The Untouchables (1959–1963): Season 3, Episode 26 - Pressure - full transcript

Papa, no, please!
It's-It's dangerous!

Go back in the
house! I'm not a baby.

I can carry my own bags.

Nobody frightens me into a hole.

Not Madikoff, not nobody.

I got one daughter
who's going away.

I got a right to see who with.

I get the other bag.

Papa! Papa!

Tonight's episode...

Starring Robert
Stack as Eliot Ness.



Co-starring Harold J. Stone

and Collin Wilcox.

With special guest
star Darryl Hickman.

And narrated by Walter Winchell.

December, 1933...
Prohibition was dead.

It was buried with the
wildest funeral in history.

But the mobs it spawned
were not buried with it.

They were already
fattening on other fare.

Richer, dirtier, more
profitable than booze...

Narcotics.

A powerful New York
syndicate, the Big Six,

had long ago staked out
the drug trade for itself.

April 16, 1934...

The Big Six had
business in Chicago.



Its representative was calling
on Louie Madikoff, the Bear,

top dealer in the Middle West;

retailer, wholesaler,
importer from Canada

and chief supplier for
the New York syndicate.

Wally, come on in!

It's good to see you.

Made good time
from the airport, huh?

Well, come on in.

You know the fellas.

My boy, Danny.

First time he's home in a week

all on account of your coming.

Up here only girls.

Every night, girls.

I buy you a drink?

You ain't gonna like what I say.

You say or the boss?

The boss.

He said that you made a deal

to get some stuff
in from Canada.

He says, where is it?

He needs merchandise.

I got merchandise.

Pure stuff.

A kilo and a half.

I got merchandise.

The boss ain't got it.

He knows I make two
shipments this month!

I told him how Ness
picks up my runners!

He said maybe you ought
to get somebody new.

New?!

I should trust a stranger, huh?

I ain't a stranger.

Well, the Feds
have a hundred eyes.

If you take the train,
they pick you off.

If you take a bus
or a plane, they...

Suppose I take the lake?

Suppose a flying
boat picks me up

right at the foot
of Varney Street...

puts me down 100
miles away from Ness.

Where?

Suppose you don't know.

That way, you won't let it slip.

A kilo and a half.

That's 200 grand.

Delivered in New York.

Oh, Louie...

the boss said he'd call you.

Pavanos!

The whole trouble is
on account of Pavanos!

I know!

Pavanos? Why?

Who wants to move me out?

Who wants the territory?

Who wants to see me dead?

How would Pavanos know
about them two runners?

They were partners.

He knows how I operate.

I tell you, he's
talking to Ness.

Wouldn't want to give any odds.

There's a pay phone back there.

Right.

Listen, this is Eliot Ness.

Can you hear me?

You understand?

Look, I'll level with you.

Looks pretty bad,
but you still got time.

You can still
square a few things.

Don't you wonder
how we picked you off?

Somebody talked.

They sold you out.

Don't owe them a thing.

Come on, get smart.

Tell me where you got this junk.

Ness?

Yes?

You're blocking the view.

The wire services
played the story big.

It brought a long-distance
call to Louie Madikoff

from New York, from the boss,

from Charles "Lucky" Luciano.

Maybe this deal is
too big for you, Louie.

Maybe we bring in Mike Pavanos.

I lost a half million
in this deal already.

Pavanos tries to
take my territory,

I run him right into the lake.

Pavanos don't take.

I take.

And you like it.

I don't like it, the way
he's singing to Ness.

Pavanos?

Who else? He knows
he puts me away,

you got a deal with him.

You got a dirty house.

You better clean it out.

I give you one week.

You!

Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt.

You got a lucky star, Pavanos.

Anybody else, he's dead already.

Don't do me no favors.

Just one.

I'm gonna give you advice.

Stop tipping off
my runners to Ness.

Maybe you're forgetting.

I'm Mike Pavanos.

I don't even say your
name without spitting.

All I know is somebody
wants to see me in jail.

Not me.

