D.O.A.

- Can I help you? - I'd like to see the man in charge.

In here.

- I want to report a murder. - Sit down.

- Where was this murder committed? - San Francisco, last night.

Who was murdered?

I was.

Do you want to hear me out or don't you, captain? I don't have very much time.

Your name Bigelow, Frank Bigelow?

That's right.

Answer this San Francisco APB, send it direct to inspector banner at homicide,

tell him we've found Frank Bigelow.

Go ahead, Mr. Bigelow.

This involves some other people, captain.

- A number of other people. - You tell it any way you like.

I live in a little town call Banning, out on the desert.

It's on the way to palm Springs.

I have a small business there...

Paula.

Yes, Mr. Bigelow?

Get me a copy of miss Hollis 48 tax return, will you?

Oh, you better get the 47 too.

Yes, Mr. Bigelow.

I don't think we took any depreciation on that new equipment last year.

No, we didn't.

I remember you said we could include it all this year.

Sure we can.

- Hey Frank. - Yeah, Will?

Peterson says he wants a financial statement before he can give me my loan.

- Hello, Kitty. - Hi, Will.

Well, I'm leaving for San Francisco today,

but I'll be back in about a week and I'll take care of it for you then.

- Sure is a scorcher, isn't it. - Well, I've seen them worse.

- Well, have a nice time Frank. - Yeah, thanks Will.

Paula, why don't you come down to the place and let me give you another permanent?

Makes your hair so much easier to manage in all this heat.

I can't afford it right now, maybe next month.

Yeah, here it is. No, we didn't take it. Well, we can do it this year.

You work it out any way you think best.

- Have a nice trip, Frank. - Sure Kitty, see you when I get back.

Bon voyage.

Why don't you come down anyway, Paula? We'll...

work out a deal on that permanent.

Thanks, maybe I will.

Hello? Oh hello Mr. Hawkins, just a moment.

You want him to send your ticket over?

No, I'll pick it up myself.

No, never mind, Mr. Bigelow will get it at the station.

Bye.

I want to go with you, Frank.

Now Paula, I'm just going on a little vacation, you know that.

- You want to go without me don't you? - Be gone just a week.

And I suppose you just made up your mind to take

this little vacation at nine o'clock this morning?

No, Paula, I meant to tell you about it a few days ago, I guess I forgot.

Oh, you forgot.

- Paula, don't be like that. - Don't be like what?

You just drop a little announcement that you're going away not tomorrow, or next week,

or next month, but today. No explanations, nothing.

And I'm supposed to swallow the excuse that you need a little vacation.

I just want to get away from town for a few days, that's all.

Get away from this town, or get away from me?

Oh, Paula, please try to understand.

How can you ask me to understand anything like this?

No, I'm sorry, but I don't understand.

Go to San Francisco, but don't expect me to be waiting for you when you get back.

Paula. Please, Paula.

Come on, turn around. Look at me.

Come here.

Why do you do this to me, Frank?

Why can't you be honest with me? As honest as I am with you?

- Do you have to go? - I have to go, Paula. I know what I'm doing.

All right, go. Go anywhere you like. You can go to blazes for all I care.

Paula.

Paula.

Yes, I know, I'm...

- I'm being foolish. - Come here.

Come on. Fix you face. We'll go down to Eddie's and have a drink.

Alright, why not.

- Hiya, boss. - Hi, Eddie.

- Give us a couple of cold beers, will you? - Coming up.

Oh, what a relief. This air conditioning feels good.

I sure wish we had it in the office, it would make working a pleasure.

If it stays, don't bother going in for the rest of the week.

- I won on two races today. - How many did you lose?

And you would have to ask that.

- Kind of early for you two, ain't it? - Too hot to work.

That's what I like to hear.

Frank...

you'll take me with you, won't you?

You will, won't you?

Or am I crowding you?

What you mean crowding me?

Maybe you do need this week away alone.

Maybe we both do.

I know what's going on inside of you, Frank.

You're just like any other man, only a little more so.

You have a feeling of being trapped,

hemmed in and you don't know whether or not you like it.

Look, Paula,

I'm going to be honest with you, I care too much for you not to be honest with you.

I'm as much concerned for your happiness as I am for my own.

I know you've had one bad experience, Frank, I know all about it.

But you don't know what it can do to two people, Paula.

And the woman always gets hurt more than the man.

I don't want you to get hurt, darling.

More than anything in the world, I don't want you to get hurt.

- Want to hear some music? - Alright, Frank.

- Got a couple of nickels, Eddie? - Yeah.

This won't bother you, eh?

No, next result doesn't come in for half an hour.

I thought that by now we'd be married.

No, I'm not going to crowd you any more, Frank.

Go to San Francisco. I don't like it, but I'm convinced that you must go.

I want you to be very sure, Frank.

If it's right, and I believe it is, we'll have something really wonderful together.

If it isn't, we should both know it as soon as possible.

So you see, even if I could stop you I wouldn't do it now.

Yes sir?

- My name's Bigelow, I have a reservation. - Yes sir.

- Here we are, sir. - My name is Bigelow, I have a reservation.

I have it sir. It's a very nice room on the sixth floor, facing the bay.

Boy.

This might help you enjoy your stay, Mr. Bigelow.

It's a little booklet on how to have fun in San Francisco.

- Oh, thank you. - Very welcome sir.

Say, is it always like this around here?

No, this is market week, fun until the last day too.

Boy.

Always around until you need them.

Thank you.

Here's a message for you, Mr. Bigelow.

Long distance call came in about an hour ago, from Banning, from a Paula Gibson.

- Oh, thank you. - Very welcome.

- Show Mr. Bigelow to 618. - Right this way, sir.

Right this way, Mr. Bigelow.

Is there anything else, Mr. Bigelow?

Oh yes, you can get me a dry Manhattan and a packet of razor blades.

- Yes, sir. - Thank you.

Oh, and you can leave that door open.

Hello operator,

I want to speak to miss Paula Gibson in Banning, California.

Yeah, that's right. No, I'll wait.

- Hello? - Hello, Paula.

- Oh, hello Frank, how is the trip? - Fine, just fine.

- Having a miserable time, I hope. - Well I don't know, I just got in.

What was that?

A market week, the place is crawling with traveling salesmen.

You know, Charlie Anderson found out that you went away and he asked me to go out with him.

Oh really? How did he make out?

- I'm considering it. - Is that what you called to tell me?

I'll have you know that this call is strictly business, Mr. Bigelow.

Did a Mr. Phillips phone you, a Eugene Phillips, of Los Angeles?

No.

He will, he phoned the office three times today.

Said that he wanted to get in touch with you immediately.

He said it's most urgent and imperative that he reach you at once.

- What he want? - I don't know.

But he sounded deep dark and mysterious, and quite agitated about something.

Phillips, Phillips. Have we, have we ever done any business with him?

Not unless you've been keeping it a secret from me.

I looked through all the accounts.

Why did you tell him he could reach me here? You know I'm supposed to be on vacation.

So you told me, and so I told him, dear heart.

But the gentleman didn't seem to respect your temperamental moods the way I do.

He was very insistent that he speak to you before it's too late, as he put it.

Well, tell him you tried to get in touch with me and I changed my plans

and you can't reach me.

He won't talk to me.

I told him that I was your confidential secretary,

but I guess I didn't sound confidential enough.

So I told him he can reach you there.

Well call him back.

If it's as important as he says it is, he'll talk to you.

Otherwise he'll just have to wait until I get home.

My, aren't we adamant this evening.

All right, shall do.

- And Frank.. - Yeah?

I, I don't quite know how to say this...

Say what?

But what I want to say is...

That there's nothing you can do that you ever have to feel guilty about.

Oh, sure.

Thanks, Paula. I'll, I'll call you tomorrow.

Right.

Oh, just put it there, please.

- You can keep the change. - Thanks very much.

- Say, how long has this been going on? - Oh, it's been a madhouse all week.

But they check out tomorrow. I thought you're with them.

No, no, I'm just here on a vacation.

Why does everybody come to San Francisco and tear loose?

Excuse me.

Say, I'm awfully sorry to bother you, but would you mind if I use your telephone?

- No. No, go right ahead. - I'm just across the hall here.

One of the boys is using my phone, and he's been on it for half an hour.

- I just want to call downstairs. - Yes.

- Yeah. - Thank you.

Room service, please.

Yeah, things really picked up the last few days, didn't they.

- You write much business? - Well, I'm not here on business.

Hello, room service? It's Mr. Haskell, in 617.