The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)

1. I hope I'm not very late.

2. They're upstairs.

3. His heart is perfect.

4. Hear that, Betty?

5. I'm in perfect shape.

6. How did the new valves work on the heart?

7. Beautifully, they'll give any pressure you want.

8. Then we'll get the apparatus ready at once.

9. Yes, doctor.

10. Are you quite sure you want to go through with this?

11. Yes, Doctor.

12. You realise, of course, that the possibilities

13. may be unpleasant.

14. I studied those possibilities all the time you were

15. developing the mechanical heart.

16. It's worked on every other kind of animal.

17. Why should man be an exception?

18. He shouldn't.

19. But we can't be sure until we try.

20. Well can't you try on a body that's already dead?

21. Unfortunately, no.

22. But if we can revive a man who's been scientifically

23. put to death, then we have the perfect anaesthetic.

24. And in that moment, the art of surgery will have

25. advanced 1,000 years.

26. It's the most tremendous thing we've ever worked on.

27. But what good will that do you if this fails?

28. I'd rather take a chance on something this great

29. than to live to be 90 marking time.

30. And you're still determined?

31. Yes, Doctor.

32. Oh, Bob, you can't do it, I won't let you.

33. Now take it easy.

34. There's nothing to be panicky about.

35. But don't you realise he's going to kill you?

36. You're going to die.

37. That sounds a lot tougher than it is.

38. I'll be under anaesthetic, that's all.

39. There's nothing to it.

40. But what if he can't bring you back?

41. He won't miss.

42. Why, inside of two hours we'll be eating chop suey

43. and fighting about where we're going to go on our honeymoon.

44. Now don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to anybody.

45. Oh, please don't, Bob.

46. All ready?

47. Now don't forget, you got a date for chop suey

48. in two hours.

49. All set.

50. No, please.

51. You stay here and we're not to be interrupted

52. on any account.

53. Pulse 47.

54. - 40. - Respiration 15,

55. dropping fast.

56. He's dead.

57. Now to draw out the vital heat.

58. It'll take at least 30 minutes for the body to chill.

59. I'll test the heart.

60. How frail a thing to solve the riddle of death.

61. We're really very stupid, Lang.

62. We live surrounded by working models of this machine,

63. and only now it occurs to us to duplicate

64. the machinery.

65. The heart is nothing but a pump like this.

66. Veins and arteries are only tubes like these.

67. So what could be simpler than to use the glass pump

68. to force the real pump into action after it has stopped.

69. Maybe we should've made this of steel.

70. No, then we couldn't watch the course of the blood

71. from the machine into the body.

72. We must see in order to learn.

73. But if it should break?

74. If anything fails us now, our lives,

75. as well as his, are lost.

76. I don't understand.

77. We've taken a human life.

78. If we don't restore that life, the law will call it murder.

79. Oh, look, Lieutenant, all I want is a little statement

80. for the morning edition.

81. Is the mayor guilty of that bribery charge or isn't he?

82. Listen, if I told you newspaper guys what I

83. really thought, they'd snatch my badge right off me.

84. Officer!

85. Dr. Savaard's gonna kill someone.

86. You've got to stop him.

87. How do you know?

88. I'm his nurse, I work there.

89. He's gonna kill a young medical student.

90. Where's all this happening.

91. At Dr. Savaard's house, hurry!

92. What's the address?

93. 8700 Post Road.

94. I'll show you the way.

95. Shane talking.

96. Get hold of Dr. Stoddard and have him meet me

97. at the Savaard home as soon as he can.

98. The address is 8700 Post Road.

99. Does Dr. Savaard live here?

100. I don't know if Dad's in, but I'll see.

101. This house has is so rambling,

102. we have a regular phone system.

103. He's not in the library, I'll try the laboratory.

104. Hello, Dad.

105. There's a gentleman here to see you.

106. No, no, Janet, I must not be disturbed.

107. I'm in the midst of a crucial experiment.

108. Send him away and don't let anybody else in.

109. Careful.

110. What's causing those gas locks?

111. They'll wreck the whole thing.

112. There's the trouble, those tubes.

113. Why, they should curve down, not up.

114. Betty, what's the matter?

115. In there.

116. Open up, it's the police.

117. The police?

118. How did they get in?

119. Don't know.

120. Hand me the shears.

121. Take this and hide.

122. I'll face this with you.

123. No, I'll need you later.

124. Hide somewhere I'll be able to get in touch with you.

125. What'll I say if I'm caught?

126. Say I sent you away before the operation started

127. so that you wouldn't see how the machine works.

128. Where will I go?

129. In the cellar for now, but hide and stay hidden.

130. Open up, I say.

131. Break it in.

132. Betty, what's the matter?

133. What's happening?

134. He's killing Bob.

135. - All right. - Over here.

136. He's dead.

137. Dad, what happened?

138. That's what I'd like to know.

139. It's very simple.

140. I've created a technique for restoring the dead to life.

141. That young man volunteered to be my first subject.

142. Now, if you gentlemen would be so kind as to leave my house,

143. I'll go on with my work.

144. Did you kill him?

145. I told you he volunteered.

146. How did you kill him?

147. I made use of certain gases that end life

148. without poisoning the tissue.

