• 2 months ago
Mr. and Mrs. North (TV-1953) ON THE ROCKS

"Mr. and Mrs. North" was a classic television series that aired in the early 1950s, featuring the crime-solving adventures of a married couple in New York City. The show was known for its wit, charm, and sophisticated storytelling. One notable episode from this series is "On the Rocks," which aired on January 2, 1953.

In "On the Rocks," Jerry and Pamela North find themselves at the country estate of a successful writer whom Jerry is trying to sign to his publishing firm. The gathering takes a dark turn when a rival publisher, Ned Waters, arrives, and his wife ends up dead after drinking a poisoned cocktail intended for Ned. The episode unfolds with the Norths investigating the crime, unraveling the motives of the guests, and bringing their characteristic blend of humor and intelligence to solve the mystery before the police.

The episode is a great example of the show's ability to blend comedy, drama, mystery, and romance into a cohesive narrative that keeps viewers engaged. The chemistry between Richard Denning and Barbara Britton, who played Jerry and Pamela North, respectively, was a significant factor in the show's success. Their on-screen partnership captured the hearts of the audience and made "Mr. and Mrs. North" a memorable part of television history.

For fans of classic TV shows and those who enjoy a good mystery, "On the Rocks" is an episode that should not be missed. It's a testament to the enduring appeal of the series and the genre.

Category

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Fun
Transcript
00:00♪♪
00:11Mr. & Mrs. North starring Barbara Britton and Richard Denning.
00:15♪♪
00:44♪♪
00:54Oh, Pam, I thought we were going away for the weekend, not for the summer.
00:58You told me to look my most attractive. For that, I need clothes.
01:01Oh, nonsense. Randolph Summers would love you in a sun suit.
01:04Doesn't seem quite profitable to me, using your wife to entice another man.
01:08My dear Pam, Randolph Summers is a best-selling novelist.
01:11I am a publisher who likes to publish best-selling novels.
01:14Now, all I want you to do is to be charming to him and entertain his wife while I try to sign him up.
01:19I'll show him my card tricks.
01:20Well, I wouldn't call that entertainment.
01:22Oh, Pam, you don't really need all this junk, do you?
01:25We'll only be there two days, and we're the only guests.
01:28You use your weapons. I'll use mine.
01:31You know, darling, I'm rather looking forward to a peaceful weekend in the country.
01:35When has it ever been peaceful with you around?
01:38Oh!
01:40See what I mean?
01:51You had no right to rent the house.
01:53Without even discussing it with us. It's disgraceful.
01:55But I tell you, I couldn't help it.
01:56Don't keep telling me you couldn't help it.
01:58Are you sure this is the right place?
02:00We had an understanding, an agreement.
02:05Oh, Jerry, come in, come in.
02:08We're having a fight.
02:09Private or free for all?
02:10This is my wife, Pam.
02:12Randolph Summers?
02:13I so look forward to meeting you.
02:15Oh, here's Pam and Jerry North.
02:17How do you do?
02:18And these two snakes in the grass are Jim and Phyllis Tucker.
02:21Randy, you're just being pig-headed.
02:23I'm sorry.
02:27Oh, don't mind us. We never miss if we can.
02:29Well, you're in for a good one.
02:30You see, the Tuckers live next door. In fact, I'm their landlord.
02:33Well, that's a good start for a fight right there.
02:35Oh, it gets better.
02:36Randy, I think we'd better call time,
02:38at least until I've shown the North to their room.
02:40Oh, don't stop on account of us.
02:42It's not that interesting, Mrs. North.
02:44It's just that the Tuckers have sublet the house
02:46to a man we thoroughly dislike.
02:48A mistress of understatement.
02:50Shall we go up?
02:51Anybody home?
02:52If it's who I think it is, the answer is no.
02:54Well, well, well.
02:56If it isn't my old pal Randolph
02:58and Jerry North, the boy publisher.
03:00Hello, Wallace.
03:01And what do you want?
03:02I think that you all know my wife,
03:04except this young lady.
03:05I'm Pam North.
03:06And I'm Ned Walters,
03:07a rival publisher of your husband's.
03:09You must have heard him talk of me.
03:11He hates my insides.
03:12As who does not?
03:13I call that very unneighborly.
03:15I'm sorry to barge in like this,
03:17but we just wanted to get the key to the house
03:19from the Tuckers.
03:20Oh, you must be the people who rented.
03:22It's ironic, isn't it?
03:24Poor old Randy has his least favorite character
03:26installed right next door to him.
03:28Excuse me one moment.
03:29I'm going to burn that house down.
03:30Why don't you wait until we're in it?
03:32Jim, could we have the key to the house?
03:34My wife wants to do a few things.
03:36Sort of do the place over.
03:37Over my dead body?
03:39Oh, don't love being a little childish.
03:41After all, we are going to be neighbors.
03:44We might as well make the best of it.
03:47What my wife is trying to say in her faltering manner is,
03:50why not bury the hatchet?
03:51No, don't tempt me.
03:53Mrs. Walters is right.
03:55It's silly to carry on this feud.
03:57Why don't you all make up,
03:58and then we could smoke a pipe of peace or something.
04:01Well, I'm perfectly willing.
04:02I'll even take a drink on it.
04:03Go on, Randy.
04:04OK, I surrender.
04:07Well, what about those drinks?
04:08May I help you?
04:11What's everyone going to have?
04:13Scotch on the rocks for me.
04:15I seldom take a drink,
04:16but since this is such a joyous reunion,
04:18make mine bourbon on the rocks.
04:21I'm in the publishing business too, Mr. North.
04:23Oh, is there so?
04:24What firm?
04:25Jim is my editorial assistant.
04:26I'm sending him to London to open up a branch.
04:29At least, that's what he thinks.
04:30Actually, I'm getting him out of the country
04:32so that I can live in his house.
04:34Why, Phyllis, you get more like your father every day.
04:37Phyllis's father was the head of our firm
04:39until he got old and weak.
04:41You mean until you became too strong.
04:44Phyllis, you shouldn't talk to your husband's boss like that.
04:48Here you are, dear.
04:54Ladies and gentlemen,
04:58I give you a toast to new friendships.
05:00To you, Randolph.
05:04Oh, that scotch, and I hate the stuff.
05:07You have my drink, dear,
05:09and you've already drunk most of it.
05:11Drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.
05:23She's dead.
05:26A very appropriate toast.
05:31As sheriff, I warn you that none of you
05:33may leave the county until after the inquest.
05:36But surely there's no reason to keep me here.
05:38I'm sorry, Mr. Walters, that goes for everyone.
05:40You certainly should want to help clear up your wife's murder.
05:43Take my advice.
05:44Stop looking for my wife's murderer
05:46and start looking for my murderer.
05:48Just what do you mean by that?
05:50The poison was put in the drink intended for me.
05:53The bourbon on the rocks,
05:54not the scotch which my wife ordered.
05:56Uh, do you suspect anyone
05:58who might have a motive to kill you?
06:00I suspect everyone in this room
06:02with the exception of yourself and Mrs. North.
06:04Oh, that's very generous of you.
06:06If I'd wanted to kill you, Walters,
06:07I would have done it two years ago, and...
06:09Go on, Mr. Summers.
06:11What were you going to say?
06:13I'll say it for him.
06:14He thinks his wife and I were in love.
06:16Of course, it's perfectly ridiculous.
06:18Ridiculous, but true.
06:20What's the use of pretending it'll all come out eventually?
06:23I was in love with Ned Walters two years ago.
06:26I even thought of leaving my husband for him.
06:33And then he met another woman,
06:35a rich woman who could help him with his career.
06:37The late Mrs. Walters.
06:39Are you suggesting I married my wife for her money?
06:41Just a moment, please.
06:43Uh, what about you, Mr. Tucker?
06:46Oh, I didn't try to kill him.
06:48Although I would have liked to.
06:50Well, such popularity must be deserved.
06:52Go on, Mr. Tucker.
06:54I was working for Phyllis's...
06:56my wife's father.
06:58My father-in-law intended that I should take his place,
07:00but, uh, Walters managed to get
07:02such a stranglehold on the business
07:04that he rose to the top spot after my father-in-law's death.
07:09Furthermore, if it hadn't been for your nagging and bullying,
07:12my father'd probably be alive today.
07:14Well, you certainly all seem to have your motives.
07:18And you certainly all had the opportunity.
07:20Why, there isn't one of you
07:22who couldn't have slipped the poison in that drink.
07:24Well, I'll be getting on.
07:27I have to check the nature of that poison.
07:30Where will you all be stopping?
07:32Well, Mr. and Mrs. North will be staying here with us.
07:35We'll be next door to our house.
07:37And you, Mr. Walters?
07:39I'll stay in the police station or any other place
07:41where my well-wishers can't get at me.
07:43Now, stop being melodramatic.
07:45If you want, you can stay in our guest room.
07:47I'll even give you a key so you can lock yourself in.
07:50Well, Mr. Walters?
07:52I'll accept the offer, providing the key goes with it.
07:55Be seeing you all in the morning.
07:57We hope.
07:59Just another quiet weekend.
08:14Jerry! Jerry!
08:16What do you want?
08:18I think I heard a shot. It sounded like it came from the Tucker house.
08:21Oh, don't be silly.
08:23It's only that confounded owl.
08:25Well, I never heard an owl that sounded like a revolver.
08:28Come on. Put on your robe.
08:36Here.
08:38Well, don't knock yourself out.
08:44What was it? A shot?
08:46Yes. Someone shot at me.
08:48Well, did you see anyone? No.
08:50Well, are you sure they shot at you?
08:52Oh, what do you call this empty shell? I found it just outside the window.
08:54What happened? I thought I heard a shot.
08:56You did. Somebody shot at me.
08:58Well, there doesn't seem to be anyone there now.
09:00You came in after your wife, Tucker. Where were you?
09:02I came from my bedroom, of course. Couldn't find my robe.
09:04What are you trying to infer?
09:06Well, someone shot at me.
09:08And I'll find out who it was.
09:13Oh, hurry, Jerry. Aren't you dressed yet?
09:15How can I hurry when I can hardly move?
09:17Oh, Walters must have designed this room.
09:19Oh, let's cut out this nonsense and get back to bed.
09:22Look, Jerry. There's someone running across the lawn from the Tuckers.
09:25Maybe it's the one who fired the shot.
09:27No, it's probably the milkman. Come on. Back to bed.
09:31Not till I find out what's going on around here.
09:33Hey, Pam, I just found out who killed Mrs. Walters.
09:35Who? You. Me?
09:37Sure. You said you wanted to kill him and you helped prepare the drinks.
09:44Ned, Walters. What are you doing here at this hour?
09:47Where's your husband?
09:49He's upstairs, asleep, of course.
09:51That I'd like to see for myself.
09:53You'll do nothing of the kind.
09:55I fully realize what you've been through tonight,
09:57but other people deserve consideration, too.
09:59How long has he been asleep?
10:01Well, I don't know exactly. He came to bed shortly after I did.
10:04Why are you so concerned?
10:06Because I think he tried to kill me.
10:08Oh, you're insane.
10:10He's been asleep for hours.
10:12Anyway, he doesn't walk in his sleep.
10:20Well.
10:22I've written this scene many, many times,
10:24but suddenly I can't seem to remember the dialogue.
10:26What does this mean?
10:28Randy, I thought you were upstairs asleep.
10:31Yes, now I remember that line.
10:33And then the husband says, what is he doing here?
10:35Oh, say that again.
10:37And then the husband says, what is he doing here?
10:39Oh, save that drivel for your books.
10:41I came here to find out why you took a shot at me just now.
10:43That's about as lame an excuse as the other one
10:45about somebody trying to poison you.
10:47What do you think I'm doing here, Summers?
10:49Trying to warm up old embers?
10:51Get out of here. Randy, please.
10:53You're burning a room, Sylvia.
10:55No, no, Randy. You must lose your temper.
10:57Oh, Ned, get out of here before there's any trouble.
10:59Not before I find out one thing.
11:01Somebody took a shot at me through my bedroom window.
11:03Your wife said that you were upstairs asleep,
11:05and I thought you were upstairs.
11:07I want to know where you were and what you were doing.
11:09You probably won't believe me, but I was out taking a walk,
11:11thinking about you.
11:13I suppose I should feel flattered.
11:15No, not particularly.
11:17I was thinking I should have killed you two years ago.
