Original subtitles

This is the city.

Los Angeles, California.

I work here.

I carry a badge.

The story you're about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It was Monday, January 6th.

It was windy in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch out of Administrative Vice Division.

The boss is Captain Nelson.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name is Friday.

The suppression of organized vice, chiefly bookmaking,

prostitution and gambling is AD Vice Division's primary concern.

For the past two weeks Bill and I had been investigating a

large scale bookie operation in the heart of the city.

Our luck had been all bad, but this week things would be different.

To begin with, I had a new partner.

Your Division Commander wasn't too happy about loaning you to us,

Chris, but I told him we needed the expert.

I hope I don't disappoint you.

You two will make a good team.

But let me ask you Joe, how's Bill getting along?

Well, I stopped by his house on the way in.

He's got the bug all right. No doubt about that.

How long is he going to be out?

Well, now the doctor says a week. Bill says three days.

I'll plan on a week.

Nelson?

Yeah, hold on. He's right here.

- For you Chris. - Thanks Captain.

Lieutenant Drucker.

Yeah, how are you pal?

Look whatever you tell me I appreciate. Don't I always?

Okay. Shoot.

Yup.

Got it.

You bet, old buddy. Call me anytime.

Bought a piece of luck already.

Telephone number and code, front office?

Yes, sir. Reliable source. Claims it's one of the biggest books in town.

Been working on this one a couple of months.

You know they're going to miss you out of Sentry Division.

- You know what they say. - No, what's that?

We're only as good as our information.

So I've heard.

- Well. - Let's go get our bet down.

8:30 a.m.

We picked up some racing forms at a downtown

newsstand then we went to the nearest bar.

The horses we'd placed bets on were running at Hialeah.

Let's see what we got here.

If I can get my eyes to focus, that is.

- Rough night? - Ghastly.

How much do you know about horses?

Well, they got four legs and a jockey. Some run fast.

The ones you bet on usually don't. Isn't that about it?

Exactly.

Bless your little heart, I thought you'd never get here.

What's the matter, baby, your head hurt?

What head?

Ooh, you are thirsty.

Here you go angel.

Keep it.

Thank you sir.

Anytime darling.

- What looks good to you? - That waitress.

How many races should we bet?

- You amaze me Joe. - I beg your pardon?

Man you're a bachelor, you got your own apartment, make good dough.

And all you can think about is business.

Oh, I don't know, I have my moments.

I believe you do at that, old buddy.

9:15 a.m.

I dialed the number supplied by Chris Drucker's informant.

Hello? This is Charlie for red.

Charlie for red. That's right.

No, on the fourth at Hialeah, Lucky Sailor.

Twenty to win.

- Get a hold of your friend? - No problem.

Say goodbye to the pretty lady.

- Regular chatterbox ain't he? - Strong and silent. You know the type.

Not really.

Not many of them left.

1:15 p.m.

The results were in from Hialeah.

In the event the bookie might want to call back for verification,

I used one of the public telephones in the police building lobby.

One horse had one going away, another had finished out of the money,

but one had set a new track record.

- Did he cry a lot? - $366 and 80 cents worth.

- Where do we get the dough? - Crossroads Restaurant, 9:15 tonight.

Two more sweetheart. Make them doubles.

- No more for me thanks. - Come on, Joe. We got plenty of time.

- All right. - A little scotch over the rocks, a single.

Built that stuff pretty hard don't you Chris?

Do I? I hadn't noticed.

Now, let's just say I've got a lot on my mind.

Is that so?

I don't know what's wrong.

- Maybe I need a vacation. - Vacations cost money.

Oh, you've been with me all day. Do I look like I'm hurting for dough?

Hardly.

Money is the least of my worries. That I got.

It's the things we do, squeezing bookmakers especially.

That sounds funny coming from you.

The old expert. Yeah.

But the older I get, the worse I feel about it.

People want to gamble. Why not let them?

Take today. Some poor slob helps us make a bundle.

For thanks, we'll bust him.

When he goes to jail, those suckers are going nuts

looking for somebody else to give their dough to.

It doesn't make sense Joe.

Well it's not so much the two-dollar bets is it?

It's where the dough ends up.

The profit goes overseas to buy narcotics, you know that.

Hard stuff, heroin, all the rest.

Good boy. Lesson number 1 at the Academy.

Who do you think wrote it?

Hey, I'm the guy with no money problems, remember?

Buy a convertible.

One of you gentlemen have a light?

Charlie red has fire for his friends.

You ought to buy a lighter.

I did. Made in Florida. Solid gold.

- Must have cost a bundle. - 366.80.

- A few of those could freak a man. - Yeah.

Thank you gentlemen.

All there?

Including the change.

To the penny.

Seal it and mark it.

I'll book it in the morning.

Wonder where our waitress went?

- Don't worry about dinner, I'll take care of it on the way out. - No, no, no.

- Come on, now, let me have it. - I've got it Joe. That's an order.

- Okay, Lieutenant. - Well, quitting time.

I'll run you home Nah, I told my gal I'd meet her in a joint up the street.

I'll grab a cab.

- Do yourself a favor. - Yeah, what's that?

Greatest wine list in town, check it out.

I like a good burgundy myself.

Tuesday, January 7th 2 a.m.

Nice shiny new C-note and you found it in the wine list?

- Yes, sir. - How do you know Chris didn't tail you?

He did or at least somebody did.

Late model Triumph. I couldn't get the license number.

He stayed with me all the way to my apartment clear across town.

What happened then?

Whoever it was parked down the street.

About midnight, I acted like I was going to bed.

Half an hour later, the car was driven away without lights.

I didn't think it was a good idea to come out to your place so I called Carol.

- I see. - Carol is a supervisor for the telephone company.

Works midnight 'til 8.

She called the manager, had him unlock the door.

I went out the back way of my place and I came over here and then called you.

- I'm glad you did Joe. - Yes, sir.

The car that followed you might have been the bookie.

I hope it was.

But the bookie didn't put that hundred dollar bill in that wine list.

Has it occurred to you that Chris might have been testing you?

A lot of things have occurred to me Captain,

including the fact that Chris Drucker has been a good cop for a lot of years.

And the thought makes you feel like a fink. Is that right?

- Yes, sir in a way. - Well, don't feel that way.

Here, put this in your pocket.

He may want to see it tomorrow.

If Chris is on juice from the bookmakers, we've got some housecleaning to do.

He's a policeman. If he's gone bad,

we owe it to our three million employers out there to nail him.

They trust all of us equally.

If that trust has been violated, I want Chris' badge. And I want it quick.

- Yes, sir. - Okay. Then go to work tomorrow like nothing has happened.

- Don't press him. - Let him come to you.

If the C-note is bait, let him think you're chewing on it.

- He'll sink the hook quick now. - What makes you so sure?

A crooked cop fishes from a lonesome peer Joe.

He may want company or he may need help. But he's made his move.

He'll have to follow through now.

- Yes, sir. - Another thing.

If these people can buy protection, it's a big operation. well organized.

They're bound to have muscle so be careful.

You've known Chris a long time haven't you Captain?

Quite a few years. He's smart and tough.

Maybe he's smarter and tougher than you are.

If he's changed sides, he's dangerous.

- Hard to figure isn't it? - Yeah, it is.

Best Vice cop in the city, used to be anyway.

Maybe, he still is.

You don't believe that anymore than I do.

Nice picture.

- Is this the girl that owns the apartment? - Yes, sir.

- Pretty girl, isn't she? - Yes, sir.

- It be a shame to make her cry. - How's that sir?

You and Chris, you two got one thing in common.

What's that sir?

He carries a gun too.

Tuesday, 7:45 a.m.

Chris Drucker called and asked me to pick him up at his apartment.

I found a parking place up in front, behind the late model Triumph.

Come on in.

Come in, come in, come in, come in.

Good morning old buddy.

Good morning Chris.

Right on the dot. I knew you would be.

Got me all figured out. Is that it?

I know people, Joe, or I think I do.

Is that so?

- How about a cup of coffee? - Sounds fine.

Hey, Maggie. You remember Maggie?

Hello there talkative.

- She cooks too. - Who cares?

Well, you do talk don't you?

- Thank you. - You hear that honey?

Another cop like me with something upstairs.

That's all I've heard since I got here.

What have you heard?

What a smart cop Joe Friday is.

I'm Maggie Hinton and he's really not that fast.

- I've known him for years. - Is that so?

Came by to give him a ride, but he's already got one.

Oh, I'm really sorry baby. I meant to call you.

Hates to drive so I'm chauffer. Want a little something in that?

Oh, no, no. This is fine.

How'd you ever got hooked up with him?

One bloody Mary and I'm an alcoholic.

You better run baby.

I'm being dismissed.

See you later.

Will you Friday?

Well, he's my partner isn't he?

Yeah, I guess he is at that.

So long honey.

Bye-bye you two.

Outside my sainted mother, the only beautiful woman I ever trusted.

You got a good eye Chris.

Have a seat old buddy. I'll only be a minute.

No, thanks. I feel like standing.

Well what's the matter Joe? Maggie make you nervous?

Not Maggie you.

- I make you nervous? - That's right.

Why? Tell me why?

This old buddy.

Hey, that's one of those big ones.

Fell out of your pocket last night.

- That so? - Keep it.

What for? It's yours partner.

- Give me a reason Chris. - Glad to.

Because it's in your hand, pal not Captain Nelson's.

- That tells me something. - I see.

You could have stopped by Nelson's house last

night on the way in to town, only you didn't.

- How do you know I didn't? - Because I tailed you home.

That's your ticket Joe to bigger and better things.

Go on, put it in your pocket. And there's more where that came from.

- How much more? - One a week.

Just like that one.

- For doing what? - For right now? Nothing. Okay?

- You got a lot of guts Chris. - Have I?

What makes you so sure I won't walk into Nelson's office this morning?

- Go right ahead. - And if I do?

Then we go straight to work without making a stop on the way.

Huh?

That envelope with the winnings in it. You remember?

You sealed it, signed it, marked it for evidence.

- So did you. - No, I didn't sign it.

How could I Joe.

It's $100 light. Get that eager gleam out of your eye Joe.

The envelope is in my safety deposit box.

Now you waltz in and tell the Captain.

I'll show him where you got the hundred, savvy?

Your word against mine is that it?

Mine's pretty good if you decide to do any whistle blowing.

You've got the hundred in your fist.

And if I go along?

Then I'll correct the evidence envelope.

We'll both mark it and we're in business.

I had to be sure about you Joe.

- Okay, you are. - Good.

It takes one to know one or something like that, right?

Or something like that.

Saturday, January 11th,

I continued to work with Lieutenant Chris Drucker.

He gave me my second hundred dollar bill.

2 a.m.

I met with Captain Nelson in Carol's apartment.

- Anything new? - Only another one of these.

I initialed the bill and I wrote down the serial number.

Right. I think we've got the answer to how he earns his juice.

How?

Tell me, how much time has he spent on the phone the last few days?

- Quite a bit. - It figures.

10 to 1 he keeps an eye on the bum board.

When he sees a number on his protected list,

he picks up the phone and yells, "Cop".

We've had too many raids go sour lately.

When we get there, there's nothing in the front offices, but a lot of dust.

One thing puzzles me though.

Did he get the information before this week?

- That's right. - No, sir. I don't think he did.

I figure it's a new organization just getting started.

Part of Chris' job was to line up somebody in our shop.

- You? - Yes, sir.

When Bill got sick, Chris walked right in. Worked out perfectly.

I want that protected list as fast as you can get it.

Well if I push him, he may back off.

I know. But he's already blown weeks of work for the department.

He's a crooked cop and I want him in the bucket, not running around loose.

We're putting the pressure on now.

Send him back to his division. As long he's working with us, he doesn't need me.

He knows who we're going to hit and when just like I do.

We're ahead of him. Internal Affairs set it up with the Captain in Chris' Division.

He goes back to work there Monday morning.

- Has Drucker been notified? - No.

Figured to tell him Monday morning when he checks in.

- Let me tell him. - Think that might squeeze him?

Well, I don't know. But it's more than I've got right now.

I'll plug Internal Affairs and Drucker's Captain.

Tell them to sit on it 'til Monday morning.

That doesn't give me much time.

You've got 30 hours to get your hands on that list Joe.

- You think you can do it? - I'll give it a try.

Good.

- You all right? - Yes, sir.

Stay that way.

Saturday, January 11th, 11:30 a.m.

I called Chris and told him I'd meet him at his favorite bar.

- Want a drink? - No thanks. I won't be here that long.

What do you mean?

Come on now Drucker you be sensible with me for a change will you?

Well, I think I have haven't I? You're $200 richer.

For doing what?

For being a good partner old buddy.

Yeah, well maybe that's the problem.

Really, now. What's that?

I've grown accustomed to those bills and I guess now they'll stop coming.

Take it easy, Joe. I know you don't like working in the dark.

But what do you care at these prices?

That's just it. The way I got it figured it's the end of the line.

I thought you told me you'd take it slow and work into the operations slow.

It'll only be a week. Patience old buddy, patience.

Yeah, well I ran out of that when I heard you

were going back to Sentry Division on Monday.

Another double for me. Come on Joe have one.

I've got nothing to celebrate have I?

Who gave you the word on my transfer?

I overheard the watch commander on the phone this morning.

I went down to pick up a book for Gannon out of his locker.

- I'm going to run out and see him later. - I see.

So it's the end of the line for us, isn't it?

Wonder why they're sending me back out?

- Gannon coming back on Monday? - No.

I don't figure he'll be back for at least another week.

I thought they were short handed down there.

Three guys check back in from vacation Monday you know.

No. I didn't know.

No. I didn't know that.

One thing I didn't figure on, vacationists.

What's that got to do with you and me?

Everything Joe. I thought I'd have more time.

Come on Chris talk to me, plain so I can understand.

I'll do that.

Okay partner you're in all the way now.

The whole setup, 12 front offices, six back offices, telephone numbers for everyone.

Make yourself a copy. Tuck these in your wallet.

A little "welcome to the club" bonus.

More scoop in that little book than the department could dig up in a year.

You know what to do with it.

