On Albert Bester's "The Demolished Man"

I was motivated to read this novel after hearing a story by David Mamet in his masterclass on writing. I described the story in my blog post on his class.

Alfred Bester (1913-1987) wrote science fiction, but also wrote for TV, radio, and comic books. He was an editor for a travel magazine for many years. In 1936 he married Rolly Bester, the actress who played the first Lois Lane on the radio show Adventures of Superman.

Among his many short stories and novels, Bester is perhaps best known for The Demolition Man (1952) and The Stars My Destination (1956), both serialized in Galaxy magazine. The 1952 novel won the first ever Hugo Award given at the 11th World Science Fiction Convention.

I'm not a lawyer but here is some information which suggests both of these novels are in the public domain. The Internet Archive has The Demolished Man, scanned from it's publication in Galaxy, (part 1, part 2, and part 3, and likewise for the 1956 novel). While there is an indication that Bester renewed the copyright (see this search item for the 1952 novel, and this item for the 1956 novel), the copyright page of Galaxy indicates that Galaxy owned the copyright and so it seems to me, as a non-lawyer, it is Galaxy that had to renew it. (I base my reasoning on the section "Who May Claim Renewal" in this copyright.gov pdf.)

I've typed all of The Demolished Man into latex, including the original artwork, for fun and to learn Bester's writing style by forcing myself to pay attention to the details. A really terrific novel by an excellent writer.

A breakdown of The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913 novel)

The Patchwork Girl of Oz​ (1913) is L. Frank Baum’s 7th book in his Oz series. We will attempt to break this down from several perspectives. Some characters from the classic movie The Wizard of Oz (broken down in this earlier post) are present: Dorothy, Toto, the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and very very briefly the Cowardly Lion. However, the major characters are new.

The characters that occur in more than one chapter are, in the approximate order we meet them in the story:

• Ojo (a young boy about 10 years old who lives in Munchkin County)
  
• Unc Nunkie (Ojo’s terse-speaking uncle, later accidentally turned to marble by the Crooked Magician’s petrifying potion)
  
• Dr Pipt (also called the Crooked Magician, due to his crooked shape and the fact his practices magic “illegally”)
  
• Margolotte (the magician’s wife, later accidentally turned to marble by the magician’s petrifying potion)
  
• Bungle (the magician’s glass cat, made alive by the magician’s potion before the story began)
  
• Scraps (the Patchwork Girl, a sort of large raggedy Ann doll who, when made alive by the magician’s potion, was to be Margolotte’s household helper)
  
• Phonograph (accidentally made alive by the magician’s potion)
  
• Shaggy Man
  
• Woozy (a dog-like creature with a square head who can shoot sparks and fire from his eyes)
  
• Scarecrow (who likes Scraps and is now a ruler of one of the counties of Oz)
  
• Sawhorse (Scarecrow’s steed)
  
• Dorothy (and Toto, of course)
  
• Ozma (a princess who now rules Oz)
  
• Hip Hopper (one of many one-legged cave-dwelling miners)
  
• Jak the Horner (one of many miners, who have a 6 inch horn sticking out of their forehead and are fond of telling awful puns)
  
• Wizard (here he’s an assistant to Glinda the Good Witch)
  
• Tinman (or, the Tin Woodsman, now a ruler of Winkies, one of the counties of Oz)
  

Although mentioned several times, we never meet Glinda the Good Witch.

In spite of the title, it is fair to say that Ojo is the protagonist, not the Patchgirl Scraps, who is really more of an ally. While there are plenty of obstacles in Ojo's journey, there is no clear antagonist in this story, although one could argue Ojo himself is his own antagonist. It could be argued that, by ignoring adult decisions and doing what he wanted, he indirectly caused the major problems that he had to overcome. In the end, when he finally apologized and explained the mis-guided reasons he did what he did an adult took pity on him and helped him out of his problem. Using my old post on the seven basic conflicts, I'd classify this as "man vs self", or "boy vs self" to be more accurate.

Act 1: ​The first 5 chapters comprise the first act: Ojo and Unc Nunkie, The Crooked Magician, The Patchwork Girl, The Glass Cat, A Terrible Accident. In these chapters, we meet Ojo (the protagonist), who’s unhappy with his lonely life in the woods with his uncle but no one nearby. He doesn’t quite know right from wrong but is basically good and loves his uncle. We also meet his uncle Unc (soon to be accidentally petrified by the Crooked Magician),

who agrees to take Ojo on a trip to meet Dr Pipt. Dr Pipt is Unc’s nearest neighbor, but still a long distance away. Once at Dr Pipt’s house they learn from Pipt’s wife Margolotte (soon to be accidentally petrified by her husband) he’s working on a magic potion of some type.

They also meet Bungle, their self-centered Glass Cat,

Scraps the brainy and kind Patchwork Girl (who is in almost every scene once we meet her but is less active than Ojo, at least in the beginning), and we witness the inciting incident.

We learn something important about Ojo as well. Margolotte says clearly it was a big mistake to give Bungle brains “much too good for a cat” and wanted her servant girl to have only enough brains and obedience to understand her commands and obey them. However, when no one was looking, Ojo added a lot of other qualities to the potion that was to be used to animate Scraps (such as "Cleverness," "Judgment," "Courage," "Ingenuity," "Amiability," "Learning," "Truth," "Self Reliance," ...). The “terrible accident” occurs when Dr Pipt is in the process of animating Scraps. She suddenly becomes alive when the animating potion is poured on her, knocking into people, causing the petrifying potion to be poured on Margolotte and Unc. She also causes the rest of the animating potion to be spilled on the phonograph. Of course, Ojo is crushed, as is Dr Pipt. Dr Pipt tells Ojo it takes 6 years to make a dose of the animating potion needed to reanimate Unc and Margolotte. However, he can do it in short order if he can obtain five ingredients:

1. a six-leaved clover,
   
2. the left wing of a yellow butterfly found in the yellow country of the Winkies (west
   of the Emerald City),
   
3. a gill of water from a dark well,
   
4. three hairs from the tip of a Woozy's tail, and
   
5. a drop of oil from a live man's body.
   

Ojo and Scraps and Bungle set off on a journey to find these ingredients.

Act 2: ​The second act is pretty long. If we take as the act 2 brake the point where the Tinman refuses to give them item #2 above then it goes from chapters 6 to 26. First, they find the Woozy but as they are unable to pluck out 3 hairs, the Woozy goes with them.

They are almost eaten by giant plants, but saved by Shaggy Man.

They are blocked by a huge locked gate, but again Shaggy Man helps them get through it. They meet and get distracted by quite a few minor characters (Foolish Owl, Wise Donkey, Giant Porcupine, the Tottenhots, Mr Yoop, Lazy Quadling). The Giant Porcupine is truly dangerous, but Scraps protects Ojo from harm and only Shaggy Man is wounded. Ojo shows his mischievous side by illegally picking a 6-leafed clover and being jailed once he tries to enter the Emerald City. Ojo is a prisoner for a day but when he explains what it is for, Ozma releases him and is given the stolen 6-leafed clover. At that point, Dorothy

and Scarecrow

join Ojo and Scraps on their journey, but Bungle decides to stay in the palace with Ozma.

They return on their journey to find the remaining ingredients (#2, #3, #5). They meet the man-eating Mr Yoop

but they avoid capture with the help of Scarecrow and Scraps. They must also ride the Trick River, which changes direction at random times.

All these obstacles they managed to get past. Besides these smaller characters, they meet and are helped by Shaggy Man, Woozy, Scarecrow, Dorothy, Ozma, Hip Hopper and Jak Horner (who together help them get item #3). In the end they have obtained three of the five needed ingredients.

Towards the end of chapter 26, Ojo is told about the Tinman and his need for oil. Before he’s met the Tinman, Ojo basically knows how to get the fourth ingredient.

Act 3: ​In chapter 27, they enter the yellow country of the Winkies and meet the Tinman. Ojo thinks quickly and uses a vial to catch a drop of oil falling from Tinman’s knee joint before it hits the ground.

Now they have four of the five ingredients needed to reanimate Unc and Margolotte. They ask Tinman for help with #2. He refuses, arguing it is cruel and painful for the butterfly, and recommends they ask Ozma for advice. In the final chapter 28, they return to the Emerald City. The petrified Unc and Margolotte are already there. Dorothy pleads their case to Ozma, and Ozma tells the Wizard

to use Glinda’s magic to reanimate Unc and Margolotte and also to remove the magic skills from Dr Pipt. As he’s de-magicized, Dr Pipt changes from crooked to a normal man and is reunited with his wife. Ojo is reunited with his uncle. Ojo won’t live a lonely life in the woods by get to live in a cottage outside the Emerald City. Everyone lives happily ever after.

RIIIIBIT! (short story 16)

Over a year ago, as an exercise, I started writing one short story a week. This was something Harlan Ellison (I think) suggested to one of his fans, his reasoning being "You can't write 52 bad short stories in a row." I'm not sure about that, but here's one of those stories.

The story below was inspired by the one act play by Ferenc Molnár "A Matter of Husbands" written in 1922 and published in English in 1923 (hence in the public domain). His play is about two women and a man, where one woman is lying to the other. It's so convincing that the the reveal at the end is that she was lying. I wondered, what if both were witches, one real and one not, and bother were lying.

*
Fred Quibble is a lawyer with a schoolboy’s crush on beautiful BeBe. BeBe Majors, a young actress who’s full of life and loves to flash her glittery dressing gown with an exotic design. They enter BeBe’s dressing room and Fred shuts the door.

BeBe’s dressing room has a dressing screen, a dressing table with various make-up trays and bowls spilling over with jewelry. A flower bouquet sits on a small table between a sofa and a chair. Behind the chair is a small closet. The closet door is open.

“She’s a witch, BeBe.” Fred says.

BeBe admires herself in the big mirror on her dressing table and barely looks at Fred. “All husbands say that about their wives, Freddie dear.”

“You don’t understand,” Fred says. Fred seems worried.

There’s a soft knock on BeBe’s dressing room door. BeBe looks at Fred and points to the closet. He tip-toes into the closet and quietly shuts the door behind
him.

Backstage, in the hallway outside a dressing room, Jane Quibble paints a portrait of a typical plain, worried, young woman with a nervous disposition. She’s dressed in a modest coat, a simple dress and well-worn shoes. She clutches her purse to her like it was a teddy bear. Jane knocks again timidly at BeBe’s door.

BeBe opens the door. “Come in, I’m just putting on my make-up. Do I know you?” BeBe asks.

“I’m Jane Quibble. You don’t know me but I know you,” Jane says.

BeBe waves Jane in. “I should hope so, my poster's in the lobby upstairs,” BeBe says with a bell-like laugh. “What can I do for you?”

“I know how easy it is for you. One night you dress like an exotic witch, and the next night you prance around practically nude like a Greek goddess. You’re beautiful and I’m not. What chance have I against you? I admit that when it comes to looks I’m no match for you.”

“You really think my costume is attractive? I’m playing the witch in Cinderella. You know, ‘abra-cadabra, alakazam!’ and the prince turns into a frog.”

“Yes, and and I don’t want my husband to turn into a frog.”

“I’m completely confused. What are you talking about?”

“Give me back my husband, or else!” Jane shouts.

“Give you back your husband? What's this about? What husband?”

“Give me back my husband, or else!”

“You’re wondering which one. Brown hair, mustache, glasses. He is your agent’s lawyer, Fred.”

“Oh, Freddie the lawyer! I met him once ... yes, of course.”

“You’ve met him more than once. Just give him back to me. It’s a simple request.”

“Again, I’m at a loss. Why do you say I have Freddie?”

“You just admitted that you knew him.”

“Of course I know him. He drew up my last contract. A nice man with a beard –”

“– mustache –”

“– mustache, glasses, and blond hair.”

“– brown hair.”

“I meant to say brown. ... Listen, if you weren’t such a foolish young woman I’d be angry. Where in the world did you get the idea that I’ve taken your husband from you?”

Jane pulls out an envelope from her purse. “Then what about this letter?”

“Letter? To me? Let me see,” BeBe says.

“No. I’ll read it to you.” Jane opens it and reads tearfully. “Ahem. ‘My darling, I won’t be able to see you at the theater tonight. Urgent business. A thousand apologies. Ten thousand kisses. Freddie.’ What do you say to that?”

“Oh!”

“I found it on his desk yesterday. He forgot it to pack it into his briefcase. And I opened it.” Jane sheds a tear.

BeBe offers Jane a tissue. “Are you saying your lawyer husband Freddie writes a letter and leaves it behind him on the desk accidentally? A good lawyer would never do that. Their livelihood depends on keeping track of papers - contracts, depositions, and so on.”

“I see.”

“Tell me, has your husband been ignoring you recently, but he used to be attentive and affectionate?” BeBe asks.

“Why, yes,” Jane admits.

“It’s perfectly clear that your husband has been playing a little joke on you to make you jealous.”

“You really think so?” Jane relaxes.

“There, dear, you mustn’t feel bad. You think your husband’s in a world of perpetual temptation, in a backstage world full of beautiful sirens without a moral in sight. You both hate us and fear us. No one knows that better than your husband. And so he writes a letter and leaves it behind for you to discover.”

“It’s forgotten already, dear.”

“What was it, ‘abra ...’?” Jane asks.

“abra-cadabra, alakazam!” BeBe reminds her.

“Abra-cadabra, Ala-kazam!” Jane says with a flourish!

RIBIT! A frog croaks in BeBe’s closet.

“That’s it!” BeBe turns around fishes through her bowl of jewels. She’s already forgotten about Jane.

“Oh, okay. Well, thank you again.” Jane fades out.

When BeBe looks around Jane is gone. “Freddie, she’s gone.”

BeBe gets up, goes to the closet. RIIIIBIT! Freddie the Frog croaks again on the floor of the closet. BeBe doesn’t even notice and drops her dressing gown on top of him, as she draped her witch costume over her body, admiring herself in the mirror.

More lessons from the script for "His Girl Friday" (1940)

I've blogged before, here and also here, about one of my favorite films, His Girl Friday. This film, and its script, are in the public domain. The film screenplay was written by Charles Lederer, a friend of the great writer Ben Hecht, based on the play The Front Page, co-written by Hechtand Charles MacArthur (brother of "genius grant" creator, John D MacArthur).

The script and film largely tell the same story. However, the film changed some character names and also had a different (and better, IMHO) ending than the screenplay. Here is the list of characters:

• Walter Burns (Cary Grant), head of a newspaper, once married to former newspaper reporter Hildy and still in love with her. He is the antagonist.
  
• Hildegard "Hildy" Johnson (Rosalind Russell), once a newspaper reporter who worked for Burns. She is the protagonist.
  
• Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy), Hildy's fiancee, who will give her all she thinks she wants - a house, a normal marriage, etc.
  
• Mrs Baldwin (Alma Kruger), Bruce's mom
  
• Duffy (Frank Orth), as assistant editor to Burns
  
• Louie (Abner Biberman), a gangster friend of Burns
  
• Earl Williams (John Qualen), a pitiful (mentally handicapped?) who's on death row, and the one Hildy is trying to save
  
• Mollie Malloy (Helen Mack) a young woman who's taken pity on Earl, befriending him.
  
• Mayor (Clarence Kolb), he uses Earl's executon to garner votes for his re-election.
  
• Sheriff Hartwell (Gene Lockhart), the bumbling sheriff that allows Earl to escape.
  
• Joe Pettibone (Billy Gilbert), the messanger carrying a reprieve from the governor, which the mayor and sheriff try to bribe to go away.
  (Pettibone is Pinkus in the script)
  
• And several minor characters who play reporters:
  Porter Hall as Murphy,
  Ernest Truex as Bensinger,
  Cliff Edwards as Endicott,
  Roscoe Karns as McCue,
  Frank Jenks as Wilson, and
  Regis Toomey as Sanders (Sanders is Schwartz in the script?, if so, he's also a reporter).
  Pat West as Warden Cooley.
  
• Edwin Maxwell as Dr. Eggelhoffer, psychiatrist who interviews Earl to see if he's crazy.
  
• Marion Martin as Evangeline (the blonde girlfriend of Louis)
  

The script is available in various places on the internet as a pdf. It is worth studying. Threads to pay attention to:

1. 
   The camera directions add a visual feel. Note:
   
   1. These camera directions take a lot of space on the page, and are considered my many as excessive by today's script standards. Such directions usually are left to the director, besides taking up space on the page.
      
   2. Today, camera directions are sometimes included, but in an abbreviated fashion. For example, the original
      

      CLOSE SHOT OFFICE BOY as he bends over paper. We catch a glimpse of the squares of a crossword puzzle.
      

      might be rewritten today as
      

      OFFICE BOY (15) bends over the crossword puzzle page in a newspaper.

2. The actor parentheticals add a blocking/physical feel.
   Note:
   These actor directions are considered as excessive by today's script standards. These are usually dropped altogether, but if they are included they're sometimes given in an action line. For instance
   

   HILDY 
       (with a smile) 
      Hello, Skinny. Remember me?
   

   would simply be
   

   HILDY 
      Hello, Skinny. Remember me?
   

   Perhaps her happy demeanor would be indicated during her character introduction. But
   

   WILLIAMS 
        (putting out hand to stroke her hair)
      Don't cry, Mollie, there's nothing to cry about.
   

   might be rewritten today as
   

   Williams puts out his hand to stroke Molly's hair. 
                WILLIAMS 
      Don't cry, Mollie, there's nothing
      to cry about.
   

   Usually parentheticals are reserved for tone, eg, if a line is to be read sarcastically. However, one modern script with lots of parentheticals is the script for Saw (2004, written by Wan and Whanell and available online).
   
3. The changing dynamic between what Hildy wants externally (husband, house, kids) and what Hildy needs internally (to make a difference, to be respected, to be independent as a professional).
   
4. Keep an eye on the dynamic between Walter Burns and Bruce Baldwin, Hildy's two love interests in the story. Observe how their different personalities represent Hildy's different wants. (Energetic, driven and self-confident Burns connects to her internal want of being a good reporter. Shy, legalistic, and conservative Bruce connects to her external want of wanting a stable home and family.)
   
5. Pay attention to the changing romantic connection between Hildy and Bruce vs Hildy and Burns.
   
6. The lack of "intercuts" wastes a lot of space on the page in the phone conversations between Hildy and Burns. (The others are covered as a one-way dialog, but they involved minor characters.)
   

Here is a plot summary, based on the script.

A scene of a busy newsroom, one end an elevator and stairs, the other end the windowed-off office of the managing editor, and inbetween a bullpen of activity (called the "City Room"):
* telephone switchboard operators,
* office boys running errands,
* reporters in a hurry.

The elevator doors open and Hildy emerges with her fiancee Bruce. She greets the office boys and operators with a friendly smile and kind words. Bruce is sweet towards Hildy, then she leaves him to wait while she talks to Walter. In her walk along the length of the City Room, the greetings she receives makes it clear she is much loved.

The first scene between Burns and Hildy. They are much more alike than Hildy and Bruce. Burns and Hildy are both fast-talking, tough-minded reporters, with a nose for news. We learn they were once married and that Burns is bothered by the fact that Earl Williams (a criminal with some sympathetic aspects) is to be executed tomorrow. Then they start to bicker over things Burns did that caused Hildy to divorce him (not taking his marriage seriously - allowing the newspaper to take precedence, a curtailed honeymoon, no house that he promised her, etc). Hildy wants him to stop "phoning me a dozen times a day -- sending twenty telegrams ...". Burns wants to get married again.

More wonderful banter. Hildy's insistent she won't return. Burns makes up a lie that Sweeney won't be a work today since his wife is delivering a baby. He begs her to come back to work and offers a raise. She reveals that she's engaged, and to be married tomorrow. She wants to quit the newspaper business. He says she'll be unhappy doing anything else. Burns insists on meeting Bruce.

Burns and Hildy walk the length of the City Room, everyone's quit listening to their banter. Burns whispers to an operator to have his assistant editor call him in the restaurant in 20 minutes. As Hildy’s about to introduce Burns to Bruce, Burns intentionally mistakes Bruce with an elderly office “boy”, profusely flattering him. When Bruce tries to tell Burns that he is the real Bruce, Burns gets rude. When Burns recognizes the real Bruce he insults him snidely and insists on taking Hildy and Bruce to lunch.

At the restaurant, Hildy is warmly greeted by the staff. Burns asks Bruce about the wedding. It’s revealed that his mother will join them and Mom with live with them for the first year. Burns is called away to the phone booth. There he tells the newspaper than Hildy is returning. He returns to the table and fakes being crushed by sudden bad news about his reporter Sweeney. He tries to convince Hildy to help him out this afternoon to help write an article what Sweeney was supposed to write. She refuses. Burns says if she’ll help him, he will buy a $100000 life insurance policy from Bruce. She agrees, with Bruce’s encouragement, provided that it is paid with a certified check.

In the press room of the criminal courts building, reporters are playing cards while waiting for court news. There is a bank of phones at one end of the room for them to use once something happens. They are especially interested in the Earl Williams case, where he may get the death sentence carried out. Hildy enters. They all greet her warmly. "No, I'm not back for good. I'm just covering the Earl Williams story for Mr. Sweeney who had a sudden attack of something but will be all right by tomorrow. No, I haven't made up with Walter Burns...." She learns by talking to the reporters that Williams is delusional and hid out at Molly Molloy. The Mayor orders him arrested. The cop that arrives is killed by Early because he (in his delusional state) assumed he was there to murder him.

Hildy learns that a new psychiatrist (called an "alienist" in the script), Dr. Max J. Egelhoffer, is going to interview Williams. The execution by hanging is creating a big controversy (told in a darkly humorous way by the reporters).

Burns and Bruce have a discussion of the life insurance policy. Burns still loves Hildy and wants her to be his beneficiary of his policy.

On the phone, Hildy warns Bruce not to put the certified check in his wallet, but to put it in his hat instead. (She knows Louis can pick his pocket.) Louis follows Bruce anyway and scams a cop to arrest Bruce claiming Bruce stole his (Louis') watch. Bruce goes to jail, but at least he keeps his hat.

Hildy interviews Earl Williams in his jail cell. He believes the Golden Rule means to "do away with the profit system and have production for use only. There's enough food and clothing and shelter for everybody if we'd use some sense. ... Food was meant to be eaten, not stored away in restaurants while poor people starved; clothing was meant to be worn, not piled up in stores while people went naked." In this way, Hildy established that he lacks the ability to understand the consequences of his actions. Hildy then asks "Is that how you came to shoot the policeman?" Earl answers "Sure. You see, I'd never had a gun in my hand before and I didn't know what to do with it. Well, when I get stuck, I know that there's an answer for everything in production for use. So it came to me in a flash: what's a gun for? To shoot! So I shot. Simple isn't it?"

Back in the press room of the courthouse, Mollie Malloy shows up to berate the reporters for their slanders against Earl. She says "I never said I loved Earl Williams and was willing to marry him on the gallows! You made that up!" Hildy shows up and starts typing up her interview with Earl. Finally, Hildy says "Come on, Mollie. This is no place for you" leading Mollie toward door. Mollie says "They're not human!" Hildy says "They're newspaper men, Mollie. They can't help themselves. The Lord made them that way."

Mollie and Hildy leave together. Bruce calls for her. When she returns she speaks to him and learns he's in jail. She goes to the jail. Convinces the police lieutenant in charge to release him, or else "the Post will run the story of that roulette game on 43rd Street that you brother-in-law runs." The LT lets Bruce out. Bruce tells Hildy he lost his wallet but has his hat.

Hildy and Bruce go back to the press room in a cab. Hildy leaves Bruce in the cab, intent on finishing the interview, then taking the cab directly to the train. Hildy goes back to the press room by herself, types up the interview then takes it to the phone, asks for Burns, and tears it up over the phone. "ear that? That's the interview I wrote... Yes, I know we made a bargain. I just said I'd write it -- I didn't say I wouldn't tear it up." She hangs up.

Earl Williams is being questions by the incompetent Dr Egelhoffer and the Sheriff. Earl escapes just as Hildy is about to storm out of the press room. The reporters rush to the window to watch police search for Earl, gunshots being clearly heard, some even hitting the windows of the press room. Each reporter quickly calls his newspaper, sends in a report by phone, then leaves the press room (presumably to watch the action on the street).

Hildy calls Burns backs and tells him the news about Earl's escape an that she's back on the job. Hildy runs downstairs and corners Cooley, a policeman who witnessed the escape. Hildy brides Cooley (with 450 dollars) to tells her how Earl escaped. Colley agrees.

Reports return to the press room, including Hildy. Some file more reports but they don't know how Earl got his gun. Hildy does (but it hasn't been yet revealed to the audience). They ask Hildy how Earl escaped and she jokingly says "the Sheriff let him out so's he could vote for him." More machine gun fire downstairs and the reporters rush out of the room again. Hildy and Burns have a phone conversation taking 3 pages (at the time, intercuts were not used). We learn that "The Sheriff gave his gun to the Professor, the Professor gave it to Earl, and Earl gave it right back to the Professor -- right in the stomach! Who? No, Egelhoffer wasn't hurt badly. They took him to the County Hospital where they're afraid he'll recover." Burns promises to join her there in the press room. She tells him to hurry, as Bruce is downstairs in a cab. Burns hangs up and tells Louis and his blonde girlfriend to play a trick on Bruce in the cab.

A reporter comes in and files another report by phone. Hildy gets another phone call from Bruce, in jail again. Hildy rushes out again to help get Bruce out of jail.

The Mayor enters the press room looking for Sheriff Hartman. Hartman enters and tells the reporters how to find Earl (at Mollie's). They all run out, leaving the Mayor and Sheriff alone. Another reporter enters and makes fun of both of them, also making clear that the Governor doesn't like the Mayor and conversely, files a report then leaves.

Mayor and Sheriff leave to find a more private room to discuss something important. They go to Sheriff's office and agree that if they don't hang Earl, they will lose the upcoming election. A messenger Pinkus (Pettibone in the film) comes to tell them that Earl has a reprieve from the Governor. The Mayor bribes Pinkus to leave, to return the next day, hoping he can capture Earl before Pinkus returns.

Hildy is in the press room when Louis shows up with $450 in counterfeit bills. She also demands Louis returns Bruce's wallet, which he does then leaves. Hildy is alone when Earl crawls through the window. She gets the gun from him and calls Burns, telling him to hurry over. She gets a call from Bruce and asks him to wait more. Bruce hangs up on her. Mollie shows up and gives Earl moral support.

The reporters want to get in but the door is locked. Hildy hides Earl in the rolltop desk. She asks Mollie to pretend to have fainted, as a distraction. Mollie lays does, closes her eyes and Hildy unlocks the door. Mrs Bardwin (Bruce's mom) shows up and berates Bruce. Mollie recovers and the reporters grill her so heatedly she goes crazy and jumps out the window (Mollie doesn't die). Mrs Baldwin faints. Burns arrives and Mrs Baldwin recovers, very upset. Burns tells Louis to take her out of the room. Burns talks Hildy into focusing on the story and to ignore Bruce for the moment. Hildy begins typing up the story furiously.

Bruce shows up, having been released from jail again. (He bailed himself out.) She keeps typing. Bruce asks for the money she owes him. She gives him $450 (in counterfeit bills), as well as his wallet. He tells her he's going on the 9pm train and tells her to meet him there. Bruce leaves. Burns and Hildy lock the door again. A reporter shows up, demanding to be let in. Burns offers him a job at his paper, tells him to go talk to Duffy right away. Reporter leaves. Burns calls Duffy and tells him to "Stall him along until the extra comes out." Hildy finished her article. Burns kisses her.

Louis returns, says his cab crashed into a police car and he lost Mrs Baldwin. The implication is that Mrs Baldwin is dead. Hildy wonders how she will tell that to Bruce. Burns tells Louis to get some men to haul the desk with Earl in it out of there. Having called the local hospitals with no luck, Hildy gets ready to leave to search for Mrs Baldwin.

The Sheriff shows up with the reporters and demand that Hildy tell them where Earl is. He's about to arrest Hildy and Burns and confiscate the desk when Mrs Baldwin enters, with two deputies. Bruce is there as well, but she has him stay outside the press room. Mrs Baldwin and Burns argue over who kidnapped her. Burns insults her and she leaves. The Sheriff discovers Earl hiding in the desk, then takes him out. The reporters all run for their phone and file a report. The Sheriff returns and puts Burns and Hildy in handcuffs.

Pinkus returns, drunk, and mentions the reprieve to Burns and Hildy and the bride the Mayor gave him. Burns and Hildy use this information to get the Sheriff to release them.

Burns reminds her that Bruce is expecting to meet Hildy at the train station to take the 9pm train and that he (Burns) promised she'd be there. Burns asks Hildy to stay another hour to finish the article, telling her she can make the 10pm train instead. Conflcted, she flips a coin: Heads she goes, tails she stays to write the story. She stays and wires Bruce to call off their engagement. Burns proposes again. She excepts (under pressure from Louis, who kidnaps a judge to perform their marriage ceremony.

After they are married, Hildy learns that Bruce has been arrested again, this time for passing counterfiet money (the money Burns gave him via Louis). As she chases Burns around the table, Louis has the last line, said to the judge: "I think it's going to work out all right this time." (This is not the ending of the movie.)

Breakdown of "The Red House Mystery" by A.A. Milne (1922)

"The Red House Mystery" by A.A. Milne (1922) is in the public domain.

Major characters:

• Mark Ablett (40), owner of Red House, unmarried, mustasch and beard, independently wealthy, and his
father was a parson
• Bill Beverley, friend of Mark and Antony, guest at Red House
• Antony Gillingham, friend of Bill and guest at “The George” until after the murder, then a guest at the Red House until the inquest
• Mrs. Stevens, housekeeper and aunt to Audrey, lives at Red House
• Audrey Stevens, parlor maid, lives at Red House
• Elsie Wood, housemaid (also eferred to as second parlor maid)
• Matthew Cayley (28), cousin of Mark Ablet, lives in room on first floor of Red House (others live upstairs)
• Robert Ablett, brother of Mark, clean shaven. Arrived from Australia (he was there for 15 years) the day he was killed.
• Miss Betty Calladine (18), guest at Red House
• Mrs. John Calladine, mother of Betty and driver of the car (owned by Mark?), guest at Red House
• Major Rumbold, retired, guest at Red House
• Miss Ruth Norris, actress, guest at Red House
• Inspector Birch, policeman from Middleston
• Angela Norbury, a young (single) lady living nearby, possibly a romantic interest of Cayley
• Mrs Norbury, owner of Jallands (a neighboring cottage) and Angela’s mother
• the Coroner, presumably from Middleston

Minor characters:

• Joe Turner, boyfriend of Audrey (mentioned only)
• landlord and landlady of The George
• police associates of Inspector Birch
• train station employees
• inquest witnesses: Andrew Amos (lives in the “inner lodge” of the Red House estate), Parsons (a gardener who lives in the “outer lodge” of the Red House estate), John Borden (a local man who happened to be on the train station platform when someone who might have been Mark was seen boarding a train)
• inquest jury (no names but listening to evidence collected at the inquest)

Locations:

• Red House, interior (kitchen, dining room, library and underground tunnel, bedrooms, housekeeper’s room, suite of 3 rooms: office and Cayley’s room and bathroom) and exterior (the Temple, bowling green and lake/pond, all on the estate)
• Waldheim (the closest town), in particular The George inn
• Stanton train station (Robert arrives there from Australia)
• golf course
• police station in Middleston
• Jallands, a neighboring country cottage belonging to a widow Mrs Norbury (it is 600 yards from the nearest road, with no driveway)
• The Lamb, an inn/meeting house/theater in Stanton (where the inquest takes place)

(click to enlarge)

The Red House is about a half-mile from the nearest town of Waldheim (which has no police station) and about 3 miles from the next largest town of Stanton (which has no police station either). The nearest police station is in Middleston, about twenty miles away.

The timeline is not linear. Chapter 1 begins after breakfast. Chapter 2 covers who was at breakfast.

Chapter 1. Mrs. Stevens is Frightened.
Location(s): The Red House, housekeeper’s room
Characters: Mrs. Stevens, Audrey Stevens, Elsie, Robert Ablett, Matthew Cayley
Summary: Audrey and her aunt talk about the arrival of Mark Ablett’s brother, Robert Ablett. Robert arrives and waits for Mark in Mark’s home office. While Audrey is searching for Mark, a gunshot is heard from within the house. Audrey was out of the house at the time. The chapter ends with someone banging on the front door.

Chapter 2. Mr. Gillingham Gets Out at the Wrong Station
Location(s): The Red House, kitchen/dining room
Characters: Major Rumbold, Mrs Calladine, Betty Calladine, Bill Beverley, Ruth Norris, Antony Gillingham, landlord and landlady of The George, Matthew Cayley
Summary: Background on Mark and Cayley. Introduction to Mark’s guests (Major Rumbold, Mrs Calladine, Betty Calladine, Bill Beverley, Ruth Norris). Mark, Cayley and the guests have breakfast. After that, except for Mrs Calladine, the guests play golf at the golf course (driven to by Mrs Calladine, who eats lunch with friends instead). Mark and Cayley stay at the Red House. Antony arrives while they are out to visit with friend Bill. Chapter 2 ends at the same time that chapter 1 ends: with banging on the front door. This time we learn it is Cayley who is doing that.

Chapter 3. Two Men and a Body
Location(s): The Red House, exterior, office and Cayley’s room.
Characters: Antony Gillingham, Matthew Cayley
Summary: We get a good read on the geometry of Red House (see the diagram on page 2). Cayley and Antony break into the office via the rear window. They discover Robert shot between the eyes, dead. Antony agrees to stay at the Red House during the police investigation. Antony sees the window to Cayley’s room open and suggests to Cayley that the killer might have escaped out the window into the back bushes and gardens.