11:19Randy, no, you mustn't say things like that.
11:21Don't stop him. He means it.
11:23You bet I mean it.
11:27Mrs. North, what's happened?
11:29I came down for a glass of cookie and milk.
11:31Oh, Pam.
11:33Pam, are you all right?
11:35Oh, gosh, I thought you'd broken your neck.
11:37Oh, come now, North. We can't have everything.
11:39I bumped my head.
11:41Let's hope it knocked a little sense into it.
11:43I've prescribed the same thing for you.
12:03Come on.
12:21Morning.
12:23Oh, good morning, Sheriff. Any news?
12:25Only about the poison. It was analyzed as purifying.
12:27Never heard of it.
12:29It's a rather rare compound used mostly in painting fabrics.
12:31Fabrics?
12:33Why, that's strange.
12:35What is?
12:37Mrs. Walters was a decorator.
12:39Her specialty was hand-colored fabrics.
12:41But Mrs. Walters is dead.
12:43Do you think she used it to kill herself?
12:45Or her husband?
12:47I don't understand.
12:49I do. She put the poison in her husband's drink,
12:51and the drinks got shifted around.
12:53But it was Walters who did the shifting.
12:55She must have known her own glass was poisoned.
12:57Maybe she was afraid.
12:59Maybe she'd have found some excuse,
13:01dropped the glass, or spilled it,
13:03rather than drink the poison and kill herself.
13:05Someone's always spoiling my theories.
13:07Especially when they're wrong.
13:09I'm not so sure I'm wrong.
13:11Isn't it possible that having planned Walters' murder
13:13and seeing it fail,
13:15she preferred to do away with herself
13:17rather than go on living with him?
13:19I know I would.
13:21Well, I'm glad you warned me. Forewarned is forearmed.
13:23Well, thank heaven I don't write detective stories.
13:25Well, Sheriff, what do you think of this?
13:27A .45? What's this all about?
13:29Somebody shot at me through my bedroom window last night.
13:31A bad marksman, or I wouldn't be here to tell the tale.
13:33I told you, you and your owl.
13:35Uh, could you tell whether it was a man or a woman?
13:37I was asleep, and by the time I got to the window,
13:39there was no one in sight.
13:41Well, I'll go and have a look.
13:43Uh, by the way, Mr. Walters,
13:45how did you happen to have your window open?
13:47I thought you were afraid of another attempt on your life.
13:49I'm also afraid of being suffocated.
13:51Do you know what these farm guest rooms are?
13:53Oh, they certainly are. Some of them.
13:55I won't be close until I get back.
13:57Oh, Sheriff, would you like me to go with you?
13:59He would not.
14:01Well, Mr. Walters,
14:03it looks as if you're running out of suspects.
14:05On the contrary, any one of you here might have shot me.
14:07And I know at least one of you that has a gun.
14:09If I had taken a shot at you,
14:11believe me, I wouldn't have missed.
14:13Well, that does squelch my theory.
14:15What was that, Mrs. North?
14:17Oh, nothing. Just a theory.
14:19I think you owe it to me to tell me anything
14:21that might help solve my wife's murder.
14:23All right, then. You put your foot in it.
14:25Get it out.
14:27Well, I... I thought...
14:29Well, you see, the Sheriff found out
14:31that the poison was curafine.
14:33Curafine?
14:35It's used in painting fabrics,
14:37and I thought that maybe your wife
14:39was trying to get you and got herself.
14:41Very clever, Mrs. North, but the motive is missing.
14:43Why should my wife want to kill me?
14:45After a year and a half of being married to you, why not?
14:47I'm sorry to disillusion you, Randolph,
14:49but my wife was sufficiently fond of me
14:51to make an offer only a day ago
14:53to invest in my business and become a partner.
14:55Well, I thought your business was such a success.
14:57It didn't need financing.
14:59We were going to enlarge the business
15:01and make even greater profits.
15:03And by the way, North,
15:05that was a very interesting bit of information
15:07about the curafine.
15:09What's so interesting about it?
15:11Curafine is not only used for fabric,
15:13but also for color printing,
15:15for book jackets and illustrations.
15:17That would make it available to your husband
15:19and also to Jim.
15:21And to you, too.
