The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 3, Episode 24 - The Ginnie Littlesmith Story - full transcript
A vice ring known as the Group has been hiding their speakeasies and brothels by using free soup kitchens as a front. When white slaver Chez Goshen dies his niece, Ginnie Littlesmith, decides to take possession of the Group's books. She had worked for her uncle and feels it is her inheritance. Enforcer Vic Cassandros tries to seduce the spinsterish Ginnie to get his hands on those books. Eliot Ness wants to get his hands on them as well knowing it would be the end of that racket.
Do you ever dream
about me, Ginnie?
No.
You're lying.
I've seen those dreams
run off in your eyes like...
like moving pictures.
Better not look too close.
If you could see how they end...
How do they end, Ginnie? Huh?
How do they end?
Like this?
They end with a dead man!
You, shot full of holes!
Tonight's episode...
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Co-starring Don
Gordon and Brook Byron.
With special guest
star Phyllis Love.
And narrated by Walter Winchell.
May 17, 1932,
free soup kitchens
were a common sight
on the streets of the
depression-ridden country.
But this one, located in
Chicago's skid row area,
was not the usual kind.
Wait'll you see what's upstairs.
This soup kitchen
was the false front
of a luxurious
illicit establishment
run by twice convicted
white slaver Chiz Goshen.
Where's my niece?
Where's Ginnie?
I was supposed to
take over for her relief.
I didn't mean all night.
Here, you shovel out this slop.
Goshen's partners, a
powerful nationwide vice ring
known as The Group, were
represented at Goshen's place
by Bick Cassandrus.
Bick's record of arrests began
with penny-ante misdemeanors
and ended with big-time crime.
You think it's appropriate
for a wedding, Fay?
I always scored with that dress.
Look, the sequins are genuine.
They're a special kind
called Devil's Eyes.
They sparkle so wicked,
no man can resist.
Hey, careful.
All right, Ginnie,
fingers back in the soup.
You, get back upstairs.
Okay, okay.
Honey... you wear my
dress to the wedding,
and I personally will
guarantee it'll change your luck.
Ginnie...
you're better off skipping
the wedding altogether.
Save yourself some
heartache, huh?
Laura's my sister.
Ginnie, you're a born loser.
You think I'm
looking forward to it?
The sound of an organ
playing "The Wedding March"
makes me want to scream.
I wish...
You know, I wouldn't be in
President Hoover's shoes for anything.
Why?
'Cause they're making
him the scapegoat.
How do you know he's
going to get the nomination
for a second term?
He'll get the
nomination, all right,
but he won't make
the White House again.
Too many people
are looking through
the holes in their socks.
Now my money
is on... Hello. Ness.
How are things at home?
Warming up. See you at 12:45.
That's the new time.
Check.
Let's have another
look at that layout.
Now, here's the soup kitchen,
door to the joint upstairs,
back here's the office.
Where the pay dirt is.
Right.
I'm sorry!
Telephone, Bick.
Excuse me.
Yeah?
It's a raid.
Ness.
I just got the word
from downtown.
You move as planned.
Now. And quick!
Hey.
Ness is on the way with a party.
Ness! Where are your books?
I got to see you burn them.
It's my orders from The Group!
First the books! The books!
Look, this leads to the sewer.
Now, you better get going.
The Group ain't gonna
like it if Ness finds you here.
The books.
You'll never get 'em, punk!
Where are they, you louse?
Chiz?
Chiz?
Get Ginnie.
Send her in here.
What happened?
Ginnie, Ginnie, listen to me...
You need a doctor.
All right, Ginnie, listen to me.
I'm giving you a
chance. Now, take it.
What do you want me to do?
The business ledgers.
They're worth
$100,000, maybe more.
To whom? The Group.
Now, Ginnie, play it smart.
Don't be a loser
all your life, Ginnie.
This may be your last chance.
I can't... I can't
leave you like this.
Ginnie, Ginnie,
you must, Ginnie.
You gotta save yourself, Gi...
Go on up.
Although Chiz
Goshen's establishment
had been destroyed
in the May 17 raid,
it was only a minor
victory for Eliot Ness.
A major defeat was his
failure to capture the ledgers
that contained evidence
against the group.
Round-the-clock grillings
of those picked up in the raid
produced no further information
about Goshen's books.
But Ness persisted.
After midnight
on the third day...
Fay, do you recognize this?
Never saw it before.
Was this the type of
ledger Goshen used?
I wouldn't remember.
Fay...
It was one like this.
No.
I don't know for sure.
You recognized it.
Did he give you the
books to hide, Fay?
No!
He never trusted
anyone, but... But whom?
His niece Ginnie Littlesmith.
Where can I find
Miss Littlesmith?
I don't know.
Nobody knows where she lives.
Thank you, Fay.
You can go now.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
If Goshen's niece
has those books,
that makes her as popular with
The Group as it does with us.
That means we've got to
talk to her before they do.
But first, we've got
to find Miss Littlesmith.
This is Chiz Goshen's niece.
Tell your friends I've
have some books for sale.
They can contact
me at Superior 0635.
Working against time,
knowing that The Group
would be as hot after
Goshen's books as he was,
Ness assigned his men
to spend the next days
in a feverish hunt
for Ginnie Littlesmith.
There's no record of a
Ginnie or Virginia Littlesmith
at any of the public utilities.
Could mean she's
living in a hotel
or has a rental that
includes utilities.
What about churches?
I've checked half the
churches in Chicago.
So far no bells to ring.
I'm still looking
for a cab driver
that might've picked
up a girl during the raid.
So far, nothing.
Well, here's one
note of optimism:
The talkers we picked
up in the Goshen raid
dropped enough bits and
pieces to paint a clear picture
of The Group and
their board of directors.
We start with Mr. Ben Poe.
