Hi, Toybull.
Hey, your pal just drove into town, Mr. McCarthy.
I'll have one more, Toybull.
I'm afraid I'll have to pay my bar bill tomorrow.
You're good with me, Mr. McCarthy.
Thank you, Toybull.
Good night, Toybull.
Good night, Mr. McCarthy.
Operator,
Operator, I want...
489 Thunder Bay.
I want to speak to Mrs. Manion.
M-A-N-I-O-N.
This is Paul Biegler speaking.
Iron City 700.
- Do they know when she'll be there? - No, they don't,
I see. Just leave a message. Tell her to call this number.
Thank you.
- What do you say there, counselor? - Save your money.
What's in the brown paper bag?
It might be a cabbage head.
Bet 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.
After you sneak a peek, why, you...
uncork whatever you find.
- Shall I pour? - Be a privilege.
My pleasure, sir.
You fought this soldier by yourself.
You've been drinking alone, Paulie.
I don't like that.
Drop the stone, counselor. You live in a glass house.
My windows have been busted long ago, so I can say as I please.
Have an Italian cigar?
No, thanks.
Those stinkweeds are another sign of your decadence.
Paulie, 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.
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 hearts shall know my anguish.
Paulie, you're a good lawyer. You ought to make like one.
Be here ready for clients, not out fishing and playing that...
rooty-tooty jazz.
Oh, I'm making a living.
I run a few abstracts...
how to divorceJane Doe from John Doe every once in a while.
Threaten a few deadbeats.
And in the evening, I sit around and drink bourbon whisky...
and read law with Parnell Emmitt McCarthy...
one of the world's great men.
That was a kind word, Paulie.
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 the rose.
A lily. A sweet lupine.
The United States Supreme Court reports.
Well...
what shall we read this evening, counselor?
How about a little ChiefJustice Holmes?
Keep ChiefJustice on hold for a moment. I might have a client.
- Waiting for a call. Hello? - Mr, Biegler?
- This is Paul Biegler speaking. - It'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. 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. This is 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, uh, 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 very anxious to see you. You've been so highly recommended.
I have?
Yes, someone told him about you, Will you see him?
I suppose I could. I'll see him tomorrow morning.
- Would you want me there too? - I think that'd be fiine,
Let's make it about 10:00.
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, a 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 this happen? - A couple of nights ago.
If you hadn't been out fishing 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 on the case.
I'm just reading up on it now before talking to Lt. Manion.
Doesn't he ever go home?
Oh, you mean Parnell? We were up late last night.
Is that a fact?
I think maybe you better cancel all my appointments for today.
What appointments? People think you've 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?
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?
- 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 call you, let you know how things are going.
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.
Beg your pardon. Are you Mrs. Manion?
- Hi. - I'm Paul Biegler.
- I'm Laura. - How do you do?
- This is Muff. - Oh, Muff.
The jail's right here.
You're tall.
- Hello, Paulie! - Hi, Sulo.
You wait here, Muffy.
- Good to see you, Paulie. - How you feeling?
Fine. I guess you come for the soldier boy.
Yeah. Do you think it'd be all right if we talk in the sheriff s office?
Oh, sure, Paulie. I'll bring him down.
Would you mind taking your glasses off, Mrs. Manion?
Did Barney Quill do that to you?
Mm-hmm. More than that.
You should see. All over.
You can put them back on if it's more comfortable for you.
This is Paulie Biegler. This is the bucko, Paulie.
- Hello, there. - Hi, Manny.
Hello, Laura.
Mrs. Manion, can you meet me down in 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.
Don't knock it. That's the American dream. Those boys made the grade.
You were the...
district attorney around here, weren't you?
Ten years.
What's your experience as a defense lawyer?
- Not very much. - How do I know you can handle my case?
I guess you don't know.
Shall we talk about it?
I suppose so.
Come on, Lieutenant. Don't be so bored.
It might very well be that no lawyer can handle your case...
if you mean getting you off scot-free.
You seemed to be forgetting Barney Quill raped my wife.
I have the unwritten law on my side.
The unwritten law's 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 help your defense.
But it probably won't be.
Yes. Nice lighter.
- Okay. - How old are you?
- Twenty-eight. - How long have you been in the service?
Since '50.
- You see 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. It's a little old-fashioned.
Have there been any children by or from any of these marriages?
- No. - Any present prospects?
Not unless Barney Quill started something.
What kind of a gun did you use?
War souvenir. A Luger. The police have it now.
I suppose you've read the newspapers, the stories about your case.
- Some of them. - Are they substantially correct?
And you didn't see Quill rape and beat your wife?
No. No.
When she got back...
to the trailer, she told me what had happened.
And how long was it before you went over to Quill's and killed him?
I don't know exactly. Maybe an hour.
That long, huh?
The newspapers say that your wife volunteered to take a lie detector test.
- Do you know anything about this? - Only what I read and what she told me.
Do you know how the lie detector test turned out?
They didn't tell her.
- Yes, Sulo? - We got lunch served for the jail.
- You want to eat with us? - Your sister still cook for the jail?
Oh, sure. She cooks.
Well, you give her my compliments, Sulo.
I've got a luncheon date downtown.
