Glass Case, The (1939)

[Music] [Applause] la [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] a [Music] shall I go to the club or straight home sir home Edward by all means home my eyes are giving me the old net it's been a long trip Mr Williams I guess I'm getting a little bit too old for these kind of Js well I wanted to see California and I saw it feel pretty good however except for these darned eyes well don't forget to stop at the first drug store and have that prescription refilled it's the only thing that gives me any relief there's a drug store at the next caror well Edward I'm glad we'll soon be [Music] home [Music] nothing like the peace and quiet of home [Music] officer O'Brian 900 p.m. sir here here why do you think you're running to me Buck what's the matter can a guy get some exercise if he wants to what's eating you I ain't done nothing maybe I haven't and then again maybe a half hold still now P Pat hold up Pat somebody here stuck up the jewelry store down the street he call me I ain't no stick if I tell all come along with you get back get back get back hold up I'm M anybody see it I saw it I was sitting here in my car the fellow came running out of the store and he tried to shoot me too his gun misfired cassid take the man's name and address Morgan call the ambulance don't let anybody come into this store than you know the man's face if you ever saw him again know his face I'll never forget it you back when come right that's him that's him that's the man who came running out of the store and tried to shoot him you positive this is the man you saw coming out of the store how could I forget a face like that I tell you the guy's nuts I never seen him in my life before take him [Music] in I'm sorry sir I'm afraid you'll have to go along too Edward you follow the police car yes sir break it up boys all right move along now people come on move along with you I appreciate everything you say Mrs scalza but the evidence against your son Johnny is almost Beyond question Johnny is a good a boy he know can do this believe Mr drum my Johnny he no kill nobody he work a hard he bring her home to pay him a good boy Mr drum yes yes he has been working steadily and outside of that fraker several years ago has a fine record some boys throw Stone through window little kids but they don't hurt nobody true no one was hurt but the window was in a tobacco store and some goods were missing Johnny got caught and received a suspended sentence what I do Mr Trump maybe they kill my Johnny what I do please Mrs scalza once when I was just starting the practice of law your husband did me a great favor maybe I can help Johnny there isn't much hope but I'll try you save my Johnny save my John Junior yes mother call Daddy to breakfast daddy breakfast okay son worried about that case Mary but Walter you doing everything you can yes and it isn't enough Mary this boy Johnny scalza is going to the chair I'm helpless against the the testimony of that eyewitness the lad's innocent I'd almost stake my life on it but I can't prove it who is the witness a Robert Williams wealthy silk manufacturer been out to the coast and back on an auto tour almost home when he asked his chauffeur to stop at the drug store and get him some medicine while he's waiting in the car the Jeweler is murdered and the Bandit runs out he swears Johnny was the Bandit there we are the word of a reputable businessman against a one-time offender we haven't got a chance Daddy look at the picture I took a mother isn't it funny amusing isn't it I was puttering in the garden and Junior snapped me through the window of the car Mary I've got an idea I want you to show me just where you were standing when this picture was taken Junior was kneeling on the front seat of the car and snap me through this rear door window I can't see what what you so excited about Mary I think we found something that might help the case yes sir I think we found something Order in the Court is honor the judge everybody rise be seated you may proceed with your witness Mr Robert Williams Mr Williams before adjourning for lunch you testified as to the actual happenings on this night in question you said that you got a good look at the murderer as he rushed out of the jewelry store and ran away that's right he turned and looked right at me I shall never forget his face if it please the court I would like to ask the defendant rise for the purpose of identification The Prisoner will please rise is that the man you saw coming out of the jewelry store with a smoking bver in his hand that is the man that is all your witness your chauffeur Edward Albertson testified that during your trip to California and back Mr Williams you had quite a lot of trouble with your eyes no trouble as far as my actual Vision was concerned I had some pretty bad headaches you had no Theory as to the cause for this distress I object to this line of questioning it is entirely incompetent irrelevant and immaterial if it pleased the court I propose to prove by competent witnesses that Mr Williams was honestly mistaken in his identification of my client I'm proceeding on that line objection overruled will the stenographer repeat the question you had no Theory as to the cause of this distress well no particular Theory I just figured it was perhaps because of my age something like that you have factories in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have you not Mr Williams yes I have two plants in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania you visit them quite often well nearly every other day sometimes I make them all in one day that means that you are driven to them of course and that you spend a fair part of the day viewing the scenery from your car windows that's right Edward does the driving and I take it easy in the rear seat that is all the prosecution rests Mr Drummond you will present your case call the first witness Dr Phineas colbrook raise your right hand you saw me spr the evidence you about to give the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth so help you God I do Dr colbrook did the witness Mr Williams seek your Professional Services lately Mr Williams came to me for examination of his eyes what were your findings I found the patient was suffering from severe s eye fatigue loss of equilibrium and marked symptoms of dizziness your witness no cross-examination Mr George Fredericks raise your right hand you Solly swear the EV you're about to give the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth so Havey God I do Mr Fredericks you in the glass business I am sir for how long over a period of 25 years you're familiar with all types and processes of