Ben Poe, owner of a string
of laundries and restaurants,
made most of his money
from the international
white slave market.
"Little Augie" Tolen,
narcotics czar of
the southern states.
Out of Chicago, head of
the European drug combine,
Smitty Kopek.
And their spokesman
Marie LaRose,
daughter of a gangland chief,
who extorted from the
fashion and cosmetic industries
an annual grab of $20 million.
What's the price
on the books, love?
$100,000.
$100,000... that's
a lot of presidents.
That's the price.
How do we know that you've
got the books at all, love?
I brought proof.
I took this out of
one of the ledgers.
How'd you like a
couple of icy fingers
up and down your spine, Augie?
This is no business entry.
This is detail.
Goshen must've been figuring on
selling us out himself.
You give Augie two and two
and before you
know it, he'll add it up.
But, uh, you're not interested
in simple digits, love.
You're talking round and, uh...
We have to answer you round.
Isn't that so, love?
$100,000.
You can take a luxurious
ride on those wheels.
The only thing is, we'll
have to come rolling after you
once the books are delivered.
Ever considered that, love?
This kind of enterprise
you have to think round, too.
Maybe we'd better
talk some other time.
Business ain't over yet.
Let me clarify your
position, Miss Littlesmith.
You take those
books to Eliot Ness
and you've turned in
your telephone number.
Now play nice,
and we'll lay a nice bonus
on you, say, uh, $500?
And you'll be around
for your next birthday.
I have another piece
of advice for you, love...
You shouldn't wear
this shade of violet.
It, uh, makes you
look like an old maid.
You know, it might
be a good idea
if we were to rough her up a bit
just to be sure
that the points we made
settle in the right place.
I want the police
department, please.
I've got to get in
touch with Eliot Ness.
I have...
Yes?
It's the manager.
Can I see you a
minute, Miss Littlesmith?
It's important.
I'll call you back.
Oh!
Easy, Owen.
Don't you know you
got a little bird there?
Mind if I look around?
You can make it
easier by telling me
where you hid them books.
They're not here.
Oh! Cut it!
She bought it!
When the time
comes, I'll deliver.
I'm gonna ask you again.
They're not here.
Okay, but if I find them...
look out little bird.
In the name of the
Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
You and me have got
to have a little
tête-à-tête, love.
I told you they weren't here.
They're someplace
you'll never find them.
Mm-hmm.
Owen, you can go
home for supper.
LaRose says we play it double.
Well, we developed a
change of tactic, that's all.
Now go on home, Owen.
Whaddaya...!
Now!
I, um, I brought you back
some personal property.
Smells, uh...
smells disinfected.
Like, uh, like institutions,
or a jailhouse.
What are you gonna do with that?
Come on, little bird,
let's clean this place up.
Together.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
May I help you?
I hope so, Father.
I've been making the rounds
of the churches, Father.
I'm looking for a girl
named Virginia Littlesmith.
Does she happen
to be in this parish?
Virginia Littlesmith...
Oh, Ginnie.
She lives right
across the street.
Do you have a phone
I can use, Father?
In the rectory.
Aw, what's the matter, baby?
Your little heart beating
hard under its feathers, hmm?
I'm supposed to catch
a train home tonight.
My sister's wedding...
Don't touch me.
What is that?
I always thought you liked me.
The way you used to look at me
at the soup kitchen, out
of the corner of your eye.
I never looked at you.
You always had your eyes on me.
I could feel 'em touching me.
That's a lie!
I'm... I'm... not like that.
Yes, you are.
You are like that.
You're a little dirty, Ginnie,
just like I'm a little clean.
Well, that's more than most
people have in common, hmm?
Why do you always get so
much fun out of teasing me?
Who's teasing you?
How many nights I haven't slept
thinking about you.
Oh, please stop, Bick.
You ever dream about me, Ginnie?
No.
You're lying.
I've seen those dreams
run off in your eyes like...
like moving pictures.
Better not look too close.
If you could see how they end...
How do they end, Ginnie, hmm?
How do they end?! Like this?
They end with a dead man!
You, shot full of holes!
It's always the same dream.
Always the same ending.
I got a better ending, baby.
It goes something like this:
I hope you get your hundred
grand for those lousy books
and then you split right
down the middle with me.
It won't work.
They'll kill me.
You heard her.
After we get the dough,
you and me, we'll go someplace
where we can
take our shoes off...
like, like Mexico.
I got a place I know
down there where...
where it's summer all the time
and where God is the ocean,
a big blue sea that beats out
hot jazz on the beach all day
and whispers sweet
absolutions all night.
How about that dream, baby?
It taste good?
See you tomorrow... partner.
Same time, like today.
Train information, please.
Oh, I would like some
information, please.
Bick Cassandrus
just left her hotel.
Did he have the books?
No, he was empty-handed.
Maybe it's not too late.
No, no, no.
This guy Roosevelt is
an aristocrat, I tell you.
He doesn't think for the people.
No. Just a minute.
Yes?
Miss Littlesmith's room, please.
301.
Thank you.
I'm telling you something.
You can't fool the
people all the time,
and that smile
doesn't fool me either.
♪ ♪
If Cassandrus
searched this place,
he was sure neat about it.
You got something?
The imprint of a
page that was torn off.
See if I can make it out.
"9:30, 10:35, 11:14."
Sounds like a schedule.
Bus or train.
Not much help with
all the transportation
moving in and out of Chicago.
Be a lot quicker to look
up Bick Cassandrus.
I want to talk to you... alone.
Bick works for me, Mr. Ness.
And he's on duty.
Unless, of course,
this is official.
In which case, kindly
state the charge, love.
When the time comes for charges,
I promise you'll be
among the first to know.
Tonight I'm interested
in your friend.
He refuses to talk to
you unless I'm present.
All right, let's see how
audible he is under your thumb.
