Brett? Hm?
You've had a higher education than me. Tell me something.
What do you call it - she-ing or skiing?
It all depends what you're doing,
where you're doing it, and with whom.
Ok, I'm gonna call it she-ing.
Aren't you being a trifle premature?
Premature? What do you have to do to qualify to come down that mountain?
It depends what condition you wish to be in
when you arrive at the bottom.
Dead or alive.
To go into a snow plough, we put our toes together,
and we press our legs out.
Wait a minute... toes together.
There.
Legs out. Now, if you lean to the left,
turn to the right, and if you lean to the right...
You turn to the left. You're out of your head.
Now look what you've done. Hurt yourself?
Don't get funny. Never mind - the snow is softer.
If only we were near it. We're miles from the ski slopes.
And apart from that, we do not have the time.
We? Where do you get the "we"?
You don't have the time.
You've got a secret message to come to Switzerland, not me.
I'm here for the winter sports.
Whoever she may be. Oh, get up.
Banging
it's her. Keep talking.
Could it be her? I only wished for her.
Slapping
Wait a minute.
Did you ring for room service? Not me.
Oh...
May I say that uninvited visitors have never been more...
Welcome.
Lucky you showed up. We would have killed him.
I wish to identify you.
Your passport.
Do you have your passport?
Yes. Give it to her.
Thank you.
Oh, she's the immigration department.
Personalised service.
You are lord sinclair.
Thank you for coming.
I am yours to command.
Could you at least tell us where you're taking us to?
Forgive me, but no.
Only a few minutes more, and all will be explained.
In the meanwhile, do you think we could finish the introductions?
Sorry. I am Princess Alexandra ozerov.
Directly descended from the imperial Romanovs.
It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess.
Oh-oh. Look at that, she's got a nice body for a Princess,
I will tell you that.
Yes, well, I suggest you look at the rest of the scenery.
We may have to leave in a hurry.
Please.
Uh-huh. Mm-hm.
Woman: Enter.
Your imperial highness, I beg to present
Brett Rupert George Robert Andrew sinclair, Earl of marnock,
and mr Daniel wilde.
The grand duchess Anna zagarevna ozerov,
widow to the grand Duke mikhail vasilovich ozerov,
nephew to the late emperor of all the russias,
Nicolas the second.
My grandmother.
You may approach us.
A great honour, your imperial highness.
And for us a great pleasure.
I knew your dear father, the 13th Earl.
The 13th Earl was my grandfather.
We make such mistakes.
Yes, I knew him at windsor.
George v. Dear George.
Such a kind man, but a bad dancer.
Really, ma'am?
And mr wilde.
We are most...
Happy to receive you.
Excuse me.
Is ozerov the family name?
Oh...
In the Bronx there's a delicatessen called ozerov's delicatessen.
Could he be a relation? Oh, yes. Ivan.
Ivan! That's him. A distant cousin.
Yes, of course. A pastrami peddler. Makes the best sandwiches in town.
Wait till I tell him I saw you. He'll be knocked out.
Oh, forgive us for being so ungracious as to keep you standing.
So uncomfortable. Let us go over here.
Ivan... yes, he used to send us sometimes salami.
Will you convey to him that we are grateful?
I certainly shall. Oh, Alexandra?
Champagne for our guests.
But grandmother...
A Magnum. And tell Nikolai the special reserve to serve.
Now...
Will you take your coats off? It's warmer here.
Now, I must explain.
We'd be most grateful, ma'am.
We tried on purpose to be most intriguing.
And you certainly succeeded, ma'am.
But why? We live in a world
which ended many years ago.
The Russian aristocracy have now become jokes.
Figures of fun. No, no, it is true.
And perhaps we are.
But tell me honestly...
Would you have come here had you known it was to meet an old woman...
Who lives in memories and dreams?
Door opens
It is lemonade, but say nothing.
Na zdorovje.
Your lordship... Your ladyship, this...
A remarkable vintage. It's wonderful. Wonderful.
We thank you for coming.
It's our pleasure. Before we start...
There is someone you should meet.
In fact, it is at his insistence that you are here, lord sinclair.
Apparently you are vital to his work.