- Nice going, Mr. Biegler. - I'll be back after lunch.
Look, I'm sorry if I offended you a while ago.
No, you're not.
Come on, bucko.
Thank you.
Pass the salt, Paulie.
Thank you.
Did you give the lieutenant the well known lecture?
If you mean, did I coach him into a phony story, no.
Maybe you're too pure, Paul.
Too pure for the natural impurities of the law.
Could be that you owe the lieutenant the chance to find a defense.
Could also be that you might guide him a little, show him the way...
and let him decide if he wants to take it.
- Want some salt? - No, I'm not ready.
Anyway, I'm not the right lawyer for this fellow.
He's insolent, hostile...
You don't have to love him. Just defend him.
What's the matter? Don't you need a fee?
You know something? I think you might be a little bit afraid.
- Afraid of what? - That you might get licked.
You know, there's only one thing more devious than a Philadelphia lawyer...
and that's an Irish lawyer.
Pass the salt.
Put it down.
- Hello there. - I usually answer to the name Paul.
You gonna have some more jokes?
Not unless you want to be the comic.
Oh, I brought you some cigarettes.
- Oh, thanks. - Peace?
- Sure. - Fine, fine. Now, Lieutenant...
there are four ways I can defend murder.
Number one, it wasn't murder. It was suicide or accidental.
Number two, you didn't do it. Number three, you were legally justified...
like the protection of your home or self-defense.
Number four, the killing was excusable.
Where do I fit in to this rosy picture?
I'll tell you where you don't fit in. You don't fit in any of the first three.
Why? Why wouldn't I be legally justified in killing the man who raped my wife?
Time element.
If you'd caught him in the act, the shooting might have been justified...
but you didn't catch him in the act, and you had time to bring the police...
and you didn't do that either.
You're guilty of murder... premeditated and with vengeance.
That's first-degree murder in any court of law.
- Are you telling me to plead guilty? - When I advise a cop out, you'll know.
- Cop out? - That's plead guilty and ask for mercy.
If you're not telling me to cop out, what are you telling me to do?
I'm not telling you to do anything.
I just want you to understand the letter of the law.
- Go on. - Go on with what?
Whatever it is you're getting at.
You know, you're very bright, Lieutenant.
Now let's see how really bright you can be.
Well, I'm working at it.
All right. Now, because your wife was raped...
you'll have a favorable atmosphere in the courtroom.
The sympathy will be with you if all the facts are true.
What you need is a legal peg so the jury can hang their sympathy in your behalf.
You follow me?
What's your legal excuse, Lieutenant?
What's your legal excuse for killing Barney Quill?
Not justification?
Not justification.
Excuse.
Just excuse.
What excuses are there?
How should I know? You're the one that plugged Quill.
- I must've been mad. - How's that?
I said I must've been mad.
No, bad temper's no excuse.
I mean, I must've been crazy.
Am I getting warmer?
Okay. See you around.
Am I getting warmer?
I'll tell you that after I talk to your wife.
In the meantime, see if you can remember just how crazy you were.
Is Mrs. Manion here yet?
She's been waiting quite a while.
She's been through all your albums, from Dixieland to Brubeck.
What do you think of her?
Soft. Easy. The kind men like to take advantage of...
and do.
Did you get any money?
- Money. - Oh. Oh, no.
I haven't decided to take the case yet.
You know, you surprise me sometimes.
Why? I've been around.
I, uh...
hope you don't mind.
I think we'd better talk.
You're a funny kind of a lawyer.
The music, I mean.
Aren't lawyers supposed to like music?
Well, not that kind of music.
Oh. I guess that settles it. I'm a funny kind of lawyer.
Where's your home, Mrs. Manion?
Where did you go to school? Where did you live when you were young?
No place in particular. We sort of moved around.
My father was a construction boomer. Building dams, mostly.
You can call me Laura.
Is your family still alive, Laura?
No.
I don't know. I have some cigarettes around here someplace.
- Do you want a cigarette? - No, I want to offer you one.
- You could light it for me. - Oh, yes.
Here.
That's just like your husband's.
He gave me this because I liked the one he had.
He's like that. He gives me presents all the time.
Do you have a happy marriage?
What went wrong with the first marriage?
Well, what when wrong is when I went for Manny.
Well, that's honest enough.
It was more than just that. Like I said, I grew up on the move, and...
Jack... that was my first husband... Jack didn't like to move.
He wouldn't even take a transfer when he had the chance.
I was really bored.
Manny likes to go. We're always going whenever we get the chance.
We've been all over. I'm thirsty.
Water, or would a beer do?
I think a beer would do fine.
Maida, bring me a bottle of beer, will you?
- Are you married? - No.
That's nice.
What do you do alone in this house if you aren't married?
Well, it's a family home, and I'm the last of the family.
- There you are. - Thank you.
- Aren't you having one? - No, not right now.
There you are.
Could Muff have a little in that ashtray? He loves beer.
You want a beer for the dog?
Well, here we are.
He'll go to sleep now.
- Isn't he cute? - Yeah.
How about it? Are you ready?
I mean, are you ready to tell me the story?
I know what you mean.
