All language subtitles for Dragnet S02E03 The Badge Racket.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

This is the city, Los
Angeles, California.

Whether or not you'd
want to live here,

it's a nice place to visit,

and a few million
people do it every year.

They come for a lot of reasons.

Either way, they don't
like to be swindled.

When they are, that's
when I go to work.

I carry a badge.

It was Friday, October 11th.

It was fair in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch

out of Fraud's
Division, Bunko Section.

The boss is Captain Lambert.

My partner's Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

It was 3:30 p.m.

We had just
received a phone call

from Sergeant William Booth
of Internal Affairs Division.

Among other duties,
IAD's job is to investigate

any and all complaints
lodged against police officers.

Booth was on his
way down to see us.

The story you are
about to see is true.

The names have been
changed to protect the innocent.

You're not a sugar
man, are you, Joe?

No, but you are.

You bet. Energy, Joe.

- Pure concentrated energy.
- Uh-huh.

What do all great athletes eat?

- Candy bars.
- Uh-huh.

What do growing kids eat?

- Sugar-coated cereals.
- Mm-hm.

What do you give a racehorse
to make him run faster?

Sugar cubes.

Yes, sir, salt of
the earth, sugar is.

Is that right?

Your system just stores it up,

and then you draw
on it when you need it.

Well, one worry you don't have.

What's that?
You'll never run out.

Friday? Gannon?

Booth, how's it going?

Got a businessman
upstairs, Willard Danhart,

- Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
- Yeah.

Claims he was
swindled out of $1,000.

What's he doing up in IAD?

Says the men that took
him were vice officers.

Yeah?

He's upstairs looking at photos

of all the vice personnel now.

What was the scam?

According to Danhart,

these two vice officers
picked up a girl in his room,

charged her with 647B.

Danhart went bail for her.
They gave him a receipt.

Take a look at it.

It's not one of ours.

They back it up with anything?

ID cards. He didn't read them.

They showed him
some kind of a badge.

Says he's not sure,

- but it looked
like one of ours.
- Yeah.

If they're con men,
they've got a new wrinkle.

- First time I've heard of it.
- What's that?

They actually brought him

down here to the police building

to post bail for the girl.

How'd they work it?

While one of them came upstairs

here to the third floor,

the other one took Danhart
up to the cafeteria for coffee.

It's a public building,

but it sure sounds like
the hard way, doesn't it?

I'll run upstairs.

Danhart should be through
checking those pictures.

- Right, Booth.
- I talked to your Captain.

If it falls one way, you
two have got a case.

Yeah.

If it goes the other, we have.

3:44 p.m.

Sergeant Booth brought
the victim, Willard Danhart,

down to the Bunko squad room.

Yes, sir, I've been took.

Those two were no
more police officers

than Hogan's goats.

How's that?

Smedley Hogan, runs
a diary back home,

goat's milk.

I sure feel like one right now,

- I don't mind telling you.
- Mr. Danhart,

Sergeant Friday and
Officer Gannon here

will handle your complaint.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Oh, I thank you, sir.

I've just got to catch
that 6:30 plane tonight.

I already canceled once,

so I could get to
the bottom of this.

Yes, sir.

You probably think
it was the $1,000,

but that's gone.

I know I'm not
gonna get it back.

But on the other
hand, I didn't come

because I'm a
public-spirited citizen.

I'm just plain mad!

It all comes out the same.

- What's that?
- You're here.

Yeah. Well, what can I tell you?

We'd like it all, Mr. Danhart,

right from the beginning.

Well, let's see, uh...

You know my name,
Willard Danhart.

I'm President of Carthy's
Crane and Hoist Company.

If it can be lifted, we've
got the crane to do it.

Under hung, top riding,

stacker, gantry, gib, monorail.

- We have them all.
- Yes, sir.

My sales manager
comes to the coast

three times a year.

I do it once.

Got out here this
trip Monday morning,

checked into the Elsinore Hotel.

I always stay there.
They know me.

- Uh-huh.
- Well, the next
couple of days,

I saw people,
pushed the product,

maybe did a little business.

Last night, I went
to the ballgame.

Can't stay cleaner
than that, can you?

No, sir, you can't.

I was back in the
hotel about 11:00,

had a nightcap in the bar,

picked up my key, went upstairs.

She was in the room.

- Who's that?
- The girl, Pat somebody.

Never did get her last name.

