Original subtitles

Okay, Justin.

Mr. Justin.

Keep your nose clean.

Give me a yard key.

I'm sorry, Chief, but I can't find any records on the Bregan investigation.

We have them, Fran. I filed them myself.

Uh -huh. Now that's the trouble.

Chief Ironside's office.

Yes, Commissioner.

Good morning.

Good afternoon.

9 .30? After quitting at 11 last night? Suffer, Sergeant.

After you've done that, get on there. All right.

I thought this was Mark's assent.

I sent him to Pittsburgh to bring back our witness on the Bregan case.

All right.

Goodbye.

Mr. Anthony Barton will be coming by to see you this morning.

The commissioner asks you to extend particular courtesy.

Who is Anthony Barton?

A matter of a $20 million art exhibit.

No small matter.

The coal chief?

I don't know.

My mother would say a ghost just walked over your grave.

It wouldn't dare.

Yes, the accommodations are satisfactory.

I told your chauffeur I'd be needing a car.

I know you'll oblige me.

Thank

you.

Now, I suppose you've deposited the $25 ,000, isn't it?

Now, $25 ,000.

After all, for a 50 % share in a score that'll growth over two million.

Ah, I thought you'd agree.

No, I've already begun arrangements.

Don't worry, I shan't fail.

Believe me, this is a labor of love.

Settlement of a long -standing debt. Robert Ironside took five years out of

life.

This is my repayment.

That's quite a collection.

The Van Dering family has spent a lifetime acquiring it. Probably a

too. Ah, several.

Van Gogh, Picasso, Tintoretto, Rembrandt. Show off.

History of art.

Sophomore year.

All I ever saw were reproductions, of course.

Well, that's exactly why the collection's on tour.

So that everyone will have a chance to see the originals.

But we must insist on the tightest security possible.

Every precaution. Naturally.

How many paintings in all?

Twenty -eight.

I'd hate to think of anyone defacing or stealing any of them. Mr. Barton, you

will have our full cooperation.

Thank you.

Miss Van Dering will be deeply appreciative.

Well, when may I have your report?

Report? Yes, your plans for security, so that I may forward it to Miss Van

Dering for her approval. Mr. Barton, does Miss Van Dering have degrees in

criminology, police administration, and law enforcement?

I don't believe so. Then she'd better leave the matter of security to us.

Well, I suppose they must intrude Picasso.

Well, I'm a traditionalist. I prefer the older works.

Aren't you?

It all depends on the pitch.

Now, if I'm working the mark from the upper crust, yeah, man, I dig all the

masters. But if the mark's got new money, no way.

Your use of the vernacular makes me doubt that you could score on any level

society, Mr. Lennox.

Well, you've been away a while, Justin.

You've got to lay it down here. Nobody's going to think you're legit.

Now, my last score, I... Listen, I don't need to know your life history.

I'm here to do a job.

Did I make you nervous?

You make me hold on to my wallet.

Now, if I were Robert Ironside, just exactly how would I go about protecting

these priceless works of art?

You mean you don't know yet?

Not yet.

Then how do you know you need me? Look, I'm no crook. I'm a specialist.

Mr. Sadowski, there are two things one learns in prison.

One is that, uh...

Cognac is not readily available.

And the other is that reality must be faced. You, sir, must face reality.

True, you are a specialist, but don't fantasize. You're a crooked specialist.

I need the money, that's why.

You can rest assured the job will be easy, relatively safe.

Would you like a cognac?

Yeah, maybe a little.

Mr. Lennox.

Alcohol? Never touched it.

Your loss.

Let's train to reality, shall we?

Come in.

Arthur Justin?

You're Pete and Joe.

Two wonderfully plain, good American names.

Is this the muscle you said we'd have?

Yeah, this is the muscle, but they serve a double purpose.

Don't you, boys?

They're here on behalf of our investors.

Keep an eye on the books. Keep an eye on us.

To reality.

Hello, love. Frank Lennox, I phoned you.

Oh, yes, of course. Come in.

Steve Irons, I can see you now.

It is Mr. Lennox.

