The Lodger

"...murders being committed

in our midst."

"Police inadequate."

"We intend offering

a substantial reward...

to anyone, citizen or otherwise...

"who shall give information

bringing the murderer...

or murderers to justice."

Hmm.

Eh! Blimey! It's been rainin'.

Look at all them puddles.

You mustn't be frightened by 'em.

Ain't it a shame

to break up the party?

How about a song, Katie?

Sing that "Ria all over again. Ready?

Well done, Katie!

Look out for Jack the Ripper.

Don't let 'im get you, dearie.

I'll be all right.

There are plenty of policemen about.

- Have you got far to go?

- Only 'round the next corner.

Very well. Good night.

Good night.

Good night, Katie.

Good night, all.

Hello. Who are you?

What do you want?

It was the Ripper all right.

He done her the same way as the others.

They only just found her.

Isn't it awful, what's happenin'.

It's hardly more than a week

since the last.

I saw 'im!

I saw the Ripper.

He ran down the other alley.

- It must be him.

- Did you see his face?

No. Not in the dark.

Like a shadow he was.

She's the fourth

he's done 'round here.

Right in the streets...

under your very noses.

Whoa.

Special edition!

Extra! Special edition!

Lord love me! They've seen him!

They seen the Ripper.

Murder in White chapel! Murder!

The Ripper's been seen!

Read about it! Read all about it!

They've seen the Ripper!

Murder in White chapel!

Read all about it!

Murder in White chapel!

Paper! Ripper sensation!

Jack the Ripper still at large!

Read all about it!

Murder in White chapel!

Jack the Ripper still at large!

- Boy! Paper.

- Jack the Ripper still at large!

- Read all about it!

- Aye, boy! Paper.

Murder in White chapel!

Murder in White chapel!

Read all about it!

- Here, boy!

- Murder in Whitecha... Thank you, governor.

Jack the Ripper still at large!

Read all about it!

Paper, sir?

Jack the Ripper still at large!

Read all about it!

Amazing. Another murder in the same

district committed in the same way.

Throat cut from behind.

Extraordinary.

- You have rooms to let?

- Hmm?

I saw your advertisement, and the estate

agents gave me this order to view.

Well, you better come in.

We don't really make a habit

of letting rooms, you know.

Itjust so happens, at the moment,

we might be able to accommodate someone.

I'll call my wife.

- Ellen.

- Yes, darling?

This gentleman has come

about the, uh, advertisement.

- Oh. How do you do?

- How do you do?

The rooms are upstairs, Mr., uh...

My name is Slade.

Slade? How odd.

We have a Slade Walk

at the corner of the square here.

Now, if you'll come this way.

Here we are.

My Aunt Sophie occupied this part

of the house before she died.

I'm sure you'll be

very comfortable here.

- This is the bedroom.

- These are the only rooms you have?

I'm afraid so.

- There are the attics of course.

- Attics?

Mi-Might I see them?

Why, they're not very well furnished,

but if you wish.

Those are old-time actresses.

Quaint, aren't they?

My aunt's maid used these attics.

This one is quite empty.

This one was used as a kitchen.

It's excellent.

This is excellent...

exactly what I need.

You see, I'm a pathologist,

a sort of medical scientist.

I wanted to find a place where I could study

and do a little experimental work.

I'd take the other rooms as well...

live in them and work up here.

- Would that be all right?

- Of course.

This would be particularly useful...

because, occasionally,

I require great heat.

Would there be any objection

to my moving in tonight?

I don't even want to go out again.

I have everything that I need.

We, uh...

We haven't discussed terms.

- Anything you suggest.

- Well, I thought, with meals and attention...

- Five pounds a week?

- Five?

You've no idea how much it means to me

to find just the place I need.

It's such a relief.

And besides, you're not quite

the usual landlady, are you?

I think I should tell you why

I want a paying guest here.

My husband was a tea broker

in the City... Mincing Lane.

Not very long ago,

he misinterpreted a commission...

and bought an entire shipment

at the wrong price.

Making good the loss has left us

in rather low water.

So now you must let rooms.

He has income from

a little entailed property...

so we still manage

to keep our appearances.

But he'd give anything

to be in business again.

Originally, my husband

started business with a hundred pounds.

Now, if I could get that much together

again and hand it over to him...

I'm sure he'd go into the City again

as he did 20 years ago.

Oh, I understand completely.

We can't go on much longer

as we have been.

He'll break up with nothing IO do.

In fact, he's had a nervous breakdown.

So that times he seems

a little eccentric...

or irritable

or even rude towards you...

I'm sure you'll understand

that, too, and excuse it.

Why, of course.

In a way, these dreadful

Jack the Ripper murders are a godsend.

He thinks and argues about them

instead of moping.

This is like a refuge.

Since I am going to move in now...

I think I should pay you

a month's rent in advance.

Twenty pounds.

I'm afraid that my habits are irregular.

I often need to be out

quite late at night.

But I'll use the back door into the mews

so as not to disturb anyone.

Just regard me as a lodger,

not as a guest.

Then you will hardly know

that I'm in the house.

Whatever you wish. The maid will get

your meals whenever you want them.

- You have a maid?

- It happens to be her night out.

But I'll get you some supper.

You would like some supper,

I expect.

Yes, I should. Thank you.

This is a beautiful old Bible.

- It was my Aunt Sophie's.

- You'll leave it here?

You'd like to have it.

Mine, too, are the problems of life...

and death.

Murder in White chapel! Murder!

The Ripper's been at it again!

Ripper sensation!

Read it in your paper!

Oh, it's you. I wondered why

the door was open.

- Where have you been?

- Where-Where have I been?

I just slipped out.

There's a new edition come up, you know.

I heard the newsboy shouting.

People are getting really alarmed.

Especially women.

He only does women, you know.

He cuts their throat,

and then he... uses his knife.

It's terrible.

They say the papers

don't print all the details.

The frightening part about it

is nobody knows why he does it...

or what he's like.

By the way, did you, uh,

get rid of that fella?

He's taken the rooms.

Well, that means

there's a stranger in the house.

We'll have no more privacy.

He'll be no trouble. We shall hardly

know that he's in the house.

Well, if you really want to do it.

I've done it anyway.

All right, old girl.

Now I must get him some supper.

- What, you mean he's already moved in?

- Mm-hmm.

Well, what about references?

But, Robert, he's a gentleman...

a kind of doctor, a pathologist.

He insisted on paying a month in advance.

Besides, I'm sure the agents would never

send anyone who wasn't quite...

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes