["Alfred Hitchcock" theme music]
- Good evening.
Please do not be alarmed.
This is not a remote broadcast.
I'm still very much with you.
Actually, this is from my
collection of ancient weapons.
In the days of the bow and
arrow, this could strike
with a force of a machine g*n.
Furthermore, instead of the
bothersome rattle of explosions,
a burst of shots from this
instrument was accompanied
by sweet music, a feature which
was undoubtedly appreciated
by the victims.
Actually, you will find quite
a number of these about today.
Most of them are in our
larger symphony orchestras.
They help keep the conductors
from becoming obstreperous.
With that thought in my
mind, I can't help but turn
to our sponsor, that dear
person would like to spend
the next minute
talking about himself.
This will be followed by
Power of Attorney, a drama
about a woman and her devoted
companion and about a man
who helped her with her
investments, and so in just one
lamentable minute,
Power of Attorney.
[suspenseful music]
- [Man] It was so unexpected.
- It isn't true.
- [Man] I'm afraid so.
- But you told me,
you told me only yesterday
that those stocks
were worth $10,000.
- [Man] Only this morning.
- Where are you going?
- [Man] Back to the office.
- That was Shirley's college
money that I gave you.
- I invested $5000 of my own.
- [Woman] Will you be
coming back at dinner?
- You can't feel like cooking
for me after what's happened.
- Oh darling.
It isn't your fault.
It's just rotten
luck, that's all.
- I'll be back, at
eight on the button.
- [Officer] What time did
his hotel say he checked out?
- [Woman] Six o'clock.
- [Officer] And he was
supposed to be here at eight?
- He told me that he
was in love with me.
He said that he
wanted to marry me.
He said he was gonna
triple my $10,000 stock
in three months.
- [Officer] Where
did you meet this
Wilford James, Mrs. Norton?
- On a plane coming
back from Jamaica.
He came over and sat
down beside me and
began feeding me that line.
- Salzburg is a charming town.
I was there last in '59.
- We go every year
for the festival.
- Oh, I've never been
for the festival.
- [Old Woman] It's
the best time.
- Cigarette?
- No.
Agatha doesn't smoke.
- Agatha, you're Agatha?
Agatha what?
- Tomlin.
I'm Mary Caulfield.
- James Jarvis.
- How do you do?
- How do you do?
And how do you do?
- How do you do?
[suspenseful music]
- After I passed the
bar examination, I
set up a law office
in my home town in
competition with my father.
He was actually very proud.
Married my childhood
sweetheart, and I thought, boy,
James Jarvis, you have
really settled down.
And then my darling wife
died in childbirth.
After that I couldn't stay
in England any longer.
So I immigrated to
America, came to New York,
started to fool around
the stock market.
You know it seems I found
my niche, it's fascinating.
Do you know anything
about stocks and
shares, Mrs. Caulfield?
- Not a thing.
- Miss Tomlin?
You a financial wizard?
- Hardly.
[James chuckles]
- My lawyer takes
care of everything.
I don't want to know about
numbers and contracts.
Handling money is
a man's business.
[glass clinks]
[dramatic music]
I told you she'd be late.
- She's always late.
- Who's always late?
- My great-niece.
She was to meet us here.
- Which way are you going?
We could share a cab.
- We live at the
Golden Angel Hotel.
- You wanna talk
about coincidences,
that's where I'm
staying this trip.
What about that.
Here, give me your tags,
I'll get the luggage.
- Eileen!
- Aunt M!
- Darling.
- Aunt M,
I'm sorry we're late.
It wasn't our fault, the
traffic was backed up for miles.
Ask Robert, bumper to bumper.
- Robert.
- Hello, Mrs. Caulfield.
- Mr. Jarvis, this is my
great-niece, Eileen Harris.
Robert Reeves.
We're gonna give Mr.
Jarvis a ride to the hotel.
- Will there be room in the car?
- Robert brought
his father's car.
- Robert.
- Give me your things
and I'll get your bags.
- That's all right, I
have them right here.
- Are we ready?
Then let's go.