15:23If I was going to do away with myself,
15:25I wouldn't be so elaborate.
15:27I prefer privacy.
15:29He has you there.
15:31Oh, stop gloating. He has you, too.
15:43How can you pay cards at a time like this?
15:45I like cards.
15:47You play as though you do.
15:49That's my hand. Oh, sorry.
15:51Pamela, keep your mind on the game, please.
15:53I wonder why that sheriff doesn't come back.
15:55Well, I'll bet one spade.
15:57Two hearts.
15:59Uh, I'll buy.
16:05Anytime you're ready, Pam.
16:07Ready for what?
16:09Ready for your bid. We are playing bridge.
16:13I bid a diamond.
16:15Insufficient bid.
16:17Why is it? He bid two hearts.
16:19Oh.
16:21Maybe the sheriff got lost.
16:29Could I review the bidding?
16:31That does it.
16:33I'm tired of playing cards.
16:35I'm going to get some fresh air.
16:37Here, you take my hand. No, no, no, thank you.
16:39You mustn't spoil the game. The bid is one diamond.
16:41Very well. Just one rubber.
16:43Pam, don't leave the county. Remember what the sheriff said.
16:45I'm just going to exercise the dogs.
16:47Whose dogs?
16:49Mine.
17:13I'm going to exercise the dogs.
17:43I'm going to exercise the dogs.
18:13I'm going to exercise the dogs.
18:43I'm going to exercise the dogs.
19:13Ugh.
19:15Ugh.
19:17Ugh.
19:29Jerry, the one thing that really puzzled me
19:31is the slipper.
19:35What's so suspicious about a man coming into his room
19:37and looking for his slippers?
19:39Nothing.
19:41and put the other on the table.
19:43There's only one answer to that.
19:44He was hiding something in it.
19:47Pam, don't you think we'd better get down there
19:49and join the others?
19:50Oh, Jerry, we mustn't go down until we're sure
19:52the others are there.
19:54This is going to be a very important experiment,
19:56and we mustn't make any mistakes.
20:02Hmm, I think I hear the clink of glasses.
20:05Hey, we'd better get down there before we miss something.
20:10Oh, come on.
20:11Hmm, you smell awfully good, Sheriff.
20:22You sure you know what to do now?
20:24Yes, but I'm not sure I'll let you do it.
20:26Oh, darling, you've got to.
20:27It's the only way.
20:28Oh, the things you can think up to get us into.
20:31Come on.
20:34Well, we've given you up for lost.
20:36Pam Dress is on the installment plan.
20:38One garment an hour.
20:40I'm sorry we're late.
20:41What's the idea?
20:42Put all those lights.
20:44Can you see anything, Jerry?
20:46No.
20:47Can you see anything glow?
20:49What's the matter, Jim?
20:50Take it easy.
20:51Everything's all right.
20:52May I ask why you did that?
20:54I'm sorry.
20:55It was reflex action.
20:56Huh?
20:57Well, it got broken at home.
20:58And when it was fixed, it worked the wrong way.
20:59You know, up instead of down.
21:01Well, now, really.
21:02Put those lights on.
21:03Put the lights on.
21:04Put those lights on.
21:05Does anyone have the correct time?
21:06I was just showing you how our lights work at home.
21:09Yes, I think we have the point, Mrs. North.
21:11You don't need to press it.
21:12What have your lights at home got to do
21:13with turning those off here?
21:14Oh, that's where the reflex action part comes in.
21:16You see, when I walk into our living room,
21:18I always turn the lights on.
21:19And for a moment, I thought I was home.
21:20Which gives you a rough idea of my home life.
21:22For a moment, I thought someone was having another go at me.
21:26For a moment, it entered my mind.
21:30Oh, can't we stop, forget all this for a moment?
21:34Can't we stop, forget all this for a moment?
21:36I mean, forget that there was a murder
21:38and act like civilized people.
21:40I don't intend to forget that my wife was murdered instead of me.
21:43That doesn't tend to make one act like civilized people.
21:45But if we keep suspecting each other and brooding about it,
21:47anything's apt to happen.
21:48Exactly.
21:49That's why I hope the sheriff gets back before it does.
21:51I have an idea.
21:53Let's all search each other for concealed weapons.