It's a real pleasure, Chief.

And I'm grateful you could take time out of your busy schedule to see me.

Artist's Digest, you said.

Circulation 75 ,000.

Small but select.

Sit down.

All right.

What can I do for you?

Well, we'd like to cover the exhibition of the Van Dering Collection.

And I thought of a different slant for the article.

Sort of an inside look at the special care that's being given to protect these

precious works of art.

Well, you'd find out a lot more about it if you talked to the Van Dering

curator. No, no, I don't mean created or preserved. I mean protected.

Well...

There will be the usual measures, a few special officers hired by Miss Van

Deering, and our own police, of course.

That's the kind of stuff I need.

Any sort of plan?

If you like, I'll have my associate type it up for you.

Great. Fran, see that Mr. Lennox gets a detailed report of our security

measures, will you?

Yes, sir.

Officer Belding will mail it to you as soon as the collection leaves San

Francisco.

Now, Chief, please don't stall me. I'm trying to make our next publication

I have a deadline.

Not a chance.

Fran.

You've put me in an awkward position. I promised my editor.

I'm sure he'll understand.

Give me the artist digest in the phone.

Chief, you're embarrassing me. There's no way I can explain this to my editor.

You don't need to.

I'll explain it to him.

You're putting me in an untenable position.

Have them on the line yet?

Forget it.

A phony.

Class A.

Cancel the call?

No.

Confirm that the magazine never heard of Mr. Lennox, then get me an update on

every known thief in the area with an artwork M .O.

You know, I can't help wondering.

You people appreciate the beauty in which you live.

Oh, yeah, you've been in stir.

I prefer to think of it as a sabbatical.

Ah, that didn't take long.

He didn't buy it?

Of course not.

You expected it?

By now he'll have a list of every art thief in town.

He'll pick some up for questioning and tell the others.

I hope my colleagues don't resent me for the inconvenience.

If you figured him to tumble, why'd you send me?

To give him a solid reason to be careful.

He'll intensify his preparations enough for us to see what he's doing. You

should find some of these shared eggs. They're nice.

All right.

Thanks very much.

Officer!

Sergeant Brown? Yes.

Miss Van Deering would like you to join her.

I'm better off riding a patrol car, Teller. I said thanks.

Sergeant!

Come on back!

I'm lonely.

Come on.

How bad could it be?

Not exactly what I expected, Miss Mandira.

This.

What do you say?

Well,

I should ride with the lead car just in case.

You think some dummies are going to try and steal the van?

We can shoot them up just as well from this horse.

He's got cold dreams.

Air conditioning.

Color TV.

Everything except dance. You're good.

I can arrange that.

Jog me into it. I'm good. I'm tired of riding clothes.

When the exhibit opens in the morning, stay in the background.

I don't want this to look like an armed camp.

If you see obvious trouble, move in fast.

If you only suspect trouble, get hold of Sergeant Brown, Officer Belding,

Officer Sanger, or me.

We'll be here all day.

They've arrived.

Right on schedule.

But I don't know what Miss Van Deering's going to say about never receiving your

report. I assume whatever she's going to say, she's already said to Sergeant

Brown.

Looks like quite a tongue -lashing.

Officer Belding, Chief Ironside, Miss Van Deering.

Call me Liz.

Fran.

Well, I've certainly heard a lot about you, Chief.

Don't believe everything.

Well, you certainly don't look like an ogre.

Appearances can be deceiving.

Tony, hello.

All our stocks and bonds in good health?

Well, I don't have the noon quotations, Miss Van Deering. Oh, don't worry about

it. Would you like to look over the security arrangements now?

No, what for?

Well, I was given to understand that... All entrances and exits are blocked.

All guards doubled up on their shifts.

All workmen checked out and bonded, and all known suspects under surveillance.

Is there anything else?

That's about it.

Well, you're the expert, Chief. I won't meddle.

No, what I'd like now is a hot tub and an escort to show me around San

Francisco. I haven't been here in years.

Well, any volunteers?

I'm sorry, Miss Van Deering, but Sergeant Brown's duties are limited to

your art collection.

I take it back, Chief. You are an ogre.

Well, can you at least escort me out to my car?

We can spare him for a few minutes.

Come on, Ed. Do your duty.

You know, I think we left out one security measure.

Someone to guard Ed.

Look ahead.

I'm a big girl. I can get myself to my car. I was only kidding.

You're pretty good at that, aren't you?

Chief is going to give you a hard time about the ogre bit.

My stripes feel just a little bit loose.

I'm sorry. I couldn't resist it.

Look, I make kid a lot.

Believe me, huh? I'm for real.

See you around, huh?

Yep.

Thank you.

The exhibits on the ground floor.

There'll be guards here, here, and here.

And at all the doors, of course. If there were enough of us, we could knock

the guards.

Listen, couldn't you call me when you need me? Do I have to listen to all this

stuff? Relax.

Tomorrow you'll do your job and be on your way. Tomorrow?

We hit tomorrow?

I haven't decided just when we'll have our little fun.

But we can't delay Mr.

Sadowski.

He's so anxious to be on his way.

wondering where you were.

Oh, I just checked in for any messages.

Mark called.

There's some kind of legal delay.

He won't be able to leave Pittsburgh until tomorrow morning at the earliest.

No problem.

And none here?

No.

Not with the art collection, at least.

Beautiful. Thank you.

How do you know I wasn't talking about the painting?

Oh, were you?

We're supposed to be spectators admiring the exhibit.

I grew up with it.

Besides, I like this view better.

Look, I don't know if you're on your kidding jag again, but you're making me

feel uncomfortable.

Good. I like that.

You like what?

Make you feel uncomfortable.

You want to kiss me again?

Again?

You want to kiss me?

You want to again? Yeah.

Oh, that's lovely.

We'll have to postpone reality.

Hey,

just a minute.

Where are you going?

Main junction box.

You got failures on your four, five, and six lines. Some identification, please.

Lots of protection for this stuff, huh?

All right, thank you.

Show these men what they want and stay with them until they're through, please.

This way, please.

I knew it. See?

Yeah, I see.

Hey, clip onto this. We'll run a test line.

Hold this, will you?

I hope the heat is okay.

So let's try the first terminal point.

You hang on to that. If it stops buzzing, you yell out.

Hey, you guys, hurry up. I can't spend all day.

It's got to be here.

Okay, maybe it's all yours.

You have the most excruciating sense of timing. I'm a cop guarding an art

exhibit, remember?

You don't let me forget it.

Let's just enjoy what we can.

Liz, this is really beautiful.

Must be very gratifying.

Sure. Yeah.

It's one thing to acquire beautiful things.

There's something meaningful when you're the custodian, not the owner.

When did you learn that?

Oh, I don't know.

Yes, I do.

My father taught me.

He would have liked him, Ed. He was a wonderful man.

He talked me into taking this tour a year before he died.

He said people will learn from the art.

And if you're lucky, you'll learn from the people.

Philosopher. Oh, don't let his money fool you. He started life hauling

And became a builder of cities.

Well, that's just carrying bricks on a larger scale.

Hey, you're not going to hold his money against me, are you?

Please don't, Etta. I don't want anything to spoil it for us.

We just met.

Well, can I help it if I'm very much in line with you?

Hey, is that thing still buzzing?

Yeah, it's still going.

You'll be sure to let us know if it stops.

anyone would be dumb enough to try anything in broad daylight?

No.

Which is why someone might.

Hey, you guys.

In a minute.

Okay.

You do all right.

They gave me an alarm system. Let's close it up.

Okay, okay.

Hey, you were supposed to hang on to that box. Well, you guys have been

pretty long time.

Come on, you don't worry about us, will you?

Hey, man, you're looking at the guys that installed the phones at the Federal

Reserve Bank.

Well, anything missing yet, Chief?

You'd have heard about it.

I really appreciate you taking such a personal interest in me staying here all

day like this.

You're not being exactly impersonal yourself, Miss Van Deering, after all

exhibits you've held.

Well, this is the first day, and the company's good.

Thank you.

You thought the entire staff's staying on duty this whole week?

They get time off. I'm not that much of an ogre, Miss Van Deering.

You're becoming handsomer all the time, Chief.

But when I give my staff time depends on the circumstances of the moment.

Chief, Ed would like you to come down to the basement.

There's something you should see. Excuse me.

Routine check?

There you are, a quenched figure.

Telephone men. We're the only ones here.

All right, call somebody from the department.

Let's get those interrupters off and the system back in working order.

Pretty intricate plan.

Created by an intricate brain.

It's only one of its kind. Fran, get the state prison and see if Arthur Justin

is still in custody.

If he isn't, put out an APB.

What makes you so sure? Same thing that makes both of you so sure.

Only two men and a car.

Now, how'd they expect to lift all those paintings, even if the alarm system

wasn't working? You can answer your own questions. They didn't.

It's Justin, all right.

And his favorite tactic, the old shell game. Well, we've looked under one of

them. There are still two more.

Arthur Justin's been traced to the Bay Towers Hotel, suite 17B.

He went out about a half an hour ago.

Come in, Justin.

The door is open.

Very good, Chief.

I'm glad to see the years haven't diminished your powers.

What betrayed me? My distinctive step? My cologne?

Oh, I've learned to expect the unexpected from you. And if you guessed

what difference would it have made?

You haven't changed a bit, Ironside.

Now you, Sergeant.

More mature, of course, but it becomes you.

An officer belding, isn't it?

Now, Justin, you didn't come here to socialize.

No.

Nor did I come to make a public speech.

Ah.

Excuse us.

Sit down, sit down.

Thank you, Einstein.

Well, how do I look? Thinner? Rare?

Paler.

There are no sun lamps in prison.

You're looking fit and grim as usual. Is it me? Am I causing you concern?

Where were you last night, Justin?

Oh, you know where I was, outside the museum, hoping you hadn't discovered

we'd fouled the alarm system.

What are you here for, to lay out the ground rules?

No.

I'm here looking for protection.

From what?

Whom, not what.

Certain people invested money in this operation.

The money's spent, and frankly, I can't crack your security.

I've told them, and to put it mildly, they're very upset.

I can't return the money, and I can't deliver the merchandise.

So?

Who are these people?

You know I can't name names. If I did, I'd never be free, nor would I live very

long.

They won't stop trying, you know.

As long as the exhibit is here, with me or without me, it's too tempting a

prize.

You wouldn't have an idea as to how they'll try, would you?

Oh, perhaps.

I might have a little leverage left.

The plan in exchange for your protection.

Let's hear it.

Simple. A leaf out of your own book, a diversionary movement at the main

entrance, then a helicopter.

When? I'm afraid I can't honestly tell you that.

Now, a deal?

I'll have a couple of men here in ten minutes.

Oh, that'd be too obvious. I'd be on my way back to my hotel, the Bay... Bay

Towers, suite 17B.

Just as efficient as ever.

You have men there now, of course. Of course.

I'll stay in my suite until this is over.

Who'd have thought it? You and I collaborating.

Good day, Ironside.

What was that all about?

One more move in the show game.

Which one do we look under now?

Not at the moment.

Ed, I think you deserve the rest of the day off.

No. Hey.

Oh, come on. You're too early. Yeah, I know I'm too early. Well, go away. I

to be beautiful. You are beautiful. Well, I want to be sexy and alluring and

sophisticated.

Thank you.

Never. What do you mean never? Well, you're just plain old Liz Van Dieren.

Now, you've got to stop putting on airs. Oh.

Hmm.

You know, I've been waiting all day for that. It's worth the wait.

I don't know. Give me another sample.

You know, you spoiled everything.

How? Well, I ordered dinner for two for room service, and now you're going to

see it come in.

So what?

I was going to tell you I cooked it.

Have there been any calls for me from the chief?

Don't you ever think about anything but work?

Well, sure I think about other things. On my off time, between 2 and 4 a .m.

You know, Mr. Ed Brown, under normal circumstances, I'd be keeping tons of

on your head.

But if we're ever going... Ever going to have a meaningful relationship.

Right.

Guess I'll have to get used to your crazy hours.

I hope that isn't what I think it is.

Just a minute. Hey.

Get your eyes closed.

What? Come on. Close your eyes and keep them closed. They're closed.

No,

they're... Come on, Liz. Now, this is silly. Please. No, no. You've got to

around, keep them closed, and you've got to go out and come in again. You've got

candles to light and flowers to put around. How long will you be? I don't

Ten minutes. Now, get lost or I'll call a cop.

Hello? Miss Van Dering, this is Robert Ironside.

Hello, Chief.

I got the pin. It's lovely.

Better than I expected.

Did my best.

May I speak with Ed? I just threw him out.

What? Just for a minute. He's probably right out in the hall. Hang on.

Thank you.

No signs of any trouble at the museum.

As I'm way off, they're going to have a long, dull night.

What about Justin?

Hold up in his hotel room last report.

Ms. Van Deering.

Hello.

Where'd she go?

Hello, Miss Van Derrick.

Hello?

Hello?

Walked right past me.

Said he hoped I enjoyed the dinner.

Pushed that cart down the hall and I stood there watching him go.

Blind. Stupid!

Will you please take off that hair shirt and concentrate on work?

Yes, sir.

Chloroform, that's what he used to... to keep her quiet.

Me, a personal guard, half a dozen plainclothesmen in the hotel.

What could it do? Nothing.

There's still the transmitter.

Why haven't the receivers picked up anything yet?

Direction finders are looking for coordinates now.

Justin? Justin got away from the man who was guarding him.

We found a tablecloth just outside the service entrance.

Probably the one that covered the cart.

They could have taken her away in some kind of service van.

Lieutenant Reese is questioning the employees now.

Maybe he'll turn up a witness.

Not if they're as blind as the kitchen help. You'd think they'd know their own

waiters by this time. A new man, a substitute, wouldn't be hard to get away

it. So it never was the art collection.

No.

After all, Miss Van Dering can net them just as much as the art collection.

Maybe more.

What is this?

You know very well who this is.

Oh, and don't bother tracing Nicole.

I'll only be a moment.

You have her? Of course.

It'll cost two million dollars for her return.

Understood. Where and how?

Later on, Sid, later.

Oh, and by the way, save yourself some trouble. We got rid of her pen.

Fascinating device.

Worthy of me.

Took half the night, but I finally tracked down a dishwasher.

He saw a white van backed up to the hotel service entrance around the time

the kidnapping. License number?

How lucky do you want to get?

Now picking that van out of the hundreds that must be in the city.

That's Fran. Tell her when she's finished with lab crew at the museum to

back here.

Chief Ironside's office.

Chief, tell me something.

How could this happen? You must have warned her not to be alone.

I did, but she refused.

Why?

She's been a rich man's daughter all her life.

Said she couldn't live in fear, didn't want to walk with a guard, had enough of

that when she was a child.

That's why I sent the pin home.

We got lucky and you expected, Carl. A unit found a white van with a service

cart in the back, abandoned in an alleyway near Fifth and Shipley. I'll

the lab crew on the way.

Something for the chief.

From Justin.

Considering your marvelous efficiency, I'm sure you're not very far behind me.

So I've taken out insurance.

It's where we stand right now.

So why don't you let me have it, the whole number?

I can't talk to Chief.

He hasn't said anything. I wish he would. Maybe I'd feel better.

Yeah.

How's that?

Ed, come on now. What can I do now?

Just stand by, ready to jump in any place, any time.

All right. Right now. You're on.

Yeah. Yeah, I know, I know.

Listen, you said I'd have a mate by now. I'm waiting, I'm waiting.

You want to rest a minute?

No, no.

Yeah, right here.

Good.

Him. That's him.

He's the guy who rented my van.

Joe Bellow, alias Rillo, alias Rondo.

He also played telephone repairman.

That's the whole crew. Justin, Lennox, the phony writer, Pete Hilliard, the

service waiter, and the other repairman.

No make on it? No, not yet.

Got it. Thank you.

Washington finally came through. The prints on the phone panel at the museum

match up with Horace Sordowski.

I'll check on the rap sheets.

It must have been the wiring expert.

Bellow has no electrical background. Let's play it the simple way. First, we

might get a break.

Electric appliances, furniture, electric... Repairs.

Sadowski, Horace, 605 East Santa Fe. My turn.

Well done, Officer Welding.

But please, don't try that again. This is all too difficult.

And you, miss.

Your breeding should preclude this sort of nonsense.

Let me assure you, this is all just a difficult business transaction.

If you'll both wait quietly, no one will get hurt.

But if you persist... I couldn't care less what condition I return you in.

Nice try, Fran.

I guess we'll just have to wait till we're bailed out.

Don't kid yourself.

We've seen them and can testify.

They'll kill us as soon as they can.

Well, I could think of a lot of things I could say, but my reading precludes

them. He's the repairman, all right.

You hear that, Mr. Sadowski?

You've been positively identified.

That's all I did.

Fixed the alarm.

I wasn't even in the heist.

What about the kidnapping?

What kidnapping?

Elizabeth Van Deering and Officer Belding.

No.

Nobody told me anything about a kidnapping.

What did they tell you?

I told them. A million times I told them.

I don't want to hear anything. Nothing.

You're already an accessory to kidnapping. Do you want to be an

murder?

Just don't kill them. Where are they?

I don't know.

I swear.

They were moving someplace the other side of town.

What part of town?

I tell you, I don't... Over on the south side.

Ironside. Good evening, Ironside.

Is the money arranged?

Yes.

Where's the drop?

Oh, there isn't a drop in the traditional fence.

I want the money at the airport tomorrow.

10 .30 sharp, special services hangar. And a chartered aircraft, long range.

I don't know if I can arrange that in time.

I'm sure the Van Deering money will speed the process.

On Ironside, if that plane doesn't take off, the young ladies die.

When do you release them? I'll phone my friends when I reach where I'm going.

Of course, if I don't get there on schedule, they'll become very impatient.

You will cooperate, won't you?

We'll cooperate.

I mean, you are inside.

I want you to bring the money yourself.

you about a trap, Ironside. They are guarding the money.

Got to be careful these days, don't we?

Hello, Sanger.

Sorry I missed you the other day. My loss.

Am I going away, President?

Beautiful.

You always had good taste, Ironside.

I know you're a man of your word, but...

Can't take chances, can we?

Good.

Now, the aircraft.

On the line.

Satisfactory. Now, give me a hand with these. Will you, Mr. Thanger?

Not just yet.

Prove the girls are still alive.

Same old Ironside.

What would you consider proof?

Short of bringing them here.

There's a phone. Call them. I want to hear their voices.

proposal I prefer to choose my own phone all right it's a large terminal I'm

sure I can find one to my fancy I'm sure this will be safe with you don't count

on it oh I will shall we

Justin knows Ironside.

They'll call.

Then we finish the job and we split.

You hear anything?

There's only two of them out there.

But I can't hear what they're saying.

0712. Right.

Yeah.

Put them on.

This is Chief Ironside.

Hello, Chief. It's Liz.

Everything's going to be all right.

Don't worry.

I'll try.

Hello, Tate.

We're completing a pre -release now. We'll need a little more time.

There's no point in unnecessary risk.

Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be on my way.

Nothing to say, Ironside.

Not even a fond farewell?

You know, I've waited five years to see you like this.

Beaten.

Believe me, Ed.

It was worth every minute.

Oh, Mr. Thanger, I've changed my mind.

Those lightsome burdens.

Goodbye, Einstein. It's been a pleasure.

Get out of here dead.

Against the wall.

You all right?

Fine.

Sorry, lady. A job's a job.

How are you at making license plates?

It's all right.

Nobody's going to hurt you now.

It's okay. It's got them.

Call the tower. Stop the plane.

You know, that was a wild game you played, Chief.

I am shell game, different version with telephones.

You know, I thought nobody was supposed to find the P.

Play it my way, there's a P under every shell.