Original subtitles

This film was restored by PATHÉ

Ready...

1.6.

To KILL A COP

Mr Choucas...

You noticed I said "mister",

I noticed... Subtle.

Very.

To remind you

No more badge,

You're breaking the law.

We can take you in,

- If we want.

- How's Marie-Thérèse?

Too bad. She's pretty.

She just set up

She's doing fine, no hassle.

- Yeah?

she's in clover.

I have to be going.

- Bye, Michel.

To KILL A COP

Choucas & Tarpon

- Ok, beauty?

- Who?

- We'll carry on later.

Mr Choucas?

Sit down, please.

My daughter is missing.

- Since when?

- You went to the police?

Sorry.

- What?

Excuse me.

Well, Coccioli?

Sorry, I wanted

Who?

Mrs Pigot. I called

I took a coffee break.

You're fired.

- Now or on the 31st?

- Don't mind me.

Take the case then forget it.

A month from now,

Or that for missing persons

I'm no better than the police?

She'll go elsewhere,

I sent her here.

She wanted a "private eye".

So hear her out,

take her money

I'll see.

Your what? What judgment?

Judgment, understanding.

Free will!

We let you operate,

even when you leave corpses

like lust year, in Tours.

Listen,

no more stray wives' panties.

- Never wears any.

Me.

- Any what?

We'll keep you posted,

I'm sorry.

Do you know

Yes, he's the one I saw.

- May I?

That's my daughter, Marthe.

The police say she left.

We were on very good terms.

I'm sure something

How old is she?

Twenty-eight.

Height?

I don't know. About 5'7".

Go on, please.

We live in Versailles.

Which one?

The Stanislas Baudrillard Foundation.

They run a training programme

She's blind?

From birth?

Is that why you think

I just know, that's all.

Will you look for her?

I'll take this on and ask you

Make the cheque out

Bring me the form.

All right.

- Thunk you, Mr Jude.

Hello?

Tell him "tonight"!

Jude.

I don't know if...

Tonight!

He says tonight.

For the "Tarpon" account.

You have to sign this.

- What is it?

Don't be funny!

- Hello to your husband.

Have a good weekend.

I'm set.

You may leave, Perez.

All right, sir.

A dry martini, Georges.

- My name's Jean, sir.

Who's your husband?

The maroon jacket

Your wife?

The robust one...

The brunette.

We're a liberated couple.

Thank you, sir.

Good night.

Good night, Georges.

Jean, sir.

The bastard!

Why? He won a bundle,

but nothing proves he bet

He's spotless, I suppose.

Something doesn't add up.

Too mechanically.

Shit!

What do you mean?

It doesn't add up.

It adds up to my being

I know.

Been playing tennis long?

Three years. Why?

Just wondered...

I want to nail him.

See that? Right in!

Choucas speaking.

- Mr Choucas?

I'll tell you when I come up.

My name's Charles Pradier.

Lucky you. Is that all?

I have to talk to you...

About the Pigot girl.

Marthe Pigot.

She isn't missing.

She ran away from home.

I'm listening.

She took off with a pal of mine

He got a job abroad

She loves him.

It's a love story, see?

I'll cry later.

The generation gap...

Your pal's name?

Of no interest.

You know Marthe Pigot?

- Of course.

- What?

She's blind.

Blonde or brunette?

Brunette! It's on the level.

She even wrote to you.

What's this?

Braille.

You read it with your fingers.

It's Mrs Pigot.

In half an hour?

No your place or mine.

I can make it sooner.

No, I'm sorry.

What now?

I'm calling the cops.

Don't bother. They know.

They got the same message

They're satisfied.

We'll see about that.

Not so fast!

Come on.

Shit...

The bastards.

Want some?

Yes, please.

Not too tired?

I'm all right.

So you won't mind telling me

Not at all.

I got home and the phone rang...

Enough!

Beat it.

What did the Braille letter say?

Not a lot.

It was addressed to me.

"Dear Sir. It's useless

"I left willingly,

"Tell my mother I don't wish

"Don't waste your time

"Cordially, Marthe Pigot."

Satisfied?

