Starsky and Hutch (1975–1979): Season 1, Episode 4 - Snowstorm - full transcript

Cocaine kingpin Stryker targets Starsky and Hutch after a million dollars in coke goes missing. Dobey gives the duo 48 hours to crack the case before turning it over to Internal Affairs.

Hey, Hutch. Yeah?

Hey.

Crandell's five minutes late.

More like 10.

Well, you make a
deal with a thief...

Sometimes he shows,
sometimes he doesn't.

I thought Crandell was eager.

Hm. Too eager?

No, no, no.

There he is...

There's our snowman.



North Pole, North Pole...

We're reading
you, reindeer. Okay.

Starsky, we got a car.

Two men...

Hang tough. Santa's got
two little helpers with him.

Right.

Let's get out of here.

Who's that?

Hold it! Police!

Cover me!

Out. Come on, come on, come on.

Come on.

Spread 'em out.

Come on.



Three out of four.
That's not too bad.

Better make it two out of
four. This guy's bought it.

Who got him?

You can thank Corman for that.

He had you cold, Starsky.

I owe you.

I drink rye whiskey.

Hey, who's the stoolie, Hutch?

Who tipped you guys off?

A little bird, Kalowitz.

A little snow bird.

Hey, you look kind of natural

toting that cotton,
lifting them bales.

You'd look kind of natural

with a .38 caliber third eye
in the middle of your forehead.

I'm just kidding.

Ain't you got a sense of humor?

Rags. You ain't gonna
find nothing but rags inside.

Better than a pound.

Cocaine.

Pure.

Three million dollars'
worth of cocaine...

100% pure.

Not bad.

Not bad for a morning's work.

Unfortunately, gentlemen,
the two in the slams

aren't gonna say anything.

Stryker's bailed them
out by now anyway.

Stryker. He's the next
phase in this operation.

We're going to nail Stryker.

Any questions?

What was the dead man's name?

Crown.

Edward Crown.

Now, gentlemen,

if there are no more
questions, that's it.

We'll start tomorrow
morning, early.

That songbird of yours is
going to sing some more for us.

Oh, no. We made a deal.

He gave us time and place,
we nailed the shipment,

the DA promised to drop
his old dope-peddling charge.

That was the deal.

We start leaning on him
for more than we agreed to,

and we've blown our reputation
with every informant we got.

I know that.

Well, if you know
that, then why?

Because that fink of yours

has got a soft spot in
his heart for 17-year-olds.

What are you talking about?

He's a statutory-rape
suspect in Pennsylvania.

And they want to
talk to him real badly.

Now, if he cooperates,

helps us nail Stryker...

I'll tell Pennsylvania he's helping
us solve a very important crime.

If he gives you any static,

I'll have him picked up

and shipped east tomorrow
on the first thing smoking.

Well, I guess we go
talk to the little man...

I guess you do.

Go out and do your thing.

There it is...

Yeah, I seen ugly,
man, but this is ugly!

Crandell's taste
is as bad as yours.

The two of you
could start a museum.

Come here, doggie.

Nice dog.

What?

Just some dog.

Hey, dudes. What's happening?

Where is he?

In the far booth.

You know what they say...

Huggy Bear's is
where the elite meet

and come to greet the
neat and fleet of feet

who are so sweet

with the finer things of life.

Beep-beep, beep-beep, beep.

Push or shove?

You play the bad
guy for a change.

I'm tired.

Hiya, punk. It's us...

The good guys.

What are you guys
doing? Get out of here!

You know what can happen

if I'm just seen talking
to you two guys.

We got problems.

Yeah, well, I'm
sorry to hear that.

Nah...

We're sorry about it too,

but I think

you should listen to
my friend's problems.

What are you guys doing?
Playing some kind of funny game?

Well, I gotta tell
you, I don't like it.

We want you to
help us nail Stryker.

What is this?

We had a deal.

I mean, you scored the shipment.

I spoon-fed it to
you like a baby.

Our debt's paid,

and we got you off
that dealing charge.

And now we want Stryker.

You know what? I
don't know any Stryker.

Now, how's that grab you?

Now, will you please move

so I can get away
from you two bums?

No.

I'm warning you,

let me out of this booth!

No.

You know what? I
don't like you two.

Gee, we like you.

You like him, don't you, Hutch?

Sure do.

I think he's terrific.

But there's a little 17-year-old
girl back in Pennsylvania

who's not too thrilled.