149. That's just what I wanted to know.

150. Unlock my hands.

151. I've got to restore that boy to life.

152. Hello, Lieutenant.

153. What's the trouble?

154. Take a look in that box over there.

155. Just give me one hour, just one hour to work on that boy.

156. Why don't you give him a break?

157. What have you got to lose?

158. Nothin' but my badge.

159. Well, he's good and dead all right.

160. This man says he can bring that body back to life.

161. What about it?

162. Fantastic.

163. Inside of an hour I can have that boy walking

164. and talking and explaining it all to you himself.

165. From what I've seen so far, I'd say Dr. Savaard

166. has developed a homicidal mania.

167. Idiots.

168. Watch out he doesn't hurt himself.

169. Now gentlemen, you can think what you like,

170. but give me one hour, just one hour to work on that boy.

171. I'll get an autopsy order right away.

172. If you touch a knife to that boy, it'll cost him his life.

173. Oh please let him try, anything to bring Bob back.

174. We'll do everything possible,

175. but I tell you now it's hopeless.

176. I'll call the ambulance.

177. Doctor!

178. Now look, that boy trusted me.

179. He put his life into my hands.

180. I've got to have one hour to work on him, just one hour.

181. You must.

182. Not a chance, Doc.

183. Please, it's Dr. Savaard who's asking you this,

184. a man whose opinion is honoured throughout the world.

185. He'd never have attempted this unless he could see his way

186. through to the end.

187. You've got to give him a chance.

188. Oh, come along.

189. Dr. Stoddard, how long have you

190. been a police surgeon?

191. About 14 years.

192. Calling your attention to the night

193. of May 2nd, were you called by Lieutenant Shane

194. to investigate an occurrence at the clinic of Dr. Savaard?

195. I was.

196. Would you tell the court what you saw please?

197. I found the body of young Roberts in a sort of casket.

198. He was dead and cold.

199. I reported his death to Lieutenant Shane officially,

200. then had the body removed to the morgue for autopsy.

201. In your opinion, could any power on earth

202. have restored young Roberts to life?

203. No.

204. Thank you.

205. Your witness.

206. Dr. Stoddard.

207. Is it not a fact that Dr. Savaard begged you for a chance

208. to restore young Roberts to life and that you refused?

209. It is.

210. Why?

211. Because the idea was fantastic.

212. Have you never heard of dead persons

213. being revived by drugs?

214. Certainly.

215. That's all.

216. Dr. Savaard, will you tell the court very simply

217. just what you hoped to accomplish by placing a man

218. in a so-called state of death?

219. Today, the surgeon is forced to work against time

220. because the patient still lives and breathes

221. and the bloodstream is still flowing.

222. But think what it would mean to the surgeon if there were

223. no loss of blood, no race against time, no nerve shock,

224. and no fear of death on the table.

225. It would mean more time for work, work that's undreamed

226. of today, on the heart, on the brain.

227. Perhaps the jury may find it a bit difficult

228. to follow that explanation, Doctor.

229. Could you make it even simpler?

230. To operate on a living body

231. is like trying to repair a motor when it's still running.

232. But with a motor, you can turn the part off.

233. You can take it apart, find out what's wrong,

234. replace the worn and broken parts.

235. It could be put together and made to run

236. just as good as new.

237. And you hope to be able to do that with the human body?

238. But for the treachery of a stupid woman, my discovery

239. would be part of a knowledge of the world today.

240. And you really believe that such a thing would be

241. of great and lasting benefit to humanity?

242. I can think of nothing nearly so great.

243. This body, this mechanism means nothing.

244. The mind is all that counts, but when the body dies,

245. the mind dies with it, but this we can prevent.

246. So our first great objective is the replacement

247. of vital organs that have worn out.

248. And with the body scientifically dead,

249. the surgery of such operations is simple.

250. But the real secret lies in the pumping

251. of an artificial blood stream through the body by means

252. of a mechanical heart, until the life functions pick up

253. their own rhythm.

254. The heart begins to beat and life is restored.

255. Oh, believe me, all this and as much more as the mind

256. of man can encompass is ours for the asking.

257. When once we found the way to make death our servant

258. and not our master, think of it, the Edison or the Pasteur

259. of tomorrow need not die merely

260. because his heart is worn out.

261. We'll give him a new heart, taken perhaps from the body

262. of a young man who's been killed in an automobile accident.

263. And our great genius is awakened to another 60 years

264. of useful life.

265. You ask me if that's a benefit to mankind?

266. I answer, it's the gift of eternal life.

267. But whether man is wise enough or old enough

268. to receive such a gift, I don't know.

269. I don't know.

270. That is all.

271. Your witness.

272. I've enjoyed the lecture very much, Dr. Savaard.

273. But if you don't mind,

274. let's return to the object of this trial.

275. Did you, or did you not, personally, deliberately,

276. and with planned purpose, put young Roberts to death?

277. I've explained all that.

278. Answer my question.

279. Well, I, that is I

280. Did you kill him?

281. Yes, I did.

282. That's all.

283. Counsel for the defence is asking you to free Dr. Savaard

284. because he killed in the name of science,

285. for a high and noble purpose, for humanity.

