Good evening. I'm Alfred Hitchcock.
And tonight, I'm presenting the first in a series of stories...
of suspense and mystery, called, oddly enough...
Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
I shall not act in these stories, but will only make appearances.
Something in the nature of an accessory before and after the fact...
to give the title to those of you who can't read...
and to tidy up afterwards for those who don't understand the endings.
Tonight's playlet is really a sweet little story.
It is called Revenge.
It will follow...
Oh, dear. I see the actors won't be ready for another 60 seconds.
However, thanks to our sponsor's remarkable foresight...
we have a message that will fit in here nicely.
Hey, worthless.
Breakfast's ready.
So soon? Sure.
I don't know how long it takes to get to this plant...
and I don't wanna be late the first day.
You will make a spoiled do-nothing out of me.
I'll give you every assistance possible.
Come on, time's a-wasting.
Look, baby, I gotta go to work.
Hi. Hi.
It smells good.
You know, it seems strange to be sitting down to breakfast...
and have nothing ahead of me all day long.
I wish I didn't have to go. I hate to leave you here alone.
Don't worry about that. I'll be all right.
Probably get a little bored, though, without you.
The last three days have been so wonderful.
But otherwise, I'll be all right.
Why shouldn't I? No reason.
It's just that I don't know anything about the people around here.
Would you like me to tell you about the people around here?
Yes, tell me about the people around here.
Well, they're friendly, and kind, and generous, if you expect them to be.
And most of them would be very quick to help someone they thought was in trouble.
There'd be a sprinkling of sourpusses, but only slight, a soupรงon.
In short, they'd be like most people everywhere. Very nice.
Practicing nine hours a day, from the age of ten...
You are much too cynical.
I can't believe that your world is any more real than mine...
and I know that mine is much the nicer. Yeah, I guess it is.
And some of it spills over into mine, and makes it nicer, when I'm with you.
And what're you gonna do all day...
in this lovely, imaginary world?
Well, I'll go for a walk on the beach, as the doctor prescribed.
And I'll rest a lot, and I'll sunbathe a little, as the doctor prescribed.
And then I think I'll make you a surprise.
You know, I may be a woman of hidden talents.
And some not so hidden.
That's a very nice thing for a husband to say...
even a somewhat new husband.
It was never said with better reason.
Hey, I've gotta get out of here.
I'll be back as soon as I can, around 5:00, I guess.
Okay.
Bye. Bye, bye.
Good morning, Mr. Spann. Good morning, Mrs. Fergusen.
You off to work so soon? Well, it's a little early, I know...
but, I don't know how long it takes at this time of the day...
with parking and everything.
Would you like me to look in on your wife while you're gone?
That'd be very nice of you. And I'm sure she'd be glad to see you.
I'm going in to market after lunch...
I could take her along if she'd like.
Well, maybe not today, I've got the shopping list with me.
But I'm sure she'd like it another time.
And I know she'd like it if you'd come over.
I'm afraid she might get a little bored with nothing to do.
She's not used to it.
Well, I've gotta get going. I'll see you this afternoon.
Hello.
Mrs. Fergusen. Won't you come in? Well, just for a minute.
Please excuse the mess.
You might think an army of vandals just passed through.
All that actually happened is I baked one small cake.
Well, it takes a little while to get used to working in a trailer.
Won't you have a glass of apple juice with me?
Well, just half a glass.
You and your husband have just come out to California, haven't you?
Are you here for your health?
Yes I had a small "breakdown," they called it.
So the doctor prescribed lots of rest, and sun and sea.
Luckily, my husband, who's an engineer...
He could transfer to his plant out here for six months...
and everything worked out just fine.
Won't you come sit down?
Well, it won't take you long to recover, I'll bet.
You look fine, right now.
I'm strong in the muscles. I trained as a dancer in the ballet.
This was just nerves.
I was dancing my first part as a ballerina...
and Carl and I were married at the same time.
I guess it was just a case of too much happiness at one time.
Does that sound foolish? No, of course not.
And this life will be just the thing for you.
There's nothing so soothing as that sea.
Both the sight of it and the sound of it. I'm growing to love it, too.
I'm going to market. Would you like to come along?
I'd love to, but I have to watch the cake.
It's a surprise for Carl. He doesn't know I can bake a cake.
Well, for that matter, I don't know it either.
It may be more of a surprise to me.
Well, cakes can be kind of tricky.
I guess I'd better be getting along...
and I'll let you know the next time I go down.
Please do.
Well, I think I can take a little sun now. It isn't too hot.
Well, I can believe you're a dancer.
And a lovely one, too. I'll bet.
Thank you.
Well, goodbye. Bye.
Elsa. Hey, I'm home.
Hey, let me in.
What're you trying to do, Elsa? Burn up the joint?
Elsa. What happened? It's Carl. What happened?
Mrs. Fergusen!
He killed me. What, darling?
He killed me.
Who? He killed me.
Who was it? And when?
The cake.
I came in to see the cake...
and when I turned around, he was standing there.