In what way? I don't know.
But he will be here very soon. Who is he?
His name is Wilhelm ganguin. He's an archivist.
A what? An historian.
He's been researching our family history for a year now,
and apparently has found a connection between the ozerovs
and the sinclairs.
When?
Soon.
The times we speak of were most painful.
The revolution.
Much blood was spilled.
Prince ozerov, my fiance, saw what was coming.
No-one would listen to him.
He saw the danger, so he began making preparations.
He sent the family jewellery to a bank here in Switzerland.
Like putting something away for a rainy day, huh?
They got away from the palace...
The journey across Russia was a terrible ordeal.
After two weeks we came to a small village.
Gadinska.
In the church there prince ozerov and I were married.
In ten days' time we'd almost reached the frontier.
We were ambushed,
and my husband was killed.
The village was destroyed.
Any documentary evidence of the wedding was destroyed with it.
There are no surviving witnesses.
Forgive me, but where is the jewellery now?
Still at the bank, here in Geneva.
I am forced to go to the courts. I tell them I am the widow of ozerov.
They do not believe me. They want proof. Proof!
My word is not enough for them.
I had the same barbarian treatment
they gave to poor Anastasia in Paris.
Anastasia? Excuse me, your highness,
do you know Anastasia?
But of course. We grew up together.
Fantastic. The next time you are in New York
ask cousin Ivan - he carried her from the winter palace.
You know something? He used to tell that story all the time,
and nobody believed him.
They just said, "crazy Ivan, there he is, all juiced up on that vodka."
Fantastic.
This is a fascinating, and moving story,
but I...
I still don't see what it has to do with me.
A year ago the Soviet government asked for the return of the jewels,
claiming they belonged to the Russian people.
The Swiss authorities have ruled
that all claims must be laid before the tribunal
before the end of next month.
If no claim is validated, the jewels will go back to Russia.
Speaks Russian
no need to announce me, Nikolai.
You make the most casual visit sound like a state occasion.
Your highness.
Alex.
And you must be sinclair and wilde.
My nephew Sergei ozerov.
It is no secret that we are not in the least fond of each other.
But as he is a relative, I allow him to come here.
I think I will go to my room for a little while.
I will return when monsieur ganguin arrives.
Oh, yes, I'm looking forward to meeting him.
So are we as a matter of fact.
Any idea how long that's gonna be?
But he'll be here any time now. Please, you will wait?
Ready? Ready.
Horn blares
People like you are a menace on the road.
Driving like maniacs!
Excuse me.
What are you doing? There's nothing of value in there.
What's this about? It's here.
Good. Now, if you'd like to get back into your car.
Goodbye. What about my case?
Of course...
I see you got the lemonade treatment.
Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about that.
I can tell you - it's part of the game they all play here.
They've been broke for years.
You think they light this place with candles because it's romantic?
No, because the power's been cut off.
They keep the truth from the old lady.
That's why it's so important that she wins her claim.
Well, I hate to be boring and repetitious,
but have you any idea
what my connection with this is supposed to be?
None.
Well, somebody does.
Those two men who ransacked my room tonight were looking for something.
Are there any other claimants in this case?
Him.
Interesting looking sabre.
You know anything at all about them?
Just a little. How about you?
If you're interested I might find time to give you a few pointers.
I can always use a few pointers, believe me.
The sabre's my weapon. I'm remarkably good.
You'd better be.
Phone rings excuse me.
Hello?
Yes, speaking.
I love the balance of the blade here.
Oh, no!
Ganguin's dead.
Yes, I understand. I'll come down as soon as possible.
Ganguin's dead.
His car went over the cliff.
They want me to go down to the police station.
Grandmother... It's all right, Alexandra. I heard.
I've lived with hope for so long.
There is nothing more that anyone can do.
The matter of the ozerov fortune is ended.
We found a letter on the body with your address.
But there was no briefcase.
He was on his way to talk about his research,
so must have had something.
Are you convinced it was an accident?
We have no reason to doubt it.
Have you been able to locate his daughter yet?
Not so far.
In the meantime we'd be grateful if you'd make a statement.
It won't take too long.
What is it, Charlie chan?
I was thinking...
