Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1962): Season 7, Episode 11 - The Right Kind of Medicine - full transcript

Charlie Marx shoots a police officer while fleeing from a robbery and is himself shot in the ankle. There is a witness to the shooting and police will spare no effort to track down a cop killer. Marx gets medical attention from a doctor and fills a prescription at his local drugstore for painkillers but not without harassing the the harried druggist. It turns out that Marx should have let the pharmacist take his time.

Good evening fellow
villagers,

I’ve been promised a chestnut tree,
but it hasn't been delivered yet,

the job came as a result
of my answering an ad,

see, you’ve got to hear something,
here we are,

wanted,

man with large and sinewy hands,

the muscles of his brawny arms,
strong as iron bands,

hair must be crisp, black and long,

his face must be quite tan, no salary
guaranteed,

he earns whatever he can.

I found the job very interesting
and not difficult at all,



this case for example,

he doesn't need
new shoes,

he needs arch supports.

From this
bucolic seat we move to an urban setting,

for tonight's drama,

lest the contrast be too
jarring for your sensibilities,

we present the following
pleasantly incongruous transition.

THE RIGHT KIND OF MEDICINE

Sorry Turner, right
through the heart.

Harry...

Well the gun's been fired,

-I hope he hits the turkey. -All right,
all right, keep back, keep back there,

-let's go, we'll get to you later on.
-Officer... -Yeah what is it?

I saw the whole thing.



-All right what's your name?
-I was just uh, George Lassiter,

I was just walking down the street
when I saw him turn the corner,

the cop was chasing this guy, this guy
takes out his gun he starts shooting,

-Did you get a look at him?
-Oh yeah,

well, he, he fired a couple of shots and
then he ran down this alley,

-and the cop fired after him.
-Did he hit him? -Well I don't know,

the guy must have fired again
because then I saw the cop fall down.

All right mr Lassiter, you wait right
over here we're gonna need your help,

all right, all right,
keep back there, keep back there,

well we got a witness anyway,
says he can describe the killer.

Good,

-this is one guy I want Pete.
-You're not the only one.

HELP KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN

M.D. CHIROPRACTOR.
ROOM FOR RENT

You just leave that on a few days,
and don't go near your mama's stove,

that's the worst of this neighborhood,
everybody gets sick at night,

-all right Miguel that's all.
-How much doctor?

Uh a dollar just leave it on the desk.

-Hiya doc.
-I’ve got a patient inside, Charlie.

-Get rid of them.
-Good night doctor and thank you very much.

That's all right mrs Cantinas.

I’m hurt doc,

you got to fix me up.

You fellas will ever learn,

you should call me first Charlie
let me know you're coming,

-it's for your own good. -Well I didn't
have a dime for the phone doctor.

-No small change.
-Get on the table.

It's my leg, the left one,

my pain is killing me.

You're lucky the
bullet passed through.

Well I don't feel so lucky,
it still hurts, can't you do something?

I’II do what I can.

I don't know why I
help bombs like you,

I had a good practice once,

-lived like a decent human being.
-Oh can the violin music doc?

do you know why you
do it,

because of this,

hey take it easy, will you.

If you don't like
the treatment go to the Mayo clinic.

It still hurts can't you
do something about the pain?

Of course it hurts,
you've got a mess of torn ligaments there,

take it easy, you'll be all right,
stay off that leg as much as you can.

You must be kidding,
I’ve got to get out of town.

-How'd you do Charlie?
-None of your business,

just give me something
for this pain,

you must have something,

you know what I mean.

I don't keep drugs here
Charlie you know that,

every junkie in the neighborhood would
be on my neck if I kept drugs here.

-Then what am I supposed to do?
-Well I can write you out a prescription.

take one of these if the pain gets
really bad,

don't take too many if
you want to keep alert,

and I guess you'll have to.

What do I owe you doctor?

I leave that up...

to you.

40 bucks not bad for an hour's work, huh?

40 can buy an awful lot of wine.

I’m on the wagon.

Sure you are, sure.

Well so long doc,

thanks for everything.

Don't get that prescription
filled in the neighborhood,

no use pressing your luck.

Oh, don't worry about me.

-Personally mrs Lewis I wouldn't take
this stuff in a million years. -You wouldn't?

If you ask me I think it
eats holes in your liver.

But mrs Anderson swears by it,
you know how,

she used to get those terrible headaches.

Mrs Anderson should stop
prescribing for herself,

and see the doctor
that's what I think,

let me ask you this,

when did mrs Anderson’s headache stop?

when she started taking this chunk,
or when her husband left it?

-You know something you're right.
-Can I get this prescription filled please?

Just a minute sir.
So do yourself a favor mrs Lewis,

-take what the doctor says, all rightl?
-All right.

-if you say so Vernon.
-How much longer mr Fletcher?

Yeah in a minute Vernon, take care
of the gentleman meanwhile.

-Sir, uh may I help you?
-Yes I want this filled

-Oh this is gonna take a little while.
-Well how long?

-Oh maybe ten minutes. -Here you are running
a dollar seventy five.

-Can you handle this prescription, mr
Fletcher? -The gentleman. -Yes sir.

This is mrs Louise, right over here,

okay, you alright, you come
back and see us real soon.

-Night Vernon. -Good
night. -Don't be too long sir.

Well look, could you make that
snappy I’m kind of in a hurry.

Everybody's in a hurry.

Good evening, this is Vance Harrigan
with the eight o'clock edition of your,

local news brought to you by Lucky Larry’s
better clothes for the better man,

a four-alarm fire swept the
downtown section of the city today,

taking the life of an elevator
operator and sending,

two firefighters to the
hospital with smoke poisoning,

the blaze began in a storage
warehouse on Orange Av,

avenue and spread quickly
to the adjoining buildings,

the elevator operator Walter D'angelo,
38, was unable,

to escape the flames that
trapped him in the air shaft,

the fire which started at 2:30 this
afternoon was brought under control,

in less than two hours by the heroic
efforts of the fire department,

the two hospitalized men are
said to be in fair condition,

patrolman Harold turner of the city
police department was shot and killed,

earlier this evening during a wild gun
battle on Wilton street and 10th avenue,

officer Turner 26 and the
father of three children,

was slain while trying to stop the flight,

of a bandit who had just
broken into the safe,

of the Stanton jewelry
store on Wilton street,

escaping with some fifteen hundred
dollars in small bills,

a witness to the shooting described the
killer of officer turner as five feet...

-Mister...
-What?

You'd be interested in some aftershave
lotion? we're running special today.

No I don't use that stuff.

Heck of a buy.

No.

...with blonde hair and a
square when last seen he was,

wearing a tweet sport coat
and a plaid shirt and no tie,

it is possible that he was injured in the
shooting and may seek medical assistance,

the police warned that
he's armed and dangerous,

in sports today Detroit 4, Kansas 3,

Chicago 8 New York...

...other games in the american league will
be played tonight,

in the national league, Philadelphia 6...
-Excuse me.

...are scheduled for tonight,
this is Vance Harrigan,

for Lucky Larry’s better
clothes for the better man,

closing out the eight o'clock
edition of your local news.

Well all right mr
Grison, how you doing?

Oh not so good Vernon,
I still get this indigestion.

Oh, that's the shame, the pills I
gave you last week didn't help, huh?

-I helped a little, but run clean
out of them, you got any more? -Sure.

Can't you
hurry up that prescription?

Things take a little
while sir.

Sort fix you up mr Grison.

I don't know Vernon, nothing
seems to really help,

I have a couple of bowls of soup,
a steak, baked potatoes some rolls,

salad, a couple of pieces of pie, and,

I just can't eat
like you used to.

Well maybe ought to cut down
on the food a little mr Grison.

I think you're right Vernon,
I’m gonna cut out that salad.

-How much? -A buck even.
-Don't bother.

Take care of yourself now, mr Grison.