She was just sitting there,
waiting for me to come in.

"I'm Pat," she said.

Yeah?

And I said, "Well,
that's very nice.

How did you get in my room?"

- Do you know what she said?
- Suppose you tell us, sir.

A bellhop let her in.
Okay, it could happen.

Wrong man, wrong room.

"A mistake has
been made," I tell her.

"I didn't call for
room service."

She seemed to have
trouble believing that.

Then... Comes the
knock on the door.

Yes, sir?

I tell her that's
probably her friend,

the bellhop, coming to get you.

Huh-uh, the police,

Sergeant Morlock,
Sergeant Cress.

Oh, okay. So, they were phony.

I know that today.

Last night, I was
a little rattled.

- That's understandable.
- My thought was

I've gotta keep it
right here in this room.

If it ever gets back
to Cedar Rapids,

that's all, brother.

It's not only the company.

I've got a wife and
three kids, all under 20.

Yeah, I was rattled all right.

You were supposed to be.

That's what the
conmen depend on.

Right.

Well, they said they'd been
following the girl all evening.

I said, "In that case,

you know she hasn't
been in here five minutes.

Nothing out of line
could've happened."

But they said they
were arresting her,

and I'd have to testify
at the arraignment.

Wrong?

Yes, sir.

It doesn't happen that
way at an arraignment.

No testimony is given.

The suspect either pleads guilty

and receives sentence
right then and there,

or he pleads not guilty,
and the date of trial is set.

Well, if I would've
known that last night,

I'd have saved $1,000.

How'd the business of
the bail money come up?

Something Morlock said.

He was the older one,
kind of tough and cynical.

Cress, he seemed
like a nice, friendly type.

Well, as I say, I
was looking for a way

to keep it hushed up,
and, and Morlock tells me

there's a 50-50 chance

she'll never even make
the arraignment anyway.

Naturally, I wanted
to know more.

Bail, he said. Real better.

She's part of a ring,

and they'll probably
go bail for her,

- and she'll skip.
- Yes, sir.

Well, I wanted a
better split than 50-50,

so I got Cress
aside and asked him

how I could find out
if she got bailed out.

He could see the bind I was in,

and he said he'd give me
a call before noon today.

Where did he call
from, the hotel lobby?

Oh, you know it.

Said they were there trying
to get a lead on that bellhop.

Bail had been set at $1,000,

and nobody had
come up with it yet.

All I could think of was
to get a check cleared

and the money downtown
before she was arraigned.

They offered to drive you?

Yeah, they drove
me right down here

to the police station,
cops on every side.

Morlock even steered me
to coffee in your cafeteria

while his partner
was getting my receipt,

"right here on the
third floor," he said.

Well, you tell me, Sergeant.

Would anybody have
gotten suspicious of them?

You did.

Well, not suspicious... mad.

At first, I was just relieved
I'd gotten out of a mess,

and cheap, at the price.

And then I asked myself,
"What mess? What cheap?"

I hadn't done anything wrong,

and I paid a
thousand bucks for it!

The more I thought
about it, the madder I got.

Yes, sir.

And the police are supposed
to protect honest citizens.

That's what we pay taxes for!

And, brother, I pay plenty.

Not here, back in Iowa,

but it all comes out
to the same thing.

And I needed
protection from scandal,

and it was up to the
police to give it to me.

So, I made me a
reservation on the later flight

and came back down here.

Well, you don't need
protection now, Mr. Danhart.

Well, I realize that,

but maybe I'll get
something for my money.

Oh?

Satisfaction, if you
catch those crooks.

Well, I don't know. Maybe
you bought something else.

- What's that?
- An education.

6:30 p.m. Before
leaving for the day,

Bill and I sent a
teletype to New Orleans,

Miami, Chicago,

Atlantic City, and New York.

If this racket had been
worked in other places,

these were the
most likely cities,

due to the large number
of out-of-town visitors.

Monday, October 14th.
Replies started coming in.

By noon, we had received
nine reports of extortion

or attempted extortion,
based on police impersonation.

Except for minor variations,

the MOs were identical
to our own case.

1:00 p.m. We took the
results to Captain Lambert.

Miami police had
four cases on file.

They figure another
100 were never reported.

Where'd they get the
numbers, just guesswork?

No, sir. In every case,
the phony bail was $1,000.

Hotel records showed too
many small-town businessmen

had cashed checks for that
amount in the larger hotels.

