Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 6, Episode 17 - Sugar and Spice - full transcript
Quincy investigates the death of a model.
Ron!
Gretchen! Gretchen, Gretchen!
The girl was metabolically
deranged. Everything's outta whack.
Are you saying
that Corrine's diet
is actually responsible
for somebody's death?
You bet I am.
Do you realize how many
people are watching this program?
You're undermining me in
front of millions of people.
We've been named
co-defendants in a defamation suit.
You're in legal quicksand
(CORRINE SHRIEKING)
Oh, my God!
Did the diet do this?
You bet the diet did it.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Right, right, right.
Shake your hair, nice,
yeah, atta way, honey.
Atta girl, looking
great, looking great.
That's it, have a
good time, honey.
Smile, nice, okay, throw your
hair around, ahh, that away, honey.
Oh, terrific, good stuff, give
me some sweetness, come on,
nice, turn, have a good time
with it, now, right, the hair.
Lookin' good, nice.
Oh, that's it, come
on. You look great.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Keep moving. Keep moving.
You're perspiring a lot
more today than usual.
You're not moving
too quickly either.
But that's okay,
we're almost finished.
Okay, now, looking up, and nice.
Okay, give me the front.
Let me see the suit.
Oh, good, good, nice.
Okay, Gretehen?
I'm okay. Okay.
And, there you go.
That's it, good, okay,
now sit down over there.
Great, wonderful, right,
gimme the legs the other way.
Come on, that's right,
okay, nice, uh-huh.
Are you okay?
It's just hot up here.
You want a glass of water?
No. No water.
Are you still on that diet?
Maybe we should
rest for a while.
No, I'm okay, Ron.
You're pushin'
yourself too hard, babe.
But you're gonna
rest for a while.
No.
Now look, don't argue with me.
And besides, I have
to reload the camera.
Wait, I'll get you a chair.
We've got it. Don't
worry about it. That's it.
We're doin' real well.
Don't worry about a thing.
We're gettin' some
really good stuff here.
(GASPING)
Oh, I think we got some
dynamite stuff here, Gretchen.
I really do. I think
we got a cover on it,
but I don't like
the way you look.
A combination of that diet and all
this hard work is too much for you.
(GASPING) Ron! Ron!
Gretchen! Gretchen, Gretchen!
Oh, Gretchen, Gretchen!
Operator, this is an emergency.
Get me the paramedics.
Good morning. Morning.
And now, here's Quincy!
What's that all about?
Well, haven't you heard?
Quincy's gonna be a television star.
Oh, star, star. Yeah!
Wait, now, wait a
minute. What is this?
I don't know
anything about this.
Well, there's nothing to know.
Ch, come on, Quince,
don't be so modest.
If I were gonna be on
the Dick Wilcox Show, I...
The Dick Wilcox Show? Yeah.
Oh, my, my, my!
Oh, my! What's it for?
Well, he's doing
a show on beauty.
You know, fashion,
make up, things like that.
You're the expert.
No, I am not going
to be the expert.
Remember the guy we nailed? The
one who disfigured all those women?
Well, I'm gonna talk about
how to choose a qualified doctor.
Quincy, listen.
This is a great
opportunity to talk
about the department's
appropriations.
They're coming up
for review next week.
Doctor Asten, I
am not gonna turn
this into a pitch
for a bigger budget.
Oh, excuse me. I certainly don't
wanta horn in on your TV time
and talk about the budget.
Good.
I just thought you
might mention how
expensive it is to pursue cases.
It's important, too. Isn't that
important? Isn't that important?
You're gonna talk about
that plastic surgery case?
Do you know what you cost me
in overtime to do all that running.
No, I do not know what
I cost you in overtime.
Look, you shouldn't know,
Quincy. It's not your problem.
Don't you bother about
that. That's my problem.
But nobody asked me to go on TV.
I just stay back
here, finding the funds
to back you up, so
that you can go on TV
and talk about all these
exciting cases that you've solved.
It's okay, It's okay.
MAN: Doctor Quincy?
Your first case is up.
I don't want you to
help. Oh, thank you.
No, my first case
is up. Fine, sure.
Go ahead. It's all right. Fine.
What? I thought it was...
QUINCY: Gretchen Stone, female
Caucasian, twenty-five years old.
Eyes are sunken, Sam.
Look at how the skin
responds when I pinch it.
Yeah, it doesn't snap back.
Yeah, it's an indication
of dehydration.
What were the
circumstances of her death?
Well, she collapsed in the
middle of a photographer's session.
Dead on arrival.
Oh, so she was under hot lights.
Mmm.
Oh, look how dry and
sticky this tissue is.
SAM: A sign of dehydration.
Yeah, just working under the
lights couldn't he responsible.
She looks like she's been
trapped in the desert for a week.
Let's see if we can find
an explanation for all this.
QUINCY: Notice
the ammonia smell?
Maybe she's uremic.
Well, let's see what
the kidneys look like.
The kidney shows subtle damage.
Look how blurred the margin is.
That's not enough to
have killed her. Mmm.
The heart looks flabby.
The valves and coronary
arteries are intact.
But look at the lungs,
pulmonary congestion and edema.
Well, that's consistent
with congestive heart failure.
But the girl was
twenty-five years old, Sam.
Women that age don't usually
arrest for no reason at all.
Maybe the tox screen
will show us something.
I hope so.
I can't certify a cause of
death on what we've seen here.
Let's get on the tox
as soon as possible.
And do a post mortem panel.
Okay. I'll get on it
as soon as we finish.
Quincy, you're still here.
Good, good, good.
You're working late?
I'm waiting for Sam to
finish a lab report. What's up?
Well, I figured it out for you.
Figured what out?
The cost of the
plastic surgery case.
Oh, come on.
Based on a forty-hour week,
you had twenty two and
a half hours overtime.
Now, here are the cost
of administrative services.
Here, mileage for traveling.
Oh, come on, will you? We
didn't do your phone calls.
Will you cut it out? Oh, I would
be one terrific hit, wouldn't I,
if I got up and said,
Ladies and gentlemen,
lemme tell you
about the latest costs
in the medical
examiner's office.
There would be a mad stampede
across America to change channels.
I thought you
could just slip it in
if you had the
facts and figures,
SAM: Hey, Quince.
Look what we got on the
panel on Gretchen Stone.
Oh! Good Lord, what a mess.
Yeah, keto-adidosis, low
blood PH, electrolyte imbalance.
The girl was metabolically
deranged. Everything's outta whack.
Yeah, and look at this. A fairly
high level of methamphetamine.
Yeah, amphetamine,
but it's not on a toxic level.
But it would've increased
blood pressure and heart rate.
Maybe aggravated an arhythmia.
Quincy, what are
you talking about?
We have a dead body with no
clear cause of death. Take a look.
Weil, that's not unusual. Can't
you, uh, diagnose an exclusion?
I could, but I would
like to go into it further.
Does she have
any living relatives?
Yes, a sister, Penny
Stone. They lived together.
She identified the body.
Right address? Mmm-hmm.
I'm gonna take a look.
Quincy, wait,
wait, wait a minute.
Quincy, see, that's
what I'm talkin about.
Now, you're gonna
start running around.
Now, just give me a
second, I'll figure out the cost.
Now, based on a forty-hour
week, we take your weekly sal...
(DOOR BANGING SHUT)
Sam, you had a lot of
overtime last week, didn't you?
Listen, now, based on a forty-hour
week, we take your weekly salary,
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Penny Stone? Yes.
I'm Doctor Quincy. I'm
with the Coroner's Office.
May I talk with you for a
moment? About your sister.
Sure. Come on in.
Thank you.
Sit down. Oh, thanks.
I'm sorry about the way I look.
I understand.
How did she die?
I honestly don't know.
That's why I'm here.
We found a significant level
of a drug, an amphetamine.
Do you have any idea
why she was using it?
She got it from a doctor,
and she was taking
it because of her diet.
A doctor prescribed an
amphetamine to help her lose weight?
Not exactly.
She was on this
really great diet.
She was always on
some really great diet.
But she got awful tired.
Really dragged out.
And she was a model and
needed lots of pep and energy.
So, she got a
doctor to prescribe
an amphetamine for a pick-me-up?
Yeah.
Do you have the pill bottle here,
with the prescription number?
I'd like to know exactly
what she was taking.
Sure. I'll get it.
Here you are. Thank you.
Was your sister on
one of these diets?
All of them, at one
time or another.
She tried every new diet
that came out. We both did.
Only Gretchen had more
will power than I did, obviously.
Until now.
This is the latest.
You're following it, too?
Sure am. A month ago I was
a lot heavier than I am now.
Um, "All-Pro" stands
for all protein, huh?
Yeah, that's about it.
You get all kinds of
protein and nothing to drink.
That's the hard part,
you get so thirsty.
Nothing to drink? But
that could be dangerous.
Lack of fluid could
damage the kidneys.
You need more fluid when
you're on a high-protein...
Holy mackerel.
How long was your
sister on this diet?
About a couple of
months, I guess. Why?
I think I know why she died.
I think it was a combination
of this diet and these pills.
What? May I borrow this book?
Sure, but why?
I wanna do some checking.
And please, Penny,
please, stop this diet.
It can be dangerous.
Even lethal!
That's hard to believe, since
they've sold almost a million copies.
But I'm not gonna quit.
I've been fat all my life
and this is the first time
I've been able to stick
to a diet that really works.
Besides, I owe it to Gretchen.
What do you mean?
I promised her I'd get down to
a hundred and twelve pounds.
And she promised to
get me in as a model.
She's not able to keep her
part of the bargain, but I am.
I'm gonna get as thin
and as pretty as she was
and make her proud of me.
Uh, the last time I
saw her was two...
Oh, let's see, three months ago.
What'd you prescribe?
Hmm, well, the first time she
came in, that was about a year ago,
she had a series of injections.
What kind of injections?
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin.
We're finding it works wonders
in helping people drop weight.
That's just a fancy name for a
component in pregnant women's urine.
It has never been known to have
anything to do with weight loss.
Is there anything else
I can tell you, Doctor?
Yes, you can tell me
what else you prescribed.
Methamphetamine.
QUINCY: An amphetamine? Why?
Well, I don't recall exactly.
You don't recall? Why not?
Look, I mean, I have a record
of writing the prescription.
Did you know she was on a diet?
A crazy fad diet
that put an enormous
strain on her system?
Diet? No. I'm not sure.
Well, didn't you do a
thorough physical examination?
Take a full case history?
We did a routine exam.
And what did that consist of?
Blood pressure? Temperature?
I mean, what kind of an
operation are you running here?
Just what are you
getting at, Doctor Quincy?
I just did an autopsy on a
twenty-five-year-old woman.