Where did Ginnie
Littlesmith go tonight?
He doesn't know
anyone of that name.
I can't hear you.
Miss LaRose said it,
Mr. Ness, and that's it.
Now look, we're a little tired
of playing cops
and robbers today,
so why don't you
go get your little ax
and chop down some speakeasies
like you're supposed to, huh?
Now come on, get out of here.
Tell your boss to wait inside.
Do what he says!
Let go of him!
Do what he says!
Coercion is against the law!
Get out!
Please.
You were seen leaving Ginnie
Littlesmith's building tonight.
What was your business there?
We were friends
from the soup kitchen.
You came looking
for Goshen's books.
They weren't there, so you left.
Minutes later, the
girl disappeared.
I'll ask you once
more, where is she?
She said something
about a wedding.
Her sister's wedding back home.
That's all I can tell you.
Back home where?
I don't know.
Look, that's the truth!
She didn't say!
All right, you can
pick him up now.
The first week of May, 1932,
gang war erupted
on the North Side.
The new crime syndicate,
known as The Group,
smashed four competing
mobs to become as powerful
as its forerunner, the
historic Bugs Moran gang.
Eliot Ness had only one
weapon: Ginnie Littlesmith.
Checking the railway timetables
against the message
found in Ginnie's apartment,
he pinpointed the town
to which she had fled.
I was talking to Mrs.
Bundy today about her son...
You know, the one
I wrote you about.
He's single.
He's got a good job now, too.
Well, Gert met him. Tell
her what you said, Gert.
Not bad.
Well, anyway, I told Mrs. Bundy
you had plenty of
fellows in Chicago.
They're not so particular
about a girl's age in Chicago.
Anyway, 32 isn't old.
It's no crime to be single.
What's the matter, Ginnie?
You got a headache?
No, I feel fine.
Oh, see who's at the
door, will ya, Gert?
And if it's that bootlegger,
tell him I got a bone
to pick with him.
I mean, nobody minds young gin,
but whiskey, you know,
it should have a
few weeks to age.
Gosh, there's that
heartburn again.
You know, no kidding, I'm
more nervous than Laura.
You'd think I was
getting married today.
It's a man for you, Ginnie.
A Mr. Ness, and wow!
Mr. Ness?
Well, hello, it's nice
of you to drop in.
Ma, this is Mr. Ness
from Chicago.
A friend of mine.
Well, any friend of
Ginnie's is a friend of mine!
We're gonna have some
imported stuff, right off the boat,
later, at the reception.
Hope you can stick around.
Ma, please.
It was real nice of you
to come. You know,
Ginnie didn't have anyone
to escort her to the wedding.
What's your first name?
Ma, for heaven's
sakes, will you please...?!
That's a fair question.
My name's Eliot.
Eliot. That's a nice name.
Ma, please?
Oh, all right, I
can take a hint.
Come on, girls,
let's get dressed.
I'll finish pressing
your dress, Gin.
Thank you for playing along.
Just picked up the cues.
It was nice of you.
I'm sorry to come barging
in at a time like this.
Why did you come? What
do you want, Mr. Ness?
Just answer a few questions,
we can get this over
with quickly and quietly.
Miss Littlesmith, were
you working the night
your Uncle died?
You left through the
trapdoor in his office.
I was... scared.
Did you take his
business ledgers with you?
No.
They weren't in his
office when I looked,
probably minutes after you
went through that trapdoor.
Ginnie, your dress is ready!
Oh, all right, Ma!
What do you know
about those books?
What makes you think I
know anything about them?
The Group obviously thinks so.
They do?
That's why they sent Bick
Cassandrus to see you, isn't it?
Here's your dress, Ginnie.
Now excuse yourself.
I know Eliot will understand.
Do you believe a dress
can be sent by the Devil
to curse you, Mr. Ness?
Ginnie, you take the cake.
She always did have
some imagination, Eliot.
I think I'll stick around and
take you to the wedding, hmm?
Yes, thank you.
Eliot.
Would you like to see
Virginia's baby pictures?
She was a real cutie.
I was in the middle of a deal
when I got your message.
What's so important?
I found Ginnie Littlesmith.
Good boy!
Did Ness get to her yet?
Nope. Where is she?
Well, I must've
bruised her pretty bad.
She's, uh, she's
in the hospital.
Which hospital?
Ooh, I forgot.
Which hospital?
County Hospital.
I figured with Ness on her tail,
I better nail her quick;
so I walks up to her,
I say, uh, "I come
about the books."
You know, I figured she'd wanna
grab that deal you offered her.
Well, what'd she say?
She said... uh...
$100,000... She'd
take her chances.
So she wants her money.
Well, why not?
We'll have it back from her
before the first faint
flush of rigor mortis sets in.
Ginnie, Gert, Laura! Hurry up!
We've only got five
minutes to make the church!
Oh, if my husband had
only lived to see this day.
Where're the girls?
Gert's all ready.
I thought Ginnie was with you.
Um, she was all dressed.
I saw her go downstairs.
Where's the garage?
Right out back, that way.
Ginnie just pulled
out of the garage
and tore off toward the highway.
Which way she turn? Right.
Towards Chicago. And The Group.
I'd like to think she hasn't
made up her mind yet.
Hi, baby.
I been workin' for you
while you was gone.
Got the tickets to Mexico, Bick?
Well, no, that's later.
I mean, when the
final transaction is final.
But I set the deal,
and we're gettin'
a hundred grand.
You mean you're
getting it after I get killed.
Well, yeah.
Yeah, it could go that way.
You admit it?!
Well, I admit it could
go that way! What...?
Uncle Chiz said I was a loser.
The books were
supposed to be my chance,
my last chance.
But I still come out the same.
Well, maybe not, baby.
If I'm gonna lose,
might as well do it clean.