I want to see you dead.

I don't make no jokes.

You been singing to Ness.

Sure.

I run downtown,
and I say to him,

"I just had a message
from the Bear,

"from Louie Madikoff,
my best friend,

"who lights a candle every
night I should break both legs.

Wants to tell me
about his runners."

You got problems with
Ness, go settle with him!

I don't know nothing
about no runners!

You'd better
not... for her sake.

Hey!

Your move.

Hello. Ness.

Maybe.

What time?

Horton, between 5th and 6th.

I'll be there.

Louie Madikoff.

The Bear.

He wants to talk to me.

He's going to pick me
up in his car tonight.

He's going to pick us up.

Me. He wants to talk alone.

You can't, Eliot. He
could be setting you up.

He'll be alone, too.

He'll plant two of his
boys in another car.

They'll be right behind you.

I don't think so.

You and Rico will.

You don't need
your boys, Mr. Ness.

I ain't a fool.

I don't hit a Fed.

I got respect for you.

Not like Wally Corbin.

He's dumb.

No wonder you knocked him off.

You could be next.

You waiting for a tip, huh?

Okay, I'll save
you some trouble.

You know Parky Devore?

You're falling off in class.

He's a small-time punk.

Oh, not any longer, Mr. Ness.

He's big-time now.

He's taking a plane for New
York, first thing Thursday.

He'll be carrying
three kilos of H.

You see, I got no
secrets from you.

I'll give you the
whole operation.

He calls me when
he gets to New York.

If he gets to New York.

He'll get there.

Now don't say I
never give you nothing.

You finished?

Oh, pretty soon.

First, I want you
to see something.

You see up there?

That's a school.

There's no kids in there now,

and that's a good thing.

Them lousy boilers
they put in the schools.

The rotten graft in this town.

What a terrible thing.

It could... It could
happen again.

Maybe in some other school.

In the daytime, maybe,
when there are kids around.

Say, like, uh, Thursday
morning, Ness,

if Parky don't call
me from New York.

He won't call you, Madikoff.

You gonna pick him up?

That's right, we're
going to pick him up.

You don't have
any feelings for kids.

We got a lot of
feelings for kids.

In fact, we're
going to give them

a special holiday on Thursday.

And Friday? Monday?

A week from Wednesday?

How long you gonna
keep the schools closed?

Now we're finished, Ness.

Wednesday morning, April 21.

Ness arrived at
his office at 9:45.

He had been with the school
superintendent since 7:00.

Eliot.

They're waiting for you.

Three men were waiting
in his private office.

Police Captain Johnson,
Federal Attorney Beecher Asbury,

and Lawton Hollis,

the head of the Chicago
Board of Education.

What did Kavanaugh say?

Kavanaugh's an educator.

His only concern
is for the kids.

I agree completely.

I say, don't touch that runner.

Let him go through.

You make it pretty
simple, Mr. Hollis.

Mr. Ness, would you
risk the life of one child?

You know me better than that.

If we let that
runner go through,

we give the mobs a
frightening weapon.

Any time they want
to tie our hands.

We knuckle under, or
we close the schools.

And keep 'em closed,

because we never know when
they're gonna hit, or where.

I could pick up
Madikoff and book him.

No witnesses, no proof.

He'd make bail before
the booking slip was dry.

Well, it's not all black.

You don't have to
throw the sponge in yet.

Someone's been tipping us
on the Madikoff shipments.

Who?

We don't know who. He phones in.

And you think he'll
phone you about this?

I think there's a chance.

I think he might even
tell us which school.

We've only got 24 hours, Eliot.

We can't just sit
around and wait.

We won't.

Wednesday, 5:30 p.m.

The Untouchables
were not waiting.

Supported by a
large force of police,

they were rounding up
all known bombing experts.

Quiet precautions
were also taken

at each of Chicago's
200 schools.

Danny!

You going out?

Yeah. Got a date.

Same girl?

The one that keeps you
out so late every night?

Well, Louie, you know... Hey...

you ain't getti" serious?

