Peter Gunn (1958) s01e04 Episode Script
The Blind Pianist
1
Thank you for watching.
© BF-WATCH TV 2021 Go out and get her some sandwiches.
And when I came back, there she was, crumpled
up like a rag doll, her face was turning blue.
You know, I'm not used to my customers' faces.
She turned blue.
Hello, Pete.
Max.
What are you doing here?
Just dropped in.
Sure.
Now, Mr. Ware, exactly what did you hear?
Not much.
I was playing.
Max went out for the sandwiches.
A short time later, I heard somebody come in.
A man.
How did you know?
You've been listening to footsteps as long
as I have you now.
You heard a man's footsteps.
Then what?
Next sound I heard, I couldn't identify at
the time, but from what you've told me,
it must have been when Mrs. Stanfield slumped on the table.
Is that all?
That's all.
Where are you going?
Make a phone call.
I'll get it, Barney.
Okay, Edie.
Hello, silly.
Where are you, Mr. Gunn?
I'm going to be tied up for a while.
You better go home.
Well, I could drop by your place, curl up on the
couch, and boil you an egg when you come in.
I've got a better idea.
Get yourself some sleep and a comfortable bed.
I'll call you tomorrow.
I'm not that tired, and my bed's not that comfortable.
The key's under the mat.
Bye, silly.
Who was Mrs. Stanfield?
Mrs. Laura Hope Stanfield.
That's an expensive corpse.
You don't know why anybody would want to
kill her, do you, Pete?
No.
You want to tell me why you're here?
No.
See you around.
Sure.
Everything happens to me, huh, Pete?
It'll double your business, Max.
Yeah?
Why did that?
It's been a long time.
Two years.
Yeah, this thing hits the newspaper.
There'll be a line all around the block.
I resent that, Max.
Oh, no offense, Steve.
You've been doing my business good,
but you've been out of touch for a while.
You know, a little publicity never hurt nobody.
Hey, are you gonna hang around?
Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna knock off.
You wanna close up for me?
Sure.
All right, the lock's all set.
Just shut the door.
Right.
Good night, Max.
Good night.
How's Europe?
Swains.
What's on your mind?
It's good to see you, Pete.
When did this happen?
Antwerp.
Doctors didn't give it much chance, but they'd
been having a lot of luck with corneal transplants.
Oh, man, what a revelation.
Then I realized my whole reputation, my whole life, the
public's acceptance of me was as Stephen Ware, blind pianist.
You saw the killer?
Yeah.
I turned around and looked right at him.
Talk about panic.
I thought sure he could tell.
Why don't you tell Jacoby?
I just told you.
Look, Steve is a killer running around loose.
I'll pay you whatever you want.
You find him.
Steve.
Except for the doctors, you're the one person
in the whole world who knows I'm not blind.
You're being ridiculous.
Am I?
You're established.
It's not going to make any difference to
your career whether you can see or not.
You're wrong.
Even if there was the slightest possibility, you're right.
It's too big a gamble.
This makes you an accessory after the fact.
If you don't find him in 24 hours, I'll go to the police.
What did he look like?
He was tall, dark hair, good looking,
maybe 35, 38, dark suit, top coat,
wore a white scarf.
That's what he strangled her with.
Looked like he had a knot in it.
What about Mrs. Stanfield?
Did she say or do anything important?
She mentioned that she'd been at Wilbur's
place earlier, before she came here.
All right, Steve.
24 hours.
Thanks, Pete.
Don't thank me.
When you get a look at my bill,
you'll wish you never had that operation.
So?
Beat her gun.
Crazy.
Hiya, Fluky.
Wow.
Where's Wilbur?
Like where else.
Man, you're getting taller.
Clean living.
Wow.
Ragged little child, standing on the
outside, with your nose pressed up against
the window, crying cause you ain't never had a jelly donut.
But don't you care, you'll grow up and
drive a shiny red sports car.
No, I can't.
Nose, I can't.
Join a country club band if you're real good.
