Original subtitles

(men laughing)

(speech drowned out by laughter)

- Maybe he's a man.

Nine years old.

So, I no sooner talked him outta that racket,

he says, "Chuck, I got something, you know, big.

"I'm gonna sell tuxedos in Hell's Kitchen."

(men laughing)

- Don't forget it was those guys,

the rejects from,

the Park Avenue guys, don't forget that.

- Oh, how could I?

(men laughing)

- How'd you figure you'd come out on that?

- Well, I was gonna put a ten- spot in the trousers

of those suits that I sold.

All the guys on the block would forget,

that these guys were so rich,

they would forget to check the pockets

and that way they'd get all the ten pins

before I would, remember?

- And so what happened?

- I wouldn't give him the first ten bucks

to start the action going.

- We wouldda been rich men by now, right.

- Oh, yeah, rich men. (doorbell buzzes)

- Ah, excuse me a second, fellas.

- [Buz] Yeah, sure.

- Eh, want more coffee? - Yeah.

I see what you mean about Briner.

He's a great guy.

- Yeah, with me, it goes way back with him, you know.

A guy like Chuck really made the difference.

- Umm, Buz, wanna do me a favor?

- Yeah, sure.

- Umm, I have to go out for a while.

Hey, Marva.

Marva's gonna wait here til I get back.

- Hello.

- That's Buz.

When he was a kid, I chased him up and down more alleys

than you got in all Philadelphia.

That one there, that's Tod.

Nice guy, both of them are, nice guys.

They're my guests for the week.

So they know where the coffee and the eggs

and the dishes are.

How 'bout some breakfast while I get my coat?

- Yeah, yeah, look Mister Briner, will ya hurry, please?

- Okay.

- Well, hello again.

Why don't you sit down, have some breakfast.

- See, it is a small world.

Even in Philadelphia, they've heard what you can do

to a coffee bean.

- [Buz] Ha, ha, ha.

- Look, I want you--

- Just keep cool, Marva.

Fellas, she's kinda had a hard time,

so try to keep her smiling.

- [Buz] Right, sure.

- Alright, see ya.

(ominous instrumental music)

(car engine rumbles)

(dramatic instrumental music)

(eerie instrumental music)

How's the job coming, Eddie?

- It's a job.

- Day off? - I'm on the way in.

Okay, so I'm late.

What's that? I'm late.

- Well, you wouldna been if Packy hadn't called a summit.

And you hadn't sat in.

Ah, grow up, Eddie.

You're trying to write your name in the sky.

You can't even go upstairs with this guy.

Calling yourselves the Missiles.

They never got one of you off the pad yet.

Look around, Eddie.

Where's the magic beanstalk?

And Packy, he's not a giant killer.

You gotta climb the hard way, the way the rest of us do,

by your fingernails, by your bootstraps, by your guts.

I'll see ya 'round, Eddie.

(ominous string music)

Phil. - Nobody sent for ya.

- If I waited for you guys to send for me,

I'd be the old man on the mountain, wouldn't I?

- Look, Chuck, if-- (baby cries)

- He laughs at me.

He thinks it's a big joke.

So, up or down.

- Try the stairs.

This rocket's booked.

Okay, job man, calm down.

- Going up.

(elevator buzzes)

- You maybe have some of the tenants

in this building scared, but you don't scare me.

I got a man knows how to handle little crooks like you.

- I seen your man, lady.

(baby cries)

- Rats, that's what they are.

All rats, taking over the whole building.

Come on, let's go home.

Jason's waiting.

(ominous instrumental music)

(swanky horn music)

- You can't do it, Packy.

- Can't do what, job man?

- I hear it's a five hand hit for tonight.

- (laughs) Herring in the head. (laughs)

- Call it off, Packy.

(laughing)

Here, listen to me, all of ya.

It's off.

If I have to live in your pockets, it's off.

Forget it.

- How you gonna stop us, job man?

- Any way you want, kid.

- Any way, job man?

- Pick it.

(laughing)

(clapping)

- Polaris.

You stick with this'un. On?

(clapping)

- You're on.

(swanky horn music)

(laughing)

(clapping and laughing)

(shouting and laughing)

(screams)

- Oh, man, didn't you know, only the little birdie flies?