Eliot Ness can make
those books work for the good.
They'd be accomplishing
something...
No... no, no, no, you're
not gonna do that.
Oh, why did I run away from him?
Why did I come back here?
Because we had a date.
No, I never believed you!
Mexico?
I knew what you were up to.
You didn't fool me.
So why'd you come back?
I don't know.
I went upstairs to get dressed.
This dress... it does
something to me...
makes me do things.
It's not me.
It's not me, it's not
me, it's not me...
Who's there?
Open up, Ginnie.
Mr. Ness...
Okay, baby... you've
got your chance.
Let's see what you're
gonna do with it, hmm?
Ginnie, open up.
Why'd you run away?
I'm sorry.
I... I didn't want
to be questioned.
Where are the books, Ginnie?
If you're afraid of
The Group, Ginnie,
I can offer you protection.
I don't have the
books, Mr. Ness.
I don't know where they are.
Are you prepared
to swear to that?
Yes.
I was wrong.
It wasn't the dress.
It was me. It was me.
Oh, Ginnie...
I'll fix everything.
No one will get you.
I won't let them; I
won't let them, baby.
Oh, God, help me.
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
I...
I've never done anything
so bad in all my life, Father.
I-I can't... I can't
even talk about it.
Please try.
It's just that...
I'm so ashamed.
Love is bad for me,
I always knew that.
I was always afraid.
Is love the sin you speak of?
Not God's love.
Some other...
terrible kind of love.
Perhaps you can
tell me about it.
It's a man.
He has no god, and when he's
with me, I have no god either.
At first the sin was only
in my mind, but... now...
Father, it gets worse and worse,
and I know it
and I can't help it.
I'm helpless.
Perhaps I can help you.
May 30, 1932,
Eliot Ness returned to
Ginnie's street to check out a tip.
A cab driver reported that
he had picked up a passenger
outside the soup kitchen
the night of the raid
and taken her to a church
across from her apartment.
Father Donovan?
This is Eliot Ness, Father.
Oh, how are you? Father.
What has Ginnie done?
As far as we know, Father,
Ginnie's done nothing criminal.
Not yet.
Then why are you here?
Just here checking a lead
that Ginnie was here that night,
carrying a package
about... so big.
Yeah, she was here that night.
With a package?
She had a package.
Did she leave it
with you, Father?
No, she did not.
Look, I can handle her alone.
I don't want any slip-ups.
Owen will act as a safe
guard the way I planned.
Owen will get in the way.
Look, I just want
to keep things neat,
like you've always taught me.
Well...
Hey, you're beautiful,
you know that?
Yeah? No kidding. Mm-hmm.
I tell you what I'll do, baby...
I'll use a silencer. Hmm?
Come on, one shot to drop her,
one to make sure.
Trust me, Rosie.
Everybody's got to
have some weakness,
and I guess you're mine.
It's her.
Good, Ginnie.
Good.
I'll be waiting, love.
Well, you don't even
have to go and look for her.
Little pigeon's
coming home to roost.
It's just a formality.
We turn over the money to her,
receive Goshen's
books and let her go.
Bick is waiting to do the rest.
She's here.
We're ready.
There's no reason to
prolong this, Miss Littlesmith.
Here's your money.
We'll take the books.
There's something
you ought to know first.
Well, speak up.
You told me to think round.
Thinking time is over, love.
I'm just trying to tell you...
Well, what is it?
I took your advice.
I thought round.
That's why I took the
books to be photographed
before I came here.
LaROSE: You...
You had them copied?
The negatives are in an
envelope addressed to Eliot Ness,
to be sent in case of my death.
You can't pull that on us!
The man who took it said
they photographed like a million.
But I'm only asking $200,000.
$100,000. You made your deal.
Yes, but I've got a partner now.
A partner?
What are you talking about?
One of your own people.
You've been double-crossed
by one of your own men.
Name him.
How do you know he
ain't gonna cross you
when he gets his
hands on the dough?
She's bluffing!
It's Bick Cassandrus.
But that's a lie.
I don't think so.
It adds up.
Photographing the books.
Bick wouldn't cross me.
I'd bet my life on it.
Just got a report
from the street.
Police cars are headed this way.
Books! The books...
We gotta burn the books.
Kerosene... there,
on the counter.
Stand back.
Watch it!
Where's your lady friend?
You want information,
see our lawyer.
Mr. Ness?
You shut up!
All right, talk!
I'm practical, Mr. Ness.
You remember me when
the charges start to fly...
I'll try and guess
where the lady went.
Did it work?
Did you tell 'em about
the photographs?
I told them.
Ginnie, I... come
here to kill you.
It's my job.
Open 'em up.
Go ahead.
Baby, it's transportation
for two to Mexico.
I don't know, it must be
that disinfectant you smell of.
You know, the one... the
one that smells like a jail.
You make me feel...
What I'm trying to say is...
Thanks for coming into my life.
Stop it! Stop it!
No, no, Ginnie, Ginnie,
it's the truth! Ginnie!
I can't believe you.
Ginnie... I can't...
Oh, Bick, I mustn't leave you.
Oh, baby... Oh, baby.
You're not gonna be
a loser no more, see.
You and me, we're getting
out of here right now, see?
We won't even pack no clothes.
We'll buy everything
new, even toothbrushes.
Oh, baby, it's gonna be a
whole new time for both of us.
It's going to be a whole new
time for all of us, Bickie Boy.
Don't. Don't kill him.
LaROSE: Too late.
You've already
signed the tab, love.
No, please don't.
Now.
Drop it!
I'm not really a
loser, Mr. Ness.
The remains of the
half-burned books
were enough to
insure stiff prison terms
for the leaders of The Group,
marking the end
of their syndicate.
