Category
😹
AmusantTranscription
00:30If the missing minister is the most unusual in the long,
00:34rich history of Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. Augustus Van Dusen,
00:40called the thinking machine,
00:42then I will certainly not contradict,
00:45and the professor himself probably not.
00:48It all started quite harmlessly.
00:51I sat in our London hotel, the Savoy, by the fireplace
00:54and studied the times of the day.
00:58Ireland.
01:00A barrel of grain.
01:03Not much going on in politics.
01:05Ah, court news.
01:08September 9, 1903.
01:10His Majesty, King Edward VII,
01:13has decided to stay at Doncaster
01:17to honor the galloping races with his visit.
01:22He's doing well.
01:24Minister Lord Chesterfield is also not in London.
01:29He has moved back to a well-deserved short holiday
01:32on the coast of Cornwall.
01:34Look at this.
01:36Lord Chesterfield and I, the professor and I,
01:39had just met a few days ago at a reception.
01:42An elderly gentleman with a white beard known all over England.
01:47Very serious, extremely dignified,
01:50completely humorless, a real sourpuss,
01:53who actually only enjoyed his hobby.
01:56A very unusual one,
01:58as he entrusted us under the seal of secrecy.
02:01He used to fish with a dressed cormorant.
02:05Preferably in the arm canal,
02:08at the lighthouse of Eddystone.
02:11And there he was probably now and was happy with his life.
02:14Well, every animal has its pleasure.
02:17Buffalo Bills, Great Wild West and Riders' Show.
02:20He was on a tour of England last spring
02:22and set up his tent in Doncaster yesterday afternoon.
02:26In the last few weeks, the visit has been lousy,
02:29tells us Buffalo Bill, a.k.a. Colonel Cody,
02:31in his well-known open manner.
02:33I hope... Yes?
02:35What's the matter, sir? A gentleman for Professor Van...
02:38Please.
02:39Listen, Professor.
02:41Oh, it's you, Mr. Hedge.
02:43I'm used to that.
02:45After all, I'm not the world-famous amateur criminologist,
02:48but just his athlete.
02:50You probably already know me from our previous adventures.
02:53No?
02:54Then allow me to introduce myself.
02:56Hutchinson Hedge, reporter at the Daily New Yorker.
02:59At the moment on a world tour with Professor Van Dusen.
03:02For a few weeks in London.
03:04I have to speak to the professor. Immediately.
03:06It's about life and death.
03:08That's Inspector Smiley from Scotland Yard.
03:10How are you, old boy?
03:12We haven't seen each other for at least, wait a minute,
03:14two months since our Scottish adventure.
03:17Just don't remind me of that, Mr. Hedge.
03:19Of course.
03:20In the big case about Sir Hector McMurdock
03:23and the hell machine in the balloon,
03:25the good inspector hadn't just clapped his hands.
03:28And it was only Van Dusen's keenness to write
03:31that one of the most sophisticated murderers of the new age
03:34could finally be released.
03:36Never from yesterday, Mr. Hedge.
03:38Never from yesterday. Let's not talk about that.
03:40A new case lies ahead of us.
03:42Even more mysterious.
03:43Even more complicated than the case in Scotland.
03:45It's a matter of utmost importance.
03:47Oh, what am I saying?
03:48Of utmost importance, Mr. Hedge.
03:50And if there's even one,
03:52then only Professor Van Dusen can solve the riddle.
03:55Why isn't he here? Where is he?
03:57Don't you know?
03:58The professor is giving his big lecture in the Orbert Hall this evening.
04:01The science and the future of mankind.
04:04Haven't you seen the headlines?
04:06No. No idea.
04:07I just got back from Doncaster.
04:09And what now?
04:11I have to speak to him, Mr. Hedge.
04:13One moment, one moment.
04:15It's five past ten.
04:17The lecture is almost over.
04:19I know. I've heard him a few times.
04:21You in America.
04:23That's why I stayed at home today.
04:25So let's go, Mr. Hedge.
04:27Come on. Come on.
04:29We mustn't lose a second.
04:31The huge Orbert Hall was filled to the brim.
04:358,000 people were listening intently to the professor's words.
04:39I was right.
04:41When we entered, he was just about to finish.
04:44We are entering the threshold of a blessed era.
04:48Inescapable sources of energy will be at our disposal.
04:52Certainly.
04:53The coal supplies are running out.
04:56And the last of the so-called petroleum will not flow forever.
05:00But we will use the energy of solar radiation.
05:04And above all, ladies and gentlemen,
05:06the most powerful forces of matter.
05:09In my soon-to-be-revealed basic work,
05:12the atomic structure theory of the elements.
05:15Only a few minor technical details must be clarified.
05:20Then, ladies and gentlemen,
05:22under the guidance and guidance of science,
05:25nature will be subjected to the human mind once and for all.
05:30Then the whole earth will become a workshop and playground for us.
05:37And we, ladies and gentlemen, will be like gods.
05:42I thank you.
05:56We fought our way through to the podium,
05:58where Van Dusen was almost overwhelmed by admirers,
06:01and above all admirers.
06:04It took a while for us to get his attention.
06:08Oh, please, Mr. Professor, give me another autograph.
06:10Yes, of course.
06:11Oh, thank you very much.
06:12Oh, they even brought a book from me.
06:14Did you like it?
06:15Mr. Professor!
06:16Mr. Professor!
06:17How are you?
06:18And if I'm not mistaken, Inspector Smiling, good day.
06:21What a surprise.
06:22Did something happen?
06:23You could say that, Professor.
06:25We need you.
06:26But not now.
06:27Right away.
