The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 2, Episode 26 - Death for Sale - full transcript
Johnny Lubin has been on the make since he was a young kid. He quit school after grade 3 and by the age of 13 was paying off his truant officer $75 a week to leave him alone. Now 20, he own a string of speakeasies on the waterfront, including opium dens. He soon hooks up with George Dodd a toy manufacturer whose real name is Phil Melnick and is a supposedly reformed mobster. He has $2 million worth of opium to distribute and Lubin thinks he has just the way to get it into the hands of distributors. Lubin's arrogance however pushes him into a deadly game of cat and mouse with Eliot Ness and his men.
Hey, kid.
Yeah?
You got a gun?
Yeah.
Give it to me.
Okay.
Hey!
Tonight's episode...
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Co-starring Ned Glass,
and Carole Eastman.
With special guest
star James McArthur.
Narrated by Walter Winchell.
On June the 14th, 1930,
the establishment of
a Bureau of Narcotics
signaled the beginning
of an all-out effort
by the government
against an alarming
rise in opium addiction.
The bureau's vigorous actions,
coupled with the
complete cooperation
of the Chinese government,
sharply reduced the flow
of illegal opium into
the United States,
and by 1932, the
smuggling of opium
from China to this country
had virtually come to an end.
During the last
week in April of 1933,
Frank Nitti, who had
ascended to Al Capone's throne
following Capone's conviction,
was offered a huge
quantity of Chinese opium.
And on May the 4th,
1933, Nitti sent Ed Getty,
one of his top lieutenants
to rendezvous with agents
of the man who claimed
he could supply the opium.
There were two additional
men at the rendezvous...
"uninvited guests."
Got it?
Here.
I'll get back to you.
But don't take too long.
Nitti promised
action right away.
You ever know Frank
to go back on his word?
Okay.
Hands up high and keep 'em high!
Raw opium.
It's been a long time
since we've seen
any of that, Eliot.
Not long enough.
The second fallen
thug was identified
at the Cook County
morgue as Cliff Anders.
Anders had been released from
Sing Sing in February of 1933.
These are the three men
that Anders worked for, Eliot.
Harry Brian,
small-time bootlegger.
Howie Rolfe.
He delivered liquor
for Capone, remember?
Rolfe's tucked away
in Joliet, isn't he?
Yeah.
Phil Melnick.
That's a name out of the past.
I wonder whatever
happened to him?
He evidently got out of
Chicago three years ago
when the Bureau of
Narcotics was formed.
Present whereabouts unknown.
Isn't he the one they
call the "King of Opium"?
That's what he's called,
but nothing was ever proved.
As far as we know,
he's out of the rackets.
As far as we know...
It doesn't seem possible
that Chinese opium
is still getting into
the country, Eliot.
Maybe it's been here, Lee.
See what's keeping the report
on the paper the opium
was wrapped in, huh?
Right.
The analysis of the paper
in which the raw
opium was wrapped
took Ness and the
Untouchables to New York.
It was a special,
expensive bond paper,
manufactured by the
Clary Paper Company.
Not too many people
buy this grade of paper.
The Depression's cut
down on the use of it.
Before the stock market crashed,
companies bought
this paper by the carlo...
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Ness.
I guess you've got
troubles of your own.
Here's a list of the six firms
who bought the paper this year.
Good. We'll start with this.
If we don't find what we're
looking for with this list,
could you prepare a
list of last year's sales?
Why, certainly.
Thanks for your cooperation.
By the way, Mr. Ness... Yes?
Uh, just what is it
that you hope to find?
Opium, Mr. Clary.
Opium.
Following the aborted
Nitti negotiation,
Art Reel, agent for three
million dollars worth of opium,
had arranged a rendezvous
with the narcotics czar of
the New York waterfront.
Mr. Reel?
Yeah?
You have an appointment
with Johnny Luben,
isn't that right?
You gonna take me to him?
You're took.
Are you Johnny Luben?!
What's so funny?
Ever since I can remember,
whenever I meet
somebody, it's the same story.
Their jaws drop and,
"Are you Luben?"
Well, what do you
expect? You're just a kid.
You got something against
doing business with kids?
Are you Luben?
Is that all you're
gonna say all night?
How much do you want?
How much is there?
Three million. Dollars.
Chinese?
Jersey City.
Melnick's stuff, huh?
Now, look, I can get
used to you being a kid,
but I can't get used to you
being a wise kid, understand?
Now, do you want
any of it or not?
I want all of it.
Three million dollars worth?
Unless there's more.
Cash?
Cash.
Go on, say it again...
"Are you Luben?"
All right.
When can you get the dough?
I'm sorry, Reel.
That's all the
business I do with you.
From here on in, I
deal with your boss.
Not a chance.
Then forget about it.
I don't make
three-million-dollar deals
with in-betweens.
Now, look...!
You look!
It's very simple.
Does your boss want
three million dollars
in exchange for his opium?
If the answer is
yes, take me to him.
If the answer is no,
don't take me to him.
I'll talk to him;
I'll let you know.
If you don't take me to him now,
don't let me know anything.
I'll sit back with
my three million,
and your boss can
sit back with his opium.
You really got
three million dollars?
No, I just like standing
out here getting damp.
Kid...
Come on.
George Dodd Toys, Incorporated.
Come on!
Hey, kid.
Yeah?
Have you got a gun?
Yeah.
Give it to me.
Okay.
Hey!
Take it easy.
Relax, Mr. Melnick.
Nothing more is going to happen.
Here... that ought to
make you feel better.
Who are you?
Johnny Luben.
Aren't you the one that Art
was supposed to meet tonight?
He met me all right.
What'd you kill him for?!
I was saving you the trouble.
What do you mean?
I mean, people who work for me
don't bring strangers
back to see me.
I'm sure that's your
policy too, isn't it?
Yes, but... What's the "but"?
This guy was a bum!
In the old days, you
wouldn't have had him around
for five minutes.
Like I said, I did you a favor.
What do you know
about the "old days"?