A beautiful girl with
her life all in front of her.
I think she may have died
because you didn't take the time
to find out what was
going on with her.
That's what I'm getting at.
Look, you know
as well as I do that
amphetamines are used routinely.
I've done nothing illegal!
It always gets to me, how these
guys can sit back and get rich
by duping the people.
Quincy, settle down.
Now, you know you
can file a complaint
with the Board of
Medical Quality Assurance.
Now, there are controls,
Yeah. A lot of
these doctors work
just within the confines
of those controls.
Nothing illegal,
just questionable.
You can't ever get anything
on them, they're like eels.
Boy, they've really got it in
your craw. What's the book?
That's the diet
Gretchen Stone was on.
Oh, really? 'The All-Pro
Diet for an All New You.
Corrine O'Connor.
Quincy.
What's the matter?
What's the matter?
You're not aware that she's gonna
be on the Wilcox Show with you?
She's gonna be on the show?
Talking about her book.
It's a big best seller already.
That diet can destroy
your body chemistry.
And in the case
of Gretchen Stone,
I think it contributed
to her death.
Oh, boy, oh, boy,
I know the tone.
I know where you're coming from.
Now look, you
cannot go on national
television and take
pot shots at her.
You understand that.
What am I supposed
to do, sit around,
let her get away
with that drivel?
That's exactly what
you'll have to do.
I know it's gonna be tough,
but you are representing the Los
Angeles County Coroner's Ofrice.
You're not a private citizen,
you're a Deputy Medical Examiner.
You have
responsibilities that have
to rise above your
personal feelings.
I know you're right.
Now, I mean it. Not even
a snide remark, Quincy.
I mean, not an
offhand accusation.
Nothing!
Come on, you
understand that, don't you?
Yeah, I understand, all right.
I have to get back to work. Sam.
Quincy sees the sense
of it. He's gonna hold off.
Uh, I wish I owned a farm.
Farm? What are
you talking about?
Because if I did, I'd mortgage the
whole thing and bet it against you.
DICK: All right then, Doctor,
to bring it to a conclusion,
for all the ladies and
gentlemen out there
who are seriously
considering cosmetic surgery.
The final word is...
Well, check out
your plastic surgeon.
The words "Board Certified"
don't necessarily mean
certified in plastic surgery.
Call the American College of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons,
and make sure you're getting
a specialist in plastic surgery.
With a few simple precautions,
you should have no problems.
All right, Dr. Quincy, thank
you. Thank you very much.
So far so good, huh?
SAM: Yeah, but look
who's the next guest.
Our next guest
has written a book
that is already on
the best seller list
after just being in the
stores for a few months.
It's called, "The All-Pro
Diet for an All-New You"
and it's the latest approach to
that age-old subject of dieting.
Ladies and gentlemen,
won't you please welcome,
Miss Corrine O'Connor.
Now, Corrine, I read
something in your biography
that I find absolutely
impossible to believe.
What's that?
Now, it says here that as a
youngster, you were outrageously fat.
Is that true?
Oh, absolutely true, Dick.
I was a real ugly duckling.
Well, I think it's
obvious to everyone
that you've turned
into a lovely swan.
Isn't that true?
CORRINE: Thank you.
I had a monumental
struggle losing weight.
I guess I made every
mistake that you could make.
I suppose that's
why when I got older
I wanted to share what
I'd learned with everybody,
so they wouldn't have the
heartbreaking failures that I did.
DICK: And does this
diet work for anybody?
CORRINE: Oh, yes.
Absolutely anyone.
You know, Dick,
the... the exciting thing
about this diet is
that it works fast.
You know, the problem with diets
is they can be so, overwhelming.
DICK: Mmm. Right?
Of course! You all know
what I'm talking about.
You know, if you have more
than just a few pounds to lose,
well, the diet just
seems to be endless.
With the All-Pro diet,
you get the weight off fast,
and it's sort of a
psychological boost
that, makes you get
the results quickly.
Ah, Doctor Quincy, you look as
though you'd like to chime in here.
Oh, no, no.
No, really, no, really,
it's an open forum here.
A little feedback never
hurt anybody, did it, Corrine?
ASTEN: Uh, Wilcox, no. No,
no, no, no, he doesn't want to talk.
QUINCY: No, as a matter of fact,
I'm under orders from my
boss to keep my big mouth shut.
And he's absolutely right.
I'm here representing the
Medical Examiner's Office.
I'm not here as
a private citizen.
DICK: Okay, fine.
QUINCY: But I would say that
I could never recommend a diet
that made a hero or a villain
out of any one kind of food.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Well, we're all entitled
to our opinion, Doctor,
but I can point to several
hundred case studies of people
that were unable to lose
weight on conventional diets
that were very
successful on this plan.
Oh, I don't question
whether it works.
Just whether it's safe.
As a matter of fact, I don't even
question whether it's dangerous!
This is a dangerous diet!
Of course, your
experience has been
largely with corpses,
hasn't it, Doctor?
I mean, you may not be
entirely qualified to comment.
That's right, I
deal with corpses.
Right now I have
one in my morgue
that's dead
because of this diet.
I don't believe this!
Now, wait a minute here.
Are you saying
that Corrine's diet
is actually responsible
for somebody's death?
You bet I am. I
autopsied a young girl
who would be alive today if
she hadn't followed that diet.
Quincy, shut up.
Please... please!
Well, uh, we've
really got something
going here, ladies
and gentlemen.
We have to break away for a
commercial, and we'll be right back.
You stay with us.
Thank heaven for
commercials. Commercial, Sam.
They'll never let him back.
What are you trying to do to me?
I'm trying to tell you how
dangerous your diet is.
Do you realize how many
people are watching this program?
You're undermining me in
front of millions of people.
That's right. That's
what I'm doing.
I'm gonna undermine that
book right off the market, too.
How dare you!
How dare I, how
dare I? How dare you?
How dare you make being fat
tantamount to being Quasimodo?
Fat is unhealthy,
it is not ugly.
How dare you concoct this,
this tripe that cheats people
who would do
anything, pay anything
if they thought they could
lose weight painlessly!
Loss of weight is a
slow, long-term process,
but you equate it with
romance and glamour.
You promise that it
will be easy, and fast,
and available to anyone
who can afford a book!
Well, it's a lie,
and it's dangerous!
We're getting ready to
come back out of commercial.
CORRINE: You're gonna pay for this,
Doctor. This is really gonna cost you!
QUINCY: It's already
cost somebody her life!
You should have listened
to your boss, Doctor!
My lawyers are gonna be on
top of you by tomorrow morning.
QUINCY: I'm not
interested in your lawyers.
Welcome to World War Three!
(CLAMORING)
You should have
listened to your boss.
I would've won a farm.
Oh, my. My, my, my.
ASTEN: Oh, good
morning. Good morning.
Oh, I forgot
something in my car.
I was waiting in your office.
I wanted to congratulate you
on your television appearance.
Oh, you really
think it went well?
Well, I thought you
were very exciting.
Of course, you could have used a little
more restraint, a little more diplomacy,
been a little more professional.
Okay, so I got a
little carried away.
You got carried away? Gee,
I hadn't thought of it that way.
Well, you saw the way
the guy was pressuring me.
Asked me what I thought and
everything. What was I going to do?
Really? I don't remember
anybody threatening
to pull out your fingernails
if you didn't answer.
You know, you
could've just kept quiet.
Yeah, I guess I could have.
Do you see this?
Yeah. What is it?
It's a summons.
We've been named co-defendants
in a defamation of character
suit for both libel and slander.
They're suing us
for general damages.
That's what I
wanted to tell you.
The process server's
looking for you.
He's gonna slap you with
a suit for punitive damages.
For over a million dollars.
It's gonna really wipe
out your bank account.
You see, they're
not fooling around.
Well, that's it.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
Quincy, I really appreciate
you're saying that.
I really do.
I just wish you'd thought of
that before you began spouting
a lot of unsubstantiated
hypotheses.
Before you'd jeopardize
the reliability of every
future conclusion
coming from the office.
You know, I've heard you say
to Sam, check, double check,
and triple check the results,
but I guess those rules
aren't for you, are they?
Because you can get carried
away, and your feelings,
well, they're worth
much more than your
responsibilities
to this department.
Doctor Asten, that's
not true and you know it.
This department and my job are
the most important things in my life.
And yes, I step out
of bounds sometimes.
I abuse privileges, but not
because I think I'm special.
It's because I think this
department is special,
and should never be handcuffed.
Well, I can't argue
with you there.
But the fact remains,
we are on the hook.
(RUMBLING)
Pete, hold that elevator!
Where are you going?
I'm gonna see if the FDA
will get us off the hook.
Quincy,
I'm not sure the Food and Drug
Administration can help you, Doctor Quincy.
Jut we're talking
about a diet, here.
You guys must have
some jurisdiction,
some control over a diet that's
misleading and dangerous.
Well, was this
diet involved with
a product that was
labeled and sold?
It is a book. It is
sold in book stores.
She goes on the talk
show circuit and hawks it.
Look, the point, and
we seem to be missing it,
is it's a very dangerous diet.
I understand.
Only this is just a
publication and I'm...
I'm afraid no agency
has jurisdiction.
I can't believe that!
Somebody has to protect the
public from these quack diets.
What about that liquid protein?
You threw that off the market.
That was responsible
for several deaths.
I've got a dead girl.
How many do I need?
That was a substance that was
labeled and marketed, not a book.
So anybody could come
up with a cockamamie diet,
sit down, write a book,
and if he's personable
and attractive
and he's dynamic,
he can sell it.
Yeah, that's about it.
Unfortunately, the
only defense against
these charlatans is
a, an informed public.
Well, Mr. Boswell, we both
work for the government.
I was hoping you
would back me up.
Personally, I give you all
the support in the world,
but officially there's not a
thing I can do to help you.
You see, these diet books
fall right in the cracks.
There are no restrictions on
them and there never will be.
How come?
Because the Constitution of
the United States guarantees it.
See, we're talking here about
the First Amendment, Doctor.
Freedom of speech.
The government
could step in and put
restrictions on
books about dieting
then they could put restrictions
on books about anything else.
Nobody knows
where that would lead.
No, this is one of our
fundamental protections, Doctor,
but in the course of our nation's
history a lot of lives have been lost
in order to help us keep it.
Well, I sure put myself
out on a limb this time.
I'm gonna tell you
something, Doctor,
I don't care if you
retract anything.
Hell, I just wanta get
you back on the show.
We can plug you for the
whole week beforehand
and blow the top
right out of the ratings.
The ratings.
Is that's what's important to
you, your ratings, her book sales?
What about the
people whose health is
endangered because
they follow the diet?
Well, that's okay with me, too.