Now, suppose you tell me everything you told the state police...
plus everything you didn't tell the state police.
- Where should I begin? - When did you leave for Quill's bar?
Right after dinner. About 8:30, I guess.
Manny was late getting home from the firing range...
so we had dinner, he laid down and went to sleep.
I hadn't been out of the trailer all day, so...
I took Muff and a flashlight and walked over to the bar.
I bought a drink and played the pinball machine.
- Many people in the bar? - Mm-mm. Not many.
Barney came over and challenged me to a game.
- For drinks, you know? - How well did you know Barney?
Well, he owned this bar where Manny and I went sometimes, that's all.
Had he ever made a pass at you?
No. Nothing like that at all.
Was he drinking heavily that night?
Didn't seem to be. At least not when we were playing pinball.
Were you with him the whole time you were there?
No, there were other people playing too.
And what time did you leave the bar?
Oh, about 11:00, I guess.
I left by the side door. Muff was carrying the flashlight.
He carries it in his mouth. He's so cute...
running along ahead with the light shining.
- Was he sober? - Muff? Of course he was sober.
Oh, you're joking now, aren't you?
Yes, I'm joking. Go on.
Well, Barney came from somewhere.
Not the door I left by.
And he said he was going my way and he could drive me home.
He said the bears had been prowling around, and I oughtn't to walk home.
The bears come out of the woods at night to scavenge.
They're harmless enough, aren't they?
Yeah, I suppose I wouldn't have been afraid in the daylight...
but the dark isn't the same.
Yes, I know. I know. Now, you got into Barney's car...
I got in and he drove straight to the trailer park.
- He made overtures? - No, nothing.
When we got to the trailer park, the auto gate was closed.
Mr. Lemon closes it about 11:00 or a little after.
So I thanked Barney and started to get out of the car...
but he said that there wasn't any need for me to walk...
that he could drive me into the park on another road.
I didn't know there was another road, but...
he drove on before I could say yes or no.
- Were you alarmed? - No.
I'm not usually afraid of men.
And anyway, he hadn't touched me or even said anything out of the way.
Well, doesn't a woman sort of instinctively know...
when a fellow's on the make?
Oh, sure, but that's only usual with me.
With men, I mean. Almost all men. Ever since I was a kid.
You, for instance. You're interested...
but there's no reason to be afraid of you.
It was like that with Barney.
Well, Mrs. Manion, believe me, I'm not in the least...
Call me Laura.
Laura, I'm only interested in helping your husband. Nothing more.
I don't mean you'd try anything.
I just mean it's... it's the way you look at me.
It would be very difficult not to look at you.
Oh, the way I dress, you mean? You don't like it?
Oh, I love it. I just love it.
Now, we'd better keep moving along with this thing.
Now, how were you dressed that night?
Oh, in a sweater like this and a skirt.
And the rest... what about that?
Underneath? I had on a slip and panties and a bra.
- No girdle? - I don't need a girdle.
Do you think I do?
I don't know. I don't know. How should I...
Look, I'm only concerned with a few facts...
that might be of help to me in the defense of your husband.
- That's all. - Well, I don't wear one.
Okay. No girdle. Okay.
All right. Go on.
Well, he turned off the highway into a lane in the woods...
and he stopped the car and turned off the lights.
And then he grabbed me, and he said...
"I'm going to rape you," just like that.
- Did he use those words? - Exactly those words.
Muff began to bark, so he threw him out the window.
I could hear little Muffy whining outside the car all through it.
And Barney began to try to get at me...
and I fought him off as best I could, but he was terribly strong.
Did you cry out? Did you scream?
Didn't seem to be much use out there in the woods.
He began to shout names at me, like...
"Army slut" and other names.
And then he drew back and hit me with his fist.
He hit me again, and I didn't fight anymore.
I must have been only half-conscious, but...
I know that he tore my panties off and did what he wanted.
Now, the newspaper said that a doctor examined you...
and said that he didn't think you'd been raped.
I don't care what the doctor thought. A woman doesn't mistake these things.
All right. All right. Now, go ahead.
Well, I...
I don't know exactly what happened then. I must've fainted. But...
the next thing I remember, the car was moving.
Barney was driving very fast...
and he was breathing hard...
an ugly, gasping sound.
We were on the main road to the trailer park...
and he swung in by the gate and stopped.
I opened the door to get out. Muffy jumped out first with a flashlight.
Now, wait a minute.
I thought you said he'd thrown Muff out of the car back in the woods.
Well, he did, but Muff was in the car when we got back.
He must've let him back in. I don't remember.
All right. You opened the door, and Muff got out first. All right.
Before I could get out...
Barney grabbed me and said he was gonna tear all my clothes off...
and attacked me again.
I got away and ran. I could see Muff through an opening in the fence.
He was scooting back and forth with a flashlight.
Barney caught me from behind, and I fell to the ground.
He fell on top of me and began to beat me again with his fists.
I thought he was going to kill me.
I screamed and somehow got to my feet again and ran.
I went through the opening in the fence...
and followed Muffy, who was running along ahead with the flashlight.
And I kept following the light until he led me to our trailer.
And you didn't see Barney again?
Never laid eyes on him again, dead or alive.
Well, I, uh...
