M (1951) - full transcript

- What about Elsie?
- She can get along OK. Come on!

Thank you.

- Give it to me!
- You going home?

Do you have one maybe with Elsie on it?

No Elsie.

No Elsie. Well, we'll take
a clown for our young lady.

We'll make our clown big.

Where's Elsie?

Why didn't you wait for her?

We thought she went
home with someone else.

We wanted to wait for her.



Honest we did, Mrs. Coster!

Elsie?

Elsie?

Elsie! Elsie!

Elsie!

Elsie!

Elsie!

Elsie!

Elsie! Elsie!

Again in this case, as in the others;
the only clue is the missing shoes.

I promise you your police
force will find this murderer.

To prevent such crimes, your police
department has prepared five "don'ts".

Don't let your children
accept rides from strangers.

Sometimes, these are
one-way rides, leading to death.



The amiable stranger may be a killer.

Don't let your children
accept presents from strangers.

A bag of popcorn or a candy
bar is not worth your child's life.

Don't send children
on after-dark errands.

The night works on behalf of
the killer who preys on our young.

If you must have something from
a store after sundown, get it yourself.

Don't let your child play unattended
in wooded places or empty lots.

Though your eyes aren't on him,
someone else's may be watching.

Don't let your children
become friendly with "Pop",

that nice old character
in your neighborhood.

Most of these men are harmless,
but there are exceptions.

It's up to you to make sure your
child isn't the victim of one of them.

And now for one all-important "do".

If you notice any suspicious characters,
working around schools and playgrounds,

do call at once. Your police
department, Central 5000.

The life you save
may be your child's life.

You've just heard Police Chief Regan...

What does he mean the kids
were neither violated nor outraged?

What's the difference?
He killed them, didn't he?

Come on.

The sidewalk. What's the matter,
trying to get your name in the paper?

There's a crosswalk
15 feet up the street.

It's 2:36. Jaywalking.
What's your name?

What are you picking on me for?
A million people every day jaywalk.

- What's your name?
- Harry Dennis.

Harry Dennis.

- Address?
- 2254 West 6th Ave.

Nine o'clock Tuesday.

That's a cop for you. Hands me a ticket
while a baby murderer runs around loose.

Why don't they do something about him?

My!

Thanks, mister.

As long as you didn't hurt yourself.

What's the matter?

I hurt my ankle.

Well, come.

That's it.

Sam!

- There's a man up there with a kid!
- Oh, not again.

You'd better get home and take care
of that ankle. Do you live near here?

- Just around the corner.
- What's it to you, mister?

I was only trying to...
The child...! Her foot!

What about her foot?
It looks all right to me.

- What's this all about?
- Who did what to who?

What's going on here?

I saw him first. He grabbed the kid
and tried to take her shoes off.

Did you say shoes?

Tell them, I didn't do anything!

I didn't do anything!

I swear I didn't do anything!

I tell you, Mayor, we're
doing everything possible.

We may pick up that murderer in the next
five minutes or we may never find him.

All we can do is follow every lead.

You're not dealing with a punk or
a tinhorn. Usual procedure won't work!

Catching this man is going
to take brains, imagination.

- Maybe you have some ideas we can use.
- Ideas! I've got a million of them.

It's not my job to run this
department, it's yours!

I've got a city to run.
This is only one department.

People depend on me for transportation,
for hospitals, for sanitation.

Not to go out and catch this murderer!

Yeah? Send him in.

It's Carney.
He can bring you up to date.

I'm sorry, Mr. Mayor,
I haven't got him yet.

Of course you haven't. You know why?

You're not thinking it through.
Now, listen, take a tip. Use this!

Put yourself in the killer's place. What
would you do if you were the killer?

Figure that out and you've got your man.

Could be, Your Honor.

Brains! Imagination,
just like I was telling the Chief.

Meanwhile, it's all right if
I continue the raids all over town.

Sure, sure. Can't do any harm.

Put the scare into
the punks and the tinhorns.

Good for them. Got to leave now,
I'm ten minutes behind schedule.