No panic, just cut out.

- What about tonight?

- What about it?

- We'll be hot. - Shhhh.

Man, that's the best time.

- Nope, there's nothing here to soothe the savage beast.

Ah, looks like Chuck's ear runs to classical.

How 'bout an unfinished symphony, huh?

- Look, you don't hafta knock yourself out for me.

- I dunno why you keep looking out that window.

What is out there anyway?

- I shouldda gone to Johnny first before I came here.

He'd a laughed it off.

- Who's Johnny?

- What's keeping Mister Briner?

- Well, that depends.

What did ya send him out after?

- Okay, packed.

- Oh, good.

When Chuck gets back,

we'll cut out, right. - Yeah.

- Look at all these old photographs, huh?

Wow, thousands of kids and Chuck.

Playground, alleys,

school steps, wow.

Did you know he used to be a truant officer?

What a tough guy he was.

He's the one who kept me in Pierce 42.

Look at that.

I never thought I was such a skinny kid, huh?

Wow, you see that paper in my hand?

It's a diploma.

I didn't even know how to spell it,

but I knew what it felt like that afternoon.

Chuck got one of these Broadway candid camera guys,

took that picture.

I dunno, I lost mine somewhere along the line.

But he kept his.

After all these years, here it is in this old box, huh?

And all the other pictures of these guys,

all the guys he helped, wow.

You in trouble with the police?

Is that what you sent Chuck for?

Talk you free, huh?

Hey, wait a minute.

(door slams)

(knocking at door)

- Okay, Mister Jensen, I'll take it from here.

My name's Peterson, Lieutenant Peterson.

Okay if I come in?

- Well, sure, come on.

- Well, I think you fellas here could be a break, you know.

- A break?

- I figure maybe there's a note on the pad by the phone,

or maybe the super's got a hunch.

Not much to begin with, but you gotta start somewhere.

So, the super tells us all week, Briner's got company.

You two, old pals?

- Yeah.

- Boys been in all morning? - Why?

- I notice your luggage. Leaving?

- Soon as Chuck gets back.

- When did you see him last?

- 'Bout eight o'clock.

- Look, Lieutenant, I mean, you know, we're grown boys.

Don't cat and mouse us.

What's it all about?

- Briner is dead.

The hard way.

Now let's take it from the top.

- She's gone.

- Who's gone?

- That girl.

- The girl that sent Chuck running outta here.

- Marva.

- Marva what?

- I dunno, just Marva.

17-year-old girl with tight pants and a sweater

and a short grey coat.

- Could be one of 'em.

Happened in Missile territory.

It's a gang of JDs, hang out on rooftops,

back stairs, elevators, hallways.

Need an army to patrol all that territory.

Okay, we'll talk on the way?

- Yeah.

- Sit in with me on the lineup.

We're gonna pull 'em in, the whole rat pack.

Little Marva too, and I'll need identification.

(slow classical music)

(record player clicks)

- Come on.

(ominous instrumental music)

(ominous horn music)

- Pulling my boy out of school,

right in front of his teacher.

Talk about a slap in the face.

- My husband's a good man.

What am I supposed to tell him?

- [Officer] Please sit down.

(mumbling)

- Now look, wait a while, boys, I disagree.

If they pushed him, they'll get the chair regardless.

- Come on, Harry.

A couple of them don't even look 15.

- Look, I have the list right here

and most of them are old enough to make the varsity.

- I talked to the head boy Packy,

and he said nobody touched Briner.

- Look, wait a while, wait a while.

Let the coroner's jury decide, understand?

- All spruced up today, boys?

- Notice it, Tod?

- What?

- Where are the fathers?

(mumbling)

- We got the Missiles and their gals.

If you spot this Marva, let me know.

Come on.

Okay, Captain.

- Okay, lights out.

Alright, let's go.

Marty Khan,

Phil Johnson,

Leona Harding,

Toots Mason, come on, Toots.

Alright, right face.

- Hey, Phil, he said right face.

- [Captain] Come on, come on.

Let's see the profile.

- There.

- Eh.

- Hey, how long you gonna keep us here?

I got an appointment.

- Knock it off, knock it off.

- Mister, please, come here.

Those two boys, they took him up in the elevator.

They musta had a gun their pockets.

That's how they got him to go up there.

(whispering)

- Alright, the four of you can move off there.

Two boys go downstairs.

Alright, let's have the next batch.

Eddie Boyd,

Packy Gerard,

Betty Spencer,

Mary Jens.

- Maybe she just said her name was Marva.

- Chuck introduced us.

He'd know her name.

- Mmm, they try to cover the bases.

Maybe she's in the net, maybe she isn't.

- Alright, step out Packy, right on the line.

- Here, baby, take my place.

How 'bout a little profile, eh?

- Aww, you oughta be in pictures.

- I am, man, only your camera man stinks.

- [Captain] Ever been convicted of a felony?

- Who me? No.

- Oh, you're not telling me the truth, Packy.

Arrested June 9th, entering and breaking

Carl's Discount Shop.

How much did ya make on that haul, Packy?

- Buttons and bows.

- Oh no, Packy, sorry.

500 dollar camera,

a radio.

- 500, oh come on.

A little box job, 475 at your handy corner drug store.

That guy just jacked up the claim for the insurance payoff.

- You'd take a fall for that?

- Why should I?

It's the first time I ever got caught.

And the man says, "Now Packy, you stay outta trouble, hear?"

Same old jazz, all the time.

But that man don't tell me how.

And I mean, a growing boy's

gotta have something to do, right?

Can't just hang around, you know?

- Alright, alright, Packy.

There'll be a coroner's inquest.

We'll subpoena you to testify under oath.

- Look, you want the truth?

Then let's do it now, right here, with the lie box, huh?

I'm serious, man.

Come on, here's the skin.

Where's the lie box?

You wanna know the truth?

Well, I'll give it to you, man.

So Briner crashed in flames, so what.

So I'm telling you.

You all out there, staring down your noses at us.

Briner was a lot better cat than any of you'll ever be.

No one asked him to stick with us, but he hung, see.

Not like some social worker with conviction, no man.

He had guts.

Down the line to the core.

Briner dug and he stuck.

And not just on Sundays either.

Any time, any place, you name it, he was there.

Yeah, man, with the Missiles.

We got our laws too, and our kicks.

Briner knew them both.

He called me on, man.

Yeah, anywhere, he said.

You pick it, kid.

He tried to put me down in front of my own tribe.

No, man, I'm the leader.

Right, Eddie? - Right, Packy.

- Right, Yur? - You know it.

- Yeah, they know, man, that nobody can fly

like Packy Gerard, nobody.

Briner, he tried.

Yeah, he really tried, man.

But he slipped, end of scene.

- Where's Marva, Packy?

- I dunno, man, I sure wish I did.

You don't believe me?

Get the lie box.

(whispering)

- Alright, move 'em out.

Let the rest of them go too.

That wraps it up for today.

(claps)

- Well, that's about the size of it.

Look, fellas, I think there's something

you might wanna know.

State's Attorney's office just phoned in.

Seems they turned up some old guy,

lives in an apartment building across the street.

He and his wife have nothing better to do

than sit in the window and watch people.

They saw the whole act.

Briner making like a kid, stooging around the roof,

swinging on TV antennas, you name it.

Nobody was near him when he went over, just like Packy said.

That makes it an accident.

- Open and shut.

- We don't judge 'em, kid.

We just follow the rules.

- All in a day's work.

- You develop an immunity or you die of the disease.

- Show me some bodies.

(ominous instrumental music)

(ominous instrumental music)

You know, there was that brother

he talked about in Cincinnati.

Maybe he's still there.

- Somebody's gotta close the apartment

and settle his affairs.

- Yeah, they oughta invent a new kinda spray.

Something that settles your affairs after you're gone.

Spray it around a few times and everything disappears.

The old shoes in the closet, the beer in the icebox,

settles everything, you know?

Well, call the Lieutenant.

Tell him we got some answers right here.

- No! - Oh, no.

- Let go of me.

I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I swear, you stupid.

Let go of me.

Get your hands off of me.

Get your hands off of me.

I'll kill ya.

Let go of me.

(crying and sobbing)

Oh, Johnny, Johnny.

Why didn't I leave you alone?