Now don't go
pulling any surprises.

I gotta go to a
church a wedding.

I-I gotta have a
little time, you know.

Uh, I need a new tuxedo.

Ah, don't you worry, Louie...

you'll be the first to know.

I thought maybe you'd
stay home tonight.

Uh, you know, maybe
play a little poker?

Oh, I wish I could, but, uh,

there's no way to reach her.

I'm late right now.

Some other night, huh?
You just let me know.

Couldn't have had
no game, anyway.

Firecracker's
getting in at 9:00.

He might've liked to play.

Want a game? I'll
call Parky and Ogie.

Forget it.

Still plenty early,
you want to play.

Forget it!

♪ Sowing in the noontide
and the dewy eve ♪

♪ Waiting for the harvest
and the time of reaping ♪

♪ We shall come rejoicing ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ We shall come rejoicing ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves ♪

♪ We shall come rejoicing ♪

♪ Bringing in the sheaves. ♪

Thank you for coming again,

and I hope you will
now join us inside.

Coffee and doughnuts
against the cold,

and a hymn or two
against the dark.

Please, come in.

Hello there. Hello.

You're early.

10:00 comes too late these days.

Danny... not here,
it's dangerous.

I've promised you, haven't I?

We're gonna be
out of this, Francey.

Believe me. Soon.

Soon could be too late.

You could be dead.

Tonight, tomorrow...

I'm not dead yet.

I can prove it.

Francey?

10:00.

I'll be ready.

Would you like some hot coffee?

Please, come on in.

Yeah?

Where?

Wait there; I'll be down
in ten or 15 minutes.

Rossman.

Madikoff's son's
got a girlfriend.

So what?

So she's Mike Pavano's daughter.

Wednesday, 9:35 p.m.

Killing time till 10:00,

Dan Madikoff dropped
in at Harvey's bar,

the drink shop on Bellamy Street

was a favorite with the mobs.

Danny Boy.

Thought you had a date.

I have.

Thought you was late.

I am.

You got the old man guessin'.

Must be special.

Very special.

If, uh, she's got a friend,

I'm on the loose.

Well, I, uh, I don't
think you'd like her, Jug.

She's not your type.

Hey, Mr. Alverson.

You want somethin'?

Yeah.

Francey, will you come into
the office a moment, please?

Yes, of course.

What...

Miss Pavanos?

Yes.

We're Federal agents.

My name is Ness.

Yes, I know who you are.

And why we're here?

No... but if it's
about my father...

I'm not living at home.

I can't tell you
anything about him.

We don't want you to tell us
about your father, Miss Pavanos,

we want Dan Madikoff
to tell us about his.

Danny?

I'll lay it out for
you, Miss Pavanos.

For a month, somebody's
been tipping me on Madikoff.

Somebody.

I didn't know who
or why till now.

You think that I had
something to do with it?

Isn't that what
Madikoff would think,

if he knew his son
was seeing you?

No, that-that's not true.

I even tried to stop Dan from...

It was Dan who's
been tipping me.

I didn't say that.

You didn't have to.

I need some
information on Madikoff.

I want Dan to get it for me.

Please... leave him alone.

It's important.

He'll do it if you tell him to.

I won't!

I won't put him under a gun!

You put him under a gun
every time you met him.

Now, if your father
should find out...

You'd tell him?

Sorry.

Nobody wrote Cupid on my badge.

Is he coming back tonight?

What time?

Around 10:00.

Excuse me.

She's a fine girl.

I wouldn't like to see her hurt.

I don't exactly enjoy it myself.

Francey? Francey?

One thing more.

You were right.

She ain't my type.

Not Mike Pavanos' girl.

Couldn't hardly
wait for you, huh?

Maybe she could dig up somethi"
else to spill to Ness, hmm?

One lousy dame, Mike...

Thanks for your
help, Brother Adam.

And now, back to...

10:35 p.m.

Dan Madikoff had not
returned to the mission.