Got to open a big supermarket.
Now remember: brains, imagination.

Spencer!
Get the escort, I'll be right down.

- Is he gone?
- Yeah.

Can't blame him, though.
The papers are really on our necks.

The ordinary murder, you
look for a dame or a bank book.

At a victim with known enemies.
What've we got?

The missing shoes.

What are we looking for?

A man with a twisted mind.

Could be anybody.

Come on! Come on.

Oh, no! Maybe he's the one. The fiend!

Get him!

- What's going on?
- None of your business.

- Not so fast, buddy!
- Take your hand off me!

Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

That's all right, honey.

- All right, let's go.
- I thought he was the kidnapper.

Quick step.

I don't know, I...

I can't remember.

I see this kid was walking by the
street, and she's wearing a blue dress.

You got that wrong,
she was wearing a red dress.

Look, Betty, I ain't color blind.

- So this kid in a blue dress comes along...
- It was a red dress!

What are you, a Communist?

As soon as I get in his car, I see a
little pair of shoes on the dashboard...

So I just had to run, but not before I
had a chance to get his license number.

Thanks, sister.

Got to remember there are 10000 of those
shoes hanging in cars in this town.

But there was something
about this guy... a look in his eyes...

Fresh!

Come on inside.

I just watched after that
last bum we picked up.

Maybe we ought to wipe the field.

Bums don't sue for false arrest

We keep on picking up bums and the guy
we're looking for could be a professor,

a store keeper.

Maybe even a cop.

We look for him in honky tonks
and he could be on a golf course.

Here's a new batch to check out.

The asylums are sending in lists of men
they've released and might be involved.

Laws, files, reports.

I'll trade them all for
one good stool pigeon.

Maybe you'll find your stool
pigeon in tonight's shake up.

Yeah? Carney speaking.

Yeah?

Where?

Shoes again, eh?

Another one, the sixth.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe it!

My baby!

We read about those
other children in the papers, but...

- ...our baby.
- It could be anyone's child.

Anyone's. Nobody's safe.

Such a beautiful baby!

Her hair was so long...

Like silk, when you touched it.

If we need you, we'll get in touch.

Thank you.

Maybe it's a mistake!

Maybe it's somebody else's!

Now we're really in for it.
A Councilman's grandchild.

I tell you we've got
to find that killer!

Maybe tonight, Chief.
Maybe one of the raids...

Do you really think...?

No.

We regret the interruption
in this program, but our time is up.

Be with us again tomorrow
evening for an hour of classical music.

And now for a message...

All right, shut up!

- I'll shut'em up!
- Take it easy.

Quiet. Quiet!

So you want us
to find the baby killer, uh?

Well, this shakedown is defining.
We figured it might be one of you.

Anybody lose anything?

I'm going to ask some questions
and I want some straight answers.

I'll take you one at a time, you first.

Mary Larkey.

Please, my mother...

They're all orphans
'til you pick them up.

I bet she's got an arrest
record as long as my arm.

Is he right?

No, honest...

It's the first time I ever...
Please let me go!

Get out of here and
don't let me see you again!

Five will get you six you will!

Next! Name!

Greer. Harry Greer. I'm a salesman.
Just having a beer in the neighborhood.

Yeah? How's business?

Could be better.
Things are bad all over.

I haven't seen a paper all day.

"Two across blue top, Fifth conference.

"Five to win, Roger; Sixth and Church."

Stick around, Greer. Until we get the
later edition with the final results.

- What are you doing down here?
- Slumming.

Next!

- Hey, that guy! Isn't it...
- Dan Langley. Good lawyer, or used to be.

But...

Who's next?

- Name?
- Mabel Smith.

Boys!

I asked you here to catch you up to date
on my thinking about the baby killings.

Very smart.

You're a very smart man, boss.

I had this figured.

Thanks. I always
welcome your opinion, Riggert.

But just why do you think I'm smart?

And what was it you had figured?

Well, you rigged
the killings, didn't you boss?

To take the heat
off us from the Grand Jury?

Didn't you, boss?

I thought it was a good idea.

The heat's off us, ain't it?

We're off the front pages, ain't we?

The Grand Jury's
investigating the cops instead of us,

ain't they?

Ain't they?

You know...

I pray I'm smarter
than you think I am, Riggert.

Sorry I'm late, Charlie.

I stopped in at Nick's for a drink.

- The place was veritably crawling with coppers.
- I'll take that.

Thank you, Charlie.

I need a shot.

I'm glad you're here to defend me, Dan.

Riggert just said
that I'm the baby killer.

I didn't mean you personally, boss.

Make me a case, counselor.
I'll need that glass.

Make me a case.

Gentlemen of the jury...

I'll be brief. I know we're
all anxious to get away.

I myself have a very
important case waiting.

A case of scotch.

Believe me, gentlemen, this is the most
important case since I went to the Bar.

Mr. Marshall is not only my client, he's
my friend. I've known him for years...

since he was a boy. He was
a good boy, good to his mother.

Gentlemen, you have the faces of
honest men, good judges of character.

Look at my client.
You judge for yourselves.

Whether he'd be capable of these heinous
crimes, by simply asking yourselves...

whether you...

you, for instance...

would be capable of
killing an innocent baby.

Careful, Langley.

- There's some things I don't like.
- Exactly.

See, Riggert. The thought of these
murders turns even Pottsy's stomach.

Imagine the feelings
of the general public.

Your average citizen isn't too concerned
with the police catching us or not.

Unless the press stirs
them up for political reasons.

Because in one way or another,
we service almost the entire community.

But when it comes to
catching the baby killer,

they want action from
their police department.

That's what I say, they're on the spot.

So what do they do?

The... counselor here's
told us what happened at Nick's.

- How's your floating crap game, Sutro?
- Just floatin'.

Keeping its head above water,
but that's about all.

A few of the boys got tapped,
so they've been laying low.

That's what I thought.

MacMahan?

Same, or worse.

You can't even show your face
around the high school nowadays.

Pottsy?

What if the cops get the idea
that baby killers play slot machines?

Sure, boss. Same as us. They've been
tapping a lot of our little bookies.

- Cigar stores, barber shops...
- Riggert!

Excuse me, counselor.

What do you think that means?

People who live in glass
houses shouldn't throw stones?

I don't know, boss.

We're in a business
where the take are millions.

From Pottsy's slot
machines to your wire services.

Now these are the runners. The pick-up
men. They collect the first money.

These are the drops,
the district offices.

This is the center, you boys.

And this is me, way on the top there.

Riggert!

You think everything's lovely because
we're not in front of the Grand Jury...

and your face isn't on the front pages.

- Sure!
- Yeah, sure!

But now look what happens on the
top when the bottom's knocked out!

Now do you understand?

Clean up the mess, counselor.

So, what, boss?

The Police Department answers
public pressure by raiding us.

Raids, raids, and more raids!
They're on the spot.

To protect ourselves,
we've got to take them off the spot.

Where do we get off helping the cops?
Who ever heard of something like that?

I'll admit it's a situation
we could never have anticipated.

Force majeure.

Force majeure!

Thank you, counselor.

An act of God, Sutro.

But it can't go on!

As long as this man is
running loose, we can't operate.

Who do we frame?

No frame, Riggert!

This killer isn't going to stop
just because they make an arrest.

We've got to find him
and stop him ourselves!

Oh, we ain't going to help the cops,
we're going to be the cops!

We've got the organization to keep
an eye on every child in this city.

Our runners and pick-up men
are on the streets all the time!

We've got drops in candy stores, barber
shops, newsstands, shoe-shine parlors!

We even got our own radio system.

Our cabs... the Ajax outfit.

With their two-way
system they cover this town.

Oh, yeah, I see it. My boys will be
dishing out a third degree for a change.

- They're going to like that!
- What an operation this is going to be.

That's right. A major operation.

- Operation "M".
- "M"? I don't get it.

"M" for murderer, dope.

All right. Now you know what to do.

Here's one for you, for you...

Now keep your eyes open when
you're out there on the street.