I guess.

What do you think, Choucas?

That they think we're stupid.

I think you're right.

Shit.

Is he in?

I'm sleeping

Weren't you fired?

I got him to forgive me.

Coffee?

- You too?

He's not very talkative.

He has trouble talking

Death at the Trocadéro

I just dropped in.

I talked to Inspector Chauffard.

But it says a certain Madrier

Chauffard has been relieved.

Go on.

That's all.

in Marseilles 4 years ago.

He's handling

So you've been relieved too.

Sort of... yes.

With your client dead,

So I guess you'll drop it.

"Should anything happen to me,

Fanch Tanguy.

Now we have a Breton

Thanks for the coffee.

Your partner, Tarpon...

Is he real?

He's never here.

He's discreet.

I forget what else I had to say...

Next time.

Get me Mrs Pigot's address.

Find anything interesting?

That 2 CV...

We just want to talk.

You wouldn't be

What were you looking for?

You.

What else?

I just wanted to see.

What do you mean?

Interesting.

A woman killed but no cops around.

Your client's dead

I'm conscientious.

Another client, maybe.

- Maybe.

Fanch Tanguy.

We need to discuss this

Take the first right.

This isn't quiet enough?

This one?

Here we go!

Are you ok?

Yes... I'll be fine.

How about him?

He's ok. He's dead.

Let's go, Hubert.

All right...

Well, well.

At last.

Inspector Madrier.

Would you stop pointing that at me?

Prove it.

Go ahead.

You're alone?

I work better alone.

What's this about?

You're a little bit in the shit,

A little bit.

Let's see that monster.

I never liked the .45.

Too noisy...

Almost vulgar.

- I bet it killed Mrs Pigot.

Dumb bastard!

God, you look terrible.

- Is he here?

Your husband.

He's on a movie, in Nice.

- You're hurt!

Why don't you come in?

You didn't ask me.

You're the most

- Want a doctor?

Quiet!

They'll think I'm screwing.

You're that noisy?

Sometimes.

Wait, I just killed

That was smart.

I had no choice.

I need cotton, alcohol,

- Shit!

- It could've gone in.

The bullet. Get your first-aid kit

I'm a secretary, not a nurse.

If I could see, I'd do it myself.

Hurry!

It's like in Vera Cruz...

or maybe it's Howard Hawks'

I get you drunk and, while you sing

I fix you up like a pro.

Only I'm not Burt Lancaster.

Come on.

I hate you.

You'll tell me what happened?

Everything.

Go on.

If I hurt you, you'll get mad.

No, I'll just fire you.

Bitch!

Bastard.

Why did you turn the desk

He was going to kill me.

Then and there.

And I walk in with a .45...

He fired into the wall

to prove self-defence.

Read the papers tomorrow,

The killer of both Mrs Pigot

Why both of them?

Same gun.

Whatever else he was

Think so?

Why not shoot me first

He had a sense of chronology.

It could look worse for you,

Right.

Wake me at six.

Don't forget my shirt,

If they come, you don't know

Who?

I have no idea.

All right, if I see him.

It was that cop, Coccioli.

He'd like to talk to you.

Good old Coccioli.

"Ex-cop goes berserk,

- Listening?

"Apparently,

"at the Trocadéro.

"Unmasked by Inspector Madrier,

You were right.

I'm off.

- My croissants!

Thunks for the coffee,

everything.

- Where are you going?

You're right.

Be careful.

Here.

What is it?

A grey Lancia

Ex-cop kills police inspector

About time.

Didn't want to wake you last night.

You should have.

We invented a fictitious partner

so that the knowledge

would be available to you.

I wanted to stay in the background.

In the background,

not out of the picture entirely.

- I'm here.

Two lumps?

As usual.

Ready?

Ready.

Madrier and Coccioli, any link?

They worked together

on the Fraud Squad.

Coccioli told me.

- He said the squad was broken up?

Transferred all over France.

Especially Madrier.

Why?

I made some calls lust night,

What else?

This.

Fanch Tanguy is dead.

Shit.

Let's hear it.

Fanch Tanguy alias the Whistler.

He died in '44.

Real scum.

Breton Nationalist extremist,

too Nazified even for

Takes some doing.

In 1943, he really turned rotten.

Half militia, half French Gestapo,

doing odd jobs for the Nazis.

Blackmail, extortion,

informing...

- Torture.

Whistling all the time.

Because he saw a German film

where a maniac whistled before

Ok, don't get excited.

I had...

cousins "questioned" by him.

You know how we Jews are...

How did he die?

Caught by commandos

You know someone

with his arm in a sling?

- Why?

Goddam!

My nemesis!

The first chamber is empty,

Did he follow you?

No. That's what worries me.

Stay right there.

Don't do anything stupid.

You should put your gun away.

Someone'll notice

Right...

I'll get a Polaroid photo

It may interest you.

All right.

I'm taking you and the old man

If negotiations haven't begun

to cut off

You see, you have no choice.

I can do one thing.

What's that?

This!

God knows what my neighbours

- Got a hammer?

A hammer.

A hammer.

I think you broke his nose.

Afraid so.

I'm glad to see your wrist's

You need it in your work.

A few weeks of therapy

Unless...

you won't lead us to the girl.

In which case, I will have to break

I'll do it cleanly.

It won't hurt much

Well?

I asked him politely, didn't I?

Definitely.

Hurry up, Kasper!

All right.

- Well?

Turn left.

- Open your mouth.

Open your mouth!

Goddammit...

Choucas, tell your pal

it's not my bare ass

it's being strung up.

I'll wait downstairs.

You ok?

Just great, what do you think?

Got a cigarette?

We'll find your clothes and then...

get out of here.

We were just in time.

You mean rape-wise?

You weren't in time.

He used his plaster cast

The bastard.

May I ask one specific question?

If it's short.

Very short.

I don't know.

Great.

The cops'll be at your place,

our pals at mine,

Exactly.

I know a place

I have a friend in Ceylon.

I don't get it.

I can get into his apartment.

He interests me suddenly.

Trocadéro.

Respectable.

What does your friend do?

He's a film director.

Short films, TV,

He likes to travel.

He keeps score;

and where he hasn't been.

And tries to bang

In other words,

He's a friend.

- Due back when?

Cosy little place.

If you two don't need me,

I'll go freshen up a little.

Well?

Almost nothing,

8 lines here,5 lines there.

They found Pradier in the 2 CV

- That's all?

This afternoon,

A Spaniard.

He knows who killed Tanguy.

- And you?

That guy we left full of holes

you searched him, right?

I can't fool you.

Quite a collection.

Like you say.

Here.

ID Card in the name of

Born in Moulins, March 1936.

Car registration, driving license...

Baudrillard Foundation

What?

An institute for the blind.

It's where Marthe Pigot worked.

- Interesting.

100, 200, 350 francs.

18 31 57 22,

Let's find out.

16-18...

"La Verte Colline"...

Mr Tarpon, please.

Tarpon?

Sorry.

- "La Verte Colline".

Two subway tickets

Renée Mouzon, address in Neuilly,

The work's piling up.

You bug me.

I know.

- Calm down.

What's with him?

Frustration arising from fighting

Ok, I see...

This man killed Tanguy.

Ask if it's him.

Who?

Tanguy, the man you killed

Yes. He's dead.

How?

Road check.

Two men inside.

One man fired, we fired back

and killed him.

We captured the other and found

money and gold in the car.

Many wedding rings, you see?

- The other man?

He escaped later

Is that all?

I remember now.

We found out after

Shit.

You said it.

- Beanpole!

They talked about you on TV.

And the 2 CV with a body inside,

bullet holes and all that.

"A sinister affair", they called it.

The police expect to catch you

Ballistics linked

No, a witness.

A witness?

A respectable young man

Affirmative.

This stinks.

My guinea fowl?

Only natural.

Time to talk to the one

Old Coccioli.

I agree.

Is it good or not?

- Who?

- Very good.

Want to know the secret?

Meet him on neutral ground.

Cream cheese up the ass.

Coccioli's?

No, the guinea fowl's!

You're impossible tonight.

Lucky for me there's a Cukor.

What's that? Dessert?

Philistines, that's what you are.

Philistine, I forgot to tell you

Enjoy the movie.

Thank you for watching Channel 1

Coming up immediately:

in "Heller in Pink Tights",

a great film by John Cukor.

George, you dumb bitch.

George Cukor. George.

I thought you had a husband.

Shouldn't you call him?

No need.

He must be worried.

Not his style.

After what?

The movie.

Sorry.

No harm done.

Naturally it's dubbed...

Coccioli? It's Choucas.

- Where are you?

Ok, come to my place then.

What kind of car do you drive?

A bronze Renault 14.

- Licence number?

Take the Périphérique

Keep right and go 30 mph...

No. How far do I go?

All the way around Paris

I've got one hell of a migraine!

I should be in bed.

Really?

Gentlemen?

- Mint tea.

Sorry you're so sick, Coccioli.

Have you heard?

Tell me the rules

What game?

It's called; Errors, Omissions

You practically warn me

But you don't tell me why

Furthermore, every cop in France

but I call you,

Because I'm a nice guy?

That's not why.

Why then?

Screw it. What the hell

You know how it is with cops.

They form clans.

The ones with the same skeleton

Everybody knows,

And, above all,

nobody tries to find out

You thought you were in one

Tell me about Fanch Tanguy.

Until I saw that picture,

Possible.

What did the Fraud Squad find

Madrier must have found something.

the Opposition's funding.

It doesn't make sense.

That's for sure.

Coccioli, you got me into this.

I'm going to see it through.

And you're going to help me.

I want the police files on Kasper,

I'll be in touch.

- I'll try.

If I go under, I'll take you with me.

Don't get up.

Let's try something else.

What are they doing here?

Who are these guys?

Follow the leader!

Do you know this one?

There.

Shit...

You're saying

A total wreck.

- I was still paying for it.

How was the movie?

Lightweight.

Terrific!

Good. What now?

We wait till tomorrow.

By then our pictures will be

- Tonight, I can.

See Renée Mouzon.

How about fixing my dressing?

I'll think about it.

And get me a clean shirt.

What makes you think

will rate pictures "this big"?

Because I left my gun

in her car! The .45

Nice going.

Haymann, don't bug me.

Jean-Paul Belmondo

Forget about him.

Give it a rest!

Renée Mouzon?

I'm a police inspector.

It's late I know but...

Lionel Constantini?

- What's he gotten into now?

Come in.

It's rum. You want some?

What trouble?

A shoot-out

in Fontainebleau Forest.

He's dead.

He's dead!

He's in the hospital

Where's my glass?

Answer some questions first.

Bastard.

Did you know Fanch Tanguy?

Pradier?

He's dead.

- You knew him?

Recently?

Recently?

Yes, recently, dammit.

Last night,

Lionel got a call.

After he hung up,

I'll call the hospital.

When I've finished.

I don't know what you want

but I know you're not a cop.

So?

So I need a good reason

Ok. I'll give you one.

That's a good reason.

But I'm warning you...

Three questions, no more.

Like in the fairy tales.

Do you know Kasper?

That's number one.

What is La Verte Colline?

A fat farm...

near Meulan.

Full of old moneybags.

I met Lionel there.

My boss was taking the cure

Lionel had to talk to my boss

That's number two.

What does your boss do?

He runs a foundation for the blind.

That's number three.

Still alive?

- Why aren't you asleep?

La Verte Colline

Meulan. I know.

Just say we wasted our time.

No. Go on.

Not much to tell.

A diet of diuretics,

and fennel juice, so you go home

You gain it all right back.

You're weak and broke.

I think it's a dead end.

Not much, except...

Except that we have to go

What's wrong?

Haymann's sleeping in there?

Where can I sleep?

I'm warming up your side

Propositioning me?

Definitely.

I thought so.

This is shocking.

I called my husband tonight.

And?

Nothing.

I let him say hello a few times,

Kiss me.

We might find out more

We'll have to see.

But it's not easy.

About time!

You realize that...

He can't hear.

What do you mean?