You hear stories.
All right. You did me a favor.
Now, what do you
want me to do for you?
You hired Reel to get rid
of three million dollars
worth of opium, didn't you?
And?
You're lucky you don't
have to feed this dog.
Yeah, I'm very lucky. Go on.
Cut me in 50-50...
and I'll get rid of
the opium for you.
How?
I got a plan.
Fifty-fifty?
What's your plan?
Why don't you just say "50-50"?
If you don't like the
plan, you can pass.
And if I do like it...
what's going to stop me
from killing you
and doing it myself?
Only one thing.
My plan needs the
right kind of men.
You haven't got any.
Fifty-fifty.
It's simple.
You sell toys.
I open a mail order house,
make a catalogue.
One of the items
in the catalogue,
ordered in a special way,
will have the opium in it.
My men will make
the right contacts
all over the country.
In six months, all of
the stuff will be gone.
All shipped out of my warehouse
and nobody the wiser.
Here.
This'll be perfect.
We'll put the
opium right in here.
What do you say?
I said it already...
Fifty-fifty.
The first four firms
that Ness and the Untouchables
visited checked out negatively.
Their fifth stop was the
George Dodd Toy Company.
What can I do for you gentlemen?
First thing you can do
is save us a lot of trouble
by not denying
you're Phil Melnick.
Who are you?
Federal officers.
Eliot Ness, hmm?
What do you want?
Two men were killed in
Chicago a few days ago.
One of them had a
packet of raw opium.
What's that got to do with me?
The paper the
opium was wrapped in
is very expensive stationery.
Not many people use it.
You're one of them.
What does that prove?
Maybe nothing, maybe a lot.
The same old story.
You guys got a bug
about me and opium.
I got a legitimate
business here.
I've had it for years.
Why'd you change
your name, Melnick?
To avoid this kind of thing.
Do you think it would
do my business any good
to have guys like you
hanging around hounding me?
If you're legitimate,
we won't bother you.
I am.
You know, sometimes, I
think you guys get upset
when you find out
everybody isn't in a racket.
I'd like to see your
books, Melnick.
What for?
I just want to make sure
we both have the same idea
about what legitimate means.
I pay my taxes, if that's
what's on your mind.
Good for you.
I want those books.
All right.
Hey!
You lookin' for somebody?
Johnny Luben.
You a friend of his?
Yeah, I'm a friend.
Friends got names, friend.
George Dodd.
Wait here.
What are you doing here?
You out of your mind?
Ness came to see me today.
Eliot Ness... you
know who he is?
I read the papers.
Well, what does he want?
What the Feds have always wanted
and haven't been
able to get... my scalp.
If you don't panic,
they won't get it now.
I never panic, kid.
If you panic, you
lose your best friend...
Your own brains.
My own brains
reminded me this morning
this fellow Ness
put Capone away.
So what?
Capone wasn't smart.
When you start saying things
like that, kid, you worry me.
What do you want to do?!
Back out of the deal
because a Fed shows up?
Before I tell you
what I'm gonna do,
I'm gonna tell you
what you're gonna do.
You're gonna lower
your voice, kid, okay?
Not okay. I don't work for
you, Phil... we're partners!
And if I want to raise my
voice, you'll just have to like it!
Okay?!
Okay.
What about the deal?
The deal is still on.
I just want you to remember
we're like Siamese twins
till we finish this business.
If Ness sticks you,
my skin is going to hurt.
Do you think you
can remember that?
It'll be easy, Phil,
because I like my skin just
as much as you like yours.
That's all a Siamese
twin can ask.
What is it?
He's all right.
Talk.
We got a stiff in the back room.
A kid about 20.
He was back
there using the stuff
for about five hours,
and, all of a sudden...
Get rid of him.
You run a den in here?
What are you making faces about?
I'm not going to be selling
cotton candy for you, am I?
There'll be a few
hundred people dead
by the time all
this stuff's pushed.
A few hundred people
dead doesn't worry me.
One person dead
here... That worries me.
That's my worry.
I told you to get rid of him.
He came with a girl.
She's sittin' outside
waitin' for him.
That makes it messy.
Johnny, look...
I'll take care of everything.
Good.
You do that.
I'll see you, kid.
Phil, use the back door.
Hello?
Can I sit down?
I'm not alone.
I know; you've got
a boyfriend in there.
That's what I want
to talk to you about.
Well...?
Can I sit?
All right.
Do you know what
he's doing in there?
Yes, I know what
he's doing in there.
Look, if you're a cop or a
missionary or something,
talk to him, not me.
I draw the line on
my kicks with this.
Talk to him.
I can't talk to him.
That's what I came to tell you.
He's dead.
That's too bad.
How well did you know this guy?
Well enough to have
him bring me here.
Not well enough to say
more than "That's too bad,"
when I find out he
won't be taking me home.
Look, I'm sorry
if I'm not behaving the
way you expect me to,
but he knew exactly
what he was doing.
I'm not glad it happened to him,
but I certainly can't
shed any tears.
You're behaving fine.
Do you work here?
No.
Then how come
you're the messenger?
Somebody had to tell you.
I drink here. I know the boss.
And he asked me to do it.
Would you tell the
boss something for me?
With pleasure.
Tell him the whiskey's terrible.
Let me take care of the check.
No, thanks.
I'd be glad to drive you home.
There's a cab stand outside.
Can I call you?
Hey, where do you live?
Hey, what's your name?
What about the stiff?
The stiff.
Oh, yeah.
What are you doin'?
Advertising, Chester.
Just advertising.
Let's go.
This firm has paid
all its taxes, Ness...
City, state and federal.
Every year checks out.
Thanks, Bradley.
I'm sure glad I'm an
accountant for the government,
and not the George
Dodd Toy Company.
What do you mean?
I'd be out of a job.
This company is
practically bankrupt.
Unless it's refinanced,
there won't be any
books to audit next year.
Good night, Ness.
Good night, Bradley. Thanks.
Practically bankrupt.
Melnick didn't act like he
was going out of business.
Yeah, I know.
That brings up the question
as to how he's going
to get the money
to refinance and
keep legitimate.
Hello.
Hello, Mr. Ness?
This is Ness.
A body is being dropped
into the river at Pier 14.
Cause of death... an
overdose of opium.
Who is this?
Hello. Who is this?!
Hello?
Hello...?
Now, back to The Untouchables.
Following the phone call,
Eliot Ness contacted
the New York City police,
and with the cooperation
of their harbor precinct,
the river in the vicinity
of Pier 14 was dredged.
Two hours later,
the body of David
Wilcox was brought up
from its watery grave.
Happen to know
where the Ship Ahoy is?
It's over on Pier Six.
Thanks.
How about a story, Ness?
Captain Barker
will give you a story.
Sorry, gents, we're closed.
Still open to answer
some questions, aren't you?
Sure.
What do you serve here?
Good meals, cheap.
What else?
Coffee.
Strong, black coffee.
Strong enough to kill somebody?
What are you talkin' about?
These matches were found
on a body fished out of the river.
So what? Those matches
are all over the waterfront.
You own this place?
No, I just work here.
Johnny Luben owns it.
Where is he? I don't know.
Eliot?
It's locked.
Where's the key?
I don't have a key.
Let's open it.
Don't tell me this
is a dormitory.
I don't know what it is.
I just work outside.
All right, you work outside.
Take him down to the morgue.
See if he recognizes
one of his customers.
I don't think we're going to
get much out of him, Eliot.
I don't expect to; just want
to keep him busy for 24 hours.
We're going to pay this place
a surprise visit tomorrow night.
Eliot?
What do you suppose
these cards are used for?
To serve opium, Rico.
And the cards are really
stacked against the poor devils
who get hooked on this stuff.
You see the papers? Shh!
Watch this!
Smoke... can you
beat that? Smoke!
Shut it off!
You're gonna spoil my fun?
See what's plastered
all over the front page?
"Overdose of opium
kills a college student."
I never went to college.
I didn't go to any school
past the third grade.
I started working
when I was eight.
When this college
kid was probably
playing with
these kind of trains,
I was lugging carts full of
clams down on the docks.
I got a dollar for a
whole day's lugging.
By the time I was 13,
when this college kid
was going into high school,
I had three clam
stands of my own.
I was making $500 a week.
And do you know
who my partner was?
The truant officer.
I paid him 75 bucks a week
to keep off my back.
I paid him for three years,
till I didn't have to
go to school no more.
So don't ask me to
cry over a college boy!
I'm not asking you
to cry for anybody!
I want you to see whose
picture is on that front page.
That's Ness, Johnny!
My skin is beginning to hurt.
I know who it is.
I called him last night.
You what?!
I called him. I told him where
the body was going to be dumped.
What for?
So he could find the Ship Ahoy
matches I planted on the corpse.
I had a reason! Spit it out!
Ness went there last
night, right from the pier.
He broke into the back
room and saw the den.
And tonight he'll be
back; he'll raid the joint.
And you know what
he's gonna find?
Nothing.
And if your friend Ness
is the hotshot you claim he is,
he'll have already found
out that Johnny Luben
owns 15 places
on the waterfront.
And Ness can start
playing the game, too.
"Button, button,
who's got the button?"
I've been raided 46 times
in the last two years, Phil,
and nobody's found nothing.
You know why?
Because I keep moving the
action from place to place.
That way the odds are
always 15-to-one in my favor.
And if things get real hot,
I cut the odds down to zero.
I forget about opium and booze
and close everything down.
And when things cool,
I let the odds build
up to 15-to-one again,
and then open.
So let Ness play the odds.
Let him raid.
I want him to raid.
And while he's raiding...
I'll be making beautiful
music, all over the country.
And by the time I'm finished,
I won't care about
those 15 places of mine.
I won't even go near 'em.
Because I'll have one
and a half million dollars
in cold cash.
Still mad, Phil?
Hello.
What are you doing here?
Well, I would have
come upstairs,
but I didn't know your name.
Say, that's a great hat.
I could only find the address.
Persistent, aren't you?
Oh, not for myself,
it's, uh, for this panda.
You see, I'm trying
to find it a good home.
The best place for pandas
is their natural habitat...
The Himalayas.
I know, but, uh, the
last words of this one,
before he was stuffed, were:
"I want to live on Park Avenue."
Here, take it.
I'm Johnny Luben.
Sandra Wiley.
Ordinarily, I'd say,
"Dinner at the Voisin,
the Palais Royal,
the Empire Room?"
And you'd turn me
down, wouldn't you?
Besides finding homes
for stray animals, Mr. Luben,
you're also a mind reader.
That's why I
didn't say "dinner."
See, I know what
you really want to do.
Oh?
What's that?
Take a walk in the rain.
Rico, cover the back.
Is there a law against
playing solitaire?
Are you Johnny Luben?
Yeah, I'm Johnny Luben.
I see you've redecorated.
You mean the furniture?
You know what I mean.
I had to get rid of it.
It was a fire hazard.
You're plenty sure of
yourself, aren't you?
I do all right.
You know, I've seen
cocky kids before.
You mean there are
more like me someplace?
There are 20 just like
you in Joliet Prison alone.
You think he moved his operation
to one of his other places?
We're gonna find out.
What about Melnick?
We'll stay on him, too.
They're both selling
the same thing: death.
For five days, the Untouchables
kept a fruitless watch
on Phil Melnick
and Johnny Luben.
Melnick rarely
left his toy office,
while Luben was constantly seen
in the company of Sandra Wiley.
But on the sixth night,
while Ness was
trailing Phil Melnick
and Hobson was detailed
to follow Johnny Luben,
they stumbled upon
an unsuspected alliance.
Welcome to Playland.
Not a bad place to meet.
It's pretty hard to be
overheard on a Ferris wheel.
What's on your mind, Johnny?
I'm ready to ship.
I've got the first orders.
Now, where's the stuff?