I'm getting out of here.

If you go, dumbo,
we go together,

but I gotta tell you,

Pennsylvania is
awfully cold in the winter.

If I buy it, what do
you want me to do?

We want you to
stay close to Stryker.

And tell us what comes and goes,

also who comes and goes and how.

You gotta square
the Pennsylvania rap.

We'll do what we can.

I don't like it
open-ended like that.

As an outside observer, I'd say
you don't have a lot of choice.

Okay...

I'll go with it.

But let's talk someplace else.

If I'm spotted with
you two, I'm dead.

All right. Let's set a meet.

Uh...

5:00 tomorrow.

Hampton and
Division Streets, okay?

It's like we got a social
disease, he split so fast.

I didn't even get a chance
to get into my character.

Starsky, did you see that dog?

What dog?

I swear that was the
dog outside Huggy's.

I didn't see no dog.

I'll be down in a
second. Need anything?

No.

Good evening, gentlemen.

Please get out of your car.

You won't need your guns.

Hey there, little buddies,

now, do as the man says
and get out of your car.

That was a nice
bust you made today.

Of course, I had other
plans for my merchandise,

but I can accept the loss as a
perfectly normal business risk.

Even New York City
has its money problems.

It's nice of you to
be so understanding,

Mr. Stryker.

And as a businessman,

I can appreciate other people
going into business for themselves.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about the
rest of my merchandise.

Shall we say $50,000?

What do you mean, the
rest of your merchandise?

Did I say $50,000?

All right... All right.

You boys are hard negotiators.

$100,000.

What is this, Let's Make A Deal?

Just give it to us straight.

Okay...

straight.

Four million dollars'
worth of coke

was in that shipment
you busted today.

Three million got turned in.

That leaves 1
million outstanding...

One million...

and you two, shall
we say, opportunists?

You're nuts.

I'm lots of things,
Starsky, but nuts I'm not.

Why us?

Maybe it was one
of your own people.

My relationship
with my employees

doesn't make that
a reliable possibility.

Oh, no...

it was you two.

I'll be in touch with
you in 48 hours.

You find my merchandise

and you'll get a
$100,000 finder's fee.

Maybe we ought to just
haul these good old boys

down to the meat
plant right now.

No, there's plenty
of time for that.

Meat plant?

That was cute.

Well...

seems like he
was telling the truth.

Somebody ripped him off for a
million dollars' worth of cocaine.

Yeah...

but who?

What cop's under suspicion?

Close the door.

You, Hutch, Kalowitz,
Burke, Corman.

All five of you,

as far as Internal
Affairs is concerned.

In a theft like this,
everybody's under suspicion,

and they're going
to go by the book.

Boy, those creeps
never give up, do they?

How's that?

I said, you call out the dogs,
you get IA nosing around,

with those guys,
you're guilty first,

innocent if you can prove it.

And you got three guys who
have been on the force a long time.

And they're family men.

An investigation like this
could ruin their careers.

Starsky and I can
handle the pressure,

but these three guys,
they shouldn't have to.

It can't be them.

Crandell was the only one

that knew a bust was going down.

He used it to cover a rip-off.

Look, let Hutch and me get
the coke back from Crandell.

For you two,

I'm supposed to break
standard operational procedure?

No, no, Not for
us. For their sake.

All right.

You got 48 hours.

That's what Stryker gave you,
that's what you get from me.

Oh, that's great.

That means we can't make
our 5:00 meeting with Crandell.

I guess we'll have to
put an APB out on him.

Captain.

Oh, I gotta ask you...

Stryker said that
if we didn't deliver,

he'd send us to the meat plant.

What's he talking about?

Elmo Jackson...

He was my partner.

Like you and Hutch.

We went a long way together.

We were working
underground to get Stryker.

They found him on a
hook in a meat factory.

Nobody connected Stryker?

Nobody ever connects Stryker.

Well, maybe we will.

First, we collar Crandell.

Man, this heap is
a piece of garbage.

When you gonna fix it?

Listen to that squeak.

It cuts through my brain.

I don't hear it.

It's driving me nuts,
and you don't hear it?

How about I put
you on roller skates

and tow you along on the back?

Would you like that?

Zebra Three,

Re: your APB on Crandell,
Caucasian male, 30s...

Reported heading east on
12th Street near Balmoral.

Out.

What do they want?

We're on a call!

What's going on?
We're on a call!

