Hawaii Five-O (1968–1980): Season 7, Episode 9 - How to Steal a Masterpiece - full transcript

Thugs break into the heavily-guarded art room of a multimillionaire and steal a Gauguin painting worth a fortune. When Five-O comes to investigate, the millionaire, his secretary and his ...

This is Jack Lord, inviting
you to be with us next for:

"How to Steal a Masterpiece."

It was right here.

What was the value?
One and a half million.

A million and a half.

This is gonna be
a ransom situation.

They'll contact you.
Do you understand that?

Certainly. One more thing.

We'll need your
cooperation. Total.

Teamwork.

One thing I understand,
Mr. McGarrett, is teamwork.



Mr. McGarrett, please.

No police.

Not yet!

Now, that's foolishness.

I have dealt with more
successful thieves

than McGarrett will ever see.

I'll run this show.

Next, "Masterpiece."
Be here. Aloha.

Matsu. Over.

Hey, George, we lost
the house lights again.

Hit that circuit breaker
at nine, will you?

You got an overload someplace.
It shouldn't keep doing that.

Yes, George, I know.
Just get that circuit breaker.

Hey, George, I just
lost the monitors.



That shouldn't have happened.

George?

George.

Hold it.

Stand.

Turn.

A big one, Duke?
A biggie. Robbery.

Somebody walked off with
some paintings worth a bunch.

Real pro job.

Looks like a rough
place to break into.

They found a way.

There's some people from
the family running an inventory.

Is he okay?

He's been sapped pretty good.

This is where the
paintings were taken from?

Right this way.

Miss Forbes? WOMAN: Yes?

These gentlemen are
from Five-0. Dan Williams.

Good morning. Chin Ho Kelly too.

I'm Miss Forbes,
Mr. Ogden's secretary.

This is Jeff Koestler,
Mr. Ogden's grandson.

You got that straight, I hope.

You have a list of
everything missing?

Yeah. It just
seems to be the two.

A sketch by Lautrec

and the most expensive
painting in the gallery.

A Gauguin, that
he painted in Tahiti.

It was right here.

What was the value?

One and a half million,

give or take a hundred thousand.

A million and a half.

It might be worth more.

Yeah. It was a super
rip-off, man. A work of genius.

Some dude was really thinking.

Why so super, Jeff? Tell me.

There are three
independent alarm systems.

You get within two feet
of that wall after hours

and, zap, all hell breaks loose.

There's no way to disconnect it.

You break the
circuit and it salivates.

Anyway you figure,
the bell goes off.

But it didn't.

No, slept through
the whole picture.

You know where the alarm box is?

Sure.

I'm the heir.

I think I'm the heir.

Well, let's check
it out. Show me.

Okay.

Duke, see if I can
talk to the other guard.

Right away.

What's the story?

Plastic foam.

Hard as a rock.

Sprayed into the box?

That's the end of
the chimes, huh?

Boy, somebody
sure had the smarts.

Yeah, you know it.

Well, I'll tell you
something, Sherlock.

It must've been an inside job.

Figures. The man
got hold of the plans.

Do you know where they keep
the plans of the electronic system?

Yeah, sure I know.

Come on down. I'll show you.

They took the Gauguin.

They sure did.

Mr. Williams, Hawaii
Five-0. Jacob Durkin.

Forgive me please.
How do you do?

This is Sills Anderson,
my assistant.

How do you do?

I'm sorry.

Mr. Williams, if
there's nothing else,

would you excuse me?

Certainly.

I am not completely surprised.

I said to Sills two days
ago, "Something is not right."

What struck you
as not being right?

Well, that's not easy.

Not easy.

Perhaps it is that Mr. Ogden
was in so much of a hurry.

All the years, and suddenly

it's a matter of life and death.

"Evaluate the collection."

But that is American,
am I not right?

I guess so. Now, let me ask you.

Mr. Ogden gives his art
collection to the university.

You put a value
on that collection,

and he gets to
write off that amount.

Uh... yes.

Your Internal Revenue Service

requires an
independent evaluation,

or sometimes two or three,

but I can fix a very accurate

fair market value.

You see, I know all the...

All the big auction houses.

I have here the
most recent catalogs

and the latest prices.