Chapter 4. The Brother from Australia
Location(s): Golf course, tea at golf course (in a club house?), car (back to the Red House), Red House (various), exterior
Characters: Major Rumbold, Mrs Calladine, Betty Calladine, Bill Beverley, Ruth Norris, Antony Gillingham, Inspector Birch
Summary: The guests finish their golf match, have tea at the golf course, and drive back to Red House in Mrs Calladine’s car. When they arrive, Antony explains the situation. Mrs Calladine, her daughter Betty, and Ruth Norris decide to leave for London. The Inspector does over the clues with Antony and Cayley.

Chapter 5. Mr. Gillingham Chooses a New Profession
Location(s): Red House
Characters: Antony Gillingham, Inspector Birch, Matthew Cayley, Elsie, Audrey, Mrs. Stevens,
Summary: Inspector interviews Cayley, Audrey, Elsie. Elsie told him she overheard Mark say to Robert 'It's my turn now. You wait.' Facts of the case so far: Robert had been shown into the office (witness Audrey); Mark had gone in to Robert (witness Cayley); Mark and Robert had been heard talking (witness Elsie); there was a shot (witness everybody); the office had been entered and Robert's body had been found (witness Cayley and Gillingham). And Mark was missing.

Chapter 6. Outside Or Inside?
Location(s): Red House exterior (front garden), car, at the end of the scene Antony and Bill start along path towards The George in Waldheim
Characters: Major Rumbold, Mrs Calladine, Betty Calladine, Ruth Norris, Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, Matthew Cayley,
Summary: Every one of the guests except for Bill leaves. Antony and Bill decide to walk to The George, pay Antony’s bill and get his things.

Chapter 7. Portrait of a Gentleman
Location(s): Red House exterior from front garden of house along path towards The George in Waldheim
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: Antony and Bill discuss the character of Mark (somewhat controlling, set in his ways) and of Cayley (loner but hard working). For example, Mark believed in ghosts and thought the house was haunted. One night, for fun, guests devised a ghost character played by Ruth Norris who appeared in costume on the bowling green. This upset Mark so much he left and went to his room, calling for Cayley. Bill was there and assumed Cayley calmed him down. This clue plays a role in chapter 9. Antony suspects Cayley is complicit in the murder somehow.

Chapter 8. "Do You Follow Me, Watson?"
Location(s): Red House interior (Antony’s bedroom upstairs, hall downstairs) and exterior (path to “bowling green” still on the estate)
Characters: Matthew Cayley, Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: Antony and Bill talk in Antony’s bedroom, while Antony gets dressed for dinner, then go down to the hall and smoke a cigar. They talk to Cayley and they discuss what Elsie told the Inspector. Cayley thinks it was accidental. Cayley leaves then Antony and Bill walk from the Red House to the “bowling green” (still on the estate) to talk privately. Bill shows he can imitate Mark’s rather monotonous, high-pitched voice. Antony asks Bill to be Watson to his Sherlock. They discuss the case. In particular, they notice each room has a lockable door with a skeleton key on a hook hanging either inside or outside the room, depending on the room.

Chapter 9. Possibilities of a Croquet Set
Location(s): Red House exterior, “bowling green”
Characters: Matthew Cayley, Bill Beverley Antony Gillingham
Summary: Antony and Bill continue to discuss the case. Antony suspects that the story of the ghost character played by Ruth Norris appeared on the bowling green (which upset Mark) lends evidence that there is a secret (very long) tunnel from the house to the bowling green. They search the shed where the croquet balls were kept (“bowling” refers to lawn bowling, related to croquet). While there, Antony hears someone coming, so they sit on a nearby bench and Bill talks as if Antony is there while Antony sneaks around looking for the spy. He sees Cayley’s head pop out of a box where croquet balls are stored. Antony goes back to Bill, they decide to play a game of bowling and then quit. As they walk back to the Red House (it’s bedtime), they run into Cayley. They innocently discuss things, with no indication from Cayley that he was spying on them and no indiction from Antony or Bill that they knew it. Antony and Bill realize that the reason Miss Norris was hurried away (by Cayley) because she knew about the secret passage.

Chapter 10. Mr. Gillingham Talks Nonsense
Location(s): Red House interior (dining room, hall, Antony’s room) and exterior (Cayley outside the dining room window, Antony and Bill walk to the park and lake).
Characters: Matthew Cayley, Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, Elsie
Summary: Antony comes down and talks to Cayley. Cayley tells him the police plan to drag the lake, in case the gun was dumped there or Mark drowned. Cayley leaves and Bill joins Antony. Bill and Antony have breakfast and discuss the case in guarded terms, as Cayley is smoking outside the dining room window. Antony goes up to his bedroom and meets the parlor maid Elsie there. He tells her the inquest will be the next day. Antony then goes to the hall and meets Bill again. They agree to walk in the park (in the Red House estate), but detour to the lake. They surmise Mark did not drown himself. They surmised Cayley told Ruth Norris of the tunnel, as he wanted her to like him. The chapter ends with the question: Where does the secret passage begin?

Chapter 11. The Reverend Theodore Ussher
Location(s): Red House exterior (lake) and interior (library) Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: At the lake, Antony and Bill decide to search the library for the beginning of the tunnel. They walk back and , making sure Cayley is not nearby, enter the library. It’s full of books and is well-organized by subject. Antony comes across a shelf of sermons (remember Mark’s father was a parson). When he sees 'The Narrow Way, being Sermons by the Rev. Theodore Ussher' he gets an inspiration. He takes out the book and tries pressing the back of the bookshelf in various places. Eventually, the shelf swings open, revealing the tunnel entrance. They close it back, agreeing to search it later in the afternoon or that night when Cayley is away.

Chapter 12. A Shadow on the Wall
Location(s): Police station in Middleston, Red House exterior (lake/pond), Red House interior (office and Cayley’s room)
Characters: Inspector Birch and other police associates, Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: Inspector Birch calls London police about the case, and the train station in Stanton with a description of Mark Ablett. In the afternoon, the Inspector and his associates go to the lake to drag it for a body or the gun. Antony and Bill talk with the Inspector at the lake. The Inspector does not need them there. (No mention is made of Cayley being at the lake in this chapter. However, it appears that is is there after all – see chapter 14.) So Bill and Antony go back to the Red House. Antony mentions the idea that Cayley recommended dragging the lake so might be planning on planting something there after the police are done with it. At 3pm, 24 hours after Antony and Cayley discovered the body, Antony and Bill enter the office. As Antony recreates the events, he remembers Cayley left to get “water”. He returned with a sponge and a handkerchief. Antony remembers a shadow he saw at one point that does not appear unless Cayley quietly shut his room (just beside the office) while getting the sponge and handkerchief. Why would he quietly shut his room just to “get water”?

Chapter 13. The Open Window
Location(s): Red House interior (office and Cayley’s room), Red House exterior (path to lake)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: Antony and Bill talk about what Cayley did which needed him to quietly shut his room (just beside the office) while getting the sponge and handkerchief. Bill discovers a collar at the bottom of the trash basket in the office. Bill opens the window to Cayley’s room to get some air. At that, Antony thinks it must have been Cayley wanted the door shut so he could quietly open the window. Then they agree to search the passage but first they must be sure Cayley is at the lake. Bill sneaks off to the lake to spy on the Inspector and hope to catch and eye of Cayley, then rush back. Antony will wait for Bill in the library. Bill leaves for the lake.

Chapter 14. Mr. Beverley Qualifies for the Stage
Location(s): Red House exterior (path to lake, car in driveway) and interior (library, hall)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, (in the distance) Inspector Birch, Matthew Cayley
Summary: Bill returns from the lake to meet Antony in the library to tell him Cayley is indeed with the Inspector at the lake, as expected. They open the shelf door to the tunnel. Antony decides to go in to see if it’s safe. As soon as he does, Bill hears Cayley outside. He has just enough time to close the door, straighten the sermon shelf, move over to another shelf and make up an excuse for being in the library (he’s trying to verify a quotation on a bet with Antony), when Cayley opens the door. Cayley says that nothing was found at the lake so far but mud. Cayley stays to write a letter (before he takes the car to Stanton) so Bill tries tapping a Morse code message to Antony (annoying Cayley in the process, as he thinks it is merely nervous tapping). It seems to work. Bill tells Cayley he’s waiting for Antony as they plan to walk into town. Cayley finishes his letter and Antony doesn’t open the tunnel door while Cayley is there. Cayley gets in the car. Antony walks up to them, apologizing to Bill for being late. Cayley asks them to deliver his letter to Jallands in town and then he leaves in the car. Antony and Bill decide to deliver the letter instead of investigating the tunnel. Antony tells Bill that he took the length or the tunnel to the bowling green, then ran back. In the tunnel, he discovered in the passage a large locked cupboard.

