Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980): Season 1, Episode 20 - Once Upon a Time: Part II - full transcript

(crying) (soothing murmurs)

Cancer.

Let me help you.

Let me save this child.

Oh, yes.

Yes.

Thank you, doctor.

Thank you.

Right. That's a boy.

Now...

(upbeat theme playing)



Steve!

Sis. Oh!

Oh! Oh, I'm so glad to see you.

Mwah.

Steve.

Steve, my baby is going to live.

Tell her the truth
and tell her now.

Our baby's going to die.
I can't do that, Steve. I...

I look into her
face and I can't.

I just can't.

I want her stopped.

I want her equipment
seized and I want her in jail.

Mr. McGarrett, according
to the latest survey

by our department in D.C.,



there are three to
5,000 practitioners

who are now
treating their patients

with bogus electronic equipment.

The problem is that we...

The problem is this one
is treating my sister's baby.

Before you
officially serve that,

and before you
seize the machines

and close up the joint,

there's something that you
ought to consider, you know.

Look.

(chuckles)

Tell it to the judge.

Lookit, Steve, I
don't believe you

and I'll never believe you.

Well, the court will.

The court?

I'm a cop remember, sis?

(people applauding)

Order!

Order in this court!

Bailiff, you will
maintain order!

(indistinct murmurs)

Never in my 30
years on the bench

have I seen such a
disorderly, outrageous outburst.

Very well.

Court stands adjourned

until 10:00 tomorrow morning.

(dramatic theme playing)

(upbeat surf theme playing)

EPISODE TITLE

You know what frosts
me, what really frosts me?

If we nail the good
doctor, if we nail her,

what's the rap, huh?

One count, one lousy count

of interstate sale
of mislabeled,

misrepresented merchandise.

One thousand dollar fine,
or one year in jail or both.

I still stay, with this one
it ought to be murder.

First-degree murder.

No, not without Fremont's name

affixed to the
death certificate,

and she wasn't even on
the case at the time of death.

Look, what if her...?

What if her signature was
on the death certificate?

Steve, it wasn't on
the death certificate.

She's treated thousands
of people in this area.

You told me that yourself.
There must be some cases

where her name appeared
on the death certificate.

No doubt there are. Well?

Look, uh, Steve,
if it were that easy

do you think we'd allow a
monster like Dr. Fremont

to practice here in Los Angeles?

Of course, not.
Thank you very much.

Have you ever done it?

Ever nailed a medical
quack on a murder charge?

Have I ever done it? No.

You see, uh, murder
is a state charge...

Yeah, yeah, I know... Okay,
has the DA ever done it?

Well, once to my knowledge.

How? Oh, the perfect case.

Airtight and foolproof.

Give. Look, uh, McGarrett,

there's a little hash house
right around the corner.

They serve the best
apple pie in Los Angeles.

No time, no time. Give.

Well, my car is
right over there.

Studies in futility are best
conducted sitting down, hm?

Shall we? Yeah.

Okay, professor. From the top.

Well, the Bureau of
Records is right over there.

Yeah, yeah.

They've got these hard, wooden,

institutional chairs.

Now, you put your
bottom on those chairs

and start digging back
through the records.

Sooner or later,
you're gonna come up

with a death certificate
over Fremont's signature.

Now, it will state
in black and white

that the patient
died of a severe case

of fallen arches or
some such nonsense.

Okay, then, now,
eager-beaver quick

you go back into the
medical history of the patient

and you find in the records
of a reputable, competent MD

that the patient, in fact,
had coronary heart disease

and most probably died
of a coronary seizure

or old-fashioned heart failure.

Now, are you with me so
far? Sure, sure, sure. Go.

Now, with all that
digging, all that information,

it's worthless.

That figures.

Now, before we can even go
to court on a murder charge,

we must establish
common scheme and design.

Modus operandi must
prove criminal intent.

Well, with Fremont,
that should be easy.

Mm, no, I said proof.

Proof, not, uh,
hearsay evidence,

but direct testimony in court.