Particularly when you're in the alleys.

93 Bob.

I'm depending on each of you boys and
your gangs to watch his own territory.

No chiseling, no arguments.

You can start your fighting
again after we find this guy. Get me?

Ok, boss.

Remember, the minute you
meet this guy call my number.

Any Ajax driver will give you a hand.

Meanwhile, try to take care of expenses.

Thanks, boss.

Ajax, 48 again.
False alarm. Everything's OK.

Well, I picked up that bunch from
the list of the hospital there for you.

In Graham's office now.

Good.

Play games with them,
rock their heads and turn them loose.

What does he expect
to get out of them that way?

You got a better way?

Yeah.

A dark room and a rubber hose,
and about half a dozen cops.

The courts don't like it that way.

That's just the trouble.
We need less courts and more cops!

Well, I've got some
more loonies to look up.

How come if they're psychos the hospital
turns them loose in the first place?

It's the law, they're cured.

Oh, they're cured!

A fat chance a cop's
got to make a pin stick.

Laws, courts, skull tappers.

- Head.
- Front.

- Green.
- Red.

- Sing.
- Song.

- Shoes.
- Stockings.

- Water.
- Eh... land.

- String.
- Choke.

Tell me what you see, or what it
could be, or what you imagine it to be.

I see two teddy bears!

A Christmas tree in the corner!

A man with a... bandage on his head.

...and flames. Rising in the air!

And a... s... sword.

...sword.

And a horse, with his hoofs in the air.

All right. Thank you.

Any leads in that one?

One. The one who answered "choke" to
"string". Probably won't mean anything.

What are you looking for?
What kind of a man?

Probably a schizophrenic,
possibly a paranoid schizophrenic.

Maybe a borderline case.
But in any event, a very sick man.

Frequently, this form of mental disease
can be traced back to the patient's...

childhood, to some severe
emotional injury he suffered.

You mean what Carney's
men call psychos?

Well, in picturesque
lay language, possibly yes.

This man lives in a world all his own.

Within that world, his ability
to think clearly need not be affected.

What about the missing shoes?
What does that mean?

Well, for Carney,
they provide a clue to find the man.

But I have to find the man before
I can get a clue to the missing shoes.

That too may have resulted from some
childhood injury or serious neglect.

Something happened then that made
shoes a detonator that sets him off.

All right, come on. Thanks, doc.

So long, doc.

If it's about the room,
it's 8 dollars a week in advance.

I'm from the Health Department.
Does a man named Harrow live here?

What's he done?

Nothing, he spent
some time in a hospital...

Yeah, that's right. He does
talk about his headaches a lot.

That's what I want to talk to him about.

I thought maybe he'd like to go back
to the hospital for some more treatment.

- Mr. Harrow ain't in.
- Do you mind if I wait for him?

I guess it's all right.

That's my dinner boiling over. I'm just
down the hall, second door to the left.

Mommy!

Hello, honey.

But you should wait for me at home.

Coffee.

Waiter. Waiter!

Whisky.

Bourbon or rye?

I don't... any kind.

Cole. Died in a state
hospital seven months ago.

Harrow. Conducted a search
of his room, nothing suspicious.

Just the same guy
we picked up later on anyway.

Hart. Living with his parents.
Has a perfect alibi.

OK, OK, that's enough!

Dead ones, missing ones,
men with perfect alibis.

Maybe nobody committed these murders!

Everything's got to happen to me!

Maybe I'm nuts.

Maybe.

Maybe.

Let's get to work.

Nothing. Nothing at all. Just the same.

Just the same, they're something.

Thank you.

There you are.

What's up? What's the beef?

Do you hear that? You hear that music?

Yeah, it's a tin whistle, so what?
Some guy and a little kid.

It's him, it's him! The murderer!
I heard that song before.

He's the man who bought the balloon
the day that Elsie Coster was murdered!

I'll show you a trick.

- Mine?
- Yeah.

- Hey, you have a match?
- No.

Well, If you don't have a match, how
about giving your old buddy a beer?