What do you think you're doing?

You young punks!

What was that?

Don't play games with us.

You know what you just lost us?

We don't give a damn!

Who are you out trying
to stab in the back now?

Wait a minute. I don't
take that from anybody.

Easy now. Come on.

Hold it.

Everybody knows
about you two hotshots!

Knows what?

You're pushy!

Especially you, Starsky!

Listen...

Me, Corman, Kalowitz...

we got years on you boys.

We were cracking heads
when you were only daydreams.

Got it? Lay off.

Lay off what?

Trying to tie us
into that rip-off.

A missing million
bucks' worth of cocaine!

Tie you in?

We're trying to tie you out!

Yeah, yeah, sure.

You got any accusations on us,

you lay them on
the table upfront!

Or we'll shag your tails
down to the police office

before you know
what's happening.

Got it?

Some guys you just
don't do favors for.

Yeah.

Well, I guess that
takes care of Crandell.

We'll just have to
meet him later at 5.

Buy me a beer, will you?

Yeah.

Yeah?

This is Rodgers.

Where you calling from?

A phone booth.

So, what happened?

Crandell met with those
two cops yesterday.

Starsky and Hutch.

All right.

Thanks for making the call.

What do you think of Crandell?

That old boy?

About as easy to hold
onto as a greased toad.

Why?

What's his bag?

Making enough bread to keep
himself knee-deep in broads.

Rodgers saw him hanging
out with Starsky and Hutch.

How does that grab you?

Not so as I like it.

I think Crandell worked the
inside for Starsky and Hutch,

and then tipped them to
the shipment they busted...

And then they talked him
into stealing my cocaine

before it got to the warehouse.

Well, if you like,

I'll go find that
little fellow for you

so's you can have a
heart-to-heart chitchat with him.

How's that?

Yeah.

And then we'll contact
Starsky and Hutch.

Crandell!

Fifteen more minutes,
and we'd have split.

You think we got
nothing better to do

than hang out here
waiting for you?

I gotta be careful...
Keep moving.

I got Starsky and
Hutch watching...

watching me...

I, I, I got Freddie...

Come on, come on,
let's get this over with.

Okay...

I'm cutting out tonight.

It's all here.

Pure. Each one'll
go for 500,000.

More if you want to cut it.

Okay, it's been a
pleasure, gentlemen.

So I'll just take
my share and...

On your feet.

What?

The deal is off, Crandell.

Wait a minute.

Come on.

I took all the risk.

There'd be no deal without me!

You stay alive...

It's messy.

Freddie's probably
following you right now,

because Stryker ain't dumb.

He put your arm in
that hamburger machine

and you gonna tell
everything, my man.

No!

I got a feeling this is not going
to be one of our better days.

I think this car
of yours is a jinx.

You want to put that back?

At least go and look at
my uncle's car lot, huh?

You don't have
to buy, just look.

There was a fantastic
metallic burgundy low-rider.

You know, with the tiny wheels?

And the front-end sat up
6 inches above the ground.

Where is Crandell?

He's only an hour late.

Look, the engine
had a 375-cubic-inch...

You just want me to drive around

in a striped
tomato like you got.

My car is a striped what?

There he is again!

Who?

That dog.

What dog?

That dog with the spots.

I think he's following me.

There's no dog out there.

Starsky, there was a dog there.

Okay.

Okay.

Zebra Three.

Meet Captain Dobey at
15072 West Buchanan.

Code Three.

What about Crandell?

He'll have to wait.

This is Zebra Three. Roger.

Marty Crandell...

No, no.

Crandell...

C...

Age 34...

Here, you finish it.

These officers found something
I thought you might want to see.

Crandell.

Hit once in the head
and four in the body.

Right out of the book.

Ten to one, it's Stryker.

What's that shack over there?

What was Crandell doing here?

Was he dragged?

Did he come to a meeting?

Outside door, huh? Yeah.

Give me a hand with this.

Yeah, over on this side.

Blood stain.

I think I may, I
think I might...

What you got?

It's the funny
little white stuff.

Middle of summer yet.

Well, they tailed him,

shot him and dumped
him in the field.

And then they took
back their coke,

took care of Crandell,

and that blows our
only contact with Stryker.

At least it takes the heat off.

It's getting to be uncomfortable

being a target in
that big turkey shoot.

Crandell's dead.

Who did it? I don't know.

Time I got there,
it was all over.