A researcher must have source material, records.
Ah so! Number one son speak with tongue of wisdom.
And the place he lived isn't too far away.
We go chop-chop.
See you later, Alex.
Ok, come on. Let me be navigator. Give me the map.
No, thank you. I remember the last time we went to Berlin.
So? We were supposed to be going to Madrid.
Well, nobody's perfect. Certainly not you.
Nobody home. I suppose we'll have to break in.
Wait a minute - why do we always have to break in?
Maybe they left a key under the mat.
Don't be so stupid. People don't leave keys under mats.
Wait a minute.
There you go.
Oh...
Who's there?
Ho ho ho!
Slovenly housekeeper.
That's what comes of leaving keys under mats.
Hello...
Whoever was here hasn't been long gone. This is still warm.
If they couldn't find what they were looking for,
it's gonna take us years to find it.
Especially when we don't know what we're looking for.
Wait a minute - a lot of books on Russia.
Here's two - the massacre of petrograd and the Romanovs.
Sinclair. Mm?
Not you - this book. It says sir Rodney parkington sinclair.
Any relation? Yes, my uncle.
Limited edition, printed privately, 1922.
Oh, I remember reading this as a child.
You're kidding.
Uncle Rodney was acknowledged
as being one of the most boring men in the world.
As a child I wasn't allowed sleeping pills, so had to read his books.
That's the connection, you know?
That's the connection between the sinclairs and the ozerovs.
I'm going to take this back to -
hey?
Door opens
Well, nice to see you, officers. What took you so long?
Take these criminals. I'll decide who's going to be arrested.
Are you all right, sergeant? Yes, sir.
All right, handcuff them. I suppose there's no use explaining?
Bring in mademoiselle ganguin.
Ah, mademoiselle.
Tell me - are these the two men you saw breaking into the house?
Yes, they are the ones.
All right, sergeant, bring them along.
Mutters
You know, this is the most boring book I ever read in my whole life.
Boring. It's considered my uncle's most exciting book.
Really?
Oh, Daniel, would you do me a great favour?
Get my cigar case out of my side pocket there.
Thank you.
Back in the same place? Yes...
How did you do that? Do what?
Fortunately for you, this matter seems to have been cleared up.
We're glad to hear it. It's my fault.
When I saw you enter the house, I did not think.
I just telephoned the police.
You haven't caused any trouble. Perfectly understandable.
You still had no right to go to the house.
Neither did the people who were there. Why don't you go after them?
Are you still treating my father's death as an accident?
I see no reason to do otherwise.
Phone rings
I'll keep you informed of any developments.
You can take the cuffs off them. They're free to go.
About your father. Is there anything we can do?
Thank you.
It's just that I don't believe it was an accident.
He was a careful driver, he knew the road so well.
Do you know anything about your father's research
into the ozerov family?
He talked to me about it sometimes.
Perhaps when you're feeling a little better
you will tell us what you know.
I found this book at the house.
Do you mind if I keep it?
I remember that one.
Was very excited when he found it.
"The englishman looked at the weapon with some surprise,
"to the use of which he was totally unaccustomed.
"'The challenger', he said, 'in all countries where honour is known
"'accepts the arms of the challenge.'
"and so, under the cover of darkness I left the winter palace.
"I was wearing a suit of heavy blue serge,
"with hand-stitching on the lapels, and lined with a pale-blue silk.
"My trousers were...
"My trousers?"
Oh...
"My shoes... my shirts..."
What is this?
What's with your uncle?
Look at that - four, five, six pages describing the suit he was wearing.
Now, listen to this.
"Eventually I was given food and refuge
"in a church in the tiny village of gadinska."
But that's the village where my grandmother was married.
Right. Go on, please. Go on.
"My conversations that night with the clergy
"were of other refugees..." Could have been them, right?
"Who were sheltered here before me.
"These conversations are recorded in my diaries of the event."
Diaries?
Hundreds of them. He wrote everything down. Keep going.
"I started again on my weary way.
"I was wearing a double-breasted suit of grey.
"It was the dawning of November 7th."
But the wedding took place on November 5th.
Two days before. Yes.
If they were all in gadinksa they must have talked about it.
