Ten Little Indians

Inaccessible sort of place.

Very remote.

Gentlemen, my name is Grohmann.

Shall I offer you drinks

or show you to your rooms?

I think we would prefer first of all

to meet our host.

I'm sorry, sir.

Mr. Owen isn't here.

- Not here?

- Where is he?

- Extraordinary.

- When do you expect him?

This evening, sir.

- Has he been delayed?

- I really couldn't say, sir.

- Oh, come, come. What's your name?

- Grohmann, sir.

Well, Grohmann,

you must have some instructions.

My instructions are

to make you all comfortable.

I understand Mr. Owen

will be here for dinner.

Oh. Well, that's better.

Is it? I find it is a singular

lapse of manners:

A house party,

and the host the last to arrive.

- It happens.

- Not to me, young man.

What sort of chap is our absent host?

I haven't had the pleasure.

Strangely, neither have I.

What's he like, Grohmann?

I have no idea, sir.

My wife and I, we are hired

by an agency in Vienna two days ago.

We've never met Mr. Owen.

I trust you'll be comfortable.

If there's anything you want,

please ring.

By the way, I'm Ann Clyde,

Mr. Owen's secretary.

Did he leave any instructions for me?

No, miss. We want a word

with Mr. Owen ourselves when he arrives.

They never told us at the agency

the size of this place...

...or that we'd have

to look after eight guests.

I don't think that's any of our concern.

Miss Clyde, shall we join the others?

B*tch.

I think I'll have trouble with Her Ladyship

before the weekend's over.

Tell me about your Mr. Owen.

What's he like?

My dears, you look absolutely stricken.

I'm sure you all know the story...

...of the two Englishmen

cast away on a desert island...

...who never spoke to each other,

because they hadn't been introduced.

We were just about

to perform that task.

Well, since I'm not English,

I'll break the ice. I'm Hugh Lombard.

Dr. Edward Armstrong.

- Judge Cannon.

- How do you do, sir?

General Sir John Mandrake.

Blore, William Henry.

Ann Clyde.

This lady, I'm sure we all know.

We've admired you on the screen,

Miss Bergen.

- Thank you, judge.

- Well, I guess that leaves only me.

You've probably all heard of

Mike Raven and The Blackbirds.

No? Where's everybody been lately?

- You a singer?

- Yeah.

Number three on the charts last week.

"Why Does My Baby Do This to Me

When We Could Be in Love?"

A mixed gathering.

Now, some of us don't know our host.

Perhaps those who do

could tell us something about him.

Well, he's a rich guy. Eccentric.

At least that's what I've been told.

- But you haven't met him?

- Well, no.

He called up my agent

to come over to talk over a deal.

Ticket paid for, all set up.

May I ask if any others know Mr. Owen?

How utterly marvelous.

You all came to a house party

without knowing your host.

Well, what about you, Miss Bergen?

Darling, it happens to me all the time.

But, of course, one of us does know

the mysterious Mr. Owen.

His secretary.

- Then satisfy our curiosity, my dear.

- I'm afraid I can't.

I was engaged through

an agency in London.

This is quite ridiculous.

I have a good mind to leave at once.

Yeah, but what about the snow?

That, I assure you, sir,

would not deter me.

I've never known such a situation.

Well, Grohmann did say

he'd be here for dinner.

- Quite right, so he did.

- In that case, let's settle in, find our rooms.

You rang, sir?

Good Lord.

All right, I am ready

to see my room now.

I think we all are.

Unless you're thinking

of leaving us, general?

Gentlemen, would you please follow me?

If you just started working for Mr. Owen,

you didn't send out the invitations.

No, I didn't, Mr. Lombard. Why?

Just curious.

I think you have the wrong bag,

Mr. Lombard.

Very observant, aren't you, Mr. Blore?

"C.M."?

Yes, that's right. Charles Morley.

A friend of mine.

I borrowed it and forgot to return it.

You know how it is?

Besides, it's pigskin.

Oh, I beg your pardon, doctor.

I thought it was a cupboard.

It seems we're sharing

a bathroom, doctor.

Oh, I didn't know.

I was just taking a pill. Slight headache.

Yes, it's the traveling, you know.

Affects me the same way.

I've got a bit of a headache too.

You haven't got another pill by any chance?

I'm afraid that was the last.

Oh, it doesn't matter.

A stiff whiskey and soda before dinner

might do the trick, eh?

Yes.

- Mr. Blore?

- Yes?

- The bathroom is yours.

- Thank you.

Ten little Indians went out to dine

One choked his little self

Then there were nine

We could have stayed

in Vienna all along.

You said it was safer

to take another job.

Will you shut up?

They didn't suspect us there.

We were safe.

We won't be safe here if you open

your mouth much louder in this house.

Now, get on with your work.

Just terrific!

Try Ann Clyde.

She's more in your league.

Hey, we professionals

should stick together.

The rest of this party's pretty square.

Down, boy. Down.

What is your league, Mr. Lombard?

General. Going hunting?

Our Mr. Owen seems to keep

quite a considerable armory.

Rather different

from our last meeting.

Our last meeting?

I don't remember.

Oh, come now.

When I was stationed in Berlin?

I'm afraid you're mistaken.

Excuse me.

It seems we're dining with

the 10 little Indians but without our host.

Pity. He missed a jolly good meal.

Yes, indeed. Give our congratulations

to your wife, would you?

Thank you, sir.

But, doctor, you haven't joined us

in this excellent wine.

Water never hurt anybody, Miss Bergen,

especially in my profession.

You have a point there.

Keeps the old hand steady, eh?

May I propose a little toast?

To absent friends, the 10 little Indians

and, of course, our host.

- To our host.

- Absent friends.

I hope Mr. Owen

isn't lost in the snowstorm.

- You could lose your job.

- Don't jinx it, Mr. Lombard.

Come on. Let's cut out

the formality, huh?

- Hugh.

- I'm Ann.

- Hi, Ann. Cigarette?

- Thanks.

- Now, how does that old song go?

- My dear sir, what old song?

Well, you know, sir.

The old nursery rhyme,

"The Ten Little Indians."

There's a copy of the rhyme

hanging on the wall in my room upstairs.

That's funny.

There's a copy in my room too.

- And mine.

- Well, then who's with it?

Who's got the first line?

Ten little Indians went out to dine

One choked his little self

And then there were nine

That's it. Strictly Nurseryville.

Then what happened?

Nine little Indians

Staying up quite late

One went away

And then there were eight

There's a copy of the song

on the piano in the lounge too.

Mr. Owen seems very interested

in little Indians.

Eight little Indians

Traveling to heaven

One met a pussycat

Then there were seven

Seven little Indians

Chopping up sticks

The chopper finished one of them

And then there were six

Six little Indians

Playing with the hive

A bumblebee stung one

And then there were five

Five little Indians

Going in for law

One got chancery

And then there were four

Four little Indians

Feeling ill at sea

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