As for Ginnie Littlesmith,
she received a
suspended sentence
for withholding evidence,
and she led a
suspended life thereafter,
as a model spinster.
Except that, on
certain lonely nights,
she'd pull out a dress
with sequins on it
that shone like Devil's eyes,
and she would remember.
The Untouchables.
about me, Ginnie?
No.
You're lying.
I've seen those dreams
run off in your eyes like...
like moving pictures.
Better not look too close.
If you could see how they end...
How do they end, Ginnie? Huh?
How do they end?
Like this?
They end with a dead man!
You, shot full of holes!
Tonight's episode...
Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.
Co-starring Don
Gordon and Brook Byron.
With special guest
star Phyllis Love.
And narrated by Walter Winchell.
May 17, 1932,
free soup kitchens
were a common sight
on the streets of the
depression-ridden country.
But this one, located in
Chicago's skid row area,
was not the usual kind.
Wait'll you see what's upstairs.
This soup kitchen
was the false front
of a luxurious
illicit establishment
run by twice convicted
white slaver Chiz Goshen.
Where's my niece?
Where's Ginnie?
I was supposed to
take over for her relief.
I didn't mean all night.
Here, you shovel out this slop.
Goshen's partners, a
powerful nationwide vice ring
known as The Group, were
represented at Goshen's place
by Bick Cassandrus.
Bick's record of arrests began
with penny-ante misdemeanors
and ended with big-time crime.
You think it's appropriate
for a wedding, Fay?
I always scored with that dress.
Look, the sequins are genuine.
They're a special kind
called Devil's Eyes.
They sparkle so wicked,
no man can resist.
Hey, careful.
All right, Ginnie,
fingers back in the soup.
You, get back upstairs.
Okay, okay.
Honey... you wear my
dress to the wedding,
and I personally will
guarantee it'll change your luck.
Ginnie...
you're better off skipping
the wedding altogether.
Save yourself some
heartache, huh?
Laura's my sister.
Ginnie, you're a born loser.
You think I'm
looking forward to it?
The sound of an organ
playing "The Wedding March"
makes me want to scream.
I wish...
You know, I wouldn't be in
President Hoover's shoes for anything.
Why?
'Cause they're making
him the scapegoat.
How do you know he's
going to get the nomination
for a second term?
He'll get the
nomination, all right,
but he won't make
the White House again.
Too many people
are looking through
the holes in their socks.
Now my money
is on... Hello. Ness.
How are things at home?
Warming up. See you at 12:45.
That's the new time.
Check.
Let's have another
look at that layout.
Now, here's the soup kitchen,
door to the joint upstairs,
back here's the office.
Where the pay dirt is.
Right.
I'm sorry!
Telephone, Bick.
Excuse me.
Yeah?
It's a raid.
Ness.
I just got the word
from downtown.
You move as planned.
Now. And quick!
Hey.
Ness is on the way with a party.
Ness! Where are your books?
I got to see you burn them.
It's my orders from The Group!
First the books! The books!
Look, this leads to the sewer.
Now, you better get going.
The Group ain't gonna
like it if Ness finds you here.
The books.
You'll never get 'em, punk!
Where are they, you louse?
Chiz?
Chiz?
Get Ginnie.
Send her in here.
What happened?
Ginnie, Ginnie, listen to me...
You need a doctor.
All right, Ginnie, listen to me.
I'm giving you a
chance. Now, take it.
What do you want me to do?
The business ledgers.
They're worth
$100,000, maybe more.
To whom? The Group.
Now, Ginnie, play it smart.
Don't be a loser
all your life, Ginnie.
This may be your last chance.
I can't... I can't
leave you like this.
Ginnie, Ginnie,
you must, Ginnie.
You gotta save yourself, Gi...
Go on up.
Although Chiz
Goshen's establishment
had been destroyed
in the May 17 raid,
it was only a minor
victory for Eliot Ness.
A major defeat was his
failure to capture the ledgers
that contained evidence
against the group.
Round-the-clock grillings
of those picked up in the raid
produced no further information
about Goshen's books.
But Ness persisted.
After midnight
on the third day...
Fay, do you recognize this?
Never saw it before.
Was this the type of
ledger Goshen used?
I wouldn't remember.
Fay...
It was one like this.
No.
I don't know for sure.
You recognized it.
Did he give you the
books to hide, Fay?
No!
He never trusted
anyone, but... But whom?
His niece Ginnie Littlesmith.
Where can I find
Miss Littlesmith?
I don't know.
Nobody knows where she lives.
Thank you, Fay.
You can go now.
Thank you.
Bye.
Bye.
If Goshen's niece
has those books,
that makes her as popular with
The Group as it does with us.
That means we've got to
talk to her before they do.
But first, we've got
to find Miss Littlesmith.
This is Chiz Goshen's niece.
Tell your friends I've
have some books for sale.
They can contact
me at Superior 0635.
Working against time,
knowing that The Group
would be as hot after
Goshen's books as he was,
Ness assigned his men
to spend the next days
in a feverish hunt
for Ginnie Littlesmith.
There's no record of a
Ginnie or Virginia Littlesmith
at any of the public utilities.
Could mean she's
living in a hotel
or has a rental that
includes utilities.
What about churches?
I've checked half the
churches in Chicago.
So far no bells to ring.
I'm still looking
for a cab driver
that might've picked
up a girl during the raid.
So far, nothing.
Well, here's one
note of optimism:
The talkers we picked
up in the Goshen raid
dropped enough bits and
pieces to paint a clear picture
of The Group and
their board of directors.
We start with Mr. Ben Poe.
Ben Poe, owner of a string
of laundries and restaurants,
made most of his money
from the international
white slave market.
"Little Augie" Tolen,
narcotics czar of
the southern states.
Out of Chicago, head of
the European drug combine,
Smitty Kopek.
