Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1962): Season 7, Episode 32 - Victim Four - full transcript

Good evening ladies and gentlemen,

this chair is more modern than you imagine,

you see,

it not only rocks,

but also rolls,

actually all of this is by way of
answering certain of our listeners,

who like a bit
of homey philosophy,

dispensed with their television,

most of our philosophizing will
be done later in the program,

but the entire show is fraught with
meaning,

listen especially to this next minute,



it is very very fraught.

VICTIM FOUR

Now for the hourly news break,

local news continues to be dominated
by the specter of the butcher,

police silence late this evening indicates

no headway in attempts to identify,

the knife wielder who has so far killed
three people by slashing or stabbing,

the body of the third victim
an elderly man was found early yesterday,

by a newspaper carrier who...

Hello Joe.

Ralph Morrow,

-I didn't expect...
-Expect to see me?

After all six months is quite a while,

the last we knew you were in Europe,
we read a thing in the paper.



Aren't you going to invite me in?

-how was the trip?
-It's all right,

I had a good time,

saw some interesting places,

picked up a few items
from my weapons collection,

including a napoleonic saber,

the old man who owned it had no
intention selling it to me,

I brought him around to my way of
thinking,

how's your wife?

Oh Madeline’s okay,

you made a mistake coming here.

Am I?

after six months it seems to me that
Madeline would have had a chance to,

think about mistakes,

what's up with the leg?

An accident,

as good as new in a couple of months,

you know,

I sort of expected you'd be
around here sooner or later.

-You did?
-Yeah,

you haven't given up with Madeline yet,
have you?

-Oh I wouldn't say that.
-I say it,

and I want to tell you something,

I’m glad you came.

Then you don't mind if
I see her.

It wouldn't make any difference,

you and Madeline are ancient history.

And what makes you so sure?

Something she said on our honeymoon.

Hey honey come here look at this,

hey, are you okay?

you're sure?

Well, now relax, we have all day,

come on, sit down.

-Joe...
-Yeah.

Isn't it beautiful up here?

away from the
hotel with all the people.

There are people?

You know, I never
thought I’d have a honeymoon,

I thought I’d get married but,

people like me,

waitresses,

a honeymoon always seemed
like such a luxury,

You like luxury?

Who doesn't?

It's true,

and you just give me a chance,

and time,

and I’ll get it all for you,

after all Ralph Morrow,

had go loads of it he threw him over,

You must have had some attraction
for me beside my lack of money

Hey, how about that wedding gift Ralph send?

an expensive carving set like that,

solid silver handles.

Well I wish he hadn't, I don't like it,

after all the things Ralph
said when we broke up,

a person like Ralph just doesn't give a
gift like that on the goodness of his heart

It's just a carving set honey except it
costs more than I make in a week

Joe,

no matter what Ralph does,

he can't hurt us,
he can't come between us.

Forget him.

Come on.

Hey I thought you were tired.

Ah,

oh honey look,

why don't I get a shot of
you by the waterfall?

look get over by the railing,

it's okay, now,

now big smile, okay?

Madeline...

He can't hurt us,

he can't come between us,

not now.

Madelaine,

you're all right?

I’m fine I just had a slight concussion,

doctor says no broken bones.

I remember trying to reach you.

You fainted from the pain,

Joe,

your leg...

No more power poles for a few
weeks,

What have they told you?

what's wrong with me?

The bone splendored,

this small hospital hasn't got the
equipment to take care of it,

they're making arrangements
to have you move.

I need more than a cast surgery?

Well whatever she said on the honeymoon
she still had six months to think it over,

uh women have a habit of changing their
minds.

So hear it from her tonight.

You're willing to keep her in this rat trap
indefinitely?

No that doesn't even read an answer.

How do you plan to take care of her?

what can you do you've never worked
in an office or sold anything?

or had any experience to enable a
cripple to make a living?

The life's getting better every day,

there are stop gaps until I,

I can get back to pole work,

anyway you'll hear it from Madeline
tonight it's really none of your business.

What time do you have?

Almost one.

Madeleine’s slinging hash on
the night shift I suppose.

What time will she be back?

She's late,

she's never been this late before.

Where is the restaurant?

Gramercy near
Oak.

Much of a drive,

maybe she had car
trouble.

We sold the car after the second
operation on my leg.

She's walking all the way from Gramacy
with a guy like the butcher on the pround?

I was expecting her when you came.

From Gramercy?

right through the area
where the butcher operates,

e's killed three people already,

that leg won't take you far,

Far enough, it'll carry me more than
an hour, that's further than Gramercy.

My car's right downstairs.

Let's go.

Maybe this guy's here,.

Let's ask him,

Hey pop,

-what's your hurry pop?
-No hurry,

are you guys cops?

you got no business stopping me if you
ain't cops.

-The idea cops worry you?
-We're not the police.

Well then leave me alone, ah I got
nothing to interest you.

