Original subtitles

This is the city.

Los Angeles, California.

It's a dry place

located in the middle of a Southern California desert.

Yet, its face is pockmarked with 120,000 swimming pools.

There are over 90 fountains in the city.

Its people consumed 169 billion gallons of water last year.

But three times in its short life it has had to reach out for the precious liquid.

The city first got thirsty at the turn of the century and its throat stayed parched.

The closest water was 250 miles away

and the farmers in the Owens River Valley weren't giving.

The result was one of the most savage range wars in history.

Today, we're still reaching out.

11 billion dollars has been earmarked to keep plenty of water flowing.

We've solved our water problem, yet violence still remains.

That's part of my job.

I carry a badge.

The story you are about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It was Tuesday, March 12th.

It was cloudy in Los Angeles.

We were working the night watch out of Juvenile Division.

The boss is Captain Morris.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name is Friday.

In Juvenile Division, the job of the night watch commander is mostly advisory.

5:15 p.m.

We just come down from roll call.

From now until the morning watch took over at 12:30 a.m.

Bill and I would spend most of our time on the telephones

trying to give the right answers to a variety of questions.

- Do you have to do that? - What?

- Make all that noise? - What noise?

All I'm doing is thinking Joe. Just sitting here sweating and then thinking.

Yeah. Well, either you or that chair could use a little oil.

The trouble is all my thinking might be wasted.

Do you think it'll rain tonight?

Well, it was clouding up pretty good the last time I looked out.

If you really want to know, why don't you call the Weather Bureau?

Yeah, I just did. 76% possibility of rain before morning.

Well, you got to go with the odds.

Well, I'm sure it would ruin things for me.

How is that?

Because I've laid out a full day of yard work for tomorrow.

Little odds and ends, you know, the kind you save up to do all at once.

Save them for the next day.

Oh, that's easy for you Joe, living alone.

You can change your plans on a moment's notice.

And why can't you?

When you've got a family, Joe, you got to plan ahead.

Everything has to be run on a tight schedule.

Uh-huh. What time is roll call at your house?

Oh, about 7:00. All right, Joe.

Just wait till you stop living alone.

Teletype just came in from New York, Joe.

A runaway boy. They think he's headed this way.

- Resembles female? - Long hair, I guess, you know.

- Yeah. - Sometimes you have to get around in front to know which.

If he needs to shave, it's probably a male.

He won't be 14 until next month.

Coming all the way out here by bus.

Danny Meriton, 5'1", 93 pounds, black hair, brown eyes.

Due to arrive tonight?

Missing since Saturday Joe.

New York PD didn't turn up a lead until this afternoon.

One of his friends got scared and told Danny's mother.

She'll pay for a phone call.

Who's light?

Back in Howard.

Want to put in a call? Bus gets in at 6:30.

Right.

Juvenile, Friday.

Yes, ma'am. Could you hold on a minute, please?

Anything else Dorothy?

A situation at the main desk. I'll need some advice.

- Bill, if you want to handle this just pick up 0-5, will you? - I got it.

- Yeah. - A Spanish girl, Joe.

She says she's 17 and looks 15.

From Costa Rica. Came up here to work as a maid in a private home.

- Yeah. - Her name is Cotita.

Speaks just enough English to answer the phone.

- The people she works for don't know any Spanish. - Go on.

We didn't see how it might have happened.

How what might have happened?

She met a box boy at the neighborhood supermarket.

His name is Kavado. They got married yesterday.

- Who's making the complaint? - Cotita's employer.

He says he's contract with the foreign maid service makes him her guardian.

- Well, he's right. - That's what I told him.

He wants to know how he can terminate the marriage.

Well, he can petition for it. He's her guardian.

He claims that Kavado boy is underage too, 20.

Well, then it's fraudulent on both sides but it's still a valid marriage.

- Not a thing we can do about it. - Just him, huh?

Yeah. If he moves fast enough.

Oh?

You said she's 17. Next year she'll be of age.

- You mean nobody can break it up then? - Just themselves.

Juvenile Division, Friday. Can I help you?

Yes, sir.

Well, how old is your son?

Uh-huh. Where did the accident occur?

No, sir. That wouldn't come through this office. No, sir.

You'll have to check with Foothill Division.

Yes, sir. You're welcome.

- You're the watch manager? - That's right. Joe Friday.

- Henderson, Central 186. - Yeah, Henderson.

What do I do with this? It's a baby.

Yeah, I know. I've seen one. Just put it down.

What do we got here? A boy or a girl?

I don't know. How can you tell?

- Well, if it needs a shave. - Thanks.

Where did you get it? I found it in a restaurant?

- What restaurant? - The Golden Rope over on East 9th.

Just a little place. 6 to 8 booths. It doesn't do much to enter business.

My partner and I took Code 7 there. The food was not bad.

Anyway, there it was in the last booth.

How did it get there?

The waitress says a woman came in with it.

Sat and drank coffee for about an hour.

Nobody paid much attention to her. Didn't see her leave.

- And that's all you got? - Yes, sir. Nobody knows the woman.

The only description we could get was, she's

kind of young, wearing a plastic raincoat.

All right, Henderson. We'll take care of it.

Cute little baby, isn't it?

- Any identification on it? - No papers, no dog tags.

And it's not an it. It's a he, a boy.

- Is that right? - And he needs to be changed right now.

Yeah. We're not equipped for that.

Right here Joe. Do you know what this is?

- You're the father? - It's a diaper.

Juvenile, Friday. Yeah, Beck?

- Abandoned? - With one extra diaper

and a tin rattle. Want to take over?

Oh, no. Carry on Officer Gannon.

All right, Beck. Resume patrol and hit that depot again at 8:30. Right.

Well, it's been a lot of years since my boys were that small.

Let's see if I've lost the touch.

Ed Beck down at the bus station.

- Pick up the transient from New York? - No, not yet.

His bus ran into a sandstorm down near Indio.

It'll be about two hours late.

What are you going to do about the baby?

- Nothing till he gets finished. - Do you think it's in good hands?

I don't know. Let's see how he handles those safety pins.

Never striked once in 500 changings.

You might like to watch this Joe.

You might have to do it yourself someday.

It looks simple enough but there's little tricks to it.

For instance, always put the far side pin in first. Like so.

It's a new one on me.

Now, when I pull the offside corner over, mm-hmm. See that?

I can get a nice snug fit.

But what happens if you go the other round?

Well, then you weren't pulling across, you're pulling up.

You just have to roll the baby over on his face.

When that happens you might as well start all over again.

I hate to admit it Joe but the man knows what he's talking about.

One dry baby.

Oh, I don't see how anyone could forget a baby.

What will I do about it Joe?

Book him under at 600-B and then ship him over to McLaren Hall.

The girls want to him. I'll bring him back in a minute.

Om-ma-ne-pa-ne-you.

Om-ma-ne-pa-ne-you.

What do you got here, Gurowski?

This is Prince, Joe. That's all what we could get out of him. No identification.

- We gave him his rights. - All right, son, over here.

Om-ma-ne-pa-ne-you.

Sit down Prince.

We found him over at MacArthur Park. He was trying to fly his kite.

Not much wind for kite flying but it all evened out.

He didn't have a kite.

Even so, it couldn't get much higher.

- But he blew a zero on the BA. - You got empty on him?

Yeah, the doctor says he's intoxicated, all right.

But not alcohol, possible drug ingestion.

It looks like Reds except he's belligerent... was anyways.

He's coming in for a landing now.

All right, son, what is it? Speed? Bennies? What are you on?

Om-ma-ne-pa-ne-you.

- What's that? - It isn't Polish.

Whatever it is, that's all he knows.

It's a prayer man.

Like they say in Tibet, you know, Buddhism.

No. I guess you wouldn't know. It's pretty deep stuff.

- Is that right? - If you're interested, I'll try and explain it to you.

Blowing out. That's what Nirvana means.

You got to get away out there, man. And you do it in stages.

Attainments, we call them.

What did you use to get way out there?

Concentration.

You got to fix on something and then

the mind will pass through the attainments until you reach it.

- I'll bet. - Enlightenment.

That's what all we're trying to reach, isn't it?

Suppose you would enlighten me with your name?

I am Prince George.

- We'll go upstairs and start the paperwork. - Right.

Come on now son, I want your real name and address.

- And what happens if I do? - We call your parents.

I don't think I want that.

- You want to get out of here, don't you? - Wouldn't anybody?

Well, there's just one way you're going to do it, with your parents.

Now, in the middle of the night, or tomorrow morning.

It's all up to you.

George Fuller, 8224 Loretta Street.

- Phone number? - 483-1483.

- Father's name? - William Fuller.

All right, boy, over here.

Come on.

Take your shoes off. Put your beads on the table.

- Why? - We don't want you to mark on the walls. In here.

What's this place?

We call it a holding tank. It's air conditioned.

Okay. If we keep him out here with us?

Or we can leave him here. We still got one empty holding tank.

You better call McLaren and make the arrangements.

- We got a problem here, Sarge. - All right. Come on in.

This is Sharon Malden, 1837 West Nile.

All right. Do you want to sit down here, Sharon?

- Thank you. - What's the problem?

We took this call at Buxtons, the department store.

- Yeah. - Well, they sent us up to the women's wear section.

- The lingerie department, he means. - That's right.

A customer, Mrs. Nelson Stoner, claims her purse was clouded

and Sharon was the only one that could have done it.

- It's a big lie! - We'll hear your side of it in a minute.

- Go ahead Rowley. - Mrs. Stoner was back in one of the changing rooms

trying something on. Well, she started out and then

remembered she left her purse behind.

She said she went right back but it wasn't on the chair where she left it.

- Go on. - Well, she looked around the changing room and found

it on the floor. Well, there wasn't any money on it now.

- How much was missing? - About $230 Mrs. Stoner says.

Why does she believe Sharon took it?

When she turned back to get the purse,

Sharon was just coming out of that area.

The rest of the changing rooms were empty.

She figured it couldn't be anybody else.

- You gave Sharon her rights? - Yes, sir. At the department store.

- Do you understand them, Sharon? - Sure.

- All right. What about it? - Whose baby is that out there at the desk?

- We don't know. It was abandoned. - Can I look?

I suppose we get your problem straightened out first.

Now, did you steal that money?

No, sir, I didn't.

I never went near that changing room and that's the truth.

- Has she been searched? - Just her purse.

Did you see anyone else who might have been able to get into that purse?

No. But it's not fair.

She said she had the money, I say I didn't take it.

Why do you believe her? Maybe she's lying.

Maybe she just spent it and didn't want her husband to know.

Just because she's an adult,

you take her word and call me a thief.

It's not fair.

Nobody is calling you a thief, Sharon.

Mrs. Stoner reported the theft and now we have to get to the bottom of it.

Why don't you give me a lie detector test? I'm not afraid.

You can ask me anything you'd like.

Won't that prove I never touched the money?

- There's just one thing you have to prove? - What's that?

That you don't have the money now.

- You hear that, don't you? - Yup.

It's going to rain.

In Juvenile Division, no two nights are ever the same.

But there is a pattern.

The early hours of the watcher usually active. About 8:00 p.m.

the pace begins to slacken and doesn't pick up again until curfew.

During the slow period a lunch wagon parks out in front.

Since we have to cover the telephone, one of the policewomen takes the orders.

Just a ham sandwich, shields, and coffee please.

- You got a special rate on that? - On what?

Every night it's a ham sandwich and coffee.

Well, I don't always order that.

When was the last time you had something different?

- Well, who keeps track? - I do. Five nights in a row,

ham sandwich and coffee, ham sandwich and coffee, ham sandwich and coffee.

All right. Now, that truck doesn't have the greatest selection, you know.

Face it Joe, a bachelor just slips into a rut without every noticing it.

- Is that so? - Here's the proof right in front of me.

Bill, do you want cottage cheese and pineapple with a glass of milk?

Well, that's what I ordered.

- When? - What?

When did you order that?

Joe, you know I've got to order the same thing every night. I'm on a diet.

Uh-huh

Oh, just listen to that. It's going to rain for sure.

- What did you find? - No money on her Joe.

I told you I never took it.

- I think she would pass on polygraph test on the money. - Yeah.

On the other hand. You were shoplifting, weren't you?

But I didn't steal the money. Doesn't this prove it?

Why?

If I had the money I would have bought this stuff instead of taking it, wouldn't I?

It's stealing just the same. You know that, don't you?

Yes, sir.

Sharon is getting to be a young woman now Joe.

She says her mother doesn't seem to understand her.

She still buys all my clothes and it's all kid stuff.

Well, now your mother is coming down to get you.

Do you think it would do any good if

policewoman Miller here had a talk with her?

Would you, please? Oh, thanks a lot. Could I see the baby now?

- Code 7 has arrived. - Thanks Jules.

Here's our visitor from New York, Sarge.

Is your name Danny Meriton?

- You fit the description boy. - He says he doesn't have any identification.

All right, take everything out of your pocket, son, put it on the desk.

He must have figured there would be somebody

to meet him. He came off the bus like a shot.

He was reaching the door when I caught up to

him. He got an arm around in front of him.

If he'd made the street, we've never seen him again.

- Is that all the money you got? - Yes, sir, 10 cents.

- When did you tear this page out of here? - I don't know. A long time ago.

Because your name was on it?

- What's your New York address? - 424 Rose Point Avenue.

- I'll send Danny up to 208 in a few minutes. - Right.

Don't feel too bad kid. You're better off inside a night like this.

Is it raining?

It just started. But it's going to come down.

76% chance of it.

- When was the last time you ate son? - I don't remember.

They'll give him a meal over at Juvenile Hall.

Yeah, could you eat a ham sandwich now?

Yes, sir. I sure could.

Maybe I could find something to wash it down with.

Why did you run away son?

- My mother didn't want me around with her longer. - Is that right?

- She was going to have me put away. - Don't you have a father?

- Sort of. - You mean he doesn't live at home?

- Yes, that's right. - Well, why didn't you go to him?

What's the use? Nobody cares.

Your mother wants us to phone her and she's going to pay for the call.

- It sounds to me like she cares. - Here you go son.

Boy, it's really pounding down. It wouldn't

surprise me if it rained all night and all day.

Have you ever been in trouble with the police in New York, son?

- No, sir. - Where did you get the money for your bus ticket?

- I saved it up. - It cost quite a bit, didn't it?

Half fare. I told them I was 11.

- How did you figure to get along out here? - Well, I've got a friend here.

He used to live in New York. I was going to stay with him till I got a job.

- You'll be better off at home, son. - No.

Danny, your mother wants to talk to you. 0-4 Joe.

No, I don't know what to say.

Just say hello. She'll pick it up from there.

Hello?

Yes, mom.

Yes. All right, Mrs. Meriton.

Well, you better check the Probation Department.

They'll assist in arranging transportation for Danny.

In the mean time he'll be looked after.

Yes, ma'am.

That's quite all right.

Yes, ma'am. Goodbye.

- It sounds like he's going home. - Yeah.

I'll take him up to 208.

Couldn't I stay with my friend till the ticket comes?

I'm afraid not son. But you'll be all right over at Juvenile Hall.

Oh, it's not that.

It's just all I got to see of LA was the bus station and so many streets.

Come on son.

- Is it all right if I take my sandwich? - Sure.

- How about your milk? - Thanks.

- Yeah, Dorothy? What is it? - George's parents are here.

- All right. Send them in. - Maybe I had to warn you.

- What's that? - They're looking to bite somebody.

Look here, Sergeant, I don't want to be unpleasant about this.

But I'd like to talk to somebody a little higher than a Sergeant.

I'm sorry, sir, for tonight that's as high as it goes.

- Who is the head of this department? - Captain Morris.

He'll be here in the morning when you come back.

- When we come back? - Yes, sir.

But you'll have to bring your boy back down here tomorrow.

Why can't we wrap it all up now?

Well, for no other reason your son's condition.

His condition? What do you mean his condition? Was he injured?

- No, sir. - Will, I told you.

You said he was picked up for joyriding? Was he drinking too?

Is that it? The boy is a little high?

More than a little, Mr. Fuller, but not from drinking.

I didn't know how to tell you. I just couldn't believe it.

George has never done anything like this before.

I'm sure somebody had made a mistake.

- Yes, ma'am, your son. - Has he been using narcotics?

Drugs Mr. Fuller. Dangerous drugs. There's a big difference.

Where is he? I'd like to hear that from him?

- Right here. - Are you sure it's not liquor?

The arresting officers gave him a breathalyzer

test. There was no alcohol content.

- All right. Put your shoes on. - And can I take my beads?

All right.

Oh, mom, I don't feel good.

- You can take him home now. - No chance. You keep him.

- He's no son of mine. - Oh, Will, you don't mean that.

Well, look at him? Just look at him.

How many times have I told him to cut his hair?

How many times have I told him to get rid of those

feminine beads and start looking like a man?

How many times have I told him to stop wearing those

asinine monkey suits and start dressing like a man?

Well, this is the end of the line. Maybe he can go to jail like a man.

Either you take him home or he'll be transferred to Juvenile Hall.

- I don't care where you send him. - You never did care.

I cared enough to try to raise you like man. Now, I'm through caring.

What did you expect me to be? A 300 hitter or a star fullback?

All right. That's enough of that.

Now, Mr. Fuller your son has no previous record.