- Oh, Miss Tomlin, look here.
Let me take that.
And that one's too
heavy for you, dear.
See you later.
Porter.
This lot.
[suspenseful music]
- [Clerk] Well, well, good
afternoon, Mrs. Caulfield.
Welcome home.
And how was Salzburg?
- [Mary] Wonderful as always.
Anything exciting happen
while we were away?
- [Clerk] Not a thing.
Welcome home, Miss Tomlin.
- Thank you.
- No, no, no, not all of
those are mine this time.
The bottom bag
belongs to Mr. Jarvis.
You better check in, Mr.
Jarvis, they were about
to put you in with us.
- I wasn't gonna say
a word. [chuckles]
Yes, I have a reservation,
Mr. James Jarvis.
- [Clerk] Jarvis?
- James Jarvis.
- [Clerk] Well I'm sorry,
there's nothing here
under that name.
- I called from
Chicago four days ago.
I called about noon.
- Oh, well it's
obviously our mistake.
The only thing I have right
at this minute is a single
over the pool.
- How would I like a
single over the pool?
- You wouldn't.
Put him in the rear where
we are where it's quiet.
- Oh yes, I'll have a
room on the fourth floor
sometime after three.
He's not out of there yet,
but he's checking out today.
- What time is it now?
- [Clerk] It's 1:30.
- I'll wait for it.
- Come and have
a cup of tea with us.
- No thank you, but
that's not necessary.
- He'll be with us.
- Fine.
Leave Mr. Jarvis' bags.
I'll have them sent up, sir.
- Thank you.
The house in Jamaica was
just too much trouble.
I never used it, oh, maybe
a couple of times a year.
I just have the
apartment in Rome now.
I suppose I ought to have
something in New York.
- I used to have a house in
New York, but I really prefer
living in a hotel.
Oh that's sweet.
Greetings from Mr. Barton.
- Birthday, Aunt M.
- I'll talk to him.
[phone rings]
- Hello?
It's for you, your
room is ready.
- Hello?
Thank you.
Yes, I'll go right up.
far away, is it, Mary?
- One flight up, two doors down.
- Oh, we're
neighbors. [chuckles]
- You'll have dinner with
us when we get organized?
- Well, until then,
why don't I invite you
to dinner somewhere tonight?
- Yes.
- You, Agatha?
Eileen and Robert?
- We have other plans.
- Well, I'll pick you and
Agatha up about eight o'clock?
- We'll have a drink here?
- Great, see you later.
- [Agatha] Goodbye.
- Are you always this quiet?
- Always.
Well, happy birthday
and bon voyage.
- Merci.
- Alvederzane.
- Alvederzane.
[laughs]
- Bye.
- [Mary] He's charming.
- You think everyone's
charming, Aunt M.
- Isn't he, Agatha?
- Not to me.
[suspenseful music]
- Oh hello, is there a
florist shop in the hotel?
Oh fine.
Yes, this is Mr. Jarvis in
I'd like to send a dozen ro,
two dozen roses
to 303.
Yes, one dozen for
Mrs. Mary Caulfield,
and the other for
Miss Agatha Tomlin.
Fine, bye.
Mm, holding up pretty
well for five days.
- Agatha changes the
water every morning.
And this morning she
gave them a vitamin.
- Well, I'll buy
you both some more.
Both of you.
- You were telling us
about the Arlo Trust
Company, Mr. Jarvis.
- That tone mean you
want me to shut up?
Or do you really want to hear
- [Agatha] It's your choice.
- Don't play games, Agatha.
- Mystery maiden.
- Don't say that.
Just what she wants to hear.
- I want to hear about
the Arlo Trust Company,
the chance that comes
once in five lifetimes.
- Go wash the dishes.
- No, I'm serious.
I really want to
try and understand.
- Well, I have the opportunity
of buying through a friend
of mine, a very dear friend,
who happens to be on the board
of directors, as many shares
in the Arlo Trust Company
as I can afford.
They sell for $50 a share,
but I can buy them for 30.
He transfers them into my name,
and then when the shares go
on the market, I sell
'em and double my money.