Ness headed for
the girl's apartment

with Hobson and Rossman.

About 12 hours
remained to showdown.

Miss Pavanos?

It's Eliot Ness.

Open up, please.

It's him.

Make a habit of hiding
behind ladies' drapes?

Well, uh... Why
were you running?

Mr. Ness, when your
name is Madikoff...

I got a better reason.

That killing tonight.

Killing?

The mission on Haley Street.

Somebody hit Jug Alverson.

You were coming back
to the mission at 10:00.

Alverson found out about
you and the Pavanos girl,

he was gonna tip it to your
father, so you killed him.

Not like that.

He drew on me.

We were wrestling for
the gun. That's the truth.

Maybe.

I might even buy it.

Now, let's start
talking about tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

What school is your
father gonna hit?

What bunch of kids
is he gonna blast?

Kids?

Why, you lousy...

A stinking lie like that!

To hit a bunch of kids?

He's hitting me, the
kids are just handy.

Ness, you say
that again and I'll...

That's quite an act.

Now, build it up to the payoff.

Now, tell us how
much he means to you.

What would you know about it?

I know you've been
tipping us for a month.

What made you
sell him out, the girl?

Shut up.

Is that why you went
over to Pavanos? Shut up.

Charge me or let
me go but shut up.

Tell me we got a
deal. And if I don't?

If you don't, I'll
throw the book at you,

with a special
chapter on the girl.

Should make interesting
reading for your father.

Now you listen to me, Ness...

I'm not making him out a saint,

but he wouldn't
hit a bunch of kids

and you're not gonna
pin that kind of rap on him.

Call me tomorrow.

It's gotta be before 10:00.

Don't hold your breath.

And Ness... don't tail me.

If you ever want another tip,

don't tail me.

Don't tail him.

I took a chance you'd be here.

Danny... Danny, you killed him.

You killed Jug.

No... Now, y-you
stop thinking that.

Francey, he was
trying to kill me.

You have to believe that.

Danny... why, why was he there?

He knew about us?

Oh, Danny, he knew
and Mr. Ness knew

and soon, they'll all know.

Danny, look, we could
still go away tonight, now!

No, no, no.

Not till I finish him.

I-I, I've told you, Francey...

A thousand times... but
Danny, why does that make it

all right for you to want
to kill your own father?

No, not to kill him.

Just to squeeze him.

To make him hurt.

Why?

Why do you have to
hate him so much?!

Danny, he didn't kill her.

Just because he
didn't hold the gun?

She begged him to run.

The night he got
that phone call,

she begged him to run.

But no, no, not him.

Not the Big Man.

No, nobody ever
told him what to do.

So, he, he just talks
her into going for a drive.

Danny, that's all
your mother wanted...

To be with him.

That's what made her happy.

One minute happy,
the next minute dead!

She never even saw
that other car pull up.

A dozen slugs ripping
her across and...

Danny... and him
not even scratched!

The big man.

All right...

All right, Danny.

Hate him.

I can't tell you
not to hate him.

But it's too much.

It's too much.

It doesn't leave
anything for us.

You win.

We leave...

we go away first
thing in the morning.

Oh...

Oh, oh, uh, uh, I'll be
at my father's place.

Most of my clothes
are there anyway.

He'll, uh... he'll
ask questions.

Well, you don't have to answer.

No... I'll be there by 10:00.

By 10:00.

By 10:00.

10:00.

10:00.

11:05 p.m... Louie Madikoff
was briefing a torch man

he had summoned from Detroit.

Artie Grebbs,
known to both police

and the mobs as
"The Firecracker."

You've seen one school,
you've seen them all.

Jug?

Danny!

Home so early?

Yeah, I'm tired, Louie.

Come here, I want you
to say hello to my boy.

Your boy?

Calls you Louie?

Kids nowadays.

Say hello to Artie Grebbs.

Hiya.

Grebbs? Grebbs from Detroit?

Oh, the Purple Gang, eh?

Don't they call you
the Firecracker?