- No!
- Just buy me a little drink.

No!

What's the matter, you don't
drink no beer, nothing?

- Got your knife.
- No, never mind.

Let me go there!

Can we go home?

Hey!

- You want some flowers?
- Yes.

I like ice cream!
Can I have some ice cream?

- What kind do you want?
- Strawberry.

Hey, mister, you have
something on your back!

I'll wash it off for you.

- I want some ice cream!
- Later, later.

It's a game, they're
chasing us. We've got to hurry.

Hey, kiddo!

Come here.

What's cooking? Who are you tailing?

It's my psychic here. His chick's two
timing. We're doing a little checking.

I think I'll do some
checking myself. You! Come here.

Charlie, they found him,
they spotted him!

...I know the old man is
blind but he can hear all right.

Stay with him, there's a scene
out for you if he's the right man.

Don't worry, he won't get away.
I've already tipped off the gang.

I knew they'd find him. Kid even ran
into him, plastered an "M" on his back.

- Suppose he gets away!
- He won't.

That's the value of organization
and knowing how to run it.

Call Ajax. Have the dispatchers notify
the drivers to spread the word. Quick.

It's in the bag!

Doesn't this call for a celebration?

Don't mind us, counselor.
Drink yours straight from the bottle.

Becker's staked out in Harrow's room,
there's a general alarm out.

Plainclothes've been
blanketing the district.

The uniformed divisions making
every downtown saloon.

We'll pick him up, don't worry.

We better, the mayor
is on his way down here.

His statement ought
to make the morning papers.

We'll pick him up, but then what?
Back to the booby hatch?

Men like Harrow should've never
been released in the first place.

Hospitals so understaffed,
they free dangerous men.

He won't get out this time.

He'll burn.

That's right. That's right!

That will fix everything.

No! No, no, you mustn't.
We're still playing our game.

- I'm tired!
- No, no.

Hey! Get him! Grab him!
The baby killer!

Hi! What's this I hear about you
and your boyfriend having fallen out?

Where've you been
hearing this kind of gossip?

Let go, Popsy hears everything here!

- Well, have a good time.
- Have a good time fishing, Pops.

Thank you!

Come on! I ain't got all day,
I've got to be going.

Hey, Pops! Did you see
a guy run through here?

No, no. Beat it kids,
no one came in here.

Hey, Pops, look!

All right now boys, get, get!

No kidding, Pops.
He's a dangerous character!

Yeah, I know. It's the baby killer!

Yeah, yeah, you're so smart!
Well that's who it is!

Beat it, beat it!

You stay here. You guys
go get Doug and the boys.

Come on.

Yeah. Yea, that's the one.
The building on Third Street.

Keep it covered. Somebody will be around
in a few minutes to give you a hand.

That's all.

What a break!

He's inside, we're out.

What do we do now, call the cops?

- We're going after him.
- Yeah, sure!

And tomorrow, we crack Fort Knox.

Maybe Sutro's right, boss.
Maybe we ought to tip off the cops.

I said we're going after him!

- Mac?
- Yeah?

Get down to Third Street.
Call me when you know the score.

- Pottsy?
- Yeah?

Line up your muscle men,
some boys who can crack a crib.

Have them bring their kits.

But what are you waiting for?
Get going!

Anybody inside yet?
Hey! Anybody inside?

I'm locking up!

You know your gate's unlocked?

Huh? Why I was sure!
Maybe those kids...

Open up.

Quick!

Don't want to get hurt, all you've got
to do is answer a couple of questions.

How many watchmen in the building?

How many?

Just me! And the engineer.

So help me! It's the truth!

Only one more! Please!

We're the only ones in the building!

OK, boys. Start with the
cellar and then with the roof.

Riggert!

Take a couple of boys
and pick up the engineer.

Sutro! MacMahan!

Take him upstairs!

Any chance he got scared off?

Nobody could tip him. I got the phones
tapped and the joints closed up tight.

Yeah?

Oh, that's bad.
They haven't found him yet.

Who's talking?

Tell MacMahan that
Marshall will be right there.