Check the bum board. A joint is scheduled to be hit, I call you.

That's all there is to it.

And you get four big ones, the first of every month.

If there's a raid on tap and you're not around then what?

On the last page, those three numbers.

The big men?

Three very proper citizens Joe.

You can't get a hold of me, call them in order - one, two, three.

- Only take my advice. - What's that?

Don't call them unless you have to.

Right.

How about it partner, you happy now?

Couldn't be happier.

Sunday, January 12th

I delivered the telephone numbers to Captain Nelson.

We'll have to hit every one of them at the

same time. It's going to be a big operation.

Take a lot of men, a lot of planning. We'll have to move fast now.

- Yes, sir. - Okay.

Now, first let's set up a dummy raid and gather our evidence against Drucker.

When?

We'll wait on Monday morning 'til the tracks are open.

By that time we'll have the whole works under tight surveillance,

the joints, Chris, everybody. If he makes a tip off, we got to see it happen.

Yes, sir.

See you in the morning. My office.

- This my copy? - Treat it gently.

I'm going to tell Drucker officially about his transfer at 9 a.m. sharp.

I suppose you'll want to say goodbye.

This time and once more.

Monday, January 13th

Lieutenant Chris Drucker was transferred back to Sentry Division.

2:15 p.m.

The dummy raiding party prepared to leave the police building.

I called Chris from one of the public telephones in the PAB lobby.

Lieutenant Drucker, please.

I don't care if he's in a meeting.

You tell him Mr. Ryan is calling.

Yeah, you do that.

I'll hold.

Lieutenant Drucker? Mr. Ryan calling.

A team is leaving in five minutes for 4627399,

you got that?

4627399, right.

You'll take care of it?

Okay Charlie, keep watching him. Right. Bye.

- Drucker's commander. - What happened?

Chris checked out of the meeting.

Took your call in his office then he left his office and went outside the building.

Where did he go?

Right to a public telephone.

Nelson. Yeah Bob.

He did, huh?

How long ago?

Yeah?

He did?

Good.

Stakeout.

The bookie just left the location. He's moving fast.

Yeah.

With a whole back office under his arm.

Tuesday January 14th

Plans for the large scale raid had been set in motion.

9:30 a.m.

Chris Drucker was brought to Captain Nelson's office.

Thank pal. Sit down Drucker.

Well, this is a real surprise. What's the matter Joe couldn't get along without me?

Joe?

Read it.

Why should I read your notebook?

Just what's printed on the back. Read it.

I don't get it.

You heard the man, Drucker, read it.

"You have the right to remain silent.

If you give up the right to remain silent,

anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

The rights. So what?

You want to hear them backwards?

Keep going.

"You have the right to speak with an attorney

and to have the attorney present during questioning.

If you so desire and cannot afford one,

an attorney will be appointed for you without charge before questioning."

You understand them, Lieutenant?

Of course I understand them, Sergeant.

- Be sure. - I am sure. Why?

You're under arrest for conspiracy to commit bribery,

obstructing justice, and violating gambling laws.

- Anything you want to say? - No more answers.

I want a lawyer.

How's the invalid?

Oh, pretty good I guess. Pull up a chair. That red rocker there.

- This one? - Well, that's the only red rocker in the room Joe.

- See how it rocks and it's all red? - Yeah, I see.

- What's the matter? - Oh, not a thing.

- Oh, yes there is. - There is nothing wrong.

Joe, something's wrong.

I was thinking this is a little low that's all. I was going to get another chair.

It's a high bed. Always complaining aren't you?

- This is the guest room Joe. - I didn't know that.

Well you wouldn't want to go spreading germs

all over your regular bedrooms would you?

- I guess not. - No you guess not. I guess not.

Check the old temperature here.

99.3

Gone down six tenths in the last 4 hours and 17 minutes.

- That's good. - You bet that's good.

- Body temperature, the barometer of man's condition Joe. - Mm-hmm.

Let's see 99.3 at 1:17 p.m.

- Well did you bring me any magazines? - No, I didn't.

I didn't know you wanted any.

Well Joe all sick people like to have some magazines brought to them.

I'm sorry.

- Hand me my timer. - Your what?

It's right there in front of you, my egg timer Joe.

- This what you want? - Yes, Joe, that's an egg timer.

This will let me know when I have to take my temperature next.

-Uh-Hmm -Well set it down.

Aren't you going to turn it over? Get the time started?

Sorry.

Most people when they're sick like I am they got out of sorts and cranky.

But you don't see me doing that do you?

- Oh, no. - No, sir. You bet no.

I just kind of stay on an even keel, don't I?

The suspect was found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery,

obstructing justice and violating gambling laws.

Twenty-five other suspects were found guilty of conspiracy to commit bribery,

obstructing justice, and violating gambling laws.

All have served jail terms and are now on probation.