You can say whatever you
want, as long as you come back.
Uh, wait a minute. We were
talking about a retraction.
Who are you?
I'm Peter Holmes.
I am the lawyer
who represents
the Coroner's Office.
Listen, gentlemen, I don't
care anything about a retraction.
I do want Doctor
Quincy back on the show.
If he wants to eat humble
pie, that's fine with me.
But if he wants to make a
fight of it, that's okay, too.
Oh, thanks a lot!
But, and let me make
this very clear, Doctor.
I do want you back on the show,
and if you refuse, we'll
be forced to counter-sue
to regain some of our losses
in the event of a settlement.
Now, I'm booking Corrine
O'Connor as soon as possible,
and I hope to have
confirmation from you.
Goodbye, gentlemen.
Quincy, how do you
feel about, uh, going
on the show and
making a retraction?
Look, I know the
position you're in
and I'm sorry I'm responsible
for putting you there,
but I can't go on
the air and retract
what I said,
because I was right.
There is a girl in the morgue
right now who wouldn't be there
if she hadn't
followed that diet.
What am supposed to do,
stand in front of a camera
and say, 'Look, I'm being sued.
Therefore, I have
to say I was wrong.
It's all right to
destroy yourselves?
How am I supposed to do that?
It doesn't have to be
that strong, Doctor Quincy.
You don't have to
condone that diet.
I'm either for it or against
it. As simple as that!
Oh, no, it's not!
What you've done is to implicate
Corrine O'Connor's
diet in a death!
Now, you can state that
you don't know for sure
that that diet had anything
to do with her death
because you don't! Yes, I do!
I know that the diet and
the pills caused her death.
I can't find anything else that
would've caused the heart attack.
Will you just listen
for one minute?
You better realize the
position you're in, Doctor.
You're in legal quicksand.
And I would advise you, grab
onto that log that I'm handing you.
You've made some libelous
statements, here, that you can't back up
with anything more
than mere supposition.
Furthermore, you're up against
a very dynamic personality
who knows how
to play to that jury,
and that jury will
say what the truth is.
Now, now, you go
back on that show,
and you retract your
statements, or I can guarantee
you that Corrine O'Connor's in
a position to hang you out to dry!
You lost a hundred
and twelve pounds?
A hundred and thirty-two.
Took four years, though.
Well, I sure hope you people can
help me. My back
is against the wall
and I need some information.
Glad to help if we can, Doctor
Quincy. What is it you need to know?
Well, have you ever
heard of this All-Pro diet?
Any stories about
debilitation or death?
Um, not me.
Before I came to
Overeaters Anonymous
I had tried every
diet known to man.
Figured I spent over eight
thousand dollars tryin' to lose weight.
But I never heard
of the All-Pro diet.
Most of us have run the gamut
on diets. Quick diets, crash diets,
low carbohydrate diets,
high carbohydrate diets.
Not to mention pills and
shots and stomach distenders
and electro-shock devices
and massage sponges
and bran tablets.
And acupuncture, and
wiring the jaws shut,
and intestinal bypass surgery.
No, the All-Pro diet
must be fairly recent.
Well, it's been out
a few months now.
Well, this group's been meeting
together for quite a while, now.
Oh, I think most of us
have given up on fad diets.
Yeah, but you're a
huge organization.
Maybe some other
group heard something.
Well, that's true.
We have well over
4,000 groups all over the world.
Now, we don't have an
instant network or anything, but,
I'll see what I can find out.
Thanks. 'Cause I'm
certain that this diet had
something to do
with this girl's death.
People who are obese can
be desperate to lose weight.
I know we've all done
some crazy things.
Until three years
ago I used to go
to a restaurant that
served buffet style.
All you can eat. I'd go
back two and three times,
until I absolutely couldn't stuff
down one more bite of food.
And then I'd go out to
the bathroom and stick
my finger down my
throat and throw it all up.
After that, I'd go back to
the buffet table and start over.
Now when we feel that
way, we call our sponsor.
Sponsor? What's that?
It's another
member of the group.
It's the person you call when
you think you're gonna break down
and gorge on some
chocolate cake.
- Just what an alcoholic does.
- Exactly.
With one important difference. If you're
an alcoholic you can give up alcohol.
If you smoke cigarettes
you can give them up,
but if you're a compulsive
overeater, you can't give up food.
It's a matter of
control, and patience.
I mean, crash
diets just don't work.
I know. I've tried them all.
Thank you all very, very much.
There is this girl, sister
of the girl that died,
she's determined to go on with
this crazy diet. Can you help her?
Doctor Quincy, before
Overeaters Anonymous
could work for anyone,
they have to believe in it.
Now, we'd welcome this woman,
but if she hasn't decided
to take control of her life,
if she's not ready
to acknowledge
that losin' that weight
is a long, slow process,
there isn't much
we can do for her.
Thanks again.
Good luck. Bye-'bye.
Hi, Sam. Hi, Quincy.
- What the heck is all this?
- Fan mail.
- Fan mail?
- Yeah.
It's been comin' in to the
Dick Wilcox Show for you.
They brought it all
over this morning.
You're kiddin'?
"Dear Doctor Quincy,
I just want to know
"I heard you on the
Dick Wilcox Show
"and I say good for you.
"I have wrecked my
health with crash diets,
"losing weight and gaining
it all back again like a yo-yo.
"Somebody has to stand up
and tell people to get some sense.
"Sincerely, Mrs. Allison."
How about that, huh?
Right. Yeah, yeah.
QUINCY: Let's see, another one.
"I'm tired of
fast-talking promoters
"ripping me off with the
promise of a miracle diet.
"Go get 'em, Doctor
Quincy. Skinny Carl."
QUINCY: Oh, these guys
sound like they're mad, don't they?
I don't blame 'em.
Yeah. "Dear Doctor Quincy,
"I always hear you can't
be too thin or too rich.
"Seems to me a lot of people are
getting rich telling me how to get thin.
"Bea Elliot." (PHONE RINGING)
Yeah?
Yes sir. Yeah,
I'll be right there.
Another summons from Asten?
Yeah, and the sound of his voice
tells me there's a
lotta trouble brewing.
You know, I think I'll
bring along my new friends.
Gentlemen.
What is it?
Have you seen this? What?
Penny Stone gave an interview
endorsing the All-Pro diet.
Why would she
do a thing like that?
ASTEN: Well, they talked to
her, found out she was on the diet.
Maybe even offered her
money to make the statement.
Oh, that's terrible.
Exploiting her dead sister's
name just for publicity?
Oh, come on. Doctor Quincy,
you're being a little naive, aren't you?
Don't you know,
there's a war going on.
They're already in the trenches.
You really expect
them to fight fair
with millions of
dollars at stake?
Now, they've got
her in their camp,
and they're gonna use
her any way they can.
You wanta know something?
They're going to win.
RON: Head straight
up, full of poise,
confidence, you're
looking just lovely.
Now, I want you to look
way down for me, way down,
and pick your head
up and shake it for me.
Oh, my God, Penny, when you
do that you look just like Gretchen.
You're gonna be dynamite,
baby, just dynamite.
Okay, we're gonna
take a ten minute break,
and we'll meet back in make-up.
And no snacking, please.
You look very good. Oh, thanks.
You're Penny Stone? Yes.
I'm Doctor Asten, a
friend of Doctor Quincy's.
Oh, you're from
the Coroner's Office.
I'm the Chief Deputy
Medical Examiner.
I left my office because I
thought it was important enough
to talk to you for just
a minute, if I might.
Sure.
Fine. Let's sit down.
How's it goin?
Great.
It may not look like it, but
I'm getting better every day.
I only have 22 more pounds
to lose, and I'm gonna do it.
All on that Pro diet?
Yes. What's wrong with that?
Penny, I think you're fully
aware of our position on that.
I've come here to ask you to
withdraw your endorsement of the diet.
It's a dangerous plan.
It could produce serious effects
in all the people who use it.
Do you have any more proof
than what Doctor Quincy had?
No, but I...
Then I don't see
any reason to quit.
Penny, they're
exploiting you with all this.
They're using you to
influence other people.
Sure, it's possible
that you can stay
on this diet and not
have any problems.
But what about the hundreds
of thousands of others
that take it up because of you?
What if some of them have
the same problem as your sister?
Corrine promised me
there's nothing dangerous.
She showed me
statements from people
who said they never
had any problem.
She's been wonderful
to me. She wouldn't lie.
Neither would Doctor
Quincy, and I wouldn't lie.
I've known Doctor
Quincy a long time.
He's a brilliant pathologist.
Your endorsement's gonna
cause him a great deal of trouble.
It's gonna hurt a lot of people!
Well, nobody asked
him to get involved in this.
I'm sorry, but he's
not my responsibility.
Penny!
What're they giving
you for this, Penny?
A new life.
An exciting one.
They're paying for these classes,
they bought me a wardrobe,
and they'll buy me more
if I keep losing weight.
They got me a new hair style.
Doctor Asten, this is my chance.
Corrine wants me to succeed.
She wants to see me look pretty.
This is the first time
since Gretehen died
that I feel like
I have a friend.
You've got to understand,
I'm not going to fail this time.
Uh, I don't know
what you were hoping
to find, going back to the body.
I don't know either, Sam. I
was hoping to find something...
Something that would
tell me why she died.
Well, you've gone
over her at least
five times and can't
find anything different.
It may be that she died of cardiac
failure for unknown reasons.
I don't buy that, Sam. I think
her heart was perfectly normal
until her body was introduced to
that diet and those amphetamines.
That's what caused the arrest!
But it may be hard to make
that stand up in a courtroom.
Maybe we'd have a better
shot at a coroner's inquest.
Get the report.
Let's go see Asten.
And the second autopsy
verified the findings of the first,
including the conclusion,
death by cardiac arrest.
You haven't found anything
you didn't find the first time!
Now, what's a coroner's
inquest gonna prove?
The fact that we found no
anatomic cause for heart failure
means there must have been
physiologic and biologic factors involved!
To me, that is the diet
and the amphetamines.
I wanna hold a
coroner's inquest because
I wanna establish that
as the manner of death.
And if the findings
back my conclusions,
I can face that civil suit
with a lot of ammunition!
But if the Coroner's Inquest
does not back your conclusions
we go to court with
three strikes against us!
Quincy, listen, I
talked to Penny Stone.
Now, they're preying on
that poor girl's emotions.
She's gonna be
their star witness.
That's gonna be really
difficult to overcome.
So, no, absolutely not! I
don't dare call an inquest!
A loss there, plus your
refusal to make a retraction,
and we're in an absolutely
untenable position.
Go on, come on! All right, okay!
Okay, if the coroner's
inquest doesn't back us up,
I'll go on the Dick Wilcox
Show and I'll make a retraction.