How much are the
orders for, Johnny?
$200,000.
You'll get $200,000
worth in the mail tomorrow.
Isn't that silly, Phil?
Why don't you send me
all of it, so I don't have
to keep bothering
you for every shipment.
It's no bother.
What's the matter?
Don't you trust me?
I was 20 years old once, too,
Johnny, clawing my way up.
You get a lot of temptations
when you're clawing your way up.
All right. We'll do it your way.
I don't blame you
for not trusting me.
It's not a matter of trust.
I'm 50 years old, Johnny.
I'll tell you how
I got to be 50.
I never trusted anybody,
I didn't ask
anybody to trust me,
I always lived up
to my agreements,
and I killed anyone who
didn't live up to theirs.
Fair enough.
I'll be at my office
tomorrow night at 8:00.
Phone me there to
verify the delivery.
Right.
What do you say we
stay on once more?
Why, we got some more business?
No business, just for the
pleasure of the ride, Phil.
Sold.
Just like a couple of kids.
Some kids.
At 4:00 p.m. the
following afternoon,
during Enrico Rossi's watch,
the second mail,
containing a large package,
was delivered on
schedule to the Ship Ahoy.
Here it is.
Cedar.
What's wrong?
Smells like cedarwood.
Maybe the Chinese
stuff smells like that.
Cedar...
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
What are you doing here?
Didn't the stuff come?
Sure it came, Phil.
I thought I'd surprise you
and pay your share now.
I don't like surprises,
Johnny, you hear?!
You're supposed to
call, I want you to call,
so no surprises...
The next morning,
Phil Melnick's body
was discovered by his secretary.
She reported the murder
to the New York City police,
who, in turn, relayed the news
to Eliot Ness and
the Untouchables.
This is what the
murder was about.
Melnick must have
hidden the opium in this.
Looks like it's
Luben's show now.
I just hope we can catch him
before he starts
selling tickets.
Sure I know him. I
know a lot of people.
He was a customer of mine.
Your customers have
a lot in common, Luben.
They all seem to die suddenly.
You can't pin this rap on me.
Where were you last night?
Where I am every
night: with my girl,
and that's the truth.
I'm telling you the truth.
Why don't you ask her?
That's just what
I'm going to do.
That, and a lot more.
We're going to have a rough time
trying to push that stuff...
with Ness on us.
I'll get Ness off my back.
Only it's not gonna be as easy
as paying my truant
officer 75 bucks a week.
What are you gonna do?
Get him over to the warehouse.
Let him wreck the
joint looking for the stuff.
And when he doesn't find
anything, maybe he'll quit.
He ain't never gonna quit.
Then we'll wait...
A year, two, three.
How long are they gonna
keep him watching nothing?
There's only one thing
wrong with waiting.
What's that?
I always counted on being
a millionaire before I was 21.
Do you live here
alone, Miss Wiley?
Yes.
My parents are dead.
They left me a
big pile of money.
That's all they left me.
You've been seeing a lot
of Johnny Luben
lately, haven't you?
That's my business, isn't it?
Right now, it's
my business, too.
Did you see him last night?
Yes.
Where'd you go?
We went to dinner and a movie.
Did he stop anywhere?
Yes.
Where?
At every red light.
Look, Miss Wiley,
Luben's in trouble.
If you're withholding
information,
you're in trouble too.
Johnny told me you'd
come and question me.
He told me how you hound him.
Did he also tell you
to lie about last night?
I don't lie.
Thanks.
What do you think?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Hello?
Johnny, Ness was here.
I told you he'd come.
Listen, it's only
whiskey, isn't it?
Nothing else?
What else?
I don't know... his tone
of voice frightened me.
Easy, baby, easy.
I'll see you
tonight... Same time.
Same time.
What time do you go on duty?
Oh, uh, 4:00 p.m. till midnight.
Was Mr. Luben here last night?
Luben, Luben...
The man who goes
with Sandra Wiley.
Oh, sure!
Came same as usual... -00 sharp.
Always smiling.
Carrying one of
those stuffed toys
he gives her every time.
Gives me a buck, too.
You know, it's,
uh, not every day
that a visitor tips the doorman
of an apartment house.
Oh, now, wait a minute, fellas.
Uh, I wasn't asking you guys
for anything, honest.
This might be what
we've been waiting for.
This is strictly a
legitimate business.
There's nothin' here.
The last person who told me
about a strictly
legitimate business
got knifed last night.
I'm not the last person
who told you anything.
I'm me: Johnny Luben.
I know who you are.
And I know who you are,
but I don't know what you want.
I'll tell you what I want...
I want to be left alone!
I'll bet you do.
Look, Ness...
I've started a mail
order business.
I worked a long time
to get a good
business like this.
It wasn't easy.
I started out in the streets
when I was eight, with nothing.
Now, why don't you
just leave me alone?
I tell you, there's
nothing here!
I believe you, Luben.
What are you surprised about?
Did you think I was
gonna take the bait
every time you dangled
it in front of my nose?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
You want us to search
this place, don't you?
Do I?
Bring him along, Lee.
Come on.
You can't do this.
I'll bring charges
against you, Ness!
Johnny told you
there's nothing in them.
I'm warning you, Ness.
Entering without a warrant,
destroying private property...
I won't let you
get away with this.
You're tearing up more
than pandas, Ness.
You're tearing up your career!
You won't listen, huh?
Okay.
Go on, rip away!
Enjoy yourselves.
You might as well, because this
is the last case
you'll ever be on!
Come on out, and
get your hands up.
You're wasting your time, Luben!
The stuff isn't
where you think it is!
You're a liar!
When you went out
to dinner last night,
I went back to the
apartment, and I found it!
What can you prove, huh?
Nothing, that's what!
You can't prove one thing!
All I needed was a
confession, and I got it!
When you grabbed
that panda, Luben,
you grabbed a life sentence!
I had three million
bucks sewn up
when you came along.
Three million!
Enough to buy you like
that stinking truant officer!
Enough for the
world... All of it!
And tear up the gutters!
You all right?
Ness... Yes?
The girl...
She didn't know about the stuff.
For the first time,
I believe you.
Johnny Luben, who had
envisioned himself as the king
of a multi-million-dollar
opium empire,
died a pauper
on a lonely rooftop
in the heart of the city.
Yeah?
You got a gun?
Yeah.
Give it to me.
Okay.
Hey!
Tonight's episode...
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Co-starring Ned Glass,
and Carole Eastman.
With special guest
star James McArthur.
Narrated by Walter Winchell.
On June the 14th, 1930,
the establishment of
a Bureau of Narcotics
signaled the beginning
of an all-out effort
by the government
against an alarming
rise in opium addiction.
The bureau's vigorous actions,
coupled with the
complete cooperation
of the Chinese government,
sharply reduced the flow
of illegal opium into
the United States,
and by 1932, the
smuggling of opium
from China to this country
had virtually come to an end.
During the last
week in April of 1933,
Frank Nitti, who had
ascended to Al Capone's throne
following Capone's conviction,
was offered a huge
quantity of Chinese opium.
And on May the 4th,
1933, Nitti sent Ed Getty,
one of his top lieutenants
to rendezvous with agents
of the man who claimed
he could supply the opium.
There were two additional
men at the rendezvous...
"uninvited guests."
Got it?
Here.
I'll get back to you.
But don't take too long.
Nitti promised
action right away.
You ever know Frank
to go back on his word?
Okay.
Hands up high and keep 'em high!
Raw opium.
It's been a long time
since we've seen
any of that, Eliot.
Not long enough.
The second fallen
thug was identified
at the Cook County
morgue as Cliff Anders.
Anders had been released from
Sing Sing in February of 1933.
These are the three men
that Anders worked for, Eliot.
Harry Brian,
small-time bootlegger.
Howie Rolfe.
He delivered liquor
for Capone, remember?
Rolfe's tucked away
in Joliet, isn't he?
Yeah.
Phil Melnick.
That's a name out of the past.
I wonder whatever
happened to him?
He evidently got out of
Chicago three years ago
when the Bureau of
Narcotics was formed.
Present whereabouts unknown.
Isn't he the one they
call the "King of Opium"?
That's what he's called,
but nothing was ever proved.
As far as we know,
he's out of the rackets.
As far as we know...
It doesn't seem possible
that Chinese opium
is still getting into
the country, Eliot.
Maybe it's been here, Lee.
See what's keeping the report
on the paper the opium
was wrapped in, huh?
Right.
The analysis of the paper
in which the raw
opium was wrapped
took Ness and the
Untouchables to New York.
It was a special,
expensive bond paper,
manufactured by the
Clary Paper Company.
Not too many people
buy this grade of paper.
The Depression's cut
down on the use of it.
Before the stock market crashed,
companies bought
this paper by the carlo...
Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Ness.
I guess you've got
troubles of your own.
Here's a list of the six firms
who bought the paper this year.
Good. We'll start with this.
If we don't find what we're
looking for with this list,
could you prepare a
list of last year's sales?
Why, certainly.
Thanks for your cooperation.
By the way, Mr. Ness... Yes?
Uh, just what is it
that you hope to find?
Opium, Mr. Clary.
Opium.
Following the aborted
Nitti negotiation,
Art Reel, agent for three
million dollars worth of opium,
had arranged a rendezvous
with the narcotics czar of
the New York waterfront.
Mr. Reel?
Yeah?
You have an appointment
with Johnny Luben,
isn't that right?
You gonna take me to him?
You're took.
Are you Johnny Luben?!
What's so funny?
Ever since I can remember,
whenever I meet
somebody, it's the same story.
Their jaws drop and,
"Are you Luben?"
Well, what do you
expect? You're just a kid.
You got something against
doing business with kids?
Are you Luben?
Is that all you're
gonna say all night?
How much do you want?
How much is there?
Three million. Dollars.
Chinese?
Jersey City.
Melnick's stuff, huh?
Now, look, I can get
used to you being a kid,
but I can't get used to you
being a wise kid, understand?
Now, do you want
any of it or not?
I want all of it.
Three million dollars worth?
Unless there's more.
Cash?
Cash.
Go on, say it again...
"Are you Luben?"
All right.
When can you get the dough?
I'm sorry, Reel.
That's all the
business I do with you.
From here on in, I
deal with your boss.
Not a chance.
Then forget about it.
I don't make
three-million-dollar deals
with in-betweens.
Now, look...!
You look!
It's very simple.
Does your boss want
three million dollars
in exchange for his opium?
If the answer is
yes, take me to him.
If the answer is no,
don't take me to him.
I'll talk to him;
I'll let you know.
If you don't take me to him now,
don't let me know anything.
I'll sit back with
my three million,
and your boss can
sit back with his opium.
You really got
three million dollars?
No, I just like standing
out here getting damp.
Kid...
Come on.
George Dodd Toys, Incorporated.
Come on!
Hey, kid.
Yeah?
Have you got a gun?
Yeah.
Give it to me.
Okay.
Hey!
Take it easy.
Relax, Mr. Melnick.
Nothing more is going to happen.
Here... that ought to
make you feel better.
Who are you?
Johnny Luben.
Aren't you the one that Art
was supposed to meet tonight?
He met me all right.
What'd you kill him for?!
I was saving you the trouble.
What do you mean?
I mean, people who work for me
don't bring strangers
back to see me.
I'm sure that's your
policy too, isn't it?
Yes, but... What's the "but"?
This guy was a bum!
In the old days, you
wouldn't have had him around
for five minutes.
Like I said, I did you a favor.
What do you know
about the "old days"?
You hear stories.
All right. You did me a favor.
Now, what do you
want me to do for you?
You hired Reel to get rid
of three million dollars
worth of opium, didn't you?
And?
You're lucky you don't
have to feed this dog.
Yeah, I'm very lucky. Go on.
Cut me in 50-50...
and I'll get rid of
the opium for you.
