The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 3, Episode 19 - Element of Danger - full transcript

You can always claim

that you smashed organized
narcotics in Chicago.

How long does it stay smashed?

Four months.

Where am I during
these four months?

You're a retired hero
with $250,000 a year,

every 12 months for
the next five years.

Fair enough.

You'll like doing business
with us, Mr. Ness.

We're reliable.

Tonight's episode:



Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.

With special guest
stars Lee Marvin

and Victor Jory.

Narrated by Walter Winchell.

Chicago, August 29, 1934.

The roof of a rotting tenement
in the area known as Haymarket,

a grimy setting for the
portrait of a man about to die.

His name: Special
Agent Daniel Gosden,

one of 11 handpicked
men from the Chicago Police

on temporary loan
to the Untouchables.

His job: to find out the reason

behind a persistent
underworld rumor

that Chicago's dormant
narcotic traffic was about

to become big business.



Okay, Sully, get the
rest of the stuff, huh?

Mace?

Why don't you go downstairs,
mister, take a good look?

The alley.

Right. Come on!

Trapp, call the garage.

Tell them to get a
truck over here fast!

Hello. Mr. Ness?

This is Danny Gosden. I...

Who are you working for, punk?

You go to the devil!

Come on. The truck's on its way.

Let's get out of here!
What's your hurry?

Well? He's clean.

Not even a wallet.

That figures.

Rate, the people are coming!

Come on! The alley!

Okay, Gus, you stick around
and mingle with the crowd, huh?

Stick around? What for?

I want to see if I can get
that stuff out of the storeroom.

Yeah, but the whole block's
gonna be lousy with cops.

Where there's no risk,
there's no fun, huh, Gus?

Fun? Working with you is
like bleeding in front of a shark.

Smitty?

Yeah?

A gummy stuff on this receiver.

Know what it is?

I can tell you without looking.

He had it on his fingers, too.

Opium?

That's right.

There's not enough
opium in this whole country

to lose a life over.

What about fingerprints?

Hundreds.

This is a back
entrance to a hotel.

It'd take us days to
check them all out,

and even then,
there's no guarantee

the killer's prints
will be among them.

Anybody check out the block?

They're starting now.

All right, now, break
it up the rest of you.

It's all over.

There's nothing more to see.

Move along.

Move on. Keep moving.

Move along.

Rate, they're checking
all over the place.

Well, keep your shirt on.

There ain't no law
against loading trucks.

You know, you're
out of your mind!

Rate.

You boys are working
pretty late, aren't you?

Well, you know
how it is, Officer.

No rest for the wicked.

How long you been here?

About a half hour or so.

Then you must have
heard the shooting.

Oh, yeah, sure, we
heard the shooting.

Yeah, we thought it
was a truck backfiring.

Yeah, but we seen the
police cars, we figured trouble.

But you didn't
go to investigate?

Well, I'll tell you, Officer,
I'm the kind of a guy

that can't stand morbid
curiosity seekers.

I figure they just get
in the way of the police.

Mister, you don't
know the half of it.

How many more crates up there?

This is the last one,
but, uh... But what?

There was some other merchandise

up there ought to
be taken care of.

Okay, I'll take care of that.

Uh, pack that stuff
good and tight, huh?

Well, Officer, if we see
anything suspicious,

we'll be sure to
let you know, huh?

All right, get this
load on the road, boys.

Get Mace!

Come on, move!

Be careful!

Go on, take off!

Now!

Hey, hey, I seen
the whole thing!

I seen them shoot this
officer, but I think I hit the truck!

Where did they come from? Hmm?

Oh. Oh, the alley.

Did you get the license number?

Oh, no. I was too
excited. I got it.

Lucky thing I'm still alive

the way this idiot
was firing that gun.

Well, I'm sorry, but I was
so excited when I seen

this officer get it,
I... Rico, hold 'em.

Dead, huh?

Yeah. Yeah.

All right, let's have
the license number.

What's that smell?

Well, if you were in
Chinatown, you'd recognize it.

Opium.

Gosden had it smeared
all over his fingers.

They must have
caught him in here.

There hasn't been a market
for opium in this country in years.

So why would anybody
want to kill two police officers

to protect something
that's practically worthless?

Let's go talk to
those witnesses.

You're certain you didn't
get a look at anyone?

Well, like I told you, it
all happened so fast,

and besides, I was
a long way away.

And you?

I told you before.

I heard the shots.

I ran around the corner,
almost got killed by a truck,

and then trigger
finger Harry here starts

blazing away, I hit the deck.

Not too much, Eliot.

Sailor got the license number.

Mr. Carson here was too
busy shooting at the truck.