I think that's enough for now.
I've got lots of time. All you want.
- Where can I reach you? - I'm still in Thunder Bay...
but I can drive down again in the morning.
- Was there something else? - No.
-Thanks for letting me play the records. -Oh, you're very welcome.
Thanks a lot. Bye.
- Who's that? - The lady in the case.
- You're not going to take the case? - I don't know.
That depends on what Manion has to tell me tomorrow.
He's thinking things out.
Oh, well, that's more like it.
Now, if I take the case, I want you in it.
Me, in a big murder case?
The sight of this whisky-drinking man at the lawyer's table would ruin you.
I need you.
You mean that?
Why else would he say it?
I'd be glad to work with you outside of the courtroom, but...
- not in the courtroom. - Suit yourself about that.
Either way, I'm gonna have to be able to depend on you.
Will you lay off the booze?
I don't know.
I don't know about that, Paulie.
Why don't you know?
Do you think I couldn't lay off the booze?
Ever tried it?
Try it.
I never been on a big murder case.
Not once in all my life.
It's up to you, Parn.
Will you be around tonight?
Yeah. Yeah, I'll be around.
You know, Maida, darling...
I might manage it.
I might manage to be a real lawyer again.
For a little while, anyway.
I tried remembering.
There were still some pieces missing.
I remember...
going to Quill's bar with a gun...
and I remember Quill's face behind the bar...
but I don't remember anything else, not even going home.
Don't you remember firing the gun? Five shots, that's a lot of noise to forget.
Yeah, I remember hearing shots, but they don't seem connected with me.
They seemed far away, like somebody else was doing the shooting.
Lt. Manion, I'll take your case.
Oh, thanks. Thanks, Mr. Biegler.
All right. Now, there's the little matter of the fee.
Three thousand dollars. That's reasonable enough, isn't it?
Oh, sure. More than reasonable. I'll have to pay later. Right now I'm broke.
- You're what? - I'm broke. I'm flat busted.
I don't have three dollars, much less 3,000.
- Can you raise it? - Oh, yes, as soon as I get out of jail.
But next week's payday.
I'll be able to give you $150...
and if you get me off, I'll give you a promissory note for the rest.
All right, now suppose I don't go along with you unless you pay me half the fee?
Well, I'll have to take a lawyer the court appoints.
I got my defense now, right? Insanity.
I think I'll stick around, make damn sure you get off.
- Where do we start? - We're going to need a psychiatrist.
Neither of us has any money. Do you think the army'll stir one up for you?
I know a colonel in the Pentagon. I'll write a letter.
Good. Do that. Sulo.
Where are you going now?
I'm going to see your wife, for one thing.
Why? Didn't you see her yesterday?
That's right. I did.
She's a very pretty woman, your wife.
A man gets used to the way his wife looks.
I guess he does. I'll see you.
Come on in, Paulie. Come on in.
You haven't been in here since you vacated, have you?
Hardly recognize the old place, huh?
Mary did it for me. She just finished her decorators' course.
Smart girl. Very smart girl. Look at this.
- A real, genuine Picasso print. - That's very nice.
And here. Try this chair. It sort of does things for you.
Sit right down.
Great, isn't it? Good for the nerves, they say.
- How do you shut it off? - Here.
Here we are. Feel better?
I feel all shook up.
Mitch, I just dropped in to tell you I've got both feet in the Manion case.
- You're going to cop out, aren't you? - No.
That's a mistake. It's open and shut.
Well, maybe. We'll see.
Judge Maitland's still in the hospital. Maybe you'd like to agree...
to a continuance until he gets back.
If we go with the case now, we'll have to try before...
some grab-bag judge they'll send in.
- Me, I'd rather have Maitland. - So would I.
But that'd also mean my client would lie around in jail...
for another two, three months before the trial.
Now, if you'll drop the charge down to manslaughter...
so I can get him out on bail, we'll agree to a continuance.
You wouldn't do that if you were still D. A.
I don't know. I might.
I might, since a big, fat lie detector test on his wife...
is giving proof to the rape story.
- He'd have the jury with him. - How did you know what the lie...
- I bit, didn't I? - Yeah, you did.
Anyway, the result of a lie detector test isn't admissible evidence.
- You can't use it. - No, but it carries moral weight.
Mitch, I wouldn't sit in that chair too much.
It could shake a fellow's brains loose.
I'll see you later.
He remembers you, Paul. He likes you.
He likes the beer in my icebox.
What's the occasion today. A buffalo hunt?
I bought these in Arizona when we were stationed there.
Aren't they smart? I think they're very smart.
Here, we can sit in my car.
Here you are.
Here you go, Muff.
Several things have occurred to me.
The, uh...
The undergarments Barney Quill tore off...
Who has them now? The police?
You mean my panties?
All right. Your panties.
I haven't seen them since.
I gave the torn skirt and sweater to the police, and then...
I went with them up that lane into the woods to look for the panties...
but we couldn't find anything but my glasses.
Your glasses? You mean you were wearing glasses through all that?
No, I had them in a case in my hand.
I wear them for reading, playing pinball, things like that.
I must have tried to get out of the car and dropped them.