286. In Dr. Savaard's own statement, stripped of its fine phrases

287. and reduced to its actual meaning,

288. it means we're to butcher our young athletes

289. so their hearts can be used to prolong the life

290. of some doddering old man,

291. preferably a scientist.

292. I assure you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

293. Dr. Savaard's fine ideal would never be permitted

294. in any civilised country.

295. And yet he wants you to set him free so he can continue

296. that kind of experimentation.

297. He wants you to licence him to kill young men and women.

298. He wants you to suspend the law and give him the right

299. to go on committing murder without fear of punishment.

300. I have no quarrel with the great army of honest doctors

301. and legitimate scientists who are trying to make life

302. in this world better.

303. I ask only that you stop this one Killer in his tracks.

304. And you must do more than merely find him guilty.

305. You must make very sure that no way is left for him

306. to squirm his way out of the hangman's noose.

307. You must deliver this killer, not Lo a court of appeal,

308. but to the hangman's noose.

309. You must serve notice to the whole world

310. that the law is still supreme, that human life is still

311. a sacred thing, and that murder, even in the name

312. of science, carries the punishment of death.

313. He killed a boy, he admitted it.

314. What more do you want?

315. It's not as though he shot him with a gun.

316. Why do we care how he killed him?

317. The boy agreed to the experiment, it wasn't murder.

318. Ladies, gentlemen, we're not getting anywhere

319. at this rate.

320. Let's get your opinions one at a time and no interruptions.

321. Mr. Sutton.

322. As a 100% law-abiding citizen,

323. I say let the law take its course and hang him.

324. Men like you have blocked progress for hundreds of years,

325. Mr. Richards.

326. I don't think Dr. Savaard is guilty

327. of what we ordinarily consider murder.

328. What do you call it then?

329. - Mr. Watkins? - I say hang him.

330. - I say hang him too. - Mrs. Valentine?

331. Couldn't we give him life imprisonment?

332. And have his lawyers turn him loose in a few years?

333. Not while I'm on the jury.

334. Dr. Avery?

335. There's absolutely no reason why life functions can't be

336. restored to a body that's not fatally injured or diseased,

337. providing circulation can be restored.

338. We're not here to discuss theories, Doctor,

339. but to agree on a verdict of guilty.

340. Or not guilty.

341. All in favour of hanging, stand up.

342. I suppose you'd pin a medal on Savaard

343. for killing that boy, huh?

344. Hanging's too good for him.

345. Anybody with an ounce of brains knows that.

346. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

347. have you reached a verdict?

348. We have, Your Honour.

349. We, the jury find the defendant guilty of murder

350. in the first degree, without recommendation for clemency.

351. - Your Honour, Your Honour. - Order!

352. Before you condemn me to death, I would like the privilege

353. of addressing this court for two minutes.

354. Request granted.

355. I thank you.

356. You, who have condemned me, I know your kind.

357. Your forbearers poisoned Socrates, burned Joan of Arc,

358. hanged, tortured all those whose only offence was

359. to bring light into darkness.

360. For you to condemn me and my work is a crime so shameful

361. that the judgement of history will be against you

362. for all the years to come.

363. You, Mr. Prosecutor, are guilty of murdering, not only me,

364. but countless thousands who might've lived had you not

365. destroyed the only man who could save their lives.

366. When your last moment comes, always remember that you killed

367. the one man who could have made your life secure.

368. Although the stupid, unthinking world may approve

369. what you have done, in your heart, you'll know that

370. but for your treachery, the boy you loved would be alive today.

371. If anyone is responsible for his death, you killed him.

372. And for that murder, you will live and die

373. in the contempt and loathing of your own heart.

374. When those you love best lie dying,

375. think back to this moment when you held their salvation

376. in your hands and threw it away.

377. Always remember that I offered you life,

378. and you gave me death.

379. That'll be all, Dr. Savaard.

380. And you who are about to sentence me,

381. after my death, you will be overtaken by a punishment

382. far more terrible than anything that you can do to me.

383. Sentence will be passed on you at 10:00 AM,

384. next Tuesday, the 15th.

385. Take him away.

386. The jury is dismissed, court adjourned.

387. Come on, give her a break, will ya, boys.

388. Let her alone.

389. Here now.

390. It's all so unfair.

391. Yeah, it's a rotten shame.

392. Here's a man

393. who spent his whole life trying to do nothing but good,

394. and he gets the works because what he did happens to fit

395. the legal definition of a murder.

396. Do you suppose if I went to the governor,

397. there'd be a chance for a pardon?

398. Look, Janet, nobody can do anything today.

399. So why not shut off the worries?

400. Sure, I know it's tough but you've gotta get a hold

401. of yourself or you'll crack up.

402. Now isn't there a nice quiet place you could go

403. where there'd be someone to look out for you?

404. Relatives, maybe?

405. My Aunt Lucy lives in Bay Crest.

406. Why, that's swell.

407. That'd be close enough to run into town if you're needed,

408. and far enough out to lose the snoopers

409. and curiosity seekers.

410. Hey, buddy, drive us to Bay Crest.

411. On the flat rate.

412. - But my things. - Send for them.

413. Right now, you're gonna hide and stay hidden

414. until this thing quiets down.