It's almost certain they would.
Um, these diaries of your uncle,
are they still around?
Not only are they around, so is uncle Rodney.
Guess where you're going. To see uncle Rodney.
It's over 50 years since the jewels were entrusted to the bank.
They have been in this vault all that time.
Oh, really?
It won't seem the same without them.
It'll be a big loss to the bank if... not at all.
No, not at all. In fact, quite the reverse.
Unlike hard cash, they can't be invested.
That's not to say they haven't been an asset.
The very fact we were holding them inspired trust from other investors.
Our reputation is built on that trust.
Wow!
Beautiful.
After all these years...
I'm still impressed every time I see it.
What's it worth?
$4 million American would be a very conservative estimate.
How many people can claim it?
Three or four vague relatives, but they don't stand a chance.
The only real claimants are the duchess and her nephew Sergei.
Do you know him? Yeah, we met. We met.
He did not like you very much, mr wilde.
The feeling's mutual, ma'am.
But do not let it worry you. He dislikes me even more.
Well, what do you think of the ozerov inheritance?
Fantastic. Magnificent, isn't it?
Magnificent. Beautiful.
Yelker is so kind. He lets me come here whenever I want...
Just to see...
And remember.
If Brett gets what he's looking for you'll be wearing them.
Oh, some new evidence? Where do you think I could find Sergei?
He has a room in a house on the noblestrasse.
Number 73. He runs a small gymnasium.
Gymnasium?
He gives lessons in swordsmanship.
It gives him a chance to show off.
Well, he could use it. Excuse me.
Keep the elbow in.
Mr wilde. If you've come for a lesson get yourself a jacket.
Repost these parries.
Attack!
The point in a good repost.
You will still make the mistake of fighting defensively.
The aggressor has all the advantages.
That'll do for today. You can go and get changed.
Mr wilde? Hi, Sergei.
You did say the sabre was your weapon, didn't you?
Yes, that's right.
Try that.
Has a nice feel.
Thank you.
It's a beautiful salle.
Beautiful. I'm glad you decided to take up my offer.
I like to take a sabre lesson every chance I get.
It seems to me that somebody's trying to
stop the duchess getting the evidence she needs.
Do you have any idea who that could be?
On guard.
To answer your question - no, I don't have any idea,
but if you're looking for somebody with a motive
nobody has a better one than me.
On guard.
You're standing too wide.
The side of the body is a much narrower target.
Get that knee turned out.
Keep a distance.
And again.
Your defence is too slow.
I don't need to do anything about stopping the duchess' research.
There is no evidence.
There never was.
Ganguin thought so. Then he was wrong.
You don't get murdered for being wrong.
There is no proof that ganguin was murdered,
just as there is no proof the duchess ever married.
What I really resent is outsiders interfering
in what is strictly a family affair.
You came here for some information. All right, I'll give you some.
Stay out of it.
Understand? Stay out.
There'll be no charge for the lesson, mr wilde.
Or the advice.
Enjoy your trip back to London.
You smell certainly much nicer than Sergei does.
I think you'll live. (Knocking at door)
I'll get it. There's somebody at the door.
Hi, kid. How are you? Nice to see you.
Can I take your coat? Thank you.
Well, how did it go?
I spent most of the day trying to sort out the mess at the house.
It must really be rough.
Did you...
Did you find anything? No.
There was not one document left that related to the ozerov research.
So, there was no trace of his briefcase?
All I could find was his address book.
A few scraps of paper with book titles listed.
Some names that mean nothing to me.
How long did your father work on this?
For over a year now. Who paid him?
What do you mean? This kind of research costs a lot of money,
and grandmama is busted, kid.
Herr yelker at the bank. He took care of the fees.
He has been very generous in lending us some money. He believes in her.
Yes, there are bankers like that. Did your father work alone?
Sometimes if it was very complicated,
or he needed to trace somebody
he used a detective agency that specialised in that sort of work.
Do you know the name?
No. It was only a minor point he wanted to check.
The whole thing was done on the telephone.
Here's his book. Maybe you could
recognise the name in there if you saw it.
Would you like a drink? Thank you. Vodka.
This is it, I'm almost sure.