Just a dead body
laying in the field.

Starsky and Hutch?
Could have been.

Would you like a
piece of cheese?

No, thank you.

That means they're
operating as independents.

They're not going to sell
us back our merchandise,

they're going to
deal it themselves.

I'm afraid we're going
to have to hit them.

Get Rodgers up on a roof across
from that hole where Crandell lived in.

When they come to
examine his apartment,

and you can bet they will...

Wouldn't you like some cheese?

No, thank you, I'm on a diet.

We'll hit them then.

We had an APB on Crandell.

If we wanted to snuff him,

we could have wasted
him resisting arrest.

We all know it was a
gangland execution.

We also know that this is

a standard operational
procedure for Internal Affairs,

so stop your
moaning and groaning.

Next.

You fire your weapon,
Starsky? Yeah.

If one of us killed Crandell,

you think we'd be dumb
enough to use our own piece?

I still have to compare
each slug with ballistics.

If that's all, captain,
we've got 24 hours off.

Corman and me are
going to my place...

gonna do some fishing.

You and Corman?

Well, sure, go ahead.

What's biting?

Trout, up at Bear Lake.

Thank you.

Got some information
on Crandell's pad.

1011 Frontal Road.

A furnished apartment building.

Bye.

Well, that was a waste of time.

What a weird place.

You know that guy
had 17 kinds of pomade

and a dozen
brands of smell-well?

I've seen voyeurs before,
but this guy takes the cake.

There's that dog.

Come here, doggie.

Where's that coming from?

I don't know.

Roof across the street.

Did you see the dog?

Yeah, I saw the dog.

I'm beginning to
love that dog, Starsky!

Me too, Hutch!

Starsky? Huh?

Cover me.

Do you see him? No.

Huggy...

Who's been trying to hit us?

Who?

Whoa. What do you think I
called you for? Not to tell you?

Stryker. Stryker?

Word's all over the street.

Why would he
want to try to hit us?

He got his coke back.

That's all I know.

Then he must not have the coke?

And he thinks we do.

He didn't kill Crandell,

because Crandell and the coke

were at the same
place at the same time.

And he's been thinking it's us.

And we been thinking it's him.

And it's neither one.

Cops.

Our brother cops?

Yes?

Rodgers blew it.

How?

I don't know.

He had them dead to rights,

and then he shot up
the whole street instead.

Irv, get me a glass
of warm milk. Quick.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna have
to kill them myself.

Corman, you're
out of your mind...

We can't fence it now

without someone
getting suspicious!

Your trouble is, you're
scared of the bogeyman, Burke.

You got a slave mentality.

All I can think of

is the dollars that
coke is gonna fetch.

And we ain't going
to blow it now!

There's a million bucks' worth

of top-grade cocaine in there...

And we sit on
it until it's safe.

You hear me?

Hmm?

Yeah.

And dump that piece in the...

the ocean...

Quit worrying.

Nobody saw me pick this
gun up at the warehouse.

There's no way they're gonna
trace this gun or any of this to us.

This is the bullet
that killed Crandell.

This one...

That's the ID found embedded
in a crate at the warehouse,

where the cocaine was delivered.

Now, where's Crown's gun? Crown?

The guy who got
shot at the bust.

The guy Corman shot.

Oh, yeah.

Well, things were
getting so hot,

we were more
interested in the cocaine.

That gun didn't just up and walk
out of that warehouse by itself.

Someone...

Cop.

Some policeman...

got Crown's gun...

and used it on Crandell.

Button, button...

We come to the same conclusion

by a different road.

I make Corman.

He was nearest Crown.

There's Corman,
Kalowitz and Burke.

One, two, or all three?

Dobey.

Yeah.

Starsky.

It's Huggy Bear.

Yeah, what is it?

Hutch?

I want to talk to Starsky.

It's me, dummy.

I know.

Put Starsky on the phone.

Is something wrong?

No...

Hey, Starsky...

Hey, hey, it's me, Huggy.

Yeah, I got something of
interest for you two gentlemen.

What is it?

Not on the phone...

My place, huh?

Huggy...

So I'm always running off at
the mouth, but this is important.

You gotta get over here.

This is where it is.

No, no, no. Upstairs.

What's going on?

Something bad is
going down at Huggy's.

You're a good old boy.

You did that just fine.

Huggy?

Yeah.

Y'all come in.

Out here, Hug.

Starsky, Hutch...