And their spokesman
Marie LaRose,
daughter of a gangland chief,
who extorted from the
fashion and cosmetic industries
an annual grab of $20 million.
What's the price
on the books, love?
$100,000.
$100,000... that's
a lot of presidents.
That's the price.
How do we know that you've
got the books at all, love?
I brought proof.
I took this out of
one of the ledgers.
How'd you like a
couple of icy fingers
up and down your spine, Augie?
This is no business entry.
This is detail.
Goshen must've been figuring on
selling us out himself.
You give Augie two and two
and before you
know it, he'll add it up.
But, uh, you're not interested
in simple digits, love.
You're talking round and, uh...
We have to answer you round.
Isn't that so, love?
$100,000.
You can take a luxurious
ride on those wheels.
The only thing is, we'll
have to come rolling after you
once the books are delivered.
Ever considered that, love?
This kind of enterprise
you have to think round, too.
Maybe we'd better
talk some other time.
Business ain't over yet.
Let me clarify your
position, Miss Littlesmith.
You take those
books to Eliot Ness
and you've turned in
your telephone number.
Now play nice,
and we'll lay a nice bonus
on you, say, uh, $500?
And you'll be around
for your next birthday.
I have another piece
of advice for you, love...
You shouldn't wear
this shade of violet.
It, uh, makes you
look like an old maid.
You know, it might
be a good idea
if we were to rough her up a bit
just to be sure
that the points we made
settle in the right place.
I want the police
department, please.
I've got to get in
touch with Eliot Ness.
I have...
Yes?
It's the manager.
Can I see you a
minute, Miss Littlesmith?
It's important.
I'll call you back.
Oh!
Easy, Owen.
Don't you know you
got a little bird there?
Mind if I look around?
You can make it
easier by telling me
where you hid them books.
They're not here.
Oh! Cut it!
She bought it!
When the time
comes, I'll deliver.
I'm gonna ask you again.
They're not here.
Okay, but if I find them...
look out little bird.
In the name of the
Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
You and me have got
to have a little
tête-à-tête, love.
I told you they weren't here.
They're someplace
you'll never find them.
Mm-hmm.
Owen, you can go
home for supper.
LaRose says we play it double.
Well, we developed a
change of tactic, that's all.
Now go on home, Owen.
Whaddaya...!
Now!
I, um, I brought you back
some personal property.
Smells, uh...
smells disinfected.
Like, uh, like institutions,
or a jailhouse.
What are you gonna do with that?
Come on, little bird,
let's clean this place up.
Together.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
May I help you?
I hope so, Father.
I've been making the rounds
of the churches, Father.
I'm looking for a girl
named Virginia Littlesmith.
Does she happen
to be in this parish?
Virginia Littlesmith...
Oh, Ginnie.
She lives right
across the street.
Do you have a phone
I can use, Father?
In the rectory.
Aw, what's the matter, baby?
Your little heart beating
hard under its feathers, hmm?
I'm supposed to catch
a train home tonight.
My sister's wedding...
Don't touch me.
What is that?
I always thought you liked me.
The way you used to look at me
at the soup kitchen, out
of the corner of your eye.
I never looked at you.
You always had your eyes on me.
I could feel 'em touching me.
That's a lie!
I'm... I'm... not like that.
Yes, you are.
You are like that.
You're a little dirty, Ginnie,
just like I'm a little clean.
Well, that's more than most
people have in common, hmm?
Why do you always get so
much fun out of teasing me?
Who's teasing you?
How many nights I haven't slept
thinking about you.
Oh, please stop, Bick.
You ever dream about me, Ginnie?
No.
You're lying.
I've seen those dreams
run off in your eyes like...
like moving pictures.
Better not look too close.
If you could see how they end...
How do they end, Ginnie, hmm?
How do they end?! Like this?
They end with a dead man!
You, shot full of holes!
It's always the same dream.
Always the same ending.
I got a better ending, baby.
It goes something like this:
I hope you get your hundred
grand for those lousy books
and then you split right
down the middle with me.
It won't work.
They'll kill me.
You heard her.
After we get the dough,
you and me, we'll go someplace
where we can
take our shoes off...
like, like Mexico.
I got a place I know
down there where...
where it's summer all the time
and where God is the ocean,
a big blue sea that beats out
hot jazz on the beach all day
and whispers sweet
absolutions all night.
How about that dream, baby?
It taste good?
See you tomorrow... partner.
Same time, like today.
Train information, please.
Oh, I would like some
information, please.
Bick Cassandrus
just left her hotel.
Did he have the books?
No, he was empty-handed.
Maybe it's not too late.
No, no, no.
This guy Roosevelt is
an aristocrat, I tell you.
He doesn't think for the people.
No. Just a minute.
Yes?
Miss Littlesmith's room, please.
301.
Thank you.
I'm telling you something.
You can't fool the
people all the time,
and that smile
doesn't fool me either.
♪ ♪
If Cassandrus
searched this place,
he was sure neat about it.
You got something?
The imprint of a
page that was torn off.
See if I can make it out.
"9:30, 10:35, 11:14."
Sounds like a schedule.
Bus or train.
Not much help with
all the transportation
moving in and out of Chicago.
Be a lot quicker to look
up Bick Cassandrus.
I want to talk to you... alone.
Bick works for me, Mr. Ness.
And he's on duty.
Unless, of course,
this is official.
In which case, kindly
state the charge, love.
When the time comes for charges,
I promise you'll be
among the first to know.
Tonight I'm interested
in your friend.
He refuses to talk to
you unless I'm present.
All right, let's see how
audible he is under your thumb.
Where did Ginnie
Littlesmith go tonight?
He doesn't know
anyone of that name.
I can't hear you.
Miss LaRose said it,
Mr. Ness, and that's it.
