Remember the Night

Glorious, madam, isn't it?

Yes.

Could I see that one down there, please?

Why, yes, indeed, madam. By all means.

Mr. Meyer! Mr. Meyer!

Mr. Meyer! Mr. Meyer!

Mr. Meyer! Mr. Meyer!

Let me out of here! Let me out of here!

What's this? Some dame cops a bracelet

outta Meyer and Company and hocks it on 3rd Avenue. Open and shut.

First offense? No, she's got a record.

This is her third offense.

Good! Good! First offender at Christmas time

is tougher than tiger meat.

Convictions only 78%

as against 82% last year.

Can I handle this case, boss? I'll get you a conviction...

Well, you could probably handle it as well as some of these dopes.

When the right case comes along, I'll give it to you.

Wife beater or something like that.

Your face isn't right to prosecute a woman.

Get me Sargent.

What's his face got that mine hasn't got?

I don't know, but whatever it is,

he hasn't lost a case for me yet.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Well, if this is the office, he's already left.

I didn't say to say that, you dumbbell.

My, no. This isn't his office.

You just tell him that a young woman wants to make an appointment with him.

This isn't the office.

A young woman wants to make an appointment with you.

Just a minute.

Who all wants to speak to master Sargent?

Your boss.

It's a good thing you didn't take up the stage for a living.

I'll see you down here in 15 minutes.

Now wait a minute, you told me when I finished up the Matthews case...

Yeah, but I got 750 miles to drive.

Your mother sure is gonna be mad.

Sure, and fall asleep at the wheel and get croaked.

Well, who's defending?

O'Leary.

That windbag?

He'll give us the Gettysburg Address

and the Declaration of Independence...

I'll have Tom meet you in court

and you'll be out of there by noon.

Kindly remember who you're talking to.

And leave the pigs out of it.

During the course of this trial,

to prove that a valuable bracelet

was taken from the premises of Meyer and Company by the defendant.

I don't like the smile on that jury's pan!

All juries get softhearted at Christmas, Tommy.

If you ever get a case to prosecute

and you see that "peace on earth, goodwill toward men"

look come in their eyes, get a continuance.

How flimsy is this argument!

All this is a waste of time, ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

of your time and mine.

Time we could spend to much better advantage

in last minute Christmas shopping.

I know that's what I'd like to be doing.

May it please the Court, we object, Your Honor.

The jury's Christmas shopping has nothing to do with the case.

Objection sustained.

The jury will disregard Mr. O'Leary's

tempting allusion to Christmas shopping.

Quite obviously, we'd all like to be Christmas shopping.

I withdraw the allusion, Your Honor.

When I say there has been a waste of time,

I mean that the State has gone to great lengths

to prove that Anna-Rose Malone,

sometimes known as Lee Leander...

Sometimes known as a lot of other things.

Did on the afternoon of December 3rd,

walk out upon 5th Avenue with a bracelet,

which was still the property of Meyer and Company.

To prove something she freely admits.

As if the proof of that fact

constituted proof of guilt.

The truth is simple.

The bracelet was removed during a temporary loss

of will and consciousness,

now known as schizophrenia,

but formerly known as hypnotism.

This young girl...

What do you mean "we're not going to object"?

Shut up. He's just postponed the case till after Christmas.

How do you figure that?

Hypnotism.

The salesman showed her the bracelet.

Urged her to clasp it on her wrist.

Begged her to examine it under a more powerful light.

And then he excused himself.

No, it's an old trick!

This tempting of the poor.

They say, "Take it home and wear it for a few days."

They say, "Drive it around this afternoon."

"Bring it back tomorrow."

Ha! "Buy it on your own terms."

Consider the jewel scene between Mephistopheles

and Marguerite in Faust.

I hope he isn't going to sing it.

The bracelet is under a powerful light.

The young girl stares at it.

Closer.

Closer.

The great central stone flashes blindingly in her eyes.

Blue, green,

purple, orange.

Suddenly, the colors are gone.

All is darkness.

But what is this?

Where is the shop? Where is the light she is under?

What is she doing on 5th Avenue,

blocks away from Meyer and Company?

With a thrill of horror, she feels at her wrist, not daring to look.

No doubt about it.

Then panic.

She turns and hurries towards the great jewelry store.

Will they believe her?

Fear turns her legs to lead.

One block, two blocks.

She goes blindly, bumping into strangers who think she must be crazy.

Six blocks.

There at last is the great jewelry store.

Its windows blazing with gems.

But no, the gems are gone.

The window is almost bare.

With a sinking heart,

she tries the lock.

It's closed.

Meyer and Company have closed for the night.

Ain't you gonna do something? That jury's sold right now.

Shh. Wait.

What was she to do?

What would you do, madam?

Well, that's certainly a terrible spot to be in.

I suppose I...

Counsel will refrain from questioning the jurors

and the jurors will refrain from answering.

I've never heard of such a thing.

I beg the court and jury's pardon.

I was carried away.

What was she to do?

What was she to do?

Suddenly, an inspiration. The telephone book.

S.A. Meyer and Company. S.A. Meyer and Company.

S.A. Meyer must live somewhere, but he doesn't seem to.

"Maybe it's Long Island."

"S.A. Meyer. S.A. Meyer."

Here he is.

S.A. Meyer.

324 Woodmere Road, Roslyn, Long Island.

I'll take the first train to Long Island.

I'll be there at dinner time.

He'll believe me. He's got to believe me.

He should have been on the stage.

He was.

But it takes money to go to Long Island.

Where will I get the money

to go to Long Island and tell Mr. Meyer what happened?

Then a crazy idea.

I'll hawk the bracelet to get the money to go to Long Island.

Quick, a hawk shop.

Quick, Watson, the needle.

Here we are.

A nice, cozy pawn broker.

A friend of the poor.

"May I get some money on this, please?"

"Well, well, I should say you could, young woman."

"Where did you get this piece?"

"Well, never mind where I got it,"

"I want some money on it. Quick!"

"Now, now, now, now, take it easy."

"Everything is gonna be all right."

"Just step in."

"Please."

"A little further."

Bang!

"Lock that door while I keep her in here."

"Ooh! Let me out of here!"

"You're gonna get it all right."

"Hello? Yeah, the police department."

"Hello, I've got the thief what robbed Meyer and Company."

The defense rests.

The hypothesis of hypnotism is a very interesting one.

Let me be the first to admit it.

But unfortunately I am no Svengali.

Nor are you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

The people of the state of New York will require

the expert testimony of Dr. Keinmetz, the psychiatrist.

Whom I am sorry to say, is spending his Christmas vacation in Florida.

Well, what do you want to do about this?

I object, Your Honor.

How can you object to something he's not yet said?

Because I know what he's going to say.