"I was there, I saw, I heard,"
that kind of direct testimony.

Then, you know what we've got?

Goose egg?

Well, now, give
that man a cigar.

No, no, no. Not yet.

Not yet.

Suppose that I could
produce physical evidence,

proof to back up
those findings, huh?

Well, Mr. McGarrett,
you're due back in court

at 10 in the morning.

Well, that gives me
almost, uh, 24 big fat hours.

Well, you dig aggravation,
go ahead, be my guest.

The Bureau of Records
is right over there.

Okay, one more question.

Ask away. At these prices,
go ahead, shamus. What?

(chuckles)

Look, suppose that I just
turn up that perfect case?

Mm-hm, well, then you've
got to get permission

to exhume the body.

All right, suppose
we exhumed the body

and the autopsy provides
us with incontestable evidence

that the patient
died of heart disease

while Fremont was
with full knowledge

of the patient's condition
treating for, uh, what,

fallen arches?

That's criminal intent.

Oh, that's one hell of
a string of suppositions.

Yeah, granted. Well?

Oh, McGarrett,
McGarrett, McGarrett.

We'd stand a good chance of a
murder conviction, wouldn't we?

Admit it, Zipser.

I admit it. So what?

So why don't you, uh,
grab a cab back to the office.

I need some wheels.

(chuckles)

Grazie.

(dramatic theme playing)

I think I'll go for a walk.

Oh, Tom, why don't
you come in the house

and I'll fix you
something to eat?

I'm not hungry.

Please, Tom.

I want you to come in the
house and eat something.

I don't want to eat.

I don't want to talk.

Please, Tom.

All right.

All right, you want to have
a big heart-to-heart talk?

Fine. We're overdue.
Long overdue.

I sent for Steve.

I pleaded with him
to come, to help.

After I told him about
your miracle doctor,

Steve told me what
needed to be done.

But I didn't have the
courage. So he did it for me.

Did you hear what I said?

I sent for him.

I know, Tom.

I've known all along.

Well, then, why in
heaven's name did you let...?

Anyway, you can stop
hating your brother now.

It was my decision.

I don't hate Steve.

Could have fooled me.

For the first time in my life,
I'm fighting him, you know?

He's trying to crucify a saint.

A saint?

Mary Ann, that woman is
a quack, a bloodsucker...

I don't believe that.
And I never will.

Yes, you will.

When Steve finishes
with her in court, you will.

Oh, no, he's trying
to crucify a saint.

(door opens, closes)

Investigator?

How can you tell?

I've worked in
records three years.

When a man goes
at it like you have

for the last hour
and a half... Uh-huh.

What are you looking for?

Maybe I can help?

Uh-uh.

Shame.

Thank you.

Not to make a bad pun

but we don't get
many live ones in here.

Tough.

A bunch of
prune-faced old geezers

with hair growing
out of their ears.

Hello, chickie-baby.

CLERK: Hello, Murphy.

Told you.

Offer to help still stands.

For free.

County pays me.

Okay.

Any certificates signed
by a C.L. Fremont,

Doctor of Naturopathy.

Go. Anything.

(mellow theme playing)

Got one.

Good, good.

That does it.

Everything for
the last six months.

Mwah.

Thank you, chickie-baby.

(rings)

Zipser here.

Found four certificates,
all signed by Fremont.

All died in the last six months.

Hm.

Four all in the last
six months, huh?

Well, now, that took you

about four and a
half hours, McGarrett.

Nice going.

Look, Zipser, if I hit,

can you clear the red tape
so I can exhume without delay?

Can do.

And can you contact
the, uh, county coroner?

I want him standing by on a
24-hour basis for an autopsy.

Will do. Now that gives you
exactly 18 hours, McGarrett.

Look, I know how many
hours I've got, Zipser.

(McGarrett shouts indistinctly)

Uh, bye-bye.

You know something, if
I ever get to Blue Hawaii,

I promise you I won't
even go through a stop sign.

That's one cop I don't
want ever coming after me.