Hey look it's way
past 10 minutes now.

I’II go checks.

Mr Fletcher how long on that
prescription? -Ah, don't rush me Vernon,

I’ve told you a thousand times
I don't like to be rushed.

-You think you could come back a
little later? -No, I can't come back,

look maybe you could
uh deliver it to me,

I just live a couple
of blocks from here, 304 west Adams street,

that's mrs Mcgrays.

-what's the matter? -No I don't think we
can make any more deliveries tonight.

Oh, we're all alone in the store here and
somebody's got to take care of the customers.

-Uh mr Fletcher the gentleman's in
an awful hurry. -All right, all right...

Oh hiya Tommy, how's
that cough?

-Oh rotten you got anything good?
-Sure thing, here's what I use myself.

-take a teaspoon every three hours out
and fix your write-up -Okay I’II try it.

I guess you heard about the
shooting on uh Wilton street, huh?

-Yeah I heard about it all right.
-Terrible.

You guys have a very dangerous job, if it isn't
killers, it's bronchitis, it's a dollar even,

-take care of yourself now.
-So long Vernon. -Good night.

Here you are Vernon wrap it up for the gentleman four
dollars and fifty cents.

Four dollars and fifty cents,

one capsule is needed, not to exceed
3 and not to exceed three in 24 hours,

-I’II wrap this for you.
-No, just give me the pills thanks.

Well hey you forgot...

-Well what about it mr Lasseter. -I’m looking
lieutenant I’m looking it isn't easy.

-I mean, all those faces.
-Well just don't skip any.

I’m doing the best I can.

I’m sorry, but this is important
to us,

maybe you can understand
that once a cop killer gets,

away with it, it makes every crook in town,

feel braver, nobody's safe then.

-Lieutenant...
-Yeah?

Here's the man, it's him, I swear it.

Charles Marks, alias Charlie Grant,

arrested 1951,
armed robbery sentenced two years,

arrested 1954 armed robbery,
sentenced 10 years,

parole 1961.

-Reynolds...
-Yes sir.

Get me the parole
records on Charlie Marks,

number 360483,

find out his current address,

-and get squad cars there
as fast as you can. -Right.

Thank you very much mr Lassiter,

-been a great help.
-Glad to do it lieutenant.

No no,

not yet,

gotta stay alert,

ah, hello is this the
Intermountain bus?

uh,
when does the next bus leave from Middleton?

when, when?

11:40?

11:45, well if I come right down to
the terminal can I pick up the ticket?

okay thanks,

hey fella,

you rotten stupid.

-Has he got a chance sergeant?
-Well he's still breathing.

It's awful, awful.
Who would do such a thing to Vernon?

We know who did it all right,
a man named Charlie Marks,

lives upstairs here
on the second floor,

he's the man who shot Harry Turner,

-policeman attached to the precinct.
-Why would he shoot Vernon?

I thought maybe you
could tell us that,

what was Vernon doing here,
making a delivery?

-It's my fault, all my fault.
-What is?

I sent poor Vernon here,
because I made a mistake an awful mistake,

I’m always so careful,
you've got to believe that,

I’ve been a
pharmacist for 36 years,

but I made a mistake
in the prescription,

I gave a man a poison,

a terrible poison,
if he takes one of those capsules he'll die,

I sent Vernon here to
find him to warn him.

Okay mr Fletcher.

You got to find that man,

-you got to find that man.
-Sure sure we'll find him.

-Sooner or later.
-You got to warn him.

Don't worry about it, pop,
just don't worry about it.

There is a group of
men in this country,

members of a noble
profession,

who each day go about their
work quietly and efficiently,

merely because this program
shows one of these men blundering,

is not meant as a condemnation
of the whole group,

what Charlie did was
inexcusable,

but we certainly do not imply that all
criminals would make the same mistake,

and now a brief advertisement,

after which I shall return.

I must say horseshoes are very
chic yet sensible this year,

open-toed flats,

now until next week, good night.