415. You've been very nice to me.

416. Forget it.

417. I charge all this to expenses.

418. I don't mean the money.

419. You've been my only real friend through all this trouble.

420. Well, how do you know it wasn't just a gag

421. to get exclusive stories?

422. I know better than that now.

423. Oh, Dad.

424. Janet, my dear.

425. You shouldn't have come here.

426. You mustn't grieve or be unhappy.

427. Why you mustn't even think of me as being dead.

428. I want you to remember me always as being alive and well

429. and happy, just like someone who's gone away

430. on a pleasant journey.

431. I've given my body to science, dear.

432. There'll be no funeral, no grave,

433. and no reminder of my passing.

434. Now, dear, please.

435. Well, I guess they're about ready to start.

436. I've seen eight of these hangings

437. and each one of 'em gets worse.

438. We get many requests for bodies from you, Doctor,

439. but naturally we can't do anything

440. without consulting the man himself.

441. This is by his request.

442. Dr. Savaard, this man says you instructed him

443. to take your body, is that right?

444. Of course.

445. I'm so glad to see you, Dr. Brookner.

446. Sorry, gentlemen, you will have to keep apart.

447. Prison rules.

448. Sorry, I did not understand.

449. Will you sign this release, Dr. Savaard?

450. I have some very special equipment ready and waiting

451. to perform an interesting experiment, Doctor,

452. one that I am sure you would approve of completely.

453. I approve of anything that is in the interest of science.

454. Goodbye, Dr. Savaard, and thank you.

455. And good luck, Dr. Brookner.

456. Good evening.

457. Seems strange to see you in such good spirits, Doctor.

458. Strange, that I should have no fear of dying?

459. Well, I've lived so long questioning the unknown,

460. that this plunge into its depths is only the last,

461. and perhaps the greatest, of my experiments.

462. Have you no faith?

463. As a scientist, I'm afraid I'm a professional sceptic

464. who doubts everything, even the certainties.

465. But do you not recognise certain great truths

466. that all men accept?

467. I've never found one that would bear analysis.

468. Can't you conceive of a truth too great

469. for the human mind to analyse?

470. Tonight, no.

471. But tomorrow,

472. I may know better.

473. Okay for you boys to go in now.

474. Aren't ya comin'?

475. No thanks, I can see everything

476. I don't wanna see from here.

477. It's time to go.

478. And Dr. Savaard was hanged at States Prison

479. for the scientific murder of one of his students.

480. The man of science mounted the scaffold with a firm step,

481. betraying no nervousness and giving his last message

482. to the world with a clear voice said, "Though, my life"

483. "be taken, my work will not be left undone."

484. This is thought to refer to his theories in the hands

485. of his students and not to the so-called death threat

486. he uttered at the time of his conviction to the nine men

487. and three women who condemned him to die.

488. Sign right here.

489. Thank you.

490. Don't try to speak.

491. No pain.

492. I can't move.

493. Paralysed.

494. No, you're not, you're strapped to the table.

495. Where is instrument?

496. Broken, it burst under the pressure.

497. The next one must be much stronger to force open

498. the capillaries closed by rigor mortis.

499. Is the break in my neck very bad?

500. Not now, but it took desperate surgery to make the repair.

501. It would've been impossible had you not been dead.

502. Good work, Lang.

503. Congratulations.

504. I only followed your teachings.

505. When you stand once more on the platform,

506. the living proof of your own triumph,

507. the whole world will pay you homage.

508. Never.

509. When they see, they will have to believe.

510. They won't come to learn,

511. only to stare.

512. I'll be a freak in a sideshow,

513. Lazarus the second.

514. 50 cents to look, $1 to touch.

515. Please, Doctor.

516. You must rest.

517. Yes, I must rest.

518. Gain strength and power for what I have to do.

519. Boss, take a look at that.

520. Yes, it's all been attended to.

521. The body of Harley Ross, 40, local businessman,

522. was found late last night by police officers.

523. No reason was described for the suicide.

524. Mr. Ross chose death by hanging himself.

525. Well, what about it?

526. Well, does it mean anything to you?

527. No.

528. Well, look at this one.

529. Two weeks ago, Ramsey Lee, salesmen, another suicide,

530. also by hanging.

531. I still don't get the point.

532. What are you driving at?

533. Here's another one about Graham Dove hanged himself

534. over a month ago.

535. Ahead of him was Percy Shore.

536. And here's two more.

537. Six of 'em, all by hanging.

538. So over a period of time, six guys hang themselves.

539. What about it?

540. Nothing, boss, nothing.

541. Except all six of them were on the Savaard jury.

542. All six were on the Savaard

543. What?

544. Somebody's paying off for what happened to Savaard.

545. And six of the jurors are gone already.

546. Scoop, drop everything and go to work.

547. Get hold of all the remaining Savaard jurors.

548. Get statements, work up the biggest story you can get.

549. Is the Savaard curse working?

550. Get the DA, the judge, and everybody else he threatened,

551. statements, pictures, the whole works.

552. Okay.

553. And make it weird.

554. Make it dramatic, and make it snappy.

555. Right.

556. Hello?

557. Hello?

558. Funny none of these people answer.

559. They can't all be hiding under their beds.

560. You know there've been a lot of cases where a curse

561. actually did work out.

