Tight Spot (1955) - full transcript

Excited, Pete?

About what?

Why, about the fact

that you're gonna be

one of the biggest men

in the country tonight.

-Think so?

-Think so?!

After twenty-five years

of running the underworld,

Benny Costain, the most powerful

and feared man in the country today,

is gonna be waded into

by one Pete Tonelli.

You got any idea

what Mr Costain does to...

people who try things like this?

He's not gonna be around

to do anything

after you get on the stand, Pete.

Yeah.

Maybe.

Maybe I'm gonna be on the stand.

Why, sure you are, Pete.

You're gonna get on the stand.

Now, we'll see to it that nothin'

happens to ya after you do.

We sure will.

(GUNSHOTS)

Oh, now, look, kid, it isn't so bad.

See if you can't

think of this joint

as a sort of a training ground

for future life.

'Course, training

for what beats me.

But I never been in prison before.

Half the time, I don't know

what they're talkin' about.

Because I don't know,

| do something wrong.

Then they yell at me

as if I was stupid or somethin'.

Okay, kid,

SO NOW You can relax,

'cause you finally get

the first break you've had

-since they dragged ya into this trap.

-Break?

Certainly. They turned you

over to me, didn't they?

| just happen to know

more about this joint

than those grafters that built it.

Yeah, but I don't.

Okay, so you don't.

So I'm gonna tell you.

Certain things in the beginning's

more important to know than others.

And other things is

even more important than that.

And one of the most important things

in this place

is "don't volunteer for nothin™.

-Don't volunteer?

-Now, remember that.

Whenever they come around,

waggin' their tails,

and trying to act

all warm and friendly like

about some extra work

that's gotta be done,

you don't do nothin'.

You just sit there,

like a hunk of wet wash,

and don't volunteer.

Why not?

Well, why should you help

the very jerks out

that's keepin' ya here,

for one thing?

And don't ever do one bit more than

just exactly what you're told to do.

But how do you get around 'em?

Okay. Supposin' they come to me,

and they say,

"Conley, on this floor

there's a spot.”

Do I go ahead and wet-mop

from here to extremity?

WILLOUGHBY:

Not you.

Not on your life, I don't.

And, what's more,

| don't go over that floor

except just where they point out

it's spotty exactly.

And what do we usually say

about that?

You usually say,

"Don'tcha have no brains, Conley?

"Don'tcha know we meant you

to clean the whole filthy floor?"

And that always gives Conley

a chance to say...

"If I had any brains,

what would I be doin' in this trap?"

Come on, you're wanted

in the warden's office.

SHERRY:

The warden's office?

For what? It's just about time

for the dinner to gong.

Now, don't show off, Conley.

Come on.

(SIGHING) Like poor, dumb sheep,

we're moved from barn to stall,

and nobody takes the trouble

to tell us why.

WILLOUGHBY:

It's inhuman.

Don't volunteer for nothin'!

This way.

(LOW RUMBLING NOISE)

When the inmates

are thrown off schedule,

you can't blame their stomachs

for growlin' a little.

WARDEN:

Hello, Conley.

As I understand it,

Conley will remain in our custody

even though you'll take her

outside the prison?

That's right, Warden.

WARDEN: Get her into

her street clothes, Willoughby.

WILLOUGHBY:

Yes, ma'am.

Anything wrong?

I'm sure if there was,

I'd be the last one to be told.

WARDEN:

That will do, Conley.

| don't suppose it'd do any good

if I ask if my civil rights

is bein' violated?

| have a court order to make you

available to the federal authorities.

In an unfed condition?

We won't be long, Lieutenant.

(DEEP RUMBLING, GURGLING NOISE)

This time, the inmate's stomach

is not to be blamed.

Four years of

too many potatoes, Conley.

Potatoes?

| thought those were

plastic cotton balls they were testin'.

(ENGINE STARTING)

(TYRES SCREECHING)

Look out, will ya?

Would you mind tellin' me

what this is all...

Nobody talks to me.

Well, aren't we the real,

life-size Boston Blackies?!

Why? Why?

(HORN HONKING)

Help yourself.

Thanks.

Hey, look at them new styles!

| guess maybe these old rags of mine

must look like Easter parade, 1902.

Look, sister, I wouldn't know styles

if you shoved 'em down my throat.

You're sure of that, huh?

Why? Because you had so many of 'em

shoved down your throat?

Why is it nobody ever thought

of buildin' a nice, big statue

to the first cop

who ever called a girl "sister"?

Because, if he hadn't come along,

the police'd sure put on

their bare faces for small talk.

What's it with a cop?

Always gotta call ya "sister".

You like "mother" better?

Maybe I'd like my own name

for a change.

-Maybe you would.

-Yeah, try it for size.

Oh, look! Polka dots!

Look at that dress in the window!

| hope you don't object to a person

looking out their own window?

You'll know right away

if I object to anything.

What'll you do, light up?

(CAR HORN HONKING)

Would the world collapse

if somebody was to tell me somethin'?

Somebody will.

Wait.

-Whole floor cleared?

-Yes, sir.

-How about the roof?

-The men are already up there.

What are we gonna have, a party?

What kind of prisoners

do you keep here?

Willoughby, get her settled.

I'll be back in a minute.

You didn't tell her anything?

What about the trip down here?

You sure you weren't followed?

I'm sure I was.

| lost 'em.

-You're positive?

-Please...

All right.

What's she like, Vince?

Oh, just like the rest of 'em

that come through the line-up.

Smart-talkin', brassy,

third-class citizen.

And she's our last chance.

If she doesn't come through,

we'll be thrown outta court Monday,

and there goes our two years' work.

Then she oughta be in the city jail,

where Costain can't knock her off.

Let's do it my way.

-What's so interesting?

-People.

And cars.

But mostly people, who can go

anyplace they wanna go.

Haven't seen anybody like that

for four years.

-Who's that?

-My daughter.

-Are you married?

-I was.

He died in France,

in the Normandy landings.

Ah, none of us never knew that.

It must scare you to death

to have a daughter like this,

with a job like yours,

that always keeps pointin' out

what can happen to a girl.

And she's pretty.

Pretty lucky kid, to have a mother

like you that's so crazy about her.

'Course I am crazy

about her, but...

how did you know?

You should've seen

the look on your face

when I said she was pretty.

VINCE:

Willoughby, send her in here.

| guess they want you in there now.

Ah, for what?!

| don't know any more than you do,

but you'd better go.

(SIGHING)

You don't, huh?

Oh, we've finally arrived at the place

where somebody's gonna explain

this outrageous draggin'

of a person from here to there?

Yes, we've, er... finally arrived

at that place, Miss Conley.

Would you please sit down?

My name is Lloyd Hallett.

I'm an attorney for the government.

You mean I'm up

for some kind of tax rap?

No, you're not up for any kind of rap,

SO you can just relax.

Would you care for a cigarette?

SHERRY:

Er...

One for later, after dinner.

Certainly.

It's just that we thought that

you could be helpful

by giving us some information

about a case that I'm prosecuting.

Case”? What I know about cases,

you could put on the head of a pin.

-Perhaps I can be a little bit more explicit.

-You do that.

You, er, used to go around

with a man by the name of Pete Tonelli,

didn't you, Miss Conley?

Go around? You mean, like

merry-go-rounds and revolvin' doors?

| mean, you used to be

a friend of Tonelli's.

Friends, perhaps, but nothin' more.

Miss Conley, there's no danger

of implicating yourself in anything

by any answers

that you might give me.

I'd just like it made clear that,

if Pete's done anything,

he can do his own hangin'.

-Well, that point is now on the record.

-That's good.

You, er... took a trip one time

with Pete, didn't you?

It was on a yacht.

And I believe you went

to the West Indies.

Yacht?

Yeah, you know,

those long, white things.

| know what's a yacht.

Some cops has

always gotta assume,

just because you've been

hauled in and persecuted falsely...

"Persecuted falsely"?

I'm sure the lieutenant didn't mean

to offend you, Miss Conley.

Excuse me, please.

You better watch how

you're kickin' my shins, mister.

Vince, give me a hand.

| thought, perhaps,

you could use a drink.

Yeah, like some dumb cops

could use some manners.

Er... that much over the flagstones,

Mr Hallett.

When are you gonna quit askin' her

and start tellin' her for a change?

Vince, would you like to step

out of this room while I'm doing this?

You gonna do it this way? Yeah.

Thanks.

There you are.

-You're not joinin'?

-No.

| guess, where you've been,

you can lap it up all you want.

Well, here's to the boys

in the friendly trenches.

Skal!

(COUGHING)

Mmm. It's a

wonderfully strong vintage.

| don't know what you're after

with me, Mr Hallett,

but I will say I like the way

you're goin' after it.

But I think it's only fair

to warn you that...

I've been approached from

every angle you can think of,

including this one,

of "let's get her loaded

and see what happens".

(CHUCKLING)

| don't doubt it.

Due to some kind of chemicals

in my make-up, I guess,

they always seem to run out of money

before they ever find out what happens.

Well, thank you for telling me.

Now, to get back to this yachting trip

that you took with Pete.

Wasn't this boat owned

by Mr Ben Costain?

-Well, it musta been owned by somebody.

-Yes, of course.

It was a big enough boat, I can

hardly imagine it being around unowned.

Well, Costain owned it, and you were

on it when it went to the West Indies.

Since when is trips

on yachts illegal?

Miss Conley, I told you,

we're not accusing you of anything.

It's Ben Costain we're after.

How many guys

have already gone after...

that person, and ended up

twelve feet under?

| think the government

has a way to finally get him.

If we can get some help from you.

Me?

Oh, he didn't even notice

whether I had three heads or four

that whole delightful cruise.

(CHUCKLING)

Now, on this, er...

trip to the, er...

West Indies,

the boat put in to several islands,

didn't it?

-Did it?

-You know it did. Why?

Oh, I dunno. I merely took it

that Mr Costain was interested

in some untamed natives,

perhaps.

And, er...

at one of these islands,

this man came aboard the yacht.

SHERRY:

Signor Maracelli.

The Italian garden expert.

He taught me to say his name himself.

Did you notice how long

Signor Maracelli stayed aboard?

Sure. Until we let him off one night,

near Florida some place.

For what reason?

Oh, he was looking

for some night-blooming wildlife.

Did he come back to the yacht?

They told us the signor

was destroyed in a swamp.

Well, these are the people that you

don't doubt their word.

When they tell ya somebody's

been destroyed in a swamp,

you don't ask

for wet shoes as proof.

Yes.

Well, er...

Signor Maracelli's real name

happens to be Frank Domano.

-One of the bosses of the Mafia.

- I thought he'd get some place.

And he's been involved

in quite a few murders

since he was destroyed

in that swamp.

And, by smuggling a man

of this kind into the country,

Costain perjured his application

for citizenship.

| mean that, when Costain swore

that he was a man

of good moral character,

he lied.

And the testimony of either you

or Pete could prove that he lied.

Well, er...

unless Pete has changed an awful lot

from the good ol' days, |, er...

| don't get a very clear picture

of him bustin' his back

to call a man

like Mr Costain a liar.

How about you?

Well, when I think of it

in connection with myself,

| just don't get no picture at all,

clear or otherwise.

Why not? Afraid?

"Coward" would describe it better,

Mr Hallett.

Don't you think

we could protect you?

| wouldn't wanna

put ya to the test,

knowin' how embarrassed

you'd be if you flunked.

And why did you drag me up here

when Pete could tell ya?

Or has he already been approached,

and did he spot the drawbacks

as fast as I did?

Pete's dead.

I'm assumin' it wasn't old age.

He was murdered

by the Costain mob.

Well, I wouldn't wanna say

"I told you so,"

but that's a point

I'd like to make.

It was a ruthless, vicious,

unnecessary killing.

Just like all the others

Costain has been

responsible for

the last twenty-five years.

Well, he's been at it long enough

to get good, all right.

You don't seem

to understand, Miss Conley.

We're trying to deport Costain.

And it should be

everyone's responsibility

to see that we're successful.

-That's the way you feel.

-Yes, I do.

And if anyone has

the least bit of help to give us,

it's his obligation

to society to give it.

Yeah, well, if anybody's gotten anything

but a kick in the face from society,

| don't doubt he might owe

somethin' back to it.

You realise that you're the only one

who can help us, don't you?

I'm afraid I've been wastin'

your time, Mr Hallett.

Wasting?

The more I think about it,

the more I realise

it was the North Indies

we went to on our trip.

It was the West Indies.

SHERRY: "Good evening. Have you called

for one of our tastefully gay dinners?"

No, I haven't!

Hello? I'd like to speak to somebody

about your Lobster Thermidors.

For eating, yes.

-You can order anything you like, Miss Conley.

-Well, that's nice to hear.

Only after we've finished

our talk about Costain.

You mean the subject's

not exhausted?!

| wish you wouldn't

make up your mind definitely

until you've carefully thought it over.

My mind was making up while I was

hearing that Pete was no longer with us.

HALLETT:

I'm not denying that it is dangerous.

But I can assure you that

nothing is going to be left undone

to give you

every possible protection.

Yeah, but how can

| even think about it

when I'm famished

all over the place?

Perhaps you're not acquainted with just

exactly what my rights as a prisoner are

under several,

already-legislated laws?

Section 3, article 12:

"Feeding of Prisoners.

"Prisoners will be fed at three regulated

intervals during the daylight hours,

"at six in the mornings,

at twelve o'clock noons,

"and at five p.m."

Today, these intervals have been

anything but regulated.

Would you like to check my authenticity

in the book of regulations, Mr Hallett?

Miss Conley, I bow

to your authenticity.

After this, we'll try

and stick to the rules.

-Yeah, you do that.

-(CHUCKLING)

It's me again, about

those Lobster Thermidors.

-Would you like me to order for you?

-No, I'd like the fun of doin' it myself.

All right. But, before I leave,

I'd like to assure you

that no-one is going to make you

do anything against your will.

I'm afraid there isn't much of a fat chance

of that happenin', Mr Hallet.

I'll be back later.

Good. No, I don't wanna talk

to the manager.

| wanna talk to the man that cooks

those tastefully gay dinners.

You may as well

stuff yourself, too, Willoughby.

Tonight, it's on the taxpayers.

How'd it go?

| didn't expect much on the first try.

She didn't jump at the chance, huh?

Well, what's the plan now?

I'm gonna talk to the governor about

making a deal on her sentence

and get a couple of

other things going.

How long do you think we can keep it

from Costain that we've got her here?

That's hard to say.

He's got connections in prison,

like anywhere else.

He knows we picked her up,

he knows we haven't arrived

at the city jail with her,

so he'll figure

we've got her stashed.

Well, in the meantime,

please be nice to her.

It won't hurt our cause a bit

if you treat her like a lady.

You think she'll know

what we're doin'?

There wouldn't be a lady left if,

every time one of them acted ladylike,

she got kicked in the face.

Now, take good care of her.

She's no good to us

if she won't testify.

Yeah, if she's too dead.

HALLETT:

Down, please.

-Where's Conley?

-She wanted to take a shower.

-A shower?

- I didn't see any harm in it!

-(HARD SLAP)

-SHERRY: Ow!

So this is what the police

has sunk to.

Willoughby, the next time

she wants to take a shower,

you sit on her lap.

| mean it.

You ever lay a fat hand

on my person again,

and the prison board will hear

about it before I'm even dry!

MAN ON PHONE:

| won't lose him again.

-(RECEIVER SLAMMING)

-Dumb slob.

Losin' that DA so I don't even know

where he's been for the last two hours.

We'll find out where they've taken her.

There's no need to get so upset.

(CASTAIN CHUCKLING)

"We'll find out," eh?

For two-hundred-grand-a-year

attorney's fees,

you couldn't even find out

they were gonna spring that Tonelli on us.

| don't have all your sources

of information, Ben.

Yeah.

(DIALLING PHONE NUMBER)

-Well?

-MAN: Nothing yet.

The money I spend to make sure I got

people in all the places where it counts,

they can't even find out where

they're hidin' one lousy dame.

They leave the prison to take her

to city jail three hours ago.

They haven't got there yet.

(CRUMPLING PAPER)

Tonelli, they thought they had

hidden out at Staten Island.

Where do they think

this one's gonna be safe?

| wouldn't worry too much about her,

in any case, Ben.

Wouldn't you?

Maybe that's because they're not tr yin'

to run you outta your own country,

and send you to some lousy place

you don't even remember.

She isn't going to hurt us, Ben.

No, she isn't.

Just let me find out

where they're keepin' her...

(PHONE RINGING)

MAN: She's in room 24009,

St Charles Hotel.

The girl's in room 2409

at the St Charles Hotel.

Room 2409, St Charles Hotel.

(SWITCHING TV ON)

Have you ever stopped to consider

what you'd look like completely bald?

What?

TV: My sponsor's product

means exactly what it says. Mor...

(SWITCHING CHANNEL)

Yessir, folks, this is your old

hillbilly cousin, Mississippi Mac.

Now, say, if up until now you haven't

had any hillbilly cousins in your home,

! want you to open up your hearts,

and I'm a-gonna creep right in.

Oh, brother.

Well, sir, we've only been on the air

six hours and 47 minutes,

but we're gonna be

on the air until Monday,

and longer than that if it takes it

to raise that $50,000.

-(SWITCHING TV OFF)

-Leave it on!

-(SIGHING)

(SWITCHING TV ON)

MAC: Now, if you folks out there

have been ea yin' to yourself,

"What am I gonna do

with that ol' $100 bill

"that's been la yin' around the house

and collectin' dust and curious glances?"

Well, sir, you just send it in

to old Mississippi Mac,

and he'll see that some boy

gets a chance

to lead a normal, bronco-bustin',

rope-twirlin' life. Yessir.

And, while you're

sendin' in your donations,

I'm gonna sing for you.

3 I'm a-pinin' for my gal

in Cactus Valley

3 Well, there never was a gal like Sal

from Cactus Valley

3 She can cuss and holler

and rope and yell

3 She loves like a banshee

straight from 'ell...

J ...Paso!?

Um... he is pretty awful.

Perhaps we better

just turn him off for now,

'cause he's gonna

be on all night, anyway.

(SWITCHING TV OFF)

Never mind, Peeping John.

| made sure there was nothin'

left over for you to enjoy.

-Aw...

-Bad as it is in prison,

havin' to share the privacy of your shower

with all the other inmates,

at least we don't have to

put up with being slapped

by the fat hands of the police.

You've hauled men in for less.

Willoughby, you got

a needle and thread?

What do you want it for?

Well, this rag is nearly strangling

all my circulation off.

Maybe there's a seam

we can open up, or somethin',

so I won't be so scrunched

and pinched in places.

-Or I could go down to the drugstore.

-VINCE: You can call.

-I'd like a little coffee, too.

-They'll send that up, too.

Afraid I won't come back,

Lieutenant?

All right, go ahead.

Besides, when a person's places

are all scrunched and pinched,

why, something's liable

to bust right out.

And that'd drive all the Peepin' Johns

in the place stark, starin' crazy. Right?!

-Will you shut up about my...

-I won't be long, Lieutenant.

-Oh, my pocketbook.

-Charge it to the room.

(LOCKING DOOR)

Is that the way

a genuine model does it?

Again, please?

You used to be a model, didn't ya?

How could you tell?

It's on your police record.

Oh.

You models must lead a gay life

for yourselves, huh?

Never have to worry about who's

gonna pick up the dinner tab...

Haha.

It's not a gay life?

What's gay about blistered feet

and a bunch of sleazy married guys

with ideas that were stale

when the Romans was eatin' lions?

Well, how long were you at it?

Modellin'?

Since I was sixteen.

Sixteen?

Well, what should I have done,

sold pencils maybe?

Or gone on relief, for which there

isn't any for 16-year-old girls?

-Well, what did you do, lie about your age?

-Who to?

They're more interested

that you're a real build kid,

not how old a real build kid.

VINCE: Yeah.

Who got you the job?

| was waitin' for a bus one windy day,

when all the skirts was blowin',

and this fella drives up

in a top-down convertible

and struck up an introduction.

He was a real cornball, and he...

he sorta looked me over,

and he said,

"Well, now, are there any more

at home like you, little lady?"

So, I told him the only thing

there was any more of at my home

was a brother, six foot four,

who liked to

knock out teeth for exercise.

Well, I... I just made this brother up

out of my head for protection.

Huh.

So, um...

well, then what happened?

And...

well, he went on and said, er...

"A little girl like you shouldn't

be waitin' all alone

"for buses in this big, cold world.

“I'm gonna introduce you to a friend

of mine that makes bathin' suits."

So, I told him I didn't know anything

about how to make bathin' suits,

and he said, er... "No, little lady,

you wouldn't make "em.

"You'd wear 'em."

And then he went on to explain

that he didn't mean at beaches,

but at buyers' shows, where these

out-of-town fellas like himself

would come to pick up

whatever looked good to 'em.

And, er.. whatever

looks good to these fellas

is that old combination of, er...

"most girl, least bathing suit",

if you know what I mean.

Yeah, I think I do.

Sol...

got the bathing-suit job.

And then...

for a year there, we were sort of

makin' plans for gettin' married, until...

one gloomy day, this older woman

pops up from Omaha,

and she starts or yin' and wringin'

her hands out and pleadin' with me

that I should leave him alone,

for his own good.

| should leave him alone,

for his own good.

(CHUCKLING)

Men.

They oughta trade themselves in

for somethin' a girl really needs.

VINCE:

Oh...

Well, you've got it all figured out

about men, haven't ya?

You're all alike.

You only got different faces

so we girls can tell ya apart.

-Take yourself, for instance.

-What about me?

| walk out here with no skirt,

and your eyes bang out

like you just found

some long-lost gold mine.

Oh, sure. Everybody's after you,

every minute.

Yeah, it might seem so,

if you were sittin' in my shoes.

-Yeah, well, you can relax, honey.

-Well, thanks. I intend to.

'Cause I could come back from ten years

alone on the moon, half-crazy,

and watch you swimming,

stripped, at the Y for hours,

and walk outta there

with no thoughts in my head

except where I could get myself

a good meal.

Now, that was

a crummy thing to say.

Ah, it wasn't as bad as all that.

Well, since I was

the one that was insulted,

you might let me be the judge

of how bad it was.

Okay, I'm sorry.

If you didn't know where I was from,

you wouldn't talk to me like that.

Now, look, I said I was sorry.

And I mean it.

I'm sorry.

Well...

Doesn't matter

much anyway, since...

none of us girls never

swim stripped at the Y,

even when people are watchin'.

And how could you possibly know that all

you'd be thinkin' about was a good meal?

You might not be as interested

in food as you think you'd be.

(FOOTSTEPS OUTSIDE)

-(RAPID KNOCKING ON DOOR)

-MAN: Vince? Vince?

-Trouble on the roof.

-Lee, get in there and stay with her!

Hurry up, Willoughby!

-What did I do?

-We found him hiding in the elevator.

Well, I work there.

That's my job.

Well, maybe he's tellin' the truth,

maybe he isn't. He was actin' funny.

See how you'd act if about twenty guys

jump on you all of a sudden.

Take him down and check with the manager.

If you make a mistake, apologise.

Oh, pretty!

Packer, check these elevator shafts.

Seal them off at the roof.

-You mean, climb up and down inside her?

-You heard me.

-You heard him.

-Yes, sir.

-Glad you're a lieutenant these days?

-Any day.

-(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

-VINCE: Lee?

What was the matter?

Oh, just an elevator man.

He kinda got off course.

Oh.

| was just thinkin'...

why should I have

them steamed clams for dinner?

So far, you've changed from Lobster Thermidor

to pheasant to steamed clams.

-Now you wanna change again??

-So?

Any reason, except maybe

you're tr yin' to bankrupt the government?

Since when does a woman

need a reason for changin' her mind?

Anyway, Mr Hallett said I could have

anything that struck me.

Yeah, but he didn't know

what he was ea yin'.

Besides, with all this changing,

how do you ever expect to get fed?

Well, it's just that I want it right

when I do eat.

They're gonna love you in the kitchen.

Anyway, I'm cancelling the clams.

Pfft, out!

Fine.

When I think how it was with you cops

the last time I was framed.

| was hauled in

all over the place,

when I even asked for a glass of water

or some legal advice, what did you say?

"Drop 10,000 feet dead."

Look, I never saw you before tonight.

Unfortunately, a cop is a cop.

You were sent up on a charge of accessory

to a crime and harbouring a criminal.

And, bein' a cop, you couldn't imagine

it might be a phoney rap, could ya?

| never met one of you girls yet

who wasn't up on a phoney rap.

And why should a cop strain his brain to

give anybody the benefit of his cheesy doubt?

All right.

What was this crime?

Er... the one you weren't

an accessory to?

Well, this payroll, where I was working

as a model, was stuck up.

All by itself?

Or did your boyfriend help?

So what? How was I to know he was

gonna do a stupid thing like that?

-Didn't he ever do anything stupid before?

-So, all right, he might've, but...

What was he supposed to have, his record

tattooed on his forehead or somethin'?

-Why didn't you ask him for his credentials?

-Oh, now he tells me!

Now, let's see if I can give you

the rest of the facts, ma'am.

This guy romances you and finds out

all about the payroll setup.

Then, when he finally pulls the job,

he bungles it and a guard gets shot

and the boyfriend himself probably

takes a bullet in some not-too-vital spot.

How does he do it

with nothin' to go on?

Except the police files

that tell the whole story.

| didn't need any police files.

That story was old and stale when

they were stickin' up pyramids.

So, after he gets shot,

he comes runnin' to you

and you hide him out

in your apartment,

the last place in the world the cops

would ever think of lookin' for him.

How does he figure it out

with nothing to go on?

Except a charge that reads

"harbouring a criminal”.

Well, you did hide him out, didn't ya?

So what's so "phoney" about the rap?

How was I to know he was gonna

stick up the joint in the first place?

-Then you were a chump to hide him.

-A chump, I was.

But that isn't

what I was charged with.

You don't believe me, do ya?

Well, a jury didn't, that's obvious.

What jury?

This $75 lawyer I hired

told me to plead guilty

and throw myself on

the mercy of this judge.

The only mercy was

he didn't hang me on the spot.

After serving four years

of this guy's mercy,

next time, I'm gonna put some

poison in the hollow of my tooth.

Anyway, the whole

point of this whole thing is,

I've definitely decided I don't

want any steamed clams.

Okay.

What have you decided

you wanted now?

Well, I was sorta thinking maybe

I'd have something under glass, like...

cracked crab or...

crépes of chicken.

Well, there's such a thing.

You want to order some of it for me?

Please?

I'd be two days gettin' up the nerve.

You better do it yourself.

If somebody should locate him,

have him call me.

My office here will know

where to reach me all night.

Yeah.

Thanks.

All I've been able to dig up

is that she's got

a father and a married

sister somewhere in the city.

Those are probably old addresses,

but we'll get on 'em in the morning.

Tonight.

-Tonight?

-Tonight.

Do you realise that that trial

reopens in exactly 37 hours?

And, without Conley as a witness,

we'll probably be sent back

to law school for the refresher course.

Okay. Any news from the governor?

No, he's off some place opening

an apple festival or something.

He'll get back to me

tonight sometime.

If he agrees to commute the rest of her

sentence, do you think she'll testify?

All we can do is

try it on her for size.

(INTERCOM BUZZING)

-Yes?

-SECRETARY: Mr Rickles to see you.

-Who?

-Rickles, Marvin Rickles.

He says he's the attorney

for Mr Costain.

-Send him in.

-I'll go.

He probably doesn't like witnesses

when he's bribing government officials.

Don't you want to hear

what he has to say?

| get sick so easily.

| apologise for disturbing you

at this late hour, Mr Hallett.

Well, what difference does time make

as long as you have something to say?

-Sit down.

-I'll only keep you a moment.

We've been hearing some rumours

about another secret witness

that have disturbed us greatly,

Mr Hallett.

Well, since I don't know

what you've heard.

That you have a secret witness

you're going to spring

in court Monday morning.

My experience a few days ago

should have taught me

that I can't surprise you people.

| don't know what you mean.

| mean that you were

ready and waiting for Tonelli.

Are you accusing Mr Costain of having

anything to do with Tonelli's death?

Oh, knock it off, Rickles.

This office isn't wired for anything,

so don't play persecuted client with me.

Tonelli was a cheap hoodlum

with hundreds of enemies.

Any one of them

could have killed him.

Yes, and the stork could have

brought him in the first place.

Only I don't believe

that stuff anymore,

because I know that on a police force,

even as good as ours,

you can always dig up

one or two who'll sell out.

And you did dig them up, didn't you?

And they did

tip you off about Tonelli.

You may have to back up

those charges, Hallett.

Oh, that's all.

In a hearing of this kind,

the defence has a right to question

all witnesses beforehand.

-You know that, Hallett.

- I didn't say I had a witness, you did.

And don't think

I'm going to sit still

for any of your

unethical trial practices, Hallett.

I've been conditioned to stomach

almost anything.

But not to hearing somebody like

you talking about ethics.

-Look here...

-Ethics!

Don't you choke when you

say a word like that, Rickles?

-We have certain legal rights in this case...

-You don't have any rights to anything!

Except maybe to be stamped out

like any other disease.

We'll see what rights we have when

| get you in court Monday morning.

While you're seeing about it,

get out of here.

Hallett, I'm warning you,

if it's the last thing I ever do...

It's gonna be the last thing you ever

did if you don't get out of here!

-(DOOR SLAMMING)

(DOOR REOPENING)

Can I bust in for a minute?

Thirty seconds.

| thought newspaper reporters

were supposed to be drunk

by this time on Saturday night.

Just the ones with money.

What was Rickles doin' here?

-Tr yin' to buy you off?

-He thinks I'm unethical.

You know something? I am.

Whenever I deal with something dirty,

| always get a little soiled myself.

| think the whole thing's

a joke anyway.

Costain's a public menace

who's been murdering and

looting the country for 25 years.

What's he finally brought to trial on?

Denaturalisation charges.

-Well, it's a start.

-Yeah.

Now, look, Jim.

If I can get just one witness to get

on that stand to testify against him,

then, all of a sudden, all the others

who know anything against Costain

will suddenly get courage.

Then we'll start hitting him

with something that counts.

But, first, I need that one witness.

Have you got one?

Your thirty seconds are up.

You might as well not show up

in court, Lloyd,

if you don't have

something spectacular.

Well?

Will you be in court Monday?

I'll be the one with the briefcase.

(INSTRUMENTAL VERSION OF

"LITTLE BROWN JUG" ON TV)

(MARIMBA SOUNDS)

(SWITCHING TV OFF)

You can only hope

he taps a hole through his head.

Hey, Willoughby,

aren't ya afraid that stuff's

gonna spoil you

for real police work?

The real thing is for six-year-olds.

And the girls in these things,

don't they ever get cold?

-Not those girls.

-Wanna borrow it tonight?

Nah, anything sexier than

Popular Mechanics,

| break out in a rash, all over.

You enjoy your dinner?

| finished it all up.

You didn't think I would, did ya?

| didn't think you could.

| didn't think anybody could.

-Whaddaya say we drink a toast?

-Nah.

Oh, come on, Lieutenant.

You've no idea

how long it's been

since I had a toast

with any kinda man.

Much less somethin' like you.

No kiddin'. You've no idea how

utterly desirable you are to a girl.

(GIGGLING)

What's the toast?

Here's to the men

that blow up prisons.

Don't worry, I won't snitch on you

that you drank on duty.

Just make sure you don't tell

what he drank to.

(PHONE RINGING)

I'll take it inside.

You know, he's sorta nice.

Is he married?

-I never saw him before.

-Oh.

What's there about him

that you like?

| dunno.

That he's here, I guess.

Have you decided what

you're going to do?

-About the lieutenant?

-(CHUCKLING) No.

| mean about Mr Hallett.

Oh.

Why? Has he tried to get

you to work on me, too?

You know better than that.

I'm sorry.

Mr Hallett tells me that I owe it

to society to testify at the trial,

as my last livin' act.

What do you think I owe

to society, Willoughby?

| wouldn't wanna say.

Well, if I was your daughter,

what would you tell me to do?

| never tell her what to do.

But I have tried to teach her

to face her obligations.

Well, who says

this is my obligation?

And who wants a hero with her insides

blasted out with a shotgun?

And how are you gonna be sure that

your daughter doesn't end up like me?

There isn't any way I can be sure.

But I can make her feel wanted.

And see to it that she gets

all the love I have to give.

Those are the things all of you girls

seem to need the most.

That's a fact.

All the love I ever got,

you could put in your right eye.

Yeah, you're right.

A little love never hurt anybody.

Yeah.

Anything else?

Yeah, tell her about

the governor's offer.

Give her a chance to think it over

before I get there.

I'm leaving right now.

Hey, Willoughby, why don't you

try to get yourself some rest?

The hours are gonna get

about 80 minutes long

at four o'clock in the morning.

Hmm, you're right.

Wake me up

if you turn that thing on,

and Mississippi Mac

suddenly gets funny.

VINCE:

Ha!

| just talked to Hallett.

-He's such a refined man.

-Yeah.

Anyway, he says he's gonna be able to

knock off the rest of your sentence

if ya string along with him

Monday morning.

-The whole eleven months?

-Yup.

Have you any idea how long

eleven months is in a place like that?

Long.

Very, very long.

Then that's quite an offer, hmm?

Maybe.

How come you haven't asked me

for a date tonight?

Oh, maybe I figured

it was Saturday night,

you're all tied up...

Or maybe you just don't like girls.

No, I never found anything

| liked better.

You know,

for a couple of reasons,

one of them being

how much it costs to feed ya. I...

| just can't figure you

for Pete Tonelli's girl.

| told ya, I wasn't.

Yeah, but the boat trips all over the

western hemisphere, how about that?

Eastern! Western! My actions

were as pure as the driving snow.

And, what's more,

Pete was the brother of Mitzi Tonelli,

who was one of my closest friends

during a certain period of my life.

You mean that's why you went yachting

with Pete, because Mitzi asked you to?

No, because he asked me to.

That's what I mean. Why?

Did he have any money then, or what?

He didn't have nothin' then.

He was just a poor, ugly,

miserable, little beat-up guy.

Oh, but you just happened

to see something in him...

SHERRY:

What was there to see?

He had nothin' nobody

could possibly want. Nothin'.

That's why, when Costain

invited him on the yacht

to bring his girlfriend,

he was in a real spot.

-Who'd go with him?

-You.

Sure. I felt sorry for him.

Huh!

He wanted to

look good in front of...

this person,

so he thought if he

took along a kind of...

-...pretty girl.

-Yeah, a pretty girl?

Well, anyway,

he thought I was pretty.

And he figured

if he had a girl of...

this particular type along

to hold hands with him

while this other person

was watchin'...

-Well, that makes sense.

-It didn't, neither.

They never looked our way once

during the whole voyage.

Yeah, but you were always ready,

weren't you, to...?

To hold hands, nothin' more.

Only hands.

| get the picture.

| guess you think it was...

kinda cheap of me, huh?

No, |, er...

That sounds to me like

the kind of a favour that

only a real nice girl

would think of doing.

You really think that?

Yup.

Well, it was nothin', really.

Well, anyway, Mitzi Tonelli was your

best friend at this particular period.

She could strangle and never

get a tear from me nowadays.

3 My true love is dead and buried

♪ In a spot that I call home

3 Since the epidemic took her

♪ I no longer cared to roam

3 When the angels come and got her

4 I remember what she said

3 "Give my shoes to cousin Helen

3 "She can wear them while I'm dead" &

Thank you very much there, boys.

Hey hi dawgies, folks, now we've

got to do a lot better than that...

(SWITCHING OFF)

Television should be so good that,

when you close your eyes,

it sounds like a radio.

I'd like some real soft music.

Turn that...

that thing on the left

till it points to "R".

RADIO:

& Forbidden love

3 The smile on your angel face

3 And your burning embrace

3 Captures me

3 Thrillingly

& Forbidden arms

S That hold me and I am yours... I

-Why are you a cop?

-Why not?

Aren't there other jobs

that you could get that'd be better?

Better for what?

Some people like some things.

Some others like other things. I dunno.

| got out of the Army,

it was the best job I could get.

| like it.

You like goin' around

arrestin' people all the time?

Well, there's always the parades.

Come on, Lieutenant.

I'll keep you on your toes,

where a good cop's

supposed to be, anyway.

RADIO:

& Forbidden wish

J How madly I run to you

3 Give your heart gladly to

3 A victim of forbidden love §

| guess you're not supposed to be

dancin' with your prisoners.

Are you?

I'm just trying to remember

if the question ever came up before.

| guess the reason

you're holdin' back

is because your wife wouldn't

like you to be dancin' with a girl on duty.

-Even off duty.

-Oh.

If I had a wife.

You don't?

Last time I looked, I sure didn't.

RADIO:

& In vain

3 Do I beg you to let me go

J But the fire of desire

3 Whispers "no, no, no"

J Forbidden lips

J How madly I run to you... &

Vince!

-(GUNSHOTS)

-(GLASS SHATTERING)

(SCREAMING)

Vince!

(GUNFIRE CONTINUES)

(GLASS SHATTERING)

-(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

-LEE: Vince! Vince!

VINCE:

Room below this one!

(SOBBING)

-VINCE: Get the house doctor.

-OFFICER: Right.

VINCE:

Get some more men up here.

-SHERRY: Oh, Vince.

-OFFICER: Operator? Get a doctor up here.

SHERRY:

It hurts.

OFFICER: Then get me police

headquarters, right away. Yeah.

(SOBBING)

Let's get her in the bedroom.

Now, hold it a minute.

Nobody's going in there.

Oh. What's happened?

Oh, there's been a shooting

somewhere in the top storey, sir.

-Who is it?

-No identification yet.

It wasn't the fall from

the top storey that killed him.

He was shot before

he started down.

All he needs now is a well-dug grave.

(SIRENS OUTSIDE)

(SHERRY CRYING IN BEDROOM)

(SHERRY SOBBING)

Ow!

-You're hurting me!

-HALLETT: How is she?

VINCE: She's got a

crease through the arm.

-SHERRY: Hey, I wanna talk to you!

-DOCTOR: You'd better lie down.

SHERRY:

Enough of this lying down.

| wanna go back

to my nice, safe prison.

You're gonna have to lie down

and let the shot work.

There are too many shots already

workin' around here!

You're better off here

than you would be anyplace else.

Yeah, if you're not dyin'

at death's door, you're doin' fine.

We're all doing

the best we can.

-Somebody isn't!

-Well, I'll give orders that...

-What's the matter with Willoughby?

-Doc!

Get an ambulance over here!

She should've been taken care of first!

VINCE:

She didn't tell us anything.

| guess she was waitin'

till you got through with her.

Oh, no!

It wasn't too much of a trick

to get up there from that, Lieutenant.

Fine, thanks.

WOMAN: It was an

awful thing to have happen...

on your honeymoon!

| thought it was the waiter

with the champagne I'd ordered.

When I answered the door,

they just pushed right past me

and one of 'em covered me

with a gun.

-How many of them?

-There were three.

And they were just terrible to me.

I'd have torn 'em to pieces

if it hadn't been for that gun.

Yeah, it was lucky for them

they thought to bring it along.

They were wearing

some sort of overalls

and carrying those short planks.

Everything's under control, Vince.

Come on back upstairs

when you get through.

Is that blood on your shirt?

| took two bullets

through the chest, ma'am.

Just routine.

It was actually three bullets, ma'am.

We haven't told him yet.

OFFICER: All right,

let's hurry up with this.

There were four of 'em,

not three.

The fourth one held a gun

on the elevator operator

to keep the elevator ready.

When the deal went sour,

they ran outta the room,

into the elevator,

dropped down to the basement

and out in the alley,

where they had a car waiting.

| just clocked it. They were probably

outta the building in forty seconds.

Oh, nice to know

how they do these things.

You still want to move her

to the city jail?

Oh, you mean, now?

Now that Costain knows we got her,

and Willoughby's all shot to pieces?

Now and not before,

when she shoulda been there,

is that it?

I've got my side of the job

on this thing,

and that's to see that

she agrees to get on that stand.

-Dead or alive?

-Alive, and that's your job.

-Well, that's what I'm trying to do!

-Now, I asked you,

do you still want

to take her to the city jail?

Look, Costain has probably got

this hotel covered right now,

just waitin' for us to pull

somethin' stupid like that.

Well, then I guess we better not.

All this hasn't accomplished

very much, has it?

You couldn't get her on that stand now

with a gun in her back.

Then why don't we just quit?

Wave a white flag out the window,

and maybe Costain will be nice enough

and not make us

leave the country.

(CHURCH BELL TOLLING)

(BELLS TOLLING)

(OTHER BELLS JOINING IN)

(BELLS FAINTLY AUDIBLE)

VINCE

(QUIETLY)

Hi.

(SIGHING)

Mm-hmm.

How you feel?

Terrible.

| feel groggy all over.

Somethin' funny's been

goin' on around here.

| couldn't get that dopey from

the dinner I ate last night.

-Here.

-Uh-uh.

I'm not gonna drink anything

or eat anything

until I know what's in it.

You couldn't live two hours

without eating.

-Here.

-Uh-uh.

Oh...

Watch. If we're gonna go,

we'll go together.

See?

Come on. Drink it up.

It'll make you feel better.

Oh, yeah?

When's that gonna be?

-How's the arm?

-Mmm!

Feels like somebody's been

gnawin' on it with dull teeth.

-You want the doctor?

-Only the one at the prison.

A girl's never been

appreciative enough

of how free from Killers

those crummy places are.

How's Willoughby?

Just the same, no change.

Hey!

| got a surprise for you.

There.

Well, go on, open it.

What's in it?

It's sittin' right in your lap.

Why don't you find out?

White with polka dots!

Hey! Hey, you better

look at it sittin' down, huh?

No, I'm all right now.

Oh-ho-ho!

Good as the Easter parade, 19027

Better.

Hey, wait a minute.

Could there be some

sentiments behind this gift

that aren't kosher

enough to write on a card?

-What?

-Government officials bribin' people?

| thought it was usually

the other way around.

What are you talkin' about?

Mr Hallett thinks that

polka dots are suitable

to make me forget

that visitor at the window last night?

Oh, no wonder taxes keep goin' up.

Nobody uses their brains anymore,

only their expense accounts.

Somebody is gonna get investigated.

Well, did I stumble onto the motive?

If you say so, sister, all right.

Oh, so it's "sister" again, is it?

Yeah.

Well, I don't care how

disgustingly ulterior the motive is,

I'm not gonna let it

upset my enjoyment.

So, purely out of

curiosity about the fit,

I'm gonna try it on.

So you can tell Mr Hallett

quite clearly

that my acceptance of this gift

doesn't mean that I intend

to get caught dead

on his witness stand.

Hey, the intervals are getting

irregulated again.

Somebody better spring

for my breakfast.

(DOOR CLOSING)

-Well?

-For the fifth time, it looks great.

| thought so, too,

but I just wanted another opinion.

Hey, your breakfast's out there.

You mean you're not gonna eat?

Imagine me havin' to be

told such a thing.

But I'm so excited,

| couldn't eat a drop.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

Good morning.

Well, look at you.

Yeah, I got it on me.

Turn around, let's see you.

That looks like about

$200 worth of dress.

And a million dollars' worth of model.

Where'd you get it?

-What?

-Where'd it come from?

Well, I thought you

and the government...

Like those grafters

with their expense accounts.

(CHUCKLING)

Well, you and that dress were

certainly made for each other.

-It's the nicest dress I ever owned.

-Mmm.

-More polka dots, for one thing.

-Mm-hmm.

I'm sorry.

| really mean it, I'm sorry.

-Where'd you get it?

-Get it?

Oh, it wasn't any trouble, really.

| called up a guy I know in Jersey,

got him out of bed at

four o'clock in the morning,

he drove in, opened up his shop,

took him a coupla hours.

Wasn't any trouble, really.

-Vince...

-You like it?

Like it?

He gave it to me.

Oh?

Well, that's nice.

(CHURCH BELLS FAINTLY TOLLING)

| wish I could wear it

to church this morning.

You religious, Sherry?

Doesn't look very much like it,

does it?

No, they used to try to get me

to go to church in prison,

but what kinda place

is that to go to church?

-Can I have a cigarette?

-Mmm.

Yeah, there was a time

when I was a kid that...

| used to go to church

every Sunday.

Mr Hallett, I hope you understood

that I meant what I said last night

about goin' back to prison.

Miss Conley, believe me...

SHERRY: No, sir, I'm not

fooled by this lull in the Killin'.

Yes, but if Costain...

Mr Costain and I are both

interested in one law.

The law of self-preservation.

You've heard of it.

It's on the books.

Yes, |I...

I've heard of it.

| know what I'm asking you

to do is dangerous.

Take it from the target,

it's very dangerous.

Yes, I know, but, until we can

get rid of Costain once and for all,

somebody's life

is always gonna be at stake.

Yeah, and since that life

happens to be mine,

| hope you'll excuse me

if I turn and start runnin'.

HALLETT: Well, until somebody

finally has the courage...

If somebody doesn't start getting me

on my way back to my cell,

I'm gonna start screamin'

for some lawyers.

HALLETT:

No!

Wait another hour, just an hour.

It'll take that long

to arrange the move anyway.

-Please.

-(TUTTING)

All right.

One hour.

But, after that, I'm gonna

stick my head out that window

and start screamin'

for some advice of counsel.

(DOOR CLOSING)

What happens in an hour?

We've located her older sister.

One of my men is

on his way in with her now.

-And what can she do?

-That's what I'm trying to find out.

You know, I can't keep her much longer

if she keeps screaming to go back.

Why not?

She's a prisoner, isn't she?

Well, prisoners have

some rights, Vince.

She wasn't sentenced to battle

the whole Costain mob.

A good lawyer could beat my brains out

for keeping her here against her will.

Look, do you mind if I duck home

and get myself a clean shirt?

-Who's on duty?

-Fred Packer.

He's all right.

He can take care of anything.

All right, but, er...

don't stay away too long.

MAN:

Get In.

(HEAVY BLOW)

Your sister doesn't know

that you're coming.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's what she said.

Packer.

-Make yourself at home.

-You want me to clear out?

Thanks, Fred.

-Shall I get her, Mr Hallett?

-Yes.

Won't you sit down, please?

Would you care for a...?

Well, I had no idea criminals

were treated like this.

Well, it isn't always like that.

Maybe Sherry's been right

and I was wrong.

Maybe it doesn't pay to be

an honest, hard-working woman

who never gets

into any kind of trouble.

SHERRY: She doesn't

really mean that, Mr Hallett.

She'd never believe she was wrong

about anything in her whole life.

Hard-workin' Clara,

give you the shirt off her back

if you pay her

twice what it was worth.

How are you, Sherry?

Do you really care?

Or is that all you could

think of to say?

-It's been a long time, Sherry.

-Yeah, hasn't it?

How long has it been, Clara?

-Six years? Eight? Eleven?

-I was laid up for quite a while, Sherry.

What'd you do,

bust all your fingers,

so you couldn't

write a letter or a postcard?

Or maybe you didn't know

| was in prison.

-Yeah, Roy heard about it somewhere.

-Oh, and how is good ol' Roy?

-Still kickin' kids for exercise?

- I better leave you two alone.

No, you better stick around, Mr Hallett,

'cause I want you to see

what a dumb move this was

on your part.

What was the plan?

That my lovin' sister was gonna

talk me into goin' into that court?

There really wasn't any plan, Miss Conley.

| merely thought that, er...

Well, you goofed, Mr Hallett.

You'd've had to dug real deep

to find anybody that had

less of a chance with me.

And, even if she coulda

talked me into anything,

do you think she would've, unless

there was something in it for her?

That's not true, Sherry.

Why isn't it?

You mean you've changed, Clara?

You mean that, these days,

you'd bust both of your arms

to help somebody

who was in trouble?

And, if somebody

needed a place to stay,

that, nowadays, you'd

throw open all your doors

and dump another bean in the pot?

It isn't my fault!

Roy didn't want you to stay!

- I didn't ask Roy, I asked you!

-He's my husband, isn't he?!

-It was his house!

- I sure knew it wasn't mine,

-the way I was shoved out!

-I begged him!

That's the kinda sister

to have, Mr Hallett.

Early in life,

she lets you know

that there's not a soul in the world

that cares whether you live or die.

And what was I supposed to do?

If I'd insisted Roy let you stay,

he'd have thrown me out

right along with you!

Oh, and you wouldn't wanna

take a chance of losing

such a wonderful guy

as that, would you?

You bet I wouldn't!

Things hadn't been any easier for me

than they were for you.

And if you think I wanted

to take a chance of losing

the only home I'd ever had,

you were crazy!

| was crazy, all right!

Because somewhere I'd heard

that sisters are supposed

to mean somethin' to each other.

But you sure knocked

that idea out of my head

before it had a chance

to feel at home there.

CLARA: We all had to

look out for ourselves.

Maybe it never occurred to you

that if I'd had anything

that even looked like a home

when I was sixteen years old,

that maybe I wouldn't have

ended up in prison.

Yeah. Maybe I coulda

amounted to somethin'

if I'd had even a little help then.

-Put yourself in my place.

-With that guy?!

-He's been good to me!

-Oh, what's he ever done for you,

except let you carry out the garbage

on the night when it rains?

He gave me a home

and some security.

And you oughta

know what that meant

after all those years

of livin' in a house

with Mom and Pop

fighting all the time.

| just ran outta sympathy.

Oh, what difference does it make?

(LAUGHING)

It's a real laugh that you thought

she could talk me into anything.

Oh, I didn't come up here

to talk you into testifying.

| came up here

to beg you not to.

Why?

What do you care what I do?

| don't.

| mean, I know I don't have

any right to interfere,

-but Roy wanted me...

-Are you tr yin' to tell me

that ol' nasty-heart cares whether

| stick my neck out or not?

It isn't that.

You see, we own a small barroom

of our own now.

And Roy thinks if you do

this thing against Costain,

he'll take it out on anybody

who's connected with you in any way.

Did you hear that?

| shouldn't testify

against Costain

because it might be bad

for Roy's business!

-Oh, no!

-Yeah. Well, it might be.

You don't know how it is

in the bar business,

with all those licences they can

take away from you at any time.

And you know yourself,

all Mr Costain would have to do

is pick up a phone

and ruin anybody he wants to.

-And you've got the nerve to ask me.

-It doesn't make any difference to you,

one way or the other,

and it does to us.

If I thought

that I could take a kick

at that miserable husband of yours

by getting up on that stand, I'd...

-Get outta here!

-Sherry, please!

Of all the lousy...

Get out of here!

Oh, er... Mrs Moran, er...

You mean you brought me up here

to let me be insulted

by some cheap dame,

even if she is my sister?

If you don't get outta here

in no seconds flat,

you're gonna find I got a sister

with no hair and no teeth at all!

Roy was right!

You're no good, like Pop.

And you're not worth helping!

(SOBBING)

I'm sorry, Miss Conley.

Oh, why do we always

have to act like this?

Like wild dogs,

instead of blood sisters?

-But it wasn't altogether your fault.

-Nah!

| went after her the minute

| came into this room, and it's...

It's always been like that.

Every time I even see her,

| don't know...

A thousand little hurts

well up in me.

| could see that.

Did you see her?

Like a scared rabbit,

afraid of everything.

Do you think she's ever shown

any sisterly responsibility to me?

Nah.

Because it might be a threat

to her lousy little security.

-Yeah, I know.

-And what has it got her?

Solitary confinement with that

low character she's married to.

What a life.

I'll bet, if she admitted it,

she's miserable.

Well, that's the very thing

I've been trying to point out to you,

about facing responsibilities.

Yeah.

Oh.

Oh, I get your point, but...

You gotta be sure

that they are your responsibilities.

And, provided...

what you gotta do doesn't take...

all the nerve in the world,

which you haven't got.

You've got plenty, Sherry.

It takes courage.

And you gotta be born with it.

Or maybe I was born with it

and got it kicked outta me

by certain close members

of my immediate, crummy family.

COSTAIN:

Hold it, Arny.

He's mad at you

for killin' his brother last night.

Playin' everything your own way

these days, huh?

Why'd you shake the tail

| put on ya yesterday?

Made it that much harder for me

to find out where you'd taken her.

Because I had

a smart matron in the car.

And that guy you had tail me

was wearin' a neon sign

to advertise he was following me.

And, on top of this,

| guess you figured you didn't have

enough front-page publicity lately.

Or did you just wanna show everybody

how good you can pop a gun?

Look, it was your boy that was

tr yin' to get himself a medal.

-He didn't care who he shot.

-COSTAIN: He was after the girl.

Then he read his

instructions wrong.

Or did he figure you wanted

two for the price of one?

Next time, let's make it clear to him

who his friends are, huh?

Lots of things'll

be different next time.

Who's the other woman

they brought in?

Her sister.

What do they want with her?

Hallett figures maybe

she can talk the girl into testifyin'.

-Can she?

-VINCE: I don't know.

| left before they got there.

You want my opinion?

Nobody's gonna talk her

into nothin'.

You got nothin' to worry about.

Can you imagine

how that relieves my mind

to hear him say

that I shouldn't worry?

That's what I pay him for,

to reassure me.

If anything goes wrong,

he can always say

it was just an opinion.

Both ends against the middle,

that's the way

Vince likes to play things.

-You asked me.

- I asked you to help us get rid of the girl

-so she couldn't bother us again.

-VINCE: I told you, let's wait and...

-"He told me!"

-...see if she is gonna bother us.

COSTAIN: I guess you forgot to

tell me that he's running things now.

- I didn't mean it like that.

-Didn't you?

It'd suit you just fine,

wouldn't it,

to see me booted

out of the country?

Wouldn't that be

a sweet cover-up

for a cop who's been on the take

for the past ten years?

To have his whole,

smelly past put on a boat

and sent some place where

it couldn't ever bother him again.

You're not makin' any sense.

Whaddaya want

everybody's neck stickin' out for?

She's not gonna talk, anyway.

Because I like everybody's

neck stuck out when mine is.

You know what's gonna happen to you

if she gets on that stand, don't you?

Look, she hasn't even come close

to ea yin' she'll testify.

And you haven't even come close

to saying what you'll do if she does.

Mr Costain wants to know

if he can depend on you, Vincent.

Do what?

Shove her out the window?

If that's what it has to be.

Oh, sure, with Hallett and twenty cops

watchin' every minute.

And why should |,

when it isn't even necessary?

Because, as long as she's still

at the hotel,

we can give you some help.

After she's moved

to the city jail tonight,

you'll have to do it

all by yourself.

Nobody's movin' her

to any city jail.

ARNY:

At eight o'clock tonight, they are.

How do you know?

You know I make it a point

to know everything about

everything that concerns me, Vince.

ARNY: So if you want any help,

you'll have to get it before they move her.

There isn't

any way it can be done.

We'll show you.

| don't want you to miss a word.

Next time we meet,

it could be a big celebration,

lots of money

being passed around.

Or it could be the last look

I'll be taking at your face

before they start

shovelling dirt on it.

You made your point.

COSTAIN:

Good.

You do exactly like we tell you,

you'll be completely in the clear.

You don't have to

do anything more

than you've been doing

for the past ten years.

You just have to turn your back

and not worry about what's going on.

Yeah.

What do I do?

Just unlock the

bathroom window

a couple of minutes before

eight o'clock tonight.

The time is important.

Right before eight o'clock tonight,

you unlock the bathroom window.

That way, maybe you'll get to live

a couple of years more.

No, sir!

Not me, Mr Hallett.

If you just gotta move somebody

back to the city jail, fine,

but it's not gonna be me.

This isn't my idea,

| was ordered to do it.

Look, I don't care

who ordered you to do it.

What with the streets below

crawling with killers,

and you wanna eject me

from my showers and room service here

for a small, iron room

with only bars for comfort?

No, Mr Hallett.

And in case you weren't listening, no.

You're a prisoner.

And you'll do

exactly as you're told.

Only if what I'm told to do

is to go back to my nice, safe prison,

where I spent so many years without

being shot at or wounded even once.

Well, what possible difference

could it make to you

whether you're moved there

or to the city jail?

Because moving to the city jail

is closer to the withess stand,

which is exactly

the last place in the world

I've decided I'm gonna be.

-So that's really it, then, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Doesn't make any difference

about the city jail.

You've simply decided that,

as far as you're concerned,

everybody else can go hang.

You mean, I've been

keeping this a secret from you?!

You've been doing nothing but stalling

until you could take another shower

or, er...

chisel another $20 meal.

Look, who dragged who

from prison?

Is it my secret police that dragged

you from your nice, safe prison

and forced ya to live in front of

live ammunition for two days?

What's all this

supposed to mean?

| want outta here!

But alive!

And I'm not gonna testify,

even if you give me

-gold plates on silver platters!

-(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

-(DOOR OPENING)

-Hello, Vince.

She has it in her power to get rid

of one of the biggest menaces

this country has ever seen,

but she simply won't do it.

That's right, and, futhermore,

| want that menace

to start hearin' that I'm

not gonna do anything about it.

And I want headlines

in all the newspapers

to say I'm not gonna do

anything about it!

So nothing in the world really matters

to you except your own precious hide?

-VINCE: Take it easy, Lloyd.

-Oh, take it easy nothing!

This is the kind of selfishness

that turns my stomach.

"Me, me, me!

What's gonna happen to me?"

She doesn't care

if the world burns down

as long as the flames

don't touch her!

-Calm down.

-Oh, let's don't stall.

It doesn't take long

for a bullet to go through a brain!

Well...

weren't you a help out there?

Instead of yanking me away,

why didn't you pitch in and help?

Because I think

she's been pitched at enough.

-Oh, you do?

-Yes, I do.

Look, she almost

got killed last night.

On top of that,

you've been sluggin' at her

with everything from fancy meals

to your tellin' her how low she is.

Well, maybe I feel that way.

Maybe you haven't

got any right to.

It's her life, you know.

You've been working just

as long as I have on this case.

And, to all appearances,

you felt just as strongly as I have

about getting Costain.

What's happened

to change you all of a sudden?

Maybe I'm gettin' fed up with

all the shooting that's been goin' on.

They killed Pete Tonelli,

and they shot Willoughby.

Now, we've gotta

take her to city jail.

You're just giving me a lot more good

reasons why we have to get Costain!

Well, they might be reasons to us,

but that doesn't mean they are to her.

She's the one that's got to

get up on that witness stand

-with her neck stickin' out, y"know.

-Well, I'll shed a few tears.

How'd you happen to find out

about this move to the city jail?

-(PHONE RINGING)

-What... Whaddaya mean?

| just finished talking to Sherry

just a minute ago.

-(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

-She's the only one I said a word...

MASTERS:

Mr Hallett, phone.

All right.

And while you're

sittin' there phonin',

you can tell

the newspapers the status.

All right.

There goes our last chance.

Vince.

I'm... I'm sorry.

Maybe you coulda been

police chief, or...

a senator from some place

if I coulda gotten up enough courage.

Don't worry about it.

-Thanks.

-(REPLACING RECEIVER)

VINCE:

What's the matter?

Willoughby died

twenty minutes ago.

They thought

she was rallying, but...

Oh, no.

She must have been trying to drag

me out of the way when she got hit.

And she didn't even

say anything...

until the doc was through with me.

Me.

Me.

The kinda person you could lose

any day in the week,

and it still wouldn't

make any difference.

(GASPING)

And who's gonna

take care of her daughter?

(TUTTING)

Who does that crazy jerk

think he is, anyway?

Killin' off nice people

like Willoughby.

You know, he better be careful,

'cause somebody just might

run him out of this country,

where he really belongs.

And I think I know

who that somebody's gonna be.

Hey, now, wait a minute...

Mr Hallett, you just

got yourself a witness.

Y'know, friends,

'cause it's Sunday night here,

and I'm still a-goin' strong,

some of my enemies

have started a rumour

that I haven't been

on the job every minute,

that I been kinda

catchin' catnaps

during the news bulletins.

Now, you folks know me

better than that.

| just don't play that kind

of dirty mahjong...

Fred.

Boy, that's really rotten news

about Willoughby, isn't it?

Yeah.

| wonder how many more we'll lose

in this move to the jail?

Look, there's some

more guys comin' over,

you'll have to show 'em

what you want 'em to do.

Right.

You wanna make a bet that

she never gets to the city jail alive?

| was only kidding, Vince.

Forget it.

(OLD TIME FIDDLE MUSIC ON TV)

Masters?

-Yeah?

-What's Conley doin' now?

Changing her clothes

for the trip to the jail.

She says if there's

gonna be a lot of shooting,

she doesn't wanna take a

chance with her new dress.

-Yeah?

-It's Vince. Can I come in?

Sure, I'm decent enough for you.

| was hoping I'd get a chance

to see you before D-Day starts.

-It's another let-out job.

-Yeah.

Listen, how do you know Willoughby

wants you to get up on that stand?

Well, why shouldn't she want me

to help get the guy that killed her?

Well, she'd have

been able to see that

all you'll do

is get yourself killed.

| suppose that,

in all the years

Mr Costain's been a hotshot,

there've been lots of people that

could've stopped him along the way.

But, for some reason,

nobody ever did, so...

now, the buck has been

passed right on down to...

Yeah, but you don't want it,

you didn't ask for it.

-But I got it, so what am I gonna do?

-Look, who says it's up to you, anyway?

Well, Mr Hallett keeps

ea yin' it all along, and...

| guess right now

I'm ea yin' it myself.

-SHERRY: What're you doin'?

-VINCE: Checking everything.

SHERRY:

Even if we're gonna move me?

VINCE:

We've still got half an hour.

Sherry, don't do it.

Oh, don't worry about me, Vince.

| know what I'm getting into.

No, you don't.

Well, let's say it's ten times worse

than I think it is now.

I'd still go ahead with it because,

for the first time in my life,

I'm facin® up to somethin'.

| Kinda like the feelin'.

Anyway,

the nicest thing

that ever happened to me is that

you care whether I live or die.

| don't expect you to feel this way

for the rest of your life, or...

or even five days from now, but...

| would just like

to tell you that...

| think it's nice

that you feel that way now.

Maybe this isn't

exactly the time, but...

| just wanted to tell you.

Vince.

- I wish you wouldn't be sore at me.

-For what?

For feelin' this way about ya.

| wouldn't hold ya to anything

after this is over.

I'm not sore.

What with this move to the city jail,

maybe this'll be our last chance

to say anything.

MAC: Ten dollars if you'll sing

'The Girl from Cactus Valley'.

Well, what are we waiting on, fellas?

(MUSIC STARTING)

3 I'm a-pinin' for my gal

from Cactus Valley

3 Well, there never was a gal like Sal

from Cactus Valley

3 She can cuss and holler

and rope and yell

3 She loves like a banshee

straight from 'ell...

J ...Paso!

3 When I had my pick of the gals... $

-Harris!

-Yes, sir? Sorry, sir.

Will you turn that down?

3 Never seen a gal

| could kiss so well &

-(TURNING VOLUME UP)

-3 ...hotter than the fires of 'ell...

J ...Paso!?

-(SWITCHING STATION)

(DRAMA ON TV)

(CONTINUES SWITCHING STATIONS)

Portrait of a modern man at war

with the machine age.

-How is she?

-Leave her alone!

She's getting dressed.

Shouldn't that door be open?

Well, she's been screamin' about

not gettin' any privacy

when she's dressing.

Well, |, er...

| thought she might like a hat

to go with that dress that you, er...

Well, there's that little shop

downstairs and, er...

(CHUCKLING)

| don't know why, but, er...

these things give women

some Kind of strange courage, hmm?

-Pretty awful, isn't it?

-Terrible.

Yeah.

Well...

You've gotten to think quite a lot

of that third-class citizen, haven't you?

Almost always turns out that way.

Make a snap judgement of someone,

break them way down.

Then you find them

acting out so well,

you wonder how you had the nerve

to rate them in the first place.

Well, I never thought I'd see

you acting coy about anything.

Will you stop it?

We're all on edge.

Maybe we'll all go away

some place, after the trial.

You've been getting jumpy.

Besides, you could be

with her all the time,

see that nothing happens to her.

Well, you wouldn't be worried if you were

taking care of her yourself, would you?

Why don't you leave her alone!

What's the matter, Vince?

Nothin" Nothin's the matter

except you kept hammerin' at her!

You wouldn't let her

make up her mind about anything.

So, when she gets Killed...

Vince!

Vince!

Vince!

This bathroom window

was unlocked from the inside.

Vince, Vince, Vince.

(SOBBING)

| don't think he expected

to find you here this morning.

There were times when I didn't

expect to be here myself.

Scared?

No.

Just mad.

(GAVEL BANGING)

Will the government

call its next witness, please?

Miss Sherry Conley.

Here we go.

Undesirable alien.

Do you solemly swear

that the evidence you're about to give

in the cause now before this court

will be the truth,

the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

| do.

Your name, please.

Sherry Conley.

What is your present address?

Upstate Women's Prison.

Occupation?

At present?

Gangbuster!

(EXCITED CHATTERING)

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