A retraction?
That's what you want, isn't it?
You promise?
Cross my heart.
ASTEN: Sam, you heard
him. You're a witness.
All right, against my better
judgment, we have a deal.
You get your inquest.
Thank you. Sam!
And would you tell the jury
what phenomena were present
to make you suspect
the deceased's death
was due to the diet she was on.
Well, the body was
excessively dehydrated.
A logical consequence of
a low fluid, high protein diet.
There was kidney damage
and uremia consistent
with the excessive
breakdown product
that accumulates
from so much protein.
The heart was
swollen and flabby,
indicating
electrolyte imbalance.
In addition, there was a high
level of methamphetamine.
A drug that would cause
an irritability to the heart
and make it more
sensitive to an arrhythmia.
Mr. Barnes, any questions?
Uh, yes. Thank you.
Doctor Quincy, is it possible
that this young woman
would have died of heart failure
even if she hadn't
been on this diet?
Uh, hadn't taken
the amphetamines?
Well, yes, it's possible,
but I don't think...
Uh... thank you. No
more questions, Doctor.
Doctor Quincy, you didn't
have a chance to answer.
Would you care
to? Yes, thank you.
In my opinion, the
diet and amphetamine
were directly
contributory to her death,
INQUEST OFFICER: But that is
strictly your opinion, is that right?
Yes, sir.
INQUEST OFFICER: Thank you
Dr. Quincy, you may step down.
The Coroner calls Ron
Morgan to the stand.
She just keeled over.
She was clutching at her
chest and gasping for air.
She was all pale and sweaty.
What did you think
was happening?
Well, all I could think of at
the time was a heart attack.
INQUEST OFFICER: Thank you,
Mr. Morgan. The court calls Doctor Fulton.
I examined her
on her first visit
and found no evidence
of an abnormal heart.
In my opinion, she was an
absolutely healthy young woman,
with no contra-indications.
You prescribed amphetamines.
You didn't even bother
to find out about her diet!
It was your job to know!
INQUEST OFFICER: (BANGING
MALLET) Doctor Quincy, please!
You know we can't
tolerate that kind of behavior.
Now, any more
outbursts like that
and I'll have to ask you
to leave the hearing room.
Thank you, Doctor.
You're excused.
The Court now calls
Corrine O'Connor.
I documented several
hundred case studies,
prepared while I was
developing this diet.
There were no instances of
collapse. Certainly no deaths.
No evidence whatsoever
that there were
any debilitating
effects from this plan.
In fact, the subjects
inevitably lost weight.
Miss O'Connor, were any of
these several hundred people
given complete
physical examinations?
No. There was no need.
They were all perfectly healthy.
They felt fine.
Thank you, Miss
O'Connor. You're dismissed.
I don't like the way it's going.
Take it easy. We
haven't lost yet.
It just doesn't feel right.
BARNES: Penny,
your mother and Gretchen's
passed away two years ago.
That's right.
What was the cause of death?
She had a heart attack.
As did your sister.
No more questions. Thank you.
What's he tryin' to pull?
He's implying that
it runs in the family,
and he's doing
it very well, too.
The official determination of
this inquest is that Gretchen Stone
died of cardiac arrest.
There is not sufficient evidence
to certify diet or medication
as contributory to death.
That concludes this inquest.
Congratulations.
Oh, thank you.
Well done.
CORRINE: Oh, thank you.
Gentlemen, you
put up a good fight.
Evidently not good enough.
I know how discouraged
you must feel.
This makes, your position
in court even more shaky.
If you'll excuse me. Uh,
just a moment, Doctor.
There's something I
think we should discuss.
Let's hear him out, Quincy.
Thank you.
Corrine, my client,
is a very gracious woman.
She doesn't really want a
lot of money from you, Doctor.
All she wants to do is to have
her good name cleared in public.
Now, we're gonna make a
reappearance on the Wilcox Show
and, uh, we would
appreciate it very much
if you would come
on the show with us,
report what happened
at this inquest,
and, uh, retract some
of the rather harsh
statements you
made the last time.
Let me tell you something...
Uh, no, not now, please. I
don't want your answer now.
Think it over.
Just remember, if you accept,
we drop the lawsuit entirely.
If you refuse...
see you in court.
And rake you over the coals.
Thank you, Gentlemen.
Be waiting to hear from you.
That is absolutely incredible.
And there's no hunger, nothing
like that at all to suffer with.
Uh, Rick, let's do
something for the audience.
Let's dolly in and nice
close shot of this lady.
Uh, no fancy moves. Just
get over there. All right?
Now, take a good look at this
lovely lady, ladies and gentlemen,
because in about two
minutes, I'm going to show you
some rather remarkable
photographs of Penny Stone,
when she was... I don't
mean to embarrass you,
but you don't mind
if I say that you were
not quite as svelt as
you are now, right?
Is obese too tough a
word for you to handle?
All right, Rick, let's... I didn't
want this to go into a romance.
You can back up and...
And let me back in.
Get the big guy,
okay? Are you ready?
All right, these
are the remarkable
photographs I was talking about.
You lost all that weight
in just six weeks?
Yes, on the All-Pro diet.
Well, that's really remarkable.
Isn't it, ladies and gentlemen?
And, we're gonna
hear more from Penny,
and we're gonna be joined by
best-selling author
Corrine O'Connor
and medical examiner
Doctor Quincy
right after these
words. Stay with us.
Okay, Doctor Quincy,
Corrine, you wanta come on out,
and we'll have you seated when
we come back from the break.
Penny, I've been watching you
on the monitor. Are you all right?
I'm fine. Are you sure?
You want some water?
No, thanks. I'm fine.
We better get out from
under these lights. Come on,
I'll be okay, Doctor Quincy.
Penny, your pulse is irregular.
Your heart is throwing
extra contractions.
Don't you see, it's what
happened to your sister,
that diet and those
pills, under the hot lights.
Dehydration, exhaustion, she began
having pre-ventricular contractions,
just like you're
having! Stop it!
You're ruining everything!
I wanta do the show.
DICK: All right, we'll
be coming back out
of commercial in
five, four, three, two...
All right, we're back now, with Penny
Stone, a very courageous young lady
who's fighting a winning
battle against being over-weight,
and we're being joined by
two people you may remember.
Now, the last time we
had them on the show,
it was like sitting
between two piranha fish.
Tonight, it's more like
sitting between two doves.
Won't you welcome, please,
best-selling author, Corrine O'Connor,
and Doctor Quincy, from
the Medical Examiner's Office.
Now, Corrine, you must be very,
very proud of your
protegee, here.
Oh, I certainly am, Dick.
She's a real little trouper.
But I want to know what
Doctor Quincy thinks.
Well, when I was
on your show last
time, we talked about
the diet. I really...
(CORRINE SHRIEKS)
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
Listen, get ready
for a commercial.
She just had a little
accident, fainted.
We'll get her some water.
We'll be right back right after this.
QUINCY: Turn off
those lights! What is it?
Her pulse is weak,
plus she's dehydrated.
She's in a condition where
her heart can go just like that.
Will ya' turn off those lights?
Get me a wet cloth, please.
Uh, well, uh, listen, Doctor,
maybe we should get her back stage.
I mean, we can't do a show
with a body on the floor.
Come on, lets
get her back stage!
QUINCY: Keep your hands off her.
Doctor Quincy, we're
coming out of commercial.
You know what you can do
with your commercial, don't ya?
Doctor, you know what it
means if we come back to her?
Doctor Quincy,
did the diet do this?
You bet the diet did it.
Oh, my God!
But you don't have to worry.
Your ratings will go
right through the roof.
Uh, Corrine, uh, help me.
So many flowers, and
they're so beautiful.
People sent them to me
from all over the country.
Yeah.
You must think I'm pretty stupid,
Doctor Quincy. And stubborn.
No, I think you wanted
something very badly,
and just tried
too hard to get it.
I still don't understand
what it was that made
Gretchen and me
react the way we did.
Well, let me see if I can
make you understand.
You have what we call
a complex arrhythmia.
Now, it's a minor
heart condition.
Thousands of people
have the same thing.
You could go your whole
life and not know you have it.
In fact, most people do.
But we went on a severe diet.
Yeah. That, among other things.
Your diet produced a strain on
your kidneys. It left you dehydrated.
And then, to add to the
problem, you took amphetamines,
which irritated your heart.
And then when you were under
the hot lights your body overheated,
just like your sister,
Gretchen, when she collapsed.
All of these elements conspired
to make your heart unstable.
And other people
who bought the book
and went on the diet
could be hurt by it, too.
Absolutely. But now,
you're off the diet
and you're off the amphetamines,
so your heart should
be functioning normally.
So, you think you can handle the
Dick Wilcox Show tomorrow night?
They want me to go on
the Dick Wilcox Show again?
Why not? You're American's
Sweetheart, aren't ya'?
Only this time, you're gonna
tell the truth about dieting.
You know, I invited Helen to
come along, Doctor Quincy.
She's my sponsor at
Overeaters Anonymous.
Well, it's nice to
have you here.
Danny's making
the dinner himself.
I told him to
make it very light.
What d'ya mean,
light? You promised
us a celebration for
the past two weeks.
Now, we expected
a feast, you know?
That's what you're
gonna get a light feast.
That's what you
need, a light feast.
I wanta get some of
Danny's garlic bread.
Would I let you down,
hmm? A surprise for everyone.
A symphony of
northern Italian food.
Michelangelo on
the table, Da Vinci
on the plate. Not
a bad pitch, huh?
Can I talk to you for a
minute? Excuse us, please.
Are you crazy? I told you
these women were on a diet.
A reducing diet,
not a gaining diet.
Okay, does that mean you can't
enjoy a meal once in a while?
But you gave them...
This is a celebration. Relax.
Have a heart. Sit. Please sit.
Lasagna, with stuffed pasta...
He made lasagna! I
told you guys it'd be okay.
Look at that! Look at...
And spaghetti next.
Ohhh! Look at this, Brill.
Eggplant, oh!
DANNY: And an Italian salad.
Okay.
This meal would
fatten up a skeleton!
Don't talk shop. Do you realize
this is an overeater's delight?
This spaghetti and lasagna is
made with whole wheat pasta,
dry curd, cottage cheese,
skimmed mozzarella, parsley.
The sauce? Ah, tomatoes
and seasoning. That's it.
Garlic, onion, parsley,
oregano. No oil, no salt.
The eggplant? A modicum,
a modicum of hoop cheese.
The salad is dressed with a miniscule
amount of wine, vinegar and mustard.
This dinner is so low calorie, you
will be hungry before you've finished.
Eddie, pass me a modicum
and a miniscule of the lasagna.