Y'all come in, now.

Aw, come on, Huggy...

You know how we
feel about bedrooms...

You wanna see your friend
alive, you better get in here.

You gotta be kidding.

Our friend?

That little black fink?

If you want us, you
gotta do better than that.

You make your move, redneck.

We're not going anywhere.

Get them!

Get them, Rodgers.

Buddy.

Is somebody gonna untie me?

I don't know, Huggy.

We might charge
you with conspiracy...

you and that phone call.

Hey, man, you wouldn't
be here if I didn't call.

The man's got a point.

There you go, Hug.

Thanks. Keep an eye on him.

Send an ambulance over
to Huggy Bear's restaurant.

Tell Captain Dobey to
send over a backup unit.

You have the right
to remain silent.

I'm sure you know that...

And that bit about being
represented by an attorney...

Go ahead.

Friend, you're about to fall
behind attempted kidnapping,

possession of an
automatic weapon,

assault on police officers.

And we can add to that

possession of dangerous drugs,

and a half dozen
other little goodies.

You don't have enough time
left for the years you're gonna do.

All right. Let's not
make a case out of it.

What do you want?

Stryker.

Okay.

And a cop left on a meat hook...

Elmo Jackson...

I know about that too.

Police.

That's great.

I'll sleep much better nights
knowing you're guarding me.

I hope you have a warrant.

No.

But I have.

You, Dobey,

captain of detectives,
serving warrants?

I wanted to be the
one to drop that on you.

You trying to pin a
cheap drug rap on me?

My lawyer will
tie you into knots.

Read it!

Murder one?

That's right.

Captain...

You hung my partner
on a meat hook.

And Elmo Jackson was a good cop.

As a matter of fact,
he was my best friend.

Stryker, never pick
on a man's partner.

I still don't understand.

What happened to the coke?

You are one lousy
judge of character.

We never had your coke.

Captain...

Where are you off to?

Going fishing. Trout.

Somehow, I hope we're wrong.

Yeah.

Messy housekeepers.

Yeah.

What the hell are
you guys doing here?

We knocked.

I'm gonna ask you again.

What are you doing here?

We heard you
guys were fishing...

thought we'd drop by to see
if you were having any luck.

You ain't funny, Hutch.

No.

I guess they want the truth.

Okay.

We're looking for a gun.

The gun that Crown
left in the warehouse.

We think that after
you knocked him off,

you lifted the gun...

You figure I did that, huh?

Yeah, we do, Phil.

And you killed Crandell.

And you've got the cocaine.

You guys are over the line.

Really over the line.

Are we?

You two going fishing together

is like the NAACP

and the Ku Klux Klan
having a togetherness rally.

And you blew it on the fishing.

Trout season hasn't opened yet.

And you two claim
to be detectives.

Halt!

Why didn't you leave us alone?

Crandell was nothing.

Crandell was nothing!

We might have made a...

We might have made a deal...

Haven't you heard, man?

Hutch and me don't make deals.

Come on, come on,
come on. Come on.

Sit down!

Okay, Burke...

Where's the stuff?

In there...

Behind the wall...

And the gun?

That bureau over there.

Give me Dobey.

Next time, we do
it by the book, huh?

Internal Affairs ain't
complaining, are they?

Hey, Hug.

Sit in.

And eat my own food? No way.

Huggy, these guys ever
manage to say thanks?

We told Huggy

the department's got him
up for a condemnation.

It's a commendation.

But can I put it in the bank?

Hang it on your wall...

And, by the way, who's going to pay for
the damages to my luxurious upstairs pad?

And, uh, the check...

We got a couple
of dates, captain.

Sorry, we gotta run...

Yeah, terrific
dinner. Thanks a lot.

Huggy, you got a pen?

Later.

Starsky, there's my dog.

Come here, boy.

Come here, you good doggie.

You lifesaver, you.

Oh, what a pup.

Hello, baby.

What are you guys doing
with a dog in my place?

Don't you know I
don't have friends

at the Department of Health?

What dog? I don't see a dog.

You see a dog, Starsk?

I don't see no dog.

Oh, don't jive me!
He's right there.

There's no dog here.
What's the matter?

You been sampling
the goods again, Hug?

He can't cut loose
without his juice.

Feels fine as long
as he's got his wine.

Otherwise, he'd
drink turpentine.

And go blind.

Oh, please.

Hello, pooch.

Hey, spotted dog...