Stay here and watch the phone.
And for once, stay sober!

Only way to do a thing
right is to do it yourself.

What've you done about the alarm boxes?
They have to be punched every hour.

MacMahan! Take care of the alarm boxes.

They're in every
other floor, right there.

Get moving!

What's been covered so far?

Basement and the first three floors.

We haven't got all night.

Sutro! Break down doors!
Go into every store!

Check closets, offices,
galleries, everything.

Now go on, get moving.

Anybody search that?

- How could he be in there?
- Lemke, get it open.

Not that way, idiot.
Don't you see it's wired?

Drill it down from above.

The rest of you, get started.
Half a floor a piece.

Attention all units. Further description
of the suspect wanted for a murder.

Martin W. Harrow. Use caution,
the suspect is a probable mental case.

Male Caucasian, 30 to 35 years, 5' 7"...

150 lbs. He has
light hair and blue eyes.

Wearing a dark suit,
a tie and a grey felt hat.

He was last seen at his
rooming house at 1302 River Street...

at probably 10:30 a. m. this day.

Is Becker back yet?

He's on his way back, sir.

I want to go home!

I'm sorry.

I found him! I found him!
He's on the top floor!

Mike, find out where she
lives and take her home.

But be careful, they'll be watching.
Go ahead.

Boys! Go get him.

Clean out the place.
Everything. Come on!

Get that!

What's wrong!

The watchman got loose!

Everybody out! Everybody out!

We're loose! We're loose!
Everybody out!

Get him out of here.

Where are you taking me?

Hey! There's no one down here!

Someone give me a hand.

Come on! Get up from there.

I know you've got troubles
of your own, but I need help.

Troubles? We had him
and he got away. I can't figure it.

Nothing makes
sense tonight. Look at this.

What's it all about?

A gang went through the
Bradbury Building with a vacuum cleaner.

Busted down doors, broke into the
jeweler's, smashed into every closet.

And they didn't take a thing.

But the engineer said
he saw a man being dragged away.

Since when do hoodlums
went for dry runs?

I see they picked up
Lemke and another man.

This Lemke's got a record
about a foot long, but this other guy...

this Jansen. He's a bookmaker.
How does he figure in a deal like this?

I wish I knew.

What do you think I can do?

They won't talk. They know all I've got
on them is a breaking and entering rap.

I figured if I bring them in here,
homicide squad might give them a scare.

Tell them the watchman
died or something.

Might give it a try. Can't hurt.

You know how I feel.

Give me ten minutes alone
with them, they'll rat on their mother.

Nuts?

The baby killer, John.

The baby killer!

No, I'm serious!

I called you because...
well, let's be realistic, John.

We aren't so far apart in our
thinking about the Police Department.

I enjoyed that series that you ran.

Yes! We want you
to have an exclusive story.

Pictures by all means, by all means!

John, just a minute.

Naturally we want you
to remember this one thing:

We want a break when the Grand Jury
starts on us again after this is over.

We want to remind the public who
caught the baby killer. See what I mean?

Fine, John.

Fine. I'll tell you what you'll do.

If you send your best reporter,
maybe that fellow who, uh...

That's the guy.

Have him on the northeast corner
of Seventh and Broad in a half hour.

Yeah. He'll be picked up
in a great Cadillac sedan.

Thank you, John. Thanks very much.

Sutro, MacMahan, go pick him up.
Riggert, get the car.

Not this time, Lemke. Keep moving.

- This time it's Homicide.
- Homicide? What am I doing in Homicide?

This is it.

Two mugs like you.

Butter-fingered cracker
and a 50-cent bookie.

Mixed up in a... murder?

- Murder?
- I...

I was sleeping.

Don't stop him, Lemke.

You talk now, the judge may go easier.

I don't know nothing!

Hit the watchman on
the head, you cracked his skull.

You sent him to the morgue!

Morgue? Me?

Why, I...!

I never saw the guy before!

I don't know nothing!

You don't know nothing either, eh?

Nothing.

You sure stepped
out of your class, Jansen.