I don't know because I'm
Hey.
It's a profound gas, Mr. Gunn.
Pete.
Drag a little Meet Capri.
Ain't you heard?
Each of us Capri.
Is on the outside Hey, man.
Sit down.
Thanks, Wilbur.
Yeah.
There ain't no jelly donut on the other
side of that window.
Only death.
Man, dig all those wrapped faces.
Makes you wonder whatever happened to the
good old iambic pentameter.
Oh, man, like, that's strictly for squares.
I mean, like, today's poets are free from
all those rigid rules and restrictions.
Like, man, they don't even know what he's
saying, but, you know, like, they make the scene.
Now, now, you take art.
You dig?
Crazy.
Yeah.
I mean, I just finished it.
I mean, there is something you can swing with.
Self-portrait?
What else, man?
Good likeness.
Yeah.
Do you ever paint anything but yourself?
I mean, now, like, why should I?
I'm so infinitely complex.
Let me get you a blast, Harry.
No, thanks, Wilbur.
Cool it, man.
Cool it.
Look, do you know a Mrs. Laura Hope Stanfield?
Mrs. S?
Yeah.
Like, she's the shining example of the
plastic surgeon's art.
Yeah, man, like, she is She's had her face lifted so many
times that when her neck itches, she scratches her nose.
Was she in tonight?
Yeah, yeah, she was.
Alone?
Yeah, like she was for a change.
She was in to dig our champagne and Shirley Blaze.
Shirley Blaze?
Oh, man, you ain't been by for a while.
You should fall in.
Shirley Blaze is our new intellectual.
Ecc-diss-y-ass-ed.
I'd like to keep on explaining.
Ecc-diss-y-ass-ed, like to take off, like
to peel, like to shed one's outer garments.
Stripper.
Wow!
I mean, like, man, she makes it to a jazz
quintet, backed up by my rendition of T.S.
Elliott's Wasteland.
Big seller here, man, big.
Big.
What did Mrs. S.
Want to see Shirley about?
Well, man, like, like, I don't know for
sure, but I could take a wild swing and guess.
Guess?
Shirley's got herself a new cat, and, uh,
this particular cat used to belong to Mrs.
S.
Who is he?
Well, now, man, like, I don't know his
name, you know, he's only been in,
like, a few times, but he's a tall cat, dark hair.
Shirley around?
No, no, man, it's a night off.
Then Mrs. S.
Didn't talk to her.
Not unless she knew where to find her.
If she did, uh, where would that be?
Well, now, man, like, if he was looking
real hard, you might try to find her at home.
But, like, I should warn you, Pete, with this
chick, home ain't exactly where the heart is.
You dig?
I'm hip.
46-77 South Beacons.
Street, apartment C.
I can cool.
Yeah.
See you around.
My parting is such sweet, swinging sorrow.
Come in.
Hey.
Look what I found.
You need a doll?
Yeah.
What's your name, doll?
Gunn.
That's right.
You know him?
Intimately.
Oh.
Cop?
You're not even close.
Oh.
You mean you never heard of Peter Gunn?
Ah.
Sorry, baby.
It's a blow, but I'll manage.
A coffee?
Sure.
Excuse me.
She's an old friend.
She's an old friend?
I got lost?
I was looking for you.
Oh.
Thank you, dear.
Am I interrupting something?
You think you could find something to do
for a couple of minutes?
Sure.
But, uh, don't go, huh?
Mm-hmm.
I can't tell you who I'm working for.
You figure the rest.
I'm after the same thing you are.
Why?
I'm getting paid.
Yeah.
You know, sometimes you act just like a cop.
You know, sometimes I find it very hard to
act any other way.
You don't know any more than I do, or you wouldn't be here.
Our girlfriend has a boyfriend.
Guy Beckett.
I didn't know that much.
You don't want to tell me why you're mixed up in this.
Nope, not yet.
This Guy Beckett, uh, tall, dark hair?
Yeah.
Our hostess swears he was with her at the
time of the killing until a half hour ago.