562. Hello, I'd like to speak to Mr. Kearney, please.

563. He went where?

564. Are you sure?

565. Thanks.

566. Kearney's wife said he got a summons from Judge Bowman,

567. who tried Savaard, to meet him at Savaard's house.

568. Maybe that's why none of the others are home.

569. Judge probably called 'em all.

570. Here, call the rest of these, will ya,

571. and see what you can find out.

572. Long distance, Bay Crest, 732.

573. Yeah, it's official business.

574. I wanna talk to Janet Savaard.

575. I can't imagine why Judge Bowman should call anyone there.

576. The house is locked up and I've got the keys.

577. Hold on a minute, will ya?

578. Get a hold of Lieutenant Shane at headquarters.

579. Listen, Janet, I haven't much time to explain,

580. but there's something funny going on out at the house.

581. No, don't go out there.

582. Stay out of it.

583. I'll investigate and call you back later, bye.

584. Lieutenant Shane's goin' out to Dr. Savaard's house.

585. That's where I'm going.

586. If I'm not back for the deadline, call out the Marine.

587. I'm Mr. Foley.

588. I'd like to see Judge Bowman, please.

589. Have you an invitation, sir?

590. No, but I've got a message from his office,

591. a matter of utmost importance that I must deliver

592. to him immediately in person.

593. The judge hasn't arrived yet, sir.

594. I have strict orders to admit no one without an invitation.

595. Sorry, sir.

596. Good evening, Your Honour, remember me?

597. I'm Scoop Foley of The Tribune.

598. Oh yes, of course.

599. What's the meeting for, Judge?

600. Meeting?

601. Well, yes, you called all these people

602. here tonight, didn't you?

603. Why no, as a matter of fact, I received a telegram signed

604. by Janet Savaard asking me to meet her here

605. on a matter of life and death.

606. That's funny.

607. I talked to her just a little while ago

608. and she didn't know anything about the meeting.

609. We will soon find out what this is about.

610. If this is

611. someone's idea of a practical joke,

612. we'll soon correct their viewpoint.

613. I'm Judge Bowman.

614. May I see your invitation, please?

615. You may come in, sir.

616. I'm sorry, sir, I can't let you in, those are my orders.

617. I'll give the orders.

618. Let him in.

619. Very good, sir.

620. In there, please.

621. Good evening, Your Honour.

622. What's the idea, Judge, are we reopening the Savaard case?

623. What brought you here?

624. A telegram signed by you.

625. I sent no telegram, issued no orders.

626. Good evening, Judge.

627. Why, hello, Judge.

628. I presume you've all been called here

629. by messages supposedly sent by me.

630. - Yeah. - Yes.

631. I was served with a court order.

632. Well, so was I.

633. Mine was a wire.

634. Mine also.

635. I got a wire too.

636. Let me see them.

637. All fakes.

638. This is most extraordinary.

639. Get the butler.

640. No you don't.

641. You stick around too.

642. Evidently we're the objects of someone's practical joke.

643. I'll guarantee them very little after

644. when we find out who's responsible.

645. Well, I hope so.

646. Yes, sir?

647. Who is your employer?

648. I don't know, sir.

649. Are you tryin' to tell us you don't know who hired you?

650. That's right, sir.

651. We were engaged through the employment agency

652. and given the orders to come here with food

653. and service for nine persons.

654. Well, who let you in?

655. A key was sent with our instructions, sir.

656. We let ourselves in.

657. Who else is in this house?

658. Nobody, sir.

659. That is, nobody that we know of.

660. What were your instructions?

661. You will arrive not later than 5pm.

662. Prepare a cold buffet for the following persons,

663. who will bear the following identifications.

664. Everyone named on this list is here.

665. That'll be all.

666. Thank you, sir.

667. I was supposed to go to a business meeting.

668. What time did you receive your telegram?

669. Oh, about 3:30 or four o'clock.

670. That's about the time I received mine.

671. Hello?

672. I understand.

673. Yes, sir.

674. Well, if you're smart, you'll scram outta this place

675. faster than you came in.

676. Six of the Savaard jurors have been killed already,

677. and you're here to get the rub out as sure as you're alive.

678. Ah, you're crazy.

679. Okay, wise guy.

680. But I still say scatter and scatter fast.

681. Maybe he's right, come on.

682. Surely you wouldn't leave without speaking to your host.

683. Judge Bowman, I can't tell you how glad I am

684. to see you again.

685. I trust you'll forgive the unauthorised use of your name

686. to effect this little gathering?

687. You can understand it would have been indiscrete

688. to use my own.

689. Shane.

690. And Kearney.

691. Good evening, Mr. Drake.

692. Still sceptical, my police surgeon friend?

693. You can't be Dr. Savaard.

694. He's dead.

695. As you perhaps know, hanging breaks the neck.

696. Would you be professionally interested

697. in seeing how it is repaired?

698. How did you do it?

699. Too long a story to tell you now.

700. Perhaps if you're still interested at dinner.

701. You'll join me in a cocktail, won't you?

702. Dr. Savaard.

703. Alive.

704. My only regret is that your fiancé is not here

705. as the living proof of his faith in me.

706. What do you think now?

707. He wouldn't invite us here to kill us.

708. That'd be sticking his neck out too far.

709. Yeah, well I've got an uncomfortable hunch

710. that we're the ones behind the eight ball, not Dr. Savaard.

