Original subtitles

(theme music plays)

(jazz music playing)

WALTER WINCHELL: In the middle 1920s

Chicago reached into its speaks and cellar clubs

to find a new kind of music.

They called it Jazz.

Restless, hard driving music,

it echoed the mood of the times.

And mixed a little too easily with green beer

and bootlegged hooch.

But on the Chicago Gold Coast in 1930,

there were some club owners

who preferred to serve their music straight.

Ray Gander, better known as "The Goose,"

was one of them.

His customers did not object to his limited menu.

But there were others who did.

(music ends)

(cheers, applause)

Hey, Eddie.

Give us some Rampart Street.

Rampart Street.

And keep playing no matter what happens.

(music starts)

Oh.

Hello, Goose.

What do you want, Lucky?

What else? Your signature.

I told your boss last week...

I don't need his lousy hooch.

Well, Mr. Cagan feels maybe you need

a little more convincing.

Look, these people come here for the music.

If they want booze they know where they can get it.

You play your music and we'll play ours.

-(rapid gunfire) -(music stops)

Keep blowing no matter what.

-Play. -(music starts)

Goose...

now will you sign?

You look it over.

We'll be back.

Say, you guys play real good.

I like you.

(music stops)

ANNOUNCER:

"Blues for a Gone Goose"

Starring Robert Stack as Eliot Ness.

Co-starring Kathleen Nolan.

Will Kuluva.

And Marc Lawrence.

With special guest star Robert Duvall.

And narrated by Walter Winchell.

WINCHELL: Chicago's Gold Coast.

One hour after the machine gunning

at Goose Gander's Golden Egg.

Yeah, this is Lucky.

You tell Mr. Cagan, uh,

the goose got his feather's ruffled.

No, he didn't sign yet, but he's...

What?

Okay, okay, don't get sore.

Look, all the guy needs is a few more treatments.

-Hey, can I help it if... -(click)

Hello?

Hello.

Hello, Lucky.

Hey.

You hear about the Golden Egg, Lucky?

It got scrambled.

What's that got to do with me?

You did the scrambling.

Not me, Mr. Ness.

Four customers, they all identified you.

Who sent you there, Lucky?

Hey, look, you guys got me all wrong...

You've sold your muscle to every mobster in the racket.

-Who paid for tonight's job? -Nobody.

Now last night at the Whoopee Club,

Monday night at the Lion's Den.

What's he talking about?

Three clubs, Lucky. Little ones. Independents.

They all got the same treatment.

Hey, look, I don't work for the mobs anymore.

I got strictly I-legitimate job.

-Doing what? -Handyman.

-Where? -The Parthenon Hotel.

Lou Cagan's place.

That explains it.

Lou Cagan.

Let's go.

WINCHELL: Lou Cagan, the Mr. Big of Chicago's North Side,

made his headquarters at the Parthenon,

his own lavish resort hotel.

Like all hotel owners, he had to contend

with complaining guests.

One of them, representing the New York syndicate,

was Lepke Buchalter.

400 cases delivered to you on the tenth.

300 cases on the eighteenth.

And two more truckloads tomorrow.

It's piling up, Cagan. It's piling up.

We don't send you that booze to decorate your warehouse.

Yeah, it'll start moving again.

We, uh, had a little slump.

You know, economics.

Our supplies bigger than our demand.

In our business we control supply and demand.

When the man in charge starts losing control...

Who's losing...

(laughs)

Who's losing control?

I'm leaving town tomorrow night.

The boys in New York want a report.

Tell 'em they can expect at least five new outlets.

Make it ten.

Okay.

Ten new outlets by the end of the month.

You know, I like you, Cagan.

I like you very much.

I wouldn't want to see anything happen to you.

So I'll tell New York

you already have the ten new outlets.

Hmm?

Okay, Lepke.

Lou Cagan can play with both hands, Goose.

He can play any tune he wants on the tommy gun.

Look, you worry about your cornet.

I'll worry about Cagan.

Goose, listen to me.

I've been listening.

That second chorus you took on Muskrat?

My grandmother could've done better with one lip.

Goose, let's close up this place, leave town.

We can find plenty of gigs in St. Louis or Kansas City.

Haven't you heard?

I don't play "Georgia Brown" anymore.

Well, I can play loud enough for both of us.

Look, kid,

I'm too old to bum around like we used to.

Nobody's hiring one armed piano players these days.

All I can do is listen.

Leave this and what have I got?

Your health.

Next time out Cagan's gonna kill you.

(groans)

Cagan only kills the important cats.

I ain't big enough to be murdered.