Now look, we're a little tired
of playing cops
and robbers today,
so why don't you
go get your little ax
and chop down some speakeasies
like you're supposed to, huh?
Now come on, get out of here.
Tell your boss to wait inside.
Do what he says!
Let go of him!
Do what he says!
Coercion is against the law!
Get out!
Please.
You were seen leaving Ginnie
Littlesmith's building tonight.
What was your business there?
We were friends
from the soup kitchen.
You came looking
for Goshen's books.
They weren't there, so you left.
Minutes later, the
girl disappeared.
I'll ask you once
more, where is she?
She said something
about a wedding.
Her sister's wedding back home.
That's all I can tell you.
Back home where?
I don't know.
Look, that's the truth!
She didn't say!
All right, you can
pick him up now.
The first week of May, 1932,
gang war erupted
on the North Side.
The new crime syndicate,
known as The Group,
smashed four competing
mobs to become as powerful
as its forerunner, the
historic Bugs Moran gang.
Eliot Ness had only one
weapon: Ginnie Littlesmith.
Checking the railway timetables
against the message
found in Ginnie's apartment,
he pinpointed the town
to which she had fled.
I was talking to Mrs.
Bundy today about her son...
You know, the one
I wrote you about.
He's single.
He's got a good job now, too.
Well, Gert met him. Tell
her what you said, Gert.
Not bad.
Well, anyway, I told Mrs. Bundy
you had plenty of
fellows in Chicago.
They're not so particular
about a girl's age in Chicago.
Anyway, 32 isn't old.
It's no crime to be single.
What's the matter, Ginnie?
You got a headache?
No, I feel fine.
Oh, see who's at the
door, will ya, Gert?
And if it's that bootlegger,
tell him I got a bone
to pick with him.
I mean, nobody minds young gin,
but whiskey, you know,
it should have a
few weeks to age.
Gosh, there's that
heartburn again.
You know, no kidding, I'm
more nervous than Laura.
You'd think I was
getting married today.
It's a man for you, Ginnie.
A Mr. Ness, and wow!
Mr. Ness?
Well, hello, it's nice
of you to drop in.
Ma, this is Mr. Ness
from Chicago.
A friend of mine.
Well, any friend of
Ginnie's is a friend of mine!
We're gonna have some
imported stuff, right off the boat,
later, at the reception.
Hope you can stick around.
Ma, please.
It was real nice of you
to come. You know,
Ginnie didn't have anyone
to escort her to the wedding.
What's your first name?
Ma, for heaven's
sakes, will you please...?!
That's a fair question.
My name's Eliot.
Eliot. That's a nice name.
Ma, please?
Oh, all right, I
can take a hint.
Come on, girls,
let's get dressed.
I'll finish pressing
your dress, Gin.
Thank you for playing along.
Just picked up the cues.
It was nice of you.
I'm sorry to come barging
in at a time like this.
Why did you come? What
do you want, Mr. Ness?
Just answer a few questions,
we can get this over
with quickly and quietly.
Miss Littlesmith, were
you working the night
your Uncle died?
You left through the
trapdoor in his office.
I was... scared.
Did you take his
business ledgers with you?
No.
They weren't in his
office when I looked,
probably minutes after you
went through that trapdoor.
Ginnie, your dress is ready!
Oh, all right, Ma!
What do you know
about those books?
What makes you think I
know anything about them?
The Group obviously thinks so.
They do?
That's why they sent Bick
Cassandrus to see you, isn't it?
Here's your dress, Ginnie.
Now excuse yourself.
I know Eliot will understand.
Do you believe a dress
can be sent by the Devil
to curse you, Mr. Ness?
Ginnie, you take the cake.
She always did have
some imagination, Eliot.
I think I'll stick around and
take you to the wedding, hmm?
Yes, thank you.
Eliot.
Would you like to see
Virginia's baby pictures?
She was a real cutie.
I was in the middle of a deal
when I got your message.
What's so important?
I found Ginnie Littlesmith.
Good boy!
Did Ness get to her yet?
Nope. Where is she?
Well, I must've
bruised her pretty bad.
She's, uh, she's
in the hospital.
Which hospital?
Ooh, I forgot.
Which hospital?
County Hospital.
I figured with Ness on her tail,
I better nail her quick;
so I walks up to her,
I say, uh, "I come
about the books."
You know, I figured she'd wanna
grab that deal you offered her.
Well, what'd she say?
She said... uh...
$100,000... She'd
take her chances.
So she wants her money.
Well, why not?
We'll have it back from her
before the first faint
flush of rigor mortis sets in.
Ginnie, Gert, Laura! Hurry up!
We've only got five
minutes to make the church!
Oh, if my husband had
only lived to see this day.
Where're the girls?
Gert's all ready.
I thought Ginnie was with you.
Um, she was all dressed.
I saw her go downstairs.
Where's the garage?
Right out back, that way.
Ginnie just pulled
out of the garage
and tore off toward the highway.
Which way she turn? Right.
Towards Chicago. And The Group.
I'd like to think she hasn't
made up her mind yet.
Hi, baby.
I been workin' for you
while you was gone.
Got the tickets to Mexico, Bick?
Well, no, that's later.
I mean, when the
final transaction is final.
But I set the deal,
and we're gettin'
a hundred grand.
You mean you're
getting it after I get killed.
Well, yeah.
Yeah, it could go that way.
You admit it?!
Well, I admit it could
go that way! What...?
Uncle Chiz said I was a loser.
The books were
supposed to be my chance,
my last chance.
But I still come out the same.
Well, maybe not, baby.
If I'm gonna lose,
might as well do it clean.
Eliot Ness can make
those books work for the good.
They'd be accomplishing
something...
No... no, no, no, you're
not gonna do that.
Oh, why did I run away from him?
Why did I come back here?
Because we had a date.
No, I never believed you!
Mexico?
I knew what you were up to.