So your IRS people
listen to Jacob Durkin.

That must give
you a good feeling.

Yes, it does.

Now, whether he gives
it away or has it stolen...

Has it stolen?

No, no. I mean it is stolen.

The painting is a
total tax write-off,

a million and a half dollars.

Oh, yes. That's interesting.

Mr. Ogden gives his
collection to the university

and takes a write-off,

but he may keep the
paintings here until he dies.

The university offered him

that privilege when
the title passes.

It's kind of neat.

It's a very good law.

One of my favorites.

Where can I find Miss Forbes?

Her office is just
across the hall.

Thank you.

H.P.D. will leave a man.

Thank you.

You know what to
do if you get a call.

We wanna talk to Mr. Ogden
as soon as possible.

He'll wanna talk to you.

Yeah, well, he never commanded

a whole police
department before.

You signed for those?

Yeah, your friend, uh,
Charlie Chan, took care of it.

Jeff.

What have we got, Danno?

A quarter of a million dollars
worth of electronic security,

and old man Ogden
leaves the plans

sitting in a hall cabinet
that anybody can get into.

How's that for a
millionaire's thinking?

Yeah.

Looks like three
independent systems:

TV, radar devices and sensors.

It's a crazy toy.

Let's have a printout on
everybody in the house.

Whoever pulled this

knew the electronic
surveillance up and down.

I'm running Durkin and his
assistant through Interpol.

Who's Durkin?

An art expert,
appraiser and restorer.

Jeff the grandson was a
combat medic, Vietnam.

Okay, I want the fine
print on all of them,

even Ogden himself.

Servants, security guards,
anybody who worked for him.

Looking for something?

Yes.

Your electronic devices.

McGarrett, Hawaii Five-0.

So you're McGarrett.

The governor speaks well of you.

That's good to know.

Ten thieves are born
every hour on the hour

in all the cities of the world,

but sometimes in
a whole century,

only 20 masterpieces
are created.

I think you get my drift.

Yeah, I think I do.

Now, we must have law
and order, I know, but...

But sometimes, as
a matter of priority...

You want your painting back.

If it comes down to a choice,

I'll let the thieves
go, pay them off.

Sometimes it's cheaper.

Yeah, it appears
that way sometimes.

There's gonna be
a lot of publicity.

You know, the media.

Now, I don't want
any of your people

trying to make a
name for himself.

Is that understood?

Anything else, Mr. Ogden?

Yes. Forbes?

Read it.

"Mr. Ogden has been
made aware by the governor

"of the superior work
Five-0 has provided the state.

"As a law-abiding citizen,

Mr. Ogden wishes to
express his gratitude."

Thank you.

You're welcome.

McGARRETT: Mr. Ogden. Yeah?

This is gonna be
a ransom situation.

They'll contact you.
Do you understand that?

Certainly. One more thing.

We'll need your
cooperation, total.

And that goes for
everyone else in this house.

Teamwork.

One thing I understand,
Mr. McGarrett, is teamwork.

He's really a very decent man.

They're hard to find.

Would you like
to see the gallery?

Please.

Each painting has been coded

on the back by Sills.

We do that first. It's
for my own protection.

You see, I paint
little colored stripes

on the outside of the staple.

Each painting has a
different color code.

Then I drive the staple

into the stretcher
of the painting.

That way I can
identify it at any time.

I see.

Let me ask you a question.

This entire collection

is insured for less than
10 percent of its value.

Against theft, Mr. McGarrett.

Isn't that unusual? No.

Premiums being what they are,

collectors put their money in
elaborate electronic systems.

And the Gauguin,

it was not, uh, appraised
before the theft?

No. It was coded,
but not yet appraised.

I see.

Uh, the people who
stole the painting,

uh, can they sell it?

To sell a stolen masterpiece
is almost impossible,

because the buyer could not
acknowledge his possession

and would therefore derive
no pleasure from owning it.

You see, the collector,

like the artist,
has his own ego.

He must be known
as the possessor,

the man who owns the Rembrandt,

the Cézanne, the Renoir.

That's part of the
pleasure. A big part.

Thank you, Mr. Durkin.

We'll be in touch. Please.

Oh, Mr. McGarrett,

I have assisted the
police many times.

Interpol will tell you
when you check on me.

Thank you.

Mr. McGarrett.

Hi. Hi.

I'm Evvy Bernstein, Star
Bulletin. Remember me?

Oh, yeah, sure, Evvy.

I'm doing color on
this Ogden robbery.

I'm the paper's art expert.

That means everybody
knows less than me.

Have you got a statement for me?

Well, I think I could tell you

that leads developed
by the department

are being carefully guarded

so as not to interfere

with the ultimate
solution of the crime.

Okay, Evvy? Yeah.

Wow.

Good girl.

What I found fascinating
is that they took

the most expensive
oil in the house

and then they took
that little Lautrec sketch.

What would you like to
drink? Uh, iced tea, please.

Hello?

This is Mr. Ogden's
secretary, Miss Forbes.

Can I help you?

Yes. Jeff, get your grandfather.

Yes, Mr. Sevey,
from station KGMB.

Yes, I listen to
it all the time.

Yes, I have.

That's it? That's
the whole message?

May I speak with Mr. Ogden
and get back to you?

No. No. We won't if you won't.

Thank you, Mr. Sevey.

Who is it?

That was Bob
Sevey, station KGMB.

There's been a tape
left for him at the station.

It's from the thieves.

It's supposed to
contain the instructions

on how to get the Gauguin back.

It could be a trick.

Well, they included
the Lautrec sketch

in the package.

Shrewd cats.

Don't be so quick to admire.

These are madmen. I know.

Mr. McGarrett, please.

No police. Not yet!

No. That's foolishness.

I have dealt with more
successful thieves

and pirates than
McGarrett will ever see.

I'll run this show.

You read his Interpol
bio. McGARRETT: Yeah.

Yeah, colorful background.

What about Sills
Anderson, the assistant?

He's clean. Been with
Durkin for 11 years.

The kid, Jeff?

Doesn't seem to be able
to cut it in the big world.

Keeps bouncing back to
his rich old granddaddy.

His mother is into
her sixth marriage.

Well, that'd make
a boy unstable.

Well, he might get a little
confused around Father's Day.

But he seems okay.

He's got a good combat record.

Was he a doper?

No busts, nothing on
his Army discharge.

One positive thing, though.

He had a year of electrical
engineering at Fulton Tech.

Home in on that, Danno.

Chin, what have you got?

The servants are straight,

and Melissa Forbes
has one interesting item.

Her ex-husband served 15 months
in the lockup for embezzlement.

For embezzlement?

Yes, Jenny? JENNY:
Bob Sevey is here.

He says you're expecting him.

Yes, I am. Send him in, please.

McGARRETT: Hey, Bob.

Steve, this is the
tape I told you about.

It was delivered to the station.

Mr. Ogden's grandson
picked up the original.

I had one of our
engineers dub off that copy.

You gave the Lautrec
sketch back to the grandson.

Wasn't I supposed to?

I guess you had to.

Set it up, Chin.

I don't get it.

What about the note
you got in the mail?

Let me take
another look at that.

Again. Read... Read it again.

"Do you read me? Do you read me?

"Gauguin lives on the
wrong side of the tracks.

You can read me
when you get the tape."

They want a quarter
of a million dollars,

and they're playing
children's games.

Don't you think we ought
to call Mr. McGarrett?

Wait a minute.

Let me try something.

Take ahold of this.
Put your pen through it.

What are you doing?

Listen. Listen.

The wrong side
of the tracks, right?

That's what the tape said.

You can read me.
You can read me.

That has got to mean something.

But that... There it is.

They wrote on it.

This is the message:
"10:00, Thursday morning,

take 250,000 in
small unmarked bills."

It's all there. Let
me get it down.

You're a genius.

That's stupid.

No, gramps. It's
really pretty smart.

I mean, the station
could play the tape,

they could copy it,

they could study it,
analyze it for days.

All they'd hear is
that dumb music.

It's really a trick
because like the man said,

it's on the tape.

It's very simple.

Sir, Sample just phoned
from the electronics room.

Police are watching the
house, front and back.

Thank you, Ducky.

Apparently Mr. McGarrett
doesn't trust us.

Well...

Mr. McGarrett presents us

with an interesting challenge...

which we shall accept.

