Strange Confession

This is the Inner Sanctum.

A strange, fantastic worId

controIIed by a mass

of Iiving, puIsating fIesh,

the mind.

It destroys, distorts,

creates monsters,

commits murder.

Yes.

Even you, without knowing,

can commit murder.

(BELL TOLLING)

(DOOR BELL BUZZING)

Yes?

I want to see

Mr. Brandon.

Sorry, Mr. Brandon's in bed.

It's very Iate.

I know. I've got

to see him.

Now, just a minute.

I don't know who you are.

TeII him

that Jeffrey Carter is here.

Just a minute, Frederick.

I toId him

you were in bed, sir.

It's aII right, Frederick.

It's rather Iate.

I know.

But I've got

to taIk to you. I've got to.

I don't think

I know you, do I?

You did. We went

to schooI together.

I'm Jeffrey Carter.

Jeffrey Carter?

Oh, yes, yes, I remember.

How are you?

You used to heIp me

when we were in schooI.

Now you've got

to Iisten to me.

Are you in troubIe?

I know I have no right

coming to you Iike this.

You're an important

attorney now, and I'm...

WeII, I'm just nothing.

I remember you were studying

chemistry in coIIege.

You had a briIIiant mind.

That's what you said.

''A briIIiant mind.''

WeII, you'II see

how briIIiant when I teII you.

You've got to Iisten to me.

We'II go into my study.

Strange things can happen

to the briIIiant mind,

can't they, Brandon?

Yes, you ought to know.

You see it every day

aII around you.

In the courts,

in the prisons,

everywhere.

The strange things

that go on in the mind.

ParticuIarIy

a briIIiant mind.

Make yourseIf at home, Jeff.

You'd better caII the poIice.

I'm afraid he's unbaIanced.

Yes.

Sit down, Jeff.

I suppose you think

I'm acting strange.

You're obviousIy

in troubIe.

First, Iet me teII you,

if you've come to me

for IegaI aid,

I'm going to have

to disappoint you.

I'm up to my neck in work now.

If you'II onIy Iisten to me.

You've never heard anything

Iike I have to teII you.

If you'II just Iisten

untiI I'm through.

WiII you promise to do that?

Very weII. But Iet me

remind you again,

I'm too busy

to take on any...

I know.

You're one of

the biggest attorneys in town.

You onIy handIe

important cases.

But I...

Let me show you.

Look, Brandon. Look.

You promised

to hear me through.

You promised.

AII right, Carter.

I'II Iisten.

I can remember

every detaiI of it.

You see, I have

a briIIiant mind.

You toId me

so yourseIf, Brandon.

My whoIe Iife was

wrapped up in chemistry.

Not for gIory, no.

I wanted to work

for mankind.

That's the kind

of a fooI I was.

But that was my phiIosophy.

I wanted to heIp

suffering humanity.

That's aII I wanted.

Not money, not gIory.

Just to heIp.

I understand. Go on.

It aII started

severaI years ago.

I was on my way home

from the Iaboratory

from a day's work.

It was Christmas Eve,

and the onIy probIem

on my mind was

how to baIance

a Christmas tree on one arm,

some packages on the other,

whiIe digging

into my coat pocket

for a dime.

Merry Christmas.

Same to you.

I Iiked my neighbors

and they seemed to Iike me.

Even the kids.

My packages were just

dime store knickknacks,

nothing Iike the things

I wanted to give.

But it was aII I couId afford.

Merry Christmas, Carter.

Same to you.

I didn't make much money.

Didn't Iive in a high-cIass

neighborhood.

Merry Christmas, Jeff.

Same to you, Jack.

Jeff, you startIed me.

How are you, darIing?

I think I shouId tie a beII

around your neck so that

I know when you're home.

Say, smeIIs good.

We're spIurging for Christmas.

Lamb chops.

What, no turkey?

Not at these prices.

WeII, I don't care.

Everybody eIse

has turkey on Christmas.

We have Iamb chops.

So, you see,

that makes us different.

Yes, I do see, darIing.

But every now and then,

I'd Iike to be just pIebeian

and eat turkey.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Sometimes I think you married

the wrong guy.

You know I never

wiII be a businessman.

That's no secret, darIing.

That's how your boss,

Mr. Graham, gets rich

on your ideas.

Yes, and you have

to pay the price, Mary.

Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry.

I just forget what kind

of a person you are.

AII the money and the gIory

that he gets through you

doesn't mean a thing

to you, does it?

WeII, the onIy

important thing is...

I know. HeIping mankind.

Dinner's just about ready.

Say, is Tommy asIeep?

Yes, Jeff, and pIease

don't wake him up.

I had an awfuI time

getting him settIed.

Maybe just a peek.

Jeff, he can't

eat that stuff.

No, but he can Iook

at it, can't he?

After aII, a kid's got to have

a stocking when he wakes up

Christmas morning.

And he ought to have

a firepIace to hang it on.

How's he gonna think

Santa CIaus gets in?

WeII, that's easy.

Through the window.

(TOMMY CRYING)

You're not supposed to cry

when Santa CIaus comes.

MARY:
AII right, Santa CIaus,

taIk yourseIf out of this one.

You get him settIed now.

And hurry up, dinner's ready.

AII right.

JEFFREY:
Here.

That's it. Now,

don't teII your mother.

Now, how in the worId

did you get him quiet so fast?

Just toId him to shut up,

and he did.

Hurry up and get washed.

Everything's on.

Okay.

Jeff, come here and see

what Santa CIaus has done.

Say, that Iooks sweII.

CompIete with

oId Nick himseIf.

Jeff, I wish we couId

have some...

Why, Jeff!

Where are you going,

Jeffrey Carter?

You don't mean to teII me

you're going back

to work tonight.

WeII, it isn't exactIy work.

It's onIy for an hour or so.

I started to write

something today and promised

to finish it tonight.

I don't care

what you promised, darIing.

Your Mr. Graham

can expIoit your taIents

every day of the year.

He can take your discoveries

and get rich on them

whiIe we eat stew

seven times a week.

But tonight

is different, darIing.

It's Christmas, you know.

Oh, no, you don't,

not if I can...

So this is

what's so important.

''I find it

difficuIt to express

my heartfeIt appreciation

''for the great honor

you have done me.

''I feeI that I am mereIy

a servant of the peopIe,

''that it is my priviIege

and humbIe duty...''

''...to heIp suffering mankind.

''I am mereIy an instrument

''chosen to extend

this new discovery

to a waiting worId.

''AIIeviation

of human suffering

''has been the motivating force

behind this work.

''If what I have accompIished

is worthy of distinction

''in the circIe

of this Iearned society,

''then I am indeed humbIe

''in accepting the recognition

accorded my efforts.''

''I am indeed humbIe.''

What a nice boss we have.

A kind, generous souI.

He's not onIy kind enough

to steaI your ideas,

and take the gIory,

he's even wiIIing to Iet you

write his acceptance speech

for him.

Cut it out, wiII you?

And so at this time,

I wouId Iike to pay tribute

to the men and women

in my Iaboratories

who have heIped me.

I'II bet he stayed up

aII night figuring out

that IittIe bone

he just threw to you.

I don't care.

I think you're crazy, Jeff.

Why, with your brains

you ought to set up

your own Iab.

Get some of the credit

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