That's too bad.
Mrs. Stanfield had some other boyfriends.
I want to check them out.
Enjoy the coffee.
Miss Blaze?
Oh, don't open the door.
Okay, you can come in now.
Life?
Mm-hmm.
This is my hobby.
It takes up a lot of spare time.
Well, what do you do with your spare time, Mr. Gunn?
It depends.
It's very good.
Who took it?
Guy.
Guy Beckett?
Uh-huh.
He's just an amateur, but he does pretty well.
He missed tonight.
Tonight?
When he killed Mrs. Stanfield.
Didn't the lieutenant tell you?
Guy didn't kill Mrs. Stanfield.
He was with me.
Across my heart?
There was a witness.
Really?
Guy wore a dark suit and a top coat.
Strangler with a scarf.
Put a knot in it so it wouldn't slip.
Just walked up behind her and choked her to death.
By the way, it was a white scarf.
Whoever your witness is, I'm afraid he
identified the wrong man.
Not this witness, dear.
He's the most reliable fellow I know.
Just who are you, Mr. Gunn?
A very reliable fellow, Miss Blaze.
If you want to get in touch with me, I'm in the book.
You're not going.
Afraid so.
Uh-oh.
I'll bet you didn't even finish your coffee.
Bet you didn't either.
Your developer's boiling.
You stink.
Thanks.
You smell like a perfume factory.
Cheap one.
I hadn't noticed.
Who is she?
Some gal that runs around with a killer by
the name of Beckett.
What else does she do?
Develops pictures.
In her spare time.
Is that all she develops?
Jealous.
Go buy their own eggs.
Anything?
Look.
Let's count them.
What time is it?
Time for you to go home.
I hope you're kidding.
Not in the least.
You'll just be in the way.
Why, you think we're done.
It's a man.
Sure.
He's probably got a gun.
So what?
He'll probably try and kill me.
It'd be a little less confusing if you were home in bed.
You're just gonna stay here?
Mm-hmm.
Well, I might buy myself an egg or two while I'm waiting.
Oh, that's very funny.
Come on, silly.
Anybody ever tell you you're a real nut?
Sure.
What do you tell me?
You're a real
nut.
So am I.
Good night.
Pete.
Mm-hmm?
I'll worry.
You'll worry.
Well, apparently I wasn't expected.
The, uh
The lady was just leaving.
Without an introduction?
Whatever we may have to discuss doesn't concern her.
Now, I put it to you, Mr. Gunn.
I walk in here and I find you with a very
nervous young lady.
Well, under the circumstances,
do you think I should let her go?
You have no choice.
Now, why don't we all sit down?
Let it ring.
I found out a little bit about you, Mr. Gunn.
You don't have a reputation for being foolish.
Oh, now, I'm glad to hear that.
You knew Shirley would tell me,
and then I'd be around to see you.
I thought you might.
Didn't you think I might kill you?
You can't take the chance.
Too many loose ends.
You couldn't have seen me.
Then who did?
There are only two other people in that room.
One's dead, and the other's blind.
And if you'd seen me, you'd have stopped me.
If you weren't stopped
You wouldn't just let me walk out.
You walked out?
Why didn't you go to the police?
That's a good question.
There could only be one reason.
Blackmail.
You'd like a share of the $100,000.
That's an interesting theory.
Obviously, you had some connection with Laura Stanfield.
She probably hired you to protect her interests.
I don't know.
$100,000 is a lot of money.
Regardless of what she told you, it was only a loan.
Give Mrs. Stanfield back the $100,000 or
she goes to the police.
But how did you see me?
You figure it out.
Look, Beckett, if I tell you, you'd still kill me.
All right.
Get up.
Let's go.
Any place?
I've got my car downstairs.
That's the man who killed Mrs. Stanfield.
Better call Jacoby.
He can pick up the girl.
You didn't answer your phone, so I dropped by to tell you
I decided to forget about the 24 hours and tell the police.
How's it feel to see you again?