NESS: Not big enough to fight him either.

Keep on chopping at you, Goose,

until you beg to buy his rotgut.

Why me, Mr. Ness?

There's a hundred other clubs like mine.

You're the one they all follow.

What you do, they all do.

Not anymore.

We're cutting out of this crumby town.

Is that what you want to do, Goose?

Of course not. Every dime I own

is tied up in this joint.

Then sign up with Cagan.

You'll be part of his organization.

You'd know where he gets his booze,

where he keeps it.

You'd be able to feed us information.

(plays "funeral march")

Stool pigeon music. Don't do it, Goose.

It's like asking for a bullet in your back.

It'd help us put Cagan away once and for all.

Let me noodle it awhile, okay?

When you decide, call me, huh?

(plays "funeral march")

Cut it out, kid.

-I said cut it out! -(stops playing)

Any luck?

Can't tell yet.

Rico, you better keep an eye on the place.

Right.

Is this our stuff?

Yes, sir.

What are you trying to do? Kill me?

Lou, Lucky's been sprung. He's in your office.

Ah, Mr. Cagan.

I sure got to hand it to your lawyers.

They don't waste much time.

They were your lawyers this time.

My name wasn't mentioned or was it?

Your name?

No sir, Mr. Cagan.

I wouldn't think of mentioning your name to Ness.

Got a big mouth, Lucky.

I know it, you know it, and Ness knows it.

What'd you tell him?

Nothing.

Not a word.

All right.

I need ten new outlets. I need them now.

When's Gander gonna sign?

Well, he's pretty stubborn.

Tonight we'll visit Gander again.

He turns us down,

I can be stubborn, too.

Come on, Bunny.

Lou, this is my kind of music.

Yeah? That's why I brought you.

♪♪

Evening, Mr. Cagan.

You, uh, you know the wife?

Uh, Goose Gander.

It's a nice combo you've got, Mr. Gander.

Who's the cornet player?

Eddie Moon.

Come here for the music, Mr. Cagan?

What else? You don't serve booze here, do ya?

No booze.

Just good music, good food.

A little booze would make a big difference.

No booze.

It's your club, Goose.

That's right. My club.

Enjoy yourself.

♪♪

(ringing)

Evening. Golden Egg.

Yeah, speaking.

Who's this?

Who?

Talk louder. I can't hear you.

(door closes)

(last note of song blaring)

(people cheering, clapping)

(cheers, clapping continue)

(piano, drums begin lively song)

Will you play again?

♪♪

♪♪

Hold it, Lucky!

♪♪

(screams)

WINCHELL: Within minutes after the brutal slaying

of Ray "Goose" Gander, the police rounded up

all available witnesses.

Eddie Moon was questioned briefly and released.

He returned to his rooming house

on East Ducane Avenue

at 2:45 a.m.

NESS: Hello, Eddie.

The landlady let us in, if you don't mind.

First the cops, and now you.

What about the murder, Eddie?

Well, Lou Cagan didn't do it.

He was sitting at the table near the bandstand,

him and his wife.

-Did he arrange the murder? -No. I did!

All right, explain it.

He wanted Goose to sign up with Cagan.

I talked him out of it; too dangerous, I thought.

It's funny, huh? Dangerous?

Ain't that a kick.

What are you gonna do, Eddie,

punish yourself for Cagan's crimes?

You can do better-- you can punish Cagan.

I will, you know, just give me time.

Now, right now, start right from the beginning.

Everything you know about Cagan.

Not yet. I don't know enough.

Anything you know about him we can use.

The threats he made, the deals he offered,

the goons that did his muscle work, anything.

Mm.

Here's a private telephone number.

It's unlisted; we change it every month.

When you're ready to talk,

call me.

We want Cagan, Eddie.

So do I, Mr. Ness.

Let us handle it, Eddie.

I saw a statue of justice once.

She wears a blindfold.

Yeah, call Lepke in New York and tell him how we operate.

(chuckles)

You hear that?!

Hey, hey, hey, you hear that?

Hear that, Bunny doll?

We got... we got two more clubs signed up.

Overnight we got four new outlets.

(chuckles) There's more on the way.

Hooray.

Two more daisies.

Hey.

What does that mean?

For Goose Gander's grave.

You know, Bunny doll, the...

cops spent all night trying to pin the rap on me.

But I got better ways to spend the night.

Hey. Hey.

Come here.

What's, uh, what's bothering you, huh?

That murder.

How come it don't bother you none, Lou?

Come here, baby. I had nothing to do with it.

Look, in my business, a guy's got to play pretty rough.

But murder...

that's for the small-timers.

Flunkies.

Not for me.

All right. What about Lucky?

Why'd they kill him?

NESS: How is he, Doctor?

DOCTOR: Still critical.

Do what you can.

I told the papers he was dead; I'd hate to be right.

Do you have any idea at all

when he'll regain consciousness, Doctor?

Tomorrow, the next day.

Hard to say.

In the meantime...

(sighs) We use our secret weapon: patience.

Listen...

honey... Goose Gander was a friend of mine.

I... I liked the old guy.

(chuckles) I was even gonna go in business with him.

(chuckles)

Uh...

This is for the funeral expenses.

Take it to the kid, the cornet player.

Tell him I want to do something nice for the old Goose.

Okay?

All right, Bunny?

(mid-tempo jazz playing)

(knocking)

Yeah, come in.

♪♪

Hello, Eddie Moon.

Hi.

Just to, uh, set things straight,

my husband sent me.

Well, I was hoping it was your idea.

What's this for?

Funeral expenses, things like that.

Lou was fond of Goose.

Well, Cagan's got a high-priced conscience.

(mid-tempo jazz continues)

Eddie, he was just trying to be nice.

Well, he doesn't even know how to spell the word.

You really hate him, don't you?

Why?

Is it because of Goose Gander?

Yeah, Goose Gander.

(turns off music)

Yeah, I really loved that old slob.

Eddie, he had nothing to do with the murder.

Oh, you really believe that?!

I-I have to believe it; he's my husband.

Well, then you must be blind or stupid

or as crummy as he is.

Oh, Eddie...

Eddie...

The loyal, noble wife.

I make one pass...

Oh... this is where I came in, huh?

Hey, you forgot your money.

(door slams in distance)

(indistinct chatter)

Hey, Frank, old boy! Johnny...

(indistinct chatter continues)

-Where's my girl? -Hey, watch it, watch it.

Watch it, buddy. Watch...

(gasps, screams)

Too many girls in one spot-- scatter them around.

Right.

Hey, Mr. Cagan.

Hi, Kid. What do you want, a job?

Uh, can we talk?

Come on.

Yeah, kid?

Mr. Cagan, I want to thank you very much

for the money you sent to me.

Shh. Come on, get to the point.

Well, that is the point.

We need more.

-"We"? Who's "we"? -You and me.

Look, I want to reopen the Golden Egg with your money.

That is, if you think you can trust me as a partner.

(exhales)

All right, kid, keep talking.

All right, I want this to be big.

Now, Goose was a wonderful guy,

but he was afraid to make the big noise.

-You can't be big without booze. -Right.

So I supply the music, and you supply the booze.

What's the catch?

Well, there's no catch--all I want is a place to hang my horn.

You know, when the music gets hot enough,

then the customers get thirsty.

Lou Cagan's New Golden Egg.

Mm, mm, mm, mm.

Let's, uh, let's keep Gander's name.

Hmm? Fits better.

All right. And I'll make sure

we get the best sidemen in Chicago.

-Hey, you mind... -Hey, whoa, whoa, wait a minute,

wait a minute.

Make no commitments.

We, uh, we have to work out some details first, huh?

Lou, the bartender wants to see you right away...

Bunny, I want you to meet my... my new partner.

Partner?

Yeah! He'll, uh, tell you all about it.

(dialing)

Hello, Walt?

Hey, Walt. This is Eddie.

Hey, Eddie Moon, you sap.

Yeah. Hey, listen, I want you to round up the guys

for a good, steady gig.

I'm gonna reopen the Golden Egg.

Me and Lou Cagan.

Yeah, looks like we're gonna be partners.

Well, I always wanted to see what it would be like

to be on the inside of an operation like this.

Yeah, I figure to learn plenty.

So, now, you keep the cats on the fence,

and I'll keep in touch, okay?

Okay, Eddie.

Be careful, huh?

ANNOUNCER: And now back to The Untouchables.

(playing jazz)

(playing "Chopsticks" badly on the piano)

(both playing "Chopsticks")

(laughs)

(discordant notes play)

-Uh. -(laughs)

So, uh, what do you want, Bunny? Why'd you come here?

-Well, I... I, uh... -(plays note)

I just wanted to see what the remodeling was like.

(Bunny sighs)

All right, you got what you came for.

Now, uh, go on home to your husband.

Eddie, do you really enjoy it?

Do you enjoy tearing people into little pieces?

When they deserve it.

But why do I deserve it?

Look, you married Lou Cagan.

You know what he is, uh, but you're afraid to admit it.

Did it ever occur to you that I might love my husband?

Why, he's done more for me than-than anyone.

All right. All right, come here, come on.

-No! -You come here, come on.

Eddie!

Eddie, what are you doing?

Now, are you gonna show me how much you love your husband?

Eddie. Eddie, I-l can't keep up with you.

Hello. Lou Cagan, please.

Eddie, are you out of your mind?

Now... now, you tell him, as soon as I can arrange it,

I'm gonna kill him. Now, you tell him that. Go on, go on.

Hello. Lou Cagan here.

You love him, all right.

Bunny.

What happened?

I broke my heel!

Maybe I can, uh...

Get away!

Here.

Good night, Bunny.

Eddie?

I'll drive you home.

Ah, thanks. I'd rather walk.

Eddie, wait!

Eddie!

Please... don't be cruel anymore.

It's a terrible thing to be cruel.

(crying)

WINCHELL: Eight miles across town,

Eddie's business partner, Lou Cagan,

was receiving a major shipment from the East.

It was expected.

Eliot Ness was not.

As Eddie Moon became more familiar

with Cagan's activities, he passed the info along

to the Untouchables.

Tonight, they made their first highly damaging raid.

Cagan lost over 1,400 cases of bootleg whiskey.

Eddie Moon's partnership was beginning to pay off.

All right, let's move 'em out.

-Come on. -Let's go.

Get in front of the truck.

Let's go. Keep your hands up.

Let's go. Get in front of the truck.

(explosion)

(gunfire)

So, Goose and his band--

they were doing a one-nighter at St. Joe.

The bus broke down on the highway,

so I picked 'em up on my old man's hay wagon.

(laughter)

I was in St. Joe once.

It was the-the biggest city I'd ever seen.

I guess I-I still had hayseed in my hair.

So, the next town through, he brought me a coronet.

This one.

-Eddie? -Huh?

You're not really gonna kill Lou, are you?

Call it a public service.

Why don't you let the public servants do their job?

I mean, they don't have any proof that he...

Ness has the proof.

All he needs is a sworn, uh...

Statement?

Well, they don't have a witness.

Drink your coffee.

Oh, I mean, the only witness they had is Lucky,

and he's dead.

So, forget about it.

Well, he is. It... it was in the paper.

All right, so, forget about it, Bunny.

Eddie... what is it about Lucky?

What are you trying to hide?

Yeah, he's alive!

He's at the county hospital, room 107.

Yeah. How do you know it's Lucky?

Arnie Brubaker's brother stole a motorcycle, cracked it up.

He's in the prison ward.

Arnie goes to see him, they wheel this patient by.

It was Lucky.

Huh. Explains the raid on the freight cars.

1,400 cases.

Now, listen. Ness tells the world Lucky's dead,

we ain't gonna make him out a liar.

Get the word to Reed.

This is Tobias. Have a car ready in 20 minutes.

(glass breaking)

(nurse screams)

(screaming)

(explosion)

(knocking)

(loud banging on door)

Wait a minute!

-Wait, what...! -Sit down!

Answer fast, Eddie.

You know a cheap hood named Lucky?

-Sure. -Where is he now?

Well, he's, uh...

Now! Right now! Where is he now?!

-I mean, he's, uh... -Come on, talk! Where is he?!

Well, for crying out loud, Mr. Ness, you want the real answer?

As far as you're concerned, there's only one real answer.

Lucky's dead.

Well, sure, I know that.

Lucky was murdered about one hour ago.

Murdered? He's in the hospital, isn't he?

Two patients, an intern and a police officer-- all dead.

Well, you don't think that I sat in on that, do you?

No. It was Cagan's work.

A grenade right through the window.

But how did Cagan know?

NESS: That's the big question, Eddie.

How did Cagan know?

You're one of the family around the Parthenon, Eddie.

Did anyone else know that Lucky was alive?

Bunny!

Who? Cagan's wife?

How much does she know? What did you tell her?

I don't think I told her anything.

Four innocent people were killed.

Four, Eddie.

And the one witness who could have convicted Cagan.

But I thought she was in love with me.

NESS: A cheap mobster's wife, Eddie.

Is she worth four lives?

Four lives, Eddie.

Well, she's as bad as Cagan.

She's worse than Cagan!

WINCHELL: Within 24 hours after the bombing of the hospital,

Ness had declared open war on Lou Cagan.

The raids were fast, frequent and devastating.

Until now, Ness had hoped to destroy Cagan from within.

But the process was too slow.

Now he applied the pressure from the outside,

using Eddie Moon's information

to cripple the underworld empire.

(phone ringing)

Uh-huh.

Hold on. Lou, it's long distance. Lepke.