Chapter 15. Mrs. Norbury Confides in Dear Mr. Gillingham
Location(s): Path from the Red House to Jallands, Jallands interiors (living room)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, Matthew Cayley (in the car in the distance), Angela Norbury, Mrs Norbury (her mother)
Summary: Antony and Bill walk to Jallands to the letter. They see Cayley in the car in the distance returning to the Red House. Antony surmises that Cayley just wants to get back into the tunnel and wrote the letter to make sure they were gone from the house while he did. They meet (beautiful) Angela and her mother. Bill and Antony discover that the mother nearly arranged the engagement between Angela and Mark (before he disappeared, that is). They assumed it was Cayley that was interested in Angela. In fact, Angela was not interested in Mark (nor Cayley, except as a friend) but when she turned to Cayley for support, he apparently fell in love with her. Now she has his letter, which she dreads opening. They learn from Mrs Norbury that Mark went to Middleston the day before yesterday, But why? Bill and Antony leave Jallands, and head back to the Red House.

Chapter 16. Getting Ready for the Night
Location(s): Red House exterior (path from Jallands to the lake then to the house), Red House interior (hall, bedrooms)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, Matthew Cayley
Summary: Antony meditates on how and why Cayley may have killed Robert. If Bill could imitate Mark’s voice so successfully, why not Cayley? This would explain the voice Elsie heard the day of the murder. They stop at the lake and plan their night. Cayley will likely check on them in their bedroom before leaving to take the tunnel to throw Mark’s body (they presume) in the lake. They plan to wait for his visit and for him to get into the tunnel before running to the lake to watch Cayley dump the body. They discuss using two pine trees, one for each of them, behind them and a fence on the far side of the lake to determine the position Cayley’s boat is when he dumps the body in the lake. (They need two lines to intersect in order to determine the point where the boat is located.) They decide not to call the police but to dive for the dumped body themselves. They walked back to the house together. Cayley was in the hall as they came in. They said hellos then went upstairs to dress for dinner. They dressed, discussed strategies more, then went downstairs together for dinner.

Chapter 17. Mr. Beverley Takes the Water
Location(s): Red House interior (dining room, billiard room, hall, bedrooms), Red House exterior (path around house)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham, Matthew Cayley
Summary: They have dinner, take a stroll with Cayley around the house, play billiards with Cayley, have drinks with Cayley in the hall, then go to bed. They wait for Cayley to check on them (he does) then Bill dresses and goes to Antony’s room (in the dark). They leave then house via Antony’s 2nd floor bedroom window and head off for the lake. Antony points out each other’s tree to mark the boat from. After waiting for some time, Cayley arrives at the boat with a paper bag in his hand. He puts the bag in the boat with him, pushes off, rows into the middle of the lake, dumps the bag into the lake, then rows back and ties up the boat at the shore. Cayley leaves. Antony tells Bill to wait until he returns. Antony plans to follow Cayley back to the house, check everything’s okay, then return. He does. When he gets back to Bill, they do the dive. Bill dove 3 or 4 times before finding it, but gets the bag back into the boat. In the bag: (a) all of the clothes Mark wore when Robert died (including underwear but not the collar), (b) stones (for weight), (c) letters, (d) two keys including the office key and the key of the passage cupboard (see chapter 14). On the way back to the house, they unlocked the cupboard in the tunnel. It was empty.

Chapter 18. Guess-work
Location(s): Red House interior (bedrooms)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: The inquest is today at 3pm. After breakfast, Antony gets packed to be ready to go to The George after the inquest. They tell Cayley that Bill is leaving for London after the inquest and Antony is leaving for The George. In fact, Bill will go with Antony to The George. Then Bill and Antony goes to the park to talk by themselves. They have this timeline: Monday Robert's unpleasant letter came in the morning (saysing Robert would arrive the next day around 3pm) then Mark told Mrs. Norbury about Robert (the black sheep of the family), on Tuesday Mark tells his guests he got his brother's letter that morning, Robert arrived later that day, was killed about the time Antony arrived. They have the puzzle of the missing collar in the bag of clothes (see chapter 13). Also, the puzzle of why hide clothes if there is a body to hide? They surmise that Mark is alive and that Cayley helped him escape by helping disguise him with a change of clothes and hiding the clothes he wore.

Chapter 19. The Inquest
Location(s): The Lamb, an inn located in Stanton
Characters: All major characters but Mark and Robert Ablett, as well as Andrew Amos, Parsons, John Borden
Summary: The Coroner asks everyone questions about Mark and Robert. The chapter only covers interviews with Bill, Andrew Amos, Parsons, Audrey Stevens, Elsie, Cayley, Antony, Inspector Birch, and John Borden. The Coroner sums up and turns it over to the jury. They deliberate and announced that the deceased had died as the result of a bullet-wound, and that the bullet had been fired by his brother Mark Ablett. The chapter ends with Andrew Amos and Parsons going out of the room together, with Antony between them.

Chapter 20. Mr. Beverley is Tactful
Location(s): The Lamb Inn in Stanton exterior, walking along the road from the Lamb Inn to Waldheim, The George interior (dining room); implicit location: Plough and Horses Inn (pub/dining room) in Stanton
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham; implicit character: innkeeper of the Plough and Horses Inn
Summary: Antony tells Bill that Amos and Parsons are old friends of his (in the previous chapter he indicates he doesn’t know who they are, so perhaps this is a joke). Bill and Antony discuss a poster for a local play that Mark, Cayley and Bill acted in last December. Antony asks if they share the same dentist. Bill says yes, Cartwright, on Wimpole Street. Antony asks: was Mark fond of swimming? Bill says no. Antony asks Bill to return to Stanton and go to the other inn there, the one closest to the train station, the Plough and Horses Inn. To drink a few beers and ask if a stranger stayed there on Monday night. They agree to meet again for dinner at The George at 8pm. Bill leaves. Antony walks another 20 yards, takes a lane off to the left and stops at a gate on the right side of the lane. Time jumps to 8pm when they meet for dinner. Bill tells Antony the innkeeper told of a woman who stayed Monday night, and no one else. She had her own car and drover herself. Antony announces that Robert was not killed by Mark or Cayley, but will give other details tomorrow. They finished eating and went to bed. The morning there was a letter for Antony from Cayley.

Chapter 21. Cayley's Apology
Location(s): The George interior (dining room)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham; implicitly Matthew Cayley
Summary: This whole chapter is a letter from Cayley to Antony, read over breakfast by Bill (eating with Antony at The George). The letter mentions a letter Antony wrote to Cayley, so this is a response. Cayley confesses to killing Mark (who pretended he was Robert to trick the guests, especially Ruth Norris who he was mad with) over Mark’s mistreatment of Cayley’s brother and over Cayley’s jealously regarding Mark’s relationship with Angela Norbury. Other than that, he outlines events as Antony already knows.

Chapter 22. Mr. Beverley Moves On
Location(s): The George interior (dining room)
Characters: Bill Beverley, Antony Gillingham
Summary: Antony tells Bill (they are still eating breakfast at The George) that he needed the dentist Mr. Cartwright of Wimpole Street to identify the teeth of Robert Ablett as those of Mark. Antony wrote a letter to Cayley telling him Antony was telegraphing to Cartwright to identify the body as that of Mark. Cayley knew the truth would come out then. Antony explains which clues lead him to the solution. The clothes were an important clue since (Antony reasoned) they were important for Cayley. The collar had to be taken off by Mark since otherwise Cayley would have included them in those he dumped. Antony explains more clues (but not why he stopped at the gate on the walk back from the inquest). Bill says to Antony about Cayley: "He's a clever devil. If you hadn't turned up just when you did, he would never have been found out." They wonder if Cayley has committed suicide as a result of being caught.

Summary of LeFanu's "The Room in the Dragon Volant"

Sheridan LeFanu's "The Room in the Dragon Volant" was published in 1872. It is in the public domain.

Note: dragon volant means "flying dragon".

Major characters:
Richard Beckett - 23, Englishman, wealthy, and speaks fluent French. He's the protagonist.
Marquis d'Harmonville (also named Monsieur Droqville, also named Doctor Planard)-
French associate of the Count. He's a mentor/trickster
Count de St. Alyre - An old man, usually dressed in black. He's a trickster/antagonist.
Countess de St. Alyre - A young very attractive woman, usually dressed in black. She's an attractor/trickster/antagonist.
St. Clair - RB's servant
Colonel Gaillarde - A military officer who hates the Count and Countess.
Magician - an oracle (the Countess in disguise)
Mademoiselle de la Valiere - a friend of the Countess (the Countess in disguise)
Russian officer - man who searched RB's papers while he was in a catatonic state in his carriage (the Countess in disguise)
Tom Whistlewick - a friend of RB's
Monsieur Carmaignac - A friend of Tom's, who ultimately saves RB

Chapter 1: We are introduced to Richard Beckett is 23, Englishman, wealthy, and speaks fluent French. He is 6' tall, a good boxer, and is considered attractive. He helps a broken down carriage, carrying a well-dressed old man and a veiled, mysterious beautiful young woman. From their dress and the stork decoration on their carriage, they appear to be nobility. Both thanked him for his help. The old man had a reedy and nasal voice, while the woman's was a sweet semi-contralto. Fascinated by the woman, RB discretely followed them to an old inn, the Belle Etoile ("beautiful star").