Williams calling Central.

Central, patch me
through to McGarrett.

Steve. Ogden, Miss
Forbes and grandson

heading Coco Head on
Kahala Avenue in Ogden's limo.

Stay with them, Danno. Ten-four.

Coco Head.

Been in there for 15 minutes.
This could be a gimmick.

Steve, the girl just
got out of the car

at Diamond Head tennis courts.

She's carrying a briefcase.

A Bernie's taxi
is picking her up.

The taxi's heading Coco
Head on Paki Street.

License number 5-Frank-4924.

Okay, Danno, I got it.
You stay with Ogden,

we'll pick up the girl.

Steve, I just saw Ogden
carrying a briefcase.

He's transferring
to a white limo.

License number N340.

Heading east on
Diamond Head Road.

Can H.P.D. pick him up?

Yeah, we'll pick him up,
Danno. You stick with the kid.

The kid is settling
down to a legal 30.

You think maybe we've been had?

You can count on it.

Break out the good china,
Steve. You've got visitors.

Forbes.

Mr. Ogden wants you to know

in his effort to
accomplish his objective,

he did not wish to embarrass
the police department.

It's true, Mr. McGarrett.
Gramps insisted.

But the second the money
was paid, we came straight here.

Teamwork, huh?

Is that what you
call this, teamwork?

Now, now, now. Let's
not get our hackles up.

I told you straight
out from the word go

my purpose was to
get the painting back.

And you got it back?

No, not yet.

Oh.

You mean you paid
the $250,000 ransom?

There was 250,000 in
the wall safe at home.

While your people
were following us,

my houseman dropped that
off just about an hour ago.

And what about the painting?

It will be returned
within 24 hours.

And I have every
confidence it will be.

It is of no value to the
thieves at this point.

Sure, sure. Good luck.

Good luck, Mr. Ogden.

I hope you get
your painting back.

And I'll see if we can
put the citizen's tax dollar

to better use than playing
follow-the-leader with you.

Now, if you'll excuse me.
Show them out, Danno, please.

Okay, Danno,
you've got the duty.

If anything urgent comes
up, I'll be on my boat.

Shall we file charges
on the de Milo case?

I think you'd better
check with Manicote first.

MAN: Five-0, unit one.

Don't tell me.

Yeah, unit one. McGarrett.

Steve, Chin. The Ogden
painting has been returned,

but Jacob Durkin wants you
to come out there right away.

What's wrong? I don't know.

He says he won't
talk to anyone but you.

Okay, Chin. We're on our way.

Well, there goes the
Sunday sail. Hop in.

All right, McGarrett, you
wanna be Sherlock Holmes?

You wanna be in
charge? All right.

I'll eat whatever
crow's expected

under the circumstances.

Is this the painting
that was stolen?

I believe it is.

It is not.

On the back is a coded mark

made for identification
and cataloging.

It was on the painting when it
was removed from this gallery.

It is there now.

Sills, remove the staple.

Oh, thank you.

Red and yellow.

Gauguin.

Red and yellow. Check.

That is the Gauguin from
Mr. Ogden's collection.

That is the painting
taken from this gallery.

And that is a lie.

That painting is a copy.

Is it?

Without question.

It's a forgery. OGDEN:
I did not buy a forgery.

Now, here, mimicry.

An unusual, but not
uncommon talent.

A man can mimic
your voice, your walk.

A man can mimic the
brush stroke of a genius.

Let me show you.

This is a picture

of a 1911 Matisse
hanging in Moscow.

This is the picture of
the forgery done in Paris.

They're both the same
period, the same size,

the same canvass.

Even the same frame.

Can you tell which is which?

They look exactly alike.

Right. Because you
see only the surface.

It's remarkable.

Then the forger has to be a
very accomplished painter.

Of course.

The greatest experts in
the world have been fooled.

When Mr. Ogden
bought the Gauguin,

it was authenticated by a museum

and several private experts.

Now, are you telling me

that they can't pick
up on those things?

Well, museums have been fooled.

But remember that Mr. Ogden

bought his Gauguin 35 years ago.

The techniques of detection

are now very sophisticated.

Okay.

Specifically, how do you know

that that's a forgery?