You didn't fool me.
So why'd you come back?
I don't know.
I went upstairs to get dressed.
This dress... it does
something to me...
makes me do things.
It's not me.
It's not me, it's not
me, it's not me...
Who's there?
Open up, Ginnie.
Mr. Ness...
Okay, baby... you've
got your chance.
Let's see what you're
gonna do with it, hmm?
Ginnie, open up.
Why'd you run away?
I'm sorry.
I... I didn't want
to be questioned.
Where are the books, Ginnie?
If you're afraid of
The Group, Ginnie,
I can offer you protection.
I don't have the
books, Mr. Ness.
I don't know where they are.
Are you prepared
to swear to that?
Yes.
I was wrong.
It wasn't the dress.
It was me. It was me.
Oh, Ginnie...
I'll fix everything.
No one will get you.
I won't let them; I
won't let them, baby.
Oh, God, help me.
Bless me, Father,
for I have sinned.
I...
I've never done anything
so bad in all my life, Father.
I-I can't... I can't
even talk about it.
Please try.
It's just that...
I'm so ashamed.
Love is bad for me,
I always knew that.
I was always afraid.
Is love the sin you speak of?
Not God's love.
Some other...
terrible kind of love.
Perhaps you can
tell me about it.
It's a man.
He has no god, and when he's
with me, I have no god either.
At first the sin was only
in my mind, but... now...
Father, it gets worse and worse,
and I know it
and I can't help it.
I'm helpless.
Perhaps I can help you.
May 30, 1932,
Eliot Ness returned to
Ginnie's street to check out a tip.
A cab driver reported that
he had picked up a passenger
outside the soup kitchen
the night of the raid
and taken her to a church
across from her apartment.
Father Donovan?
This is Eliot Ness, Father.
Oh, how are you? Father.
What has Ginnie done?
As far as we know, Father,
Ginnie's done nothing criminal.
Not yet.
Then why are you here?
Just here checking a lead
that Ginnie was here that night,
carrying a package
about... so big.
Yeah, she was here that night.
With a package?
She had a package.
Did she leave it
with you, Father?
No, she did not.
Look, I can handle her alone.
I don't want any slip-ups.
Owen will act as a safe
guard the way I planned.
Owen will get in the way.
Look, I just want
to keep things neat,
like you've always taught me.
Well...
Hey, you're beautiful,
you know that?
Yeah? No kidding. Mm-hmm.
I tell you what I'll do, baby...
I'll use a silencer. Hmm?
Come on, one shot to drop her,
one to make sure.
Trust me, Rosie.
Everybody's got to
have some weakness,
and I guess you're mine.
It's her.
Good, Ginnie.
Good.
I'll be waiting, love.
Well, you don't even
have to go and look for her.
Little pigeon's
coming home to roost.
It's just a formality.
We turn over the money to her,
receive Goshen's
books and let her go.
Bick is waiting to do the rest.
She's here.
We're ready.
There's no reason to
prolong this, Miss Littlesmith.
Here's your money.
We'll take the books.
There's something
you ought to know first.
Well, speak up.
You told me to think round.
Thinking time is over, love.
I'm just trying to tell you...
Well, what is it?
I took your advice.
I thought round.
That's why I took the
books to be photographed
before I came here.
LaROSE: You...
You had them copied?
The negatives are in an
envelope addressed to Eliot Ness,
to be sent in case of my death.
You can't pull that on us!
The man who took it said
they photographed like a million.
But I'm only asking $200,000.
$100,000. You made your deal.
Yes, but I've got a partner now.
A partner?
What are you talking about?
One of your own people.
You've been double-crossed
by one of your own men.
Name him.
How do you know he
ain't gonna cross you
when he gets his
hands on the dough?
She's bluffing!
It's Bick Cassandrus.
But that's a lie.
I don't think so.
It adds up.
Photographing the books.
Bick wouldn't cross me.
I'd bet my life on it.
Just got a report
from the street.
Police cars are headed this way.
Books! The books...
We gotta burn the books.
Kerosene... there,
on the counter.
Stand back.
Watch it!
Where's your lady friend?
You want information,
see our lawyer.
Mr. Ness?
You shut up!
All right, talk!
I'm practical, Mr. Ness.
You remember me when
the charges start to fly...
I'll try and guess
where the lady went.
Did it work?
Did you tell 'em about
the photographs?
I told them.
Ginnie, I... come
here to kill you.
It's my job.
Open 'em up.
Go ahead.
Baby, it's transportation
for two to Mexico.
I don't know, it must be
that disinfectant you smell of.
You know, the one... the
one that smells like a jail.
You make me feel...
What I'm trying to say is...
Thanks for coming into my life.
Stop it! Stop it!
No, no, Ginnie, Ginnie,
it's the truth! Ginnie!
I can't believe you.
Ginnie... I can't...
Oh, Bick, I mustn't leave you.
Oh, baby... Oh, baby.
You're not gonna be
a loser no more, see.
You and me, we're getting
out of here right now, see?
We won't even pack no clothes.
We'll buy everything
new, even toothbrushes.
Oh, baby, it's gonna be a
whole new time for both of us.
It's going to be a whole new
time for all of us, Bickie Boy.
Don't. Don't kill him.
LaROSE: Too late.
You've already
signed the tab, love.
No, please don't.
Now.
Drop it!
I'm not really a
loser, Mr. Ness.
The remains of the
half-burned books
were enough to
insure stiff prison terms
for the leaders of The Group,
marking the end
of their syndicate.
As for Ginnie Littlesmith,
she received a
suspended sentence
for withholding evidence,
and she led a
suspended life thereafter,
as a model spinster.
Except that, on
certain lonely nights,
she'd pull out a dress
with sequins on it
that shone like Devil's eyes,
and she would remember.
The Untouchables.