You got it! Here it is.
Gretchen! Gretchen, Gretchen!
The girl was metabolically
deranged. Everything's outta whack.
Are you saying
that Corrine's diet
is actually responsible
for somebody's death?
You bet I am.
Do you realize how many
people are watching this program?
You're undermining me in
front of millions of people.
We've been named
co-defendants in a defamation suit.
You're in legal quicksand
(CORRINE SHRIEKING)
Oh, my God!
Did the diet do this?
You bet the diet did it.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Right, right, right.
Shake your hair, nice,
yeah, atta way, honey.
Atta girl, looking
great, looking great.
That's it, have a
good time, honey.
Smile, nice, okay, throw your
hair around, ahh, that away, honey.
Oh, terrific, good stuff, give
me some sweetness, come on,
nice, turn, have a good time
with it, now, right, the hair.
Lookin' good, nice.
Oh, that's it, come
on. You look great.
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
Keep moving. Keep moving.
You're perspiring a lot
more today than usual.
You're not moving
too quickly either.
But that's okay,
we're almost finished.
Okay, now, looking up, and nice.
Okay, give me the front.
Let me see the suit.
Oh, good, good, nice.
Okay, Gretehen?
I'm okay. Okay.
And, there you go.
That's it, good, okay,
now sit down over there.
Great, wonderful, right,
gimme the legs the other way.
Come on, that's right,
okay, nice, uh-huh.
Are you okay?
It's just hot up here.
You want a glass of water?
No. No water.
Are you still on that diet?
Maybe we should
rest for a while.
No, I'm okay, Ron.
You're pushin'
yourself too hard, babe.
But you're gonna
rest for a while.
No.
Now look, don't argue with me.
And besides, I have
to reload the camera.
Wait, I'll get you a chair.
We've got it. Don't
worry about it. That's it.
We're doin' real well.
Don't worry about a thing.
We're gettin' some
really good stuff here.
(GASPING)
Oh, I think we got some
dynamite stuff here, Gretchen.
I really do. I think
we got a cover on it,
but I don't like
the way you look.
A combination of that diet and all
this hard work is too much for you.
(GASPING) Ron! Ron!
Gretchen! Gretchen, Gretchen!
Oh, Gretchen, Gretchen!
Operator, this is an emergency.
Get me the paramedics.
Good morning. Morning.
And now, here's Quincy!
What's that all about?
Well, haven't you heard?
Quincy's gonna be a television star.
Oh, star, star. Yeah!
Wait, now, wait a
minute. What is this?
I don't know
anything about this.
Well, there's nothing to know.
Ch, come on, Quince,
don't be so modest.
If I were gonna be on
the Dick Wilcox Show, I...
The Dick Wilcox Show? Yeah.
Oh, my, my, my!
Oh, my! What's it for?
Well, he's doing
a show on beauty.
You know, fashion,
make up, things like that.
You're the expert.
No, I am not going
to be the expert.
Remember the guy we nailed? The
one who disfigured all those women?
Well, I'm gonna talk about
how to choose a qualified doctor.
Quincy, listen.
This is a great
opportunity to talk
about the department's
appropriations.
They're coming up
for review next week.
Doctor Asten, I
am not gonna turn
this into a pitch
for a bigger budget.
Oh, excuse me. I certainly don't
wanta horn in on your TV time
and talk about the budget.
Good.
I just thought you
might mention how
expensive it is to pursue cases.
It's important, too. Isn't that
important? Isn't that important?
You're gonna talk about
that plastic surgery case?
Do you know what you cost me
in overtime to do all that running.
No, I do not know what
I cost you in overtime.
Look, you shouldn't know,
Quincy. It's not your problem.
Don't you bother about
that. That's my problem.
But nobody asked me to go on TV.
I just stay back
here, finding the funds
to back you up, so
that you can go on TV
and talk about all these
exciting cases that you've solved.
It's okay, It's okay.
MAN: Doctor Quincy?
Your first case is up.
I don't want you to
help. Oh, thank you.
No, my first case
is up. Fine, sure.
Go ahead. It's all right. Fine.
What? I thought it was...
QUINCY: Gretchen Stone, female
Caucasian, twenty-five years old.
Eyes are sunken, Sam.
Look at how the skin
responds when I pinch it.
Yeah, it doesn't snap back.
Yeah, it's an indication
of dehydration.
What were the
circumstances of her death?
Well, she collapsed in the
middle of a photographer's session.
Dead on arrival.
Oh, so she was under hot lights.
Mmm.
Oh, look how dry and
sticky this tissue is.
SAM: A sign of dehydration.
Yeah, just working under the
lights couldn't he responsible.
She looks like she's been
trapped in the desert for a week.
Let's see if we can find
an explanation for all this.
QUINCY: Notice
the ammonia smell?
Maybe she's uremic.
Well, let's see what
the kidneys look like.
The kidney shows subtle damage.
Look how blurred the margin is.
That's not enough to
have killed her. Mmm.
The heart looks flabby.
The valves and coronary
arteries are intact.
But look at the lungs,
pulmonary congestion and edema.
Well, that's consistent
with congestive heart failure.
But the girl was
twenty-five years old, Sam.
Women that age don't usually
arrest for no reason at all.
Maybe the tox screen
will show us something.
I hope so.
I can't certify a cause of
death on what we've seen here.
Let's get on the tox
as soon as possible.
And do a post mortem panel.
Okay. I'll get on it
as soon as we finish.
Quincy, you're still here.
Good, good, good.
You're working late?
I'm waiting for Sam to
finish a lab report. What's up?
Well, I figured it out for you.
Figured what out?
The cost of the
plastic surgery case.
Oh, come on.
Based on a forty-hour week,
you had twenty two and
a half hours overtime.
Now, here are the cost
of administrative services.
Here, mileage for traveling.
Oh, come on, will you? We
didn't do your phone calls.
Will you cut it out? Oh, I would
be one terrific hit, wouldn't I,
if I got up and said,
Ladies and gentlemen,
lemme tell you
about the latest costs
in the medical
examiner's office.
There would be a mad stampede
across America to change channels.
I thought you
could just slip it in
if you had the
facts and figures,
SAM: Hey, Quince.
Look what we got on the
panel on Gretchen Stone.
Oh! Good Lord, what a mess.
Yeah, keto-adidosis, low
blood PH, electrolyte imbalance.
The girl was metabolically
deranged. Everything's outta whack.
Yeah, and look at this. A fairly
high level of methamphetamine.
Yeah, amphetamine,
but it's not on a toxic level.
But it would've increased
blood pressure and heart rate.
Maybe aggravated an arhythmia.
Quincy, what are
you talking about?
We have a dead body with no
clear cause of death. Take a look.
Weil, that's not unusual. Can't
you, uh, diagnose an exclusion?
I could, but I would
like to go into it further.
Does she have
any living relatives?
Yes, a sister, Penny
Stone. They lived together.
She identified the body.
Right address? Mmm-hmm.
I'm gonna take a look.
Quincy, wait,
wait, wait a minute.
Quincy, see, that's
what I'm talkin about.
Now, you're gonna
start running around.
Now, just give me a
second, I'll figure out the cost.
Now, based on a forty-hour
week, we take your weekly sal...
(DOOR BANGING SHUT)
Sam, you had a lot of
overtime last week, didn't you?
Listen, now, based on a forty-hour
week, we take your weekly salary,
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Penny Stone? Yes.
I'm Doctor Quincy. I'm
with the Coroner's Office.
May I talk with you for a
moment? About your sister.
Sure. Come on in.
Thank you.
Sit down. Oh, thanks.
I'm sorry about the way I look.
I understand.
How did she die?
I honestly don't know.
That's why I'm here.
We found a significant level
of a drug, an amphetamine.
Do you have any idea
why she was using it?
She got it from a doctor,
and she was taking
it because of her diet.
A doctor prescribed an
amphetamine to help her lose weight?
Not exactly.
She was on this
really great diet.
She was always on
some really great diet.
But she got awful tired.
Really dragged out.
And she was a model and
needed lots of pep and energy.
So, she got a
doctor to prescribe
an amphetamine for a pick-me-up?
Yeah.
Do you have the pill bottle here,
with the prescription number?
I'd like to know exactly
what she was taking.
Sure. I'll get it.
Here you are. Thank you.
Was your sister on
one of these diets?
All of them, at one
time or another.
She tried every new diet
that came out. We both did.
Only Gretchen had more
will power than I did, obviously.
Until now.
This is the latest.
You're following it, too?
Sure am. A month ago I was
a lot heavier than I am now.
Um, "All-Pro" stands
for all protein, huh?
Yeah, that's about it.
You get all kinds of
protein and nothing to drink.
That's the hard part,
you get so thirsty.
Nothing to drink? But
that could be dangerous.
Lack of fluid could
damage the kidneys.
You need more fluid when
you're on a high-protein...
Holy mackerel.
How long was your
sister on this diet?
About a couple of
months, I guess. Why?
I think I know why she died.
I think it was a combination
of this diet and these pills.
What? May I borrow this book?
Sure, but why?
I wanna do some checking.
And please, Penny,
please, stop this diet.
It can be dangerous.
Even lethal!
That's hard to believe, since
they've sold almost a million copies.
But I'm not gonna quit.
I've been fat all my life
and this is the first time
I've been able to stick
to a diet that really works.
Besides, I owe it to Gretchen.
What do you mean?
I promised her I'd get down to
a hundred and twelve pounds.
And she promised to
get me in as a model.
She's not able to keep her
part of the bargain, but I am.
I'm gonna get as thin
and as pretty as she was
and make her proud of me.
Uh, the last time I
saw her was two...
Oh, let's see, three months ago.
What'd you prescribe?
Hmm, well, the first time she
came in, that was about a year ago,
she had a series of injections.
What kind of injections?
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin.
We're finding it works wonders
in helping people drop weight.
That's just a fancy name for a
component in pregnant women's urine.
It has never been known to have
anything to do with weight loss.
Is there anything else
I can tell you, Doctor?
Yes, you can tell me
what else you prescribed.
Methamphetamine.
QUINCY: An amphetamine? Why?
Well, I don't recall exactly.
You don't recall? Why not?
Look, I mean, I have a record
of writing the prescription.
Did you know she was on a diet?
A crazy fad diet
that put an enormous
strain on her system?
Diet? No. I'm not sure.
Well, didn't you do a
thorough physical examination?
Take a full case history?
We did a routine exam.
And what did that consist of?
Blood pressure? Temperature?
I mean, what kind of an
operation are you running here?
Just what are you
getting at, Doctor Quincy?
I just did an autopsy on a
twenty-five-year-old woman.
A beautiful girl with
her life all in front of her.
I think she may have died
because you didn't take the time
to find out what was
going on with her.