I'll get used to it.
Thank you for watching.
© BF-WATCH TV 2021 Go out and get her some sandwiches.
And when I came back, there she was, crumpled
up like a rag doll, her face was turning blue.
You know, I'm not used to my customers' faces.
She turned blue.
Hello, Pete.
Max.
What are you doing here?
Just dropped in.
Sure.
Now, Mr. Ware, exactly what did you hear?
Not much.
I was playing.
Max went out for the sandwiches.
A short time later, I heard somebody come in.
A man.
How did you know?
You've been listening to footsteps as long
as I have you now.
You heard a man's footsteps.
Then what?
Next sound I heard, I couldn't identify at
the time, but from what you've told me,
it must have been when Mrs. Stanfield slumped on the table.
Is that all?
That's all.
Where are you going?
Make a phone call.
I'll get it, Barney.
Okay, Edie.
Hello, silly.
Where are you, Mr. Gunn?
I'm going to be tied up for a while.
You better go home.
Well, I could drop by your place, curl up on the
couch, and boil you an egg when you come in.
I've got a better idea.
Get yourself some sleep and a comfortable bed.
I'll call you tomorrow.
I'm not that tired, and my bed's not that comfortable.
The key's under the mat.
Bye, silly.
Who was Mrs. Stanfield?
Mrs. Laura Hope Stanfield.
That's an expensive corpse.
You don't know why anybody would want to
kill her, do you, Pete?
No.
You want to tell me why you're here?
No.
See you around.
Sure.
Everything happens to me, huh, Pete?
It'll double your business, Max.
Yeah?
Why did that?
It's been a long time.
Two years.
Yeah, this thing hits the newspaper.
There'll be a line all around the block.
I resent that, Max.
Oh, no offense, Steve.
You've been doing my business good,
but you've been out of touch for a while.
You know, a little publicity never hurt nobody.
Hey, are you gonna hang around?
Yeah.
Well, I'm gonna knock off.
You wanna close up for me?
Sure.
All right, the lock's all set.
Just shut the door.
Right.
Good night, Max.
Good night.
How's Europe?
Swains.
What's on your mind?
It's good to see you, Pete.
When did this happen?
Antwerp.
Doctors didn't give it much chance, but they'd
been having a lot of luck with corneal transplants.
Oh, man, what a revelation.
Then I realized my whole reputation, my whole life, the
public's acceptance of me was as Stephen Ware, blind pianist.
You saw the killer?
Yeah.
I turned around and looked right at him.
Talk about panic.
I thought sure he could tell.
Why don't you tell Jacoby?
I just told you.
Look, Steve is a killer running around loose.
I'll pay you whatever you want.
You find him.
Steve.
Except for the doctors, you're the one person
in the whole world who knows I'm not blind.
You're being ridiculous.
Am I?
You're established.
It's not going to make any difference to
your career whether you can see or not.
You're wrong.
Even if there was the slightest possibility, you're right.
It's too big a gamble.
This makes you an accessory after the fact.
If you don't find him in 24 hours, I'll go to the police.
What did he look like?
He was tall, dark hair, good looking,
maybe 35, 38, dark suit, top coat,
wore a white scarf.
That's what he strangled her with.
Looked like he had a knot in it.
What about Mrs. Stanfield?
Did she say or do anything important?
She mentioned that she'd been at Wilbur's
place earlier, before she came here.
All right, Steve.
24 hours.
Thanks, Pete.
Don't thank me.
When you get a look at my bill,
you'll wish you never had that operation.
So?
Beat her gun.
Crazy.
Hiya, Fluky.
Wow.
Where's Wilbur?
Like where else.
Man, you're getting taller.
Clean living.
Wow.
Ragged little child, standing on the
outside, with your nose pressed up against
the window, crying cause you ain't never had a jelly donut.
But don't you care, you'll grow up and
drive a shiny red sports car.
No, I can't.
Nose, I can't.
Join a country club band if you're real good.
I don't know because I'm
Hey.