What are the odds?

Well, a couple of minutes ago,

I would have said
a million-to-one.

Ah! Still a million-to-one.

(dials)

(upbeat theme playing)

(mellow theme playing)

BOY: Hey, mister!

You come to see us?

Hi, tiger. Is your
mother at home?

I'll go get her.

Mama!

Mommy, a man wants to see you.

What do you want
here, Mr. McGarrett?

Mrs. Kinney?

You have no right to bother me.

I'm going to call Dr. Fremont.

I thought the name was familiar.

One of the faithful testifying
for the defense, huh?

(chuckles): Hallelujah.

I'm going to call Dr. Fremont.

You do that, Mrs. Kinney,

in memory of your dear,
dead husband, do that.

I wanted her to know I was here.

(dramatic theme playing)

(upbeat theme playing)

Yes?

My name is McGarrett.

I'm with the State
Police of Hawaii.

Well, I've never been to Hawaii.

This is the home of
Walter E. Grant, isn't it?

But he's dead.

Yes, I know.

Your brother?

Yes.

For the record, Mr. Grant,

this call is not professional,
it's personal. I, uh...

I'm looking for help.

I'd like to talk to you
about your brother.

I don't have to?

No, sir. You don't have to.

Come in.

Thank you. My
name's Chester Grant.

McGARRETT: Steve McGarrett.

(door closes) CHESTER: Mama.

This is Mr. McGarrett. He's
a policeman from Hawaii.

How do you do, Mrs. Grant?

Mama, he wants to
talk to me about Walter.

Well, sit down, Mr. McGarrett.

I think you'll find this
chair quite comfortable.

If I sit in anything that
comfortable, I'll never get up.

Well, suit yourself.

Now, again, for the record.

I think Dr. C.L.
Fremont is a quack.

A menace to the
people of this community.

I'm out to build a
case against her.

If I can, I'm gonna bring her
to court on a murder charge.

Understood?

Yes. And I need your help.

Why did your brother
go to Dr. Fremont?

Well, now, Mr. McGarrett,

my brother's gone.

It's not gonna do any
good to go into that again.

I don't have time
to waste, Mr. Grant.

I need direct answers
to direct questions.

I need the truth.

(chuckles)

Chester wouldn't know the truth

if it sat next to him in
church on Sunday morning.

That's not very nice, Mama.

The man said he
wanted the truth.

Mrs. Grant, why did
he go to Dr. Fremont?

Because he hated
living with diabetes.

Diabetes?

He hated the insulin
shots, the strict diets.

He hated the whole regime.

(giggles)

Most of all, he hated not
being able to take a drink.

You ought not talk about
Walter like that, Mama.

You know something?

It feels good to talk about him.

To remember.

It hurts a little
but it feels good.

Like your heart's been asleep.

You feel the pins and
needles coming alive again.

(laughs): Just for spite

every once in a while,
Walter would go out...

Every Saturday night he would...

would go out and drink as
much beer as he could hold.

(laughs)

This old house would shake

with his laughing and clowning.

CHESTER: Sure.

And as a result he was
always sick, always in pain.

And, uh, and Dr. Fremont?

I said she was a quack.

Right from the start, I
said she was a quack.

MAMA: Yes.

Yes, you did.

That is true.

And I suppose she
offered her wonder cure

with her wonder machines
and Walter bought it?

(sighs)

No.

I bought it.

I took him to her,
Mr. McGarrett.

Mama, it's done.

CHESTER: It's done.

Mrs. Grant, I'm
sorry to press you.

But time, I just don't have
it. Do you understand?

Now, this is critical.

Are there medical records
that document the fact

that Walter was a diabetic?

Dr. Rudner,

been our family
doctor for 20 years.

He took care of Walter.

He got the records.

Rudner? R-U-D-N-E-R?

The death certificate
signed by Dr. Fremont

states that Walter died
of vitamin deficiency

and malnutrition
caused by alcoholism.

No.

The sugar built up

until Walter went
into convulsions.