An agency called walther and Dante.
Walther and Dante...
It was Tuesday, I recall. No, no...
I'm wrong. It was Thursday.
It must have been Thursday, because we were having smoked haddock.
My wife...
No, no, don't tell me.
I'll remember her name in a minute.
She was having tea with the tsarina Alexandra feodorovna.
Uncle, after your escape from the winter palace
you spent the night in the village of gadinska.
You wrote about this in one of your diaries.
I write down everything that ever happens to me.
I could tell you what I had for breakfast 20 years ago.
And I'm sure you will.
What's that? Gadinska - what happened in the village of gadinska?
Buttered toast... yes, yes, yes.
Gadinska? Yes.
Which diary did you write - that's in Russia, you know.
Yes, I know it's in Russia. I spent the night there, you know.
Which diary? Yes...
Coffee without milk...
Diary? Try number 14.
Thank you.
Butler's name was Percy.
A decent enough fellow. He split gravy down my smoking jacket once.
Brown velvet it was. Awful mess.
My wife, she was terribly annoyed about it.
It had to be cleaned, but it never really looked the same afterwards.
Mind if I use your phone?
No, no, no...
Oh, yes, yes... Where is it? There.
The smoking jacket was never the same again. Can I borrow the diary?
Oh, yes, yes.
Operator, I'd like to send a cable.
To Switzerland.
Mary - that was my wife's name. Mary.
Hello?
Oh...
Hi. Um...
Hotel, right? How did you find me?
Your name was in ganguin's telephone book.
You left it at the house when you ransacked it.
That was careless. Come on - one little question.
Who's paying you?
At least that proves you haven't found out anything important.
Sergei ozerov, right? Guess all you want.
If you really want to play games,
why not try guessing what happens to you now?
Well... let's see.
You're not gonna do to me what you did to ganguin,
are you, with the car over the cliff?
No. The police are satisfied that was an accident.
They would have a hard time proving anything else.
Forget it. Two accidents like that in a row? No.
You're right. I think we must find something different for you.
Yeah.
How about a week in acapulco?
All right, get up.
Call the police.
Go ahead. Call the police. Turn me in.
You said the police can't prove anything.
Right. Well, there's one other thing they can't do.
What's that?
All right, now, who are you working...
Are you all right? Yes.
Find something to tie his hands.
What is it? It's from sinclair.
He arrives on the first flight tomorrow.
He's got what he went for.
What are we gonna do with him? He can't stay here.
I'll check.
Well, I'd like to thank you
for one of the most interesting flights I've ever had.
I'd didn't know we'd landed.
Well, it's the only way to fly.
We must do it again soon.
Excuse me. I don't want to make a fuss here,
but I have a message for you.
Oh, western union? Last time we met you were a housebreaker.
Now I'm a photographer. Look at that.
Daniel. Always did take a bad picture.
He could look a lot worse if you don't come with me.
I doubt that, but lead on.
Come on, stand up.
I feel like I've been out a month or so.
We gave you a quick shock to help you to sleep.
You should be as fresh as a Daisy.
What is this place?
You've been here before.
If it isn't Ivan the terrible.
I don't like your mouth, mr wilde.
Hit him.
Ugghh!
Well, if it isn't Ivan the terrible. I've already said that.
Pity.
What's an old man like you doing rolling around the floor?
Oh, I've had a terrible night.
Give me his bag.
I'll bet you $100 the next thing he says is, "where is it?"
Where is it? You're right. Here.
Search him.
Coat. Please.
Where is the diary?
Diary?
The most painful thing you can do now is to be heroic.
Where is the diary?
Lord sinclair gave it to me on the plane.
He asked me to bring it out here.
We can't thank you enough. It really means a great deal to us.
Glad I could help.
And where is the lord sinclair now? I'm not sure.
He said he thought somebody might be picking him up at the airport.
I expect we'll see him later.
Well, forgive me. I really must be going.
I'll see you out. Goodbye. Thank you.
Goodbye.
I expect it's the page he's marked.
"Two days before my arrival, a wedding took place..."
I can read, child, I can read.
After all these years...
No-one could ever doubt again.
Oh, grandmother!