Until he has coffee,

100% disability.

Now?

Not yet!

Go ahead.

Instead of front-page pictures

we have on page 4:

"Ex-convict wounded!"

"Ex-convicts run police roadblock,

No connection between the two,

No big headlines,

- A blackout.

- Then I can keep working.

But what?

In your opinion, why the blackout?

Protection.

What if it's so

How much was it?

- 20,000 francs.

With phony registration

Not expensive.

She's been in there almost an hour.

Don't worry.

The only thing is...

Shit.

That's Mouzon.

In the green coat.

She looks sick.

No wonder. Can she drink!

5 more minutes. Then go get her.

Here she comes.

What an act I had to put on.

You saw him?

Yes, but I must have looked dumb,

I saw your redhead, too.

Mouzon? We saw her go in.

The director is tall, blond and tan,

I bet he uses a sun lamp

He's polite and smiles a lot.

Jacques Decroux.

- Name's on a brass plate.

Plaque, not plate.

What a smart-ass!

Let's just hope Renée Mouzon

is telling her boss

We'll know soon enough.

Didn't Constantini

So what?

Here it comes and Kasper's in it.

The director?

That's him.

They're taking her for a ride.

And we follow them.

- The driver... The bald guy.

I think...

I thought we were following them.

- Not anymore.

I know where they're going.

You know where they're going?

To La Verte Colline.

Why don't we go there?

- I need a pharmacy first.

Cut it out, will you?

You saw Baldy driving that Volvo?

I knew I'd seen him before.

Gambling at the casino,

an assistant at Jude's pharmacy.

No joke?

Wait a minute...

He's the one Jude suspects

There's a link

- That's wild!

Meaning?

Meaning it's not a coincidence.

Hélène, my dear,

Where were you?

And the cops answered?

No one answered.

- Read the papers?

Never mind.

Perez here?

That's why I called.

He's split, the bastard.

That's all I wanted to know.

My case!

Progressing. It's not Perez

Not Perez?

He's got a better deal.

Albert Perez lives up there,

Be right back.

So you say.

Did you see him?

Dead?

For quite a while.

Perez only interests the flies now.

I've got it!

We wanted to know what the

I think I know.

La Verte Colline...

A pseudo-medical clinic with

laboratories and medication.

They can use acetone,

without arousing suspicion.

So what?

Those products are needed

but simple process

that converts morphine base

See what I mean?

Exactly.

Shit...

But where does Perez fit in?

They used him to launder the money.

The way he and Baldy played

Now I know why.

The American lost to them on purpose.

He wasn't playing.

What now?

I'm going to get mad.

What the...

Calm down, Choucas!

I don't want to calm down!

Tell me all about Perez!

Shit, Choucas. No way...

I'm listening.

Perez was a police informer.

He's dead.

They probably killed him Sunday

Cut it out, will you?

Cut it out, will you?

- Inspector Chauffard!

Choucas, you should be ashamed!

Inspector Grazielli, Narcs.

Is the tantrum over?

Almost.

My Moustier tureen!

You're really a bastard!

A valuable old family heirloom.

You disappoint me.

And aren't you a bastard?

I was trying to keep you from

Explain that.

- Perez was my informer.

My hold on him was a minor offence.

He was a weird one.

Honest citizen by day,

I think he liked being a stoolie.

Cut it short.

5 or 6 months ago,

Whom he trusted.

...offered him a deal

I handled it as a routine matter.

Perez was a punk,

But in 3 months a million francs

- I reported it.

To me.

And got taken off the case next day.

Perez was leaving the money

It took me 3 weeks

A respectable solid citizen.

Jacques Decroux, from the

Exactly.

You try to find out more.

Marthe Pigot works there.

A few days later, she's gone.

A coincidence, of course.

Not entirely.

Any idea what happened to her?

We'll find her body

And Fanch Tanguy?

A dead end.

Mrs Pigot got killed

No, because maybe she knew too much

Pretty flimsy, Coccioli.

I'm going to love the next bit,

Then in the middle of all this,

Perez knew the till was being tapped

- Hélène?

- Shit.

