Ten Little Indians Page #2

Synopsis: Up to a house high on a mountain top have been invited ten people who are strangers to each other. When they are all gathered, they hear from their host that each one of them has in someway caused the death of an innocent person and that justice had not be served in their cases. There are eight guests and two servants there for the weekend, but one by one, they are being knocked off according to the poem of "Ten Little Indians". As the number of survivors decreases, they begin to believe that the killer is one of the group, but are unable to decide on which one he or she may be.
Director(s): George Pollock
Production: Warner Home Video
 
IMDB:
6.7
PG
Year:
1965
91 min
702 Views


A red herring swallowed one

And then there were three

Three little Indians

Walking in the zoo

A big bear hugged one

Then there were two

Two little Indians

Sitting in the sun

One gets all frizzled up

Then there was one

It's all right, general.

He's down to his last little Indian.

Thank God for that.

One little Indian boy

Left all alone

So he went out and hanged himself

And then there were none

And now, sir, will you be good enough

to cease that infernal noise?

My public. Bless them.

Wonderful.

Ladies and gentlemen,

this is your host speaking.

My name is U.N. Owen.

I have brought you here

to charge you with the following crimes.

General Sir John Mandrake, BC.

That you achieved honor

from dishonor...

... and sent five men

to their certain death.

Ilona Bergen, actress.

That you did bring about

the death of your husband...

... in a most cold-blooded

and ruthless manner.

Dr. Edward Armstrong.

That you did kill Mrs. Ivy Benson...

... and betray your sacred trust.

Arthur Cannon,

judge of the Queen's Bench.

That you were responsible for the death

of an innocent man, one Edward Seton...

... who was hanged

according to your judgment.

Michael Raven, entertainer.

That you were guilty of the murder

of William and Lisa Stern.

Ann Clyde, secretary.

That you murdered

your sister's fianc, Richard Barkley.

Hugh Lombard, engineer.

That you are guilty

of the death of Jennifer Hayes...

... who was to bear your child

out of wedlock.

William Blore, detective.

That, by perjured testimony,

you sent James Landor...

... to a cold and lonely death

in a prison cell.

Joseph and Elsa Grohmann.

That you maliciously

and brutally caused the death...

... of your invalid employer,

the Countess Wallenstein.

- Prisoners at the bar...

- Where is it coming from?

... have you anything to say

in your defense?

Here it is.

I think she'll be all right

for the moment.

- Blore, detective.

That, by perjured testimony, you sent...

- It's a bloody lie.

- What's going on here?

- It's on this tape.

- A practical joke.

One in very poor taste,

if I may say so, gentlemen.

May I ask who put that tape

on the machine?

It was you, Grohmann.

Come on, tell the truth.

No, not me. It was there.

- Did you switch it on?

- Yes, sir.

- Why?

- I didn't know what it was. I really didn't.

I was just obeying orders.

Before God, I swear.

Whose orders?

Mr. Owen's.

Let's get this quite clear.

Mr. Owen ordered you to switch this on?

It was written down for me, sir.

"Put on this switch at 9:00."

I thought it is music.

I'm telling the truth.

I've never met him.

My wife will tell you. Elsa.

I told you we shouldn't have come.

- We shouldn't have come here!

- Elsa.

Look after her, Grohmann.

What about the rest of us?

The rest of us had better go and sit down

and consider our position.

Yes, indeed.

- We've got to get away.

- We are not the only ones in trouble.

- Sit tight.

- We could've stayed in Vienna.

- I don't care about the countess's money.

- Shut up!

You said we got away with it!

Now, we all know how

the servants came to be here...

...and, of course, Miss Clyde,

hired by an agency.

I suggest the rest of us

explain our presence.

Very simple, sir.

I received a letter from Mr. Owen

asking me to join his house party...

...and claiming friendship

with a very old and dear friend of mine...

...who was also to be here.

Like I told you,

my European agent fixed it.

I had a week free between

engagements in Paris and Vienna.

And you, doctor?

Frankly, I came

in a professional capacity.

I was asked to join the guests...

...but in fact to make a medical

examination of Mr. Owen.

Oh, he needs a psychiatrist but bad.

Knock it off, huh?

And you, Mr. Lombard?

Like the general, I had a letter

claiming he was a friend of a friend.

We've all been taken for the same ride.

I've been told I'd be meeting

important people from the film business.

And I expected to meet

some legal friends.

What about Mr. Blore?

We haven't heard his explanation.

Well, I see no reason to conceal it

any longer. I'm here to do a job.

He's a cop.

You can smell him a mile off.

I beg your pardon, young man.

Private inquiry agent.

Quite a respectable mode of life to be in.

I was hired.

- By whom?

- By this Mr. Owen.

- So you met him?

- No, Your Honor, no.

He enclosed a fat money order

with this letter.

He told me to join the party

as one of the guests.

To spy on us?

Could be, sir. Could be.

I run a reputable agency in London,

and I have my credentials.

Look at the signature on this letter.

"U.N. Owen."

Well, by a small stretch of imagination,

"U.N. Owen" might stand for "unknown."

Not only has Mr. Unknown

enticed us here under false pretenses...

...he has also taken the trouble

to find out a great deal about us.

- It's a pack of lies.

- Quite fantastic.

Oh, I don't know.

Ten little skeletons in 10 little closets.

I don't think you'd better drink

any more.

And I think you're dead sexy.

Please, Mr. Raven.

You know, I'm still not clear

as to Mr. Unknown's purpose...

...in bringing us all together here.

In my opinion, this person,

whoever it may be...

...is out of his mind.

Anyway, and whatever his purpose...

...I think it would be as well

for all of us to leave at once.

I quite agree.

Miss Clyde, as you're there...

...press the bell for Grohmann,

would you, please?

You're quite right, gentlemen.

We can't spend the night here.

We ought to try

and find a hotel down below.

- Grohmann.

- Sir?

How far is the nearest village

from here?

Fifteen miles from

the bottom cable station, sir.

I see. Would you be so kind as

to telephone for the sleighs?

We all wish to leave.

I can't, sir.

The telephone is not working.

Can't you get a message

down by cable car?

No, sir. There's no one there.

And there won't be until Monday morning...

...when the sleigh arrives

with supplies.

Monday morning?

But it's only Friday night.

I'll take the cable car down in the morning

and try to find some transportation.

Nothing we can do until then.

Hey! Who wants to leave, man?

This is a gas.

Why don't we get to the bottom

of this mystery?

At our time of life, sir,

we have no desire for a gas, as you call it.

What's the matter, judge,

lost your sense of adventure?

Too long in those

dusty old courtrooms.

Not me. I'm all for kicks.

Your Honor.

Now, I don't know

about the rest of you...

...but that tape didn't tell

any lies about me, my lovelies.

Allow me to confess.

It all happened about a year ago

in London.

I was on my way back

from a party. Late, drunk.

And I was driving fast. Very fast.

Two people on the road ahead.

- What happened?

- I ran over them.

William and Lisa Stern.

Two years married. Very sad.

Were you charged?

Yeah, a whitewash job,

but they punished me.

- How?

- They took away my driving license.

- Good Lord.

- See what's the matter with him.

- What's the matter with him?

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Peter Yeldham

Peter Alan Yeldham (born 25 April 1927) is an Australian screenwriter for motion pictures and television, playwright and novelist. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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