The Wrong Man

This is Alfred Hitchcock speaking.

In the past, I have given you many kinds of suspense pictures.

But this time, I would like you to see a different one.

The difference ties in the fact that this is a true story,

every word of it.

And yet it contains elements that are stranger than all the fiction

that has gone into many of the thrillers that I've made before.

- Good night. - Good night.

- Good night, Mr. Rotunda. - Good night, John.

- Good night, Manny. - Good night, John.

- Hiya, Manny. How's the family? - Morning, Stan. Fine, thanks.

- What'll it be, the usual? - The same.

I'll bring the toast over to the table.

Thank you.

Oh, Rose, did I wake you?

I was awake.

Is something wrong?

Mmm, it's just these teeth.

I haven't been awake all the time.

They hurt, though, huh?

Oh, not much.

I think it's the price that hurts more than anything else.

The dentist told me what it would cost this afternoon.

Yeah?

Three hundred dollars for the four wisdom teeth.

Ooh.

That's a lot of money, but with prices what they are,

maybe it's not too unreasonable.

He even gave me a little lecture on evolution on the side.

It seems the human race is growing smaller jaws

and having fewer teeth.

But the teeth are ahead of the jaws,

and so everybody has more teeth than they know what to do with.

That's why I have four impacted wisdom teeth.

You look just about perfect to me.

If evolution can produce you, it's doing pretty good.

I don't think we ought to complain about a few impacted teeth now and then.

All right, we won't complain about it.

How do we pay for it?

Ah, we've had big doctor bills before this.

I know, Manny, but I thought we'd come to the end of all that.

We borrow money, and then for years we pay out on the installment plan.

It keeps us broke.

What is that, a crossword puzzle?

Ah, it's a little game I play.

I pick the winners of tomorrow's races,

and I write my bets down here on the side, see, like this.

And then the next day, I figure out how much I've won or lost.

Oh, I didn't know you liked horses.

It's the arithmetic I like, honey.

I guess it's the musician in me.

You know, musicians are always fascinated by mathematics.

They can't read, but they can figure.

It would be nice if you could win us about $300.

In my experience, I always pay for what I get.

We won't win any 300, we'll borrow it.

Every time we get up, something comes along,

and knocks us right back down again.

That's life, honey. That's the way it is.

I think we're pretty lucky people, mostly.

- Are we? - Sure, we are.

We're in love.

We've got two good, bright boys. I've got a job I like.

I think we're doing pretty well, except for this toothache.

You make everything all right again.

- Are we lucky people? - Sure, we are.

And the luckiest thing that ever happened to me was finding you.

Oh, Manny.

Sometimes I'm so frightened, waiting for you to come home at night.

I always come home, don't I?

We better get some sleep.

- Can you sleep now? - I think so.

- Will you sit here for a while? - Sure.

Hmm.

You know you've got some money saved up?

- I have? - Mmm-hmm.

- Well, where? - Your insurance policy.

I borrowed against mine, but yours is clear.

Do you think there'd be enough?

I'd have to ask, but I think there'd be enough for most of it.

- Who do you ask? - I'll go down this afternoon and find out.

Mother! Mother!

Those kids. Yes?

Yes, what is it?

Will you tell Greg to quit playing the mouth organ while I practice?

- Greg? Greg? - Will you tell him?

- Gregory? - Yes, Mother?

Don't play the harmonica while Robert is playing the piano.

But I was playing the same thing.

- Was he? - He thinks he was, but...

I was.

I don't want you playing, even if it is the same.

- He hides in the closet and makes noise. - Robert.

- What's all this? - Oh, Robert was playing the piano,

and Greg was spoiling his music.

- I didn't! - You did!

- I was playing the same. - You were not!

You know, Bob, it sounded to me

that last part, when Greg was playing,

it almost sounded to me like he caught the melody.

- Try it again, Greg. - I can't do it now.

No, you can only do it when I'm playing.

Now, be fair, Bob. I know he's trying to annoy you,

but he did play something of a Mozart.

- I did, I did! - Sure, you did.

And you were doing very well till you let him throw you.

I think you got a real gift for it, so maybe Greg has too.

Wouldn't that be fun, Robert?

- Then you could play together. - Think I did it well?

- Sure you did. - Sure you did.

But you mustn't let anything throw you off the beat.

You don't wanna pound the piano and then give up.

You were doing very well, except for that.

It says here Mozart wrote it when he was five.

So I should be able to play it. I'm eight.

I'm five, so I should be able to write it.

Tell you what we'll do. This evening, we'll take time for music lessons.

Bob will have a lesson on the piano,

- and Greg on the harmonica. - Mine first!

Each lesson will be 15 minutes, and Greg's...

Hello?

Hello, Mother.

How's Pop?

Today?

I guess I could, but I've got an errand to do first.

It couldn't be a very long visit.

And I'd have to leave early.

I promised the boys I'd give them music lessons before I go to work tonight.

Look, suppose I get there about 3:30 and leave about 4:00?

Goodbye, Mother.

Mother says Pop isn't very well. She wants me to come by this afternoon.

I'll go to the insurance office first, then I'll drop in on Pop,

and come back as soon as I can.

January 4th is the first date you replied?

That's right.

- You still at 6342, 55th Street? - Yes, we are.

All right. Will you sign right here, please?

- Is that all I have to do? - That's all.

- Goodbye, then. Thank you. - Goodbye.

Thanks.

I wonder if you'd look at this policy for me,

and tell me how much we can borrow on it.

- Rose Balestrero? - Yes. That's my wife.

I wonder,

could you wait a minute while I check on something?

Yes. Yes, I'll wait.

Don't look all at one time.

Hmm? I didn't hear you.

I think the man at the window is the one that's been here before.

- The man who... - Yeah, I'm sure of it.

Miss James?

There's a man at the window,

and Peggy thinks that he's the one who held you up.

Says he wants to find out how much he can get on his wife's policy.

I don't dare look.

It is the same man.

What can we do?

Look at him.

I'm not looking at him now, you look at him.

I don't think I can.

What am I gonna tell him?

I'm not going near that window.

- Just look at him. - I think I'm gonna faint.

Ann.

It is the same.

I'm gonna sit right here.

Talk to him about the policy.

Tell him he'll probably get the loan,

but his wife has to come in.

Mr. Balestrero.

- You are Mr. Balestrero, of course. - Yes.

Um, I can fairly quickly give you the amount that can be borrowed.

This is the figure that corresponds with the number of payments your wife has made.

I've checked the amount.

Yes, I see.

The actual loan, of course,

has to have the signature of the policyholder.

- She'd have to come in? - Yes.

Your wife would have to come into the office.

Yes, I see. Well, she can come in.

About how long would it take to make the loan?

Oh, it'd just be a matter of days.

Thank you very much.

Glad to have helped you.

- Is he gone? - Yeah.

Where's Miss Duffield?

In with Mr. Wendon.

There's the reason he didn't do anything.

You say that was the man that robbed you a while back, wasn't it?

I'm almost sure it was him. What did you think?

- I'm sure... She's gone in there. - Miss Duffield see it?

She said the way he entered the room was so very strange.

He put his hand in his pocket,

but all he took out was this folded paper.

He said he just wanted a loan on his wife's policy.

Hmm.

I'll call the home office.

Maybe you and Pop can come over on Sunday?

I hope we can, Manny. It was good of you to come all the way out here today.

- Ciao, Ma. - Ciao.