Original subtitles

This is the city, Los Angeles, California,

sometimes called the land of opportunity.

Maybe that's why so many people have moved out here.

During the Depression years, it was said,

even if you starved in California,

you'd enjoy the climate while you were doing it.

Today, there are more opportunities here than ever,

if you're qualified,

and it's still a good place to live,

particularly if you've got a job.

I know. I work here.

I carry a badge.

It was Thursday, February 8th.

It was clear in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch out of Personnel Division.

The boss is Captain Sansing.

My partner's Bill Gannon. My name's Friday.

In Los Angeles, to qualify for the Police Academy,

every candidate must appear before a Civil Service Board

for an oral examination.

A Board is composed of three men:

two volunteer civilians and one police sergeant.

The officers are selected on a rotating basis.

My number had just come up again.

The story you are about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Gentlemen. Gentlemen!

May I have your attention, please?

First off, I want to thank all you gentlemen

for volunteering for this Oral Board.

Well, the civilians volunteered. You officers were drafted.

As you know, any interested responsible citizen

in the city of Los Angeles

is welcome to serve on this Board.

In other words, you help select your own police officers.

Now, the purpose of the Oral Board

is to select young men for the Police Academy.

Now, what do you look for?

Just remember, this is your Police Department.

You're offering these young men a 20-year contract,

so you want the very best available.

Any men you don't feel are right for the job,

you have the power to eliminate.

Now, I say again, it's your Police Department.

Use your own good judgment. Ask the men questions.

You'll have a checklist on each candidate to work from.

Now, there are certain stress questions

designed to see how a candidate will react.

We suggest you let the police sergeant

on your Board ask these questions.

He's had experience.

Besides, he's been through this himself.

Now, this doesn't mean we want the sergeant

to be chairman of your Board; just the opposite,

but that's left to your discretion.

Allow each candidate about 20 minutes.

Give him a chance to sell himself.

Then, when he's left the room,

discuss him among yourselves.

Now, this is a rating card. The scale is shown here.

Now, a score of 90-99 is outstanding.

You may not find many in that bracket.

70 is a passing grade. Anything less than 70,

and we ask you to comment briefly

on the back of your card.

A stenographer will collect the cards,

add up the score and divide by 3.

Now, she'll inform the candidate immediately of the outcome.

Any questions?

All right, I'll call the Boards.

Board 1: Benson, Robin, McCall, table 1.

Board 2: Shumley, Robbins, Friday, table 3.

Board 3: Wilson, Cooks, Anderson, table 2.

Board 4: Williams, Maguire, Allen.

Good morning. My name is Leonard Robbins, West Jet Aircraft.

Carl Shumley, Associate Professor, City College.

- Professor of what? - Social Science.

May I ask what you do?

Personnel Manager of West Jet.

I guess that doesn't give you any choice.

- You must be our sergeant. - Yes, sir, Joe Friday.

So you've already sweat out one of these tests, right?

Yes, sir, a few years ago.

Good morning.

I'm Professor Shumley, City College.

Sergeant Joe Friday, Los Angeles Police Department.

My name's Robbins, West Jet Aircraft.

Your name is Howard Digby, age 22.

- Is that correct, Howard? - Uh, yes, sir.

Why do you want to be a policeman?

Well, I think it's a good career for a young man.

There's a good future in it, if you're good at it.

And, well, I think it's the kind of work I'd be good at.

- Why? - Sir?

Why do you think you'd make a good policeman?

Oh, I don't know. I just think I would.

You have to make us think so.

You're married.

Uh, yes, sir, for two and a half years.

How does your wife feel about this?

Well, she doesn't let on,

but I think it worries her a bit.

- How old is she? - 20, sir.

I guess wives worry a lot at every age.

Don't they, sir?

Yes, my wife still fusses about me, anyway.

Do you have any significant financial problems?

Beg your pardon?

Do you have much indebtedness?

Well, yes, sir, some.

How much money do you owe?

- $30,000. - 30,000?

Yes, sir.

Would you care to tell us

how you managed to get $30,000 in debt at the age of 22?

Well, no, sir. I, I mean, yes, sir.

Do you understand the question?

Oh, I understand it.

I'm just a little nervous, that's all.

We bought a house.

That's where we owe most of the money.

We didn't have much of a down payment,

so with interest and everything,

the mortgage came to $30,000.

It didn't sound like so much until right now.