Well, we have other
ways besides x-rays.

Chemical tests,
radioactive aging.

Take the canvas itself.

I count the number of
threads per square centimeter,

then from biographical
data and my own research,

I know exactly the
canvas Gauguin used

at this time in his life.

I can even tell you
how much he paid for it.

The x-rays and other details

bear out my judgment.

So Ogden could've bought
his forgery 35 years ago.

Or the forgery could
have been substituted

some time after the purchase.

We can't tell.

The painting was loaned
and traveled extensively

in several major

Gauguin retrospective
exhibitions.

One last question.

Have you subjected the
painting the thieves returned

to all of these tests?

Of course.

And they proved beyond
question that it is a forgery.

You made a mark on the painting?

Made a mark?

Man, I almost put
my fist right through it.

Boy, talk about being freaked.

I don't understand.

How could you
do a thing like that?

It was just before I
shipped out to Nam.

I was showing this
friend of mine, Dennis.

He was another grunt.
He was juiced too.

I was telling him how if anybody
crossed this invisible screen

around the Gauguin, the
alarm system would go off.

Well, he thought that
was the funniest thing

he'd ever heard.

He started laughing
and making weird jokes.

Anyway, he... He
wanted to try it out,

so he came at me.
I pushed him away.

He came at me again and...

Like I said, I almost
made a hole in the canvas.

The alarm went off? You know it.

There were enough
buzzers and bells and ringing

to evacuate hell.
Spotlights went on.

Man, it was really a trip.

Who found you?

One of the security guards.

He was all over me
in just a few seconds.

Now, that mark on the Gauguin,

was it right down here?

Here, let me show you.

See? Now you know where to look.

There were a lot of little
tiny fracture-like cracks.

You could see
them as clear as day.

Did your grandfather
know about this?

Are you kidding? No way.

But six months ago, I
checked the painting again.

Those little tiny hairline
fracture marks were still there.

And these little cracks
are not in the forgery,

in the painting that was
returned to the gallery?

No. That's exactly my point.

This is not the same
painting that was in the gallery

six months ago.

Sills, I think he's
got something.

Jeff, I will make
one suggestion.

All right? Sure.

Before you say
anything, let me check.

The painting has
been revarnished.

It's possible that
the tiny fractures

might've been
obscured by the process.

At his age, to see your
grandfather let down...

Sure, I can dig it.

When do you wanna start?

Right away.

I'll have to pick up some
special chemicals at Kimiecueke.

All right,

I'll meet you at the gallery
in about an hour, okay?

Fine.

They are there.

I think I can etch
very fine lines

on the copy.

Fill and revarnish.

So...

you found the marks.

Jeff, I didn't hear you.

I came over straight
from your hotel.

I wanted to catch
the early show.

Jeff, come with me.

I want to show you something.

Hey, Steve, I got a
message on my service.

I know.

The police report came
in about 20 minutes ago.

Jeff Koestler? Kid is dead?

Yeah.

He went off the road at
Kehena Point about 9:30.

His van was totaled, burned.

We got a positive
ID about 11:30.

May I help you? Yeah.
What will it be, Evvy?

Orange. Make it two, please.

Okay.

How would you like to
perform a public service?

I thought you'd
never ask. Thank you.

I'm going to pick your
brains, Evvy. Thank you.

Whatever moves you. Thank you.

You did an interview with
Durkin when he first hit the islands.

Hey, you read it.
Yeah, it was very good.

Do you remember a book called

Forgeries and Fine Arts

about the great art swindles?

That and 20 others. I got
into some heavy research.

To me, Evvy, the theft
of Ogden's Gauguin

doesn't make any sense at all.

Now, if the painting was a
forgery and Ogden knew it,

why didn't he just
let it stay stolen?

He had enough of a provenance,

a pedigree on it, and
the original bill of sale,

he could've written the
entire thing off totally.

You checked with IRS?

I sure did. You would.

Another thing.

If the thieves substituted
the forgery for the original,

they couldn't have,
um, sold the original

to any museum or private
collector in the world.

Durkin tells us that.

That's about it.

I mean, they could come
back for seconds on the ransom,

but everyone in the art world

knows the painting's
been stolen.