That's what I'm getting at.
Look, you know
as well as I do that
amphetamines are used routinely.
I've done nothing illegal!
It always gets to me, how these
guys can sit back and get rich
by duping the people.
Quincy, settle down.
Now, you know you
can file a complaint
with the Board of
Medical Quality Assurance.
Now, there are controls,
Yeah. A lot of
these doctors work
just within the confines
of those controls.
Nothing illegal,
just questionable.
You can't ever get anything
on them, they're like eels.
Boy, they've really got it in
your craw. What's the book?
That's the diet
Gretchen Stone was on.
Oh, really? 'The All-Pro
Diet for an All New You.
Corrine O'Connor.
Quincy.
What's the matter?
What's the matter?
You're not aware that she's gonna
be on the Wilcox Show with you?
She's gonna be on the show?
Talking about her book.
It's a big best seller already.
That diet can destroy
your body chemistry.
And in the case
of Gretchen Stone,
I think it contributed
to her death.
Oh, boy, oh, boy,
I know the tone.
I know where you're coming from.
Now look, you
cannot go on national
television and take
pot shots at her.
You understand that.
What am I supposed
to do, sit around,
let her get away
with that drivel?
That's exactly what
you'll have to do.
I know it's gonna be tough,
but you are representing the Los
Angeles County Coroner's Ofrice.
You're not a private citizen,
you're a Deputy Medical Examiner.
You have
responsibilities that have
to rise above your
personal feelings.
I know you're right.
Now, I mean it. Not even
a snide remark, Quincy.
I mean, not an
offhand accusation.
Nothing!
Come on, you
understand that, don't you?
Yeah, I understand, all right.
I have to get back to work. Sam.
Quincy sees the sense
of it. He's gonna hold off.
Uh, I wish I owned a farm.
Farm? What are
you talking about?
Because if I did, I'd mortgage the
whole thing and bet it against you.
DICK: All right then, Doctor,
to bring it to a conclusion,
for all the ladies and
gentlemen out there
who are seriously
considering cosmetic surgery.
The final word is...
Well, check out
your plastic surgeon.
The words "Board Certified"
don't necessarily mean
certified in plastic surgery.
Call the American College of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons,
and make sure you're getting
a specialist in plastic surgery.
With a few simple precautions,
you should have no problems.
All right, Dr. Quincy, thank
you. Thank you very much.
So far so good, huh?
SAM: Yeah, but look
who's the next guest.
Our next guest
has written a book
that is already on
the best seller list
after just being in the
stores for a few months.
It's called, "The All-Pro
Diet for an All-New You"
and it's the latest approach to
that age-old subject of dieting.
Ladies and gentlemen,
won't you please welcome,
Miss Corrine O'Connor.
Now, Corrine, I read
something in your biography
that I find absolutely
impossible to believe.
What's that?
Now, it says here that as a
youngster, you were outrageously fat.
Is that true?
Oh, absolutely true, Dick.
I was a real ugly duckling.
Well, I think it's
obvious to everyone
that you've turned
into a lovely swan.
Isn't that true?
CORRINE: Thank you.
I had a monumental
struggle losing weight.
I guess I made every
mistake that you could make.
I suppose that's
why when I got older
I wanted to share what
I'd learned with everybody,
so they wouldn't have the
heartbreaking failures that I did.
DICK: And does this
diet work for anybody?
CORRINE: Oh, yes.
Absolutely anyone.
You know, Dick,
the... the exciting thing
about this diet is
that it works fast.
You know, the problem with diets
is they can be so, overwhelming.
DICK: Mmm. Right?
Of course! You all know
what I'm talking about.
You know, if you have more
than just a few pounds to lose,
well, the diet just
seems to be endless.
With the All-Pro diet,
you get the weight off fast,
and it's sort of a
psychological boost
that, makes you get
the results quickly.
Ah, Doctor Quincy, you look as
though you'd like to chime in here.
Oh, no, no.
No, really, no, really,
it's an open forum here.
A little feedback never
hurt anybody, did it, Corrine?
ASTEN: Uh, Wilcox, no. No,
no, no, no, he doesn't want to talk.
QUINCY: No, as a matter of fact,
I'm under orders from my
boss to keep my big mouth shut.
And he's absolutely right.
I'm here representing the
Medical Examiner's Office.
I'm not here as
a private citizen.
DICK: Okay, fine.
QUINCY: But I would say that
I could never recommend a diet
that made a hero or a villain
out of any one kind of food.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
Well, we're all entitled
to our opinion, Doctor,
but I can point to several
hundred case studies of people
that were unable to lose
weight on conventional diets
that were very
successful on this plan.
Oh, I don't question
whether it works.
Just whether it's safe.
As a matter of fact, I don't even
question whether it's dangerous!
This is a dangerous diet!
Of course, your
experience has been
largely with corpses,
hasn't it, Doctor?
I mean, you may not be
entirely qualified to comment.
That's right, I
deal with corpses.
Right now I have
one in my morgue
that's dead
because of this diet.
I don't believe this!
Now, wait a minute here.
Are you saying
that Corrine's diet
is actually responsible
for somebody's death?
You bet I am. I
autopsied a young girl
who would be alive today if
she hadn't followed that diet.
Quincy, shut up.
Please... please!
Well, uh, we've
really got something
going here, ladies
and gentlemen.
We have to break away for a
commercial, and we'll be right back.
You stay with us.
Thank heaven for
commercials. Commercial, Sam.
They'll never let him back.
What are you trying to do to me?
I'm trying to tell you how
dangerous your diet is.
Do you realize how many
people are watching this program?
You're undermining me in
front of millions of people.
That's right. That's
what I'm doing.
I'm gonna undermine that
book right off the market, too.
How dare you!
How dare I, how
dare I? How dare you?
How dare you make being fat
tantamount to being Quasimodo?
Fat is unhealthy,
it is not ugly.
How dare you concoct this,
this tripe that cheats people
who would do
anything, pay anything
if they thought they could
lose weight painlessly!
Loss of weight is a
slow, long-term process,
but you equate it with
romance and glamour.
You promise that it
will be easy, and fast,
and available to anyone
who can afford a book!
Well, it's a lie,
and it's dangerous!
We're getting ready to
come back out of commercial.
CORRINE: You're gonna pay for this,
Doctor. This is really gonna cost you!
QUINCY: It's already
cost somebody her life!
You should have listened
to your boss, Doctor!
My lawyers are gonna be on
top of you by tomorrow morning.
QUINCY: I'm not
interested in your lawyers.
Welcome to World War Three!
(CLAMORING)
You should have
listened to your boss.
I would've won a farm.
Oh, my. My, my, my.
ASTEN: Oh, good
morning. Good morning.
Oh, I forgot
something in my car.
I was waiting in your office.
I wanted to congratulate you
on your television appearance.
Oh, you really
think it went well?
Well, I thought you
were very exciting.
Of course, you could have used a little
more restraint, a little more diplomacy,
been a little more professional.
Okay, so I got a
little carried away.
You got carried away? Gee,
I hadn't thought of it that way.
Well, you saw the way
the guy was pressuring me.
Asked me what I thought and
everything. What was I going to do?
Really? I don't remember
anybody threatening
to pull out your fingernails
if you didn't answer.
You know, you
could've just kept quiet.
Yeah, I guess I could have.
Do you see this?
Yeah. What is it?
It's a summons.
We've been named co-defendants
in a defamation of character
suit for both libel and slander.
They're suing us
for general damages.
That's what I
wanted to tell you.
The process server's
looking for you.
He's gonna slap you with
a suit for punitive damages.
For over a million dollars.
It's gonna really wipe
out your bank account.
You see, they're
not fooling around.
Well, that's it.
I'm sorry.
You're sorry?
Quincy, I really appreciate
you're saying that.
I really do.
I just wish you'd thought of
that before you began spouting
a lot of unsubstantiated
hypotheses.
Before you'd jeopardize
the reliability of every
future conclusion
coming from the office.
You know, I've heard you say
to Sam, check, double check,
and triple check the results,
but I guess those rules
aren't for you, are they?
Because you can get carried
away, and your feelings,
well, they're worth
much more than your
responsibilities
to this department.
Doctor Asten, that's
not true and you know it.
This department and my job are
the most important things in my life.
And yes, I step out
of bounds sometimes.
I abuse privileges, but not
because I think I'm special.
It's because I think this
department is special,
and should never be handcuffed.
Well, I can't argue
with you there.
But the fact remains,
we are on the hook.
(RUMBLING)
Pete, hold that elevator!
Where are you going?
I'm gonna see if the FDA
will get us off the hook.
Quincy,
I'm not sure the Food and Drug
Administration can help you, Doctor Quincy.
Jut we're talking
about a diet, here.
You guys must have
some jurisdiction,
some control over a diet that's
misleading and dangerous.
Well, was this
diet involved with
a product that was
labeled and sold?
It is a book. It is
sold in book stores.
She goes on the talk
show circuit and hawks it.
Look, the point, and
we seem to be missing it,
is it's a very dangerous diet.
I understand.
Only this is just a
publication and I'm...
I'm afraid no agency
has jurisdiction.
I can't believe that!
Somebody has to protect the
public from these quack diets.
What about that liquid protein?
You threw that off the market.
That was responsible
for several deaths.
I've got a dead girl.
How many do I need?
That was a substance that was
labeled and marketed, not a book.
So anybody could come
up with a cockamamie diet,
sit down, write a book,
and if he's personable
and attractive
and he's dynamic,
he can sell it.
Yeah, that's about it.
Unfortunately, the
only defense against
these charlatans is
a, an informed public.
Well, Mr. Boswell, we both
work for the government.
I was hoping you
would back me up.
Personally, I give you all
the support in the world,
but officially there's not a
thing I can do to help you.
You see, these diet books
fall right in the cracks.
There are no restrictions on
them and there never will be.
How come?
Because the Constitution of
the United States guarantees it.
See, we're talking here about
the First Amendment, Doctor.
Freedom of speech.
The government
could step in and put
restrictions on
books about dieting
then they could put restrictions
on books about anything else.
Nobody knows
where that would lead.
No, this is one of our
fundamental protections, Doctor,
but in the course of our nation's
history a lot of lives have been lost
in order to help us keep it.
Well, I sure put myself
out on a limb this time.
I'm gonna tell you
something, Doctor,
I don't care if you
retract anything.
Hell, I just wanta get
you back on the show.
We can plug you for the
whole week beforehand
and blow the top
right out of the ratings.
The ratings.
Is that's what's important to
you, your ratings, her book sales?
What about the
people whose health is
endangered because
they follow the diet?
Well, that's okay with me, too.
You can say whatever you
want, as long as you come back.
Uh, wait a minute. We were
talking about a retraction.
Who are you?
I'm Peter Holmes.
I am the lawyer
who represents
the Coroner's Office.
Listen, gentlemen, I don't
care anything about a retraction.
I do want Doctor
Quincy back on the show.
If he wants to eat humble
pie, that's fine with me.
But if he wants to make a
fight of it, that's okay, too.
Oh, thanks a lot!
But, and let me make
this very clear, Doctor.
I do want you back on the show,
and if you refuse, we'll
be forced to counter-sue
to regain some of our losses
in the event of a settlement.
Now, I'm booking Corrine
O'Connor as soon as possible,
and I hope to have
confirmation from you.
Goodbye, gentlemen.
Quincy, how do you
feel about, uh, going
on the show and
making a retraction?
Look, I know the
position you're in
and I'm sorry I'm responsible
for putting you there,
but I can't go on
the air and retract
what I said,
because I was right.
There is a girl in the morgue
right now who wouldn't be there
if she hadn't
followed that diet.
What am supposed to do,
stand in front of a camera
and say, 'Look, I'm being sued.
Therefore, I have
to say I was wrong.
It's all right to
destroy yourselves?
How am I supposed to do that?
It doesn't have to be
that strong, Doctor Quincy.
You don't have to
condone that diet.
I'm either for it or against
it. As simple as that!
Oh, no, it's not!
What you've done is to implicate
Corrine O'Connor's
diet in a death!
Now, you can state that
you don't know for sure
that that diet had anything
to do with her death
because you don't! Yes, I do!
I know that the diet and
the pills caused her death.
I can't find anything else that
would've caused the heart attack.
Will you just listen
for one minute?
You better realize the
position you're in, Doctor.
You're in legal quicksand.
And I would advise you, grab
onto that log that I'm handing you.
You've made some libelous
statements, here, that you can't back up
with anything more
than mere supposition.
Furthermore, you're up against
a very dynamic personality
who knows how
to play to that jury,
and that jury will
say what the truth is.
Now, now, you go
back on that show,
and you retract your
statements, or I can guarantee
you that Corrine O'Connor's in
a position to hang you out to dry!
You lost a hundred
and twelve pounds?
A hundred and thirty-two.
Took four years, though.
Well, I sure hope you people can
help me. My back
is against the wall
and I need some information.
Glad to help if we can, Doctor
Quincy. What is it you need to know?
Well, have you ever
heard of this All-Pro diet?
Any stories about
debilitation or death?
Um, not me.
Before I came to
Overeaters Anonymous
I had tried every
diet known to man.
Figured I spent over eight
thousand dollars tryin' to lose weight.
But I never heard
of the All-Pro diet.
Most of us have run the gamut
on diets. Quick diets, crash diets,
low carbohydrate diets,
high carbohydrate diets.
Not to mention pills and
shots and stomach distenders
and electro-shock devices
and massage sponges
and bran tablets.
And acupuncture, and
wiring the jaws shut,
and intestinal bypass surgery.
No, the All-Pro diet
must be fairly recent.
Well, it's been out
a few months now.
Well, this group's been meeting
together for quite a while, now.
Oh, I think most of us
have given up on fad diets.
Yeah, but you're a
huge organization.
Maybe some other
group heard something.
Well, that's true.
We have well over
4,000 groups all over the world.
Now, we don't have an
instant network or anything, but,
I'll see what I can find out.
Thanks. 'Cause I'm
certain that this diet had
something to do
with this girl's death.
People who are obese can
be desperate to lose weight.
I know we've all done
some crazy things.
Until three years
ago I used to go
to a restaurant that
served buffet style.
All you can eat. I'd go
back two and three times,
until I absolutely couldn't stuff
down one more bite of food.
And then I'd go out to
the bathroom and stick
my finger down my
throat and throw it all up.
After that, I'd go back to
the buffet table and start over.
Now when we feel that
way, we call our sponsor.
Sponsor? What's that?
It's another
member of the group.
It's the person you call when
you think you're gonna break down
and gorge on some
chocolate cake.
- Just what an alcoholic does.
- Exactly.
With one important difference. If you're
an alcoholic you can give up alcohol.
If you smoke cigarettes
you can give them up,
but if you're a compulsive
overeater, you can't give up food.
It's a matter of
control, and patience.
I mean, crash
diets just don't work.
I know. I've tried them all.
Thank you all very, very much.
There is this girl, sister
of the girl that died,
she's determined to go on with
this crazy diet. Can you help her?
Doctor Quincy, before
Overeaters Anonymous
could work for anyone,
they have to believe in it.
Now, we'd welcome this woman,
but if she hasn't decided
to take control of her life,
if she's not ready
to acknowledge
that losin' that weight
is a long, slow process,
there isn't much
we can do for her.
Thanks again.
Good luck. Bye-'bye.
Hi, Sam. Hi, Quincy.
- What the heck is all this?
- Fan mail.
- Fan mail?
- Yeah.
It's been comin' in to the
Dick Wilcox Show for you.
They brought it all
over this morning.
You're kiddin'?
"Dear Doctor Quincy,
I just want to know
"I heard you on the
Dick Wilcox Show
"and I say good for you.
"I have wrecked my
health with crash diets,
"losing weight and gaining
it all back again like a yo-yo.
"Somebody has to stand up
and tell people to get some sense.
"Sincerely, Mrs. Allison."
How about that, huh?
Right. Yeah, yeah.
QUINCY: Let's see, another one.
"I'm tired of
fast-talking promoters
"ripping me off with the
promise of a miracle diet.
"Go get 'em, Doctor
Quincy. Skinny Carl."
QUINCY: Oh, these guys
sound like they're mad, don't they?
I don't blame 'em.
Yeah. "Dear Doctor Quincy,
"I always hear you can't
be too thin or too rich.
"Seems to me a lot of people are
getting rich telling me how to get thin.
"Bea Elliot." (PHONE RINGING)
Yeah?
Yes sir. Yeah,
I'll be right there.
Another summons from Asten?
Yeah, and the sound of his voice
tells me there's a
lotta trouble brewing.
You know, I think I'll
bring along my new friends.
Gentlemen.
What is it?
Have you seen this? What?
Penny Stone gave an interview
endorsing the All-Pro diet.
Why would she
do a thing like that?
ASTEN: Well, they talked to
her, found out she was on the diet.
Maybe even offered her
money to make the statement.
Oh, that's terrible.
Exploiting her dead sister's
name just for publicity?
Oh, come on. Doctor Quincy,
you're being a little naive, aren't you?
Don't you know,
there's a war going on.
They're already in the trenches.
You really expect
them to fight fair
with millions of
dollars at stake?
Now, they've got
her in their camp,
and they're gonna use
her any way they can.
You wanta know something?
They're going to win.
RON: Head straight
up, full of poise,
confidence, you're
looking just lovely.
Now, I want you to look
way down for me, way down,
and pick your head
up and shake it for me.
Oh, my God, Penny, when you
do that you look just like Gretchen.
You're gonna be dynamite,
baby, just dynamite.
Okay, we're gonna
take a ten minute break,
and we'll meet back in make-up.
And no snacking, please.
You look very good. Oh, thanks.
You're Penny Stone? Yes.
I'm Doctor Asten, a
friend of Doctor Quincy's.
Oh, you're from
the Coroner's Office.
I'm the Chief Deputy
Medical Examiner.
I left my office because I
thought it was important enough
to talk to you for just
a minute, if I might.
Sure.
Fine. Let's sit down.
How's it goin?
Great.
It may not look like it, but
I'm getting better every day.
I only have 22 more pounds
to lose, and I'm gonna do it.
All on that Pro diet?
Yes. What's wrong with that?
Penny, I think you're fully
aware of our position on that.
I've come here to ask you to
withdraw your endorsement of the diet.
It's a dangerous plan.
It could produce serious effects
in all the people who use it.
Do you have any more proof
than what Doctor Quincy had?
No, but I...
Then I don't see
any reason to quit.
Penny, they're
exploiting you with all this.
They're using you to
influence other people.
Sure, it's possible
that you can stay
on this diet and not
have any problems.
But what about the hundreds
of thousands of others
that take it up because of you?
What if some of them have
the same problem as your sister?
Corrine promised me
there's nothing dangerous.
She showed me
statements from people
who said they never
had any problem.
She's been wonderful
to me. She wouldn't lie.
Neither would Doctor
Quincy, and I wouldn't lie.
I've known Doctor
Quincy a long time.
He's a brilliant pathologist.
Your endorsement's gonna
cause him a great deal of trouble.
It's gonna hurt a lot of people!
Well, nobody asked
him to get involved in this.
I'm sorry, but he's
not my responsibility.
Penny!
What're they giving
you for this, Penny?
A new life.
An exciting one.
They're paying for these classes,
they bought me a wardrobe,
and they'll buy me more
if I keep losing weight.
They got me a new hair style.
Doctor Asten, this is my chance.
Corrine wants me to succeed.
She wants to see me look pretty.
This is the first time
since Gretehen died
that I feel like
I have a friend.
You've got to understand,
I'm not going to fail this time.
Uh, I don't know
what you were hoping
to find, going back to the body.
I don't know either, Sam. I
was hoping to find something...
Something that would
tell me why she died.
Well, you've gone
over her at least
five times and can't
find anything different.
It may be that she died of cardiac
failure for unknown reasons.
I don't buy that, Sam. I think
her heart was perfectly normal
until her body was introduced to
that diet and those amphetamines.
That's what caused the arrest!
But it may be hard to make
that stand up in a courtroom.
Maybe we'd have a better
shot at a coroner's inquest.
Get the report.
Let's go see Asten.
And the second autopsy
verified the findings of the first,
including the conclusion,
death by cardiac arrest.
You haven't found anything
you didn't find the first time!
Now, what's a coroner's
inquest gonna prove?
The fact that we found no
anatomic cause for heart failure
means there must have been
physiologic and biologic factors involved!
To me, that is the diet
and the amphetamines.
I wanna hold a
coroner's inquest because
I wanna establish that
as the manner of death.
And if the findings
back my conclusions,
I can face that civil suit
with a lot of ammunition!
But if the Coroner's Inquest
does not back your conclusions
we go to court with
three strikes against us!
Quincy, listen, I
talked to Penny Stone.
Now, they're preying on
that poor girl's emotions.
She's gonna be
their star witness.
That's gonna be really
difficult to overcome.
So, no, absolutely not! I
don't dare call an inquest!
A loss there, plus your
refusal to make a retraction,
and we're in an absolutely
untenable position.
Go on, come on! All right, okay!
Okay, if the coroner's
inquest doesn't back us up,
I'll go on the Dick Wilcox
Show and I'll make a retraction.