How?
I got a plan.
Fifty-fifty?
What's your plan?
Why don't you just say "50-50"?
If you don't like the
plan, you can pass.
And if I do like it...
what's going to stop me
from killing you
and doing it myself?
Only one thing.
My plan needs the
right kind of men.
You haven't got any.
Fifty-fifty.
It's simple.
You sell toys.
I open a mail order house,
make a catalogue.
One of the items
in the catalogue,
ordered in a special way,
will have the opium in it.
My men will make
the right contacts
all over the country.
In six months, all of
the stuff will be gone.
All shipped out of my warehouse
and nobody the wiser.
Here.
This'll be perfect.
We'll put the
opium right in here.
What do you say?
I said it already...
Fifty-fifty.
The first four firms
that Ness and the Untouchables
visited checked out negatively.
Their fifth stop was the
George Dodd Toy Company.
What can I do for you gentlemen?
First thing you can do
is save us a lot of trouble
by not denying
you're Phil Melnick.
Who are you?
Federal officers.
Eliot Ness, hmm?
What do you want?
Two men were killed in
Chicago a few days ago.
One of them had a
packet of raw opium.
What's that got to do with me?
The paper the
opium was wrapped in
is very expensive stationery.
Not many people use it.
You're one of them.
What does that prove?
Maybe nothing, maybe a lot.
The same old story.
You guys got a bug
about me and opium.
I got a legitimate
business here.
I've had it for years.
Why'd you change
your name, Melnick?
To avoid this kind of thing.
Do you think it would
do my business any good
to have guys like you
hanging around hounding me?
If you're legitimate,
we won't bother you.
I am.
You know, sometimes, I
think you guys get upset
when you find out
everybody isn't in a racket.
I'd like to see your
books, Melnick.
What for?
I just want to make sure
we both have the same idea
about what legitimate means.
I pay my taxes, if that's
what's on your mind.
Good for you.
I want those books.
All right.
Hey!
You lookin' for somebody?
Johnny Luben.
You a friend of his?
Yeah, I'm a friend.
Friends got names, friend.
George Dodd.
Wait here.
What are you doing here?
You out of your mind?
Ness came to see me today.
Eliot Ness... you
know who he is?
I read the papers.
Well, what does he want?
What the Feds have always wanted
and haven't been
able to get... my scalp.
If you don't panic,
they won't get it now.
I never panic, kid.
If you panic, you
lose your best friend...
Your own brains.
My own brains
reminded me this morning
this fellow Ness
put Capone away.
So what?
Capone wasn't smart.
When you start saying things
like that, kid, you worry me.
What do you want to do?!
Back out of the deal
because a Fed shows up?
Before I tell you
what I'm gonna do,
I'm gonna tell you
what you're gonna do.
You're gonna lower
your voice, kid, okay?
Not okay. I don't work for
you, Phil... we're partners!
And if I want to raise my
voice, you'll just have to like it!
Okay?!
Okay.
What about the deal?
The deal is still on.
I just want you to remember
we're like Siamese twins
till we finish this business.
If Ness sticks you,
my skin is going to hurt.
Do you think you
can remember that?
It'll be easy, Phil,
because I like my skin just
as much as you like yours.
That's all a Siamese
twin can ask.
What is it?
He's all right.
Talk.
We got a stiff in the back room.
A kid about 20.
He was back
there using the stuff
for about five hours,
and, all of a sudden...
Get rid of him.
You run a den in here?
What are you making faces about?
I'm not going to be selling
cotton candy for you, am I?
There'll be a few
hundred people dead
by the time all
this stuff's pushed.
A few hundred people
dead doesn't worry me.
One person dead
here... That worries me.
That's my worry.
I told you to get rid of him.
He came with a girl.
She's sittin' outside
waitin' for him.
That makes it messy.
Johnny, look...
I'll take care of everything.
Good.
You do that.
I'll see you, kid.
Phil, use the back door.
Hello?
Can I sit down?
I'm not alone.
I know; you've got
a boyfriend in there.
That's what I want
to talk to you about.
Well...?
Can I sit?
All right.
Do you know what
he's doing in there?
Yes, I know what
he's doing in there.
Look, if you're a cop or a
missionary or something,
talk to him, not me.
I draw the line on
my kicks with this.
Talk to him.
I can't talk to him.
That's what I came to tell you.
He's dead.
That's too bad.
How well did you know this guy?
Well enough to have
him bring me here.
Not well enough to say
more than "That's too bad,"
when I find out he
won't be taking me home.
Look, I'm sorry
if I'm not behaving the
way you expect me to,
but he knew exactly
what he was doing.
I'm not glad it happened to him,
but I certainly can't
shed any tears.
You're behaving fine.
Do you work here?
No.
Then how come
you're the messenger?
Somebody had to tell you.
I drink here. I know the boss.
And he asked me to do it.
Would you tell the
boss something for me?
With pleasure.
Tell him the whiskey's terrible.
Let me take care of the check.
No, thanks.
I'd be glad to drive you home.
There's a cab stand outside.
Can I call you?
Hey, where do you live?
Hey, what's your name?
What about the stiff?
The stiff.
Oh, yeah.
What are you doin'?
Advertising, Chester.
Just advertising.
Let's go.
This firm has paid
all its taxes, Ness...
City, state and federal.
Every year checks out.
Thanks, Bradley.
I'm sure glad I'm an
accountant for the government,
and not the George
Dodd Toy Company.
What do you mean?
I'd be out of a job.
This company is
practically bankrupt.
Unless it's refinanced,
there won't be any
books to audit next year.
Good night, Ness.
Good night, Bradley. Thanks.
Practically bankrupt.
Melnick didn't act like he
was going out of business.
Yeah, I know.
That brings up the question
as to how he's going
to get the money
to refinance and
keep legitimate.
Hello.
Hello, Mr. Ness?
This is Ness.
A body is being dropped
into the river at Pier 14.
Cause of death... an
overdose of opium.
Who is this?
Hello. Who is this?!