Chapter 2: RB walked into her room in the inn (the door was open) and stared at her while she read a letter. When she discovered his presence, she asked him to leave, but thanked him again for his help. RB took a room in the same inn one floor above them and bribed a helper of the couple to discover info about them. He learned they are called the Count and Countess (we later learn her name is Eugenie and he is the Count de St. Alyre). RB paid his servant, St. Clair, to learn more.

Chapter 3: Just before dinner, out of his open window, he hears the Countess, near her open window one floor below, sing this strange song:
"Death and Love, together mated,
Watch and wait in ambuscade;
At early morn, or else belated,
They meet and mark the man or maid.
Burning sigh, or breath that freezes,
Numbs or maddens man or maid;
Death or Love the victim seizes,
Breathing from their ambuscade."
The old man slams the window shut. RB thinks she sung it for him. He leaves his room for a short walk before dinner is served.

Chapter 4: On the steps of the hotel, he meets a tall and elegant gentleman, who appeared to be about fifty, the Marquis d'Harmonville also called Monsieur Droqville. Droqville asked if RB was Mr. Beckett. RB said yes. Droqville gives RB a letter from "Lord R----", who knows Beckett. The letter starts "My Dear Beckett," and spoke very highly of the Marquis d'Harmonville, but also gave some private details not connected with Beckett. Puzzled, Beckett sees the letter is not to him but to "George Stanhope Beckett, Esq., M.P." He tells Droqville of the embarrassing mistake and promises to keep the private information in the letter confidential. They become friends as a result. The Marquis took his leave, going up the stairs of the Belle Etoile. (This may have been an elaborate set-up to ensnare RB to trust Droqville, who ends up being an accomplice with the Count.) RB continues down the steps to look at the Countess' carriage again. There he meets a strange French officer with the palest face RB ever saw. It was broad, ugly, and malignant. He was six feet high and across the nose and eyebrow there was a deep scar, which made the repulsive face even grimmer. (We learn later that his name is Colonel Gaillarde.) As they look at the stork emblem on the carriage, the officer says "See, Monsieur; when a man like me--a man of energy, you understand, a man with all his wits about him, a man who has made the tour of Europe under canvas, and, parbleu! often without it--resolves to discover a secret, expose a crime, catch a thief, spit a robber on the point of his sword, it is odd if he does not succeed. Ha! ha! ha! Adieu, Monsieur!" Colonel Gaillarde stomps off.

Chapter 5: RB heads back to the Belle Etoile for dinner. About thirty people had gathered in the dining room, but the Count and Countess were not there. RB sat next to the Marquis d'Harmonville. Droqville warns RB of villany, especially at the gaming tables. RB confesses he arrived in France with a purse of thirty thousand pounds sterling. Droqville confessed that, in a gambling house, he "was saved from ruin by a gentleman whom, ever since, I have regarded with increasing respect and friendship." Namely, the Comte de St. Alyre, who Droqville describes as "the very soul of honor, and the most sensible man in the world". Further, he describes the Count's wife, the Countess as "in every way worthy of so good a man." On the other side of RB, Colonel Gaillarde sits and dominates the conversation by explicit description of his war wounds and experiences. Droqville leaves. At the end of several long monologues, the Colonel asked RB who traveled in the carriage with the stork emblem. RB said "I rather think the Count and Countess de St. Alyre." The Colonel began "muttering to himself, and grinning and scowling." Dinner was over and the guests dispersed.

Chapter 6: RB sat in an arm chair, drank wine and fell asleep. He had a strange dream that he was in a "huge cathedral, without light, except from four tapers that stood at the corners of a raised platform hung with black, on which lay, draped also in black, what seemed to me the dead body of the Countess de St. Alyre. The place seemed empty, it was cold ..." RB awakes and find the Colonel looking at him. The Colonel makes odd statements about gathering clues regarding the Count and Countess. RB leaves the inn and meets Droqville in the town. They talk about leaving for Paris the next day. They also discuss the Colonel, who Droqville describes as "a little mad." They go their separate ways. Back at his inn, RB talks to a waiter:
RB: "Is he perfectly in his right mind?"
Waiter: "Perfectly, Monsieur."
RB: "Has he been suspected at any time of being out of his mind?"
Waiter: "Never, Monsieur; he is a little noisy, but a very shrewd man."
But then, in the hall of the old inn, the Colonel confronts the Count and Countess. The Colonel's sword was drawn in his hand, and he said: "You! you! both--vampires, wolves, ghouls. Summon the gendarmes, I say. By St. Peter and all the devils, if either of you try to get out of that door I'll take your heads off." RB steps between the Count and the Colonel. RB hits the Colonel twice in the head with his walking stick, knocking him out. The Count rushed out into his carriage. RB escorts the Countess to the carriage. She gives RB a white rose as a present for saving them.

Chapter 7: Droqville has rented the last of the carriage horses, RB must travel wth Droqville in his carriage to Paris. The Colonel is taken to his room, unconscious, cared for by "a bald-headed little military surgeon of sixty". During the trip, RB asked about the Countess: "Has he not a daughter?" Droqville replied: "Yes; I believe a very beautiful and charming young lady--I cannot say--it may have been she, his daughter by an earlier marriage." (Clearly, based on later info, a distraction.) They drank coffee (later w learn RB's was drugged) then Droqville read letters from a locked box, and RB "slept" (though aware of his surroundings).

Chapter 8: RB and Droqville arrived at their hotel in Paris (the Dragon Volant) and RB is still asleep/drugged (though aware of his surroundings). While Droqville exits, "a total stranger got in [his carriage] silently and shut the door." Here we learn "he was a young man ..." (but later it is explained that the person is the Countess). When RB recovered, he disclosed the experience to Droqville. Droqville said he hear of a similar "attack", who never experienced it again. This comforted RB.

Chapter 9: RB arrived in his room, looking out his hotel window upon Paris, when Droqville visited him. Droqville insisted that RB not venture out to gamble without him, and that Droqville would provide all the introductions he needed. RB asked about the Count and Countess and we learn (a) she is unhappy, (b) he wants her to sell her diamonds (worth a million francs), (c) they do not socialize much. Again, warning RB not to venture out without him, Droqville leaves.

Chapter 10: Two days later, Droqville visited him again. There is a masked ball on Wed and he wants RB to go with him. RB says he can't, as he's seeing friends that day. Droqville got very upset and coerced RB into cancelling his engagement to attend the ball. Droqville then told RB to book a hotel in Versailles for the night of the ball. RB left soon afterwards to try to find a hotel room but all the inns were booked. RB happened upon Droqville (surely Droqville was following RB), who told RB that there was a room reserved at Le Dragon Volant for him. Droqville took him to the Dragon Volant and they made arrangements on what costumes they would wear to the masked ball, so they could meet up there.

Chapter 11: At the DV, RB is shown to his room by the host. The host tells RB that the inn is owned by the Count de St. Alyre. Outside RB's window he sees a small park with the a run down house called the Chateau de la Carque. RB is told that the Count is staying there. The host leaves and RB's servant St Clair enters. St Clair tells RB of a story of a man who stayed at the DV and disappeared afterwards.

Chapter 12: "No more brilliant spectacle than this masked ball could be imagined. Among other salons and galleries, thrown open, was the enormous Perspective of the "Grande Galerie des Glaces," lighted up on that occasion with no less than four thousand wax candles, reflected and repeated by all the mirrors, so that the effect was almost dazzling." RB soon met Droqville, who arrived with the Count and Countess. Droqville introduced RB to the Count, who remembered him from the Belle Etoile inn. The Count offered to introduce RB to his wife, the Countess, when she was available. Droqville then asked the Count to see "the magician", who can answer any question asked of him. The three of them went to "the magician". The oracle was dressed, very richly, in the Chinese fashion. The Count (disguised by his mask) asked "the magician" several questions. The magician replied that in ways embarrassing to the Count (eg, that the Count loved his wife's diamonds more than her and that they argued about their marriage document, signed 25th July, 1811.

