Uncertain Glory

Jean Picard.

Jean Picard.

Get up.

Your appeal was rejected

by the Court of Cassation.

Your petition for pardon was not accepted.

The hour has come.

- Here are your clothes, Picard.

- The barber will shave your neck.

My head comes off the way it is.

It's unimportant.

Put his clothes on

and bring him to my office.

- My son, are you prepared?

- Save that for somebody else.

Bad customer that Picard.

Well, I would imagine this miserable hour

would make death twice as unpleasant.

To break in

on a man's sleep and tell him.

Would you have

the poor devil warned beforehand...

...and spend the whole night

turning to ice?

- Ah Bonet.

- Good morning, warden.

On time, as usual.

How are you?

You know

our famous Bonet, commissioner?

By reputation only.

- A great pleasure.

- Thank you.

Took him several months

to run down this Picard.

A good piece

of detective work. Outstanding.

Nonsense. It was routine, nothing more.

You think there's any chance

of getting a confession from him?

None at all.

I'm merely here to go through the formality.

- He has quite a record.

- Oh, yes. Everything in the book.

I have followed him for 15 years

from his first petty theft...

...up through forgery,

blackmail and burglary.

But he's a clever one, commissioner.

In all that time, I could never put him away

for more than six months.

- Until he committed murder.

- Yes.

Inspector Bonet would like to ask you

a few questions, Picard.

- Again?

- Again.

We begin with the date of February 7th.

At about half-past 3 on that morning,

you were walking down the rue de la Paix...

...near the jewelry shop

of one Aristide Rousseau, you paused.

- Is that right?

- So I've heard.

You forced your way in

and helped yourself to certain jewelry...

...to the approximate value

of 400,000 francs.

Is that all?

In the course of this work,

you were interrupted by the watchman.

He attacked you with his gun,

which you took away from him.

You bound and gagged him,

but when he attempted a disturbance...

...you hit him heavily over the head

with some blunt instrument.

From the effects of this blow, he died.

- Correct?

- Yes, l...

I read it in the papers.

However, you never told the court...

...what the blunt instrument was

that you used.

I said it was the floor.

Is that blunt enough?

And you have nothing new

to add to that?

Only one remark, it's hardly new.

- Yes?

- You're a fool.

I didn't talk before.

What makes you think I'll talk now?

We're wasting time.

Let's get this over with.

This must give you a lot of satisfaction.

It does.

It's been a long road, hasn't it?

Yes, but you see,

it's come to the right ending, Picard.

- Air raid.

- The English always did get up too early...

...for my taste.

That sounds very close, warden.

Shall we go into the shelters?

- Not yet, they're passing over.

- The ammunition factory's behind us.

Proceed with the execution.

I didn't tell you

because I knew you'd start a fight...

...but when we were in the air-raid shelter,

somebody pinched me.

Well, I don't mind, sweetheart.

It was just me.

Well, I certainly didn't

recognize the touch.

- Who could that be at this hour?

- I don't know.

Well, go and see, darling.

Maybe you pinched

somebody else in the shelter.

Jean.

Shut that door.

But you were supposed to be...

- This morning you...

- There was a slight interruption, I...

I excused myself.

- What do you want from me?

- Nothing much.

Money. A few thousand francs,

a German permit to travel and a passport.

- Are you mad?

- You can get it for me.

Well, even if I could,

the whole world's asleep at this hour.

Get them.

I knew I could rely on you, Henri, but hurry,

won't you? I haven't got much time.

With half the police in Paris after you,

why come to my place?

I come to my best friend, naturally.

I'm a great believer in friendship, Henri.

I can trust you just like you can trust me.

Henri, don't pick up any telephones,

will you?

You missed the guillotine last time...

...but if I'm caught again,

you might not be so lucky.

Haven't I seen you before somewhere?

No, I think not.

Oh, I'm sure I have. I never forget a face.

Your name's...

...Louise, isn't it?

I've never seen you before.

No?

- Where's Henri?

- Oh, he'll be gone about an hour.

You look like you got caught

in the air raid.

Caught in it?

- Can you keep a secret?

- Yes.

I was the inside man on that air raid.

I tipped the RAF off.

That's why I'm hiding.

Oh, you belong to the underground?

Body and soul.

What if they find you?

They'll line me up against a wall.

My life wouldn't be worth... that.

You're very brave.

Puff?

Hurry, quick.

Jean, Jean.

What? Oh.

- Did you get everything?

- There you are.

Fine. And the money?

I see you've helped yourself

to my best suit.

Well, what do you expect?

We're friends, aren't we?

Henri.

Thanks.

Thanks for everything.

Gaston, are you telling me the truth

about your school being bombed?

There's nothing about it in the paper.

A great many buildings

were bombed, Father.

Factories, yes.

Well, our school

sort of looks like a factory.

I just hoped it might've been hit.

I see.

Well, the British bombers

seemed to have missed it.

They hit the Renault factory instead.

And a part of the Prison Centrale.

Fine thing,

a boy hoping his school has blown up.

- Now, suppose you run along and see, huh?

- Go on, say goodbye to your father.

- Bye, Father.

- Goodbye.

- Bye. Be a good boy.

- Goodbye.

- Bye.

- Goodbye.

- Bye.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, Mother.

- Be good.

Just what is this, my dear?

Well, it said coffee on the bag.

Why, what does it taste like?

I'll tell you later.

Inspector Bonet's residence.

Yes, commissioner.

No, he hasn't left yet.

Yes, I'll tell him at once. Goodbye, sir.

Marcel, the commissioner

is extremely annoyed with you.

This is the third time he has called

and you're still here.

I imagine the Gestapo

are prodding his derrire this morning.

They will prod yours if Picard gets away.

How can you be so calm

and so indifferent to your duty?

But, my dear foolish one,

I have Picard already.

You mean, you know where he's hiding?

I have him here... just as securely

as though I had him here...

Explain yourself, Marcel.

One of us is stupid.

Precisely. Oh. Ha-ha.

I've made a scientific study

of this Jean Picard.

There's nothing about him

which I do not know, but nothing.

His habits of life, circle of companions,

even his thoughts.

For me, all these are filed here...

A, B, C, that is the Bonet method.

Some day the Bonet method

is gonna get us in the poorhouse.

- Now, don't worry.

- There's a man named Duval to see you, sir.

Duval, the world is full of Duvals.

What does he want?

I didn't ask him.

He says it's quite important.

Wait.

Duval.

Yes.

Come in, Duval.

Sit down, Henri.

Well, where is he?

All passengers for Hendaye

and the Spanish border...

...will transfer at Bordeaux.

Wonderful.

Lafite '24.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes