Original subtitles

Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, was different, special.

She went straight to the front pages and stayed there.

And I mean all over the world.

The Black Dahlia murder case is the most famous unsolved murder case in the

city's history.

After all these years, what could have brought them here?

I'll bet those are her bones.

All cut up like the Black Dahlia was.

You said there was no one in the world as beautiful as she was.

Hey, Simonelli!

Get over here!

Come on, get over here quick!

How you doing?

Can you tell me where I find Detective Sergeant Hunter?

Sporty, I think your friend should have thought about that before the

merchandise stuck to his fingertips.

No way.

Yeah.

I'll have to talk to you later about it. Bye.

Hunter.

I'll be damned, Sergeant John Doyle.

It's been John Doyle for quite a while now, but Sergeant has a nice ring to it.

I've heard of you. You are quite something.

Thank you.

Thanks for not adding in your day.

Oh, and dream of it.

I'm Sergeant McCall. Hunter and I work together.

Nice to meet both of you.

Hey, how come I never had partners like you when I was on the force?

Well, I don't know. Maybe it's because I heard you were a real pain in the you

-know -what.

Come on, now.

I was a sweetheart.

Anyway, I hear you two are on the Blanc Dali case.

We are?

We are.

Our number came up when Marinsky retired.

It's now our case until we retire.

It's my case for 15 years.

The only big case I never solved.

It's the only one.

Phil, you never know when you're going to get another shot.

A friend of mine named Bruno Simonelli took me off about a human skeleton they

dug up at a construction site.

Human and female.

Where is it now?

Right here in your forensic lab.

It was cut in half exactly the same way the Black Dahlia was cut in half.

That's why I'm here.

Sergeant, the Black Dahlia was murdered 41 years ago. The foundation Simonelli

just tore up was laid 41 years ago.

There are enough similarities to say that it is the same method of

dismemberment, the same knife, and in my opinion, the same killer.

That means we start all over again at square one.

Oh, did I say we?

I meant you.

Oh, that's all right. We'll all start at square one.

And friends, you're looking at square one.

You spend your life working in homicide like I did.

Murders come and go.

But not the Black Dahlia.

It always kind of surprised me, all the attention.

Usually a murder, no matter how gory, it's a couple of days of headlines, and

adios, on to the next murder.

Elizabeth Short, the Black Dahlia, was different.

Special. She went straight to the front pages and stayed there.

And I mean all over the world.

Day after day, week after week, year after year.

And it's still going on.

Now they rehash the story every five years.

We close this case and we're in the history books.

Black Dahlia, before...

Too many times we could hardly count the wound.

Her hands and ankles were bound.

She was tortured for two or three days.

Then finally killed.

Body was found in a vacant lot downtown.

Newspapers jumped all over it.

Black Dahlia.

Jet black hair.

White skin.

Black clothes she always wore.

Black Dahlia murder case.

Oh, the press people loved it.

They'll always love it.

Until we nail the killer.

That is if he's still alive.

He's still alive.

I can feel him.

You know, this case is addictive.

You'll get it, both of you.

You said he.

It's possible that the killer's a woman.

Yeah, it's possible.

But I doubt it.

There's quite a collection you have over there.

Oh, that's just the highlights.

I got a ton of stuff down in storage.

There's a picture of the mayor and me.

The governor.

Everybody was fascinated with Elizabeth Short.

The whys and who of her murder.

Like I say, the case is addictive.

And these bones were cut up the same way? The same method, same knife, and we

believe the same killer.

Are you sure about the date? You know, the killing occurred 41 years ago.

These city records have the foundation being laid January 7th, 1947.

Then this new set of bones makes it a serial murder, right?

Well, Ann, if two killings constitute a serial murder, then yes, you're right.

Aren't you wasting time and money reopening a case that's 41 years old?

killer is probably dead by now.

Well, there are no statutes of limitation on murder. This case has

closed. The Black Dye murder case is the most famous unsolved murder case in the

city's history.

As a matter of fact, Metro detectives have been assigned this case every day

the last 41 years.

Come on, Sergeant. You can't really believe there's a chance of finding new

witnesses or new leads.

Well, we won't know until we try, will we? You can try, but you won't find

anything.

Another thing?

It never changes.

Pictures of young girls reported missing 40 years ago and pictures of young

girls reported missing today.

They've all got that same kind of sad, hopeful look.

It's like they're all waiting to be discovered or something.

Where have you been, Doyle? We've been expecting you.

You mean you meant it?

There's a chance I might look over your shoulder on it?

Go on, tell him what you told me.

He said he thought that it would probably be a very good idea if you'd

out on this.

What do you say, Joy? Want to help us?

Hey, I'll give her some serious thought.

Yes, ma 'am.

All right, I'll call you back after Jeopardy. Thank you very much.

Yes, ma 'am.

Sergeant Richard Hunter, Metropolitan Homicide. I was calling in regards to a

missing persons report that was filed on a Nora stack on January 7th, 1947.

Yes, ma 'am. That wasn't a long time ago.

Okay. Thank you.

We're not after you, okay?

All we want is a little information.

Yeah. And don't hang up on me again.

Oh, I see.

Well, no. Thanks very much. I appreciate your time.

Thank you.

That phone number now belongs to a dry cleaner. He thought I was calling to

complain about my laundry. Too much starch in the shirts.

You know, they didn't have cops like you when I was on the force.

If they did, we'd never get any work done.

Doyle, are you making a path?

I hope so.

All right, 20 West 68th Street.

Should be right about here.

My kid sister.

That was more than 40 years ago.

Yes, I know.

You trying to tell me you found out what happened to her?

Well, you see, we found the remains of a body that was buried about 41 years

ago. Myra?

I wonder.

Mr. Peterson, we're not exactly sure that it's your sister that we found

why we're here.

You could help us out a lot if you could tell us exactly what happened and when.

She was 18 years old.

A wild girl.

Oh, I tried laying the law down to her.

But Myra wouldn't listen. Ah, no.

So what happened?

She just disappeared, just like that, and I never saw her again.

So you think she's dead?

Well, a few weeks after Myra disappeared, that Black Dahlia girl was

I went to the police.

I spoke to a guy named Boyle. It was Doyle, Mr. Peterson.

And I'm the man you spoke to. The hell you are.

His name was Boyle. He was much taller than you. Mr. Peterson, what happened?

Like I told Boyle then.

Ah, poor Myra.

I'll bet she was done in by that same guy who killed the Black Dahlia.

Oh, they said they were going to look into it, but they never found anything.

Because as far as I'm concerned, they didn't look hard enough.

Thanks, Mr. Peterson.

If we have any more questions, we'll give you a call.

I can't wait.

You ever stop to think the poor kid got fed up?

Got the hell away from you as fast as she could?

Fight away.

That cop's name was Doyle.

And you're looking at him.

Got a lot of hair. A lot of wavy hair.

Come on.

Yes? Hi.

Sergeant Hunter, Metropolitan Police.

I was wondering if you might help me with some information.

Yes, of course.

If I can.

On January 4th, 1947, Florence Johnson disappeared.

Yeah, I remember that.

You do?

Yeah. Were you the one that reported her missing?

No.

I'm the one that was reported missing.

I'm Florence Johnson.

I ran off with a sailor.

We got married.

Lived with him for 12 years.

My mother said he was no good.

She was right.

You know, Hunter, this used

to be a real fancy neighborhood.

Not expensive fancy, but...

Chic fancy, you know what I mean?

Let me tell you something, Doyle. Chic it ain't. You bet, honey.

We've all gone downhill.

Marie Watson?

In the flesh?

I'm Sergeant Richard Hunter, Metropolitan Police Department. This is

colleague, Sergeant Doyle.

It's a pleasure, Sergeant.

We'd like to ask you some questions regarding something that happened many,

years ago.

I'll be glad to help if I can.

Good.

February 3rd, 1947, you made a missing persons report on a Sally Beaumont.

Sally?

After all these years, you finally found her?

I'd just like to know what you can tell us about her, lady. You're a little

late, aren't you?

Hey, I know you.

You're that detective, right?

On the Black Dahlia case?

I never miss one of the shows they do about her.

All the lurid details.

The gory pictures, they show up close.

Great television.

Glad you're a fan.

Miss Watson, can you tell us about Sally's friends, maybe where she worked?

I don't think she had any friends.

Except me, that is.

She came from Oregon.

She was a nice girl.

Pleasant, shy, good manners.

Very nice.

Where did she work?

She worked for the Latimers.

The Latimers in Pasadena?

You bet.

The Latimers. What did she do for them?

She was a maid.

Hey.

What's Sally got to do with the Black Dahlia murder?

And don't you go telling me it's got nothing to do with it.

You two coming around here asking me questions about Sally after 40 years.

And you, the fellow on that Black Dahlia case.

Hey, don't get carried away.

This may have something to do with your friend and it may not.

That's what we're here to try to find out.

Now, you want to help us or not?

Well, great.

Just what I need, the third degree.

Miss Watson, there's some evidence that's come up recently. We'd like to

you. Can we do that? You can ask me questions, but not him.

You want to come in? I've got some beer in the refrigerator.

Yeah, no beer for me, thanks.

Well, I want one.

Good.

Nothing like a cold beer on a hot day.

Now, what kind of question you got?

Well, we'd like you to tell us a little bit more about Sally.

Well, there's nothing to tell, really.

She left the Latimers to go visit her folks in Portland.

She had this old Chevy.

She was dead set on driving it up there, nonstop.

Well, when I didn't hear from her, I called her folks.

Not only wasn't she there... They didn't even know she was coming. I guess Sally

was planning on surprising him.

That's when I reported her missing.

Well, couldn't she have run off with the boyfriend?

No way.

I told you she was shy.

Not only didn't she date anyone, she certainly didn't run off with anyone.

I think she fell asleep at the wheel, and bam, she was dead.

Those roads were terrible back then.

Maybe up near the Oregon border.

Where those cliffs go straight down into the ocean.

I figure that's why the car was never found. Sally neither.

There's got to be more than that.

What'd she do on her days off?

I told you, she never dated any guys.

If that's what you're looking for.

On her days off, she used to come over here and we'd sit around listening to

radio. No television then.

You trying to tell us that's all there is?

Where'd you find this guy?

I really appreciate your time. If you think of anything else, call me at that

number. Come on. Yeah, you, I'll call.

Hey.

Don't they have a retirement plan in the police department?

Nice place.

Looks like we're really in a high -rent district.

Just behave yourself.

I always behave myself.

I'm Sergeant Hunter, Sergeant McCall, and Mr. Doyle. That's Sergeant Doyle.

Mrs. Latimer is expecting us. Yes.

This way, please.

Mrs. Latimer is waiting for you in the drawing room.

Hello.

I'm Mrs. Latimer.

This is my son, Wallace.

Mrs. Latimer, I'm Sergeant Hunter, Sergeant McCall, and Sergeant Doyle.

very much for agreeing to see us.

No trouble at all.

Would you care for some tea?

Nothing for myself, thank you.

Anything at all?

No, we're fine, thank you.

Then please sit down.

Thank you.

That'll be all, George.

Miss Latimer, we'd like to talk to you about a woman who worked for you many,

many years ago.

Sally Beaumont.

Sally...

Yes, I remember Sally.

How long did she work for you?

I think a year, perhaps 18 months.

Why did she leave?

As I recall, she wanted to pay a visit to her parents.

What kind of girl was she?

Sweet, very sweet.

We were hoping that she would come back.

Do you recall what she looked like?

Plain, as I remember.

And very shy. I think her stay here was probably her first time away from home.

Yes, we were surprised that we didn't hear from her again.

And then, many weeks later, two policemen came here to ask about her.

And it seemed that she had never arrived at her parents' home.

and had been reported missing.

Just out of curiosity, what could possibly have happened that's made you

interested in Sally at this late date?

A human skeleton was found.

Female. Killed by the same person that killed Elizabeth Short.

Elizabeth Short?

The Black Dahlia.

The Black Dahlia?

That poor woman who... That's the one.

And these remains?

You think they could be Sally?

Could be.

Oh, how horrifying.

Mrs. Latimer, we're not certain that the bones belong to Sally Beaumont. We're

trying to find that out.

I'm sorry. That's all we can do to help.

That's quite all right. Thank you for your time.

If you think of anything else that might be of interest to us, please call me at

that number.

After all these years, what brought them here?

I'll see what I can find out, Mother.

He'll arrest Adrian.

Take him away.

We can't let that happen, Wallace. It won't happen.

I promise you.

Who were those people who were here today, Mother?

What people? Those people.

That woman.

Adrian, you know that you are not supposed to get upset.

Who were they?

They were police investigators.

Police? What do they want?

Adrian? Oh, Wallace, I didn't know you were here. Why didn't someone tell me

Wallace was here? Wallace, what did those policemen want? It's all right,

Adrian.

It's all right.

They've gone now.

And they're not going to come back.

Wallace is right. They're not coming back anymore.

Oh, there's George.

George has your dinner.

See? See, Adrian, everything you like.

Oh, yes.

Thank you.

I would like to speak to Mrs. Edith Coles Latimer, please.

This is Edith Latimer.

Mrs. Latimer, this is Marie Watson.

Well, I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name.

Well, sure you do. We met a long time ago.

I was Sally's friend.

Sally Beaumont.

Mrs. Latimer?

Are you still there?

Yes, I'm here.

Do you remember me now?

Not really What do you want? We have something to talk about I would like to

come and see you I'm afraid that's impossible Then you'll have to make it

possible What do you want to talk about?

That's what I'm going to tell you when I see you I'm telling you this is

important It would be better if you'd let me come and see you

Maybe you can come tomorrow morning at 10 o 'clock.

Do you have the address?

I know where it is.

May I help you?

Yes.

My name is Marie Watson.

Mrs. Latimer is expecting me.

Expecting?

Hello, Miss Watson.

This is my son, Wallace.

Pleased to meet you.

Thank you.

Miss Watson, I'm sure you understand that we're curious to know why you are

here. Oh, I'm sorry.

May I sit down?

Yes, of course.

The police came to see me yesterday.

About Sally.

I bet they came to see you, too.

Yes, they were here.

We told them what little we knew.

I didn't.

I didn't tell them what I think now.

The real reason Sally left here.

She left to visit her parents.

That's what I always thought, too.

Until the cops came to talk to me.

Now I'll bet Sally never left L .A.

I'll bet those are her bones.

All cut up like the black dahlia was.

I remember the things Sally used to tell me about that son of yours, Adrian.

How he scared her, tried to do dirty things to her.

She told me how weird he was. And I figured even then, he might just have

weird enough to kill someone.

That's not true.

Well, maybe the police should come and ask him questions then and see for

themselves. If Adrian was still alive.

He certainly would have nothing to hide.

He has been dead many years.

Oh, I'll just bet.

Miss Latimer, I got a habit.

And I'll bet there are a lot of other people have that same habit.

I read the obituaries.

And even if I'm in a hurry, there are two things I never miss.

The astrology column and the obituaries.

And if Adrian Latimer had died, I sure as hell would have read about it.

And I sure would have remembered it. Miss Watson, Adrian is dead.

We have nothing more to say to you.

Well, that's too bad.

That's just too, too bad.

What's too bad, Miss Watson?

I came here to be friends, and now it's too bad you don't want to be friendly.

What do you want, Miss Watson?

Something you Latimers won't miss one little bit.

Money.

Not a lot of money.

A hundred thousand dollars.

How absurd.

Why should we give you money?

So I won't tell the police what Sally told me about Adrian.

So they won't come around here asking him questions.

Those are Sally's bones.

I'll bet my life on that.

And they'll prove it.

And when they do, you can just bet they're going to be coming around here

Adrian questions about the Black Dahlia, too.

They say the same person killed them both.

Well, the newspapers are going to have a great time with that.

Miss Watson, you'd better leave.

Okay, I'll go.

I'll even give you time to think about it.

Maybe a day or two.

Who knows?

By then, maybe you'll want to be friends.

Wallace, what are we going to do? I don't know, Mother, but we can't give

any money.

But why not?

At least she won't talk.

No.

No, if we pay her, we'll never be rid of her.

You told him what?

I thought you still loved me, and he didn't think you did.

Well, do you?

Look, Tony, there's no sense in pretending about this thing.

Yes, yes, I did love you very much.

I loved you more than any woman... Then why did you run away?

Because I couldn't stand it any longer. I knew you wouldn't change. I did

change. The moment you left me, I knew I'd never be able to live with anybody

else. Stop it, Tony, please.

There it is.

Stay with me one minute.

Please.

Sit down.

Now we can have a good cry together.

Funny, isn't it?

Yes. Yes.

There must be something I can do to make things right.

Why not?

Because I'm married.

I know, but you left me, didn't you? Oh, that was different. Different? Why?

Well, because Don needs me. And I don't. No, you don't.

You don't need anyone.

Why, you even live in a world all of your own.

No one's really a part of it.

And I wasn't.

But there must be something I...

No matter what? No matter what.

Come on, Tony. Let's get out of here.

I'd like to see Mrs. Latimer, please.

Is she expecting you?

No, not this time.

We will see her.

I will see if Mrs. Latimer is in.

Careful guy, huh?

What do you want to do, break the door down now?

You've been hanging out with Doyle too much, haven't you?

Mrs. Latimer will see you.

This way.

We have a number of questions we'd like to ask you.

Yes?

Sally Beaumont had a very good friend here in Los Angeles, Marie Watson.

We questioned her yesterday, and today she's dead.

Her house burned down last night with her in it.

The fire squad has labeled it a fire of questionable origin.

Why would you think that something like that could have anything to do with us?

Because Marie Watson called this house the night before last about 10 .30 in

evening. Yes, I was the one who took that call.

She wanted to know if the police had been here to see us.

And she wanted to know what questions they had asked.

That's it? I just couldn't imagine why she was calling us.

But she did.

This is twice you've come here to question us.

I would really like to know why you think we're involved in this case you're

investigating. I think we've already explained that, haven't we?

George, please show our guests the door.

I know that you didn't do it.

And I certainly didn't.

But who could have done it?

Well, I know the likeliest suspects, Mother.

You and I and Adrian.

I didn't check on him last night.

I didn't check on him last night.

I didn't check on him.

Hey, Hunter, what are you doing? Still sitting around reading old newspapers?

Yep, still plugging away. How's Doyle doing?

He's checking something down in Venice.

He's relentless.

Listen, I got something.

A neighbor of Marie Watson's saw a suspicious car, a dark blue two -door

last night right before the fire.

Dark blue sedan, huh?

Good work.

I got something.

It appears Mrs. Latimer had another son, Adrian.

Born January 14th, 1926.

Now, he shows up every once in a while, up until right around the mid -40s, and

then he suddenly disappears.

So I called the Hall of Records for a death certificate.

Found nothing.

I think first thing in the morning we're going to run this guy down, dead or

alive. Wait a minute. What do you mean, first thing in the morning?

7 a .m. Oh, no, no, no, no. 7 a .m.? Okay, make it 7 .05.

What a pal.

Thanks.

Oh, Elizabeth.

Let's go inside.

Oh, Elizabeth.

You are so beautiful. You're so, so very beautiful.

I'm not Elizabeth.

Now, don't you start that again. Don't you make fun of me.

No, I knew you weren't dead.

I knew it.

All those terrible things that they were writing in the newspapers, I knew.

They were lies.

The lies are all over now.

Everything's going to be all right again.

I know I hurt you.

I didn't want to do it, not really, but you were laughing at me.

Oh, I know how you are, how you tease, how you laugh, but no more. You're

not going to do that anymore.

Please look at me, can't you see? I'm not Elizabeth. Elizabeth died a long

ago. There's only one Elizabeth.

There's no one in this world more beautiful than you are.

You know, you're more beautiful than Sally ever was.

Well, Sally never meant anything to me. Not really, but you... You mean

everything to me.

Adrian, listen to me, please.

See, I knew you remembered me. I knew you did.

Adrian, look at me. I'm not Elizabeth.

She died a long time ago.

I told you not to start that again because that's what got me mad in the

place because you wouldn't understand. You thought I was crazy or something,

didn't you? No, Adrian, I didn't. I swear I didn't.

It was Elizabeth who treated you like that.

Remember you said there was no one in the world as beautiful as she was.

Can't you see I'm not Elizabeth?

Don't make me do it all over again.

If you make me do it, I will.

Sally, don't come in. He thinks you're dead.

I hope you're sitting down.

I've been sitting down all day. What's up?

I think we just solved the Black Dahlia murder case.

Have you been drinking?

No.

I'm sitting here looking at, uh, Adrian.

I presume his last name is Latimer.

The same guy who killed Elizabeth Short and Sally Beaumont.

He's on my floor, handcuffed.

Hi, I need to see the Latimers, please.

Have you found Adrian?

Yes, we found him. I might add that he found my partner.

We have him in custody now.

I have two warrants for your arrest.

Accessories in the murder of Elizabeth Short and Sally Beaumont.

Suspicion of murder and the burning death of Marie Watson. I had nothing to

with that woman's death.

And neither did Wallace.

Sergeant Hunter.

Yes, George. I can assure you that Mrs. Lightman and Mr. Wallace were here the

entire night.

Neither of them left this house.

Really, George?

Do you fall night rooming the halls?

I am a light sleeper.

If either of them had left the house, I would have known. I would have heard.

Do you own a dark blue two -door sedan?

Yes, I do.

And do you know a car fitting that description was seen in the neighborhood

night Marie Watson was burned to death?

George, are you sure there's not something you want to talk to me about?

Otherwise, I'm going to go ahead and arrest these two people.

Sergeant, it's me you want.

I've lived nearly all my life in this home.

I have served this family for over 45 years.

This is my family.

I had to protect Adrian.

I had to protect you.

Don't say any more, George.

shouldn't you be reading him his rights?

It's not necessary.

I don't care about that.

I'll go with you now.

George, I'm ordering you to be quiet.

Don't you say any more until we've gotten you a lawyer.

I think an attorney would be best for all three of you.

You have the right to remain silent, George.

If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in

a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney.

The following statement is from the district attorney's office.

The district attorney has decided to file no charges against Edith Latimer

Wallace Latimer in exchange for their cooperation.

George Cooper will be tried for the murder of Marie Watson.

Adrian Latimer will plead not guilty in the murders of Elizabeth Short and Sally

Beaumont by reason of insanity.

Are you absolutely sure that Latimer is the killer of the Black Dahlia?

Absolutely sure.

I'll stake my reputation on that. Exactly what reputation are you

I'm Sergeant John Doyle, police expert on the Black Dahlia cases before most of

you people were born.

This case is closed thanks to some able -bodied teamwork and

my own personal philosophy.

And what is that philosophy?

It's never over till a fat lady's behind bars.