Relax we just want to ask you a question,
we're looking for a young woman,

blonde hair wearing a
green weitress uniform.

No I ain't seen that,

I ain't seen anyone since I left that
journey around the corner,

until you guys pulled over here
and scared me.

Yeah,

you got a reason to be afraid old man?

What does that seem to mean?

who's this
guy think he is?

I want to know why you're afraid?

When a car pulling over like that?

I thought it was just butcher Carrick.

Really?

Well how are you going to know until
they catch him,

he might be a guy having a
beer right next to you.

Or a man walking down a dark street?

Or riding in a car?

If you see the young woman tell
her her husband's looking for her.

It's likely that I’ll not see her,

you see I live down the block,
and when I get in,

I ain't coming out
again tonight, you better life.

Mr Tuttle?

Oh it's you Joe.

you're kicking around kind of late,
aren't you?

Is Madeline still inside?

Hey that's a real great car
you got there,

was that with you?

-Uh he's an Acquaintance.
-Ah,

having a stag night on
the town, huh?

I’m glad that leg's finally making
it possible for you to get around,

but if you boys were figuring on uh,

giving Madeline a lift, well,

you should have passed
up that last beer.

She didn't work late?

you mean she left at the usual time?

No she uh,

stayed around a few extra minutes,
I had some book work to do,

you know,
income tax and all that,

well she helped me clean up I guess
she's home by now.

Mr Tuttle, I haven't been on the town
this evening,

I didn't come by in the off chance
of giving Madeline a lift,

I came by especially from the apartment,
along the street she usually takes.

Oh,

-and you didn't see her?
-No I didn't.

Well I guess there's no law
that says she has to take,

the same street home every night,

-come to think of it though...
-Yeah, what is it?

She did complain about having a
pretty bad headache,

it's been a long hot night
and we were short-handed,

she told me how hot
that apartment of yours is,

she said she'd like to
get a breath of fresh air,

I bet she took a detour to cool off,

now you got nothing to worry about.

With the butcher still loose?

Is that what's bothering you?

forget it,

those things you read about in the newspapers
they never happened to you,

or or anybody you know, not to you or me,

now you think back,

do you ever know
anybody made them kind of headlines?

-No of course not
-Neither have I,

now you get a hold of yourself there son,

being cooped up in that apartment hasn't
been good for you,

makes a man tense, nervous.

You go on home,

and when you find her
there you call me up,

not that I’m worried mind you, I just
want to know, that's all.

Yeah okay mr Tuttle.

Maybe Tuttle’s right,

maybe she decided to
get some air, it's cooler now.

15 minutes,

if we don't find her in 15
minutes I’m gonna call the police.

Maybe we should split up.

-Split up?
-Sure,

you're not afraid aren't you Joe?

Only for her.

Good,

by splitting up we can cover twice
as much territory,

now leaving her regular route she might
have gone east or she might have gone west,

take your pick.

I’ll take east.

15 minutes.

Sorry buddy we're closed.

-I was looking...
-No more drinks tonight pal.

I said I was looking for a young woman.

We haven't got any of those either,

look pal, have a heart, will you?
it's been a long hot day huh.

This girl, she was wearing a green
waitress uniform.

I tell you she wasn't here,

nobody here
tonight but the regulars,

have a look at the All Night Dino, why
don't you?

-Where is it?
-Right around the corner,

and come back again when
you can't stay so long.

Okay do you know this guy?

No I never
blamed him before,

-what's with you dad? -I’m sorry I was
looking for someone.

Yeah? well buzz me
another, who do you expect?

My wife she didn't come home this
evening,

uh maybe you've seen her,

uh blonde hair not too tall
wearing a green waitress uniform,

We haven't seen anybody Freddie was just
walking me home, from a party down the block.

-If you happen to see...
-Get lost.

You've heard the man, get lost.

Madeline?

Madeline it's me Joe.

Joe,

he was after me Joe,

you see, don't you?

my headaches after the accident,

I, I had to protect myself with this
nife after night,

because you needed me so much,

he kept coming back,

changing his
appearance trying to fool me,

I killed him three times,

tonight he came back again,

but you're here now,

and I don't need the knife any longer,
do I Joe?

do I?

So much for our story,

now for some inspirational verse,

"As down life's rugged road you roam,

ever nearing that home sweet home,

bear this in mind,
as troubles round you team,

that things are not as
bad as they would seem,

that all is darkest just before the dawn,

that when you will, if you but carry on,

that though your bloody head is also bowed,

remember that there's silver in each cloud"

I find it difficult to go on,

so to prove that into each life some
rain must fall,

my sponsor will fill this void with his
own idea of inspiration,

after the deluge, me,

proving that all things do come to those
who wait.

I find myself so emotionally drained,

that all I have the strength to do,

is to give you the post
script to our story,

that Joe reluctantly placed
Madeleine in the hands of the law,

and to beat you good night,

until next week.