The Night Porter

---

Good evening.

You're early.

I want to get off early

tomorrow morning.

Ah. Here are the flowers,

the newspaper and the cigarettes...

- that the countess asked for.

- Thank you.

- Has she called down?

- I don't know.

You're always sending only me out

to buy things for her.

You get tipped, don't you?

Oh !

- Here you are.

- Thank you.

Without water?

- The water's finished.

- But they--

They will stick in my throat.

They won't do any harm.

Get on.

I'm still cold, Max.

I really can't think of anything--

Max, dear.

You don't have any imagination.

- And neither do you, Countess.

Silly, silly, silly.

Do you want the usual assistance?

Go up to 42.

She's waiting for you.

Go to hell. I want to sleep.

I'll go up later.

- You'll go now !

- I'm fed up with her, damn it !

You asked for a month's wages

in advance.

All of it.

I like people

who honor their contracts.

Okay, okay.

Damn her.

And that perfume

she wallows in is muck.

It may be some fancy brand,

but it makes me vomit. Really.

At least she doesn't

smell of fried food, like you do.

Or, uh, mouthwash.

I don't smell of mouthwash.

I'm dripping with Helena Rubenstein's

eau de cologne for men.

For men of distinction.

Ah !

Thanks.

Some other time.

- See you soon. Good-bye.

My keys, please. Room 25.

- My key, please. Number 32.

- I'm sorry.

Thirty-two, please.

I think it was--

- What?

- Thirty-two.

Don't you remember?

We had just come back from--

He's a conductor.

He's conducting at the opera.

- So?

- Oh, nothing.

Hello?

Uh, yes, a bottle

of mineral water, please.

Very cold. Thank you.

- No, don't call !

- Why? What's the matter?

I'm sorry.

You'll be all right?

Yes.

Yes, I'm fine.

- Come in.

- Good evening, sir.

- Good evening.

- Will there be anything else?

- No, thank you.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Religion?

- Lucia?

Yes, I'm coming.

Greetings.

Did you expect me?

Of course.

- Would you have the same room?

Always.

You seem strange.

Are you worried about Thursday?

No.

If you're worried, you're foolish.

Your case is easy.

After all, there are no witnesses

to testify against you.

You should be pleased. At the moment,

we're only thinking about you.

The professor says

you're a special case.

-He should be here shortly. Show him up.

-Of course.

- Name, date of birth.

- Emanuel Strauss.

-Address? Religion?

Next.

- Name?

- Hansard, Wilhelm.

- Date of birth?

-Seventh of March, 1920.

- Address?

- Religion?

- Lutheran.

Next.

- Name?

- Klein, Paul.

- Date of birth?

- March 4, 1918.

-Address?

- Religion?

-Jewish.

Next.

- Name?

- Date of birth?

-Address? Religion?

- Were you trying to sleep?

- No.

- Leave me alone, for God's sake.

- Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I have my worries too.

Of course.

Would you do me a favor?

If I can.

Would you stand in for me

tomorrow night?

- Where?

- Here.

You'll have to wear my jacket...

and just be polite

to all the guests.

- Well, will you or won't you?

- Of course I will.

Thank you.

It's just for one hour.

Good evening, Max.

- Good evening, Herr Professor.

Is he in the same room?

- Yes.

- Good.

I've managed--

don't ask me how--

to find what the spies know

exactly about Max.

Here. Maximilian Theo Aldorfer.

" Had a career in the entourage

of Karlton Bruener.

"Operated in Hungary

in a section of the office 4-B.

Lives under an assumed name--""

Etc., etc.

"In the Nuremburg archives, see file

number--" At the head of the page,

there's a number three which means

a small fry, not worth bothering about.

However, there's a note which says...

"was very friendly with some

very important people. "

So it may be that they are

looking for him.

Max had imagination.

He had fun passing himself off

as a doctor...

to have a chance at making sensational

photographic studies.

It's obvious that not one

of Max's patients survived.

But perhaps one did.

Do you recognize anybody?

Yes, perhaps I remember.

Who knows if she survived?

I thought that Mario might

know something about her.

- Who is Mario?

- Mario, that Italian. Try to remember.

He was spared because

he was an excellent cook.

After the war, he married Greta Heller.

They run a restaurant out on the river.

Ah, yes, yes.

We called him up once to testify.

Yes, and he's coming

to the next meeting.

If he knows anything,

he'll tell us.

Good.

Have you seen Max?

He seems upset.

What shall I use?

Aluminium.

Otherwise, I won't sleep.

Bert, you should read a book.

Oh,yes, I've tried, Max.

If I read, I think,

and that's worse.

Get up and go out,

and you know how it always ends.

You need a bodyguard.

I'd like to have you.

If I were rich,

I'd hire you to do

everything for me.

Would you?

Yes, of course.

You say that because you know I can't.

- No.

- You don't really want to.

You don't want to wipe anybody's ass.

Be careful.

You're very good at it.

You never hurt.

"An interpretation of great elegance.

"This will be remembered

as a considerable event...

in the lyric season

at the--"

"I must say that inasmuch

as I had no idea...

"what to expect

from Maestro Atherton,

who comes to Vienna on a wave of acclaim

which he shows is fully merited--"

Aren't you listening?

You don't give a damn about them.

But still, I would like

to hear your opinion.

I'd like some peace.

What's the matter? You've always

wanted to hear the reviews.

We've always

gone over them together.

- I want to go.

- What did you say?

I told you I am leaving.

I want to leave this place now.

I hope you realize what a disaster

we have in the first violinist.

Coreline Hader plays along

all on her own like a perfect idiot.

I told you I am leaving !

Lucia, you're out of your mind.

I have to be at the opera tonight.

All right.

So I'll go alone.

Where do you want to go?

Away from this hotel,

away from this city.

And away from this country.

I understand what you feel.

But you seemed so happy

to come here with me.

Lucia, what's come over you?

Anyway, it's a question

of a few days more.

Tomorrow we go to Frankfurt. In three

days, Berlin, Hamburg and that's it.

You're absolutely incredible.

- Incredible.

- Don't open.

- It's the porter with other newspapers.

- Don't open, please.

- I thought all had been delivered.

Come in.

- Good morning.

- 'Morning. Thank you.

Thank you.

We've planned everything

for one of these evenings.

You can prepare the room.

They're all coming.

I think I found a witness.

You remember Mario the cook?

He knows something.

Couldn't you wait

a little longer?

No. I prefer to close

your case as soon as possible.

But you haven't come

to see the place.

What is it?

Has something happened?

It's the trial.

Klaus is being

a little... hasty.

Sooner or later he had to call you up,

as he has for everybody else.

Be sure to keep your eyes open. You

often read of somebody being turned in.

Yes, you do. Especially

by collaborators like yourself.

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