You got any kind
of an MO pattern?

Yes, sir. According
to Miami detectives,

they seem to work four
or five jobs in each hotel.

Then there has to
be an inside man.

That's what Miami says.

They think a desk
clerk, or a bell captain,

or a cashier
selects the victims.

Then the girl makes
the pickup in the bar,

the lobby, once in an elevator.

If nothing else works,
they'll plant her in the room

like they did on
Willard Danhart.

You got descriptions of
these people from him?

Yes, sir. Doesn't help much.

- And Miami?
- Same thing.

The only one they
ever identified was a girl.

They're sending us mug shots,

but she doesn't sound
like the same one

who's been working the Elsinore.

Well, how do you want to go?

- Stakeout?
- Yes, sir.

Just check in and hope
they pick up on you, huh?

- That's it.
- Kind of loose.

You could stay there all
week and never get tapped.

Well, we can be sure
of one thing, Skipper.

Yeah?

They're gonna tap somebody.

It was decided Bill would pose

as a businessman
from Lincoln, Nebraska.

Captain Lambert
prepared a cover story

and made the necessary
arrangements to back it up.

Tuesday, October 15th.

We drove out to
the airport, 3:35 p.m.

Fred W. Howie
arrived in Los Angeles.

4:10 p.m. He checked into
the Hotel Elsinore, room 1008.

4:30 p.m. Fred W. Howie
was available to be had.

Working a stakeout
is a lot like the Army.

You sit, and you wait.

You wait hours, sometimes days.

You wait for the one big break.

Maybe it'll come,
maybe it won't.

Either way, you wait.

The plan was for Bill to
make himself available.

He ate in the hotel dining room.

He had a drink in
the cocktail lounge.

He drifted through the lobby.

10:15 p.m.

If they were paying attention,

they knew he was here.

Come on in.

I took the elevator
to the floor above

and walked back down.
Yeah, I figured you did.

Well, made all the moves.

- Yes, sir.
- And that's it.

Well, you just checked in.

Yeah.

You gave them a look.
That's enough for openers.

I guess.

What's the matter? Is
something bothering you?

No, I wouldn't say that.

Okay, which one of
the beds do you want?

Oh, it doesn't make a bit
of difference to me, Joe.

They're both the
same. It's just that...

Just that what?

Well, it's just that I'd really
hate to miss on this one.

You would, huh?

Joe, you know how
long I've been married?

Around 12 years, isn't it?

Over 13 years, Joe.

And when you haven't been
on the loose for that long,

you just don't
have the feel for it.

- You know what I mean?
- No, I don't believe I do.

Well, for example, there
was a girl in the lounge.

I thought she might
be giving me the eye,

but I wasn't sure.

The old instinct was
gone. I just didn't know.

I wouldn't lose
any sleep over it.

I don't know.

Maybe you'd do better on my end.

You'll do just fine.

You're single.
You've got that...

Look about you, you know?

Yeah, I agree with you.

Sure.

That's why you're
right for the job.

How's that?

You look like a married man.

You took the best
bed, too, didn't you?

The one by the window.

Wednesday, October
16th, 8:05 a.m.

There was no reason
not to leave the hotel

during the day.

All the victims we knew about

had been approached after dark.

Also, it helped Bill's cover

as an out-of-town
visitor here on business.

8:25 a.m. We checked in to work.

There was one more
reply to our teletype.

It was from New Orleans.

The MO was clearly the same.

It told us nothing we
didn't already know.

9:12 a.m. a mug shot of the girl

identified by the Miami
police arrived in the mail.

As we had expected, it
did not match the description

given us by Willard Danhart.

Also, it was not
the girl Bill had seen

in the hotel lounge
the night before.

Wednesday, October
16th, 7:14 p.m.

We had one more night
to go on the stakeout,

and still no contact.

- Yeah?
- You Mr. Fred W. Howie?

- That's right.
- Ainsworth, hotel security.

Do you mind if I come in?

Hotel security.

Oh, you mean,
you're a house dick.

Well, we have fancier
names these days,

but that's about it.

Well, what do you want from me?

There's a matter I'd
like to discuss with you.

What's that, Ainsworth?

You're from the Midwest.

Lincoln, Nebraska.
What's the problem?

The policy of this hotel,
any first class hotel,

is to provide its guests
with privacy and protection.

You paid for that.
You're entitled to it.

No complaints.

But there have been
complaints by other guests.

Naturally, we
had to look into it.

That's part of our job.

Well, what was it? A poker game,

professional high
stakes gambling,

the kind where you can be
hurt before you can get out.

We have orders to break it up.

That's all right with me.

We've been trying to learn
who's running the game,

when the next one is scheduled,

what room it's going to be in.

Is that right?

Our investigation has
turned up certain things,

probably no connection
with the game,

but we have to check them out.

Like what?

Well, you're registered in
this room alone, Mr. Howie,

but we have information

there's at least one other
person occupying the room.

Suppose I tell
you it's not true?

How do I know I can believe you?

If it comes to that,

how do I know you're
really a house detective?

Bradford Hotel Chain, all right.

Now, would you
mind satisfying me?

You gonna search
the place, if I don't?

I have the authority, Mr. Howie,

but I'd prefer not to do it.

Save the effort.

Police?

Officer Bill Gannon.
My name's Friday.

Why wasn't the hotel informed?

We've handled
problems like this before.

There was no need
to bring the police into it

until we made sure.

We're not looking for gamblers.

Well, then, what is it?
Routine investigation.

Well, you could've let us know.

Even if you don't need any help,

a little professional
courtesy never hurt anybody.

Well, that's what
we're depending on.

How do you mean?

You're the only one
who knows we're here.

- Yeah?
- Help us keep it that way.

Thursday, October 17th.

Since our presence
in the Elsinore Hotel

was known to at least one person

outside the department,
a decision had to be made

whether or not to
continue the stakeout.

9:00 a.m. We talked it
over with Captain Lambert.

If Ainsworth is the inside man,

we're burned right now.

We got anything on him?

No, sir. He's clean.

What about this floating game?

Well, I tried to check it
out through a bartender.

- He's friendly.
- Yeah?

I asked him if there
was any action.

I figured it could
work for me either way.

Yeah?

He wanted to know
what I was looking for.

I gave him the sign,
and he shook it off,

claimed there was no
action at the Elsinore.

He didn't try to steer you
into anything else, huh?

No, sir.

Based on what you
got off the teletype,

what's the pattern on
when they make a pickup?

Most cases, the night
before the victim checks out.

Then he's so busy
raising the money,

he doesn't have time to think.

Gannon, you were going
to stay one more night, huh?

Yes, sir. Let's go the full run.

7:30 p.m. The stakeout at the
Hotel Elsinore was resumed.

Until Bill was approached,

there was nothing we
could do but continue to wait.

Everything okay, Mr. Howie?

- Just fine.
- Checking out in the morning?

That's right.

I've been thinking about
our conversation last night.

You have?

You asked me if there
was any action in the house?

- Remember?
- Yeah, I remember.

Well, I did a little
checking today,

just in case there was
a little something going

I didn't know about.

Ralph, the only thing
you checked was me.

Well, you know
how it is, Mr. Howie.

No, how is it, Ralph?

Well, I wouldn't know
about that, Mr. Howie.

All they said was to find
out if you're still interested.

You found out.

Can I make you another one?

Go ahead.

- Here you are.
- That's the trouble.

- What?
- Here I am.

Pick up your drink, Mr. Howie.

Come in.

What was that telephone
business all about?

Take a look at this napkin.

Room 1244, the big game, huh?

According to the bartender.

Figured I'd better
use the pay phone,

called our friend Ainsworth,
the house detective.

Yeah.

Told him the hotel had
better hire a new bartender,

gave him the room number.

Said he'd handle it.
Couldn't thank me enough.

I'm sure.

I told him to forget it,
professional courtesy.

Well, he's happy.
I wish we were.

Yeah, things don't look
too promising, do they?

That is the
understatement of the day.

I'm sorry to disturb you,

but there's a
prowler in my room.

- What's your room number?
- Just let me use the phone.

I'll call the desk and give...

I'm sorry, but I
feel a little faint.

All right, now just
take it easy, lady.

Thank you.

Maybe I'd better
call the desk for you.

I'm afraid there's no hurry now.

I'm sure he'll be gone.

You know, that's a pretty
frightening experience.

Were you asleep?

Yes.

I don't know what wakened
me, but all of a sudden,

I realized there was
someone in the room.

I grabbed this.

I don't know whether
it was out of modesty

or because I couldn't
bear to see it stolen.

Then I ran out and pounded
on the first door I came to.

Police. We'd like to come in.