It's a profound gas, Mr. Gunn.
Pete.
Drag a little Meet Capri.
Ain't you heard?
Each of us Capri.
Is on the outside Hey, man.
Sit down.
Thanks, Wilbur.
Yeah.
There ain't no jelly donut on the other
side of that window.
Only death.
Man, dig all those wrapped faces.
Makes you wonder whatever happened to the
good old iambic pentameter.
Oh, man, like, that's strictly for squares.
I mean, like, today's poets are free from
all those rigid rules and restrictions.
Like, man, they don't even know what he's
saying, but, you know, like, they make the scene.
Now, now, you take art.
You dig?
Crazy.
Yeah.
I mean, I just finished it.
I mean, there is something you can swing with.
Self-portrait?
What else, man?
Good likeness.
Yeah.
Do you ever paint anything but yourself?
I mean, now, like, why should I?
I'm so infinitely complex.
Let me get you a blast, Harry.
No, thanks, Wilbur.
Cool it, man.
Cool it.
Look, do you know a Mrs. Laura Hope Stanfield?
Mrs. S?
Yeah.
Like, she's the shining example of the
plastic surgeon's art.
Yeah, man, like, she is She's had her face lifted so many
times that when her neck itches, she scratches her nose.
Was she in tonight?
Yeah, yeah, she was.
Alone?
Yeah, like she was for a change.
She was in to dig our champagne and Shirley Blaze.
Shirley Blaze?
Oh, man, you ain't been by for a while.
You should fall in.
Shirley Blaze is our new intellectual.
Ecc-diss-y-ass-ed.
I'd like to keep on explaining.
Ecc-diss-y-ass-ed, like to take off, like
to peel, like to shed one's outer garments.
Stripper.
Wow!
I mean, like, man, she makes it to a jazz
quintet, backed up by my rendition of T.S.
Elliott's Wasteland.
Big seller here, man, big.
Big.
What did Mrs. S.
Want to see Shirley about?
Well, man, like, like, I don't know for
sure, but I could take a wild swing and guess.
Guess?
Shirley's got herself a new cat, and, uh,
this particular cat used to belong to Mrs.
S.
Who is he?
Well, now, man, like, I don't know his
name, you know, he's only been in,
like, a few times, but he's a tall cat, dark hair.
Shirley around?
No, no, man, it's a night off.
Then Mrs. S.
Didn't talk to her.
Not unless she knew where to find her.
If she did, uh, where would that be?
Well, now, man, like, if he was looking
real hard, you might try to find her at home.
But, like, I should warn you, Pete, with this
chick, home ain't exactly where the heart is.
You dig?
I'm hip.
46-77 South Beacons.
Street, apartment C.
I can cool.
Yeah.
See you around.
My parting is such sweet, swinging sorrow.
Come in.
Hey.
Look what I found.
You need a doll?
Yeah.
What's your name, doll?
Gunn.
That's right.
You know him?
Intimately.
Oh.
Cop?
You're not even close.
Oh.
You mean you never heard of Peter Gunn?
Ah.
Sorry, baby.
It's a blow, but I'll manage.
A coffee?
Sure.
Excuse me.
She's an old friend.
She's an old friend?
I got lost?
I was looking for you.
Oh.
Thank you, dear.
Am I interrupting something?
You think you could find something to do
for a couple of minutes?
Sure.
But, uh, don't go, huh?
Mm-hmm.
I can't tell you who I'm working for.
You figure the rest.
I'm after the same thing you are.
Why?
I'm getting paid.
Yeah.
You know, sometimes you act just like a cop.
You know, sometimes I find it very hard to
act any other way.
You don't know any more than I do, or you wouldn't be here.
Our girlfriend has a boyfriend.
Guy Beckett.
I didn't know that much.
You don't want to tell me why you're mixed up in this.
Nope, not yet.
This Guy Beckett, uh, tall, dark hair?
Yeah.
Our hostess swears he was with her at the
time of the killing until a half hour ago.