Lepke, how are you? How are things in the big town?

I called the hotel.

They said you were out looking over the damage.

Well, it wasn't so bad this time. (laughs)

They're all bad, Cagan.

Last month, you couldn't move the stuff.

Now it's moving in the wrong direction.

Now you have a leak somewhere, Cagan,

and I'll give you just three days

to plug it up, you understand me?

Just three days.

I've been working on that leak for some time now.

-(click)

Hello. Hello.

Toby?

That leak-- we got to find it.

(coronet playing jazz)

(coronet playing jazz)

♪♪

It's about time.

I thought you had a tin ear.

Do I?

You know, Mr. Horn Man,

if my husband should just happen to wander through...

Well, I'm his partner, remember?

We share the same assets.

Lately, he's been sharing them with Eliot Ness.

Eddie,

you're working for Ness, aren't you?

What instrument does he play?

I'm serious.

Lou's convinced that someone around here is selling him out.

Well, at least he knows he can trust his wife.

Not with you around.

What's wrong, Eddie?

Just thinking of all the dead people I know.

What?

Goose Gander.

Lucky.

Four innocent corpses.

Lou Cagan.

(sighs)

You're still determined to get rid of him,

aren't you, Eddie?

Yeah, him and everybody he depends on.

It's a little chilly.

I think I'll go in and get dressed.

(plays jazz)

(door closes)

Eddie?

Are you still here?

Eddie?

Been waiting for you, kid.

Good, pull out a banjo; let's, uh, jam a little.

Well, all we... all we want is the truth, kid.

Huh? Truth.

You, uh, been singing to Ness?

Well, where'd you get that idea from?

-Your wife? -From you.

My trouble started ever since you joined the team.

It's been getting worse ever since.

Well, what if I told you no? Would you believe me?

Oh, we'd have to test it a little, huh?

There just ain't anyone else, kid.

We can't even blame it on Lucky.

Come on, come on.

Huh? Yes or no?

You work for Ness?

Huh?

(crowd talking, betting)

-Toby. -Bunny.

Where is everyone this evening?

Yeah, pretty quiet crowd tonight.

I mean my husband.

At the Golden Egg.

Golden Egg?

Could be Lou found our leak to Ness.

Oh?

That horn-blower.

-Eddie Moon? Mm-hmm.

Operator, get me Eliot Ness in the Federal Building.

Hurry. Please hurry.

Come on, let me hear it...

Let me hear it, let me hear it.

Do you work-work for Ness?

Hmm? Well, if it isn't you, who is it then?

-Come on. -You wouldn't like to hear it.

I know I wouldn't like it, but who's the stoolie?

Come on, kid, come on.

Hm?

Your wife, Bunny.

You...

lousy liar!

You lousy liar.

Ask her, ask her yourself.

I'm asking you.

-Talk! -I was there.

I heard her talking.

She called Ness.

-Liar.

I'm not...

I'm not lying to you.

Liar! Liar!

-Liar! -I didn't know.

She's got his private line.

She's got the number in her top drawer of her night bureau.

Ask her yourself!

Why didn't you tell me that before?

Why didn't you tell me that before?

How could I tell you a thing like that?

Your own wife.

Bunny!

Where the devil are you?

♪♪

MAN: Eliot Ness's office.

♪♪

False alarm?

Not from the looks of it.

Stay here, Rico.

Come on, Lee.

BUNNY: Eddie?

You weren't at the club.

Eddie!

What have they done to you?

What have they done to you?

Get away from me.

Eddie, please.

Damn it, get out of here.

Eddie, you need help.

I love you, you big jerk.

Eddie?

Eddie, I-I've left the Parthenon.

I-I've left Lou.

From now on, it's just gonna be us.

Oh, baby, I don't want to be any place else.

(whispering) Oh, no.

Bunny.

Cagan's gonna...

He's gonna kill you.

Why? Because I left him?

Oh, he doesn't care that much.

No, I told him you were selling him out.

I-I wanted him to kill you.

What?

Baby, I was so full of bad music.

I was hating so much,

I forgot how to love.

No.

Bunny.

-Baby.

(gunshots)

Eddie!

Take care of that lead, partner.

We'll be opening soon.

♪♪

Watch it!

(gunshots)

She called me, Eddie.

She was worried about you.

WINCHELL: Lou Cagan was dead, his empire destroyed.

Eddie Moon's mission was completed.

He left his coronet in a pawnshop

on State Street and disappeared.

One year later, the unredeemed horn

was sold to a young music student,

a member of the Chicago Junior Symphony.

It never again played jazz.