Chapter 13: The magician also talked to Colonel Gaillarde, who's mask did not disguise him from RB, and to RB himself.
Colonel: "Whom do I pursue at present?"
Magician: "An Englishman, whom if you catch, he will kill you; and a French widow, whom if you find, she will spit in your face."
The Colonel left.
RB: "Have I ever learned any words of devotion by heart?"
Magician: "Yes, approach."
RB did. The man with the black wand closed the curtains, and the magician said these words:
Magician: "I may never see you more; and, oh! I that I could forget you!--go--farewell--for God's sake, go!"
These were the last words whispered to RB by the Countess. Droqville and RB follow the Count to look for the Countess.

Chapter 14: Droqville told RB to wait in a room called the "Salon d'Apollon". RB sat on a sofa next to a young woman disguised as "Mademoiselle de la Valiere". We learn later that she is the Countess de St. Alyre in disguise. They talk, in very respectful tones, about the Countess, who the "Mademoiselle de la Valiere" claims is a close friend. The Mademoiselle tells RB: "You shall meet her at two o'clock this morning in the Park of the Château de la Carque." This obviously made RB very happy.

Chapter 15: On the way back to the DV, at around midnight, RB ran into an English friend Tom Whistlewick and his friend Monsieur Carmaignac. Carmaignac told RB of two strange disappearances at the DV about four years ago. Both were wealthy men who suddenly and mysteriously vanished. Carmaignac also said that the room in the DV they vanished from was in the back of the inn, upstairs to the right - the same room RB has. Tom and Carmaignac had to go but the agreed to talk more the next day.

Chapter 16: The DV closed its doors at 3am or so. RB's meeting with the Countess was at 2am. RB got changed, packing 2 pistols for protection, and left his room for the park of the Château de la Carque. There he met the "Mademoiselle de la Valiere", who now confessed to RB that she is the Countess. RB promised to be her "slave", They agreed to meet the next night when she would give him more details of her plan. She hinted that she wants to leave the Count.

Chapter 17: Droqville called on RB early the next day and asked if RB was going to Paris. RB said yes. Droqville asked to share RB's carriage, as his had an accident. They went to Paris and to RB's hotel room there. There the Count was waiting for him. The Count was wearing his arm in a cast and wanted a favor. Droqville said he's be happy to but it would have to wait until later that day, as he had to leave immediately to meet some people. RB offered his help. Droqville left. The Count explained that a relative died and he needed to fill out a form, and pay some fees, but couldn't because of his arm sprain. RB took the money from the Count and took care of the funeral
preparations for the Count's dead relative. The Count left in his carriage. RB finished his own banking affairs and then took his carriage back to the DV.

Chapter 18: Back at the DV, the next night RB had dinner with his friends, including Carmaignac. Carmaignac told RB about yet another strange disappearance of a wealthy person from the DV room RB was in. After that (long) story was relayed, RB's friends left and RB, once again, prepared to meet the Countess in the park near the DV. On the way to the park, RB saw Colonel Gaillarde (but CG did not see RB). CG was meeting someone else, but the two of them walked in a different direction that that taken by RB.

Chapter 19: RB meets the Countess. She said: "Richard, I must speak plainly. The crisis of my life has come. I am sure you would defend me. I think you pity me; perhaps you even love me." The Countess showed RB a necklace of diamonds. She says she will sell the diamonds and they will share the wealth after she runs away from her tyrant husband. They plan to leave when the Count is at his relative's funeral. the Countess then said: "My only difficulty, is how we shall quickly enough convert my diamonds into money; I dare not remove them while my husband is in the house."
RB volunteered thirty thousand pounds to help. She then gave RB a key. It was a double key -- a long, slender stem, with a key at each end--one about the size which opens an ordinary room door; the other as small, almost, as the key of a dressing-case. She then said: "You cannot employ too much caution tomorrow night. An interruption would murder all my hopes. I have learned that you occupy the haunted room in the Dragon Volant. It is the very room I would have wished you in. I will tell you why -- there is a story of a man who, having shut himself up in that room one night, disappeared before morning. The truth is, he wanted, I believe, to escape from creditors; and the host of the Dragon Volant at that time, being a rogue, aided him in absconding. My husband investigated the matter, and discovered how his escape was made. It was by means of this key. ..." They departed, to meet again soon.

Chapter 20: Back at the DV, RB met an old woman in his room who added wood to his heater. She: "These old eyes saw you in the park of the château tonight. It avails nothing, Monsieur; I know why you stay here; and I tell you to begone. Leave this house tomorrow morning, and never come again." Near the window was a wood slide revealing a key-hole. Using the Countess' key, a door in the panel opened, showing a narrow, arched doorway, within which was a stone spiral staircase. With a candle, RB descended the stairs to the ground floor, where the other end of the Countess' key opened a door outside. RB made his way outside then, satisfied with his experiment, returned to his
room the way he came.

Chapter 21: RB told his inn host he planned a trip and would be gone for a week. RB traveled to Paris and withdrew 30000 pounds, placed in a strong-box. Afterwards, he walked around and happened to see, in an antique store, Droqville and Colonel Gaillarde talking together. RB was able to sneak away unseen. RB returned to the Dragon Volant, where he summoned St Clair, his servant. He told St Clair he planned a trip and would be gone for a week and gave him 50 pounds for the weeks expenses. After St Clair left, RB departed out the secret passageway from his room.

Chapter 22: RB went to the meeting place and waited for a signal from the Countess. When he saw it, he approached the Chateau de la Carque. As RB ascended some steps, the Countess appeared and said: "Richard, dearest Richard, come, oh! come! how I have longed for this moment!" She exhibited her diamonds and he produced his strng-box of 30000 pounds. There was a knock at the door. The Countess said: "I know who this is. My trusty maid, who is coming with us." After a whispered conversation, "She is bringing some coffee to the next room." The Countess then left to talk further wither her maid. There was a door at the other end. RB took a candle, opened the
door and walked into the room.

Chapter 23: On a narrow table, lay a coffin. According to a plate on the coffin, this was the body of the Count's dead relative. Strange, as the Countess earlier said that the Count had already left for the funeral. Returning to the first room, he met the Countess de St. Alyre, who detected in RB's face some evidence of what had happened. The Countess' excuse: (paraphrasing slightly) "The body did not arrive till eight or ten minutes after the Count set out. He was afraid lest the people at the cemetery should suppose that the funeral was postponed. He knew that the remains of poor Pierre would certainly reach this tonight, although an unexpected delay has occurred; and there are reasons why he wishes the funeral completed before tomorrow. ... It is the last time, I shall ever practice a deception on my brave and beautiful Richard -- my hero! Am I forgiven?" The coffee and some liquor arrived. The Countess served RB both coffee and liquor. Finally, the Countess gives Richard her name - Eugenie. After telling her how impatient RB was to set out upon their journey, an odd sensation ("a sudden constraint of the brain") overcame RB. Once the Countess had convinced herself that RB was in a frozen catatonic state, she rang a handball two or three times sharply.

Chapter 24: The door to the room with the coffin opened and the Count enters. The Count praised the Countess for her good work. They counted his money.

Chapter 25: The door to the room with the coffin opened and Droqville entered. The Count called him "Planard," and also "doctor". They discussed ow much poison the Countess gave to RB. They said the amount given should "evaporate" from RB's body after 7 hours. The Countess left and they started to undress RB.

Chapter 26: They placed RB in the coffin, which it turns out was empty. The put his clothes and pocket belongings in a "press" (some kind of storage box). Droqville, ie Doctor Planard, said he would go to the hall to summon the men who were to carry the coffin out and place it in the hearse. Droqville returned and said: "Monsieur le Comte, I am sorry to have to announce to you a most unseasonable interruption. Here is Monsieur Carmaignac, a gentleman holding an office in the police department, who says that information to the effect that large quantities of smuggled English and other goods have been distributed in this neighborhood, and that a portion of them is concealed in your house." Carmaignac said: "The Count de St. Alyre will pardon me ... I am instructed to make a general search ..." Eventually, Carmaignac discovered that RB was in the coffin, and was still alive. RB was saved and the Count and Countess were arrested. The Countess admitted she, admirably disguised, had rifled my papers in the carriage on my night-journey to Paris. She also had figured as the magician at the masked ball at Versailles.

A counter-example to Chekov's gun?

Chekov's gun is a well-known rule of writing. As Chekov himself said,

"Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it's not going to be fired, it shouldn't be hanging there."

Did Chekov follow his own rule?

No (at least, not literally).

In his 1887 "The Avenger" (available online here), Chekov's character Fyodor Fyodorovitch Sigaev spends quite some time in the gunsmith's shop considering buying a Smith&Wesson, before changing his mind and buying a net for holding dead quails. It's a funny story, and highly recommended, but no guns go off.

On a lighter note, Matt Nix (creator of Burn Notice, among other TV series), made this student film: