Original subtitles

Joe Smith, Mr. Anybody, USA.

He sells shoes or fixes gadgets or builds houses,

and after everybody else has taken a bite out of his paycheck,

he wants to spend what's left any way he likes.

Sure, off-track betting is against the law.

So a policy number, sweepstakes, lotteries, slot machines.

Joe Smith gets a kick out of that $2 bet, even when he loses half the time.

Charge it off to laughs, and that's that. But is it?

Of every $2 bet taken from Joe Smith,

the bookie barely manages to keep 50 cents for himself.

He stays in business because once a week he

hands over the rest of it to the bag man, the official collector.

The prime requisite of the bag man is honesty.

He must see to it that the bookies are protected.

He must buy the layoff and the wire services,

and keep Joe Smith's quarters moving and hidden from tax investigation.

The money lost in illegal gambling adds up to over $10 billion a year.

$5 billion for the corruption of law,

Five billion dollars to legally plot the crime, and millions of dollars for murder.

Superior courtroom number three in one of the largest cities in the Northwest.

Statewide attention was focused on the case,

but my interest in the people against Bert Granz

was not in the murder of a thieving bag man,

but rather why an attorney of the stature of T.C.

Miller should choose to defend the bodyguard of Sam Kellis.

I knew Sam Kellis as an old pro who had started out as a boy hoodlum

and worked his way up into big-time bootlegging with a tommy gun.

Perhaps my young prosecutor has never read the poet's advice.

Better never begin than never make an end.

Certainly he's presented no witnesses, no material evidence against my client.

So let us make an end now. I move the case be dismissed. Your Honor,

I have an important new witness.

Your Honor, why has the Assistant District Attorney

waited so long in calling this important witness?

I protest such trickery, and I ask for a recess. Your Honor,

I've delayed calling Lena Dugan for obvious reasons.

Counselor, I don't see any reason for a recess at this time. Motion denied.

Bailiff, call the witness.

Lena Dugan to the stand.

So far, so good. This is the big one. I've waited a long time for it.

I do. Be seated.

Now, don't be nervous, Mrs. Dugan.

Would you please state your occupation?

Well, I run a little flower stand at the corner of Fifth and Rampart.

I've been there ever since my husband died 15 years ago.

Every day, six days a week, 52 weeks out of a year.

Do you have children? Your Honor!

The witness is here to testify regarding a murder, not about her kinfolk.

Your Honor, I wish to show clearly how honest and hardworking

this witness is. Very well, Mr. Burnett.

Proceed.

Now, Mrs. Dugan, do you have children?

I have two boys.

And they're both in college in the East?

That's right, sir. They both won scholarships.

Your Honor.

Enough of this Mother's Day parley-voo. Let's

have some evidence. Very well, Mr. Miller.

Mrs. Dugan, will you please tell us what you saw on the morning of the 22nd,

the morning John Parker was murdered?

Well, as I was unlocking my little flower stand there at the corner, I heard a shot.

I looked up, and a man was slumping down to the pavement.

And then what did you see?

That's about all. Then the police arrived, and they blocked off the building.

What else did you see, Mrs. Dugan?

That's all.

I heard a shot. I saw a man fall.

What about the man who ran out of the building across the street? Objection.

Your Honor, if Mr. Burnett's surprise witness has something to say,

she better say it herself.

Mrs. Dugan, you saw this man, Bert Krantz,

run out of that building immediately after the shot was fired.

No, sir, no.

I don't know. I'm not sure now. Objection!

Your Honor, I insist the young prosecuting attorney stop harassing the witness.

She stated exactly what she saw, no more, no less.

Objection sustained. But she's changed her statement.

Mrs. Dugan, do you know the punishment for perjury? Your Honor,

there's no need to browbeat this little lady any further.

Obviously, the prosecuting attorney's made a mistake in his zeal to win a case.

But, Your Honor, I... I don't understand this.

The witness is lying! Your Honor,

it seems like a waste of time to continue this embarrassment

of the district attorney's office.

You got to her somehow, Miller.

In the cause of justice, I move that the case against my client be dismissed.

This case is dismissed. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

You too are dismissed. Chin up, Bill.

Everybody knows you should have won, and next time you win...

The ever-optimistic wife.

Get another chance, Bill.

I don't know that I want another chance.

Poor darling.

You need a drink.

Let's all go out to dinner, Joe. Think of someplace cheerful.

No, thanks. I'm not celebrating tonight. You'd better go on home, Laurie.

But you asked me here.

You said... I said not tonight, Laurie.

Don't mind him, Laurie. He's been working too hard.

He was counting on this case. It's been a blow.

I know.

I guess I just didn't say the right words.

No, no, Joe. It isn't a question of justice.

It's just that I've been working like a dog for

the past five years as the assistant D.A.,

getting set to move up on the top with a big win.

Opportunity knocks.

I open the door, and there's nobody there but that old hungry wolf.

Know him well.

Well, no more wolves at my door.

From now on, I'm gonna have pink poodles.

One for me and one for Laurie. Mr. Miller, now that Bert Granz is free,

would you tell me if Mrs. Dugan was really a surprise witness to you?

Why, absolutely.

Real surprise package.

And here's the boy who gave it to me.

Digging up a witness for my side. Did I thank you properly, Burnett?

You can keep your rotten thanks.

Not seriously, Bill. Come and see me.

You know, you and I could go a long way together.

Yeah, and what do you think of this?

Miller and Burnett had lunch together twice

this past week. Once enemies, now friends.

Anything else?

Yeah, Burnett is in debt. Seems he had a champagne taste with a beer paycheck.

What do you mean, had?

Well, Burnett quit the DA's office just before they had a chance to fire him.

Seems there was talk about collusion in the Granz case.

Remember Lena Dugan?

Well, with that collusion tag on him, nobody's offered him any jobs yet.

I still don't believe Vernetta's sellout is our case.

Maybe you don't, but a lot of other people do.

Lena Dugan's disappeared.

All right, let's get all the tie-ins.

Miller, Kellis...

The gambling operation, the legal cover.

It's a pretty big order.

Start with the $2 bet. Somebody has to take that bag man's place.

Find out who it is and stay with it. Scorpion first.

Love me second.

Scorpion first, love me second. Scorpion first,

love me second. Scorpion first, love me second.

Ah, now that's better. That's being a good sport.

Yeah. Uh-huh.

Mm-hmm. Two dollars, thou buck and a third. Right, I got it.

Mm-hmm.

Okay. Bye-bye, Madge.

Yeah, Madge, great little horse player.

You wouldn't believe it.

She loses every day, but she manages to pay up somehow.

Hey, Grimey, I got a little something at the Meadows in the floor.

What do you think of Royal Ben?

Oh, Ben?

Oh, he's no worse than any of those other nags running in the floor.

Hey, look, give me 20 to win on him, huh?

Yeah.

Want it?

You got it. Stick around, Mac. Who knows?

Maybe you'll do some good, huh? Yeah, I'd sure like to.

What, for me?

Oh, Bill.

Beautiful.

Oh, darling, it's really too much.

Well, I can't have people thinking I can't afford to dress my wife.

It's not for me, then.

It's for the others.

Can we afford mink now? $40,000 a year, Laurie. That's $3,500 a month, $800 a week.

I don't think you understand. I don't think you know what I want.

I don't care what other people think.

Well, you better start caring. We're moving up.

Everybody turned me down because of a dirty rumor.

Okay, I might as well have the game as well as the name.

Bill, call Miller.

Tell him you've thought it over and you've changed your mind.

But I haven't, Laurie.

So you put on your dress. It's party time.

And don't kick Santa Claus in the pants just because it's the summertime.

Be happy.

Who is this T.C. Miller?

Here's to the new member of the firm, Bill Burnett.

Long may he prosper.

Yes, ma'am.

Right on top of a big building. This old coon dog grew up in Ozark, Flint Rock.

That's mighty hard growing.

I like things that don't blow away in the first breeze.

Strength.

You know what I mean.

Yes, I know what you mean.

Sir, Mr. Kenneth wants to see you.

Excuse me, Laurie.

You like it high where you can look down on everybody.

Well, my office is just two flights down. It's convenient.

What's bothering you, Sam?

You didn't consult me when you took in Bill Burnett. No, we needed him.

He'll be the bag man in time. What do you mean?

He was the DA's boy. Well, that's it. I've got him locked in.

Besides, he's a natural.

If a federal agent picks him up with the money,

he can claim privileged communication between lawyer and client.

Anyway, we're going to need him when we expand.

You're not expanding.

It's the wrong time.

Oh, Sam, look.

If you're standing still, you're moving backwards. Nope.

It's dog eat dog.

And nobody's going to eat me, mister.

You better know it.

I do the work.

I want a full share.

And let me tell you something for your own good.

You better be satisfied with what's yours.

I got a telephone call, Washington.

If we lose the wire service, we'll lose our operation, we'll lose everything.

Don't worry about the wire service. The one thing about our local boys,

they're not going to let anybody kill the goose that lays the golden egg.

Oh, excuse me.

It's all right. We're just finished.

Well, come on in, my dear.

Come in.

It's got to be too much for me,

bailing out bookies and spreading out the ice at City Hall. It's

routine stuff. It wears a man out.

I've been having a little trouble with the pickup

of the money, too. I may need your help.

Now, wait a minute.

Are you paying me $40,000 a year just to be a bag man? Well,

you'll handle more than that every week.

That ain't scratch for the chickens. That's high finance.

Bigger than I thought.

And if, say, some starry-eyed assistant district

attorney arrests me with this money,

I simply say it's a confidential matter between attorney and client.

Right.

To prove a conspiracy, somebody has to talk.

Lawyers don't.

Yeah?

Sure, send him in.

Hello, Mr. Kellis. Sam, I'm just filling him in.

Nothing to the bag man except honesty.

The city is divided in five sections.

Each day, you pick up the money from a different section.

Take you three or four hours.

You bring in from 10 Gs up.

There'll be other things for you to do.

Divorces, wills, insurance.

We keep our people happy.

In your spare time, you might figure out how to keep

our wire service going in case Washington hits it.

Now, Sam, there have been a lot of laws passed against gambling,

and none of them are ever enforced, ipso facto. So quit worrying.

I lived 60 years by worrying.

Bill, when you get through down to the courthouse,

go take a look at the new cars. You need a new one.

Been a pleasure, Mr. Kellis.

Sure you can trust that kid?

You trusted me 10 years ago.

Besides, we got him in quicksand now.

He can't go back to the DA's office, and he smells the quick buck from our side.

Okay, you've got a man.

When does the new corporation come up? Well,

it took time to establish a legal bank. It'll take time

for the new stock transfer. Just quit worrying, Sam.

We'll hide that money like a red bird in a rosy bush.

Go on, Sam.

Mrs. Burnett, what can I do for you?

I just stopped by to see Bill. I just missed him.

I brought him a little present to start him off.

Oh, didn't he call you?

I guess he forgot. Well, never mind. He's got a lot on his mind.

You look cold. Come on in and have a glass of sherry.

No.

I'll show you Bill's office, the whole suite.

Come on.

May I ask what you got for Bill, Ms. Burnett?

Oh, it's just a silly gold fountain pen, sort of a good luck piece.

Very thoughtful of you. Good luck piece for a very lucky man.

There's no telling how long he's liable to be gone.

Why don't you have dinner with me? Brighten up a bachelor's solitary supper.

Oh, no.

No, thank you. I have to get home.

What for?

He'll go to the club and then to the law library,

like he did last night and the night before.

I'm sorry his new work takes so much of his time,

but corporation law is a new area for him. It's tricky.

That's an ambitious boy, Miss Burnett.

Yes.

Yes, he is.

Least I can do is see that you don't get cabin fever.

Cabin fever?

Well, back home, the loneliness of the hill women can make them cry. Cabin fever.

I know a great steakhouse. Nothing fancy.

No candlelight and wine? No.

Neon and martinis.

Yes, sir.

That's how I come to win my first case and my first pair of city-made shoes.

That moonshiner never sent me a niggle, but he sent

me a barrel of corn liquor, and I traded it.

I never had a pair of shoes that felt so good since.

Oh, you're something, T.C.

Oh, you.

You ought to do that more often. You look right pretty when you smile.

It's awkward coming home this hour.

Maybe you ought to tell him you went to a movie featuring the Arkansas traveler.

I don't know.

Oh, come on. Excuse me. Excuse me, John. Hi, Grimey.

Hi, Bill.

Not at all ready. Save us.

Hey, Bill, about that property settlement, you know, between Alice and me.

Everything's been taken care of, subject to approval of the court.

You'll come out fine. Really, Bill?

Well, gee, thanks. Thanks a lot.

Fair to see the house.

I was afraid, therefore, I should clean me out, you know?

Well, here, let me lay out.

See you next week.

Hey, hey, say, Jack, wait a second.

The results are... I'll be right back, Ronnie.

Give me a phone call. I'll be right back.

We'll have the results in a minute.

Specifically, I'm interested in gambling, Mr. Miller. I believe we both are.

I thought I'd stop by and show you a copy of this column I prepared.

I'd appreciate your opinion.

Our gambling in the big city is fronted by lawyers.

What city are you referring to here, Mr. Marino? Your city, Mr. Miller.

Oh, wrong tree, Mr. Marino.

As they say back home, this town is as clean as a hound dog's tooth.

Bound Dog's tooth is rotten from the inside out.

I can show you at least five active telephone spots, bookies operating,

on any block on Broadway.

Well, it's in the American blood to gamble.

This country was founded by men willing to take a chance,

not by a bunch of mollycoddled scaredy cats.

You want to play the stock market, go ahead. But let the little guy, Joe Smith, Mr.

USA himself, have his fun too.

Joe Smith's $2 bet ends up bankrolling a lot of things.

Narcotics, loan sharks, prostitution, even murder.

He doesn't have to contribute to a crime empire. He doesn't want to either.

And why does he do it? He does it because he doesn't know any better.

He's heard more about the big lie than the plain truth. Well,

then he's too stupid to worry about.

Not to me, he isn't.

Do you deny the connection between your office and the gambling racket?

Marino, back home we advised the boys to stay off of Thin Ice.

Thin Ice doesn't seem to bother Sam Kellis, does it, Miller?

How's that?

Two new bookie spots opened up on the west side this week.

I guess you boys aren't worried about the wire service investigation.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Just read that article more carefully.

Goodbye, Miller.

Oh, Marino.

I'd wait till I got this back if I were you.

I see where there's some red penciling to do.

I might have to take you to court.

There's laws against things like slander and libel and defamation of character.

Just let me know when you're finished with the red pencil.

I don't like to read my name in the newspapers, do you see?

I don't like to read about new bookies opening up in my territory.

They were closed down this morning anyway, Sam.

You're getting all excited about nothing.

What do you mean excited about nothing?

You're paid to keep my name clean.

You're paid to handle your end. Now, if you can't do it.

There's nobody else can handle it, and you know it.

Oh, Sam, you owe me two bucks.

How long you gonna take that yapping, Sam? I need time.

What have you got on him so far?

Mrs. Burnett.

Glad you came.

Glad, sad, bad.

You make the flowers look fresh as them out in the morning.

You like them?

Maybe I'll buy you a whole wagon load.

You can buy anything, can't you?

Laurie, putting head if I thought your friendship

could be parted wouldn't mean a thing to me.

Grant your sudden gallantry, old coon dog.

I still feel wrapped up and sold like a loaf of bread.

That's what attracts me, I suppose.

You're so charmingly evil.

So graciously satanic.

I keep thinking you're going to say, here, Eve, have an apple.

I'd better go home.

Yeah, no hurry, darling.

We have plenty of time.

I don't trust you, TC.

Oh, really, Eve?

Just a little old apple.

I don't know.

Thank you.

Hey, in there!

Stall him. Don't let him in here. Yes, sir.

Bill's out there.

But you said that he was... Never mind that.

You got to get going.

Wait.

Maybe I'd better tell him and get it over with.

Laurie, just get in my elevator and go on home.

No, please. I'm sick to death of pretending, of lying and sneaking.

Please!

You ain't telling nobody nothing, woman.

Well, what are you standing there for, man? Go find him.

What's the matter, Bill?

TC.

Well, come on in.

We got trouble.

Trouble? Somebody broke into my office.

What makes you think so? Well, I'd finished earlier, so I thought I'd phone Laurie.

We only get to see each other in the mornings now just to say hello.

I thought I'd take her to dinner, kind of a surprise.

I didn't have a dime, so I went back to the office

to phone. And there he was, hidden in the closet.

He scuffled around in the dark, but he got away.

Sorry, TC.

I thought you should know.

Oh, never mind. Let's go down and take a look.

Look, there's nothing to be nervous about.

The old coon dog never leaves any tracks around.

You know that. May I use your phone?

Certainly. It's over by the window.

Wouldn't it be better to call her, though, after we check the office?

Might take some time.

Right.

Pine Tree Mining Corporation.

Quadrant, $8,500.

Valentine Corporation, $4,750. This may be something.

Fly up to the Capitol.

Check with the State Bureau of Corporations. Run down this pine tree.

I want its assets, liabilities, stockholders, names, places, and dates.

I'm sorry I've neglected you, honey, but the old coon dog's been up to his ears.

I gotta catch a plane in an hour. I'm gonna charm me some Razorbacks.

They'll be back tonight with their bacon.

You drive all the way up here just to tell me that?

No, Laurie.

I was rough on you the other night, and I'm sorry. I apologize.

We both know, though, don't we?

It's not gonna work anymore.

Besides, my conscience is torturing me.

Your conscience?

Don't be hard on us.

We can still be friends.

Friends?

That's not a word between us.

The old coon dogs charmed another bird, made another conquest.

But he's in a hurry.

So run along now.

So sorry. Goodbye.

Now, don't, honey. It's not like that. Don't spoil the memory of our moment.

Besides, there's other things.

Your husband's likely to get an advancement.

Advancement?

Don't do that, Laurie. I'm not done yet.

My ma tried walking out on my pa once,

and he nearly beat her to death with a hickory gad. I went for the sheriff,

and he said, boy, get on back.

Your pa's wife is his woman. That's hill folk law.

That's the kind of law I learned.

I don't want to hear about your awful hill folk.

I want to know, where do I go? What happens to me?

Well, this ought to make it easier.

There's no need for a pretty woman to fret.

There'll always be somebody.

You are foul.

You are the most evil.

Who is it?

You? You?

Die!

Die!

So I can handle all the action and more because I'm ready to expand.

I'll double your money because I'll double the business.

You sell me the line and the wire and handle my layoff bets,

and we'll put old Kellis out to pasture.

It's gonna take sharp legal brains to keep ahead of the federal reformers.

Kellis can sink you because he's dead weight.

But I can help build the organization because

I'm interested and I've got the fronts.

All I need is your OK. Well, what do you say, gentlemen? It's up to you.

Let us talk it over.

We'll let you know about it.

He's a smart one.

I like the way he talks. He thinks big.

This Kellis is getting too old.

He's too smart, this T.C. Miller.

He don't talk like us. He don't sound right.

Sam Kellis may be old, But him, we can trust.

I've had you tailed ever since they put your name on that door.

I know how many pickups you make each week, how many trips to the bank,

where the money goes. I've got deposit slips.

I know all about the dummy corporations you and

Miller steered through the state bank code.

The ones with your name on them.

William C. Burnett, treasurer.

You want a Naomi, newspaper man?

Take it to the DA's office.

Try getting it into court.

You know I don't want you, Burnett.