He died in a coma just like
Dr. Rudner said he would.

Mrs. Grant, this is important.
Vital, in fact. Two things:

Did Fremont diagnose
Walter as a diabetic?

And did Fremont treat
Walter for diabetes?

No.

On both counts?

On both counts.

Walter told me... No good.

Hearsay evidence,
not admissible.

Mister, I was there.

Walter was so sick,
he could hardly walk.

His feet and legs so swollen,
he couldn't even wear shoes.

I had to help him into the room.

I heard and I saw.

Good, good. Facts now.

Facts you can
swear to in court. Go.

Fremont took one
drop of his blood

and put it into that machine.

Then she told us that
Walter was suffering

from some kind of
vitamin deficiency.

That it was common.

That he could throw
away his needles.

You heard her say he could
throw away his needles?

Throw away his needles,
the insulin, his diets.

That she would cure him,
make him well with her machines.

Oh, God help me.

I believed.

I believed.

Mrs. Grant, I need your
permission to exhume the body.

What do you want to do that for?

We must do an autopsy in
order to prove cause of death.

No.

Mrs. Grant, it's
absolutely imperative.

No.

(sighs)

Don't look at me.

Mrs. Grant, there's a quack...

No. Please listen to me.

Listen to me.

We have to establish
cause of death.

Now, Fremont said that
Walter died of vitamin deficiency.

Your doctor said that
he died of lack of insulin,

convulsions, diabetes.

Now, we have to prove cause
of death or we have no case.

I won't let you dig my boy up

and cut into him.

I won't do that.

It's the only way,
unfortunately.

It's so easy for you.

It's so easy for cops.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's easy for cops.

The last patient
that Dr. Fremont lost

was a 6-month-old baby.

That baby was my
sister's only child.

Steve, this is
Dr. Jerome Pastor.

He's the chief coroner
of Los Angeles county.

This is Steve
McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0.

Doctor, thank you for coming.

Diabetic? Yes.

Embalmed in the past year?

Last six months.

There's a good chance
to confirm the disease.

And if you do it, doc,
foolproof, airtight,

we've got her on murder one.

Doctor?

Want to sign in
triplicate, please.

To establish cause of death
in a criminal matter, huh?

Take it away, boys.

We'll have him back for
you first thing in the morning.

Take your time, doc.

Who's driving?

He's got my wheels, doc.

Let's go.

(sighs)

Been almost two hours.

Twelve-thirty.

Relax. We're not due in court
for eight or nine hours yet.

The man said it
wouldn't take long.

That's what the man said.

(sighs): Look, McGarrett,

how many autopsies you been on?

A hundred, a
thousand, who knows?

Well, Steve, have you
ever had an easy one?

No, no.

ZIPSER: Relax.

Doc's the best. He'll
nail Fremont so...

(door slams)

Coffins are supposed
to be watertight, airtight.

Sorry, gentlemen,

I cannot confirm
the cause of death.

No way.

Thanks, doc.

Well, that means we
gotta find another way.

HERBERT: Little
more to your right.

Uh, and hold it right there.

Thank you very much.

Now, ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,

we come to the moment of truth.

You have seen this
diagnostic device before.

Marked Exhibit B,

it was entered into
evidence by the prosecution.

But I have brought it
back into this courtroom

at the request,

no, at the demand of my client.

However,

before proceeding
with the demonstration...

Now, you have identified
yourself to this court

as C.L. Fremont, a doctor
of Naturology, is that correct?

Yes.

Dr. Fremont, in
simple, basic terms,

what is a naturologist?

Actually, it is simple and basic

and quite impossible
to complicate.

A naturologist is one who
heals by helping nature.

One who heals by helping nature.

Beautiful, isn't he?

Hm, with my bare
hands I could, uh...

HERBERT: Now, let's
take a specific case.

We are concerned
in this proceeding,

with a terrible
disease of cancer.

Now let us suppose...

Suppose that I come to you

with a tumor of the
chest, malignant.

How would you cure me?

I would not cure you.

I cannot cure anyone.

But I could and I would help you

to cure yourself.

HERBERT: How?

By accelerating and directing
the God-given strength

and healing powers that...
That he put into all of us.

God-given strength
and healing power.

Oh, but I can hear the scoffers.

I can hear them say:

"Noble words, doctor,
but how do you do it?

How does it actually work?"

Well, the most effective
way I have of answering that

would be to
actually demonstrate.

HERBERT: Do you mean to say

that you have no
fear of demonstrating

your healing machines
in this courtroom?

I do not.

Amazing.

Considering that throughout
the four days of this trial,

the prosecution has
assaulted our ears

with waves of testimony

from so-called expert witnesses.

ZIPSER: Objection, Your Honor.

The prosecution has not
presented any so-called experts.

On the contrary,

they've all been men preeminent
in their respective fields.

Sustained.

Forgive me.

Waves of testimony
from expert witnesses.

A large percentage of
whom could not identify

and accurately define
the word naturologist.

It's a difficulty they share
with one Mr. Webster.

Your Honor.

Strike that remark.

Mr. Zipser, you know better.

I want no more of it.

Thank you, Your Honor.

(clucks tongue)

Now, where was I?

Oh, yes.

You have heard a physicist,

an electronics expert,
a radio engineer.

All, without exception, claim
that this diagnostic device

and this treatment machine,
so deviously purchased

by that man from the
State Police of Hawaii.

You have heard them
claim, and I quote:

"Worthless,

a meaningless
pile of junk, a fraud."

And yet not one, not
one of these experts

had ever spoken
to the defendant,

had ever been told the
theory and the technique

of a healer that many claim
to be a modern day Pasteur.

Objection.

A woman whose healing
powers Uh, objection, Your Honor.

Are legendary.
Objection, Your Honor.

The counsel for the defense
is not cross-examining,

he is summing up.
HERBERT: Your Honor...

And, Your Honor,
is quite out of order.

(judge bangs gavel)

Mr. Zipser,

I shall decide who is and
who is not in order in this court.

And I... I presume you...
You are coming to some point

with all this verbiage?

Oh, I am indeed, Your Honor.

Before I can allow my client

to actually demonstrate
in this courtroom,

I want to make
absolutely certain

that the jury understands
the basic law governing...

Both of you gentlemen seem
intent on taking over my job.

Mr. Zipser is deciding what
is and what is not in order.

You are now undertaking to
make points of law to the jury.

With all apologies,

defense counsel
has no desire to usurp

the prerogatives of the bench.

However, most respectfully,

I ask permission to make
a single differentiation

between medical concept
and legal concept, for the jury.

An understanding of this

is absolutely essential
to my client's case.

Very well. Proceed.

Uh, please, be brief.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Now, ladies and
gentlemen of the jury.

You have heard

these expert medical witnesses
claim that in their opinion,

Dr. Fremont's treatment
and diagnostic devices

were worthless.

That they knew of no evidence

that these devices
would cure cancer,

and that in their opinion,
the devices would not.

Well, I say to
you, under the law,

that testimony is meaningless.

Zero.

And this brings us to the
basic point of difference.

You see, in medicine,

a claim is presumed to be false

until it's been
established as true

by reliable pharmacological
and clinical experts.

But in the law, and
in this courtroom,

a claim is presumed to be true

until there's a
preponderance of facts

beyond reasonable doubt
that proves the claim is false.

And, in any case,

the question is not whether
Dr. Fremont's devices ever fail.

Why land's sake,

even the most orthodox
medical treatments fail

from time to time.

If they did not, no doctor
would ever lose a patient.

No, ladies and gentlemen,
the question we face here

is whether Dr. Fremont's
devices ever work.

And that we will prove.

Dr. Fremont.

I always tell my patients

that a single pinprick
is the only pain

that they will ever experience

in the course of examination
and treatment in my clinic.

And it is true, because
a single drop of blood

gives the whole life
picture of the microcosm.

A single drop of blood
gives a complete diagnosis,

a diagnosis in-depth
and cure for any individual.

Now,

do I have a volunteer?

Right here, doctor.

(onlookers murmur indistinctly)

It's out of the question.

Why? She asked for a volunteer.

HERBERT: Well, I should think

that would be apparent
even to you, Mr. McGarrett.

Dr. Fremont is certainly
not going to allow a hostile...

Mr. Herbert.

I think that the suggestion
is an excellent one.

But, Dr. Fremont...

And I welcome the challenge.

But as your
counselor... Mr. Herbert.

I insist.

(sighs): Very well.

Either hand.

I prefer to do it myself.

As you wish.

Here. Open this end.

You must sterilize
the area first.

There you are.

Fine.

Blot it with this, please.

Fine.

Now, will you
show it to the jury?

Now, Mr. McGarrett,

if you would note
on a piece of paper

the key facts of
your medical history.

Anything special, hidden,
any major illnesses or surgery,

or any complaints or symptoms
you may have at present.

Medicine, as is practiced today,

will be in the immediately
foreseeable future,

as outmoded as the
leeches of the 19th century.

Every human being

has his own unique emanations.

A wavelength

uh, as... As unique
and as special

as his fingerprints.

Likewise, with every
organ of the human body,

the heart, liver, lungs, brain,

every organ has
its own unique cycle.

Now, by arming this
diagnostic instrument

with a drop of
the patient's blood,

we will have revealed

a complete
up-to-the-minute health chart

of that individual.

Now, have you finished with
your record, Mr. McGarrett?

Yes.

Thank you very much.

Now, Your Honor, so that
there will be no confusion,

and no question afterward,

will you take Mr. McGarrett's
statement now?

Very well. Thank you.

Proceed please.

Thank you.

A chart.

(hums)

(monotone beep)

(beeping wavers)

You have a very interesting
medical history, Mr. McGarrett.

I see unmistakable
symptoms of a...

Of a mild poliomyelitis.

FREMONT: Yes.

You had polio at an early
age, approximately 10.

Fortunately, made
a complete recovery.

Definite indications of
a leg fracture, left leg,

and scar tissue on
the lower abdomen.

An appendectomy.

(people murmur)

Now, we will examine the present

and the future.

Here I doubt if you, uh...

If your written statement will
contain any of the observations

that I have recorded here.

Your present state
of health is... Is good.

Quite excellent.

Somewhat hypertensive.

A number of
subclinical indications,

a number of
nutritional deficiencies

that you suffer along with

millions of other
American adults

who eat processed foods

and foods treated
with damaging sprays

and grown in depleted soil.

Your health outlook
is... Is excellent...

except for an inherited
predisposition toward tumor.

(people murmur indistinctly)

I've sworn to tell the
truth, the whole truth and...

Chances are you will die of
cancer before the age of 50...

(all murmur)

unless you are
constantly on guard,

and receive proper
enlightened treatment.

That concludes my
diagnosis of this case.

(sighs)

Your Honor?

Very well.

According to this note,

the piece of paper that
was placed in that machine

contained a smear
of vegetable dye.

(all murmur)

(all scream indistinctly)

We'll have order in this room.

May it please the court.

There will be quiet in
this courtroom. Quiet!

May it please the court.

Mr. Zipser.

Your Honor, ladies
and gentlemen,

this is the paper with
the blood sample on it.

Now, you all saw me
pick up the dropped paper.

At that time, I substituted
an identical square of paper

confiscated at time of seizure.

At a Food and Drug lab,

in the presence of
a dozen witnesses,

we prepared the paper
from which Dr. Fremont

just made that fantastic
medical diagnosis and history.

The fact of the matter is,

that neither she nor
her wonder machine

can even tell the difference
between human blood

and vegetable dye.

(people shout indistinctly)
Plain water and coloring!

(gavel bangs)

There will be quiet
in this courtroom!

MAN: It's wrong. I know it.

MARY ANN: Steve!

(upbeat surf theme playing)