The Paradine Case Page #10

Synopsis: Highly successful London barrister Anthony Keane takes on the case of Italian Maddalena Paradine who is accused of poisoning her blind military hero husband. Keane comes increasingly under her spell, threatening both his marriage and his career.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance
Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
 
IMDB:
6.5
Rotten Tomatoes:
78%
APPROVED
Year:
1947
125 min
642 Views


The jury will disregard...

all they've just heard.

None of it was evidence.

Mr Keane, do you want an adjournment

to consider your position?

No, my lord...

on further consideration...

I've no application.

I will, however...

have my observations

to make to the jury in due course.

Yes, yes. Sir Joseph,

does the prosecution...

want an adjournment?

No, my lord.

I regret the court has been subjected

to this additional sensationalism.

Then proceed, Sir Joseph.

Mrs Paradine...

you admitted yesterday that you...

deliberately washed the glass that

contained what killed your husband.

Why did you wash that glass?

Answer my question.

Why did you wash that glass?

You must answer the question.

I'm sorry, I didn't hear.

Counsel has repeated

the question once.

What does it matter now?

Andre's dead.

The man I love is dead.

I thought about it day and night.

But I didn't know how.

I wanted to do it so

we could be free.

So Andre and I could go away...

and live together as we should.

But Andre wouldn't help me.

He and his honour.

I must warn you of the gravity

of the statement you are making.

Andre knew

I killed the blind man.

Andre knew it.

I didn't tell him,

but he knew it.

I think it quite unnecessary to ask

any further questions, my lord.

Is there anything else you wish

to ask the witness, Mr Keane?

- Mrs Paradine...

- I have nothing to say to you.

I loved Andre LaTour...

and you murdered him.

My life is finished.

It is you who has finished it.

My only comfort is the hatred

and contempt I feel for you.

My lord...

members of the jury...

I've done my best.

This case...

has already...

taken a heavy toll...

in the life of LaTour...

in it's burden on you...

and indeed on me.

I am, more than ever,

conscious of my shortcomings.

Everything I've done...

seems to have gone

against my client.

But, members of the jury...

you must not confuse my...

incompetence...

with any of the issues

of this trial.

Those are two questions apart.

Two questions...

quite apart.

Many things have become

obscured in this trial.

Many things...

have become obscured.

My lord, I can go on no longer.

I request your indulgence...

to let my friend...

Mr Cullens,

take over this case.

It's surprising how closely

a walnut...

resembles the human brain.

I wish you hadn't refused...

forbidden me to... you were right...

to go to the trial today.

Your coughing, might've distracted

me. It was important that I...

concentrate on Mr Keane's

performance.

Of course.

How I shall pray the verdict'll

be not guilty.

Must I listen to more

of your silly pity...

for every scoundrel,

man or woman...

I do pity her.

Who needs pity more than

a woman who's sinned?

You always forget that punishment

is part of the scheme.

- A necessary part of it.

- Doesn't life punish us enough?

Doesn't it? Why should we

hurt each other?

We've no right to be cruel. If I'm

certain of anything, it's of that.

You've knocked over a glass.

Oh, so I have.

Give it to me.

You've been talking more

nonsense than usual tonight.

I'm afraid this trial

has got on your nerves.

- I suggest you go to bed.

- Yes, I will, Tommy.

I'm sorry.

Oh, that poor woman.

Couldn't you do something

for her?

How dare you speak to one of

His Majesty's judges like that?

The jury decides questions

of guilt or innocence.

I may be silly, Tommy, but

I love you. I've always loved you.

And you must have known how

terrible it is to love a man who...

Tommy, when you were young

you were kind.

- You can't sit on that bench...

- As long as I sit on that bench...

I'll continue to do my duty.

And I performed a duty today.

The Paradine woman will be hanged

after three clear Sundays.

Next time, you'll place your

confidence with more discretion.

I suppose I ought to get out of here.

I've kept you up late enough.

You're more than welcome.

But I wish you'd telephone Gay.

She must be worried.

- Worried to death.

- Worried I'll come home, you mean.

The least I can do is spare Gay

the boring job of standing by me.

Listen to me. You're not as wise

about everything as you think.

You mustn't despair. If there's one

thing I can't abide it's despairing.

What would you have me do?

Hope for a high court judgeship?

Well, not for a while.

But all this talk of giving up

the bar is poppy-cock.

If I know anything about Gay,

there's nothing she wants now but...

Father.

Where is she?

Hello, Tony.

Hello.

What about some breakfast?

Do you mind? Thanks...

but as a matter of fact

I was just leaving.

Tony, you really shouldn't have

worried me like this.

I waited up till all hours.

I should've known

you'd be here with Simmie.

I was proud of you today.

Yes, I was.

Darling, it won't be easy.

There'll be those

who laugh at you, sneer.

And I don't think the newspapers

will be very kind.

The worst thing of all

was what I did to you.

Tony, the most important

moment in your life...

wasn't when you discovered

what she was.

And it wasn't when you'd the courage

to stand before the whole world...

and confess your own mistakes.

The most important moment...

Look at me Tony.

The most important moment

in your life is now.

My husband is the most brilliant

man I've ever known.

You can throw away your career and

become a beachcomber if you want.

Maybe that's not

such a bad idea.

Darling...

don't you understand? I want you

back on the job as fast as you can.

And I hope you've a tough case.

Very tough.

So that... it will take

the very best you have.

Winning every verdict

you're after. Convincing...

There you go again darling...

with all your fancy ideas

about me.

Incidentally darling,

you do need a shave.

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Robert Hichens

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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