It's not quite as simple as
that, but that's basically
how it works.
You know anybody who wants
to double their money
in one afternoon?
- Me.
- Oh, Mary.
- You better speak
to Mr. Barton.
- Well, I would, I'd have to.
I couldn't do anything
without consulting him.
He controls everything.
Oh, he's such a
character, James.
Nearly 80, never married,
but he's as sharp as a tack.
- Sharp as a tack.
Why don't you arrange
a meeting between James
and Mr. Barton, and let James
explain it to Mr. Barton.
- Why I'd love to.
- Well, let's arrange
for lunch tomorrow.
I'll phone Mr.
Barton right away.
- Oh, thank you.
Cigarette?
- I don't smoke.
- Mr. Thomas Barton please.
Will you tell him
Mary Caulfield phoned?
Hello, Thomas?
Listening in on your
answering service again.
Are you free for lunch tomorrow?
Wonderful.
Here, one o'clock.
There's something I
wanna talk to you about.
How are you feeling?
Well, you go right to bed.
Goodnight.
No sooner said than done.
- Speaking of bed.
- Really?
- Really.
Thank you for a delightful meal.
- Thank Agatha.
- Oh, she's the hash
slinger? [chuckles]
It was beautiful.
Goodnight.
- Goodnight.
- And goodnight to you, Mary.
[suspenseful music]
[coughs]
[dramatic music]
- Right on the button,
stroke of one. [chuckles]
- And voila.
You know it's the first time
in my life I've been punctual
six times in a row?
Of course it may have
something to do with the fact
that I only live
three minutes away.
- Our plans have
changed, Mr. Jarvis.
Something awful has happened.
- Where's Mary?
- Mary's all right.
It's Mr. Barton, he's dead.
His secretary found
him this morning.
He didn't go into his office.
They found him in his bed.
He hadn't been
feeling well lately.
He seems to have had
some kind of a stroke,
suffocated somehow.
Mary is very upset.
- I'm sorry.
- Of course it couldn't
mean anything to you,
but Mary and I were
both very fond of him.
- I know.
I'm terribly sorry.
- I'm sorry you didn't meet.
You'd have liked each other.
- Don't you think that
you should lie down?
- No.
- I'll go.
- Mr. Barton would say we
were irrational if he saw us
behaving like this.
Agatha spent all morning
fixing this lunch.
We'll have it together.
James.
How, in an instant, flowers
take on a new significance.
They seem out of place here.
They seem
to belong to Thomas,
and the dead.
- Here, let me take them.
- [Mary] Very fortunate for
me that you're here, James.
[suspenseful music]
Are you asleep?
- No.
- Seven times eight is what?
- 56.
- 56.
- Carry the five.
Let's talk about it, Agatha,
chase it out in the open.
I don't think I know
enough about him.
Known him nearly three
weeks, seen him every day.
He's been an absolute miracle.
I don't understand you, Agatha.
You think he's dishonest?
You're such a
suspicious old thing.
I have to have
somebody to do this.
I have to have a new lawyer.
I've already asked
him to come down later
to go over the things that Mr.
Barton's secretary sent me.
Well, I certainly trust
him much more than I do
any of the men the bank sent me.
And he's more attractive.
I don't think you
dislike James so much.
I feel you like him
more than you'll admit,
even to yourself.
Ooh, sun's too bright.
I thought so.
[doorbell buzzes]
I'll get it.
Come in, James.
- Here I am with my
peruse-able cap on.
I hear you've got
something needs perusing.
- James, Agatha.
Agatha's on the patio
trying to get some sun.
It's the first time I've
ever known her to want
to get a tan.
I don't know what's
come over her.
She's cut her beautiful hair.
You better have a drink
before you look at my affairs.
It's amazing how confused
I get in just a week.
- Afternoon, Agatha.
Say, I like your hair,
beautiful. [chuckles]
You know, I think I'm
making progress with Agatha.
Almost got a smile out of her.
Now, where's all
this legal confusion?
- [Mary] On my desk.