You might be interested to know...
that your lie detector test turned out in your favor.
Of course it did. I could've told you it would.
- You weren't worried about it? - No.
Why should I be?
Would you like to have something to worry about?
Silly.
Like your husband watching us from his cell window?
All right.
All right, let's have it.
- Did he say something to you? -Just enough.
Are you afraid of him?
Is that why you volunteered for a lie detector test? For him?
Does he have reason to be jealous?
He was jealous even before we were married.
I should've known how it would be.
It's funny, though. He likes to show me off.
He likes me to dress the way I do.
And then he gets furious if a man pays any attention to me.
I've tried to leave him, but I can't.
He begs, I give in.
Now, if you think I've forgotten my question, I haven't.
- I have. - All right.
Then I'll ask it again.
Does your husband have any reason to be jealous?
No.
Not once. Not ever.
Hi. Like the place all right?
I was just looking at these pictures.
- That was Barney Quill, wasn't it? - That's right. Barney Quill.
- I'm Paul Biegler. I'm... - I know who you are.
I've seen you around Iron City.
You didn't tell me your name.
Paquette. We don't open till 5:00.
That's all right. I can wait.
I don't have the shakes yet.
You were on the job that night, weren't you...
the night Barney Quill was killed.
Like the newspaper said, I was present.
You were the fellow who stopped Lt. Manion outside.
That's right.
He pointed the gun at me and said, "You want some too, buster?"
And you said no, because your name isn't buster.
- Wasn't anything funny about it. - No, there wasn't. I'm sorry.
Where were you when Barney Quill was killed, Mr. Paquette?
I gather you don't want to talk about that night, huh?
That's right. I don't want to talk about it.
You'll have to talk to me about it in court. Why not now?
'Cause I don't have to now. Reason enough, okay?
Okay.
Boy, old Barney, he was kind of a rugged character, wasn't he?
Ex-prizefighter, muscle man, fancy with guns, and...
He paid his debts. Ran a clean place.
- Me, I liked him. - You run the place now?
No, I just work here. Mary's running things.
Mary? Was that Barney's wife?
No, he didn't have a wife. Mary was his manager.
Oh. All right. I wonder who's gonna inherit the place?
- Mary, I guess. - Mary again.
What's the matter with that?
You mean, what's the matter with Mary? I don't know what's the matter with her.
Mary what?
Pilant. Mary Pilant.
She's in the back booth. We don't talk about our customers here.
But if we did... which we don't...
That's her. That's Mary Pilant.
- Do you know Lt. Manion's wife? - Sure. I know the lieutenant too.
He's a good officer. She's all right too.
Friendly. Good kid.
What do you know about it? Knock it off.
I didn't mean anything. She's a dish. What's the matter with that?
Do you want this lawyer to get wrong ideas?
What chance has the lieutenant got, Mr. McCarthy?
Pretty good, I'd say, with a couple of character witnesses like you.
I'd like to help him out. I sure would. But we're moving out.
The whole outfit. Berlin.
Tell me, who is this babe at the hotel?
Name's Mary Pilant. She was Quill's private property.
- Would you like a table, sir? - Yes, please.
- Will you be alone? - I'll be joined by two others.
- May I take your hat? - Thank you very much.
- How was the manicure? - Ask me any questions about anybody.
- I've got all the dope. - Can you tell me about Mary Pilant?
Easy. Mary Pilant may or may not have been...
the mistress of the late B. Quill.
The manicurist is in favor of the mistress theory...
but the hairdresser's against it.
However, they both agree that some sort of hanky-panky must have been going on.
- To be continued. - Menu?
Thank you.
- Pretty, huh? - Yes, very pretty.
What? What?
Anyway, there's one story that says that...
Barney's wild night with Mrs. Manion was somehow...
triggered by Mary Pilant.
Seems she'd been running around with some soldier, and Barney blew his stack.
- He got tanked up and exploded. - Is Mary Pilant local?
No, she's a Canadian. Barney brought her in here...
to sort of dress up the place, and she stayed on to manage it for him.
- Looks like she's done all right. - Better than all right.
- She's in for the estate. - Oh?
She doesn't look like a bad sort, does she?
Hmm? Where?
What do you mean, "where"? The pretty one with the menus.
This girl right here?
Miss Pilant, may I introduce myself?
I'm Paul Biegler, attorney for Lt. Manion...
and this is Miss Rutledge and Mr. McCarthy, my associates.
- How do you do. - Could you sit with us for a minute?
- Yes, I can take a minute. - Thank you.
I'd like to ask you a few things, if you don't mind.
What sort of things, Mr. Biegler?
Well, like what kind of a man your employer was, Mr. Quill.
- A very nice man. - If that's true, how do you explain...
what happened with Lt. Manion's wife?
I don't know what happened with Lt. Manion's wife...
so there really isn't anything for me to explain, is there?
Your loyalty to the dead Mr. Quill is very touching, Miss Pilant.
Barney was well liked here by everyone, Mr. Biegler.
It's very generous of everyone to overlook his faults...
like raping other men's wives.
If you'll pardon me.
The waitress will take your order when you're ready.
Nice to have met you, Mr. Biegler...
Mr. McCarthy, Mrs. Rutledge.