That's right, kid.

You, uh, you in
town on business?

Well, you never know
when you pick up a job, kid.

Boy's gonna be
bigger than you, Louie.

But he's still got a lot

to learn about how
to handle dames.

He fluffs them off
and comes home early

and tomorrow, right away,
they're back again for more.

Wish I'd have
that kind of trouble.

Go on up to bed.

You need the sleep.

Mr. Louie Madikoff?

That's right.

Matter of identification.

You know anybody named Alverson?

He works for me.

I'll have him out in 10 minutes.

Where you got him booked?

Down at the morgue.

Somebody put a slug in him.

Get him out anytime you want.

You know who hit him, Louie?

Who puts Ness on my back?

Who makes all my troubles?

Maybe you'll pick
up an extra job.

You ain't said who.

Mike Pavanos.

I should've known.

When you went down there

starting to work
for all them bums...

A lot of broken-down junkies.

Papa... who made
them junkies, Papa?

But to run away?

Not even to tell me where!

With who?!

Francey, darling, ain't I
always give you everything?

Sure.

Everything.

Kids!

They grow up, they kiss you off.

They ain't got
no feeling for you.

That's right, Papa.

No feeling.

Because I won't stay
and see you dead.

Papa, that's why I moved
out in the first place.

I couldn't stay and
see 'em kill you.

And they will, Papa.

They'll, They'll kill you!

They'll kill you,

just like they've
killed all the others!

Hello?

Yeah, she's here.

Who's calling her?

Fine kind of friends.

They don't say who they are.

Papa...

G'night.

Danny?

Honey, I'll have
to make it fast.

He's right downstairs.
Now, listen to me.

You leave the hotel around 10:00

and you cruise
around for awhile,

to make sure you
ain't got a tail on you.

Then you call me at
a quarter after 11:00

and I'll give you the last word.

A quarter after?

You ain't cutting it too thin?

Well, gives Parky 25
minutes to call from New York.

His plane gets in at ten to.

You sure?

Well, if you're worried,

I'll check with
the airport again.

Francey, I tell you, watch him.

He could be dead.

The old man is screaming.

But why? Why, Danny?

He's sure your
father hit Jug tonight.

He's sure he's been
tipping Ness, too.

Francey, he won't take any more.

Pavanos.

How much for a contract
to knock him over?

Five grand.

You got it.

Deal.

Thursday morning, 5:10 a.m.

Parky Devore took off
from the Chicago Airport

en route to New York.

He was carrying three
kilos of pure heroin.

He had been under
surveillance since he left Madikoff.

Parky's plane
would be in New York

in exactly five
and one-half hours.

Ness had that much
time, plus 25 minutes.

You can read a watch, Eliot.

You don't need us to tell
you time is running out.

When does that plane
arrive in New York?

11:50 their time, 10:50 here.

Your men got orders
to grab that runner?

They'll grab him.

Then there's no question.

We have to close the schools.

Not yet.

How much longer, Mr. Ness?

What do you want?

I want Madikoff to make a move.

I want to nail him
cold, once and for all.

Papa, no, please!

It's dangerous! Go
back in the house!

I'm not a baby; I can
carry my own bags.

Nobody frightens me into a hole.

Not Madikoff, not nobody.

I got one daughter
who's going away.

I got a right to see who with.

I get the other bag.

Papa! Papa!

Francey?

Almost 10:00.

I'm sorry, Eliot.

I can't play it your
way any longer.

I can't, either.

Call Kavanaugh and tell
him to evacuate the schools.

Hello. Ness.

When?

Right. We'll be over.

Madikoff just moved
on Mike Pavanos.

Did he get him?

Not him.

His daughter.

That's going to
hit Dan pretty hard.

Yeah.

Madikoff can't hit the
schools before 11:00.

He's got to be sure
we grabbed his runner.

If we just had one hour...

Okay.

Thanks.

Eliot...

one hour, then we
clear out the schools.

She was going away.

She wouldn't even say who with.

I begged her.

