Anatomy of a Murder

Hey. Your pal just drove into town, Mr. McCarthy.

I'll have one more, Τoivo.

I'm afraid I'll have to pay my bar bill tomorrow.

You're good with me, Mr. McCarthy.

Thank you, Toivo.

- Good night, Toivo. - Good night, Mr. McCarthy.

Operator.

Operator, I want, uh, 489, Thunder Bay.

I want to speak to Mrs. Manion.

M-A-N-I-O-N.

This is Paul Biegler speaking. Iron City, 700.

- Well, do they know when she'll be there? - No, they don't.

I see. Well, just leave a message, and tell her to call this number.

Thank you.

All right. What do you say there, counselor?

Save your money.

What's in the brown paper bag?

It might be a cabbage head.

But it wouldn't be.

You're a very suspicious man.

True. I'm everlastingly suspicious of...

and/or fascinated by...

the contents of brown paper bags.

- Shall I sneak a peek? - You do that, counselor.

You do that, and...

after you sneak a peek, why, you uncork...

whatever you find.

- Shall I pour? - Your privilege.

My pleasure, sir.

You fought this soldier by yourself.

You've been drinkin' alone, Polly.

I don't like that.

Ah, drop the stone, counselor. You live in a glass house.

My windows have been busted a long time ago, so I can say as I please.

Have an Italian cigar?

No, thanks.

Those stinkweeds are another sign of your decadence.

Polly, it's a fact.

Since Mitch Lodwick beat you out of the office of public prosecutor...

you haven't been worth salt for peanuts.

Not that I don't understand how you feel.

When a man gets beat out of an office he's held for a long time...

he feels his community has deserted him...

the finger of scorn is pointed at him.

None but the lonely heart shall know my anguish.

Polly, you're a good lawyer. You ought to make like one.

Be here, ready for clients, not out fishin' and playin' that rooty-tooty jazz.

Oh, I'm making a living.

I run a few abstracts and divorce Jane Doe from John Doe every once in a while.

Threaten a few deadbeats.

And in the evening I sit around and drink bourbon whiskey...

and read law with Parnell Emmett McCarthy...

one of the world's great men.

That was a kind word, Polly.

You know, I might have been.

That's one of the reasons I hate to see your talent pushed aside by lesser men.

I look at you and I see myself years ago...

with the same love for the smell of the old brown books and the dusty office.

Here's a rose, a lily...

a sweet lupine.

The United States Supreme Court Reports.

Well, what shall we read this evening, counselor?

How about a little, uh, Chief Justice Holmes?

Restrain Chief Justice Holmes for a minute. I might have a client.

Been waiting for a call. Hello?

- Mr. Biegler? - This is Paul Biegler speaking.

- Here's your party. - Hello? Mrs. Manion?

- What? - Mr. Biegler?

I'm sorry I missed you a while ago. Did you get my message?

- Who is that? What is that name? - Just a minute, please.

We seem to have a bad connection. Just hold on.

It's a woman name of Manion. Maida took a message from her.

- In Thunder Bay? - Uh-huh.

If she wants you to represent her husband, say yes.

- I don't know what it's all about. - Pretend you do and say yes.

- Hello? - Mr. Biegler?

Oh, yes. It's much better now. Yes, I can hear you fine.

I've waited for your call all afternoon.

Yes, well, I just got in a few moments ago.

You've read about my husband? Muffy, please.

- Yes. - Mr. Biegler, have you read about my husband?

Muffy, please.

Well, yes, I have. A little.

- Will you defend him? - I don't know. I'd have to know more about it.

Will you talk to him? Mr. Biegler, he's in the county jail.

Will you see him in the morning? He's-He's very anxious to see you.

- You've been so highly recommended. - I have?

Yeah. Someone told him about you. Will you see him?

Well, I suppose I could. I'll see him tomorrow morning.

Would you want me there too, Mr. Biegler?

I think that'd be fine. Let's make it about 10:00, huh?

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Yes, you're quite welcome. Bye.

Now, what's this all about?

A man named Barney Quill raped Mrs. Manion.

Her husband, he's a lieutenant in the army.

There's a temporary base in Thunder Bay. Gunnery or something.

The lieutenant goes to Quill's place and plugs Mr. Quill about five times...

which causes Mr. Quill to promptly die of lead poisoning.