A retraction?
That's what you want, isn't it?
You promise?
Cross my heart.
ASTEN: Sam, you heard
him. You're a witness.
All right, against my better
judgment, we have a deal.
You get your inquest.
Thank you. Sam!
And would you tell the jury
what phenomena were present
to make you suspect
the deceased's death
was due to the diet she was on.
Well, the body was
excessively dehydrated.
A logical consequence of
a low fluid, high protein diet.
There was kidney damage
and uremia consistent
with the excessive
breakdown product
that accumulates
from so much protein.
The heart was
swollen and flabby,
indicating
electrolyte imbalance.
In addition, there was a high
level of methamphetamine.
A drug that would cause
an irritability to the heart
and make it more
sensitive to an arrhythmia.
Mr. Barnes, any questions?
Uh, yes. Thank you.
Doctor Quincy, is it possible
that this young woman
would have died of heart failure
even if she hadn't
been on this diet?
Uh, hadn't taken
the amphetamines?
Well, yes, it's possible,
but I don't think...
Uh... thank you. No
more questions, Doctor.
Doctor Quincy, you didn't
have a chance to answer.
Would you care
to? Yes, thank you.
In my opinion, the
diet and amphetamine
were directly
contributory to her death,
INQUEST OFFICER: But that is
strictly your opinion, is that right?
Yes, sir.
INQUEST OFFICER: Thank you
Dr. Quincy, you may step down.
The Coroner calls Ron
Morgan to the stand.
She just keeled over.
She was clutching at her
chest and gasping for air.
She was all pale and sweaty.
What did you think
was happening?
Well, all I could think of at
the time was a heart attack.
INQUEST OFFICER: Thank you,
Mr. Morgan. The court calls Doctor Fulton.
I examined her
on her first visit
and found no evidence
of an abnormal heart.
In my opinion, she was an
absolutely healthy young woman,
with no contra-indications.
You prescribed amphetamines.
You didn't even bother
to find out about her diet!
It was your job to know!
INQUEST OFFICER: (BANGING
MALLET) Doctor Quincy, please!
You know we can't
tolerate that kind of behavior.
Now, any more
outbursts like that
and I'll have to ask you
to leave the hearing room.
Thank you, Doctor.
You're excused.
The Court now calls
Corrine O'Connor.
I documented several
hundred case studies,
prepared while I was
developing this diet.
There were no instances of
collapse. Certainly no deaths.
No evidence whatsoever
that there were
any debilitating
effects from this plan.
In fact, the subjects
inevitably lost weight.
Miss O'Connor, were any of
these several hundred people
given complete
physical examinations?
No. There was no need.
They were all perfectly healthy.
They felt fine.
Thank you, Miss
O'Connor. You're dismissed.
I don't like the way it's going.
Take it easy. We
haven't lost yet.
It just doesn't feel right.
BARNES: Penny,
your mother and Gretchen's
passed away two years ago.
That's right.
What was the cause of death?
She had a heart attack.
As did your sister.
No more questions. Thank you.
What's he tryin' to pull?
He's implying that
it runs in the family,
and he's doing
it very well, too.
The official determination of
this inquest is that Gretchen Stone
died of cardiac arrest.
There is not sufficient evidence
to certify diet or medication
as contributory to death.
That concludes this inquest.
Congratulations.
Oh, thank you.
Well done.
CORRINE: Oh, thank you.
Gentlemen, you
put up a good fight.
Evidently not good enough.
I know how discouraged
you must feel.
This makes, your position
in court even more shaky.
If you'll excuse me. Uh,
just a moment, Doctor.
There's something I
think we should discuss.
Let's hear him out, Quincy.
Thank you.
Corrine, my client,
is a very gracious woman.
She doesn't really want a
lot of money from you, Doctor.
All she wants to do is to have
her good name cleared in public.
Now, we're gonna make a
reappearance on the Wilcox Show
and, uh, we would
appreciate it very much
if you would come
on the show with us,
report what happened
at this inquest,
and, uh, retract some
of the rather harsh
statements you
made the last time.
Let me tell you something...
Uh, no, not now, please. I
don't want your answer now.
Think it over.
Just remember, if you accept,
we drop the lawsuit entirely.
If you refuse...
see you in court.
And rake you over the coals.
Thank you, Gentlemen.
Be waiting to hear from you.
That is absolutely incredible.
And there's no hunger, nothing
like that at all to suffer with.
Uh, Rick, let's do
something for the audience.
Let's dolly in and nice
close shot of this lady.
Uh, no fancy moves. Just
get over there. All right?
Now, take a good look at this
lovely lady, ladies and gentlemen,
because in about two
minutes, I'm going to show you
some rather remarkable
photographs of Penny Stone,
when she was... I don't
mean to embarrass you,
but you don't mind
if I say that you were
not quite as svelt as
you are now, right?
Is obese too tough a
word for you to handle?
All right, Rick, let's... I didn't
want this to go into a romance.
You can back up and...
And let me back in.
Get the big guy,
okay? Are you ready?
All right, these
are the remarkable
photographs I was talking about.
You lost all that weight
in just six weeks?
Yes, on the All-Pro diet.
Well, that's really remarkable.
Isn't it, ladies and gentlemen?
And, we're gonna
hear more from Penny,
and we're gonna be joined by
best-selling author
Corrine O'Connor
and medical examiner
Doctor Quincy
right after these
words. Stay with us.
Okay, Doctor Quincy,
Corrine, you wanta come on out,
and we'll have you seated when
we come back from the break.
Penny, I've been watching you
on the monitor. Are you all right?
I'm fine. Are you sure?
You want some water?
No, thanks. I'm fine.
We better get out from
under these lights. Come on,
I'll be okay, Doctor Quincy.
Penny, your pulse is irregular.
Your heart is throwing
extra contractions.
Don't you see, it's what
happened to your sister,
that diet and those
pills, under the hot lights.
Dehydration, exhaustion, she began
having pre-ventricular contractions,
just like you're
having! Stop it!
You're ruining everything!
I wanta do the show.
DICK: All right, we'll
be coming back out
of commercial in
five, four, three, two...
All right, we're back now, with Penny
Stone, a very courageous young lady
who's fighting a winning
battle against being over-weight,
and we're being joined by
two people you may remember.
Now, the last time we
had them on the show,
it was like sitting
between two piranha fish.
Tonight, it's more like
sitting between two doves.
Won't you welcome, please,
best-selling author, Corrine O'Connor,
and Doctor Quincy, from
the Medical Examiner's Office.
Now, Corrine, you must be very,
very proud of your
protegee, here.
Oh, I certainly am, Dick.
She's a real little trouper.
But I want to know what
Doctor Quincy thinks.
Well, when I was
on your show last
time, we talked about
the diet. I really...
(CORRINE SHRIEKS)
(AUDIENCE GASPING)
Listen, get ready
for a commercial.
She just had a little
accident, fainted.
We'll get her some water.
We'll be right back right after this.
QUINCY: Turn off
those lights! What is it?
Her pulse is weak,
plus she's dehydrated.
She's in a condition where
her heart can go just like that.
Will ya' turn off those lights?
Get me a wet cloth, please.
Uh, well, uh, listen, Doctor,
maybe we should get her back stage.
I mean, we can't do a show
with a body on the floor.
Come on, lets
get her back stage!
QUINCY: Keep your hands off her.
Doctor Quincy, we're
coming out of commercial.
You know what you can do
with your commercial, don't ya?
Doctor, you know what it
means if we come back to her?
Doctor Quincy,
did the diet do this?
You bet the diet did it.
Oh, my God!
But you don't have to worry.
Your ratings will go
right through the roof.
Uh, Corrine, uh, help me.
So many flowers, and
they're so beautiful.
People sent them to me
from all over the country.
Yeah.
You must think I'm pretty stupid,
Doctor Quincy. And stubborn.
No, I think you wanted
something very badly,
and just tried
too hard to get it.
I still don't understand
what it was that made
Gretchen and me
react the way we did.
Well, let me see if I can
make you understand.
You have what we call
a complex arrhythmia.
Now, it's a minor
heart condition.
Thousands of people
have the same thing.
You could go your whole
life and not know you have it.
In fact, most people do.
But we went on a severe diet.
Yeah. That, among other things.
Your diet produced a strain on
your kidneys. It left you dehydrated.
And then, to add to the
problem, you took amphetamines,
which irritated your heart.
And then when you were under
the hot lights your body overheated,
just like your sister,
Gretchen, when she collapsed.
All of these elements conspired
to make your heart unstable.
And other people
who bought the book
and went on the diet
could be hurt by it, too.
Absolutely. But now,
you're off the diet
and you're off the amphetamines,
so your heart should
be functioning normally.
So, you think you can handle the
Dick Wilcox Show tomorrow night?
They want me to go on
the Dick Wilcox Show again?
Why not? You're American's
Sweetheart, aren't ya'?
Only this time, you're gonna
tell the truth about dieting.
You know, I invited Helen to
come along, Doctor Quincy.
She's my sponsor at
Overeaters Anonymous.
Well, it's nice to
have you here.
Danny's making
the dinner himself.
I told him to
make it very light.
What d'ya mean,
light? You promised
us a celebration for
the past two weeks.
Now, we expected
a feast, you know?
That's what you're
gonna get a light feast.
That's what you
need, a light feast.
I wanta get some of
Danny's garlic bread.
Would I let you down,
hmm? A surprise for everyone.
A symphony of
northern Italian food.
Michelangelo on
the table, Da Vinci
on the plate. Not
a bad pitch, huh?
Can I talk to you for a
minute? Excuse us, please.
Are you crazy? I told you
these women were on a diet.
A reducing diet,
not a gaining diet.
Okay, does that mean you can't
enjoy a meal once in a while?
But you gave them...
This is a celebration. Relax.
Have a heart. Sit. Please sit.
Lasagna, with stuffed pasta...
He made lasagna! I
told you guys it'd be okay.
Look at that! Look at...
And spaghetti next.
Ohhh! Look at this, Brill.
Eggplant, oh!
DANNY: And an Italian salad.
Okay.
This meal would
fatten up a skeleton!
Don't talk shop. Do you realize
this is an overeater's delight?
This spaghetti and lasagna is
made with whole wheat pasta,
dry curd, cottage cheese,
skimmed mozzarella, parsley.
The sauce? Ah, tomatoes
and seasoning. That's it.
Garlic, onion, parsley,
oregano. No oil, no salt.
The eggplant? A modicum,
a modicum of hoop cheese.
The salad is dressed with a miniscule
amount of wine, vinegar and mustard.
This dinner is so low calorie, you
will be hungry before you've finished.
Eddie, pass me a modicum
and a miniscule of the lasagna.
You got it! Here it is.