Before I... Yes, then? Can you tell me more, darling?
He said he was a salesman...
and when he asked me for money...
I refused him.
And then he grabbed me...
and I screamed...
and he choked me.
And then he killed me.
He killed me.
Hello. Shall I come in? Is there anything wrong?
Is there anything I can do? Will you call a doctor?
Something's happened. She's been beaten, badly hurt. Hurry!
All right, I will, Mr. Spann. I know one nearby.
Don't worry, darling. She's gone for the doctor. He'll be here soon.
You'll be all right.
Don't worry.
What time did you get home, Mr. Spann?
About 5:00, maybe a few minutes after.
Did you come straight from work? Yeah.
Except I stopped to get some groceries.
Where do you work? Minot Aircraft.
Did you hear anything, any call for help, or scream? Anything like that?
No, not a thing.
But it must have been before she took the cake out, because it was burned.
Then that would be before I got back from town, you see.
Only one lady, a Mrs. Jones, third trailer from the right.
She saw a man come into the park, from the beach.
But she didn't get too good a look at him.
She might be able to identify him, but she isn't sure.
About six feet tall, gray suit, dark hair.
Okay.
You need us any more? No, I guess not.
Okay.
Thank you, Mrs. Fergusen.
I can get in touch with you here...
if we wanna talk to you again, can't I?
Yes, indeed.
I think I'll stay here and wait until the doctor comes out...
and find out how she is. Poor thing. Poor little thing.
Yes, ma'am.
I told Chris and Walton to go on.
Good. You wanna take a look inside?
I didn't find anything. Sure.
You say the radio was on? Yes.
And you turned it off as you went inside? That's right.
Is the room now exactly as you found it?
I opened the window...
and I took the cake out of the oven, and then turned it off.
How is she, doc?
She'll be all right.
How is she?
Well, I don't think her condition is too serious.
Physically, that is, Mr. Spann.
Otherwise, well, she's been through a very emotional shock.
And coming so soon after the breakdown...
Well, I can't tell you anything for certain.
Could we ask her a few questions?
I don't think it would do any good, Lieutenant. I just gave her a shot.
She wouldn't be able to tell you much.
And it might do a great deal of harm.
This could even result in permanent damage.
No, I couldn't risk it now. Tomorrow, maybe.
Shall I check in there? What for?
Just to see if he can find anything that'll give us a clue.
We're working in the dark, you know. He won't disturb your wife.
I advise you to get her out of here. Just as soon as you can.
Take her to a hotel. Anyplace.
I'd do it tomorrow. Yes, I will.
Well, I'll check in, in the morning.
See you later, doc. Bye.
Any luck? Nothing.
This makes it pretty tough for us, Mr. Spann.
With nothing to go on but a tired carnation.
Did she say anything about him?
What he looked like, anything like that?
Just that he was tall and dark and wearing a gray suit.
You think you can catch him? With no more than that to go on?
But he may still be nearby. He may be in town, right now, walking the streets.
Sure. But we can't just pick up every man wearing a gray suit.
Mr. Spann, until your wife can give us something more definite...
there's really nothing we can do. There must be something.
I assure you, we'll do everything we can.
After all, that's the business we're in, you know.
Yes, of course you will. Thank you, Lieutenant.
Okay. Now contact us as soon as your wife is better.
We should talk to her at the earliest possible moment.
I'll call you. All right.
If I ever find him, I'll kill him. Yes.
Yes.
Good evening, Mr. Spann.
Did you find out anything? No, nothing so far.
We just dropped by to check on...
how your wife is getting along.
If maybe she'd said anything else.
Anything that might possibly give us some kind of a lead.
No, not a thing.
Well, we'll check with you tomorrow.
Good night. Good night.
They'll never find him.
Elsa...
the doctor said we should move out of here as soon as we can.
Go to a hotel.
Would you like that? Do you feel up to it?
Yes. That would be nice.
Tomorrow, perhaps.
You think you'd know him, if you ever saw him again?
Yes. Oh, yes.
You wanna ride around a little, before we go to the hotel?
Yes, that would be nice.
There he is. That's him.
That's him.
Wait here for a minute. You'll be all right?
Yes.
Sorry. Yes, sir? Room 321.
Here you are.
What floor for you? After you.
Third's mine. Same here.
Why don't we drive along the coast to the next little town?
It'll be quieter, prettier.
Would you like that?
Yes, that would be nice.
If you get hungry, we can lunch along the way.
Something terrible has happened in 321. What?
A man...
There he is. That's him. That's him.
Well, they were a pathetic couple.
We had intended to call that one Death of a Salesman.
But there were protests from certain quarters.
Naturally, Elsa's husband was caught, indicted, tried, convicted...
sentenced, and paid his debts to society...
for taking the law into his own hands.
You see, crime does not pay. Not even on television.
You must have a sponsor.
Here is ours. After which, I'll return.
That was beautifully put.
In fact, after hearing that, there's nothing more I wish to add.
So good night, until next week.