Marked Woman Page #5

- Mary Strauber.

Why did you have to change it,

Miss Strauber?

- For professional reasons.

- What is your profession?

I object. That's immaterial.

I'm merely trying to establish

the character of this witness.

- Overruled. Proceed.

- I repeat the question.

- What is your profession, Miss Strauber?

- I'm a hostess in a nightclub.

Now, will you please explain to the jury

just what your duties as hostess are?

Well, we have to entertain all the men

that come into the club alone.

And just how do you entertain

these men?

I object. That's a deliberate attempt

to degrade the witness.

Overruled. I believe it's material.

And now, just how

do you entertain these men?

Well, we dance with them

and get them to buy us drinks.

Is that all?

Well, we're nice and pleasant to them

and see that they have a good time.

In other words, you've got to be nice

and pleasant to men you don't know...

...who ordinarily you'd have nothing

to do with, isn't that right?

- Yes, sir.

- Now, Miss Strauber...

...isn't it true that a week previous

to the night in question...

...you were threatened

with dismissal by Mr. Vanning...

...for exceeding your duties as hostess?

Objection, Your Honor.

It's irrelevant and immaterial.

I believe it both relevant and material

to inquire into the motives of this witness.

Overruled.

I ask you again, is it true that in spite

of repeated warnings by Mr. Vanning...

...that he would not tolerate such conduct

in any establishment of his...

...you persisted in entertaining the men

outside the club?

- Yes, but l...

- That's all, Miss Strauber.

Thank you.

The people rest.

The defense calls John Truble.

Will you please take

the witness stand, Mr. Truble?

Put up your right hand.

Do you swear to tell the truth

and nothing but the truth?

- I do.

- What's your name?

- John Truble.

- Please be seated.

Mr. Truble, as sheriff for Maco County...

...do you recall arresting two men

named William Borno and James Meller...

...for drunken driving?

- Yes, sir.

What disposition was made

of that charge?

They both pleaded guilty, so they got

a $50 fine and 10 days in jail apiece.

Please look around this courtroom

and see if you see...

...either William Borno

or James Meller or both.

There's the two of them, sitting there

behind the table.

Will you two men rise, please?

- You mean these two men?

- That's right. That's them.

May the record show that the witness has

indicated the defendants Borno and Meller.

Now, Mr. Truble...

...you positively identify them as

the two men remanded into your custody...

...at Maco County Jail

from October 4th to October 14th?

Yes, sir.

And you're certain that you didn't

permit them to leave the jail...

...so that they could be seen dragging

the deceased into a taxicab...

...on the night of October 9th?

No, sir. I'm very strict about that.

Your Honor, I wish to offer

into evidence...

...these duly attested records of the arrest,

conviction and imprisonment...

...of the defendants,

William Borno and James Meller...

...on the charges and for the period

just stated by the witness.

They may be so received.

And so, ladies and gentlemen

of the jury...

...you can understand why

the district attorney...

...floundering in his desperate attempts

to prosecute my client...

...has the effrontery to bring into this court

such an obviously trumped-up charge.

And as if this were not enough...

...he expects an intelligent jury

to convict the defendants for murder...

...on the testimony of a woman he tells you

is an innocent victim of circumstances...

...but who, by her own admission,

is not only unreliable, unscrupulous...

...and unfit to be heard and believed

in any court of justice...

...but is definitely objectionable...

...in the eyes of all decent and

upright men and women.

"We, the jury in the above entitled action,

find the defendants, and each of them...

...not guilty."

The clerk will record the verdict as read.

The jury is excused

and the defendants are discharged.

Boy, I've been in some rotten ones,

but this smells to high heaven.

Nice going, kid.

Thanks.

Yes, it's reached my nose by now.

Oh, just a minute.

You know, for a little while,

you had me believing in you.

I thought maybe you were different.

My mistake. Thanks for the ride.

You know, if I weren't in such a hurry,

I'd break right down and cry.

So long, chump.

I'll be seeing you.

I wish it was all over.

It's getting on my nerves.

Yes, and your talking about it

is getting on mine.

- Well, what happened? Where's the kid?

- Inside.

- Vanning won, didn't he?

- Yeah, Vanning won.

- How's she taking it?

- Pretty tough.

If you want me to,

I'll talk to her first, Mary.

No, thanks, Estelle.

Had to happen sooner or later.

So I...

Suppose I might just as well go in

and face it now.

Hello, Betty.

Betty?

You know, this isn't gonna

get us anywhere, darling.

Why didn't you tell me?

Why did you let me believe that?

Well, I...

I just couldn't.

I guess I didn't ever

want you to find out.

I wish now I had.

I've hurt you, haven't I, darling?

Betty...

...you're not going to let this make

any difference between us, are you?

Are you?

You can't.

You'll see.

You'll forget all about it.

And in a couple of weeks,

you'll be going back to school.

Mary...

...I'm not going back to school.

Not going back to school?

Why?

Oh, I don't know.

I just don't like school anymore,

that's all.

I've been thinking of leaving

for a long time.

- That's not the reason.

- Yes, it is.

Betty, I want you to tell me the truth.

I wanna know why

you're not going back to school.

All right, I'll tell you.

I can't.

Don't you think my friends

have read the papers?

Don't you think they've seen your picture

and mine plastered all over the front pages?

I couldn't go back and face them now.

I'd be too ashamed.

- Ashamed of what?

- Of you.

Mary?

Mary, please, I didn't mean it.

Oh, please, don't. I didn't...

I know you didn't, Betty.

That's all right.

Let's forget all about it.

Pretend you never said it.

Hello?

- Oh, it's you. You scared me.

- I'm sorry.

Don't you ever get tired sitting around

in the dark all by yourself?

- I like it.

- I like it too, but not by myself.

I'm going to a party,

gonna get dressed up.

Wanna be a sweet gal

and give me a hand?

- Love to.

- It's gonna be a great big party.

I'm gonna wear the prettiest dress I got.

Everybody in town is gonna be there.

Which one do you want?

The silver one with the little black jacket.

It's hanging toward the back.

Oh, this one.

- Why, Emmy Lou, it's beautiful.

- Well, all my dresses are beautiful.

They gotta be in this racket.

There's nothing like clothes, honey.

That's the sugar

that makes the flies come around.

I'll bet it'd look nice on you too.

I once had a dress like this.

Of course, it wasn't nearly so pretty,

but it was silver.

I wore it to the junior prom.

Gee, I had fun that night.

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