You just drew gin, Lieutenant.
- Twenty. - Manion?
- Any word, Lieutenant? - Yeah.
This, from Washington.
They'll let a doctor come and testify, but there's a string on it.
They want me to go to an army hospital in Detroit for an examination.
Doesn't the army understand that you're in jail on a non-bailable offense?
That's it, as far as the army's concerned.
I don't know how I can get around this. I'll try and think of something.
Look, my wife hasn't been here in two days. Have you seen her?
- No, not for a while. - Where the hell is she?
You've got other things to worry about, Lieutenant.
I'll get in touch with your wife. I'll tell her you miss her.
Yeah, you tell her that.
- Thanks, Sulo. - Okay, Paulie.
I know just how you feel, Lieutenant.
I'd be tearing my hair out too if I had something like that outside.
Something like what outside?
You know what I mean. Something like that running around on the loose.
Now, what's the big noise, buckos?
It's me, dummy. I hit my elbow on this lousy iron bar.
You want some rubbing alcohol maybe?
A little bourbon might help.
Knock it off, buckos.
Let's finish the game, Lieutenant.
Hey, what a crazy lawyer we got.
Hiya, Paulie. That's what they call you, isn't it? Paulie?
That's a crazy name for a crazy lawyer.
- Thanks for letting me sit in, Pie-Eye. - Hey, you're not splitting the scene?
- I mean, you're not cuttin' out? - No, I'll be back.
Hi, Paulie. Fellows, this is Manny's lawyer.
- Hi. How are you? - Sit down, won't you?
I'm sorry, I can't right now. Mrs. Manion...
may I talk to you for a moment outside?
Mrs. Manion? I thought we dropped the formalities a long time ago.
I think maybe we'd better pick 'em up again. It's important.
- All right. I'll go with you. - All right. Come on.
Hey. You're coming back, aren't you?
What do you think?
See you later, Pie-Eye.
Okay.
- Did you get my phone message? - Yeah, but I got busy.
Why haven't you been to see your husband?
I don't see why I have to see him every day.
I think it would be a very good idea if you did.
All right, I'll see him every day. Okay?
- No, not okay. Where's your car? - I came with them.
- Mine's right over here. Come on. - Wait. I've got friends inside.
- Friends or not, you're going home. - Who do you think you are?
I'm the lawyer trying to beat a rap for your husband, remember?
- What's that got to do with... - You listen to me.
Until this trial's over, you're going to be a meek little housewife...
with horn-rimmed spectacles...
and you're going to stay away from men and juke joints...
and booze and pinball machines...
and you're going to wear a skirt and low-heeled shoes and a girdle.
And especially a girdle. Look, Laura...
believe me, I don't usually complain of an attractive jiggle...
but you save that jiggle for your husband to look at...
if and when I get him out of jail.
Come on. Let's go.
I'm sorry. I really am. I wouldn't hurt Manny's chances for anything.
Come on.
Is this about where Barney knocked you down?
Yeah, right over here.
Over there's the opening in the fence where Muffy was running...
back and forth with the flashlight.
Where's your trailer?
Up there on the hill.
This is my favorite place.
Sometimes when Manny was sleeping I'd come out here and just sit.
I had to get out of that trailer. I couldn't stand being cooped up.
I'm... I'm lonely, Paul. I'm awful lonely.
I wouldn't have gone to that roadhouse if it weren't for that, you know.
Maybe you were getting in some good practice being lonely.
You mean you think maybe Manny won't get off?
That'll be up to the jury, and you can never tell about them.
If he didn't, it'd be one way to end it.
No, I don't mean that.
I may think it sometimes, but I don't really want it.
Hello, sweetie. Did you miss me?
Of course you missed me.
You wanna come in, Paul?
You can if you want to, you know.
No thank you, Laura.
I'm sorry I had to spoil your fun over at that place.
Good night, Laura.
Good night.
Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye.
The circuit court for the county of Iron Cliffs is now in session.
You can be seated.
For those of you I haven't met, my name is Weaver.
I'm from downstate, and I'm sitting temporarily...
while your good Judge Maitland is recovering from a severe illness.
There's no need to dwell at length upon my methods.
One judge is quite like another.
The only difference is maybe in the state of their digestions...
or their proclivities for sleeping on the bench.
For myself, I can digest pig iron.
And while I might appear to doze occasionally...
you'll find that I'm easily awakened...
particularly if shaken gently by a good lawyer...
with a nice point of law.
We will now take up the criminal docket.
Case number one... The People v, Clarence Madigan...
breaking and entering in the nighttime.
Will the defendant rise and come forward?
That's me, Your Honor.
State of Michigan, court of Iron Cliffs...
I, Mitchell Lodwick, prosecuting attorney, come into Iron Cliffs...
and give the court to understand that one Clarence Madigan...
alias "One-Shot" Madigan, alias "Smoky" Madigan...
did break and enter the dwelling house of Casper Katz...
and did there commit the felony of larceny on said premises.
Does Mr. Madigan have an attorney?
No. A man's gotta have money to ask them fellas the time of day.
Mr. Madigan, if you're impoverished...
it's my duty to appoint an attorney on your behalf.
