All language subtitles for True Confessions [1981] BluRay

...after two days in the California desert

in temperatures above 1 10 degrees.

President Kennedy is flying
back to Washington tonight

for a major speech on international
economic policy

before officers and directors

of the World Bank tomorrow morning.

Bill Lawrence, ABC.
Palm Springs, California.

- How are you?
- May I help you?

I'm Father Duarte, the assistant pastor.

- I'm Iooking for Monsignor Spellacy.
- And who might you be?

I might be his brother.

Mr. Spellacy, Eduardo Duarte.

I'm helping the Monsignor out
until he's 100 percent.

He's not 100 percent?

Just a matter of time, Mr. Spellacy.
Just a matter of time.

As soon as I fix the carburetor on the car,

I'm gonna repaint the thermometer.

We're getting the building
fund drive on the way again.

The new St. Mary's is going
to be the flower of the desert.

Hello, Tommy.

I'm sorry, Monsignor,
for monopolizing your brother.

It's just that when I talk about
the new St. Mary's, I get carried away.

That's all right, Father Duarte.

How are you, Tommy? Good to see you.

Father Duarte said you weren't
feeling 100 percent.

Oh, well, who is, Tommy? Who is?

Who is?

This morning after mass,
Mr. McHugh comes to see me.

Nice man, Mr. McHugh.

But one thing about being a pastor

is that no one ever stops by
and rings your doorbell

to tell you everything is just swell.

So when Mr. McHugh stops by,

no, it's not because
he wants to help Father Eduardo

paint the thermometer outside.

No, no.

Mr. McHugh tells me that his daughter,
a Carmelite nun,

is Ieaving the convent to become
a professional bowler.

- What?
- I'm not kidding. A professional bowler.

I didn't even know they had alleys
in the convents these days.

So I said to him I'd say a mass for her.

Maybe that'II help her bowl
a perfect string.

How are you, Des?

Oh, it's a well-known fact

the Irish have more hemorrhoids
than other people. Otherwise...

Look, Iook, Des,
I asked you a simple question.

Now, give me a straight answer.

How are you?

I'm gonna die, Tommy.

You're not kidding.

The arteries to the pump are shot.

Handkerchief, Jack.

Cough drop.

You need a new radiator.

I need a new car.

Got my eye on one, believe me.

OIds 98.

If I hold up a gas station,
maybe I can get a down payment.

Hello, fatty.

It's been a while since I've been
in a $5 cathouse.

I busted this joint once
when I was in vice.

They had a girl.
I swear she had two Ieft tits.

Let's go. LAPD.

Down at the right. On the end.

Jesus!

What do you want for five bucks?

Hey.

Been a Iong time.

Yeah.

This joint's quite a comedown
from your place in Hollywood, Brenda.

I used to watch my girls do you,
fatso, through the peek.

You never took off your pants.

- If I did, they'd be standing in Iine.
- Why'd you call?

Down here.

Hi, Tom. You wanna play carnival?

I don't know that one.

I sit on your face,
and you try to guess my weight.

- Heart attack.
- When he was committing a mortal sin.

- Still warm.
- Yeah.

A priest.

A pastor, no Iess.

St. Bernadette's in Redondo Beach.

I know him.

Father Mickey. Mickey Gagnon.
St. Bernadette's.

He used to run a swell game of bingo.

What's he doing in a joint Iike this?

Getting his ashes hauled is a good bet.

A wiz at bingo.
A real pain in the ass at confession.

- All right, give.
- I didn't take nothing.

Just give it to me. Now!

If you told him you picked your
nose, he'd give you a rosary for penance.

A swell pair of shoes.

All right, here you go. Come on.

- How Iong was he here?
- It was the second one that did it.

What do you think?

It's gonna make a big hit
with your brother, the Monsignor.

She looks like a jelly doughnut,
doesn't she?

That's hardly a judicious thing
for a lawyer to say

about a young bride on her wedding day.

Imagine her wearing white with
something already in the toaster.

Jack, I want to tell you something.

That's a Iittle girl who'd bring
a tear to her father's eye.

He was just talking about
the color of her wedding dress.

Off-white, I think you called it, right, Dan?

Now, remember, Jack,
you're not Iosing a daughter.

You're gaining a bathroom.

How'd the Cardinal like the wedding,
Monsignor?

He's sorry he had to leave so soon.

But then he's getting on in age.

He looks 100, if you ask me.

And when he goes, we know who
we'd like to replace him, right, Jack?

- How about some dessert?
- Oh, yeah, sure.

How'd you like all the flowers
in the church, Monsignor?

Very nice.

- Set me back four grand.
- Imagine that.

- That's a Iot of goddamn roses.
- Yes, it is.

Every one of them will be in a
Catholic hospital tonight.

If you've got any left over,
you might think of the orphanages.

Yeah. How's the champagne, Monsignor?

Vintage.

French vintage.
None of that California shit.

Excuse my English.

Hey, I'll send you a case.

His Eminence too.

Hey, the Cardinal ever go to the track?

Maybe he'll be my guest one day.
I'II give him a couple of tips.

If Jack gives you a tip, you could bet
the Sistine Chapel on it, Des.

That's how I met the Monsignor,
Counselor.

- At Santa Anita.
- Oh, yeah?

I gave him a tip.

Orchestra leader. Fourteen to one, huh?

That's right.

Well, you've got a way with long shots,
Jack.

Hey, it won by six Iengths.

- Did he?
- Yeah.

Hey, you want some more champagne?

Hey, you!

You two talk while I make sure
everyone's having a good time.

- Okay.
- Thanks.

I'm fine, thank you.

Fourteen to one, huh?
Must have been a boat race.

Of course it was. That's why
you could bet the Sistine Chapel on it.

You look like shit.

How's your wife?

She left with her tuna fish
casserole recipe. Her one dish.

- And your brother, the Monsignor?
- Okay.

I used to listen to him on the radio
when I was in the joint.

The religious hour.

I'll bet he said a novena for you
every time that you and I screwed.

