 Ahoy, it's me. Just came ashore. From what? A boat? For 400 gross tons is a ship. Anybody knows that. May I inquire? I assembled my gear and a faster gal. I'll be right down to dictate my report. On my way to Calcutta, sweetheart, where the dawn comes up like thunder. What are you talking about? Calcutta! And the flying fishes play. Ready, Effie? Sam, why did you want to go to Calcutta of all places? I didn't, Effie. I hate Calcutta. I was Shanghai. To, uh, Mr. Philip J. Fogg, purser, SS Lurine. How do you spell that, Sam? L-U-R-E-N-E. Oh, that's pretty. Sam, how could you be Shanghai'd in this day and age? I mean, isn't it against the law? Stow it, Effie. You're pumping bilge water. Sam, I am not. From Samuel Spade, license number 137596, when you have the time, regarding the Calcutta trunk caper. Dear Mr. Fogg, the following report will explain the enclosed voucher, which is a claim against your company, for the amount of $500 and no sense. It will also answer any questions you might be asked, concerning the recent unpleasantness on board your ship. It all started yesterday morning in San Francisco, when my secretary announced briefly and costically that there was a lady outside who wanted to talk to me. I judged that she was worth talking to. She was. Your secretary let me in. Well, I'm glad she did. What can I do for you? I'm Marsha Hopkins. I see. Mrs. Marsha Hopkins. I see. However, my husband is dead. I see. It's about my sister that I've come to you, Mr. Spade. I'm dreadfully worried about her. Who's your sister? Ms. Constance Pendleton. And she's become involved with a... a completely worthless scoundrel and a rail foreign bluebeard. All three? That's one man, Mr. Spade, a Bulgarian, Major Andrea Rodnick. They're going to be married this afternoon and I'm positive that his only interest is in her money. I'm convinced that he's going to kill her soon after the ceremony. He's done it to other wives in Europe. I've warned Constance and pleaded with her, done everything I could to stop it, but she's completely infatuated with him and refuses to listen to me. What do you want me to do? Prevent the marriage, if you can. Get the truth about Rodnick's background and face Constance with it. Oh, Mr. Spade, in some way you've got to make her realize the seriousness of the situation. He's a ruthless character. Well, do what I can, Mrs. Hotkins. Oh, thank you, Mr. Spade. I've felt so alone and helpless until now. But you will do everything you can, won't you? We've got to save her life. She daubed her eyes with a stamp-sized handkerchief, patted the red-gold hair of the temples nervously, smiled at me bravely, and swayed out. By telephone, I learned that the Rodnick Pendleton marriage license had been issued four days before, and that on the same day, Constance Pendleton had withdrawn a savings account to the tune of $45,000. I'd always wanted to, so I did it. I, uh, called at the Bulgarian consulate. What can I do on you? What do you know about Major Andrea Rodnick? Andrea Rodnick! On him we have hate, great sadness, with shame for the ground that walked under him. Oh? Ha! Andrea Rodnick! Uh, why is he so popular? On the devil he is driven without horns. Six women he has killed, six times he has insulted the police of Europe by refusing to confess. We have proof of the murders, but never can we prove the proof on him. Yeah, sometimes it goes that way. Ha! Never do we find the bodies of the six women, only their money in the name of Andrea Rodnick. My pardon. Well, think nothing of it. You're just upset on you. You're interested on him. Why? You go to Europe? No, uh, Rodnick comes here. Ha! Here? Here on San Francisco? He marries again. So I'm told. Ha! Oh, by all the means you must prevent it. Go to him, brave man. You do the world a service. Make a violence on him. Even do you hang for it? Your name will live. For those valiant words goading me on, I left. The farther I got into the caper, the more it looked as if Marsh's fears for Constance Pendleton were very real and very well founded. When Constance opened the door of her hotel suite, I could see three trunks and a number of smaller pieces of luggage, all locked and ready to be taken out. Yes. Are you Constance Pendleton? Yes. Uh, I'm a detective. My name is Spain. Detective, what do you want? I, uh, want to talk to you about that blue beard you're gonna marry. Get out of here! You listen, I'll talk, and then I'll get out of here. I just left the Bulgarian consulate. Rodnick has been accused of the murders of six women in Europe. Each of them were wealthy. Each of them married him, and each time Rodnick came into all their money. Are you trying to blackmail me because of the lies about my fiance's past? If you are, you're wasting your time. Well, no matter what I'm doing, I'm wasting my time. But to put you straight, your sister hired me, and I am now resigning. She's worried about you, not me. Then you should spend more time investigating your clients, Mr. Spade. You could have saved both of us some time. I have no sister. This is my wedding day. Goodbye, Mr. Spade. As I left the room, I maintained the stern facial expression I reserved for moments of great shock. But once outside the