- When did all this happen? - A couple of nights ago.

If you hadn't been out fishing in a rowboat in some godforsaken backwater...

you'd have known about it.

- Morning, Maida. - Oh, there it is.

- What? - The newspaper.

I thought maybe they didn't bring it. We haven't paid the bill.

- Did you get my note? - Uh-huh. We may be in the case.

I'm just reading up on it now before talking to Lieutenant Manion.

- Doesn't he ever go home? - You mean Parnell?

- We were up late last night. - Is that a fact?

Yeah. I think maybe you'd better cancel all my appointments for today.

What appointments? People think you migrated into the woods.

If this refrigerator gets any more fish in it...

it'll swim upstream and spawn, all by itself.

May I have your attention for a moment, please?

- Yeah. - I was going over your checkbook yesterday.

I can't pay me my salary.

What did you do with the fee for the Walkers' divorce?

Help salt a uranium mine or something?

- Uh, I bought a few bare necessities. - Like a new outboard motor.

I wish I could be classed as a necessity.

- Aren't you gonna have your toast? - No, no.

I'll, uh - I'll, uh...

call you and let you know how things are going.

Now don't let him pay you off in purple hearts.

Those professional soldiers never have a dime.

I ought to know. I was married to one.

I beg your pardon. Are you Mrs. Manion?

- Hi. - I'm Paul Biegler.

- I'm Laura. - How do you do?

- This is Muff. - Hello, Muff. The jail's right here.

You're tall.

- Hello, Polly. - Hi, Sulo.

You wait here, Muffy.

- Good to see you, Polly. - How ya feelin'?

Fine. I guess you come for the soldier boy.

Yeah. Sulo, do you think it'd be all right if we talked in the sheriff's office?

Oh, sure, Polly. I'll bring him down.

Would you mind taking your glasses off, Mrs. Manion?

Gee whiz. Barney Quill do that to you?

Mm-hmm. More than that.

You should see. All over.

Well, you can put them back on if it's more comfortable for ya.

This is Polly Biegler. This is the bucko, Polly.

- Lieutenant Manion. - Hello there.

- Hi, Manny. - Hello, Laura.

Uh, Mrs. Manion, I wonder if you could meet me down at my office about 2:00 this afternoon.

It's 305 West Barnham.

- Of course. - Fine.

- Is there anything I can get you, hon? - I'm all right, hon.

Right in here.

"Wanted." The big ten.

They got the ten best-dressed dames...

the ten top teams, the ten top tunes...

and now, the ten most wanted.

Well, don't knock it. That's the American dream. Those boys made the grade.

You were the... district attorney around here, weren't you?

Mm-hmm. Ten years.

What's your experience as a defense lawyer?

Not very much.

How do I know you can handle my case?

Well, I guess you don't know.

Shall we talk about it?

I suppose so.

Well, now, come on, Lieutenant. Don't be so bored.

You know, it might very well be that no lawyer can handle your case...

if you mean getting off scot-free.

You seem to be forgetting Barney Quill raped my wife.

I have the unwritten law on my side.

The unwritten law is a myth, Lieutenant.

There is no such thing as the unwritten law...

and anyone who commits a murder on the theory that it does exist...

has just bought himself room and board in the state penitentiary.

Maybe for life.

Now, with that in mind...

perhaps we can proceed with a few questions and answers that - that, uh -

Can I borrow your lighter?

We can proceed with a few questions and answers that might be of some help in your defense.

But probably won't be.

Yeah. Nice lighter.

- Okay. - Well, how old are you?

- Twenty-eight. - How long have you been in the service?

Since '50.

- You seen any action? - Korea.

- Have any decorations? - Plenty.

Is this your first marriage?

No.

You're not on the witness stand. You don't have to answer yes or no.

Just give me the matrimonial rundown.

- Is this necessary? - I'll be the judge of that.

My first wife divorced me.

Charged cruelty.

Eating crackers in bed. You know, the usual stuff.

Truth was, she found another guy when I was in Korea.

I met Laura four years ago in Georgia.

We were married right after her divorce.

Did you know the husband?

- He was in my outfit down there. - You mean you were buddies?

I'll withdraw the question. That's a little old-fashioned.

Have there been any children by or from any of these marriages?

- No. - Any present prospects?