- Knock it off now, we don't wanna hear that.

- I had to go somewhere, I had to hide.

I didn't think anybody'd be here.

- Buz, what's to call the Lieutenant?

The Missiles are back on the street.

They're all squared away and home free.

- Well, I'm not squared with them.

Now, come on now, tell me.

How did you get Chuck to get up on the roof, huh?

How did you get him to get with the gang?

Now, come on, tell me.

If you don't tell me, I'm gonna take you up to the roof

and hang you by your feet until you do.

- If Mister Briner couldn't stop him, who can?

- Never mind Mister Briner.

- Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Stop what?

- We both knew what would happen.

Who knows better than Johnny?

He made the rules.

- Alright, Marva, you came back here

and you wanted Chuck Briner to stop something,

something about Johnny.

Now, who's Johnny?

- I love him.

And he loves me.

When he left, I didn't wanna live anymore.

I thought, I'll go away.

I'll go away.

Where can I go?

Where do I go to?

I don't want to stay around enough to be with Johnny.

And if I did that, we'd both be dead.

- Dead?

- Johnny rules and he was the leader.

The Missiles girls belong to the Missiles.

You leave, you leave your girl.

I'm Packy's girl now.

I got nothing against Packy and all,

but Johnny, Johnny.

Why do I have to love him?

We took a chance, you know.

We went away together, just for one day.

Johnny was wonderful.

He's changed.

I mean, you know, he's out of it now.

You should hear him talk.

He wants us to be married.

He said, "Marva, honey,

"as soon as I have a nest egg, we cut out.

"They'll never see our dust."

But Packy found out.

This morning at the council,

he said we gotta make an example.

Not me.

Not this time 'cause Packy likes me.

But Johnny, Johnny, they gotta make an example.

If anybody couldda stopped them Mister Briner could,

but he's gone now.

- Marva, what abut the police?

You know, that's what they're for.

- What could they do?

Put Johnny in the glass?

Next week, next month it would happen.

It would happen.

(crying and sobbing)

- Stay with her, Tod.

- Hold on, wait a minute, partner.

You're not gonna try to handle this alone?

- I don't intend to.

Where do I find him, Johnny who?

- Johnny Berenson.

He's working on the new building going up on Broad Street.

- Right. - Buz, will ya listen to--

- Tod, if it's good enough for Chuck to start,

it's good enough for us to finish, his way.

(swanky horn music)

- Hey, Marty. - Yeah.

- Go get me some flowers, man.

- Like roses, flowers?

- Yeah, like a dozen, come on.

Got to be, got nowhere else to go.

Right up there, rocking in the cradle of her cop-out.

You know, Phil, like the fuzz says,

they always make the scene of the crime.

(dramatic instrumental music)

(metal clanging and motor buzzing)

- Look, I don't know you.

I mean, you talk pretty crazy for a stranger.

I mean, you got those names down pretty good, huh?

Like, Chuck Briner, Packy, Marva.

Just names.

What do I know?

- I heard you'd gone eight to five, Johnny.

In the eight to five world,

when a guy gives you the facts out front,

you meet them out front.

You don't play it cool, the way you're doing.

So, I'm a stranger, but I'm the only one

that could have got to you, that's how hot you are.

- I'll see ya, fella, huh?

So whatta you got to do with this?

- My business.

- The paper.

- Oh no, wait a minute.

Me first, a lot of water under a lot of bridges.

- I owe Chuck.

- Well, why don't you pay him off his way?

Stay away from Packy, huh?

- Oh, how? - How?

- Look, you told me I'm marked for a hit tonight, right?

What am I supposed to do, wait here?

Let 'em hit me?

If I go in there and bust him open, before they get set,

and take Packy out, huh?

- That'll get ya downtown, that's where that'll get ya,

right in a cell.

- What else?

- Look, why don't you ask the man over there

for some time off, huh?

We'll take care of this together,

the right way.

- Okay.

(swanky horn music)

(loud knocking)

- Yeah?

- Flowers for Mister Briner.

- It's Packy.

- Just leave 'em outside.

- No, I can't do that, man.

Somebody's gotta sign for 'em.

- Look, right now he's just guessing,

but if I don't open the door, he'll know you're in here.