door, I allowed myself to be carried on the wave of rage and embarrassment for just a minute, and I kicked over two potted bombs. As I leapt down the corridor, I was overtaken by none other than Marcia Hopkins. Did you see her? Let's talk about you first. Did you stop the marriage? Why did you really want that marriage stopped? But I told you. You told me you were her sister. Oh. She said she didn't have any sister. All right, Sam. I did lie to you about that. But I'll tell you who I really am. I don't want to know who you are. I don't ever want to know. All I want from you is my honestly earned fee and a brief but permanent goodbye. Oh, no, Sam, please. Listen to me. We've got to save that girl. I have $500. That's all I have. Would it be enough? What's your real name? Marcia Brodnick. Yes, he's my husband. I've been married to him for 10 years. We've traveled all over Europe, and I never knew where the money was coming from. He left me at times for two weeks or a month, and then when he'd come back, there'd be more money. I just realized that that's when he must have been killing those poor women. And I know that's what he's going to do this time. I just can't stand it. You've got to protect her. That should be easy. We'll let him get married and meet him at the door where the bigamy wants. Then you will see me through this. I might. In my bag, there's $500. Take it. If we can't stop the marriage, then don't let him out of your sight. Not even for a minute. He's a beast, Sam. A beast. Marcia dropped me in front of the Beasts Hotel, and I climbed some fake marble steps to the second floor and knocked at his door. The man who opened it was heavy, handsome, and a swarthy, coarse sort of a way, and glowing conceit through two eyes. One monocled, one knot. You are facing Major Andrej Vrodnik, first Bulgarian horse. What want you? You are facing Saul Fox, the law firm of Fox, Medley, Van Dusen and Grip. You overwhelm yourself. I came here to warn you. If you go through with the marriage to Constance Pendleton, you're going to find yourself tangled with civil law. Warned Andrej Vrodnik, who has personally led more saber charges than you have teet in your skull. Who has personally split, slashed, and impaled on his own blade. More men than you have fingers and toes. You warned me. What is this talk? You're going to have a bigamy charge slapped on you five minutes after you slip her the ring, the warrant signed by Mrs. Marcia Vrodnik. Bigamy. Ha! I laugh. This is not bigamy. Marcia's your wife, isn't she? That bigamy was committed when I married her. I had another wife then. You call yourself a lawyer, then you know that only the second marriage is bigamy. The ones following that are nothing. Nothing but interludes. Okay, major, go ahead and have your interlude. I'm just warning you. Oh, speaks. We are being married on Redwood City from a justice of the peace one hour previous. Then we are sailing through the SS Ljuryn at midnight with our honeymoon. Already a droshki awaits for the baggage unloaded. Don't know before I'm losing my temper. If you're ever in Calcutta, look me up. I can see the direct approach was getting me nowhere. So I decided to proceed by stealth. I waited outside the building, and when he left, I tailed him. He made four stops at a second-hand store, a hardware store, a surgical supply house, and an undertaker supply house. At these places, he purchased the following items, an oversized steamer trunk, black with brass fittings, a large ball of rope twine, two large lead sash weights, a set of surgical instruments, and at the fourth and final stop, the undertaker supply, he bought two items, a 20-foot length of rubber tubing, and a pump. He returned to the second-hand store with his other purchases, put them inside the trunk, and ordered it sent up to Constance's hotel immediately, and thereupon it took himself to the same place. Marsha was waiting in the empty lobby when he went in. I crouched behind a pillar, turned up my hearing aid, and listened. Did you get the thing? Now, listen, my darling, we must work fast. As soon as the trunk arrives, before she has a chance to get to the telephone... Yes, yes, Andre, but please, no cutting in the apartment. As you wish, my darling. Now, you know what you have to do. While I'm getting her into the trunk, you'll change her clothes, put on her traveling dress, the hat with the... What is it? What's the matter? Nothing, nothing. Come, we must make haste. They made haste to the elevators, and they saw a house telephone booths around the corner and called Constance's room. Hello? Mrs. Rodnick. Speaking. Listen, get out of that room right away. Don't take the elevator, get down the stairs. Who are you talking about? I haven't got time to explain, and you haven't got time to listen. All those stories about your husband are true. He's great. He hand clawed out to the door handle, but I couldn't reach it. I felt as if the walls were closing in around me, and just before it got dark, I had the crazy notion that I was inside Rodnick's big black trunk with a brass fittings. I could still hear Constance's voice somewhere in the direction of Calcutta. I tried to shout to it, a warner, and then the