I don't think it's out of line for a young man,

if he's got a steady job and hangs onto it.

You ever been fired from a job, Howard?

- Well, I was let go once. - Where were you working?

Service station.

What were the grounds for dismissal?

We had a disagreement, my boss and I.

Oh?

You want to tell us a little more about that?

Well, it happened a long time ago,

over two years.

It's really ancient history now.

You haven't forgotten it, have you?

- Well, no, sir. - Tell us about it.

Well, the station was held up.

Go on.

There were only two of us working that night,

Pete Oliver and me.

There were three of them, three men.

They had a gun. They got away with $96.

What was the disagreement with your boss?

About how much was taken?

Oh, no, sir, nothing like that.

Well, what, then?

I don't see how this has anything to do with anything.

Just tell us, son.

I had a feeling about them when they drove in.

Nothing definite, just a feeling.

I slipped back into the shop, and it was dark in there,

and they didn't see me. I made sure of that.

- I climbed down into the grease pit. - Yeah?

Well, they stuck Pete up and took the money.

Before they left, they slugged him with a gun.

Was he badly hurt?

He needed five stitches in his head.

Let's get back to the disagreement with your employer.

He said that I was yellow.

I said I wasn't afraid of him, anyway,

and there was a little shoving, and he fired me.

I see.

Maybe I should... Yeah?

Nothing.

Time's about up. Any more questions?

- I don't think I have any. - Nor me.

I'd like to ask about the three men.

Were they ever apprehended?

Uh, yes, sir, that same night.

How did that happen? Would you know?

Well, the police had the license number of the car

and a kind of description of the men.

- Who supplied that? - Well, I did.

I watched it all from the grease pit.

You have anything else you'd like to add to this discussion?

- No, sir. - All right, thanks.

Thank you.

Do you want to mark your card?

Sergeant, I think we ought to be guided by you on this one.

Do you want him as a policeman?

Well, now, you're a personnel manager, Mr. Robbins.

- Would you hire him? - For my corporation, yes.

He strikes me as being stable, above average maturity,

good demeanor, but we build airplanes,

which doesn't demand much raw courage.

The picture of a policeman cowering in a grease pit, no.

He wasn't a policeman then.

Did you get any braver when a badge was pinned on you?

Well, I don't know how you measure courage, Professor Shumley,

but there's one thing I can tell you.

Yes?

If good sense doesn't go along with fortitude,

you can die awful young.

Let me ask you something.

How do you measure good sense?

Or was it just plain fear that made him hide?

He wasn't too frightened to get that license number

and a description of the men.

Now, any policeman will tell you this.

If you're ever held up, don't resist.

Money you can always get. You're only issued one life.

And you think he acted properly?

For a civilian, yes, he did.

But if we pass him, he's going to be a policeman.

Granted, he's got good sense

and a lot more things going for him,

but does he have the guts for the job?

There's one sure place to find out:

the Police Academy.

Sergeant, knowing what a young man is going through,

aren't you a bit more tolerant

of any weakness you might detect?

Sometimes, but there's a sure cure for that.

- Oh? - Just a simple reminder.

What's that, Sergeant?

Someday I might be working with that man.

He could be my partner.

Thanks!

The candidates who pass their oral examinations

are required to fill out a personal history form.

This is called a PHF, and it is the applicant's

marital and reference record,

his family history, and financial record,

every prior residence for the past ten years

or since the age of 15,

his work history, military and educational record,

arrests, and military discipline,

and his medical history.

There are also two pages for supplemental information.

The applicant is given at least two weeks

to complete his PHF.

The information must be extremely accurate.

It is the basis of an intense background investigation.

Friday, March 1st, we had our first PHF interview.

The applicant's name was Harry Lanham.

- This isn't your handwriting, is it? - No, sir.

Then you didn't fill out the form yourself.

I had a little help from my wife.

Well, who's gonna be the policeman, Lanham?

- You or your wife? - Me, sir.

Your wife wear the pants in your house, does she?

No, sir.

She just writes a lot neater.

What about your first wife?

Her handwriting was terrible.

Is that why you divorced her?

No, sir.

It went a little deeper than that.

- She got the divorce. - That right?

That's right.

On the grounds of desertion.

Does that mean you walked out on her?

Yes, sir. She was cheating on me.

Where is she now?

Like it says on the form, Sergeant, Compass, Nevada.

Where is Compass, Nevada?

8 miles down the road from Reno.

She didn't have far to go.

- Oh? - To get the divorce.

She filed in Reno.

You sure your ex-wife is still in Compass?

Yes, sir, I verified it.

You've never been detained or arrested

- by any Police Department? - No, sir.

Or any other law enforcement agency?

No, sir. If I had, it'd be stupid not to put it in the record.

- Oh, is that so? - It'd show up anyway

as soon as you ran a make on me, wouldn't it?

- Anything else, Joe? - No, you can go.

Thanks for the interview.

If there's anything else, I'm available any time.

- We'll call you. - Oh.

He took those stress questions pretty well, Joe.

Yeah, kind of makes you think, though, doesn't it?

- What? - He's been questioned before.

I picked up on that, too.

But even if he's got something in back of him,

it's not necessarily adverse.

We'll know when we run him through.

Every statement made in an applicant's record

is checked by the Los Angeles Police Department,

separate from, but with the approval of Civil Service.

Much of this work can be done by mail,

but any records within the state

are checked out by department background investigators.

Tuesday, March 19th,

Bill and I were assigned the northern trip.

To verify statements made by 37 applicants,

we would have to make calls in over 20 cities and towns.

We started to lay out an itinerary.

Well, Joe, we can take the inland route

through Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton,

on up to Sacramento. Sounds all right.

But we've got calls as far north

as Red Bluff and Susanville.

Yeah, I know. So, what do we do?

Keep heading north from Sacramento

or swing east to hit Reno and Truckee first?

No, I don't see what difference it makes.

To me, none at all, Joe.

Either way, we're gonna have to make the big circle,

but now is the time to decide.

Why?

Just good planning, that's all,

and planning is the secret of any successful operation.

- We're not going into combat. - No, Joe.

Lay out a route and a schedule, and stick to them!

You do that even for your vacations, do you?

Absolutely! That way, you can never go far wrong.

Then how come you were a day and a half late

getting back from Yellowstone last year?

Simple. My wife was driving.

Wednesday, March 20th. The first stop on our route

to check out Academy candidates was Mintville, California.

We checked in at the local police station.

Beautiful.

Yes, sir, that's one handsome shield.

Sure puts our standard order badges to shame.

Well, what are you doing up here?

We're working background investigations on applicants

for the Los Angeles Police Academy.

The man we're checking on, his name is William Greenleaf.

Mintville boy?

Says he lived in town here last year,

worked at the sugar mill.

Oh, he sounds like a transient.

I doubt I can help you. Nope, don't know him!

Well, we'll check it out around town.

Your department does all that stuff, do they?

Yes, sir, for every applicant.

Well, things are different in the big city.

We get an FBI check and let it go at that.

The FBI check's a good one.

Yeah. Well, you don't need anything from me, do you?

No, sir, but we check in at the PD in every town.

- It can head off trouble. - Oh, how's that?

Well, we always show our badges,

but a lot of people don't look too closely.

Well, you don't have to, to know yours ain't ours.

An investigator can find himself leaning on a wall

getting shaken down by a local policeman.

It's happened before.

Well, I'll pass the word to all my men.

You'll have no trouble like that.

Thanks, Chief.

Uh, could I ask you boys a favor?

Why, sure.

Let's have another peek at that badge.

A background investigation is mostly routine.

We check former employers, relatives,

friends, and old addresses.

It's tedious work, but it has to be done.

It took us two days to complete the check

on applicant William Greenleaf.

Everything he had stated checked out accurately.

At night, we made out written reports

of the information obtained during the day.

These reports were mailed in,

unless something irregular was uncovered...

Then we telephoned.

Monday, March 25th.

We continued the various applicants' background searches.

We had been on the road for six days.

In that time, we had made 19 calls

in 11 cities, towns, or military bases.

At the military bases,

we passed out recruiting material.

Thursday, March 28th. The next name on the list

was Police Academy applicant Harry Lanham.

We crossed the state line into Nevada.

We entered the town of Compass.

A check of the local telephone directory

turned up the address of Verna Lanham,

Harry Lanham's ex-wife.

It was an old mid-Victorian house

that had been converted into apartments.

It was located on the east side of town

about two miles from the downtown business section of Compass.

Verna Lanham told us she was late for work,

but she agreed to talk to us.

So Harry's gonna be a cop?

He passed his Civil Service examination.

Well, what do you want from me, Joe?

And that's a leading question, if I ever asked one.

We have to verify the information

he made on his application.

Okay. Let's move it, huh?

I'm really running late.

We'll be as brief as possible.

You were married in 1963?

Yeah. I was a June bride

and a December divorcee a year later.

- You filed in Reno? - Right.

- Charging desertion? - Yeah.

Handsome Harry took a walk,

but I'll bet that isn't the way he tells it.

- Doesn't matter. - Why not?

You're not the one we're investigating.

Go ahead. I'd come off a lot cleaner than Harry Lanham.

- In what way? - Every way.

He's a liar, and a cheat, and a bully.

He ever rough you up?

Sure, he did, lots of times.

Has he been supporting you?

No, I got $900 out of him.

He used to send me 150 every month

until I got the divorce.

Did you live in Reno during that time?

No, right here.

As soon as I got the papers, the money stopped coming.

According to his record,

he lived in Compass until December.

See? I told you he was a liar.

He wasn't here at all. He left town the 1st of July.

He hasn't been back since.

Where was he during that period, July to December?

Search me.

Hey, that's a great line to use on a cop, isn't it?

Don't you know where the money was sent from?

I didn't need his address.

You never noticed the postmark?

No.

Or the bank the checks were written on?

It was in cash.

Hey, you said you weren't investigating me.

That's right, we're not.

Well, it sure sounds like it.

We don't mean it that way.

And you're sure about those dates?

I've told you all I know.

If you don't want to believe me,

that's your problem.

- You've got a car, don't you? - Yeah.

How about giving me a lift to the restaurant?

I'm really running late.

- Be glad to. - Be a second.

Gotta get my coat!

She's kind of down on Lanham, isn't she?

Yeah, the question is whether she's vindictive enough

to lie to us about him.

- What do you figure? - I don't know.

Last job he had in town was driving a truck

for Turnbull's Ready Mixed Concrete.

Did he leave there in July?

- Nope, December. - That's so easy to check.

You wonder why she'd bother to lie.

Well, Lanham could've made a mistake.

Well, one thing's sure. He's lost six months somewhere.

Yeah.

Let's see if we can find them for him.

The next stop was Turnbull's Ready Mixed Concrete.

We spoke to the owner, Art Turnbull.

Now, you fellas ain't in California now.

You know that, don't you?

Yes, sir.

You don't carry no muscle in this state.

We're aware of that, Mr. Turnbull.

Okay, as long as that's understood,

maybe I'll answer your question for you.

What do you want to know?

How long did Harry Lanham work for you?

Three years steady.

Before that, every summer since he was in high school.

Do you mind telling us the reason he left?

I wouldn't mind. Harry might.

You didn't fire him?

No. Best worker I ever had.

Would you hire him again?

Any reason why I shouldn't?

Well, that's what we're trying to find out.

Well, you're not gonna hear it from me.

If you want to hear bad about him,

go to that chippy that he was married to.

I've got no more for you.

We've already talked to his ex-wife.

Well, if you believe anything she told you,

you're bigger fools than I think.

That's why we're here, Mr. Turnbull,

to establish her credibility.

There's a difference of opinion

on what month Lanham left Compass.

You'll get nothing more from me. That's final.

Lanham and his ex-wife don't agree on the month

that he left here.

Bill, you've got those cards.

Didn't she tell us he left here in December?

Well, that's a lie right off the top.

Harry quit his job here the end of June.

December. Why, he was already gone for six months.

Gone where, Mr. Turnbull?

Wherever it says on that little card.

Oh, seems we got it backwards, Joe.

It was Lanham who said he left here in December.

Now, that's a pretty sneaky way of doing business.

You can just get out of here.

I'm not answering any more of your questions.

That's all right, Mr. Turnbull.

You've answered the one that matters.

What do you mean?

You told us which one was lying.

In the reference section of their personal history form,

Academy applicants are required to name four persons,

other than relatives or past employers,

who know them well enough to give current

or former information about them.

Harry Lanham had given only one such reference in Compass.

The name was Fred Hiller.

Well, Harry just made a mistake, that's all.

There's sure no reason for him to hide now.

He was hiding? Well, just from Verna,

- you know, his ex. - Yeah.

See, Harry wanted to get out of that situation.

Well, it was never gonna work out,

so he left town.

Do you know where he was from July to December?

Well, heck, yeah. He was down in Carson City.

- Working there? - He must have been.

She said she wouldn't divorce him

unless he gave her some money first.

He was paying Verna to get the divorce, $150 a month.

She was always crying to me about how she felt

it was worth more than that.

That's why he didn't let on where he was.

How did he get the payments to her?

Well, he sent them to me, a money order every month.

I'd cash it and pay her off.

Do you know what kind of a job he had in Carson City?

Oh, I don't remember he ever said.

Usually, there was just the money order.

If he wrote anything, it was to ask if Verna had filed yet.

Hmph, that woman.

She knew the money would stop when she got the divorce.

Strung it out for six months.

Did you ever answer Lanham's letters?

Well, sure. I'd tell him what was going on here.

I figured he had a right to know.

What was the address, Mr. Hiller?

- In Carson City? - Yes, sir.

Well, I don't remember it now,

but if you want to check up, it won't be hard to find.

I used to write him in care of this place.

- Yes, sir? - Brownie's Pool Room.

So far, the background investigation of Harry Lanham

had turned up no adverse information.

Only a six-months period, July to December,

remained unverified.

To check it out would require

a 50-mile detour to Carson City.

We knew it had to be done.

7:00 p.m. We checked in

at the Carson City Police Department.

Lanham had no record and was unknown to them.

7:10 p.m. We drove over to Brownie's Pool Room

on South Elm Street.

- Are you Brownie? - No, he's not here.

I'm the Assistant Manager. Something I can do for you?

We're police officers from Los Angeles.

Yes, sir, you sure are, aren't you?

This is Bill Gannon. My name's Friday.

Swift, Ed Swift. What's the problem?

Wonder if you know this man.

Name's Harry Lanham.

Never seen him before.

He used to pick up his mail here.

- When was all that? - Last year.

You'd have to ask Brownie about that.

- I wasn't around then. - All right.

- Where do we find Brownie? - He ain't around no more.

Well, his name's still on the sign out front.

Signs cost money.

I never bothered to change it.

Besides, you buy a store,

you want to buy the goodwill, too, don't you?

Yes, sir.

Did you keep some of Brownie's old customers?

You betcha.

Well, one of them might remember Lanham.

Maybe. I don't know.

Ask around if you want.

Thanks.

Any of you know this man? He's not in trouble.

We just want some routine information about him.

His name's Harry Lanham.

Do you know him?

I guess you fellas are out of luck.

Kind of looks that way.

Is Brownie still in town?

Yeah, but he don't know him, either.

- Where can we find him? - In the cemetery.

We went back to our motel,

and went over what we had on Harry Lanham.

You know, this is cattle country.

Yeah?

A lot of ranches around here.

Is that so?

That's probably where Lanham was during those six months.

- What? - Working on a cattle ranch.

That's the way I've got it figured.

- You do, huh? - Figure, Joe.

We know he spent six months here in Carson City.

Now, we can't find any sign

that he ever lived right in Carson City.

Yeah?

But he had to be close enough

to get into town to mail his support money.

Trouble is, there are probably 100 ranches near here.

There are other towns, too, aren't there?

Oh, a few, sure. Virginia City, Wylie.

Wylie.

Do we go through there on the way north?

Yeah, but why not a ranch?

I don't know. He used to be a truck driver.

Maybe I just can't see him becoming a ranch hand.

Yeah, I'll go along with you.

Well, one thing. Regardless of where he worked...

Yeah?

A man can do a lot of things in six months.

Friday, March 29th.

On the way north to Susanville and other towns on our route,

we stopped off at the Wylie Police Department.

We spoke to Chief Leonard Oxley, 9:15 a.m.

Checking on Harry Lanham, huh?

That's right, Chief. Do you know him?

Yeah, we knew Harry. We had him here

for six months about a year ago.

- Do you mind if we ask why? - What do you mean?

Well, what was he charged with?

Oh, we didn't have him in jail.

- He worked here. - As a policeman?

That's right. I'm not surprised he didn't mention it.

He was kicked off our force.

For what reason?

Harry was a strong young fellow,

lots of muscle, and he liked to use it.

We got so many complaints, we had to get rid of him.

I see.

Probably should've never hired him in the first place.

Guess we didn't dig far enough into his background.

Maybe.

Sending you boys out on the road

checking out all your applicants

must cost the taxpayers a lot of money.

Not really that much.

No, but you know how taxpayers are.

I've got a hunch they think it's worth it.

As a result of his background investigation,

Harry Lanham was found to be unsatisfactory

and was rejected as a candidate

for training at the Los Angeles Police Academy.