711. Allow me.

712. - No. - Oh come,

713. you're not working for me now.

714. I happen to know you like sherry.

715. No.

716. I wanna try something.

717. Dr. Savaard, my name's Foley.

718. I know, it's Scoop Foley, the young man who gets

719. into places without an invitation.

720. Well, that's my job.

721. Now look, haven't you forgotten some of the jurors.

722. There was Dr. Avery

723. And Esther Richards, and Miss Foresight,

724. who fought for over 60 hours in my defence.

725. I've no need of them here tonight.

726. I see, thanks.

727. Not at all.

728. Won't you join me in a cocktail?

729. Thanks, no, I never drink.

730. Well, what'd I tell you?

731. What can he do?

732. We out-number him eight to one.

733. Well, won't anybody drink with me?

734. I assure you they're not poison.

735. I'm sorry, Doctor, but my time is limited.

736. If you have anything to say, I'll hear you now.

737. As a matter of fact Dr. Savaard, we have more business

738. with you than you have with us.

739. About those six jurors who mysteriously died.

740. My dear Mr. District Attorney, your law is shockingly bad.

741. I have the perfect alibi.

742. I am legally dead.

743. Your business is with the living.

744. If you have nothing to say, I'll be going.

745. One moment please.

746. I asked you all here because there's a plot afoot

747. against your lives.

748. That same fiend who killed the six unfortunate jurors,

749. plans to take your lives tonight.

750. Why should you want to protect me?

751. I'll explain all that at dinner.

752. Shall we go in?

753. - What in the world? - What was that?

754. I'm afraid all this is rather informal.

755. I hope you found your places.

756. Miss Crawford, you are here on my right.

757. Allow me.

758. I thought it best to dispense with the servants

759. so I dismissed them.

760. Oh, do sit down please, all of you.

761. May I offer you some pheasant?

762. Mr. Shane?

763. No, thank you.

764. How were you brought back to life?

765. I thought I described the method very thoroughly

766. in your courtroom.

767. Won't you try some pheasant, Judge Bowman?

768. Mr. Drake.

769. Did you know all along you'd be able to do this?

770. I gambled that my assistant, Lang, could bring me back.

771. And here I am, not only alive,

772. but beyond the reach of any law.

773. Six jurors have been killed.

774. But what public officer would dare suggest

775. that Henryk Savaard was guilty of the crimes?

776. When all the world knows that Henryk Savaard is dead.

777. Did you kill them?

778. My dear Shane.

779. And if I did, and if I decided to kill all of you tonight,

780. who would believe that I had done it?

781. Oh, by the way, your place cards are rather amusing.

782. If you care to glance at them, you'll find something

783. to your disadvantage.

784. In this corner is a figure, which gives you the order

785. in which you are to die tonight.

786. And in this corner, the exact time.

787. You will be the first, Judge Bowman.

788. At exactly seven o'clock.

789. In fact, you have a trifle less than two minutes to live.

790. The man's insane.

791. Put him under arrest and lock him up.

792. Come on.

793. Judge Bowman, if you attempt to leave this house,

794. it will be the last act of your life.

795. Judge Bowman, do not leave this house.

796. Come on.

797. He's dead.

798. Well, what killed him?

799. No marks of any kind.

800. Might be heart failure.

801. It's charged with electricity.

802. You're tellin' me.

803. Seven o'clock, right on the dot.

804. He knew the shortest way to drive Bowman into that grill

805. was to forbid him to leave.

806. Hey, where is Savaard?

807. Cover the back door through the kitchen.

808. Yell if you see anything.

809. Boiler plate, huh?

810. I ran into the same thing.

811. The window.

812. More boiler plate.

813. Don't look now, but I think we're trapped.

814. May I have your attention, please?

815. All the doors and windows that you can reach

816. have been sealed, and there is no way for you

817. to leave this house.

818. You will now be punished for your disbelief

819. in the order and the times stated on your place cards.

820. Judge Bowman was taken first, out of deference

821. to the exalted office he adorned.

822. The foreman of the jury, Clifford Kearney,

823. who worked so hard to convict me will be taken next,

824. in recognition of his untiring efforts to secure my death.

825. It'll do you no good to search for me.

826. You can never reach me where I am, but I can and will

827. reach you once every 15 minutes.

828. At ♪:15, Mr. Kearney, you will die.

829. Until then, goodbye, Mr. Kearney.

830. You can't do this.

831. You've gotta protect me.

832. You've worked in this house, miss,

833. where could he get to from here?

834. Almost anywhere.

835. Well, he couldn't have gotten through any of the doors.

836. Isn't there any way to the balcony except the stairway?

837. Yes, it connects with the back of the house.

838. Well, that's blocked.

839. The grill cuts us off.

840. I tell you you've gotta get me outta here!

841. Take it easy, getting panicky's not going to help us any.

842. If we could get through that grill and reach

843. the front door, one of us could get to a phone and

844. Wait a minute.

845. Look, there's an extension wire.

846. It runs down on the baseboard and right in here, see?

847. And across there.

848. Dead.

849. I hope you don't think me stupid enough

850. to leave you any means of calling help.

851. Can you hear me?

852. Please don't shout, Mr. Drake, I can hear

853. and see you perfectly.

854. And what is it?

855. We'll be missed.

856. People know where we've gone.

857. They'll find us.

858. They'll find you too no matter where you go or try to hide.

859. Aren't you being a little ridiculous,

860. Mr. District Attorney?

861. What sane police officer would dare to even whisper

862. that what they'll find here tonight might be the work

863. of a dead man?

864. Oh no, Mr. Drake, my alibi is perfect.

865. Have you forgotten?

866. I was hanged three months ago,

867. and now Mr. Kearny, time is flying.

868. May I draw your attention to the clock?

869. What time is it?

870. What's the time?

871. It's ♪:10 by my watch.

872. Only five minutes left.

873. We're wasting it all by talking.

874. Get me outta here.

875. Take it easy.

876. We gotta protect him somehow.

877. Now look, Bowman was tricked into killing himself.

878. It's a cinch Savaard isn't coming down here alone

879. to face all eight of us.

880. Let's get in the middle of the room, away from the balcony,

881. away from everything, and form a circle around him.

882. Now you're talkin'.

883. And if he so much as shows his face out of anywhere,

884. I won't miss.

885. You better get inside too, Miss.

886. No, I'll take my chances out here where I have room.

887. All right.

888. Join hands, everybody.

889. Face out and watch your side of the room.

890. What time is it now?

891. Can anyone see the clock?

892. He may turn out the lights.

893. Don't let go of your neighbour's hand no matter what happens.

894. Quiet, everyone, don't move so we can hear

895. if anyone's coming.

896. I thought you said the phone was dead.

897. Sometimes you can call in when you can't call out.

898. That may be a chance to get help.

899. Don't break the circle, it may be a trick.

900. Well, if it's an outside call we're throwing our lives

901. right down the sink by not answering it.

902. Let me loose, I'll answer it, and the rest of you

903. keep the circle.

904. All right.

905. Hello?

906. Who, Mr. Kearney, yes.

907. Who's calling please?

908. Mr. Cantrell.

909. Cantrell's my business partner.

910. He was expecting me in a meeting tonight.

911. Stay where you are.

912. Tell him to call the police.

913. Mr. Cantrell, listen, closely.

914. Call the police and tell them Dr. Savaard is alive

915. in his house.

916. He's already killed Judge Bowman.

917. He's gonna kill the rest of us.

918. It's on the level I tell you.

919. Here, you talk to him and make him believe it.

920. Mr. Kearney, don't touch that phone.

921. Don't let him bluff you, Kearney.

922. Hello, Frank.

923. Listen, listen to me.

924. Frank, can you hear me?

925. What's that?

926. Well, speak louder, I can't hear you.

927. Look at that.

928. What is it, a needle?

929. Musta worked on a spring inside the receiver.

930. However it worked, it pierced right into his brain,

931. through the ear.

932. Don't touch that point unless you're eager

933. to leave before your time.

934. The poison is very active.

935. You can put the phone back into the drawer.

936. I'll not need it again this evening.

937. Miss Elizabeth Crawford.

938. For your distinguished treachery that caused two deaths,

939. you will be the next to die.

940. Over my dead body.

941. That is easily arranged, Mr. Shane.

942. He must be up there somewhere.

943. You're quite right Mr. Shane,

944. but you will never reach me.

945. Come on, fellas, give me a hand with that table,

946. over on the balcony.

947. Move him out of the way.

948. Stop where you are.

949. You think we're just gonna sit here

950. and take it, you're crazy.

951. Come on, fellas.

952. Give me that chair.

953. Stop, I warn you, don't jump for that railing.

954. Let me up there, I'm not on his list.

955. You are now, Mr. Reporter.

956. I can't leave anyone alive to tell

957. what happened here tonight.

958. It's your move, gentlemen.

959. Stand back, everybody.

960. Just as I thought, the railing's loaded

961. with high voltage too.

962. Well, that's that.

963. You're quite correct.

964. It makes no difference what you do.

965. You're completely at my mercy.

966. In 13 minutes, Miss Crawford will die.

967. Goodbye, Miss Crawford.

968. What's that?

969. Somebody's at the front door.

970. It's a trick.

971. Suppose it isn't?

972. Yeah, that's what you said about the phone.

973. Janet, don't touch that grill,

974. it's charged with high voltage.

975. Beat it to the nearest phone and call the police.

976. Hurry before it's too late.

977. Hurry, he's already killed Judge Bowman.

978. Killed Judge Bowman?

979. Yes, Dr. Savaard.

980. He's alive.

981. My father?

982. But it can't be.

983. We've seen him and talked to him.

984. He's trying to kill us one at a time.

985. Where is he now?

986. Upstairs somewhere.

987. We can't get at him.

988. Janet, don't.

989. Janet, keep away from him.

990. Dad.

991. What brought you here?

992. You are alive.

993. What brought you here?

994. Dad, Dad.

995. Oh, Janet.

996. My darling.

997. What are you going to do with that gun?

998. You must leave here at once.

999. Did you kill Judge Bowman?

1000. He killed himself.

1001. Dad, why did you do it?

1002. Are you gonna throw this miracle away only

1003. for a cheap revenge?