Did either of you see
what was in the truck?

Some boxes, I think.

Yeah, something like that.

All right. Mr. Rossi will
take you down to the office.

We'll want detailed statements

from both of you covering
everything you saw.

How long is that gonna take?

About an hour or so. Why?

Oh, I'd like to phone my family.

They might be worried about me.

Help yourself. Thank you.

Right this way.

There's a phone right down here.

Do you want the lab
boys to check in here

when they're
finished in the alley?

No, they can hold
off till tomorrow.

Yeah. This is Rate.

Look, I had a little
trouble down here tonight,

but I got the stuff out.

Now a truck will be arriving
there in a few minutes.

I want you to unload it
quick, and then ditch it.

Look, I don't have
time to explain.

Now, just do like I tell you.

Who? Me?

Well, I'm at the
scene of the crime.

Yeah, I got to go downtown
and give the feds a statement.

How's that for a twist?

Oh, I'm all set if
you are, Mr. Rossi.

All right, let's go.

At 10:00 in the morning,

after the killing of
Agent Daniel Gosden,

a check out of
the truck observed

leaving the scene of the
crime led Eliot Ness and Hobson

to the offices of the
Marsac Gas Company,

a reputable firm

engaged in the manufacture
of industrial gases.

Mr. Stegler? Mr. Ness,

your call caught
me just in time.

I was on my way out.

I gather you've
come about my truck.

How would you know
that, Mr. Stegler?

Since it was stolen,
I naturally thought...

Stolen? When?

Last night, about 10:00,

from our Market Street Garage.

We have three units, Mr. Ness.

There's this office,
there's the garage,

the butane plant
here on Radcliff Road.

Did you report the theft?

As soon as I heard.

As a matter of fact, a
policeman came around

this morning with some forms.

My secretary is
filling them out now.

Well, I guess that's that.

Thanks, Mr. Stegler. Not at all.

Mr. Ness, if you've
recovered the truck...

We haven't.

All we know is it was
seen leaving an area

where two police
officers were killed.

Two police officers killed?

And you thought...

In our business, Mr. Stegler,
anything's possible.

Thank you.

Sounds all right.

What do you think?

I don't know, let's
check out the time

he reported the truck theft.

You never told me you
killed two policemen.

You never asked.

I suppose you had to kill them.

It seemed like the right
thing to do at the time.

The violent thing always seems

the best thing
to you, doesn't it?

Look, I risked my neck
getting that opium out!

You risked your neck
because you like it!

Because you get some weird kick

out of these near
misses! Watch your mouth!

You think I care
about that opium?

I've got a whole
warehouse full of it!

All I care about is you put
my whole operation in danger!

Your operation?!

When are you gonna quit
kidding yourself, Stegler?

It hasn't been your operation
since I unloaded 50,000 pounds

of that junk on the
docks of San Francisco!

And it hasn't been
your operation

since I ramrodded those
trucks clean across the country!

And you're gonna
sit behind this fat desk

and tell me about risks?!

Stegler!

I ought to push a bullet
right through your fat mouth.

I should know better than
to get mad at you, Victor.

Mainly because you're right.

Without you, we
wouldn't have anything.

But you're not
easy to understand.

If you were to
shoot me right now,

it'd cost you close
to a million dollars.

You might do it just the same.

Don't you forget it!

I won't.

I get a kick out
of you, Stegler.

You know, you talk
about me taking risks.

You know how close
you almost came?

Close only counts
in horseshoes, Vic.

I'll be in touch.

Kill him.

Eliot?

Part of a poppy leaf.

Raw opium?

Just the way it left the fields.

Who'd buy raw opium?

It doesn't make sense.

Raw opium can be reduced
to heroin, and that's money.

Millions.

With all these stoves in
here, you're probably right.

But it really doesn't
make much sense.

Do you know that it takes
more than 12 hours to get

one single ounce of heroin
from ten ounces of opium?

But if you had 20 stoves,
a hundred, two hundred?

Gosden wasn't killed because
he uncovered a few stoves.

He uncovered a whole operation.

Don't turn around!

Rate!

I could shoot you
both in the back,

but I'm gonna give
you a sporting chance.

Oh, you got... Shut up!!

I'm standing behind you
right in the middle of the alley

about 15 or 20 feet.

Now, I figure if you both
turn around at the same time,

one of you might
get lucky and get me.

I'm gonna count to three.

Vic, wait a minute. One.

Wait a minute!

Two!

Three, the crystals which we got

from the first evaporation
chain are put into this.

Reflux condenser, huh?

The biggest size made,

which is why you can only
make an ounce at a time.

Now, to the morphine crystals

we add acetyl chloride.