Ten years for breaking and entering.

Twenty years for kidnapping.

The chair for murder.

You did say they
kidnapped a man, didn't you?

Did you hear they got... that guy?

Sure they got the guy.

That's what they broke
in the building for, wasn't it?

That's why, wasn't it?

That's right. That's why. We didn't
go in there to heist the place!

- All we wanted was him.
- Shut up!

Sure, Jansen, shut up.
20 years, 30 years, what do you care?

All the time you're in there you'll
be glad you kept your mouth shut.

I ain't doing 20 years for nobody!

Not even for Charlie Marshall!

I'll tell you what they were after!

It was... the baby killer.

Why, you no good...!

Where did you work? The building
or industry, what did you do?

Covered one entrance.

It's worth a sop up.

What are you going to do with him?

What's it to you?
You got your dough, now beat it!

This ain't no peep show!
You've been paid off, now scram!

You guys want a hole in the head?
I told you to scram, now scram!

Who are they? What do they want?

You remember this?

A balloon you bought Elsie Coster?

Baby-face!

Baby-faced killer!

Lynch him!

Get away from that man!

Get back, all of you.

Now clear out of here, all of you.

Before you bring
every cop in town down on us.

You've done a great job and
collected for it. Leave the rest to me.

Only help catch him! We want to
know what you're going to do with him!

- What's she doing here?
- Go home, this is no place for a dame!

I've got kids of my own! I want to know
what you're going to do with that man!

Let's string him right up!

Now listen to me!

You stupid crumbs!

You've got any brains, use them!

Cops are on the spot about this worm.

If we kill him before they get to him
then you know what will happen.

I'm going to turn him over
to the cops in my own way.

And they'll have us to thank for it.

See that?

And they'll thank us for it, folks!

- Cops won't do a thing for us!
- The cops will give us medals for this!

Yeah, and they'll collect
our bets for us!

That guy from the press gets here,

it could mean a murder rap,
couldn't it boss?

You're way out on a limb, boss.

You called that
newspaper guy personally.

That makes you personally responsible.

I guess they'd be happy to pin a murder
rap on you, wouldn't they boss?

That bottle is getting
in your way, counselor.

Now start talking.

Don't try to get rid of them, just keep
talking until the press gets here.

Make me a case!

A good one, you know:
"Habeas corpus delicti".

Then you can have a drink.

All right, all right!

How many times have you yelled
for a mouth piece to spring you?

Now shut up!

It's a matter of
"habeas corpus ad subjiciendum".

We must establish
the substantial facts...

in the body of the crime
as the result of a criminal agency.

We must have due process,
courts of law... evidence!

All the evidence!

Can you state under oath that
my client committed these grievous acts?

- He's the one!
- What did the blind man say?

I wish to confer
with my client. If you will.

Please! Give me a moment with my client.

Every man's got a right
to see his lawyer!

We've got to get rid of that guy!

He's got to disappear and let
the cops find him in the river!

- He don't deserve a lawyer!
- Some guys ain't got no rights!

What have you got to say for yourself?

Who are these people?

Thieves, cutthroats and racketeers.

A jury of your peers.

I knew I'd be caught, I knew I'd have
to be punished, and I wanted to be...

but I thought it would be the police!

Then why did you run away?

I was afraid! You're always
afraid when the time comes.

You want to plead guilty.
Claim extenuating circumstances!

I'm not guilty.

Not the way you think. And I've
thought about it a lot, maybe too much.

Can you understand that?

You seem to be a man
who worries about things, too.

You drink too much, don't you?

Yes.

Maybe you'd better talk for yourself.

I'm in no shape.

Come on, quit stalling!
Come on, come on!

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury:

I've asked my client to tell
you his story in his own words.

I've got to have a drink!

Let him talk!

Every man's entitled
to his day in court.

You don't get a drink until it's over.

I knew I'd be caught.

That's what I wanted, my day in court.
But I thought about a law court.

But this will have to do.

You see I've... I've discovered
something very important.

Very important for everybody to know.