Nothing. Go on.

Perez spotted you.

And I had Mrs Pigot on my back.

I had an idea.

You turd!

I wanted to follow the case

Then I thought: why be discreet?

Send a guy in,

to shake up the mob

while you lie low!

That's more or less it.

Without knowing it, I'm tailing

which has kidnapped

You put me on her case,

What would you do in their shoes?

Say it, Coccioli!

Kill you as soon as possible.

A cop's life isn't worth much, is it?

Especially an ex-cop.

I don't say you're wrong to be upset.

You nasty little creep!

You set me up like a target

Here he goes again...

Stop, Choucas! Do something!

I'd say it's been done.

Great!

20,000 francs down the drain!

Don't be mercenary.

So I've got 3 cops here

but who at least try to do

- Could you lay on a dozen more?

To leave your jurisdiction,

shoot up the place

No one knows where their lab is.

Near Meulan,

La Verte Colline.

What's your plan?

Professor Bachhauffer,

No, why?

While you were socializing,

Bachhauffer is the doctor

- Can that help us?

- Is it much further?

You didn't sleep much lust night.

Right, and besides...

Inspector Haymann!

At ease, Coccioli, I'm retired.

He means: "What're you doing here?"

Haymann has another name;

- My partner.

You said it.

It wasn't easy, but we did it.

ID card, driver's license

and an old phone bill.

Name: Serge Blondeau,

Blondeau was to enter

for a 5-day cure.

Here's his admission card.

He paid 3,500 francs in advance.

Unfortunately,

Sorry about that.

The main thing is...

Did you locate Kasper?

No. I had ten men on it all night.

You must be joking!

We can only hope...

If Kasper spots him,

He can't get out to warn you.

And he won't get out alive!

You're not going.

Yes, I am.

Chauffard and his men?

Due in an hour. If you're not out

I hope so.

Tell Charlotte to have dinner ready

- You were due at 11 AM.

The doctors aren't free.

You can't begin treatment.

The doctors take baths?

No, the patients do.

He can settle in

Room 310: Blondeau, Serge Patrick.

Age 42, glandular trouble,

water retention, albumin in urine,

All that?

I guess so.

I'll take him up.

A bell will ring at 3 PM.

Go buck to the reception desk

- All right. Thank you.

Here we are. 310.

Come on, Michèle,

It was a clogged valve.

It was? Thanks.

I'm new.

- What's this way?

Yes, but which doctor?

Come along.

I told him 100 times

but he won't!

So everyone

and ends up

- Come with me.

No. You'll see.

Just a second.

After you...

You surprise me, Kasper.

I thought you'd left France

Why 48 hours ago?

This place has been watched

Go on.

They'll be here in an hour.

Thanks for warning me.

Handcuff him.

We'll fix him,

then the others,

We've finished here.

You broke my arm, remember?

It'll just take a second.

You can't...

Yes, we can!

That's it.

It's very painful at first,

I speak from experience.

If you don't move much,

Your friends

So long, cop.

Bachhauffer!

Marthe Pigot!

They drug her.

You looked better lost time

We have to get out of here.

They wanted to kill her.

I refused, you understand?

I think so.

Professor Bachhauffer.

Your whistling reminded her

Funny, isn't it?

The daughter of my old friend,

The rest is silence.

Stop stalling!

Nobody move!

You've got to be kidding me.

So much for the small fry.

As for the big shots,

and Bachhauffer died

Marthe Pigot is cured und will be

Chauffard, Grazielli and Coccioli

which helps.

You're cleared of Madrier's murder,

The press soft-pedalled your role.

Everyone knows French private eyes

Speaking of which...

Keep it clean, Haymann.

Know who came in?

Jude, the pharmacist.

He wants to close the case.

I said: "It's solved.

He blushed.

He stammered that he knew too

Then he left.

What's this Hélène like?

You going or staying?

I'm staying. Why?

Just wondered

with an arm and leg in traction,

a bandaged head,

and just one eye watching me.

I get it.

See you tomorrow.

I have something else to say.

I'm glad you can't talk.

I wont you to know,

I'm getting a divorce.

There.