1004. Not revenge, retribution.

1005. But why anything?

1006. Isn't your mere presence alive rebuke enough?

1007. You only have to show yourself and the world

1008. will beg your forgiveness.

1009. Not this world of savage cruelty.

1010. We gave 'em wings to fly and they rain death on us.

1011. We gave 'em a voice to be heard around the world

1012. and they preach hatred to poison the minds of nations.

1013. Even the medicine we gave 'em to ease their pain has turned

1014. into a vice to enslave half mankind for the profit of a few.

1015. Oh, Janet dear, don't you see?

1016. Every gift that science has given them has been twisted

1017. into a thing of hate and greed.

1018. But not this one.

1019. That instrument is perfect, the secret of eternity,

1020. and it dies with me.

1021. After I've made them pay for all they made me suffer:

1022. Shame, the months in prison, the hopelessness,

1023. the hideous waiting, knowing the exact hour and moment

1024. of the end.

1025. Dad, you're not the man that said goodbye to me.

1026. They killed the man I was.

1027. All that's left is the will to hate and to destroy.

1028. Now go.

1029. All right.

1030. Don't try to send for the police to help these people.

1031. It's useless.

1032. Now those switches control the lower floor, the grill,

1033. the railing, the telephone, everything.

1034. And if there's any interference, I've only to throw

1035. that switch to destroy them all instantly.

1036. But after this is over, they'll hunt you down

1037. no matter where you hide.

1038. Oh no, they won't.

1039. All the clues I'm leaving point to Lang.

1040. They'll hunt for him, but they won't find him.

1041. Lang is dead.

1042. You, you killed Lang?

1043. He threatened to expose my plan to destroy these people.

1044. I had to.

1045. And you'd kill me too if I try to interfere.

1046. Oh, Janet.

1047. You're the only thing in my life that's never hurt me.

1048. You've never brought me anything but happiness.

1049. I don't want anything to hurt you ever.

1050. So go away from here, away from me.

1051. No, I'm not going.

1052. Janet, I have no time.

1053. You must go now or stay here 'til the end.

1054. I'm not going.

1055. Then stay out of my way until this is over.

1056. Dad, you don't know what you're doing.

1057. - Janet, you must. - Dad, wait, wait.

1058. Let me out, let me out.

1059. Let me out!

1060. So you thought you could escape me

1061. by turning out the lights, huh?

1062. There you are.

1063. You make a beautiful target, Miss Crawford.

1064. What have you done with Janet?

1065. She's perfectly safe.

1066. I only kill my enemies.

1067. In just a few seconds, the clock will begin to strike.

1068. No, no!

1069. Let me out!

1070. Let me out, Dad, come and let me out.

1071. Let me out!

1072. Dad, let me out, please, come and let me out.

1073. Please let me out.

1074. Dad, let me out.

1075. Let me out!

1076. Oh, I can't stand this.

1077. Are you all right?

1078. I'm all right.

1079. Nice goin', kid.

1080. I wanted to spare you all this, Janet.

1081. You'll go now?

1082. - Yes. - It's better that way.

1083. Goodbye.

1084. Go dear.

1085. You will please not endanger my daughter's safety

1086. by making any foolish appeals.

1087. I'm sending her away to spare her any unnecessary

1088. shock or pain.

1089. Are you all right?

1090. She's quite unharmed.

1091. Miss Savaard, when you get out, call my office.

1092. Tell them what's happening.

1093. My daughter may call anyone,

1094. because her discovery of what is happening here has

1095. made it necessary for me to change my plans.

1096. I can no longer wait to kill you one by one.

1097. As soon as she is out of this house and her car's left

1098. the driveway, I'll end this matter for all of you at once.

1099. Janet, get away before he changes his mind.

1100. We'll get out of here somehow.

1101. We'll be all right.

1102. Your pity's wasted, Janet.

1103. Nothing can save them.

1104. Dad, can you see me?

1105. I can see every move you make.

1106. Dad, can you see my hand?

1107. Yes.

1108. I'm going to open this grill.

1109. Janet, don't touch that grill!

1110. You only have to throw a switch to save my life.

1111. I'm going to open this grill.

1112. Don't, don't!

1113. What happens now is for you to decide.

1114. The juice is off, break through the grill.

1115. How does it open?

1116. Get a light, somebody.

1117. I got a flashlight.

1118. Hold it so I can see.

1119. This time I'm not gonna let go for anybody.

1120. Save Janet.

1121. She's beyond saving, thanks to you.

1122. Get her upstairs, laboratory.

1123. The heart will save her.

1124. Do as he says.

1125. Let's go.

1126. The heart's picking up.

1127. It's getting stronger.

1128. Turn off the machine.

1129. Disconnect.

1130. Sterilise.

1131. Bandage arm.

1132. Is she all right?

1133. Yes, it's a miracle.

1134. Believe now, Doctor?

1135. Dad.

1136. It's all right, Janet.

1137. Through the faint of the excitement.

1138. Take her away, she must rest.

1139. We better call an ambulance, he'll need it.

1140. I'll do it, you stick here.

1141. Drake.

1142. Get Dr. Stoddard.

1143. Sure.

1144. Dr. Savaard, don't!

1145. Why did you destroy it?