- How did you convince
Agatha to let me have a look
at this stuff?
Promise her a bushel
of persimmons?
- Shh, she knows we're
talking about her.
- We're in here talking
about you, Agatha.
Boy that really is some shell.
- Much thinner than you think.
- Oh really?
Bark's worse than the bite?
- Much.
She can have a night off
anytime she wants it.
- You wouldn't be jealous?
- A little.
- Just a little?
- Ask her.
Maybe she'll stop
complaining about you.
It's what she really wants.
[gentle music]
- I was nursing Mr. Caulfield
when he was in the hospital,
and then when he left
the hospital, Mrs.
Caulfield asked me
to come and live at the house
and look after him there.
And then when he died,
she was so upset.
She couldn't bear to be alone.
She gets morbidly depressed
if things go wrong.
That's against the law.
- You won't tell
anybody, will you?
Goodnight. [laughs]
- Goodnight, James.
- Goodnight, sleep well.
- So?
So?
- So what?
- Did you have a good time?
- Nice enough.
- [Mary] What do you think?
- About what?
- [Mary] About him.
- He didn't try and kiss me.
- Is that good or bad?
- Not good.
Not bad, clever.
We'll see.
- 22% my dear lady.
a week ago right here.
- I don't understand it at all.
- Let me see it.
- Just one or two
more papers to sign,
then we can talk about
something more interesting.
- What are these now, James?
- These give me what's
called the Power of Attorney.
- That I've heard of.
But I'm not sure what it means.
- Tell Mary what the Power
of Attorney is, Agatha.
- It means that you
give James the right
to sign your name for you.
- That you give me the right
to make decisions for you
if I can't get to you in time.
Mr. Barton had it.
It's the reason you were
never troubled about anything.
Is there any more
coffee, Agatha?
- Yes, there is.
- Now, Mary.
Right here.
- Eileen called this morning.
She wants to know if
I'm going to be able
to help her visit Robert.
She wants to leave within
the next three weeks.
- And there.
Well, the way Arlo Trust
is going right now,
pretty soon you'll be
able to buy Germany.
There we are.
Safe as safe can be.
- [Agatha] Coffee, Mary?
- Not for me, keeps me awake.
I'm exhausted, going
straight to bed.
Goodnight.
- Goodnight, Mary.
Sleep tight. [laughs]
- Night.
- Night.
- You approve?
- I approve.
[smacks]
[dramatic music]
[smacks]
- Don't you ever do that again.
- Into each life
some rain must fall.
And in the center of
every hour of television,
we must have a station
break, after which,
we shall continue the
story of Mary, Agatha,
and their friend, Mr. Jarvis.
- Where's Mary?
- In the sun room.
- You better fix us a drink.
Better fix us all a drink.
Arlo Trust has
declared bankruptcy.
- What does that mean?
- Means that everything
we've invested in it is gone.
- How much of my money did
you invest in it, James?
- Yesterday it was
selling for $75 a share.
Now they can't give it away.
- How much?
- I invested every penny
you had in your savings.
- My savings?
But that's all
excuse me.
- It was so unexpected.
- I'd better go to her.
- Yes.
- Come for breakfast
in the morning.
[suspenseful music]
- I don't know how I
can tell any of them.
Peter and his wife
live on the money
I send them every month.
Eileen is counting on me to
pay her way to see Robert.
- They've all lived
off you for years.
Let them help you now.
- Rich Aunt M.
If rich Aunt M spends
any of the money in her
checking account, there
won't be enough left to pay
the hotel bill this month.
- Mary, I have
$1000 in the bank.
It wasn't his fault.
- Be so much easier if it were.
- I thought he was
coming down to breakfast.
- He said he was.
[phone rings]
- [James] Hello?
Oh hello, Agatha.
- James, breakfast will
be ready in a minute.
- [James] Oh sweetheart,
something's come up
and I can't make it.
I've got to get
down to the office.
- James, I have
$1000 in the bank.
Mary won't take it,
if it'd be any help.
- Well, yes it
might help me get
back on my feet.
- You're welcome to it.