What's on your mind, Brenda?

You ever notice how you get old,
your feet swell up?

I started noticing things Iike that
when I was in the joint.

Your feet swell up,
your toenails get little ridges on them.

Well, maybe you ought to
write a book about it, all right?

You ever tell your brother in confession
that Jack was paying you off?

Or maybe he doesn't know
what a bagman is, your brother.

They don't teach them things
like that at the seminary.

What are you trying to say?

You ever wonder why Jack fixed it
so that you didn't get indicted and I did?

Jack wouldn't know me
if he walked into me.

Forget you.

It was all that business
he was doing with your brother.

AII those Catholic schools he was building.

It wouldn't have looked good,
you going on trial.

So he put in the fix downtown.

Somebody had to take the fall. Me.

Anything else?

Yeah. Just get that stiff out of here.

Once a bagman, always a bagman!

I'm sorry about that.

Okay?

You know my temper.

I need you like I need another fuck.

You know, Jack's got this grand
new development, Des.

Rancho Rosa, I think it's called.

Anyway, he wants to give a little piece
to His Eminence for a school.

Isn't that a grand thing to do?

Rancho Rosa?

I hear he's having trouble
getting rid of his lots.

He needs a school and the city
won't put one in, is that true?

My God, you're suspicious. Peg?

Monsignor.

- Mrs. Campion, how are you?
- Oh, it was a beautiful mass.

Thank you.

I just wanted to thank you
for everything you've done.

It's a beautiful wedding,
and I wanted to tell you

how much I appreciated
all your patience and time.

It was an honor and I...

I know that you'II be very happy,
Georgette.

I'm sure of that.

- Monsignor, you know why I got married.
- Yes, I do.

But I wouldn't worry about it.
I think it'll be fine.

I think you've done the right thing,
and you have my blessing.

Thank you, Monsignor.

Yeah, so, he's gotten awful grand
since he became a supervisor.

I remember when you could rent him
by the day.

And now, after being turned down
everywhere else,

Jack makes this most generous offer
to us.

What would you call that, Des?

- I'd call that a pair of grape scissors.
- Oh.

Have some champagne.

Try that chocolate stuff too. It's good.

Stay away from the peanuts.
Bad for the bowels.

I think I'll just have this.

I hear Jack's overextended.
The banks want to call in his paper.

Oh, you're a cool one, Des, you really are.

AII right.

Maybe I can persuade Jack

to let his construction company
build a school at cost.

How's that?

-nVery nice.
-nOkay.

You know what would even be nicer?

If you threw in your fee from Jack.

Looks like a Ieprechaun,
thinks like an Arab.

Hey, look out.

Hey, Des, how you doing?

- Hi, Tommy. How are you?
- Good.

- Nice to see you.
- Yeah.

Sit down.

- Nice picture of Ma.
- Yes, isn't it?

Why don't you come and visit her
the next time I go?

I think she'd like to see you.

Last time I saw her,
she talked to me about purgatory

and how much time
I was gonna spend there.

Life plus 99 years.

She still eating cereal with her fingers?

Well, you know, she still thinks

that the early martyrs didn't
have spoons in the catacombs.

Well, tell her that they didn't have
instant Cream of Wheat either.

You look good.

I can't complain.
I got my health, my wealth.

What about yourself?

I can't complain.

His Eminence gives me a lot of work,
but otherwise I'm okay.

I can see that.

That's a sweetheart.

I hear you fixed him up
with an audience with the Pope.

I made some arrangements, yeah.

I bet you did.

Did he ever tell you
about Dominic Lopresti,

that Iittle ginzo with ambitions?

He tried to move in on Jack's
construction business.

So he takes him and sticks him
in a laundry dryer over at Lincoln Heights.

Shrinks the poor bastard
down to 21 pounds.

Is that a fact?

Des, I don't know the Holy Ghost
for a fact.

But you're in the Holy Ghost business,

so you tell me about the Holy Ghost,
I believe you.

Which means that I should believe you.

No, meaning you wanna fall
into shit and think it's clover,

then don't believe me.

- Tom, I have to...
- Okay.

- You know a Father Gagnon?
- Yes, I do.

He's the pastor at St. Bernadette's.

A wiz at bingo, they tell me.

Well, could have been a house call.

Well, when was the last time
you hung your pants

over the back of a chair
making a house call?

I gotta admit, that's not the way
they teach it at the seminary.

He's out of there. That's all that counts.

Nobody's embarrassed.

Well, I'll have to tell the Cardinal.

Give him a great sendoff.
Candles, incense, the works.

Okay.

AII right, I owe you one. Lunch?

As Iong as your boss picks up the tab.

Thanks, Tom.

- See you later.
- Okay.

She had a nice pair of charlies.

You don't often see a set of
charlies that nice.

A lot of good they're gonna do her now.

Yeah.

How Iong she been dead?

10, 12 hours, maybe. I don't know.

I think the butler did it.

Don't you ever get tired of saying that?

- Let's see the other half.
- Yeah.

- Did you hear the fights Iast night?
- No.

Mercury Johnson, Vinnie Avila.
I was there.

Like punching fog trying to hit him,
Mercury.

Vinnie should have had a tire iron.

He was supposed to go in the water,
Vinnie.

He did. I got wet, ninth row ringside,
the splash was so big.

Make sure you get a Iot of tight shots
on that tattoo, okay?

It's a nice touch, huh? Rose tattoo.

Here's another nice touch.

They found a candle stuck up her joy trail.

You ought to check it out with
your brother, the Monsignor,

what it means in canon law.

A church candle stuck in a joint like that.

He'II tell me too.
He's got an answer for everything, Des.

- I got it Tommy, all right?
- Right.

Yeah, okay, get the tattoo, huh?

Did you get the tattoo?

- I'm gonna take another one.
- Terrific.

You got something I can use
for the first edition, Tom?

Looks like a werewolf got to her.

Or a vampire, huh?

Well, that's an angle, Howard.

I heard you mention your brother,
the Monsignor, Tom.

I hear he's very tight with the Cardinal.

You might mention to him
that it would be a wonderful story

if His Eminence was to say
the funeral mass, Tom.

I can get him an exclusive.

Front page on what it all means,
the death of this cunt.

Howard, we don't even have an ID
on her yet,

so we don't know if she's a
Catholic cunt or not.

We can work that out Iater, Tommy.

Well, if you want the Cardinal,
it's a factor, Howard, a definite factor.

Where's the blood? I don't see any.

Somebody cut somebody in half,
there ought to be a Iittle blood.

Forget the stretcher!

For openers, she was probably
cut somewhere else.

Probably she was sliced in a bathtub.

Yeah, in a house, not an apartment.

One stretcher.

Why do you have to give me a hard time?

- I don't care what you wanna do.
- Hey, hey.

What's going on?

This asshole from the coroner's
wants her on two stretchers.

Because she's in two fucking pieces
is why.

And I'm telling you it's one fucking body!

I suppose she was in 14 pieces,
you'd want me to get 14 stretchers.

That's exactly what I'm telling you,
asshole.

- Hey, hey.
- Who you calling...

Hold on.

Do as he says. Two stretchers, okay?

I hope this broad leaks
all over the goddamn grass!

And get me a list of sex crimes
with the same MO.

That'll take a while, Sergeant.

What do you mean, it'll take a while?
She was cut in two.

Do you think it's an epidemic like the flu?

I feel such a damn fool.

Steve, I think we better go.

Hello.

Your Eminence.

Monsignor.

I never could stand that man.

Tell me, Desmond,

this proposal from Mr. Amsterdam
to give us land for a school,

what does he want to get out of it?

I suspect solvency.

How many contracts have we let
to the Amsterdam Construction Company?

Over the last few years,
it's been about $17 million.

It would have cost around 22.

For someone not so anxious
to buy a good name,

it's wonderful, isn't it?

It makes it easy to believe
in the infinite power of repentance.

I keep hearing stories.

About shortages?

And other things.

Yes.

I think, once the Rancho Rosa situation
has been resolved,

that we should really seriously re-evaluate

Mr. Amsterdam's contribution
to the archdiocese.

Perhaps we should think
about phasing him out.

I see. I see.

I see.

Nothing like a stiff for making
me crave Chinese food.

You think there's something funny
about that?

There's nothing funny about that, Frank.
Hell, no.

- Hey, who is your friend?
- What?

I busted this joint 14 times
when I was in vice.

- Now I eat in here all the time.
- I can see why.

He's helping me build my motel
in Culver City.

I retire in two years.

You know what you get from
the police department after 20 years.

If you're smart, you get Chink partners.

Exactly. Exactly.

You should be thinking ahead too.

I'm not smart anymore.

What about this girl?

What girl?

The one in two pieces, Frank.

Tire marks. That's our best bet.

Which doesn't give us much.

More partners?

You know...

You know what we're gonna
pull in on this one?

Panty sniffers. Weenie flashers.

Guys who fall in love with their shoes.

Guys who belt their hog
on the number 43 bus.

What, you think I'm gonna Iose any sleep
over who took this broad out?

Pissing strawberries and whipped cream,
you think that.

She's a nine-to-five stiff, Tommy.
No overtime.

You know how we're gonna break this one?

A couple of years, they'll bring
in a guy who ran a red light.

"I killed the girl," he'll say.
"What girl?" we'll say.

"The girl with the rose tattoo on her ass,"
he'll say.

"Which one is that?" we'll say.

That's how we're gonna break it.

What do you think?

Well, about 300 grams.

- Oh, I missed it.
- You're fired!

That's the fourth one
in three days you've missed.

She sure looks better in one piece.

Maceration considerably,

and separation and loss of scalp,

along with a skull fracture.

There appear to be wood splinters
in the scalp lacerations...

- Fazenda, Lois.
- ...indicating the victim...

Fazenda. Polack?

Wooden instrument. Lithuanian.

Her brain tissue is macerated a
nd dark red in color.

Date of birth, February 10, 1926.

Cause of death, hemorrhage...

- Makes her 22.
- ...shock due to brain injuries.

Twenty-two next Tuesday.

I don't think she's gonna
blow out the candles.

Death occurred no later than
12 hours prior to discovery.

She also had undigested food
in her stomach. Egg rolls.

They all do it to somebody sideways.

Egg rolls. I analyzed the food.

I have nothing against him personally,
Your Eminence.

No, I know you don't, Seamus.

But Desmond is a very good chancellor.

I think he's a better accountant
than a chancellor, sir.

Seamus has just been listing
some of your shortcomings.

It's a long list, Your Eminence.

The Monsignor Iearned it by heart
when I was his curate at St. Damien's.

See, I think I am owed an explanation,

as to why I am being replaced
as chairman of the building fund.

Now, I'm owed that, eh?

Yes, yes, of course you are, Seamus.

We had just felt that, perhaps,

you couldn't take that much of a load.

And we're very grateful to you, Seamus.
Very grateful, indeed.

Oh, I marvel at your energy, but...
Excuse me.

I mean, a man of your years...

I'm a year younger than you are,
Your Eminence.

Oh, you are, are you?

Well, the race is to the swift, huh?

We thought Monsignor Fitzgerald
will take over the building fund.

You know, I'm not so fond of
raising money.

But I think it's idiotic
to turn that job over to him.

- Now, now, now, Seamus.
- His eyes twinkle.

Now, you show me a priest
whose eyes twinkle all the time

and I'll show you a moron.

That's quite enough, Seamus.
Quite enough.

But you know that I cannot
buy a new furnace.

I cannot buy new desks for the school.

I can't even buy insurance
for the car without his permission.

What's this we call that, Desmond?

- Central purchasing, Your Eminence.
- Ah, central purchasing.

I see. Well, I thought the priority
was saving souls.

I don't need you to tell me
what our priorities are, Seamus.

When I took over this archdiocese,
it was virtually broke.

The banks now Iend us money,

due in no small measure
to Monsignor Spellacy here.

Well, if he has his way, there'll
be pay toilets for the rectory next.

Seamus, I've known you for,
what is it, 50 years now.

And you were always a pain in the neck.

Now, you've had your say.
Good afternoon.

Nothing today without a reservation,
I'm afraid.

Monsignor Spellacy's table.

I was under the impression
that Monsignor Spellacy

would be Iunching with Mr. Amsterdam.

Well, you made a mistake, fuckhead.

Right this way, sir.

Monsignor.

I'd like to talk to you.

Bye.

I'm sure I'll have a better table
in a moment, Monsignor.

It's perfectly all right, John.

I'II have a rob roy, straight up, twist,
thank you.

And, Tommy, what would you Iike?

A Schlitz, straight up, no twist,
as Iong as His Eminence is paying.

- I'm so sorry, Monsignor.
- That's all right.

- The usual, Monsignor?
- Yes, please. Thank you.

Tommy, what would you like?

- The usual will be fine for me too.
- Yes.

- Whatever it is.
- You'll find out.

His Eminence told me to tell you
that he was very grateful

for what you did for Father Gagnon.

It's nothing. Anytime, anytime.

Oh, yes, I saw this before.

It's a very nice photo.

Well, you get your face in the paper
often enough, Des, for a priest and all.

For a mick priest from Boyle Heights.

No, you know, you always were a
harp with class.

In fact, what are you going to call yourself
when you become pope?

I don't know. I thought about it.

- Maybe I'II call myself Gelasius II.
- Yeah?

It has a nice Iittle ring to it,
don't you think?

Then again, it could be something simpler.

Thomas, after you.

There's never been a Pope Thomas.
Thomas I.

Thomas I. I Iike that.
It's nice and common.

A constant reminder to me
that the flesh is weak.

Don't give me that pious crap, Des.

Not after that raffle at the
Holy Innocents last year,

fixing it so that Sonny O'Meara's daughter
got that new Studebaker.

No wonder you gave such a big hello
to Sonny over there.

Well, what did you get out of that?

Sonny's vote on the planning commission.

Got the property condemned
for the new school at Holy Innocents.

Well, you should have mentioned
the name Cornelia Cronin to him.

You would have saved yourself
a Studebaker.

Corky, they call her.

She's a bookkeeper
in one of his funeral parlors,

and she broke her back one weekend
on Sonny's boat

when Mrs. Sonny was off making a retreat.

He prays a Iot better on a boat, Sonny,
is what I hear.

And she gets $500 a month for life, Corky.

Excuse me, sir.

For the limp.

- Put this on my tab, waiter.
- Yes, sir.

It's all right, Jack. Thank you.

No, no, no, Monsignor.
Your money's no good here.

Oh, I'm sorry.
Jack, this is my brother, Tom.

Jack Amsterdam.

- How are you?
- I haven't had the pleasure.

Got the family resemblance. That's nice.

It's nice to have an older brother.
I wish I would have had an older brother.

You know, I don't hear from you
about Rancho Rosa.

Well, we're doing some new surveys, Jack.

And as soon as we're finished,
we'II talk about it, okay?

I see.

His Eminence get the invitation
to my fundraiser at St. Veronica's?

Yes, he did.

- Tell His Eminence I'm counting on him.
- I will.

- Nice to meet you.
- Likewise.

He's a winner, your brother.

And only the winner goes to dinner.

Hey, I Iike that. You hear that, Monsignor?

Only the winner goes to dinner.

Runs in the family, brains.

I used to work for you.

Oh, yeah? When was that?

While you were running whores,
I was your bagman in Wilshire Vice.

I did the payoffs for Brenda.

I'm sure you remember Brenda.

Of course, that was before
you started doing fundraisers

for St. Veronica's.

I gotta be going.

This brother of yours is a Iittle disturbed.
You better watch out for him.

Any messages for me?

Hey, Tommy.

-nHey, how are you?
-nGood.

- Anything for me?
- No.

I want you to check out all
the butcher shops, knife shops,

and medical suppliers, all right?

Jesus, Tom.

Sergeant Spellacy.

Could you hold for a minute, please?

- Check out the garages yet?
- Yeah.

Know how many garages
there are in this town?

- Fifteen hundred.
- Right.

Sergeant Spellacy, may I help you?

Yes, ma'am. We do want to find
that girl's killer.

And you are who? Mrs. Finley.

And you're from Culver City now.

But you used to live in Guin, Alabama?

Now, I do what? I hard-boil an egg,
and I put it in the victim's right hand.

Right.

Would you please mess up
your own desk, Frank? Please?

Jeez, I guess I don't have to ask you
how Iunch with the Monsignor went, huh?

Then I close the casket.
Right, I got that.

And then in seven days,
the murderer will confess.

I've got that.

Yes, ma'am, it's something you
used to do in Guin, Alabama.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am.

- You ever read the brassiere ads?
- No.

I read them all the time.
I can pick them out.

I walk down the street, I see a girl,

I see the straps through her blouse.

And I know it's a Latrique Latex
Breathe-Easy,

with matching garter belt,

$5.95.

That's a good thing to know, Frank.

- You wanna have a drink?
- No, going home.

- All right. Call me. Goodbye.
- Okay. You bet.

...The werewolfkiller of the
"virgin tramp " continued today

as police of a dozen cities in California
join the desperate manhunt.

The victim, Lois Fazenda,
was revealed by police today

to ha ve been a romance seeker.

Langendorf bread...

Mother of God, pray for us...

The fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God,

pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with Thee.

Blessed art Thou among women.

And blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary. Mother of God.
Pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning,

is now and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

This program is maintained
only by your contributions.

This is your program.

At any sacrifice, it must continue.

This is Monsignor Spellacy
thanking you for your support,

and inviting you to be with us daily
as we pray the rosary for peace.

May the blessing of Almighty God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost

descend upon you and remain forever.
Amen.

Amen.

- Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
- It's been a year since my Iast confession.

Since then I accuse myself
of impure actions.

I curse a Iot. I got a bad temper.

And...

Is that all?

The other day, I embarrassed
my brother in public.

For these and all the sins of my past life,
I am heartily sorry.

For your penance,
say ten Hail Marys and ten Our Fathers

and make an act of contrition.

- Go in peace.
- Thank you, Father.

- Is this the only one vice has got?
- Yep.

What'd that guy say?

She'd been an Arab extra
at Warner Bros., huh?

- In Casablanca?
- Right.

- Oh, Jesus.
- My God.

Yeah. Look at that.

You're spilling your coffee.

Her parents claimed the body.

- They're shipping it back to St. Louis.
- Right.

What a waste.

Who is that?

Is... Isn't that...

Isn't that the girl that gave
Father Mickey the great sendoff?

Lorna. Lorna Keane.

I paid to get half-and-half.
I should get half-and-half.

But you only did half.

What do you think I'm doing?
Running a white sale?

- But she was in such a hurry...
- Can I help you, Officer?

Here's your hat. Coat. Come on.

- Okay.
- Let's go. Out.

Hey, out!

- You'd make a good bouncer.
- Thanks.

So. How are you?

Swell. In the pink.

I've got a box at Santa Anita this season.

Listen, Brenda, I'm sorry about before.
I got a Iittle carried away.

Truce?

Sure.

Listen, I wanna talk
to that colored girl, Lorna.

Is she around?

- I got rid of her.
- Why?

I don't Iike having priests
dying in my house.

It's not good for business.

She made a stag film.
I'd Iike to talk to her.

Know where she went?

Maybe she went to New York
on a personal appearance tour.

- Why don't you ask Walter Winchell?
- Come on.

- I want to find out who made this film.
- And I thought this was a social call.

A guy named Standard.
Leland K. Standard.

He uses a Iot of my girls.

Leland K. Standard.

- Lois Fazenda. Did you ever know her?
- No.

- Any of your girls ever talk about a cutter?
- Hard to find a girl that hasn't been cut.

That's part of the risk they take.

Oh, that's swell.
That's just what I want to hear.

A lot of deep shit about how
tough it is being a hooker.

Come on.

All that time when I was in the joint,

never heard from you.

Not once.

Brenda, what do you expect from me?

Could have sent a card.

I sent you a card.
I sent you a Christmas card.

With Santa CIaus on it.

Right.

All right.

- Standard.
- That's the guy. That's it.

207.

Right. Let's go.

- What's up?
- It's ahead. Come on!

Open up!

Police officers. LAPD.

- Open up!
- Police department.

Open up. Police department.

Let's go. Right? We'll try it.

Tommy, be careful!

Freeze, you son of a bitch!

Fuck it!

Right.

Here. Here, drink some water. All right.

Stop crying.
Here, blow your nose, all right?

- You all right?
- I'm fine. He got away with my cuffs.

Jeez.

Put out an APB on that son of a bitch.

Get some patrol cars
to shake down the area.

- That wasn't Standard.
- Then who the hell was it?

Loan shark. Standard owed him.

- How much, cutie?
- Four thousand, not including the vig.

Here.

That's Standard!

Well, that's swell.

- Then where the hell is he?
- She says he's dead. I'm checking it.

Dead?

What? Yeah.

Auto accident?

A week ago Wednesday.

Son of a bitch totaled his car.
Brand-new Ford.

DOA, general hospital, 5:14 a.m.

Who are you? What do you do?

Me? I do awful good French.

Do you remember why you became a priest?

I had a vocation.

That's what we all say, isn't it?

A vocation to Iove God, help the poor,

solace the sick and dying.

Is that it?

Yes.

Well, why are you still coming back to me
for confession after all these years?

- What do you get out of it?
- It's good for my soul.

But you see, I have the sin of pride.
I always have.

And I recognize it in you.

Because you Iike power.

You Iike to use power. I've told you that.

Yes, sir, I agree with you.

But how could you get things done
without using it?

If our business is saving souls,
then we need a place to save them.

And somebody's got to take care of that.

So you're always saying.

I know, but what other choice is there?

What...

Well, I don't know.

But just don't sell yourself short.

Next time I ask you for a nine-iron,
give me a nine-iron, would you?

He gave you the seven
because the last time

you birdied the hole with a seven, Dan.

Was I playing with you?

Mind your own business, would you?

I keep reading about your brother,
the policeman, Des,

in the newspapers about
this "virgin tramp" business.

Well, it's the Virgin Mary
they should be writing about.

Don't you think so, Des?

That's right.

- Well, people are bored.
- The war is over.

They have to have something
to sink their teeth into.

But he's a grand policeman.
That's what they tell me.

Is he making any progress, I wonder?

We've got to unload Jack.

It's not as if Jack's done anything illegal,
Des.

No, only profitable.

It's been going on too long.
It's a full-time job, looking the other way.

He's got to go and that's it.

I don't think you want to
get on the wrong side of him.

Why don't you Ieave that up to me?

Wasn't there a run-in recently between
Jack and your brother, the policeman?

What about it?

You Iet Jack go now,
what's it going to look like?

And what about Rancho Rosa?

Forget Rancho Rosa.
That's not going to happen.

Oh, that's going to be very difficult, Des.

No more difficult than it was for you
to pension off

Cornelia Cronin, her name was?

Otherwise know as Corky.

That was a Christian thing to do, Sonny.

I think I can get Neddy FIynn
to bid against Jack

on that contract for the new
orthopedic wing at St. John's Hospital.

That's perfect.

Neddy loves getting his bones broken,
I hear.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

There's lots of grand ways to handle it,
Dan,

so as Jack's feelings don't get hurt,
is what I mean.

We could give him a dinner.

Catholic Layman Of The Year?

That's grand, Des. That's just grand.

May I help you, young man?

Mrs. Phil Spellacy. I know the way.

You'll have to wait.
She's receiving communion.

May all your sons be Jesuits, Sister.

Who is that come in, Monsignor?

- Is that you, Tom?
- Yeah. Here you go.

Brought me something!

- Good to see you. How are you?
- Bad breath, Thomas.

- Are you still constipated?
- Oh, every day.

The Monsignor here recommends
the castor oil.

And listen to the Monsignor, Thomas.

You remembered my favorite color.

What's this with the orange bow on here?

He has grand grammar.

Always had to wash
your mouth out with soap.

- The dirty words.
- Okay, Ma, let's forget about that, okay?

Wouldn't it be grand

if you had turned out to be a nun
like the younger one.

I'm a priest, Ma. I think I'm a priest.

And a swell one too.

Tom, has Moira received first
holy communion?

Yeah, about 12 years ago, Ma.

That's grand, Tom.

Spell out the holy days of obligation.

And start at the beginning.

There's a rap on the knuckles
if you don't start at the beginning.

What's the beginning?

Well, Immaculate Conception.

- Immaculate...
- Try Immaculate Conception.

- I-M-M-A...
- I-M... Immaculate.

- That's the hard part.
- C...

Conception is a snap once you
know your C's from your S's.

Will you Iet me finish? U-L-A-T-E. Okay?

- You're a much better speller now, Tom.
- I hope so.

You used to have trouble
with your vowels.

A, E, I, O, U. Sometimes Y.

Conception, Thomas.

Mind your C's.

Hello, Sister.

I didn't think she'd talk about your breath.

Yeah, a grand speller like yourself.

- I'll give you a ride back to the chancery.
- That's C-H-A-N-C-E-R-Y.

Yeah, you're right.

Remember Uncle Eddie's wake
when Aunt Jenny asked Pa

what Uncle Eddie was really like after all,
because he knew him so well.

Pa looks down at Eddie's casket
and looks up at Aunt Jenny and says,

Well, he was a good shoveler, Jenny.

Not a fancy shoveler, mind you,
but a good shoveler.

High praise from the old man.

One thing about the old man,
he never missed a wake.

Free booze and plenty of it.

- Ever feel Iike doing something?
- Sure, Iet's do that.

- Let's...
- Maybe Saturday?

Saturday? Well, I have my golf game
on Saturday, but...

Oh, okay.

Well, I'II cancel it if it's
the only day you have.

No. No, that's okay.
It'II interfere with your golf game.

-I'II change it.
-No, just forget about it.

- Tommy, I can change it.
- No.

Just forget it, okay?

Another time.

But I just... I'll... I'll... Never mind.

It would behoove you, Seamus,

to remember that I'm running
this archdiocese, not Monsignor Spellacy.

Well, I respect that, Your Eminence.

It's just that this archdiocese
has become so...

I don't know.

Every day, I'm feeling less like a priest

and more like an employee
of a construction company.

Yes, well, I want you at that luncheon,
Seamus.

I suppose I could pick up a few pointers
about the cement business.

Yes, Seamus.

As you wish, Your Eminence.

Desmond?

Sit yourself there, Desmond. Sit yourself.

I'm afraid he'll have to go.

Do you mean that...

I mean he'll have to be replaced, Desmond.

And don't look as if you'd never
heard the word before.

Well, I think you're making a mistake,
Your Eminence.

Oh, is that so?

I don't mean to be disrespectful,
but I think that he's

a good priest.

He runs the best parish in the archdiocese,
and he's a good man.

Yes, of course, he's a good man.

But the fact is we need younger pastors.

That's the Iong and the short of it.

Men who will do what they're told.

For the good of the Church.

Yes.

For the good of Holy Mother Church,
that's exactly what I mean.

So will you just find out
what his needs are?

I'm sure you'll be able to find
a place for him, Monsignor.

And perhaps it will be a Iesson
to some of the other pastors.

As you wish, Your Eminence.

You know, you said that exactly like him.

Well, you may as well
know it now as never.

You'II find youll have
a few unpleasant things to do

when you become a bishop.

You know, of course, there's an
opening for an auxiliary bishop.

I've recommended you.

And I strongly suspect that
Rome will accept the recommendation.

And then, perhaps, you'II find
an ambitious young monsignor

to do the dirty work for you.

- That's all, thank you.
- Thank you, Your Eminence.

There's an opening for a chaplain
at St. Francis Hospital.

Nope.

I can't think of anything better.

Well, there's a parish in the desert.
St. Mary's.

Yes, but that's in the middle of nowhere,
Monsignor.

Yes, I Iike the desert.

- Well, then, consider it done.
- Thank you, Monsignor. Thank you.

Goodbye, Monsignor.

Bye, Monsignor.

I'm sorry.

Goodbye, Desmond.

Is it true you're dating Sabu,
the elephant boy?

Are you going to see Sabu
in New York when the picture opens?

- No comment.
- When's the Iast time you saw him?

- No comment.
- Is it true you were seen...

- Here you are.
- Oh, thank you.

Was that June Haver or June Havoc?

I don't know.

I always get them mixed up.

You know, my baby always wanted
to be a movie star.

She had the smile for it.

- She loved Bing Crosby.
- She wore braces until she was 17.

- Going My Waywas her favorite movie.
- And a retainer after that.

Only at night, the retainer. Never on dates.

See, 10:00, she had to be home,
date nights.

She just popped her retainer back in.

She wrote poems.
See, that's the kind of girl Lois was.

Here.

She wrote this.

Remember me and keep in mind.

A faithful friend is hard to find.

But...

Here.

But when you are good and true.

Trade not the good ones for the new.

- When did...
- Lois.

Lois...

- How did you get a hold of this?
- She left it Iast time she was home.

When was that?

Thanksgiving.
She said she was up for a part.

Yeah, that's when it was.

I'd Iike to keep the poem,
if you don't mind.

Handwriting can be very useful
in a case Iike this.

-She might have written to...
-The son of a bitch that killed her.

Shit's gonna hit the fan.

I went over every bill of his
and every bill on every phone

in every apartment
she's Iived in the Iast year.

Fifty-three times she called him.

So he was screwing her.

She did that a Iot.

That's what she did for a living,
somebody said. So?

Does he make you nervous, Frank?

You thought about your brother,
the Monsignor?

I've thought about him a Iot.

Sergeant Spellacy.

Come on, I'd love to see you drop him,
but not on this one.

He was screwing her, wasn't he?

Of course, he was screwing her,
but he didn't kill her.

We're going to find that out, aren't we?

Look, he's old, Jack. He's gonna die soon.

- He's got cancer.
- Yeah?

- You didn't know that, did you?
- No, I didn't.

Well, if you don't believe me, check it out.

He shook hands with the Pope.
How many pimps can say that?

Oh, well, that's some big deal.

Believe me, he's crazier than you are.

He's crazy enough to be dangerous.

Yeah? Well, thank you very much.

Well, just think of it
as my going-away present.

I'm leaving town.

You're what?

- Yeah, I'm Ieaving town.
- Why?

I did a scrape a couple of days ago.
I made a mistake. I...

I nipped her. She hemorrhaged.

Well, did she die?

No. She's one of my old girls.
She'II keep her mouth shut.

It's just one of those things.

You never used to do scrapes, did you?

Happens.

- You get old.
- Yeah.

So where do you think you'll go?

Well, you know, I don't know.

Can I give you a reference or something?

I've never had any trouble buying cops.

That's funny.

I just wanted to say goodbye.

It's nice to have somebody
to say goodbye to.

Who have I got?

Lieutenant-Governor?
What am I gonna do?

Call him up and say, "Hey, remember me?
You used to be a regular?"

Pat says to Mike,
"What are you digging a hole for?"

And Mike says to Pat,
"I'm not digging a hole."

"I'm digging the dirt and leaving a hole."

But speaking seriously,

I remember that day,
and it was not so Iong ago,

when the creditors were banging
at the doors of this archdiocese,

when, as the saying goes,
we didn't have a pot to

spit in.

When we had buildings to build.

Churches and schools.
And convents and hospitals.

And not a copper penny
to build them with.

It was then, at that dire moment,
when His Eminence

asked our designee
as Catholic Layman Of The Year

if he could help us out.

I think all of you know what he said.
"Yes," said Jack Amsterdam.

If I might add a personal note here...

Brenda was right.

Amsterdam was in St. John's Hospital
getting treatment

the night Fazenda was killed.

And that's beat me in golf.

Gentlemen, the Catholic Layman
Of The Year, Jack Amsterdam.

How's your drink?

Scotch?

You'll never get a sash, Frank.

You're not a pimp. You've got to be
a rich pimp, to get a sash like that.

Yeah.

You're a cop.
Not a pillar of the community.

Don't worry about him. He...
Jack.

Monsignor. Are you being taken care of?
Can I help you?

Sonny's getting our coats, thank you.

By the way, have you made a decision
on Rancho Rosa yet?

We haven't, Jack, but I think
we're gonna do some serious reevaluation.

I think we should talk about it
another time. Good night.

- Des, how are you doing?
- Hi, Tommy.

Good to see you.

- This is Dan Campion.
- Hi.

What I wonder is if you were wearing this
when you were banging Lois Fazenda.

You're a real asshole, you know?

Come on, Jack! Come on, Jack!

What are you doing?

Tommy, get back!

What the hell are you doing?

Goddamn you! Come back here!

Jack!

- Knock it off!
- Hey, you!

What are you doing? Just get back!

Get him out of here!

- Come on.
- Come back here!

- Come over here.
- Jack, Jack...

Come on. Let's go.

Come on. Let go of me, will you?

Get your hands off me, you rotten bastard.

That's enough! Come on.

- That's enough.
- Get out of my way.

You hear me? You're a son of a bitch!

Come on back!

AII right, all right. Come on, Dan.

Too much wine in the chalice
again this morning, Mr. Toomey.

Yes, Monsignor. Sorry, Monsignor.

What I don't need in the mornings
is a stiff pick-me-up.

Sorry, Monsignor.

That's all right. Run along, boys.

Future missionaries, Des.
Future of the church, if you ask me.

God help the church.

You know how to handle them,
that's for sure.

I don't think there's anything
you can't handle. I mean it.

- What's on your mind, Dan?
- A little breakfast.

Creamed chipped beef on toast down
at The Biltmore. What do you think?

Sorry, no, I can't.
I'm busy, Dan. Very busy.

- Well, I can have a word with you.
- Sure.

- Here?
- Why not?

I was thinking about your brother,
the policeman.

Got a hell of a temper.

He was an altar boy, was he?

That wasn't his line, no.

I suppose he's still working on that...
That girl's murder?

- The virgin something-or-other, was it?
- Tramp.

That's it.

Well, you remember her, don't you, Des?

- Remember who, Dan?
- That girl.

We met her. Don't you remember?
You and I?

We were coming back from Del Mar
last summer.

Went to the track...

She was hitchhiking. We picked her up.
Gave her a ride, I mean.

She was Christian Science.
Don't you remember?

You asked her about it.
She was sitting in the back seat.

Christian Science?

You mean the one who didn't know
who Mary Baker Eddy was?

- That was her?
- That's right.

Well, we...

We got to be friends, she and I.

Des, if it comes out we were friendly,
it's going to be embarrassing.

You know what I'm talking about?

I was in San Diego the night that girl
was killed. I was with Peg.

We were at the regional meeting
of the Knights of Columbus.

I'm clean.

You have to have a talk with your brother.

Des...

It's Jack I'm worried about.
He knew her too.

- We had a talk, Jack and I.
- Oh, you did? Really?

I suppose you told him I was a warm,
personal friend of Miss Fazenda's?

No, I didn't put it exactly like that.

Oh, you didn't put it exactly like that.
Of course not.

- Jack thinks your brother's crazy.
- Well, he very well might be right.

Des, I'm 57 years old.

Yes, you're 57 years old.

You're worried about your picture
in the paper

when they take you for questioning.

Just remember something, Monsignor.
You were there the day we met her.

Yes, we met her. You fucked her.