Hello?
Hello...?
Now, back to The Untouchables.
Following the phone call,
Eliot Ness contacted
the New York City police,
and with the cooperation
of their harbor precinct,
the river in the vicinity
of Pier 14 was dredged.
Two hours later,
the body of David
Wilcox was brought up
from its watery grave.
Happen to know
where the Ship Ahoy is?
It's over on Pier Six.
Thanks.
How about a story, Ness?
Captain Barker
will give you a story.
Sorry, gents, we're closed.
Still open to answer
some questions, aren't you?
Sure.
What do you serve here?
Good meals, cheap.
What else?
Coffee.
Strong, black coffee.
Strong enough to kill somebody?
What are you talkin' about?
These matches were found
on a body fished out of the river.
So what? Those matches
are all over the waterfront.
You own this place?
No, I just work here.
Johnny Luben owns it.
Where is he? I don't know.
Eliot?
It's locked.
Where's the key?
I don't have a key.
Let's open it.
Don't tell me this
is a dormitory.
I don't know what it is.
I just work outside.
All right, you work outside.
Take him down to the morgue.
See if he recognizes
one of his customers.
I don't think we're going to
get much out of him, Eliot.
I don't expect to; just want
to keep him busy for 24 hours.
We're going to pay this place
a surprise visit tomorrow night.
Eliot?
What do you suppose
these cards are used for?
To serve opium, Rico.
And the cards are really
stacked against the poor devils
who get hooked on this stuff.
You see the papers? Shh!
Watch this!
Smoke... can you
beat that? Smoke!
Shut it off!
You're gonna spoil my fun?
See what's plastered
all over the front page?
"Overdose of opium
kills a college student."
I never went to college.
I didn't go to any school
past the third grade.
I started working
when I was eight.
When this college
kid was probably
playing with
these kind of trains,
I was lugging carts full of
clams down on the docks.
I got a dollar for a
whole day's lugging.
By the time I was 13,
when this college kid
was going into high school,
I had three clam
stands of my own.
I was making $500 a week.
And do you know
who my partner was?
The truant officer.
I paid him 75 bucks a week
to keep off my back.
I paid him for three years,
till I didn't have to
go to school no more.
So don't ask me to
cry over a college boy!
I'm not asking you
to cry for anybody!
I want you to see whose
picture is on that front page.
That's Ness, Johnny!
My skin is beginning to hurt.
I know who it is.
I called him last night.
You what?!
I called him. I told him where
the body was going to be dumped.
What for?
So he could find the Ship Ahoy
matches I planted on the corpse.
I had a reason! Spit it out!
Ness went there last
night, right from the pier.
He broke into the back
room and saw the den.
And tonight he'll be
back; he'll raid the joint.
And you know what
he's gonna find?
Nothing.
And if your friend Ness
is the hotshot you claim he is,
he'll have already found
out that Johnny Luben
owns 15 places
on the waterfront.
And Ness can start
playing the game, too.
"Button, button,
who's got the button?"
I've been raided 46 times
in the last two years, Phil,
and nobody's found nothing.
You know why?
Because I keep moving the
action from place to place.
That way the odds are
always 15-to-one in my favor.
And if things get real hot,
I cut the odds down to zero.
I forget about opium and booze
and close everything down.
And when things cool,
I let the odds build
up to 15-to-one again,
and then open.
So let Ness play the odds.
Let him raid.
I want him to raid.
And while he's raiding...
I'll be making beautiful
music, all over the country.
And by the time I'm finished,
I won't care about
those 15 places of mine.
I won't even go near 'em.
Because I'll have one
and a half million dollars
in cold cash.
Still mad, Phil?
Hello.
What are you doing here?
Well, I would have
come upstairs,
but I didn't know your name.
Say, that's a great hat.
I could only find the address.
Persistent, aren't you?
Oh, not for myself,
it's, uh, for this panda.
You see, I'm trying
to find it a good home.
The best place for pandas
is their natural habitat...
The Himalayas.
I know, but, uh, the
last words of this one,
before he was stuffed, were:
"I want to live on Park Avenue."
Here, take it.
I'm Johnny Luben.
Sandra Wiley.
Ordinarily, I'd say,
"Dinner at the Voisin,
the Palais Royal,
the Empire Room?"
And you'd turn me
down, wouldn't you?
Besides finding homes
for stray animals, Mr. Luben,
you're also a mind reader.
That's why I
didn't say "dinner."
See, I know what
you really want to do.
Oh?
What's that?
Take a walk in the rain.
Rico, cover the back.
Is there a law against
playing solitaire?
Are you Johnny Luben?
Yeah, I'm Johnny Luben.
I see you've redecorated.
You mean the furniture?
You know what I mean.
I had to get rid of it.
It was a fire hazard.
You're plenty sure of
yourself, aren't you?
I do all right.
You know, I've seen
cocky kids before.
You mean there are
more like me someplace?
There are 20 just like
you in Joliet Prison alone.
You think he moved his operation
to one of his other places?
We're gonna find out.
What about Melnick?
We'll stay on him, too.
They're both selling
the same thing: death.
For five days, the Untouchables
kept a fruitless watch
on Phil Melnick
and Johnny Luben.
Melnick rarely
left his toy office,
while Luben was constantly seen
in the company of Sandra Wiley.
But on the sixth night,
while Ness was
trailing Phil Melnick
and Hobson was detailed
to follow Johnny Luben,
they stumbled upon
an unsuspected alliance.
Welcome to Playland.
Not a bad place to meet.
It's pretty hard to be
overheard on a Ferris wheel.
What's on your mind, Johnny?
I'm ready to ship.
I've got the first orders.
Now, where's the stuff?
How much are the
orders for, Johnny?
$200,000.
You'll get $200,000
worth in the mail tomorrow.
Isn't that silly, Phil?
Why don't you send me
all of it, so I don't have
to keep bothering
you for every shipment.
It's no bother.
What's the matter?
Don't you trust me?
I was 20 years old once, too,
Johnny, clawing my way up.