(loud knocking)

- Hey, come on, man, I got some more deliveries.

- Alright, alright.

- You Mister Briner?

- No, I'll take 'em.

- Well, I'm from the Acme Florist.

See, we got a special service,

from the hot house into your pot.

That's our motto.

You got a pot?

- I'll get a vase.

Just put 'em down and give me the paper you want me to sign.

- Hey, it smells nice in here, you know.

- Yeah, well maybe it's the roses.

- No, no, no, no, like some crazy French perfume

with a funny name.

Yeah, La...

I dunno, I know a girl who wears the stuff.

Yeah, like she practically drowns in the stuff.

I oughta know, I gave it to her.

Oh, you got a vase in there.

- I'll get the roses, just give me the paper.

- Oh, paper, yeah yeah, sure.

Yeah, I got that right here.

Come on.

Like point of no return, fella. (laughs)

Now you can keep your pearly whites

and still have dinner tonight,

you call it.

(intense instrumental music)

(yells)

(glass crashing)

(Marva screaming)

- [Marva] No, no, please don't.

- [Packy] Come on, come on.

(intense instrumental music)

(slow instrumental music)

- What happened?

- Packy took her.

(mumbling and laughing)

(fast-paced instrumental music)

(clapping and taunting)

(Packy shrieking)

- Packy!

- Jackpot.

(boy gasps)

- Johnny.

- Packy!

Summit, Packy.

- Who are you, man?

I don't know you.

- I speak for Chuck Briner.

- He ran outta words.

- Yeah, well he left me a few.

You Missiles, you got a constitution?

- Yeah, so what?

- Well, there was a rule in the gang that I had

that any outsider, including a cop, gets a summit,

if he can cut it with the leader.

So, you have that rule in this gang?

- Yeah, so?

- No rumble, just you and me, right?

Just you and me.

- No, no, no. - Cut it any way you want.

- Stay clear of this, Buz, huh?

- Look, will ya stay outta this?

I mean, after all, do you want these creeps

to drag you back down again?

Cuttin' them up, that's not gonna get you anywhere, right?

I don't hear anything, leader man.

- Polaris.

Do you like follow the leader, man?

- Yeah.

- You up? - Come on.

(laughs)

(shrieks)

(shrieks)

- [Tod] Buz, this is crazy.

- No, no.

Look at your shoes.

Leather soles. - So?

- Look at his, sneakers. - So?

- So, you wouldn't stand a chance.

No, come on, please.

It's my fight, huh?

So he falls off.

What good does that do anybody, huh?

You called a hit, huh, Packy?

Okay, I got no beef, you got the right.

I broke the rules.

Well, I'm breaking 'em again.

Me and Marva, we're gonna get married.

Now, you wanna try and stop that?

Well, you try it now.

I say Packy's a chicken leader.

- [Packy] Shut up!

- I say he ain't got the guts to take me on in Polaris.

I invented this game, remember?

I'm the boy that walks on clouds.

I'm still leader, Packy.

- I'm the specialist (laughs).

- Okay, specialist.

- You follow me, pigeon,

because where I'm goin' you gotta fly.

(swanky horn music)

- Ha, ha, ha, hooo.

(laughing)

Whooo.

(laughing)

(laughing)

- You shoot at all?

He follows me, vote.

- [Boys] He follows you.

- You ready?

- Johnny. Careful.

- What about that, big man, huh?

- Are you kiddin'?

(coin clanging)

You first, man.

- No, Johnny. Don't, please.

- Come on, Packy.

- Yeah, just a minute.

- Come on, Packy, come on.

- Come on, Packy.

- Wait, wait a second, come on.

- He's chicken, look at him.

- Shut up.

- Come on, Packy, come on. - Shut up.

- You're chicken.

- You gonna try, man?

It's 10 stories.

- You're chicken.

(boys yelling and taunting)

- And the cat jumped over the moon.

- Yeah.

- Thanks, fella.

- For everything.

- Forget it.

(boys yelling and taunting)

- I wonder what Chuck would have done about that.

(slow instrumental music)

(upbeat instrumental music)

- [Narrator] This has been a Screen Gems film presentation

from Columbia Pictures.

Herbert P. Leonard, executive producer.