True Confession Page #7

Helen Bartlett is not

Helen Bartlett alone.

Helen Bartlett is womankind.

And when the terrible

moment came, she faced it,

afraid but unflinching,

defending that which is

womankind's prime heritage.

Has not womankind the right to work

so that there shall be bread in her home?

Has not womankind the right

to repulse the evil advances...

of a man who has bought her services

so that he may satisfy his greed?

Has not womankind the sacred right

to protect herself at any cost?

The answer is yes!

And I am thankful indeed that seated

here today in this courtroom...

are honest, wise, unsulliedjurors...

who recognize Krayler's kind

for what it is worth,

and who must know in their hearts

that they must set this woman free-

a woman whose only crime

was the protection of her soul...

against the avarice of this man.

[ rest my case.

Her plea is self-defense-

self-defense, I presume, as illustrated

by a hunter shooting a jackrabbit.

But we have this fact:

She entered his office unfit for the job

she had forced him to give her,

with a loaded gun

which she wants us to believe...

she had taken to pawn

for lunch money.

Mr. Davis, may I have my coat, please?

As I said, ladies and gentlemen,

with a loaded gun...

which she wants us to believe

she had taken to pawn for lunch money.

Ha, ha, haa!

Thank you, Mr. Davis.

There can be but one decisin,

ladies and gentlemen of the jury:

Helen Bartlett,

despite her attractiveness,

despite her bad acting,

despite her wide, beautiful eyes...

is guilty of murder

in the first degree!

Those were crazy instructions

that judge gave us.

If we think she did it and meant to do it,

then we gotta find her guilty.

But if we think she did it

and didn't mean to do it,

then we gotta decide

that she didn't do it.

- What kind of talk is that?

- That isn't what he said.

That's what he meant, didn't he? Yes,

only in legal words, so it sounded better.

So what? You're saying she didn't do it

if you say she's not guilty,

and she already says she did it.

You heard what the judge said,

didn't you? That's what I meant.

All right, all right.

It's the law. Shut up.

Quite a show, isn't it?

Yeah. Swell fun.

I still bet she fries.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,

how do you find the defendant-

guilty or not guilty?

We find the defendant not guilty.

- Oh! Oh, Ken! Ken, I wanna tell you-

- Mrs. Bartlett, please!

Please, Mrs. Bartlett, right

over here. Ken, I wanna-

Ken!

Mr. Bartlett, put your arms

around her, please.

Oh.

Yeah.

Ken, I wanna tell you

how wonderful you were!

Mrs. Bartlett, this way, please.

And if it weren't for you, I-

Mrs. Bartlett, this way. Yeah, I

know what you're trying to tell me.

- A statement, Mrs. Bartlett?

- A statement?

Yes.

Uh-

She can't think of a thing! Whew! Huh?

Got you that time,

didn't I, Charley?

You think you're smart,

don't you, huh?

You bore me.

Fill my glass.

Yeah, where's your money?

What is money? Pathetic scraps of

metal, paper crawling with germs.

Fill my glass. Yeah. As soon

as you toss a few germs my way.

All right. If you insist,

I'll open an account.

What with?

See that?

- Okay, one drink for it.

- One drink, fool?

That wallet is worth $25,000.

Yeah. Not 24.50, eh, Charley?

Twenty-five thousand even.

That's a nice wallet for the money.

- You think I'm crazy?

- No, not crazy.

Just a little high-priced.

You, uh, found a customer for it yet?

Naturally.

''My Life - My Struggle

By Helen Bartlett.''

Oh,your girlfriend.!

The one you said was gonna fry.

Life. Death. Life.

For what?

She made a pile of dough writing her life

story, delivering lectures, stuff like that,

but I don't think she's ready to

turn over no 25 grand for no wallet,

even if it is real leather.

She'll buy it, all right.

The drink. You forgot the drink.

Yeah. Please. Pretty please?

Look at me. Here I am,

begging drinks from an idiot...

[ shouldn't even be speaking to...

while she spends the summer

in a fancy house at Lake Martha.

That hurts, you know it?

That hurts.

Yeah. So,

I'm an idiot, am I?

Just an expressin.

Yeah.

Uh, you want it full?

Uh-huh.

Yes, I guess we

better fill it up.

Here's how.

Where's mine?

Right there in front of you.

Drink up.

There's nothing in it. As far

as I'm concerned, it's full.

But, of course, as you say,

I'm an idiot.

You know, there are three things

requiring my immediate attention:

to sell the wallet,

buy this rat hole...

and throw you into the street!

Good day, sir!

Hello.

Oh.

Come on. Let's have a swim.

No, not now, later.

Where were you? I told you. I

had tea in town with Dorothy.

Martinis.

I had one-just one.

Ella's mixing up something

for you now.

I wish you'd gone with me.

No, thanks.

What are you doing tonight? I'm gonna

dictate some more of the novel to Daisy.

She's coming up

this weekend to help me.

Oh, reach me a cigarette.

That's one I owe you.

How are things at the office?

Good, I guess.

More business

than I can take care of.

Ken, did you ever think all this

would happen? What do you mean?

Everything. The apartment in town,

this house, your business, my novel.

All we've ever wanted,

we have.

And I'm so happy,

I'm afraid it's just a heavy dinner.

I thought you were gonna kiss me.

Is there anything wrong?

No, of course not.

What could be wrong?

I'm making money,

you have what you want,

you're doing what you like.

You're the happiest you've ever

been in your life. You just said so.

Well, I'm sorry,

but I can't be like that,

because I can't help remembering

why all this happened.

That's what I can't understand

about you-

how you can ever forget that we

wouldn't have any of this.

And I'd be happier if

Otto Krayler were still alive.

Oh.

I guess I shouldn't have said it.

You're right.

Here I've killed a man,

and I'm happy.

It doesn't make sense, does it?

Maybe it does.

Maybe I just don't know how

to act in a case like this.

You can give me that cigarette

you owe me.

Wouldn't it be perfect

if everything were just as it is,

except the other thing

hadn't happened?

More than perfect,

but it's too late now.

Remember the day in the cell

when I tried to tell you I was innocent?

Well, what if I

hadn't killed him?

What would you think? What

difference does it make what I think?

I mean,just pretend.

Pretend that anyone would

lie about a thing like that?

That she'd make a mockery of justice

and a fool of the man defending her?

Leave an unsuspected criminal at large

already plotting against his next victim?

Why, that would be

worse than murder!

I guess it would.

Helen!

What?

Oh, nothing.

I guess the heat's got me.

Frankie and Johnny

was lovers

Lordy, oh, how they could love

True to each other

Thank you, Ella.

You're welcome.

Well?

Uh- Uh-

Mr. Bartlett, that man of mine

- What about him?

He's took up with

some no-good gal in town...

and spendin' all the money I makes

takin' her out Susie-Q'in' and such.

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