You get a lot of temptations
when you're clawing your way up.
All right. We'll do it your way.
I don't blame you
for not trusting me.
It's not a matter of trust.
I'm 50 years old, Johnny.
I'll tell you how
I got to be 50.
I never trusted anybody,
I didn't ask
anybody to trust me,
I always lived up
to my agreements,
and I killed anyone who
didn't live up to theirs.
Fair enough.
I'll be at my office
tomorrow night at 8:00.
Phone me there to
verify the delivery.
Right.
What do you say we
stay on once more?
Why, we got some more business?
No business, just for the
pleasure of the ride, Phil.
Sold.
Just like a couple of kids.
Some kids.
At 4:00 p.m. the
following afternoon,
during Enrico Rossi's watch,
the second mail,
containing a large package,
was delivered on
schedule to the Ship Ahoy.
Here it is.
Cedar.
What's wrong?
Smells like cedarwood.
Maybe the Chinese
stuff smells like that.
Cedar...
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
What are you doing here?
Didn't the stuff come?
Sure it came, Phil.
I thought I'd surprise you
and pay your share now.
I don't like surprises,
Johnny, you hear?!
You're supposed to
call, I want you to call,
so no surprises...
The next morning,
Phil Melnick's body
was discovered by his secretary.
She reported the murder
to the New York City police,
who, in turn, relayed the news
to Eliot Ness and
the Untouchables.
This is what the
murder was about.
Melnick must have
hidden the opium in this.
Looks like it's
Luben's show now.
I just hope we can catch him
before he starts
selling tickets.
Sure I know him. I
know a lot of people.
He was a customer of mine.
Your customers have
a lot in common, Luben.
They all seem to die suddenly.
You can't pin this rap on me.
Where were you last night?
Where I am every
night: with my girl,
and that's the truth.
I'm telling you the truth.
Why don't you ask her?
That's just what
I'm going to do.
That, and a lot more.
We're going to have a rough time
trying to push that stuff...
with Ness on us.
I'll get Ness off my back.
Only it's not gonna be as easy
as paying my truant
officer 75 bucks a week.
What are you gonna do?
Get him over to the warehouse.
Let him wreck the
joint looking for the stuff.
And when he doesn't find
anything, maybe he'll quit.
He ain't never gonna quit.
Then we'll wait...
A year, two, three.
How long are they gonna
keep him watching nothing?
There's only one thing
wrong with waiting.
What's that?
I always counted on being
a millionaire before I was 21.
Do you live here
alone, Miss Wiley?
Yes.
My parents are dead.
They left me a
big pile of money.
That's all they left me.
You've been seeing a lot
of Johnny Luben
lately, haven't you?
That's my business, isn't it?
Right now, it's
my business, too.
Did you see him last night?
Yes.
Where'd you go?
We went to dinner and a movie.
Did he stop anywhere?
Yes.
Where?
At every red light.
Look, Miss Wiley,
Luben's in trouble.
If you're withholding
information,
you're in trouble too.
Johnny told me you'd
come and question me.
He told me how you hound him.
Did he also tell you
to lie about last night?
I don't lie.
Thanks.
What do you think?
Your guess is as good as mine.
Hello?
Johnny, Ness was here.
I told you he'd come.
Listen, it's only
whiskey, isn't it?
Nothing else?
What else?
I don't know... his tone
of voice frightened me.
Easy, baby, easy.
I'll see you
tonight... Same time.
Same time.
What time do you go on duty?
Oh, uh, 4:00 p.m. till midnight.
Was Mr. Luben here last night?
Luben, Luben...
The man who goes
with Sandra Wiley.
Oh, sure!
Came same as usual... -00 sharp.
Always smiling.
Carrying one of
those stuffed toys
he gives her every time.
Gives me a buck, too.
You know, it's,
uh, not every day
that a visitor tips the doorman
of an apartment house.
Oh, now, wait a minute, fellas.
Uh, I wasn't asking you guys
for anything, honest.
This might be what
we've been waiting for.
This is strictly a
legitimate business.
There's nothin' here.
The last person who told me
about a strictly
legitimate business
got knifed last night.
I'm not the last person
who told you anything.
I'm me: Johnny Luben.
I know who you are.
And I know who you are,
but I don't know what you want.
I'll tell you what I want...
I want to be left alone!
I'll bet you do.
Look, Ness...
I've started a mail
order business.
I worked a long time
to get a good
business like this.
It wasn't easy.
I started out in the streets
when I was eight, with nothing.
Now, why don't you
just leave me alone?
I tell you, there's
nothing here!
I believe you, Luben.
What are you surprised about?
Did you think I was
gonna take the bait
every time you dangled
it in front of my nose?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
You want us to search
this place, don't you?
Do I?
Bring him along, Lee.
Come on.
You can't do this.
I'll bring charges
against you, Ness!
Johnny told you
there's nothing in them.
I'm warning you, Ness.
Entering without a warrant,
destroying private property...
I won't let you
get away with this.
You're tearing up more
than pandas, Ness.
You're tearing up your career!
You won't listen, huh?
Okay.
Go on, rip away!
Enjoy yourselves.
You might as well, because this
is the last case
you'll ever be on!
Come on out, and
get your hands up.
You're wasting your time, Luben!
The stuff isn't
where you think it is!
You're a liar!
When you went out
to dinner last night,
I went back to the
apartment, and I found it!
What can you prove, huh?
Nothing, that's what!
You can't prove one thing!
All I needed was a
confession, and I got it!
When you grabbed
that panda, Luben,
you grabbed a life sentence!
I had three million
bucks sewn up
when you came along.
Three million!
Enough to buy you like
that stinking truant officer!
Enough for the
world... All of it!
And tear up the gutters!
You all right?
Ness... Yes?
The girl...
She didn't know about the stuff.
For the first time,
I believe you.
Johnny Luben, who had
envisioned himself as the king
of a multi-million-dollar
opium empire,
died a pauper
on a lonely rooftop
in the heart of the city.