He's not an addict or a criminal. He is in trouble.

But it's the kind of trouble it can be cured.

It's been coming for some time and either you didn't recognize

it or you weren't looking for it.

When it started and why, I don't know.

It's not my job to know, it's yours. You're his father.

That's a position you can't resign from.

You can walk away from it but it will always

be an unfinished job with your name on it.

Now, do you want him to spend the night in Juvenile Hall?

Or do you want to take him home with you?

Tomorrow you get a haircut and those beads come off.

Yes, sir.

Now, this doesn't mean I buy your spiel, Sergeant.

Parents aren't always wrong and never 100%.

No, sir. I didn't say they were.

Even if I missed a trick along the way, George is 15.

He's big enough to carry his weight.

Well, sir, I guess maybe it's a partnership.

- Well, it ought to be anyway. - Yes, sir.

And you are the senior member of the firm.

I have a little guy here who'd like to go home.

Any missing baby reports yet?

Nope.

- He's all set to leave for McLaren. - Yeah.

Well, so long young fellow.

He's such a cute little thing.

Yeah. They all are.

I don't know how anybody could resist him.

How about his mother?

11:30 p.m.

The night watch remained quiet probably due to the heavy rain.

No curfew violations had been reported.

Yes, ma'am. Something we can do for you?

- They said to come in here. - All right. Come on in.

Here's Sergeant Friday, he'll help you Ms.?

Brenner. Mrs. Patrick Brenner.

Would you like to sit down Ms. Brenner?

Thank you.

Mrs. Brenner?

I didn't know what else to do.

There was nobody I could turn to. Nobody to lean on.

Patrick says that's always been my trouble.

If I didn't have someone to lean on, I'd fall.

- I guess that's what happened tonight. - I beg your pardon?

When Patrick walked away, I started to fall and there wasn't

anything to catch me, just a great, big, empty nothing.

Have you ever had a falling dream? You know,

when you just keep falling and falling forever

because there's no bottom to anything?

- That's the way I felt tonight. - Yes, ma'am.

Of course you always wake up and find out it was just a bad dream.

Maybe it was the rain that woke me.

I was walking along a street I'd never been on before and my feet were wet.

And all at once I remembered Christopher.

- Christopher? - I lost him.

At first, I couldn't remember where or how.

And it started coming back to me.

I stood there and thought.

And then I remembered where he was.

I went right back.

I'm sure it was the same place. But I was too late. It was locked up.

Mrs. Brenner, how old is Christopher?

Seven and a half months.

This place where you left him, was it a restaurant?

Yes, the Golden Rope.

But it's closed for the night.

He wouldn't still be in there all alone?

No, ma'am. Your baby is safe.

He was brought here by some officers.

I never meant to lose him.

But he was so little and I didn't want him to fall with me.

Can I please have my baby now?

No, not tonight I'm afraid.

- Why? - Well, for one reason he's not here any longer.

- Where is he? - He was taken over to McLaren Hall.

That's where abandoned babies are kept until the Court makes a decision.

What should I do now?

You ought to go home Mrs. Brenner and get out of those wet clothes.

You can catch pneumonia.

Well, how will I know about my baby?

We'll take your name and address, and an investigator will contact you.

Then you'll give Christopher back to me?

We don't have anything to say about that Mrs. Brenner. It's up to the Court.

The baby maybe returned to you or his father,

or he may be made a ward of the Court.

You mean Christopher could be put in a foster home?

It's possible Mrs. Brenner.

But that would be all wrong.

I'm his mother.

Yes, ma'am. Now, if we could have your name and address?

- I gave it to them out at the desk. - All right.

I'm telling you the truth.

I just felt I needed somebody to lean on.

Well, your baby is seven and half months old.

- Yes. - He needs someone to lean on too.

- Quite a night, huh? - Yeah, everybody stayed home.

Well, there goes tomorrow.

- What? - The rain Joe. It's coming straight down.

- Gannon had the day all planned. - All washed out now.

Oh I don't know it might clear before morning.

It won't make any difference. You can't do yard work when it's muddy.

- I see. - Well, there's one thing you can say about rain.

- And what is that? - A little of it falls on everybody.

Juvenile, Bongard.

Yes, ma'am.

How old is the boy ma'am?

15?

When you last saw him how was he?

The Court ordered Mrs. Patrick Brenner

to undergo a series of psychiatric tests.

As a result of the examination, her son was made

a ward of the Court and placed in a foster home.