Dallas Scene of the Day: ‘I Don’t Think So’

Stretch

In “The Verdict,” an eighth-season “Dallas” episode, Scotty (Stephen Elliott) is in court, where he pulls a handgun from an evidence bag and approaches Jenna (Priscilla Beaulieu Presley) on the witness stand.

SCOTTY: A Beretta 380. A very interesting weapon. You knew Naldo was carrying this, didn’t you?

JENNA: Yes, he showed me in the corridor.

SCOTTY: Assuming that you could get hold of it — now that’s a large assumption, since he was much bigger, much stronger than you, wasn’t he?

JENNA: Yes.

SCOTTY: Well, let us forget it. Just say you were able to get hold of it. What would be the first thing that you would do?

JENNA: [Flustered] I don’t know. Shoot it.

SCOTTY: Well, if he had it in his belt, he’d probably have the safety on, don’t you think?

JENNA: I guess so.

SCOTTY: Yeah, I think so. So the first thing you’d do would be to take the safety off. Here, why don’t you do that? [Hands her the gun, walks toward the jury box, leans against it]

JENNA: [Examining the gun] Where is it?

SCOTTY: Well, don’t you know?

JENNA: Well, there are all kinds of levers and things on both sides here.

SCOTTY: You were raised on a ranch. Now, you must have fired a gun before.

JENNA: [Flustered] I’ve shot a rifle and I’ve shot shotguns. I’ve never shot a handgun. This is completely different!

SCOTTY: [Approaches her again] Oh, yes. It’s very different. Very different indeed. [Takes back the gun, addresses the jury] This is a very complicated weapon, and yet the prosecution wants you to believe that under the effects of chloroform, this little lady here can grab it away from a man bigger, stronger than she, find the safety, release it, shoot it, before he could stop her? I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone with any common sense would think so. That stretches the imagination a bit too far.