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''Two Seconds'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code crime drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title refers to the two seconds it takes the condemned person to die in the electric chair after the executioner throws the switch. Preston Foster reprises the role he played on the Broadway stage.〔(''Two Seconds'' as produced on Broadway at the Ritz Theatre October 9, 1931 to November 1931, 59 performances ), IBDb.com; accessed October 17, 2014.〕 ==Plot== As John Allen (played by Edward G. Robinson, a condemned murderer, is led to the electric chair, a witness asks the prison Governor how long it takes for the condemned person to die. "A strongly built man like John Allen?" he is told, "It'll take two seconds". The witness remarks "That'll be the longest two seconds of his life." As the executioner throws the switch, the events that led up to the execution appear in flashback. Allen works with his friend and flatmate Bud Clark (Played by Preston Foster), as a riveter, high up on the girders of a skyscraper under construction, getting paid $62.50 a week "more than a college professor". Bud is engaged to be married, and tries to set up a date for Allen that night, but Allen expresses some disinterest, as Bud keeps setting John Allen up with "firewagons", his term for fat girls. Bud and John go out on the town after Bud winning $38 on the horses. John sees that the girl that Bud has brought along for him to double date is another "firewagon" (played by June Gittelson), so he splits off on his own, going to a Taxi dance hall nearby, where he meets dancer Shirley Day (played by Vivienne Osborne). After dancing and talking to Shirley Day for some time, he indicates that they should talk some more. "Can't. Gotta have a ticket". "Well OK", Allen dozily says. "Get a handful so we can dance a LOT together". In the 5 minutes Allen is away buying tickets, Shirley has gone off with another customer. That customer gropes her, and Shirley Day causes a scene, shouting at the customer. "He paid a dime and he thinks that entitles him to privileges". John Allen Wades in, punching the customer to the floor. Tony, the dance hall owner (played by J. Carrol Naish), tells them both to get out, firing Shirley Day. Allen then takes Shirley Day for a milk shake. Allen had earlier said to Tony that he wanted a woman with an education, aspirations "aint no use both of us being dumb". She feigns respectability, telling him that she only works in the dance hall to support her sick parents, who live on a farm in Idaho and that she is educated "got a year of high school". Shirley pretends to be interested in attending a lecture with him. Later on, Bud is remonstrating with John about him having hooked up with "a dance hall dame". "How much money has she had off you" Bud asks. "not a red cent. "We're going to a lecture", John said "if a dame tells a guy she's going to a lecture that means one thing, she's got designs on him". John indicates that he doesn't want to fall out with Bud, trying to get him to like Shirley "She knows things", John says. "She knows PLENTY", says John. As John leaves, Bud says more cheerily "don't get too drunk" and "bring me a lollipop". Instead of taking John to "a lecture", she takes him to a speakeasy where she gets him drunk on "tea". Bootleg gin was served in teapots, to disguise its true nature. When John Allen protests, she says stupidly that they can go to the matinee (second performance), of the lecture. John Allen is drunk before the first floor show, drunk, bored and belligerent. He says that Shirley Day herself shouldn't drink too much. She intones "I must, because of my problems". "WHAT problems" John Allen responds. Shirley Day then starts crying. "don't do that" John says, "not when i'm drunk, I hate that". He then brightens up a bit smiling with realisation "I'm drunk". Liquor was illegal and managing to get "blind drunk" (sometimes literally, the substances being ethanol, not alcohol) was something of an achievement to them. Shirley Day throws herself at him, cheering him up greatly. "You know I like that" he says, happily. Shirley: "Would you like, MORE?". Shirley drags John to a justice of the peace (Otto Hoffman), who intones that he is too drunk (John Allen thinks he is still in the speakeasy, and that the JP is a waiter). Allen is too drunk to say "I do", so Shirley bribes the JP with $10. She indicates that she already has a ring, which she has had for some weeks. When they return to Allen's apartment, Shirley has a blazing argument with Bud. Bud "You dirty little ape, did you rope him in? Didn't take you long to find out he can't hold his liquor". "We're married", Shirley says. "Right pure and simple, and there's nothing that you or anyone else can do about it (showing him the ring). Shirley throws Bud out. As Bud is leaving, Shirley is getting undressed to consumate the marriage somehow, to a drunk John Allen. Bud says viciously, referring to the comatose John "I said bring me back a lollipop, and look what you brought back". He flicks a lit cigarette at Shirley Days naked back. Three weeks later, Bud and John are doing their job riveting, 28 stories up. John and Bud argue about Shirley Day; Bud berates John Allen for being taken in by a liar: "She told you that her parents were living on a farm in I-dee-ho, all the time they're living in a booze joint on tenth avenue". John: "I don't know why she told me that". John admits that Shirley has had much of his money for clothes "which she needed". Bud calls Shirley a tramp. John: "Don't talk that way about my wife!" Bud: "Tonys wife!" whereupon John motions to hit Bud with a spanner. Bud falls to his death, shown spinning, screaming. down into the vortex/traffic as John Allen sobs and the site alarm hooter sounds. The grief-stricken Allen then quits his job, but is demoralized by living off Shirley. Shirley has changed from the bookish nice girl into spiteful, controlling vamp. She puts John Allen down, saying "what have you got to live for?" and Mocks his nervous condition, mimicking him whining "I'm scared, I can't cliiimb". Allen responds: "Were you ever 30 stories up with a 6 inch girder between you and hell?". Shirley asks him if he's got any insurance. A kindly doctor (Harry Beresford) is called to administrate to him, giving him a tonic. John Allen says that it's his nerves. The doctor says that John Allens problem is mental. Shirley is putting a new dress on, new stockings and going out. "Where did you get those things?" John Allen asks. "Tony", Shirley says belligerently. "There, how do I look", she says to John. "You look just like you are" John Allen says. John says that she can't go out looking that way, as his wife. Shirley indicates that she has credibility now, "with the other girls", as she's married. Lizzie, the cleaning lady (Dorothea Wolbert) tells Shirley that the landlady is after them for the rent. John Allen indicates that they must put this off, pay her later. Lizzie indicates that they'll get thrown out "her brothers a cop you know". Shirley tells John that she has money for the rent as an "advance" from Tony. She tells John that she is trying to get Buds ex-girlfriend Annie, who she met at Buds funeral, a job at the dance hall. Allen: "Not Annie!. Annie was Buds 'steady company' (girlfriend). You can't make a tramp out of Annie!". Shirley throws a dollar at John Allen as she leaves. "Here's a BUCK, in case you need anything". Allen has been betting on horses using techniques of multiple bets ("polys") used by Tony. The horseracing bookmaker (Guy Kibbee) arrives at John Allens apartment. John Allen "What do you want?" Bookie "You've won". Allen "How much" Bookie: "$388". John Allen (brightening up momentarily) "$388?" Bookie: "niftiest little poly I ever saw". Bookie:"With that kind of money you can clear a lot of debt" John Allen "I'll clear them ALL off, that's what Bud would have wanted me to do" Bookie: "Don't talk like that". A deranged John Allen insists that he only wants $172 of the winnings. He nervously counts out what Shirley got from Tony, and enough for a gun. Allen then strides off to Tony's dance hall, where he finds Shirley in Tony's arms". Tony: "What is this?, are you trying to play the spurned husband gag with me?". He thrusts $162 into the hands of Tony, who doesn't want it, then turns to Shirley: "You. You made a Rat out of me. Bud was right, you were born rotten and now you're trying to make other girls as rotten as you are". "Born crooked" was how Tony had described Shirley, when arguing with Allen, just before falling to his death. Shirley turns to Tony in panic: "Tony he's going to kill me!" Johns sweaty deranged face is shown in closeup: "Yeah i'm going to kill you. If I don't you're going to go on like this, from Tony to another man, always making yourself cheaper and dirtier". He fires several bullets into Shirley Day as Tony runs out of the room screaming. At his trial, Allen refuses to defend himself, saying he should have been "burned" (electrocuted) when he was at his lowest, a "rat", living off Shirley Day, not after he had paid off his debts. He explains his position in a powerful, deranged, illogically reasoned speech. Allen: "It's isn't fair to let a rat live and kill a man!". The judge informs Allen that he could have used a defence of insanity, but chose not to, and that he would have been lenient if he had. John Allen is sentenced to death. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Two Seconds」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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