The Fugitive (1963–1967): Season 2, Episode 30 - Last Second of a Big Dream - full transcript

Why the helping hand?

Don't worry, it's not for you.

I spent 12 years in a carny,

and after all the times I
was thrown in the pokey

by these hick cops, I'm not
about to do them any favors.

Well, I'm leaving
tonight anyhow.

Sure, but, uh...
What if that Gerard

decides to snoop around
some more in the meantime?

What did you have in mind?

Come on.

You can stay right
here in this shed.



I'll put a couple of
cat cages in front of it,

and they'll never look here.

I think that's the first
place they're gonna look.

A QM Production.

Starring David Janssen
as Dr. Richard Kimble.

An innocent victim
of blind justice,

falsely convicted for
the murder of his wife,

reprieved by fate when
a train wreck freed him

en route to the death house.

Freed him to hide
in lonely desperation,

to change his identity,
to toil at many jobs.

Freed him to search
for a one-armed man

he saw leave the
scene of the crime.

Freed him to run before
the relentless pursuit



of the police lieutenant
obsessed with his capture.

The guest stars
in tonight's story:

Steve Forrest,
Laurence Naismith,

Milton Selzer.

Also starring Barry Morse
as Lieutenant Philip Gerard.

You're sure he's the
one that got off here?

That guy.

I told you, that's him.

How'd you figure he was
on my run in the first place?

Well, let's just
say we got a tip.

A policeman spotted him
getting on your bus in Omaha,

but he couldn't put
a name to the face

until a couple of hours later.

Did you check the passengers?

Yeah, well, a couple of 'em.

Looks like you're
on the right track.

Except he's got a
couple of laps on us.

Well, that's not too bad.

As long as he doesn't
know there's a trace.

Yeah. Well, thanks.

Fifty-five miles outside
of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Wild animals in
cages bring the curious

to Major Alan
Fielding's Jungle Land.

Richard Kimble, wearing
the name Nick Peters,

has found work here.

The job began this morning.

It is destined to end tonight.

A beauty, isn't she?

I suppose so.

I don't know either.

As far as I'm concerned,

I'd rather have a
big, friendly dog.

Look, like I said before,

50 a week's all I can
come up with to start.

That and a roof.

Do I, ah, pay for my own meals?

Unless you like peanuts.

Come on, I'll give you the tour.

The animals get fed once a day.

The monkeys get the fruit,

and there are meal sacks
in that shed for the, uh, birds.

Right now, for the cats,

you just get the meat
out of the freezer,

and Fielding'll give it to 'em.

You know, those
cats can kill a man

in just under 10 seconds,

and my workman's
comp isn't paid up.

So keep your distance.

You'll get no argument from me.

The Major, that's
Fielding, he works the cats

in the arena on weekends.

For whatever public we got.

Anyhow, that's when
you clean the cat cages.

You're only open weekends?

And just barely then.

Oh, incidentally, you'll work
the concession stand too.

I won't have it, I tell you!

I don't care about any check.

I tell you there
has to be a mistake.

Jaipur is not for sale.

I don't care what
you've been told.

He's not for sale! Barry!

Tell these... These
predators to get out of here.

Tell them they're
trespassing. Tell them...

Major, I invited these men here.

Why?

Come on, we'll
talk in the office.

Who's he, another one of 'em?

His name's Nick Peters.
He's taking Curley's job.

Now, come on.

These men claim they've
come to inspect Jaipur.

I said we'll talk in the office.

Monkeys haven't been fed yet.

You might as well
start with them.

I want an explanation.

They're from the circus,
and if they're happy,

the manager will
be here tomorrow

for final inspection
and pickup. Pickup?

And we'll have ourselves
a check for $10,000.

I don't care about any check.

I raised Jaipur from
a cub, I trained him.

I won't have him put
in some filthy cage

where nobody cares how
many kids poke sticks at him.

I won't have it, I tell you!

You won't, huh?

Well, you listen to me, old man.

When I tell you we're
broke, you better believe it.

Horse meat, $500.
County taxes, 780.

City taxes, 450. Concession,
a hundred and a half.

Feed, utilities, equipment.

We're in debt up to our
necks and then some.

But Jaipur's our
main attraction.

Main attraction.

Where do you think
you are, old man?

Still back in the center ring?

We got no main attraction.

If we did, you could
keep your lousy cat.

What we got is a
small-time, crummy zoo

with an old man
who talks to tigers

'cause he don't know
how to talk to anybody else.