I wouldn't bother, Your Honor.
I stole the whisky. I'm guilty as hell.
It was a full case of expensive bourbon, Your Honor.
Did you sell this whisky?
No. I drank it.
- All of it? - You bet, Judge.
Are you aware that it will be necessary to punish you for this crime?
It was worth it.
Well, I'll accept your plea of guilty, Mr. Madigan.
You'll be sentenced later. You may now return to your place.
Thanks, Your Honor.
Case number two...
The People v, Frederick Manion,
The charge... murder.
Paul Biegler for the defendant. My formal appearance is already on file.
Which of these men is your client, Mr. Biegler?
None of them.
Sheriff, will you produce the prisoner?
Well, I... I'm afraid I can't do that, Your Honor.
Perhaps someone should explain. I'm not clairvoyant.
The defendant is in Detroit being examined by a psychiatrist.
Shouldn't the court have been consulted...
before the defendant was allowed to leave its jurisdiction?
Your Honor, we're dealing with the army in this matter.
This is the only crack they would give us at one of their psychiatrists.
The court was not present. It was urgent we get the defendant to a psychiatrist.
What does the attorney for the people say to this?
It was done with my knowledge.
I've always heard this Upper Pennisula of our fair state was a queer place.
If it's customary here to allow a man charged with first degree murder...
to wander about at will, I don't suppose it behooves an outsider to point out...
that the law makes no provision for such quaint liberalism.
The defendant is in the care of a deputy and will be returned this afternoon.
We'll formally arraign the defendant on his return.
For the sake of the docket, can you give me a clue to his plea?
The defendant will waive reading of the information and stand mute.
A plea of"not guilty" will be entered.
The case of Frederick Manion will be placed first on the trial docket.
Can you hurry it up, Paulie? If somebody tells that judge...
the prisoner was lounging around the rail station, he'll give me the works.
This will just take a minute. Come on over here.
Well, Lieutenant, how'd things turn out?
- I was temporarily insane. - Did he tell you that?
Yeah. Says he's gonna write you a letter.
I took some notes on my own.
The doctor's name is Smith.
Anatole Ludwig Smith or Ludwig von Smith, I hope.
A name like that would impress the jury.
Just plain Matthew Smith. He said that when I shot Quill...
I was suffering from "dissociative reaction."
- Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? - What does it mean?
It means "I had an irresistible impulse to shoot Quill."
That's okay, isn't it?
What did he say about your knowing the difference between right and wrong?
I don't think he said anything. Why, is that important?
We'd better not keep the sheriff waiting. You'd better go.
Thank you, Sheriff.
Ever heard of a Michigan court accepting "irresistible impulse" as insanity?
No. Maybe we'd better switch to self-defense.
Even Mitch Lodwick would make a monkey out of us then.
- Damn strawberry soda. - Want a peanut?
No thanks.
Well, tomorrow's Saturday.
We just have a weekend before the trial. When do you want to start working?
Tomorrow morning, early.
- Paulie. - Hey, listen to this, Parn.
Never mind that. Just find...
People v, Durfee, 62, Michigan, 486, Year 1886.
That's it. I have it right here in the A. L. R. Listen.
"The right and wrong test, though deemed unscientific...
is adhered to by most states but..."
Now listen to this "but"... "but the fact that one accused...
of committing a crime may have been able to comprehend...
the nature and the consequences of this act...
and to know that it was wrong.
- Nevertheless..." - Sweet enduring word " Nevertheless."
" Nevertheless, if he was forced to its execution...
by an impulse... by an impulse which he was powerless to control...
he will be excused from punishment."
The Michigan Supreme Court did accept irresistible impulse.
This is precedent.
Boy, I think we've got a hold of something here.
Good old Durfee, 1886.
How about that? Give me a pad.
This strawberry soda is beginning to taste like real bourbon whisky.
Well, don't get drunk yet. We've got to convince a jury...
that our client was irresistibly impulsed.
Remember that.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, before we proceed further...
it will be necessary for me to examine you on your qualifications...
to sit as jurors.
Will you please remember that you are under oath?
Are all of you citizens?
Will you please raise your hand if you are not?
Are there any justices of the peace or law enforcement officers among you?
No.
Are any of you related by blood or marriage...
to any law enforcement officer?
So much for qualifications. I will now examine for cause.
Do any of you have any business pending...
with the prosecuting attorney, Mitchell Lodwick?
Do any of you have any business pending with Paul Biegler...
attorney for the defense?
Are any of you acquainted with the defendant...
sitting there on Mr. Biegler's left?
Will Mrs. Laura Manion, the defendant's wife, please stand?
Do any of you know Mrs. Manion?
Thank you, Mrs. Manion. You may be seated.
Counsel may challenge the jury for cause.
Before counsel's challenge, may I introduce Claude Dancer to the court?
Mr. Dancer is an assistant attorney general from Lansing.
Because of the peculiar nature of this case...
I requested the attorney general to let Mr. Dancer sit in with the prosecution.
Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Dancer.
It's a privilege to have you in my court.
Thank you. I'm sure it'll be instructive.
Do any of you have any business pending...
before the attorney general's office?