21:55Mrs. North, you're full of ideas,
21:57all of them equally insane.
21:59Well, now, just a minute, Wallace.
22:00You can't talk to my wife that way.
22:02Oh, please, let's stop all this.
22:03Oh, why don't we all have a drink?
22:05It might cheer things up a little.
22:06Well, that's just about the mix.
22:07Nothing for me.
22:09Well, surely you don't think we're gonna try and poison you again.
22:11Oh, you admit you tried it once.
22:15That's a lot of rotten you know it.
22:17Jim, tell him now.
22:18Tell me what?
22:19Just this.
22:20I'm quitting your rotten firm as of now.
22:22That saves me the trouble of firing you,
22:24although it seems a pity.
22:25What's a pity?
22:26If I'd have been killed,
22:27your husband would have stayed with the firm
22:29and probably taken my job.
22:31An excellent motive, isn't it?
22:32I thought we were gonna stop all of this
22:34and have drinks.
22:35Coming up.
22:37Mr. Walters?
22:39Another idea?
22:40A safe one this time.
22:41See this decanter?
22:42Clearly.
22:43Well, if I have a drink from it with you,
22:45will you be convinced it is not poison?
22:47I told you yesterday I seldom drink.
22:49Oh, but you drank yesterday
22:50and after all this is an occasion, too.
22:52Who knows?
22:53Any moment we may discover
22:54that one of us is the guilty party.
22:55Well, no one has to urge me.
22:57Well, just to be congenial.
23:02See?
23:03Nothing up my sleeve
23:04or even in my glass except liquor.
23:12Danno, wasn't that good?
23:14Not bad.
23:15You see?
23:16Scotch is a good drink after all.
23:18Bourbon.
23:19Oh, no, you just had a drink of scotch.
23:21Bourbon.
23:22It says so on the decanter.
23:23We switched them earlier this evening
23:24when no one was downstairs.
23:25What is this?
23:26Very simple, Randy.
23:27Yesterday, just before Mrs. Walters died,
23:29Mr. Walters said he couldn't stand
23:31scotch.
23:32In fact, he shifted drinks with his wife.
23:34Well, he just drank a whole glass of scotch
23:36and admitted he liked it.
23:37What have you got to say to that, Walters?
23:39Well, you're a fine bunch of amateur detectives.
23:41You'll also recall that I said that I seldom drank.
23:43I wouldn't know the difference between bourbon and scotch.
23:45You knew the difference yesterday.
23:47And by the way,
23:49slipper, slipper, who has the slipper?
23:51What do you mean by that?
23:53Well, I hope you don't mind,
23:54but I was under your bed
23:55when you were groping for your slipper.
23:57You left one on the table in your room.
23:59What was in it, Mr. Walters?
24:00Are you implying...
24:01Hold this.
24:02Jerry, grab him.
24:06The watch!
24:08What's going on here?
24:11Here's your murderer.
24:13And here's the cure-a-file.
24:14It was planted on me.
24:15I think not.
24:16I've done some checking, Walters.
24:18You insured your wife's life for $100,000 just last month.
24:20That's the money you were after.
24:22I might have known it.
24:23This is an outrage.
24:24I demand to see my lawyer.
24:25You can get in touch with him from the jail.
24:28By the way, Mrs. North,
24:29how did you know?
24:30It was so simple, you see.
24:31I was under his bed.
24:34What?
24:35Don't interrupt.
24:36I went out to get a breath of fresh air,
24:38and while I was under his bed,
24:39he reached in for his slippers
24:40and I saw his watch.
24:41It glowed.
24:42So I knew that whoever had a glowing watch
24:43must be after the poison
24:44that had to be the murderer.
24:45Why, he even shot a bullet
24:46into his own wall
24:47so that we'd be suspected.
24:49Would you mind repeating that?
24:51Certainly.
24:52You see, I went out to get a breath of fresh air...
24:54Oh, no!
24:55Oh, no!
25:16Mr. and Mrs. North
25:17is directed by Ralph Francis Murphy.
25:20A John W. Loveton production.
25:22Produced by Federal Telefilms.
25:25Starring Barbara Britton and Richard Denning,
25:27featuring Francis DeSales.
25:42This has been a film presentation.

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