You can't...

And the paying public
just doesn't seem to care

much anymore for old
men who talk to tigers.

But why not one of the others?

Why Jaipur?

You wanna know why?

Because none of those
other flea-bitten antiques

would bring one half
what Jaipur would,

and one cat's all we can
afford to lose right now.

Those hicks around here
won't know the difference,

and we still got plenty of
cats to make it look good.

Now you listen to me.

I don't care how
you raise the money.

I don't care if it
means we go to jail.

But Jaipur is the only
thing in this shabby place

that's first rate,
that's quality.

He's worth ten of either of
us and he stays right here.

Now, no more talk.

Just a couple more words.

He's sold.

Hey. You!

He hired you to
feed the animals,

not play with them.

No, I... I think something's
wrong with this one.

What's wrong with him?

I don't know. I
just think he's sick.

You a vet or something?

No.

You just feed 'em and
clean out their cages.

I'll worry about their health.

Okay.

Yeah.

My name is Gerard.

Stafford, Indiana.

You're a little off course,
aren't you, lieutenant?

Oh, not necessarily, Mr. um...?

Craft. Barry Craft.

You own this place?

Me and my partner.

May I sit down?

You're probably
busier than I am.

I'm looking for a man

we're pretty sure is in
the Morgantown area.

Why come here?

Well, we're just checking
all the operations around

that might be
doing a lot of hiring.

Heh.

What clown sent you to us?

I beg your pardon.

Who's this guy
you're looking for?

Dr. Richard Kimble.

Oh. Kimble.

You mean that guy who killed
his wife here a few years back?

That's right.

There's his picture.

The, uh, hair will be darker.

There some kind of reward?

I'm afraid not.

Well, have you seen him?

Yeah.

I mean, I remember him from
the newspapers and all that.

Anyplace else?

Well, not around here.

We got a couple of day workers,

but, uh, none of
'em look like him.

I see.

But if I spot this guy,
I'll sure let you know.

Just call the sheriff's office.

They'll get in touch with me.

You mind if I keep this?

Sure.

You know, if you
catch this guy Kimble,

it'll be the biggest thing that
ever happened to Morgantown.

You could put this place
on the map, like they say.

Yeah, like they say.

Lou Cartwright.

Yeah, Cartwright.

Lou, Barry Craft.

Do me a favor, will you?

Who? Barry Craft. Jungle Land.

Look, you got a morgue
down there or something?

Back issues of the paper?

Yeah, Barry, why?

Did you ever hear of a
guy named Richard Kimble?

Uh, look, Barry, I'm busy.

Kimble. He's wanted by the law.

Some cop was
here looking for him...

Oh, wait a minute.
Kimble. The doctor?

Convicted of killing his wife?

Lou, look him
up for me, will ya?

Dig out everything you can.

Why? What's up?

You ever hear of the
Biograph Theatre?

Yeah, back in the 30's, uh...

Okay. I'm gonna build a
Biograph right here in Morgantown.

Build what? What
are you talking about?

Questions, questions.

Look, I'll tell ya
when I see ya.

That's it. Now move.

Move, you son of a beast!

Boy, maybe he's right.

Maybe you should be sold.

Maybe you're just
getting fat and lazy.

Ah, that's a little better,

but that wouldn't frighten
anybody, you know.

And that's what they want.

They want to be frightened.

Easy, boy. Easy, easy.

Ah, over.

You're still a fake, you know.

Now come on.

Show 'em your teeth.

Show 'em what a killer you are.

Easy boy, easy.

Easy. Easy!

Now, easy, boy.

Easy. Stay!

Get away!

Stay.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Ready with the gate!

You should be
working, not loitering.

Yeah, I know. I'm sorry.

If you want to watch us perform,

you pay a dollar and a quarter

like everybody else.

Look, I said I'm sorry.

I didn't know I was doing
anything wrong. All right?

Come on, children, don't fight.

Gate!

It's not good, dissension.

Decreases efficiency,
or something like that.

Your new man doesn't
seem to know his job yet.

Oh, don't worry
about him, major.

He's part of the team.

And what team is that?

Look, I got a plan.

We're starting to
move. The three of us.

Right to the top.

What do you mean
"the three of us"?

Like I said, I
got a plan for us,

and Nick here's
gonna be part of it all.

I mean that, Nick.

Before he becomes a partner,

perhaps he'd like to
begin by earning his keep.