- Could you have it about noon?
- Yes, I have to go
out shopping anyway.
James, could we rent a car and
drive up the coast tomorrow?
Mary has to get out
of this apartment.
- I'll arrange the day that way.
- Good, see you at lunch then.
- About one?
- Yes, goodbye.
- Bye.
Yeah, would you get me 626-0025.
Oh hello, reservations please.
This is Mr. Jarvis Smith.
I have a reservation on the
morning, but something's come
up and I have to cancel that.
Could you manage me one
say in the late afternoon?
Yeah, 6:15 would be fine, fine.
Oh, fella, first class, huh?
Yeah, great.
All right.
Front desk?
Yes, this is Mr.
James Jarvis in 405.
Would you ask the cashier to
make out my bill up to date?
Yeah, I'll drop in sometime
this afternoon and pay it off.
Fine.
Bye bye.
- I'm going to the market.
Do you want anything?
- My great-grandfather,
my grandfather,
my father worked their entire
lives to save that money.
And now it's gone
in one afternoon.
[melancholy music]
Where are you going?
- [Agatha] To the market.
- Market.
Market to buy a fat pig.
- [Agatha] I'll be
back in 1/2 an hour.
- Home again, home again,
jiggity jig.
[melancholy music]
Hello, Eileen.
This is your Aunt M.
Eileen, I'm not going to be
able to help you go to Germany.
Something drastic has happened.
There was some stock.
Arlo Trust Company.
I had all of my money
invested in them.
And now it's gone.
No dear, no, I'm
quite all right.
I just didn't want you
to go on counting on me.
Goodbye, Eileen.
[classical piano music]
[phone rings]
- Any messages?
- Only a couple of circulars.
Miss Tomlin, we'll
all miss Mr. Jarvis.
- Miss him?
- [Clerk] He's checking
out this afternoon.
Very nice man.
- Oh yes, today's
Thursday, isn't it?
Yes, he told me.
I'd forgotten.
[suspenseful music]
- Are you all
right, Miss Tomlin?
- Yes.
Yes.
[classical piano music]
- [Operator] May I help you?
- 405 please.
- [Operator] I'm sorry,
Mr. Jarvis doesn't answer.
Would you like to
have him paged?
- Yes, page him please.
- [Operator] Mr. James Jarvis.
Phone call for Mr. James Jarvis.
I'm sorry, Mr. Jarvis
is not in the hotel.
Would you like to
leave a message?
- Yes, tell him that
Agatha Tomlin called.
Mary?
Mary, are you asleep?
[dramatic music]
[doorbell buzzes]
- How is she?
- What do you mean?
- Well, she called
me an hour ago.
She scared me to death.
She was crying, saying
something about she'd lost
all her money.
Is that true?
- She's sleeping.
Yes.
Yes, it is true.
- Well, what happened?
She said something about
the Arlo Trust Company.
So I went to see Robert's
lawyer to talk to him about it,
and he never heard of it.
So he phoned his broker,
who vaguely remembered
an Arlo Trust Company that
went bankrupt in Chicago
a few years ago.
How much did she invest?
- I don't know.
- You know to the
penny how much.
You invested in it too.
You've been swindled.
- Yes, I'm afraid so.
- Agatha, we'll have
to call the police.
- As soon as your aunt wakes up,
I'll talk to her about that.
- Well, if she wants to
talk to Robert's lawyer,
I can get him on the phone.
Evans is his name
- I think.
- Spannis Worthy
Evans in Brentwood.
I have to go downtown
now to get my passport,
but I'll be back before in
case you need me for anything.
- [Agatha] Thank you.
- Be sure and let me
know what the police say.
- [Agatha] Yes, I will.
- Bye, have Aunt
M call me tonight.
- [Agatha] Yes, goodbye.
[dramatic music]
- Agatha.
Bagatha.
[chuckles]
- [Operator] Guest please?
- 303.
[phone rings]
- Agatha, bagatha.
[phone rings]
- Hello?
- Oh, Agatha?
I just got in.
What are you doing?
- Just sitting here, waiting
for you to return my call.