I must apologize for my disparaging remarks...
about the Upper Pennisula and its customs.
I've seldom seen a murder jury selected and sworn in less than half a day.
You have won my heart completely, gentlemen.
Mr. Dancer, you asked for the recess. What's your problem?
It was a little suggestion I wanted to make.
- By all means. - Since the defense plea is insanity...
the prosecution has retained a psychiatrist.
Under the statute, we have a right to petition for a mental exam...
of the defendant by our own doctor.
- Are you familiar with that statute? - Uh-huh. Moderately.
I think it would only delay things to file a formal petition...
so why don't we informally agree to ask His Honor for an adjournment...
only a day or so, and our doctor can visit with the defendant.
It would save everyone time. Don't you think so?
- I'm sure it will. - Good.
Suppose you just go ahead and file that formal petition anyway.
Of course, you're a little late. Maybe His Honor will overlook that.
Then I'd like the jury to see that you think our insanity plea has some merit.
There really won't be any need for our doctor to examine your client.
Naturally, I was only following the usual procedure.
Naturally, I'm all for it.
- Do you wish to file the petition? - Yes, Your Honor...
- That won't be necessary. - That's right.
Skirmish over. Shall we join now on the field of battle?
The body of Quill had sustained five gunshot wounds.
One of the bullets had passed through the heart.
Death, in my opinion, was almost instantaneous...
and was directly caused by this wound.
Dr. Raschid, may I have your detailed report?
Certainly.
I ask that this report be marked People's Exhibit One for identification.
So received and marked.
The people hand the defense a copy of the report.
Counsel may cross-examine.
Dr. Raschid, your primary purpose was to ascertain the cause of death.
- Was it not? - Yes.
And yet I read in your report here that you checked to determine...
whether spermatogenesis was occurring in the body of the deceased.
Objection.
The people call this witness only to show the cause of death.
Your Honor, the entire report was offered as evidence...
and the report contains this information about spermatogenesis.
Overruled, Mr. Lodwick.
The witness may answer.
Yes, I made that examination on the deceased.
And now would you tell the court your findings.
Spermatogenesis was occurring at the time of death.
In other words, the deceased in life was not sterile.
- He could produce children. - That is correct.
Now, Doctor, if a woman says that she has had intercourse...
with a certain man and the man is proved fertile...
even though no evidence is found in the woman's body...
could a lawyer... say a prosecuting attorney...
could he use this as evidence that the woman is lying?
Your Honor, I object to this line of questioning.
We're not concerned with if there has been relations with a man and a woman.
As long as an examination for spermatogenesis has been made...
at least we're entitled to know why.
Overruled. You may answer.
Yes, prosecution could use that...
though it certainly would not be conclusive that she was lying.
Why not?
There could be several reasons why the test on her was negative.
The use of a contraceptive...
or possibly there was no completion on the part of the man.
Now this postmortem, were you also asked to determine...
if the deceased had reached a sexual climax shortly before his death?
-No, sir. -Could you have made this determination?
Oh, yes.
So, you were only asked to make such an examination...
that might be useful to the prosecution, none that might help the defense?
I object, Your Honor.
The question is argumentative.
Counsel is trying to impugn the intent of the representatives of the people.
Mr. Biegler, you must be aware that the question is improper.
I withdraw the question and apologize.
The question and answer will be stricken...
and the jury will disregard both the question and the answer.
That's all.
No redirect.
The people now call Lloyd Burke.
Will the witness step forward, please?
How can a jury disregard what it's already heard?
- They can't, Lieutenant. - Do you solemnly swear...
the testimony you shall give shall be the truth...
the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- I do. - Sit down, please.
- Will you state your profession? - I'm a commercial photographer.
Were you called upon by the police...
to take photographs of the body of the deceased Bernard Quill...
before and after he was removed from the scene of death?
Yes, sir.
Were these photographs of the deceased made by you?
They were.
The recorder will please mark these People's Exhibit 282-D.
Photos are tendered to the defense for examination.
And the people move their admission as evidence. Your witness.
No questions. No objections.
Paul, he took pictures of me that night too.
Just a minute, Mr. Burke.
These photos offered as evidence, are they the only ones you took that night?
Why, no.
I suppose the others didn't turn out?
All my pictures turn out.
Of course. I beg your pardon.
Did you give the other pictures to the police?
I did.
What were they?
Were they side shots or a shot of the moon perhaps...
or a black bear scavenging the Thunder Bay dump?
I object. I can't see how other photographs are relevant.
The photos were introduced to show the deceased met with a violent death.
I should think any photo pertaining to the case would be relevant.
The point is good, Mr. Biegler. Continue.
What were these other photographs of?
Lieutenant Manion's wife.
You mean they showed how she looked after Barney Quill was killed?
- Yes. - How she looked is irrelevant.
There's no evidence to connect Mrs. Manion's appearance to this murder.
- Sustained. - I'm sorry.
I just wanted to make sure prosecution wasn't withholding evidence.
Now look here!
I protest to the defense attorney's persistent attacks...
on the motives of the prosecution.
The jury will disregard the mark made by the defense attorney.
There's no reason to believe that the prosecution...
has not acted in good faith.
My apologies to the prosecution and to the court.