06:28Right away, Professor, on the spot.
06:30Yes, I would like to do that.
06:31Yes, very pleased.
06:32Please, Mr. Professor, let everyone stand and smile.
06:34Listen, Smiling, I am Professor Van Dusen,
06:36a free citizen of the United States of America.
06:38No need for majesty.
06:39Yes, yes.
06:40Excuse me.
06:41Please show yourself, Professor.
06:43Oh, well, that's a little different.
06:45So come with me.
06:46Excuse me, ladies, but...
06:47Come on, Droschke is waiting.
06:49Where are you going?
06:50To the train station and then on with the train to Doncaster in Yorkshire.
06:53Why not?
06:55In Doncaster there were, as I just read,
06:58completely different people.
07:00The king, for example.
07:02Or our countryman, Buffalo Bill.
07:05We drove past Hyde Park at a fast pace,
07:08through Piccadilly,
07:09to the British Museum,
07:10and over to King's Cross Station.
07:12On the way, of course, we wanted to learn more about Smiling,
07:16but he consoled us later.
07:24I will explain everything to you on the train,
07:26to the two other gentlemen who are still coming to us.
07:29What gentlemen?
07:30You will get to know them in a moment, Mr. Hedge.
07:32In the first class waiting room.
07:33They want to wait for us next to me.
07:35So let's go to the waiting room.
07:38And there were also two figures sitting there.
07:42A long, thin guy,
07:44pale, sharp-cut face,
07:47hook nose,
07:49pipe,
07:50Scottish cape,
07:52and hunting hat.
07:53And next to him, a man like you and me,
07:55neither thick nor thin, medium-sized,
07:57well-dressed, but inconspicuous.
07:59Both were around 50 years old.
08:02As we approached, they stood up,
08:04and Smiling became the ceremony master.
08:08Professor Van Dusen, Mr. Hutchinson Hedge,
08:11Mr. General Combs, Dr. Watts.
08:14Yes, and now please excuse me for a few minutes, gentlemen.
08:17I have to make a phone call to Scotland Yard.
08:19You will certainly have a lot to tell.
08:22You are colleagues, after all.
08:24To a certain extent.
08:25Smiley disappeared.
08:27And the colleagues, to a certain extent,
08:30started off like two dogs
08:32who happened to meet on the street
08:34and now don't quite know
08:36whether they should wag their tails
08:38or bite each other.
08:40Nothing good came of it.
08:42I knew what the professor of the famous London detective field,
08:46this overestimated, inflated important fool,
08:50as he used to call him.
08:52And as far as Schemlock Holmes was concerned,
08:54he wasn't particularly fond of collegial hospitality either.
08:57Dusen.
08:59Is that a name we should know, Watts?
09:02Well, Holmes, I don't know.
09:04Allow me, gentlemen.
09:06In front of you is Professor Dr. Dr. Dr. Van Dusen.
09:09Known all over the world as the machine of thought,
09:12the greatest scientist and the greatest amateur criminologist of our time.
09:15What are you saying?
09:18So you occasionally deal with criminological problems, Professor?
09:23Occasionally, Mr. Holmes.
09:25I see.
09:27What do you think of this object here, colleague?
09:32This object here
09:34was an old, rather shabby-looking walking stick
09:37that was leaning against Holmes' chair.
09:40Not much to see, I thought.
09:42A walking stick?
09:43Without question.
09:44It's a few years old.
09:45The handle is badly worn.
09:47On the other hand, the handle is as good as new, and that...
09:50That means the owner doesn't walk much.
09:53You're taking the word out of my mouth, Mr. Holmes.
09:55So it probably belongs to the wealthy class.
09:58He probably owns a car.
10:00No, he rides.
10:02So?
10:03Without doubt.
10:04The leather loop under the crutch clearly comes from a bicycle.
10:07The owner of the stick owns a horse, maybe several.
10:10And he also owns...
10:12A dog.
10:13How... No, wait.
10:16Two. Yes, two dogs.
10:18Are you sure?
10:19Very sure.
10:20Look here.
10:21Biting marks.
10:22And down there, too.
10:23But...
10:24Here, the jaw and teeth are bigger.
10:27So, two dogs.
10:28Sharply observed.
10:30Unfortunately, wrong.
10:32Wrong?
10:33Impossible.
10:35What you think are dog bites, dear Mr. Holmes,
10:38are in fact jaw marks of two far more exotic animals.
10:43Here, you see, an Australian dingo has bitten.
10:47And here, a puma.
10:49Also called mountain lion.
10:51Amazing.
10:52Elementary, my dear Watson.
10:54That's what the professor does every morning before breakfast.
10:57Well, yes.
10:58With that, we can probably put the stick in the corner.
11:00No, not yet, my master.
11:01Not yet.
11:02We're not finished yet.
11:03The owner of the stick...
11:04Of course, you've already seen it.
11:06Comes from America.
11:08Already seen?
11:10Yes, but...
11:11The stick is made of...
11:13Well, what is it made of?
11:15Of...
11:16Of wood, of course.
11:17Of hickory wood, Mr. Holmes.
11:19Hickory?
11:20And hickory only grows in North America.
11:22Yes, yes, yes, of course.
11:24With that, I'm really at the end of my performance.
11:26I thank you.
11:29When geniuses begin to behave like children,
11:32ordinary mortals should withdraw.
11:35I had just decided to grab this Dr. Watts
11:38and steer the next bar with him
11:41when Inspector Smiley reappeared.
11:44He took the stick,
11:46an important piece of evidence, he said,
11:48and shoved us all into the train.
11:50It was exactly 11.30.
11:52Half an hour later...