Well, you better get
back to work, Nick,

before Clyde Beatty
here takes up his whip.

Why, sure.

Where did you find him anyway?

Oh, that's the great part.
He fell right in our lap.

What are you talking about?

The Biograph Theater.

Did you ever hear of
the Biograph Theater?

Oh, you're not making sense.

You're wrong, old man,
I'm making beautiful sense.

In 1934... You weren't
around here then.

But in 1934, in Chicago,

a man named John
Dillinger was shot down

in front of the
Biograph Theater.

And for years, I mean years,

people came from all over
the country just to look at it.

Just to stand and
look at a movie house.

Dillinger.

He was some sort
of criminal, wasn't he?

The best in the business.

Well, we haven't
got a Dillinger.

Haven't we?

That's him.

Some cop from Indiana
was just nosing around.

And you didn't tell him?

Well, not yet. I've got
to do this thing right.

Reporters,
photographers, the works.

I don't like it.

What don't you like?

Look, that guy's an
escaped murderer.

He's still a man.

Not some pathetic geek

like you used to
hustle at that carney.

That still makes me dirt
in your eyes, doesn't it?

Like that two-bit zoo of yours
was the world's greatest thing.

All right, forget it.

But I don't like it.

Don't you?

Well, that's too bad,

but you just keep
your mouth shut

because if anybody
finds out before I'm ready,

they can throw
us both in the can

for being accessories.

You got it?

I thought you were instructed

not to discuss this
investigation with anybody.

Especially reporters.

I'm sorry, lieutenant,

but Cartwright seemed to
know all about it already.

What did he say?

Well, he called and
said he heard Kimble

was in the area, and
he wanted details.

Get him on the phone.

Uh, could be that one of the
people we questioned called him.

Why?

Lou Cartwright, please.

Oh? When?

No, thanks, I'll call back.

He left 15 minutes ago.

Left word he'd be
at Fielding's zoo.

Sheriff, can I borrow some men?

Sure, I'll give you a car too.

Why? You smell
something out there?

Well, it's a zoo, isn't it?

Hey, you! Nick!

You said he was sick.

Yeah, I think so.

What's wrong with him?

I don't know. How old is he?

Six months. A baby.

Well, then maybe he has rickets.

Look, do you, uh...

You really know something
about this kind of thing?

Well, just a little. I used
to work with children.

Well, cats I know, but,
uh, chimps with rickets.

Then call a vet.

My partner, he
doesn't like vets.

You see, vets send bills.

Look, Nick, uh...

Do you think you know enough

about this kind
of thing to, uh...

Well, to help him out of it?

Yeah, maybe. Um...

Is there a drugstore around?

Yes, there's a drugstore

about half a mile down
the road towards the town.

I'll be back in a while.

You mean you've got him
right here working for you?

You better believe it.

Well, where is he?

He's around.

Can I see him?

Sure.

But first we got a couple
of things to work out.

Don't you get any ideas
about calling the cops,

because the parade starts
when I blow the whistle,

or there won't be any parade.

Now, look, Barry, you know me.

I'll play along.

Sure, you will,

'cause I might be
slipping a Pulitzer

right in your pocket.

Mmm.

Now, what do you want me to do?

Get me a couple
of photographers,

and let the wire services know

you've got something
big on the way.

For when?

Tomorrow afternoon.

Saturdays we get
a pretty good crowd.

That'll give it more excitement.

Oh, that's dynamite
you're playing with.

You know a better way
to make a big noise?

Okay,

but I'd still like to
see him before, uh...

Hey.

Who's that?

It's that same cop.

Well, looks like somebody
else might have a whistle, huh?

Hey, lieutenant!

Something I can do for ya?

You're Cartwright, I suppose.

What are you doing here?

Well, I was just...

Oh, he came to see me. Why?

That's what I asked.

Well, Lou's a good
friend, a buddy.

I called him.

You know, about Kimble.

Well, that's okay, isn't it?

As far as it goes.

It doesn't explain why you
came all the way out here.

Well, it was a good tip,

so I thought I'd
thank him in person.

It was?

If Kimble's in the area.

You don't mind if I look around.

Be my guest.

Mr. Fielding?

I'd like to ask you
a few questions.

He doesn't know any
more about it than I do.

If you don't mind.

Sorry, just trying to help.

Have you ever seen
this man before?

You're hunting for him?

Yep.

I used to hunt myself,
you know, for quite a while.

Guns, traps, everything.