I haven't got it all figured out yet.
I can't put all...

my fingers... can't put
all pieces together yet but...

it's too important.
People got to listen.

See my... my mother...

My mother always told me that...

that... This took me a while to
figure out, but my mother said that...

men are born evil, and cruel and awful.

Not just all people, but men!

Men are born evil and low.

And that's the hardest thing there
is for a man to fight against...

it's the hardest
thing there is for a man.

You have to be hurt. You have
to be punished in order to be good.

You have to be whipped and tortured
and crucified in order to... understand.

She was a good woman.

And beautiful.

Her hands, a gentle cross on her breast.

Why should she suffer?

Why should she of all women, when...

That's what I never understood!

It's important, this part,
when... I stole a blanket for her.

She... She knew I was...

trying to be good, but she made me
take the blanket back to the sheriff.

It was... only at the
County Farm I really understood...

...found a bird!

I always liked birds!

...that broken wing
and I... I nursed it.

And then when it was almost
well and it wanted to fly away...

and I thought about it escaping...

I remembered it was a...
world of men the bird would fly into.

Ugly and cruel!

Too ugly and cruel
for birds and children,

so I knew I had to kill the children!

The birds... I had to kill the birds!

So I'd be punished and kept on the farm!

Now do you see?

It's been cold this winter too,
while I was... looking for work.

Many things I could do if
I could only get this figured out.

If they... don't want to hang me now...

I'll have time to
figure out at the County Farm.

The County Farm!

Hanging by the neck until...

My father should've been
hanged for the things he did!

She said so!

When I think of the vile, cruel things
I have to do in order to be punished!

I don't want to do them, I don't
want to, but I can't help myself.

I can't help myself!
I can't help myself!

Talk, counselor.

- Let me have a drink now.
- No!

I crave your indulgence,
ladies and gentlemen...

of the jury.

Crave your indulgence ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, I've a very...

important case waiting. I'm as anxious
to be done with this as you. I've a...

very important case waiting.

A case of scotch.

Well... by his own words
my client was a good boy.

Good to his mother.

Mother! You never had a kid!

If you want to know
how it feels, ask me. I'll tell you!

Ask the mothers of the kids he killed!

What else is there in
this life but our kids?

What's to look forward to,
unless they grow up better than us?

Well, will killing him...

help your children to grow up
any better than you or him or me?

That's telling them, counselor.

- My client wanted to be good.
- He's a crumb!

My client... My client is a man who...

- Call that a man?
- Yes! No! You're right, he's no man!

No will, no reason, no sight. Blind!

Blind!

Stumbling in a world in
which he couldn't see his way.

Well, do you lynch a blind
man because he can't see?

Do you kill a man like this, imprison
him or do you put him in an institution?

Have we as good an excuse?
What of our own guilt?

What of the pennies, nickels
and dimes stolen from the poor?

Children's lunch money that
goes into our slot machines!

Workmen's rent that's bet on horses!

How many children have gone hungry
and without food because of us?

Don't be a philosopher, Langley.
Be funny! Make them laugh.

My client...

My client is a drunkard.

He wanted to be a lawyer. To defend
the innocent and punish the guilty.

Make them laugh, Langley!

Who offered him his first bribe?

I'm telling you, watch the talk.

Who broke his faith
and his will to refuse?

Either talk my way or shut up!

Who gave him a drink
to forget what he did?

All right, so forget it! You're no
lawyer but a clown, a drunken clown!

Make them laugh!

My client was a child once, with
great and many hopes for the future!

I can't help thinking:
Where are the killers?

Who killed our children's hopes?

I killed them,
I told you I killed them...

Punish me, I want to be punished!

He wants to be punished!

He wants to be punished!

Get it over with!

Langley!

Let's get it over with. Why not?
Life's too much for him.

- No!
- He can't understand...

Get it over with!

Don't let them hurt me, please!

My client needs me.

Could be a murder rap
after all, couldn't it boss?

He was a good man.

He's been punished, now it's my turn.

No, you've got the wrong man. No! No!

Wrong! This is wrong!

Wrong! Wrong!