What for? What's this all about?

Oh, I think we ought to
keep this thing private, sir.

You don't want to attract
a lot of attention, do you?

No, no, come in.

I wish you'd tell
me what's wrong.

We're from the vice
squad. I'm Sergeant Cress.

This is my partner,
Sergeant Morlock.

We arrested this
woman for prostitution.

Dirty fuzz, you're lying!

Now, wait a minute.

We'll need your
name and address, too.

Am I under arrest?

No, nothing like that.
You're a material witness.

You'll have to appear at
her arraignment tomorrow.

I don't see how I can.
I'm leaving in the morning.

I wouldn't try it. We'd
just have to bring you back

on an out-of-state subpoena.

Look, I'm a businessman.

I can't afford to get
mixed up in a scandal.

Mister, we don't make the laws.

We just enforce them.

Well, this woman just
walked into my room

two minutes ago.

Well, there's nothing
we can do, sir. Sorry.

But I've got a
wife and a family.

Don't take it too big.

The way these things work
out, there's a good chance

this girl will never
make the arraignment.

- What's that mean?
- Bail.

This girl's known to be
part of an organized ring.

They'll go her bail, and
that's the last we'll see of her.

Say, could I talk to
you and him private?

Can't leave the
room without her.

Yeah, I understand.
Just over here.

There must be
something I can do.

If my family hears
about this, it'll ruin me.

Well, what do
you think, Morlock?

Well, one thing's certain.
I know how he feels.

If we could just be sure
that bail was posted,

this guy'd have it made.

I'll go along with
you. It's not regulation,

but you can't always
go by the book.

Now, what I'm about to
suggest can't leave this room.

You name it. I
won't breathe a word.

Well, the only thing you
have to be concerned about

is that girl's bail.

You know what I'd
do, if I were you?

- I'd post it.
- Pay her bail?

Be a sure way to
clean this thing up.

Well, how much
would that run me?

We don't have
the answer to that.

We could sure find out.

All right, I'll put up her bail.

Well, we have to take
her down and book her.

Suppose you come along with us,

and we'll clean it all
up in about 15 minutes.

Where do we go?

Police building downtown.

While Cress takes the
girl upstairs to book her,

you and I will have a cup
of coffee in the cafeteria.

I don't feel much in
the mood for coffee.

I'd feel better if I
could just stick with you

and get this thing done.

Do you have any
cash with you, sir?

Well, I have some, yes.
How much do you figure?

Oh, somewhere around a thousand.

Isn't that about what these
things usually run, Morlock?

Oh, right around there.

I think I can scrape
together that much.

All right, well, we'd
better get moving.

- You want the money now?
- Oh, no, no.

We want to check downtown,
get the exact amount for you.

Well, I don't know
how to thank you.

Don't bother. That's
what we get paid for.

As soon as Bill and
the three suspects

had cleared the
room, I left the hotel

and maintained
a loose tail on Bill,

as they drove down

to the police
administration building.

I managed to stay close enough

to take the same elevator
upstairs to the third floor.

I'd rather you went on up
to the cafeteria with Morlock

and had some coffee.

No, I'll feel better
doing it this way.

But we can't allow
you to go in the office

with Cress and the girl.

No one's allowed in there
except on official business.

Oh, I understand.

I just want to
get this over with.

We'll wait for you by
the elevator section.

Good.

Friday, Gannon, how's it going?

Hands up on that wall.

Keep yours where
we can see them, lady.

All right, you're under arrest.

It's my duty to inform you
of your constitutional rights.

Oh, save it, cop.
We've heard it before.

We want attorneys.
We've got nothing to say.

Well, I don't think
you'll have to, fella.

You've said it all.

I hope we didn't
burn anything, Joe.

No, this was the end
of the line, Danny.

You and Gannon must have
something the rest of us don't.

How do you mean?

You make your cases
right in the building now?

No, these two just
made a simple mistake.

What's that?

They thought they worked here.

The suspects were
found guilty of conspiracy

and conspiracy to
commit grand theft.

Conspiracy is punishable
by imprisonment

in the state prison for
not more than ten years,

or by imprisonment
in the county jail

for not more than
one year, or by a fine,

not exceeding $5,000, or both.

Subsequent investigation
revealed that a fourth suspect

had been working as a room clerk

at the Hotel Elsinore.

He was tried and found guilty

on the same
charge of conspiracy.