Wait!

Here is proof.

That is not human.

It’s the hair of an ape.

Ape.

Her blood is perfect.

That’s the house, monsieur.

Open.

This is an empty house.

No one lives here.

But it’s not empty,

I tell you.

We must break in.

There’s another door

at the side.

We’ll try it.

Police.

I cannot stop now.

Hold them off,

until I am ready.

Come, Erik.

Erik.

Back into your cage!

Back to your cage. Erik.

Somebody’s barring it.

Open.

In the name of the law, open!

Hurry!

Camille?

He’s dead.

Why, look! There it goes.

It’s an ape!

You fool!

Pierre! Pierre!

Camille.

Name?

Mirakle, I believe,

or something like that.

Number 2.

Age?

Oh, any age.

It doesn’t matter.

Profession?

They say he was

a scientist or something.

Death caused by?

An ape.

Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) - full transcript