glass manufacturing yes I am Mr Fredericks I want to ask you something about the glass used in automobiles for example what kind of glass is used in windshields safety plate glass that's used in all automobile windshields is that the same kind of glass that is used in the side windows no not always some Motorcars have the cheaper safety sheet glass in the side windows if it please the court I wish to enter this section of glass as exhibit a Mr Frederick with Mr Williams permission I have removed this glass from the door of his car I want you to identify it for me as to Tire this is safety sheet glass your witness no cross examination Dr winr raise your right hand you Sly swear the evidence you about to give the truth the whole truth nothing but the truth so help you God I do Dr Winthrop you are an eyesight specialist that is correct you've also been an instructor at many of our leading universities yes I have taught and lectured at many of our Institutes of learning we will concede that Dr Winthrop is an authority and expert on the eye and its functions thank you now Dr Winthrop as an expert on the eye I ask you what are the latest findings in the field of eye fatigue well the most most authoritative findings are those of Dr ah Ryan of Chicago who recently spent many months in the study of eye fatigue caused by looking through safety sheet glass you are familiar with the results of this investigation yes quite familiar Dr winr will you tell us just what these findings were Dr Ryan found that the distorting waves on the surfaces of safety sheet glass blurred the image and resulted in eye strain now first you must understand that the accommodation muscles and the external muscles of the human eye automatically strive for Clear Vision then in normal vision each eye perceives an individual image Now by closing first one eye and then the other you will notice that these two images become one that is when the eyes are functioning properly now this is impossible when looking through safety sheet glass at an angle for the series of surface waves act as uh lenses and cause each eye to receive a different image and of course the effect of this Distortion and resulting eye strain a materially increased when looking at images through the glass are seen from a moving automobile bus or train yes motion greatly increases the effect of distortion when one is looking through safety sheet glass uh let me get this straight doctor does this Distortion occur in all kinds of safety glass oh no indeed safety plate glass is free from the Distortion waves that are found in safety sheet glass it is ground and Polished the same as a fine camera lens or the lenses and Eyeglasses the importance of this is recognized in the Universal use of safety plate glass for windshields and Motorcars you imply that the makers of some automobiles give plate glass protection only to the eyes of the driver and that in these cars the passengers must look through safety sheet glass that is correct 40% of all the new cars sold in the first 6 months of 1939 had safety sheet glass in some side windows of the car would you consider that an alarming figure well let us say unfortunate rather than alarming for if these cars had safety plate glass all around it would preserve and protect the iight and give Clear Vision and comfort to all the passengers Dr winth this section of glass taken from from the door of Mr Williams car has already been identified as safety sheet glass yes this is safety sheet glass that is used in the side windows of many Motorcars today and as has been testified this is the safety sheet glass through which Mr Williams was looking when he claims to have seen Johnny scalza run out of the jewelry store now Dr winth I'd like to have you conduct a test with him using Mr Williams as the subject of the test certainly now this will be entirely harmless Mr Williams now first I want you to look at the letters on this card read the letters in the second line if you please t o z exactly right and with no difficulty now let us look at those same letters through this safety Chic glass naturally the letters are still the same though I must confess they've taken on a startling appearance now Mr Williams will you please look at his honor take a good look Mr Williams I will place this safety sheet glass in approximately the same position it would be in your car there now tell us what you see all I I'm afraid I can't do that without offending the [Laughter] court thank you Dr wi that'll be all and now Mr William when the Bandit rushed from the jewelry store at what angle was he from you let me see he was uh he was about about there is that's about it yes Johnny I want you to rise Mr Williams and Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury I want you to look long and earnestly at this defendant Johnny I want you to stand exactly in this spot that Mr Williams has indicated I'm informed a murder suspect has been apprehended who might have an important bearing on this case bring the prisoner in Mr Williams would you identify this man as the one you saw leaving the scene of the crime that is not the man just a moment your honor Mr Williams from the angle you are now sitting will you look at the suspect through this glass is this prisoner you were now looking at the man you saw that night remember you were looking through the same glass well it looks exactly like the one I saw Johnny I want you to stand exactly where the prisoner is standing now Mr Williams is Johnny the man you saw I can say positively that Johnny is not the one I saw okay okay I did it so what come on get it over with my Johnny my Johnny don't cry look at me I'm laughing come on Mom laugh like me your honor if it please the court it is the wish of the prosecution that the defendant be freed defendant is acquitted and released from custody congratulations Johnny young man may I offer you my most sincere apologies it's okay Mr Williams I guess you didn't mean to do it of course not Johnny Mr Williams actually believed that he saw you and he'd still honestly believe it if it weren't for the experiments of Dr Ryan thanks Dr winrop it's all right man Dr Winthrop yes I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for saving me from a horrible mistake well I wish I could save all motors from making the mistake of buying a car that didn't have safety plate glass all around car buyers may not know it but they would protect themselves from this so unnecessary I strain and its effects well here's one car buyer you've convinced I'm going out tomorrow and buy a new automobile and if you don't think it's going to have genuine safety plate glass all around you're crazy yeah