I mean, who's gonna
pay a million for a picture

and hide it under the mattress?

How did Durkin get
to be so important

in the art world, do you know?

About 20 years ago,

he exposed a fake Vermeer

that had been hanging in the
Dresden gallery for 73 years.

There was a big stink
about it. The museum sued.

But five years later,
the real item turned up.

Durkin was vindicated.

He made his rep on that number.

That's very interesting.

How often does a
thing like that happen?

Oh, I don't know.

Usually when you chump
the average millionaire,

he doesn't release
the story to the press.

About nine years ago, I think.

Yeah, there was a
very valuable Turner

that turned out to be a fake.

Durkin again.

You mean it happened
a second time?

He exposed another forgery?

Yeah, the owner,
uh, Arturo de Layo...

It's a neat name, huh?

He tried to kill Durkin.

He really did. Wait a minute.

Let me finish the story for you.

About, oh, a few years
later, the original Turner,

the real Turner, was,
quote, "Discovered,"

and Durkin's judgment
was vindicated again. True?

Well, yes, but how
did you find all that out?

You just made your annual
contribution to law and order.

Thank you, Evvy. The
next time, we'll have lunch.

Mr. Ogden.

Did they kill Jeff?

Is it my fault that
they killed Jeff?

No, I don't think so, Mr. Ogden.

I don't think so.

I'm not saying that just
to make it easy on you.

The ransom wasn't important.

If Five-0 handled it,
they would've known.

Nothing would've changed.

Nothing.

Thank you.

This is the third time

over a period of 20 years

that Durkin has had a violent
disagreement over a forgery.

In the other two cases,

the masterpiece turned
up several years later.

Durkin substitutes a forgery,

and he walks off
with the original.

Then a few years go by,

and the original is discovered.

You can see the possibilities.

What is it you want me to do?

One phone call, Mr. Ogden. One.

Thank you, Mr. Ogden.

I understand.

When all this is settled,
I should like to return

and finish the work for you

at no additional cost.

Yes, sir.

He doesn't want us
to go on with the work,

but we will be paid in full.

I like that.

Steve, Durkin and
Anderson are leaving

at 11:05 in the morning.

They had their space booked
24 minutes after Ogden called.

They haven't left the hotel room
except to visit the coffee shop.

If the painting's hidden
somewhere in the hotel,

there's no evidence of it.

We checked the
managers, bell captain,

room service. Frank?

Nothing at the gallery. We
went over all the equipment.

What's next? Search warrant?

Yeah. That's our only play

if they're leaving
in the morning.

Danno, this is what
I'd like you to do.

You mind if I repack
it now? Go ahead.

I really resent this, McGarrett.

Not only are you
implying that I'm dishonest,

you're suggesting I am stupid.

My apologies.

Steve, look what I found.

If I had the Gauguin,

do you think, do
you really think,

I'd be insane enough
to put it in there?

Are you going to open
these, or should we?

Sills.

Oui.

These are the two paintings
I bought in Los Angeles.

I have the bills of sale
from the auction gallery.

Would you like to check
them and forward them to me?

You don't mind
if we take a look?

Look at everything!

Here!

Perhaps this is what
you're looking for.

Don't make me miss my flight.

It takes off at 11:05.

You have just enough
time to pull up the carpet.

Why don't you?

Satisfied?

No.

But we'll leave you for now.

All right, gentlemen, let's go.

You are insane.

Daring.

That's what makes the artist.

Steve, I think we've
been had. How?

I don't know, but he
was laughing at us.

Wait a minute.

He stuck it right in my face.

Bring the old man. Come on.

Sorry to trouble you again.

There's one thing
I'd like to check.

What is this, Mr. Durkin?

I guess a genius like you

could peel that little
landscape right off the top

and find himself a
million-dollar masterpiece

to be discovered a
couple of years from now

in some attic, huh?

You're under arrest, Mr. Durkin,

for the murder of Jeff Koestler.

Book them, Danno.

Murder one, grand theft.

Well,

here's your painting, Mr. Ogden.

And we'll get your
ransom money back too.

I'd trade it all,

all the paintings,
all the money,

to get my Jeff back.

Good work.

Thank you.

He doesn't say that
to people very often.

Maybe he should.

Thank you.