The Matched Pearl story
A jeweler sells a $5000 black pearl left with him by Captain McCabe. He then cheats McCabe out of some of the money owed to him. Hubert Wilkens, the pearl's buyer, asks the jeweler for a second matched pearl. The jeweler returns to McCabe. McCabe can provide one, but since he has been cheated he demands more money. Figuring that he can charge Wilkens a much larger amount, the jeweler agrees. Unfortunately the jeweler discovers that he has been conned. McCabe and Wilkens were working together. The jeweler bought the same pearl twice. Directed by: Bernard Girard. Story by: Henry Slesar.
8 total · 1 choice · 2 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| con artistry | choice | The gist of the story is that a triage of hoodwinks scammed a scrupulous jeweler out of $12,600. |
| poetic justice | major | The deceitful jeweler was himself deceived, and got scammed out of $12,600. |
| the art of salesmanship | major | The jeweler pointedly remarked that he was teaching his new employee the ins-and-outs of the trade, as he cheated one of his clients. |
| boss and employee | minor | The jeweler Mr. DuBois reminded his recent hire Wilkins that he was teaching him the tricks of the trade. |
| father and daughter | minor | Hubert and his daughter, Lolly, fooled Wilkins into thinking that they were husband and wife. |
| father-in-law and son-in-law | minor | Hubert and McCabe celebrated the fruition of their nefarious machination in the end. |
| fortune telling | minor | In his sketch, Alfred Hitchcock feigned to tell the viewer's fortune using a giant novelty pearl as a crystal ball. |
| husband and wife | minor | Hubert feigned to be married to Lolly, though it is later reveled that she was (most likely) married to McCabe and that Hubert was her father. |