You give your
whole life for a kid.

I'd say she did
some of the giving.

You!

Who asked for you?

She did, Mike.

Him?

Would-Would somebody
like to tell me...?

I'll tell you, Danny,
but I won't like it.

You don't touch her!

You don't touch her no more!

Like a dog!

Like a cheap lousy
dog in the night!

You're wrong.

Ever since we were kids, I...

You're wrong.

She loved you?

That doesn't mean
she didn't love you.

I make your
father pay for this...

with my own hands.

Not you.

Me.

Danny...

you can do it a better way.

What do you want?

Yeah?

Louie... it's me.

Ah, Danny, where are you?

I thought you were
gonna sleep late.

I went upstairs,
and you were gone.

You listen.

It's about Francey Pavanos.

You think you can
fool the old man, huh?

Forget it.

We all make little mistakes.

We won't even talk about it.

We have to talk about it.

She's dead.

The girl?

She's dead, Louie.

And you killed her.

You tried to hit
Pavanos, and you missed.

Now, Danny, listen...

You missed a lot
of things, Louie.

You missed all around.

Pavanos didn't kill Jug.

I did.

You?!

And he never tipped Ness.

I did that, too.

Danny... I'm not done yet.

I talked to Ness.

I... I told him all
about the school.

You don't know about it!

I didn't tell you nothing!

You didn't have to.

I was right outside the door.

Selling me out... my own kid!

The Feds are waiting
for the Firecracker now.

They'll grab him,
they'll sweat him,

and they'll make him talk.

And Louie...

you're gonna burn
for a thousand years.

Why, you punk!

You rotten little punk!

Mama's boy!

Don't hang up!

Don't you hang up on me!

You think he bought it?

He bought it.

You sure he'll go
out the back way?

Just like I said.

Across the alley,
through a grocery store,

and he'll come out
on the next street.

How long will it take?

A minute or so.

Yeah?

Got it.

He turned right
on Halsted Street.

10:44 a.m.

Madikoff turned
left on Barlow Street.

10:47... Another report.

He had just turned west
on Lombard Avenue.

10:51... Madikoff was
on Talbot Street now.

He was heading north.

10:57... There had
been no further report.

Ness was past his
allotted time now...

Three minutes before 11:00.

Three minutes to what
could be a tragic disaster.

Yeah?

Good. Thanks.

Still running north on Talbot.

Just passed 16th Street.

What's that directory show?

There's only one school
north of 16th Street.

The Emma Adams Elementary,
corner of Walton Avenue.

That's got to be it.

Jim, the 23rd district
should be the closest.

Right.

This is Captain Johnson.

Get me headquarters.

This is Johnson.

This is an emergency.

I want three cars
and a dozen men

at the Emma Adams
Elementary School.

Tell them to wait
for the Federal boys.

Hey, who told you
you could drive, huh?!

Where were you? I phoned.

We got to call it off.

Ness! He's got us set up!

What'll I do with my pineapple?

Get rid of it! Where is it?

In the backseat.

Madikoff?

What do you want, Ness?

Put that thing on the
ground and leave it.

We'll take it from there.

You keep back.

You move out, and I throw it!

Ness... nitro makes
a pretty big splash.

All right, Madikoff.

I'll give you the chance.

Go on, toss it.

You know what nitro
can do, don't you?

You know you can't
throw it far enough.

You know we'd all be
riding the same cloud.

You won't throw it, Madikoff.

You haven't got the moxie.

All you can do is
hit a bunch of kids.

Liar!

You're a liar, Ness!

Louie.

Only three people in this
world ever meant anything.

Only three people.

He killed 'em all.

He must've really
hated his old man.

You think so?

The threat to the
schools was over.

The mobs never again tried

to use the kids of
Chicago for blackmail.

On Eliot Ness' recommendation,

Dan Madikoff received
a mere token sentence.

It is to be noted

that during his
short stay at Joliet,

he had only one
visitor... Francey's father,

Mike Pavanos.

The Untouchables.