That's too bad.
Mrs. Stanfield had some other boyfriends.
I want to check them out.
Enjoy the coffee.
Miss Blaze?
Oh, don't open the door.
Okay, you can come in now.
Life?
Mm-hmm.
This is my hobby.
It takes up a lot of spare time.
Well, what do you do with your spare time, Mr. Gunn?
It depends.
It's very good.
Who took it?
Guy.
Guy Beckett?
Uh-huh.
He's just an amateur, but he does pretty well.
He missed tonight.
Tonight?
When he killed Mrs. Stanfield.
Didn't the lieutenant tell you?
Guy didn't kill Mrs. Stanfield.
He was with me.
Across my heart?
There was a witness.
Really?
Guy wore a dark suit and a top coat.
Strangler with a scarf.
Put a knot in it so it wouldn't slip.
Just walked up behind her and choked her to death.
By the way, it was a white scarf.
Whoever your witness is, I'm afraid he
identified the wrong man.
Not this witness, dear.
He's the most reliable fellow I know.
Just who are you, Mr. Gunn?
A very reliable fellow, Miss Blaze.
If you want to get in touch with me, I'm in the book.
You're not going.
Afraid so.
Uh-oh.
I'll bet you didn't even finish your coffee.
Bet you didn't either.
Your developer's boiling.
You stink.
Thanks.
You smell like a perfume factory.
Cheap one.
I hadn't noticed.
Who is she?
Some gal that runs around with a killer by
the name of Beckett.
What else does she do?
Develops pictures.
In her spare time.
Is that all she develops?
Jealous.
Go buy their own eggs.
Anything?
Look.
Let's count them.
What time is it?
Time for you to go home.
I hope you're kidding.
Not in the least.
You'll just be in the way.
Why, you think we're done.
It's a man.
Sure.
He's probably got a gun.
So what?
He'll probably try and kill me.
It'd be a little less confusing if you were home in bed.
You're just gonna stay here?
Mm-hmm.
Well, I might buy myself an egg or two while I'm waiting.
Oh, that's very funny.
Come on, silly.
Anybody ever tell you you're a real nut?
Sure.
What do you tell me?
You're a real
nut.
So am I.
Good night.
Pete.
Mm-hmm?
I'll worry.
You'll worry.
Well, apparently I wasn't expected.
The, uh
The lady was just leaving.
Without an introduction?
Whatever we may have to discuss doesn't concern her.
Now, I put it to you, Mr. Gunn.
I walk in here and I find you with a very
nervous young lady.
Well, under the circumstances,
do you think I should let her go?
You have no choice.
Now, why don't we all sit down?
Let it ring.
I found out a little bit about you, Mr. Gunn.
You don't have a reputation for being foolish.
Oh, now, I'm glad to hear that.
You knew Shirley would tell me,
and then I'd be around to see you.
I thought you might.
Didn't you think I might kill you?
You can't take the chance.
Too many loose ends.
You couldn't have seen me.
Then who did?
There are only two other people in that room.
One's dead, and the other's blind.
And if you'd seen me, you'd have stopped me.
If you weren't stopped
You wouldn't just let me walk out.
You walked out?
Why didn't you go to the police?
That's a good question.
There could only be one reason.
Blackmail.
You'd like a share of the $100,000.
That's an interesting theory.
Obviously, you had some connection with Laura Stanfield.
She probably hired you to protect her interests.
I don't know.
$100,000 is a lot of money.
Regardless of what she told you, it was only a loan.
Give Mrs. Stanfield back the $100,000 or
she goes to the police.
But how did you see me?
You figure it out.
Look, Beckett, if I tell you, you'd still kill me.
All right.
Get up.
Let's go.
Any place?
I've got my car downstairs.
That's the man who killed Mrs. Stanfield.
Better call Jacoby.
He can pick up the girl.
You didn't answer your phone, so I dropped by to tell you
I decided to forget about the 24 hours and tell the police.
How's it feel to see you again?
I'll get used to it.