Sinclair, can keep this up longer than you.
Where is the diary?
I didn't bring it.
We found the cable you sent to wilde.
You said you'd have it with you.
That is what I intended.
But I spent most of last night trying to telephone Daniel
at the hotel.
I guessed he was in some sort of trouble.
I left the diary in London.
You are lying.
Would I like to a decent chap like you?
You handle it.
Hurt him, but keep him conscious.
I'd rather be unconscious.
Telephone rings
yes?
That's marvellous.
I'll deal with that right away.
The diary is at the chateau.
You come with me.
You stay here.
Keep them apart.
Once he's destroyed the book,
there's nothing in the world anyone can do about it.
If you put that gun away, I'll give you the keys to my jet.
How about two weeks... Daniel, Daniel!
There's no point in trying to bribe a dishonest man.
Be quiet.
I tell you what - supposing I look at the door sharply
and say, "come in, inspector", and you charge him?
He's dumb, but that dumb he's not.
I don't mean it in an offensive manner.
Just a comment. Prestidigitation.
What did you say? Don't make me say it again.
The cigar trick. Oh, the cigar...
Got it.
You're gonna love it. I'm not gonna do anything. Just look at the knot.
Watch.
That's a great trick.
Stay here. Nobody comes in.
You have the manners of a peasant, Sergei.
Do you never knock? I don't have time.
We have some bad news for you. The final proof we needed.
Congratulations.
You are going to be very rich.
We have always been very rich. The only thing we lacked has been money.
You will also find that we are generous, Sergei.
Even to those for whom we hold no affection.
I suppose there is no doubt about your proof?
None whatsoever.
May I see it? Show him.
You're quite right. No-one could deny this evidence.
So...
I must destroy it.
No.
Here you are, dear.
Your highness.
Come here.
I said you were clumsy.
What happened?
Oh, he stumbled. Join me.
A man who fights with the sabre as you must have Russian blood in him.
Maybe a little bit, your highness.
I came as soon as I could.
Oh the phone Alex said you had the book.
Here it is.
The evidence that justifies your faith in me all these years.
I'm very happy for you.
Make sure it goes in a safe place. It's very valuable.
Oh, I agree. I'll put it into the vaults immediately.
I shall not feel secure until you safely have it under lock and key.
Yes, I shan't be long. Make haste.
I'll go along with him.
The police are just coming.
Alexandra, I've been thinking.
We should have a special celebration.
A banquet. A small one, of course. Only 300 or 400 people.
Or perhaps a masked ball like we used to have in the old days.
It seems that the book should stay with the jewels.
Excuse me, but the jewels and the book goes with us.
What is this, Daniel? Are we in the heist business?
What are you talking about? What is this?
Back at the house you said Alex called you
and told you about the book.
Yes. Sergei knew about the book.
Who told him? Him? You did.
Why didn't I think of that? You're not Charlie chan, that's why.
You listen to me, honourable number one son, this is paste.
What about the rest of it? All of it, yes.
It has been for the last two years.
The bank was in trouble. I was desperate.
What about Sergei? I gave him a share.
The only reason he contested the duchess' claims in the courts
was to stop her finding out.
The old woman can't live forever. It would have been his then anyway.
If you can't trust your own bank manager, who can you trust?
You can trust me, sweetheart. Thank you, Daniel.
Please, gentlemen, let me offer you...
I'm sure we could come to some arrangement.
If you allow me... Shush.
Don't get so excited.
Give you a chance to get used to it.
Clean on wednesdays.
Fantastic. Magnificent.
I confess - even knowing it is not real,
it gives a feel of being... groomed.
Oh, yes, groomed, certainly.
Maybe for the supermarket it's a little overdressed,
but there's no question about it, kid, you're a duchess.
What you have done for me is most important.
Finally, in the eyes of the law,
I am the grand duchess Anna...
Sergei ozerov.
And something else. It may take a little while yet,
but when the bank's affairs are finally cleared up
there may just be a little compensation.
It will be most welcome, although our needs are... modest.
We shall survive one way or another.
To your health.
That's real.
It's amazing how much credit one can get, even on... fake jewellery.
To life. All: To life.
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