This is extremely volatile,

which is why we have
to use a reflux condenser.

Clear?

Smitty, you lost me
back with the lime water.

What else? That's it.

The solution is filtered,

the crystals that remain
on the filter paper are heroin.

Acetyl chloride.

All we have to do
is find somebody

that's ordered that
stuff in large quantities.

It's worth a try.

Thanks, Smitty.

You should've been a
school teacher. Oh, I am.

Sunday School.

Later that night,

two key members of
the narcotics syndicate

met with their
partner, Arnold Stegler.

By now, Ness knows there
was opium in that room.

He'll discover the factories.

Let him.

Let him find one, five, ten.

We can build them faster
than he can find them.

It's like a floating crap game.

Here today, gone tomorrow.

But every time
he hits a factory,

we lose opium and equipment.

Look, at a profit
of 3,000 percent,

we can lose half of
it and still come out

with over a million apiece.

Provided Rate doesn't take
any more stupid chances.

We can forget about Rate.

What do you mean?

Rate's the kind of man

we had to have at the beginning.

You know, we couldn't
have done this without him.

But he's becoming a liability.

Meaning he's about
to be removed?

Meaning he has been removed.

Kralik and Trapp
have taken care of him.

Any objections?

Okay, let's get
down to business.

As far as I'm concerned,
there's only one place

where we might be vul...

Cozy little group.

And quiet, too.

What's the matter?
Aren't you glad to see me?

You won't believe this,
but Kralik and Trapp

tried to kill me tonight.

They almost made it, too.

But like you say, "close
only counts in horseshoes."

What are you
shaking for, Stegler?

Sit down, Vic.

Let's talk things over.

Sorry, I don't have
the time right now.

I gotta go home and get my rest.

I have an appointment
in the morning.

Appointment?

Yeah, the Federal
Building, with Eliot Ness.

Ness?

I gotta sign that
statement I made him

about the cop killing.

Just a matter of routine.

And now, back to...

At 11:00 in the morning,

following the
attempt on his life,

Victor Rate, known
to the Untouchables

as Howard Carson,
was in Ness's office.

He was brazenly
reviewing a transcribed copy

of the statement
he had given Rossi

on the night of
the double murder.

Yeah, that's about it.

Anything you'd like to add?

Oh, no, no, no, it's
all right down there.

Then if you'll sign it, please?

Well, is that all?

We may have to call you back

if we find the
truck you fired at.

Oh, Mr. Ness, just
one other thing.

Do you think you'll find
the guy that did this?

We'll find him.

Mr. Rossi.

Hello, Mr. Carson.

Well, here it is.

65 gallons of acetyl chloride

shipped to a tanning
factory near the stockyards.

New customer.

Was there something
else, Mr. Carson?

Well, there's just one
thing that still puzzles me.

You know that was a
one-and-a-half ton truck.

Yes.

Well, in the newspapers,

it said you were
looking for heroin,

and I always thought

that heroin kind of
came in small packages,

and what would they be
doing with a truck like that?

That's a very good
question, Mr. Carson.

Sorry.

Well, if there's anything
else just let me know.

Lee, get us a warrant.

We'll hit that tanning
factory tonight.

Tonight?

Don't you think we
should check it out first?

We should, but I've
got a funny feeling

that if we don't
get there tonight,

it won't be there tomorrow.

♪ ♪

Let's have another, huh?

You might have told
me before we came out

what you had in mind.

What?

Why do we have to
come to a place like this?

Ah, the joint's got atmosphere.

It's a dump!

If we got any closer
to the stockyards,

we'd get trampled to death.

What's so interesting out there?

I'm sort of expecting a friend.

Oh? What time is he coming?

I don't know.

But if he does
show, I'd sort of like

to give him a
little, uh, surprise.

Oh, surprise.

Oh, I like surprises.

What kind of a surprise?

Drink your drink.

Say, honey, how long do
we have to wait for this friend?

I don't know.

If I'm not back in
about half an hour,

you grab a cab, huh?

Hey!

Federal officers... open up!

Open up in there!

Gone... another dead end.

What does that say?

"When you come
to a tannery, Ness,

you got to expect
to get tanned."

See if you can find the office.

Pick up any books, records,
everything you can find.

Right.

Oh, glad to see
you made it back.

Yeah, did you see
the skirt I was with?

Yeah, she took off.

You owe me four
bucks. Are you kidding?

I left her ten for the tab.

That's your hard luck, sucker.

Four bucks is what you owe.

Good luck.

Wait a minute.

Hold it.

Mr. Carson.

Now, what would
you be doing here?

Yeah, yeah, I know.

Look, Hank, play it my way,

and I'll give you the
whole story when it breaks.

No, no, just say that the raid

was triggered by
information given

by a friendly witness
named Howard Carson.

He's being held for
further questioning.

Dress it up any way you like,

as long as it makes
the front page, huh?

Good, Hank, thanks.

Do you think it will work?

If he's part of the syndicate,

that should build a
fire under somebody.

What about Carson?

Shall I bring him in?

No, let's wait for the
report on his fingerprints.

Got a feeling we may be
holding more cards than we think.

I tell you it's got to be Rate.

Carson is the name
he gave the feds.

Sure, he's making us sweat.

He's going to give us
to Ness a piece at a time.

He'd enjoy that.

Death by inches.

I still say there's
something phony about it.

Rate couldn't give
information to Ness

without involving himself.

Even he's not crazy
enough to do that.

But you tried to have
him killed night before last.

He's liable to do anything.

He may be right, Arnie.

This man's a crackpot.

He could blow the whole setup.

I'm with him.

They call them the Untouchables.

Well, I've always felt that
anything could be worked out...

if the approach is right.

So?

Maybe we can reach an
understanding with Ness.

It's been tried.

Maybe if we
offered him a million.

No, no, you could
offer him five million.

He'd still probably refuse.

Then what do we offer him?

Let me think about it.

Sing Sing, Joliet,
Folsom, Leavenworth.

You name it, he's been there.

Assault with a deadly weapon,

manslaughter,
suspicion of murder.

Okay, so you got lucky, copper.

But it ain't going to help you

one little bit, 'cause
I'm clean now.

You haven't been clean
since the day you were born.

Who killed that policeman, Rate?

The men in the truck or you?

Don't make me laugh.

That sailor doesn't know how
lucky he was, does he, Rate?

The light had been any better,
you could have gotten him, too.

Look, copper, you're
going too fast for me.

I'm what they
call a slow thinker.

What were you
doing at the tannery?

Oh, I heard you guys
talk about it in the office,

so I figured I'd go down
there for a little excitement.

How did you know the address?

I, um... looked it up
in the phone book.

We didn't name the tannery.

There are three
or four down there.

Well, I checked them.

L-Look, you guys
ain't got nothing on me.

Attempting to evade
payment of a lawful debt.

Oh, come on.

You got to be kidding.

A lousy four-dollar bar tab?

That ain't a federal offense.

Look, I want a lawyer.

Hello.

Mr. Ness, please.

This is Ness.

I have a message
for you, Mr. Ness.

A friend of mine
would like to know if you

would be interested in
making a business proposition.

Bill, put a tracer on the line.

I think Mr. Rate's friends
have read the morning paper.

Mr. Ness.

Didn't expect you.

Very simple, Mr. Ness.

I'm a businessman.

I'm sure that everything
can be negotiated.

That's an opinion.

Let's talk about facts.

All right.

We'd like to buy you, but...

even if we could,
we aren't stupid.

We know you can't just
drop this investigation

without a lot of
questions being asked.

They'd only indict you

and put somebody
else in your place.

So?

So, we... we decided
to let you be a hero.

We'll set up a
phony headquarters.

We'll staff it with men who
are wanted by the police,

and we'll throw in
enough opium and heroin

to make it the biggest
single raid in history.

You'll be able to claim

that you smashed organized
narcotics in Chicago.

How long does it stay smashed?

Four months.

After that, when
we start to rebuild,

you can always claim
it's a new organization.

Now, who can blame you

if the local police can't
hold the ground you won?

Where am I during
these four months?

Well, let's say,
um... Switzerland.

You're a retired hero
with $250,000 a year

every 12 months for
the next five years.

Well?

I'll level with you, Stegler.

If it was anything but
dope, I'd negotiate.

Booze or numbers...

Oh, now, Mr. Ness, the
Samarians had a dope problem

3,000 years before
the birth of Christ.

So did the ancient
Greeks and the Assyrians.

As long as the
opium poppy is grown

anywhere in the world,

there are going to be addicts.

If I don't supply them,
someone else will.

Now, we didn't exactly
make you a paltry offer...

but if there's anything
else in the world you'd like,

I'll be glad to talk about it.

Yes, there would be.

And what's that?

The agent who was
killed was on loan to me.

I want the man who shot him.

I can't do that.

Then, it's no deal.

You drive a hard
bargain, Mr. Ness.

I'm in a position to.

Okay.

You've got the man who did it.

Victor Rate.

He also killed the policeman.

Fair enough.

Thanks.

Just give us ten days.

You'll like doing business
with us, Mr. Ness.

We're reliable.

I'll say one thing
for you, Rate.