Where are you?
- Oh, in my room,
lying down on the bed.
- [Agatha] Did you
go to the office?
- Sure.
- [Agatha] Are you able
to drive Mary and me
up the coast tomorrow?
- Mm hm, sure am.
- I thought if we started
about 10 in the morning
that we'd be able to
have lunch on the pier
at Santa Barbara.
- Great.
- I went to the bank and
I drew out the money.
I have $1200 for you.
- I'll pay you back
just as soon as I can.
- Why don't you come
down here right now.
Mary would like to talk to you.
- How is she?
- [Agatha] She's thoroughly
disenchanted with stocks.
- From well I imagine.
And with me.
- No, she does not blame
you, James, and besides,
it's not such a disaster
since the morning's mail.
I was worried about her before.
Hello?
Are you there?
- Oh yes, I was just
lighting a cigarette.
Good news?
- I'd say so.
You know that she lost her only
brother in Texas last year.
Oh I'm sure she's
mentioned it to you.
Well, this morning, such luck.
There was a letter, a
legal sort of a thing,
which neither one of us can
decipher, but it's plain
that she's inherited the
major part of his estate.
Arlo Trust can be forgotten,
and she'd like you to be
kind enough to come down
and explain it to her.
- Of course.
- But don't you dare
mention stocks to her.
She says all she wants to do
is put the money in the bank
and live off the interest.
- Must be a sizeable sum.
- Oh much more than
we ever dreamed of.
We're expecting you.
- I'll be right down.
Bye.
[suspenseful music]
[doorbell buzzes]
♪ It was a lover and his lass ♪
♪ With a hey and
a hey and a hey ♪
- Keep your voice down.
Mary's resting.
I'll wake her up
in a few minutes.
She didn't sleep
well last night.
- Good morning.
It is still morning, isn't it?
- I think so.
Would you like some coffee?
- No thank you, ma'am.
- James, I'm so
glad you're here.
It was such an awful night.
I was so worried about
Mary all day yesterday,
and I found something
that scared me.
I didn't know what
to do about it.
- And what's that?
- Look at this.
I didn't know she had
a g*n in the house.
I found it in her bedroom.
It's loaded.
She was so despondent
that I was afraid
of what she would do.
Of course the morning
mail was a Godsend.
Oh I hate those things.
Get rid of it, James, get
it, get it out of the house.
Take it away.
No, don't point it!
Put it in your pocket.
- There [chuckles]
I'll look after you.
- Mary, are you awake?
James is here.
She's mumbling something.
I'll get her some coffee.
Meanwhile, you two can peruse,
as you say, that letter.
- Mary, Mary, quite contrary.
How does your garden grow?
Hey, Agatha?
Agatha?
What are you doing,
you silly baby?
Oh, I see you.
Agatha, what you do that for?
[laughs]
Mary?
- Hello, the police,
get the police.
Get somebody up here right
away, someone's been shot.
- Agatha!
- 303.
- Agatha!
- Hurry!
- Agatha, open up, will you?
[pounds]
Agatha, what are you doing?
Agatha!
Open the door, will ya?
Let me out of here.
Agatha, let me out of here!
Agatha!
[glass shatters]
Agatha!
Agatha, let me out!
[g*nshots]
- He's in the sunroom.
Be careful, he's got a g*n.
[g*nsh*t]
[dishes shatter]
- Why would he k*ll
Mrs. Caulfield?
- I don't know.
I heard them arguing about
some kind of business.
She said that she wanted to go
to the police about something
that he didn't
want investigated.
Some kind of stocks.
Something called the
Arlo Trust Company.
[dramatic music]
- Well, that's the
way the body bounces.
However, I feel compelled
to say that the manner
which Mary chose to leave this
veil of tears is not the one
to solve one's problems.
In short, we do not recommend
suicide as a way of life.
That is all the story
we have for tonight.
Some miscellaneous items follow.
I found a new use for my harp.
If you like sliced, homemade
bread, just push the loaves
through the harp before baking.
["Funeral March
of a Marionette"]
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