Everything, just to
put some terrified beast

into an iron cage.

I suppose in a way we're
in the same line of work.

No.

You see, uh... I just
woke up one morning

and discovered that
I'd grown out of it.

Have you seen him before or not?

No. Why? Was I supposed to?

Look. I told you, didn't I?

I'm not sure you
told me anything.

Lieutenant.

Not a sign of him.

I'd like to use your phone.

Sure, there's one in the office.

Where is he?

The drugstore.

What for?

The baby chimp's sick.

He went down to try
and get her something.

Boy, he sure picked a great time

to start practicing
medicine again.

Uh, if you don't mind,

I'd like to leave your
men out here for a while.

Yep.

I know, but, uh, like you say,

there's a smell.

Yeah, I ought to be
back in 15, 20 minutes.

Right.

Thanks for the use of the phone.

Look, if he turns up here,

I'll sure let you know.

A thing like that could
get me plenty of publicity.

That's right. It could.

I can't offer you
a cup of coffee?

Oh, no, thank you.

The least I can do is
walk you to your car.

- Don't bother.
- No bother. No bother.

You gotta get out of sight.

What did you tell Gerard?

That I haven't seen you.

Why?

Boy, you really pick the
time to ask the questions.

No, come on, why?

You seem okay to me.
Let him do his own work.

That's not enough.

Okay, I'll level with ya.

I didn't tell him because
there's nothing in it for me.

No reward, nothing,

and I turned in my
public spirit years ago.

Now, you better get out of sight

before he decides
to have another look.

But you better not go too far.

What do you mean?

He knows you got off
the bus in Morgantown.

They'll have the roads covered.

So until he decides that, uh,

you've given him the slip,

the safest place
for you is right here.

Thanks.

Just stay out of sight.

Okay, thanks.

Nick.

When did you get back?

Well, just now, why?

There was a policeman here.

He's coming back.
He's, uh, on the scent.

He has to come back. I know.

Well, then you know
why he's after me.

Your partner just
tried to help me

and now you're trying
to help me. Why?

Perhaps I just
don't like hunters.

Isn't that what you are?

So you see, I know
what it does to a man.

He becomes a nothing.

No more than an extension
of his own weapon,

and I have very little
respect for weapons.

I'd like you to know I
didn't do what they say.

I believe you, but it
doesn't make any difference.

You see, I, uh, believe
that every living thing,

if it has to die,

should have room to do it in.

Now, go quickly.

No, not that way.

There are fences
all around the place

to keep out the
non-paying customers.

There's a road up
there about 500 yards.

It bypasses the town.

Here.

Give him the vitamins
three times a day,

and the calcium twice a day.

If he doesn't get well,
you'll have to call the vet.

Thank you.

Well, they're still out there.

Get your photographers
back on that phone.

What for?

They'll be here tomorrow
noon like you wanted.

I want 'em here today.

Why?

I'm changing the schedule.

I don't like those cops
sniffing around so close.

I've got one guy
coming in from Omaha.

Then get on that phone.

You mean you let him
just walk right out of here?

I suppose I did.

All right, which way?

Strange, I don't seem to recall.

Well, you better start
recalling, old man,

or else that big
pussycat of yours

gets shipped out tomorrow.

What do you mean?

I thought you'd
already sold him.

Oh, didn't I tell you?

I figured if we scored
on this Kimble thing

that we'd pull in
enough business

so we wouldn't
need to sell the cat.

I cancelled the sale.

So now how's your memory?

He's up there,
heading for the road.

Hey, officer.

My partner thinks he
just heard some noise

back in our work yard. Yeah?

It could be that
guy Kimble, I guess.

If it is, he's probably
heading out the back road.

You stay here, Ralph.

All right, let's stay put.

Long as we have men back at
the compound, we're covered.

Just remember to
call in once in a while.

Right.

Why don't you
watch from the curve.

That should give us a good
half-mile check both ways.

Yeah, but it'll be dark
in a couple of hours.

Yeah, for him too.

Barry, if he gets away...

If he gets away or if they
pick him up, we've had it.

Relax, old man,
we're back in business.

What did you do? Try
to make a break for it?

Yeah. Well, what happened?

They had the roads covered.

Well, I guess I can't
blame you for trying,

but like I said before,

you're safer here
than any place else.

They have, uh, still got
men at the front gate.

Oh, major, do me
a favor, will you?

There's a guy waiting
for me in the office.

Tell him I'll be right with him.