You know, she really got
around the archdiocese.

Your pal with the tattoo.

The lawyer, right?
Catholic Layman Of The Year?

She comes home from the track
with the Monsignor himself.

There's going to be an awful lot of
red faces if this policeman does his duty.

That wasn't the only reason
I came to talk to you.

Sure, Des.

I'm sorry you don't understand that.

Well, whatever you say.

I just wanted...

I wanted to also talk.

- Why is that?
- Because you're my brother.

If I can't talk to you, I can't talk to anyone.

Okay.

Something's gotta change in my life.
I'm... I'm not...

I'm tired of fixing things. I'm tired of

getting involved with...

You wanna eat something? A piece of pie?

No, I don't want anything, thanks.

Watch your heads!

Come on, girls. Let's go!

It was just a way of making a buck,
that movie.

That's all it was.

I never even saw it.

What about her?

I never even saw her before that movie.

And I never saw her since.

AII I remember is that tattoo.

She said she got it from some
guy down in Long Beach.

Didn't cost her nothing, just a piece of ass.

Boy, did Standard like that tattoo!

He was a freak, Standard.
He belonged in a zoo.

Where was his zoo?

Out in EI Segundo.

An old army barracks.

Looks like a goddamn freak show
out there.

AII right, Iook at this.

That's Standard.

- All right.
- When did he die?

Compared to when she died.

It's the night before.

- He had 11 hours to kill her.
- Son of a bitch.

He killed her, dumped her at the Iot,
then he totals the Ford.

Son of a bitch.

Sergeant Spellacy, Homicide.

Where are you?

Right. I'll be right there.

- What happened?
- Gas. She just turned it on.

She had enough gas in her room
to blow up half of East LA.

It's over here.

Eighty-four.

That's it.

One of the girls said the last person
she called was Jack Amsterdam.

I don't know what she wanted,
but I'd say she didn't get it.

Let's get him, Frank.

She's a suicide.

Then we'll get him for the Fazenda girl.

You know Standard killed her.

You just came back from the barracks!
You know Jack didn't do it.

Well, then, his lawyer will get him off,
won't he?

You can't do it.

- I can.
- No, you can't do it.

You're just trying to settle up an old score.

What about your brother? It's his ass too.

What are you trying to prove,
that he's just like you?

He is. He's your brother.

Are you all right?

Cut the crap. I don't have all day.

It's been 20 years since my
last confession.

I had a Iot of things to do.

You're not gonna say anything?

The way it goes,
you're supposed to tell me.

Yeah.

Well...

I'm a married man, but I gotta admit,
I knew a few girls in my time.

Nothing else?

- I got into arguments with some guys.
- How do you define arguments?

Who the hell are you
to ask all these questions?

I'm your confessor.

You're my confessor in here. But
you wheel and deal out there, is that it?

- You're in here now.
- Yeah, I know.

- Is that all?
- Yeah. Yeah, that's all.

- Are you sorry for your sins?
- Sure, I'm sorry for my sins.

For your penance...

- I know, I know.
- ...pray a rosary and make...

I don't know why you did that to me.
I thought we were friends.

Now, you did that Rancho Rosa deal.

And then you paid me off
with that green sash.

And another thing, about your brother...

Amen.

Go in peace.

Open that screen! Open it up!

You keep him off my fucking back.

He's trying to drop that whore on me.

I can't help it if he was on the take,
your brother.

Nobody twisted his arm.

You tell him if he grabs me, it's your ass
gonna be in the sling, not mine.

I'm clean. Not his. Yours.

You're a priest. A priest!

And you knew that whore,
and you never told anyone.

Now, you ask your brother how
that's gonna look in the newspapers.

Who absolves you, huh?

Who absolves you?

I got a family.

There's a scholarship named after me.

I met the Pope, for Christ sakes.

You understand, you hypocrite?

What are you doing giving absolution
to that mick pimp?

I want to know that.

Why?

- Do you want me to hear your confession?
- I've got nothing to tell.

Oh, yeah, all right. Okay. All right.

I wanted to say that your pal, Jack,
is kind of in the shit,

is the reason I'm here.
We're gonna pick him up.

I don't wanna embarrass you
or the Cardinal.

He's in a state of grace,
and I'II Iet him enjoy it. All right?

I thought you'd want to be prepared.
You saw his picture in the paper.

I don't wanna do anything
behind your back.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you very much.

This is for the Fazenda girl?

- Yes.
- So he...

Passed her around like a piece
of Christmas candy

while you were out playing golf.

- Listen...
- Did he do it?

- Catholic Layman Of The Year.
- Did he do it, Tommy?

- Highest honors bestowed on that...
- Tommy, did he do it?

I don't care whether he killed her!
I don't give a shit!

I just don't care!

That's it.

And I don't care whether you
go down with him or not.

Neither do I.

Neither do I.

Will you continue as
Chancellor of the archdiocese?

Give us a break, fellows. Give us a break.

Have you spoken to the Cardinal...

Hey, step away!

You can tell me why the Cardinal
refused to make any comment?

What are your plans for the future?

I'm gonna die, Tommy.

The arteries to the pump are shot.

Sit down.

Yeah.

It's all right. I'm ready.

As they say, my bags are packed.

How...

I'll sing...

I'll...

I'll sing an Irish song at your funeral.

With my voice...

I'II wake you up again.

It's okay.

It must have been hard, Des. I mean...

No, it wasn't.

I never had a great gift for loving God.

And Seamus told me that
that was not a drawback,

as long as I could make myself useful.

He taught me the meaning
of being a priest.

And there's a kind of peace in that.

It's my fault, Des, all of it.
Every bit of it.

I'm sorry.

No, Tommy.
You were my salvation, actually.

You made me remember things
that I had forgotten.

I thought I was someone who I wasn't.

I saved a plot over there.

I hope when the time comes that...

Out here? In the middle of
all this goddamn sand?

I don't know. I don't know.

I tell you.

But I guess it's...

I guess one place is about as
good as another.

This is it.

This is it?