You're no stool pigeon.

What is this, the soft lights,

the velvet nightie technique?

You think the syndicate's going

to bat for you, don't
you? What syndicate?

You'd better pray they
come through for you,

because you're going to
need all the help you can get:

top lawyers, bribed
jurors, the works.

For what? For murder.

Don't make me laugh.

It makes my stitches hurt.

You got a great
sense of humor, Rate.

Here's something else
that will make you laugh

all the way to the chair.

Stegler just sold you out.

What's the matter?

Don't you think that's funny?

Where're the violins?

Don't I get music with this?

We'll do better than music.

We'll give it to
you with pictures.

Bill.

Sit down.

This is Miss MacLean.

Okay, Rico.

Interesting?

What's that supposed to mean?

It means you're
on the hook, Rate.

Stegler says you killed Gosden.

You show me a picture of some
guy I never even seen before

and you want me to believe

that he's fingering
me for a murder rap?

I thought you were
supposed to be smart, Ness.

We got enough
evidence to hang you.

With that? With that.

Miss MacLean here is
from a school for the deaf.

She reads lips, Rate.

She's going to put the
words in Stegler's mouth

while I fill in my lines.

Ready, Miss MacLean?

Yes, sir.

Rico.

MISS MacLEAN: What is it?

The agent who was
shot was on loan to me.

I want the man who killed him.

I can't do that.

Then it's no deal.

You drive a hard
bargain, Mr. Ness.

I'm in a position to.

MISS MacLEAN: Okay.

You've got the man who did it...

Victor Rate.

He also killed the policeman.

That's enough.

Hobson.

Hold on.

Eliot.

Don't move or I'll
tear her throat out!

Okay, smart boy,
you convinced me.

Now, let me convince you.

I'm a three-time loser.

You're inside the
Federal Building, Rate.

You'll never get out alive.

If I don't get out,
she don't get out.

You know I'll do it.

Now, put a gun on that table.

Move!

Watch it... watch it.

Put the butt towards me.

The other way around.

Get back... all the way.

Okay, we're going out of here.

Anybody tries to
follow me... she's dead.

Stay where you are!

He'll get away.

There's nothing we
can do to stop him.

He'll be over the border
in a matter of hours.

I don't think so.

Anyone else in
the world would run,

but I don't think Rate will.

Stegler?

Stegler.

Hello.

I'm getting a little fed
up with you, Stegler.

Rate?

Surprised?

Well, this ain't nothing
compared to the surprises

you're going to be
getting from now on.

What is it?

W-What do you mean, Vic?

Just shut up and listen.

You're up the creek, Stegler,
and I got all the paddles.

Now, if you want
to get back down,

you're going to have
to do like you're told.

What do you want?

Money, to begin
with, and lots of it.

About a million and
a half and in cash,

and I want it in 45 minutes.

Where would I get
that kind of money?

The safe at the butane plant.

I know all about it, Stegler.

Now, you be down
there in 45 minutes

or you're going to spend
the rest of your life in the clink.

Well?

I'll be there.

And bring your friends, Stegler,

'cause I want to see the
looks on their face when I...

take off with their dough.

He wants us to come
down to the plant.

Well, I'm not going down there.

He's right, Stegler.

Rate doesn't care about money.

He just wants to see us dead.

I hope he tries.

We won't be there alone.

Good evening, Mr. Stegler.

Evening. Mr. Rate come in yet?

Yes, sir, he's inside
waiting for you.

Open up.

Sully!

Wait there.

11:10 p.m.

The Untouchables
search for Arnold Stegler.

A quick check of his garage

and his offices sped them on to
the Marsac Gas Company plant.

Here, friends!

Federal officers, open up.

Don't even think about it.

We've got the money, Victor.

I see, Mr. Ness, but
do you have a warrant?

Get that gate open.

Well, here's my proposition.

You get all the money,
the whole operation.

And... what is more important...

I'll see you get
immunity from the law.

I'll arrange it so that, uh...

Greer gets convicted
for the killings.

Bill, get her out of here by
the main gate and back fast.

We may need you. Right.

All you give me is my life.

Huh?

Think about it.

Rico, Rico!

Get him out of here.

Go.

I got Stegler,
copper, I got him.

Yeah, you got him all right.

Where's the opium?

Rate, where's the opium?!

It's burning.

Burning.

At 11:55 p.m. on September 6,

the Marsac Company
was totally destroyed

by explosion and fire.

In the ruins were three
men who had engineered

the greatest narcotic threat
in the history of Chicago.

Close by lay the
body of Victor Rate,

a man who had fed on his
own particular brand of narcotic

once too often.

The Untouchables.