lid closed over me. I shook my head trying to get the bells out of it. Then I remembered where I was and what had happened. I was still wedged into the bottom of a phone booth where I'd slump when Rodnick sat me. I got out of there somehow and grabbed a taxi for the Embargar Darrell. The time was 1155. The SS Lorraine was scheduled to sail at midnight. I was no sooner across it when they hauled up the gangplank and the ship started moving out of the berth. I didn't know where she was bound for and I didn't much care. I checked the passenger list and found that major and Mrs. Andrea Rodnick were in state room 12, A-deck. One minute later, I was hammering on the door of state room 12. The woman in Rodnick's state room was Constance, and she was not on a truck. I thought I told you to stop interfering in our affairs. Yeah, your husband told me to, and I didn't like the way he did it. Get out from here, get out! I see you got your trunk in here where it's handy. Doesn't it make the state room kind of crowded? Why don't you give up, Mr. Spade? Two times already, you are twice as full. Marsha has no money to pay you, neither have I, even if she had the case, and believe me, she has not! Why do you even bother talking to him, Andre? Mr. Spade, will you go now, or will I have to call the steward and make a complaint against you? I went. I don't like the look of that trunk. I found the person's office and went in. You looked at me as if you thought I was a stowaway, Mr. Fogg, and you were right. Well, I'll have to make arrangements for you to ride back with a pilot, Mr. Spade. You realize, of course, that you're subject to a fine. Look, I don't want to do anything illegal. You know, it was just an impulsive thing. Couldn't I book a passage? Oh, there's a matter of your passport. It could arrange a visa, and so on, and St. Pedro will put it in there in the morning. That's good enough. How much is the fare? Oh, let me see. That's $483.97. Exclusive tax. Oh, hey, now, I wasn't thinking of taking quite of some extensive voyage. You know, I just wanted to get a little sea here. How much to Pedro? Well, I'm afraid you don't understand, Mr. Spade. This is not a coast-wise steamer. Our first official protocol is Calcutta. Yeah, I know, but Calcutta! That's in India. Don't you have something a little less expensive, like, uh, steerage or, uh... There is only one state room available. Number 14, I decked. Take it or leave it. Okay, okay, Calcutta. After buying my passage to Calcutta, I had exactly 12 cents left. This I gave to the steward, who showed me to my state room. He, uh, thanked me, kicked me in the shins, and left. Out on deck, a tall red-nosed old gentleman, a knickerbarker, and a yachting cap, was taking a turn around the deck. With him was a face I'd seen in a morning lineup down at the Hall of Justice a dozen times. He was a hotel thief by profession, named Norman Gorman. He knew me, too, but he didn't give me a tumble. I fell into step with him. Sea air! Nothing like it, am I right? I guess it's okay, but there's so much of it. Ah, brisk bracing, false spray! Nothing like it! Whoa! Hey, Norman Milad! I hate it. I hate boats. Suppose there was a fire on board? Fire? Where did your first voyage to the... Scrutable East! You've made the strip before? Oh, yes, indeed. I've worked this line. I mean, yes, indeed. I make this voyage very often. Business interest out in India. Tea, you know. Running from your family. Sturgis is golden on it. It's a little yellow package. You ever tried it? No, I never indulge. Don't drink tea, that's ridiculous. Commodore, I need a drink. I ain't happy. Suppose there was a fire on board here? Well, let's all have a drink. Yeah, suppose there was a... Come on, I'll shut you to a drink, sir. Not me, Commodore. I just remembered this is Fire Prevention Week. The nearest fire alarm to Brodnick State Room was on the companion way leading to the A-deck Corridor. It was a glass-enclosed box with a small hammer hanging on a chain. It broke the glass and turned the key. Three seconds flat, the entire population of A-deck were shoving each other up the companion way, grabbing the life preservers as they went. The steward hammered on the door of State Room 12, opened it, shot it inside, and Brodnick and Constance reluctantly came out. I ducked inside, grabbed the handle of the trunk and started dragging it. When I got it into my State Room, I broke the lock and lifted the lid. It was martial, all right. It was just time to see that before the State Room door flew open and the ship's officer stuck his head in. No, I didn't. What's wrong? Never mind that here. Take this life preserver. Get going now. It makes me nervous. Twenty minutes later, the captain announced the mob up in the deck that it was a false alarm and the passengers drifted back to their cabins. I tried to look casual as I unlocked my State Room door and walked in. Then I stopped trying. The trunk was still there, but the lid was standing open and it was empty. I went down to B-deck and found the cabin occupied by Norm and the Commodore. That door was locked, so I kicked in it. I still see the marks on her wrists and ankles with a cordon. It was the girl I had seen in