Meanwhile, I got an
idea where our friend here

can dig in for a while.

I'll be back.

Why the helping hand?

Don't worry, it's not for you.

I spent 12 years in a carny,

and after all the times I
was thrown in the pokey

by these hick cops, I'm not
about to do them any favors.

Well, I'm leaving
tonight anyhow.

Sure, but, uh,
what if that Gerard

decides to snoop around
some more in the meantime?

What did you have in mind?

Come on.

You can stay right
here in this shed.

I'll put a couple of
cat cages in front of it

and they'll never look here.

I think that's the first
place they're gonna look.

Where is he?

Well, come on,
old man, drink up.

It's on the house.

You know, I'd rather not
drink to a man's death.

Who are you, the
virgin princess?

Thirty pieces of silver or
a 5-year-old Bengal tiger,

what's the difference?

What time do they get here?

You said 5. It's
only a quarter of.

They getting paid by
the hour or something?

Relax, you're home free.

Yeah, maybe.

I think it's time to
start the parade.

Gerard?

Yeah, I'd like to talk
to Lieutenant Gerard.

Here they are.
Here are the boys.

You better believe
it's important.

Major.

Major.

You can hear me
but you won't listen,

is that it?

Major, I need your help.

I can't help you.

Don't you understand? I can't.

You once said to me, "A
man needs room to die."

Did you know that Jaipur here

has never known
anything but a cage?

He was born in a
cage just like this,

and except when we
work together in the arena,

his whole world measures

just twice his own length.

Will you help me?

Why should I
choose you over him?

Why should you have to?

To keep him from being sold.

My partner believes that your
capture will make us so rich

that there'll be no
need to sell him.

So tell me, how should I choose?

What can I say?

That you're a man,
that I'm a man,

that we are better somehow
than a mere dumb creature.

But we're not, you know.

No animal corrupts
or wars or betrays.

Only man does that.

So why should I choose you?

Because I'm being
hunted down like an animal.

To be destroyed.

So?

A hunter drives a piece of lead

into the skull of a tiger.

Which death has
more nobility, doctor?

Well, at least the tiger
doesn't know the exact moment

it's going to happen.

Major, there's no room
at all in the electric chair.

You've got him?

You better believe it.

Who are they?

Couple of friends.

Yeah. Lou Cartwright
and a couple of friends

who happen to have cameras.

Very convenient.

I guess it is.

Come on, where is he?

Step right this way, folks.

He walks, he talks, he
crawls on his belly like...

Shut up, Craft.

Just show us where he is.

Anything you say, sheriff.

What did you do?

Dirty, stupid, old man.

Barry.

What happened?

He had Kimble
locked in the cage.

Yeah.

And there's going to be
another empty cage tomorrow.

It's okay. He can't
have got too far.

Maybe, but where?

Up there. It's the only
direction he could have gone.

I've got two men
on the road up there,

he's pretty well boxed in.

Yeah, he's smart.

It's dark. He doesn't
know the terrain.

We'll have him in five
minutes. Come on. Let's go.

Ralph, you stay here.

Watch the area
over by the office.

Come on, men.

Go.

Go, boy. Go.

Hey.

Tiger loose!

Where?

Why?

Men, we gotta find that cat.

Shoot to kill.

No, wait.

What for?

What about Kimble?

So far as we know,
Kimble isn't armed,

but that tiger is.

He might head for town.

Come on, men.

Don't take any chances.

Hey, Al, see anything?

No, not yet.

Kimble?

All right, come on out.

I'll have to shoot.

Kimble.

On the count of
three I'm going to fire.

One.

Two.

Three.

What was it?

I don't know.

Down the road.

Can you see anything?

Not from here.

Go check, I'll stay here.

Okay.

Hey, Al. Over here. We got him.

Sheriff.

We're over here.

You all right?

Yeah, yeah, we are.
We had to kill the tiger.

Well, I guess that
kind of wraps it up.

Uh, you didn't get
much of a story, did you?

Hm? Oh, I got a wonderful story.

Didn't you hear?

Somebody just burned
down the Biograph Theater.

What?

You better believe it.

I'm sorry we lost your boy.

He's not lost. Yeah.

Well, let's get out of here.

Well, you really
blew it, old man.

Kimble, the tiger
and everything.

Is that what you wanted?

Well, he got away.

Didn't he?

One man's dream ends

while another man's
nightmare merely continues.

Richard Kimble is free.

He has room for tonight.