the trunk. It was Marsha Hopkins, and she was very much alive. I'm sorry. I thought it was... Oh, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? You've got to help me, Sam. Why should I help you? He's crazy. They're both crazy. It all depends on who's in the trunk, doesn't it, Marsha? When it was constant, you didn't think he was so crazy. Oh, don't you understand? I had to pretend that I'd help him. He was going to kill her right there in the hotel room. I told him it was too dangerous. If anybody looked in the trunk, it would be safer if she was in there alive. So I finally agreed and said he'd wait until we got out to see to kill her. And then he was... Yeah, I know about that. The idea was so awful, I couldn't stand it. I started to scream and then he stuffed the gag in my mouth and tied me up. He must have used chloroform or something because the next thing I knew, I was in the trunk. That old man was leaning over me. He and that old man with the knickers. They brought me here. No, they pulled a switch on you. You were the fall gal all along. Oh, you've got to believe me. It was the only way I could save her life. You're the only one I can turn to, Sam. That little thief and the old man they'd deliver me dead if there was an extra $25 in it. Oh, say you'll help me, Sam. Please say it. When you ask me like that, what else can I say? Oh, you do believe me, darling. You do believe me. Come on, let's get out of here. I am sorry, Mr. Spade. Please step back inside. I promised and associate Mr. Gorman that I would not allow this young lady to risk her life by leaving this capital. You're getting into this cave with the wrong end, Commodore. It's wound up. They've bungled it. It's no good anymore. You may be right. But you understand my position, sir. I can't take any chances. You've, uh, talked to Mr. Gorman? Norm? Yeah, I talked to him. He's come with him? Stop making with the pistol, Commodore. You don't know how to use it anyway. Heavens, Norm. If I didn't see it, what is it? Oh, he's sick. Go get a doctor. Yes, indeed. Right away. Listen, Spade, take her with you. Get out of here. I don't want no part of this. You got it bad, Norm. I'm sick, I tell you. The way I had it sized, this was a clean caper, a snatch. I figured the dame here was a narress or something. Maybe they'd drop her off in a lay, but it wasn't enough for all of us. Oh, but that creep, that brat, Nicky's crazy. He's a regular Jack the Ripper. Stop babbling, Norm. Tell me what happened. Exactly what happened. I get a sinkin' feelin' my stomach every time I think about it. Well, I go in, see. He's very smooth, very business-like. He offers me a drink, I accept it. He mixes a couple of highballs for me in the dame, then he starts talkin'. I guess she don't know all about it before this, because she gets just sick as I do. First, I think he's kiddin'. Then he drags out this set of cutlery, like a doctor used to operate on people. Only he's got something else in mind. The portal, you understand? I don't want to hear anymore. Being as it's you he has in mind, I don't blame you. Hey! Hey! Hey! My stomach! Hey, Norm! Norm! Nicky, I've said you're not... Oh, dear me. What? What? Stand away from him, please. Help me get him into the bunker. Sure, Doctor. Take the shade off that light, please. Ah, yes. Yes. He's dead, isn't he? Oh, yes, he's dead, of course. Who poisoned him? I didn't waste any time answering him. I grabbed him by the arm before he could object. I was pushing him up the confounding way to A-tech. It was probably too late to save Constance's life that she'd drunk the same poison, and I was pretty sure she had, but if I was going to nail him for the murder of Constance, I had to get there before the evidence vanished. We got there just in time. I need to tell you what we saw, the ship's surgeon, how opportune. Perhaps you could advise me, Doctor. After all, I am, in all honesty, even still a mere amateur at this sort of thing. After Frotnick had been taken into custody, we took another turn around the deck to find out what was going on. The ship's surgeon, how opportune. Perhaps you could advise me, Doctor. Maybe we took another turn around the deck. It was daylight, and the ship was lying too off San Pedro. This time the fresh air really felt good, and so did Marsha. It's all over, Sarah. Yes, sweetheart. It's all over. But not between us. Say it, Sam. Say it's not all over between us. How can it be? I knew it. I knew you felt the same way. All my life before, something really happened. But it did happen, sweetheart. Oh, but you can forget it, darling. Can't you? Please forget it. I'd like to, Marsha. I really would. Hold me close, Sam. Never let me go. You're beautiful. Is that all, Sam? Nothing else? Yeah. Lots of. That's why I think we'd better say goodbye right now. Because when I feel like this, I get foolish. I get foolish with you. I'm likely to wake up in a trunk someplace. And that, Mr. Fogg, is the true account of a cow-cutter trunk keeper. As my voyage was interrupted through no fall of my own, I trust you will advise your company to refund my passage minus the one-way trip to San Pedro. Uh, period, and a report. Sam Spade is played by Howard Duck.