I want the men you front for. Sam Kellis, T.C. Miller.

They're my story.

The sordid story of the $2 bet.

The one you can read in my paper tomorrow.

And the bag man's name will be in it.

Go on out on your limb, newspaper man. Print it!

Hello? Uh, yes, this is Mr. Burnett.

Yes, sir.

Yes, I'll be ready.

Oh, Burnett, how soon will it be before you're

condoning the rest of the rackets, even murder?

Hi, darling.

Bill!

I thought you'd never get home.

See if you can find me a fresh shirt like a good girl, huh?

You're not going out again?

I thought... Come on, honey.

Sam Kellis is sending a car for me in a few minutes.

Will you be gone long? I've built a fire. Our first one.

A fire?

Are you kidding? It's a little warm for a fire, isn't it?

It's cold when you're home all day alone.

That's because you sit around too much.

So why don't you go out like other women do? Go shopping.

I know.

Buy myself a hat.

Only that doesn't seem to work for me.

Well, you might try cutting down on the martinis.

I don't really like drinking alone.

Then stop.

I might, if you ask me nicely.

Laurie, I haven't got time for games.

No.

No more games.

I thought we'd have supper together.

I was going to phone the delicatessen.

Corned beef, pickles, cheesecake.

We never could afford cheesecake.

We'd sit and we'd talk about what we'd buy when we had enough money.

We'd sit and we'd talk.

Do you know what's wrong with this room? We never sit and talk in it anymore.

Never, never, never.

Why don't we, Bill?

Laurie, what are you babbling about?

I said, why don't we talk to each other anymore, Bill?

I think you've had a little too much to drink.

You better eat something and go to bed.

Don't wait up for me.

Oh, don't wait up for me, Laurie, because then I might

expect you to talk to me, and that wouldn't do.

Like I said, go to bed.

I just wanted to talk to you.

So I could tell you what I must tell you.

Something came up, Bill.

T.C. will be back tonight.

That's right.

And he's going to call you and say he has good news for you, a promotion, a raise.

Well, I never knock money.

That's honest. I like that.

Miller had pegged you right.

You don't make many mistakes, only this Vegas trip.

What's that mean?

Spreading his wings too far.

How would you like to replace him?

How would that work?

Him out, you in. You'd be boss.

Could you do it?

Sure, I could.

But I'm not an ingrate.

Ingrate, what's that? It means I stick with him. I like loyalty.

Sure, I like loyalty.

But did you have to give him your wife, too?

I want to go home. Just a minute. Cool off. She's your wife,

but don't do anything you get tagged for.

After all, Miller hustled you, too.

I need an answer now.

Will you take his place?

Glad to.

What happens to him?

How are you on beating a murderer out?

Say this lawyer was sitting in his penthouse.

Say somebody blew him up with a high-powered rifle.

Would you beat it?

Are you asking me before the fact?

I'm asking you.

The only tie-in would be the ballistics.

If the rifle were destroyed, there wouldn't be any case. Make it tonight.

I'll call him 11 o'clock sharp.

Don't miss.

Laurie!

Oh, you silly girl, why did you do it? Laurie! Oh, my God, my God.

I'll talk to you. It was my fault. I'll talk to you.

I don't regulate giving you a key.

How'd you get in here?

Never mind. I wanted to see you, Miller.

What's bothering you?

Laurie.

She wasn't part of our deal, Miller. Well, that's it.

She's told you.

Foolish little thing.

There you are, all upset over a silly woman's fancy.

That's all I was to her.

I saw to that.

You don't believe me.

I never suspected she meant so much to you. I put you down for a cold man, Bill.

Lady indicated as much.

What else?

Well, I took her out to dinner once. Seemed lonely, hard up for a laugh.

I felt sorry for her. I told her to go on home, forget she'd ever been out with me.

And you wouldn't see her anymore.

Don't be a fool, Bill.

Don't let a neurotic woman break up

You know, my Pa taught me, if a woman makes trouble, get rid of her.

Now, don't let her stand in your way.

Get a divorce, Bill. We'll give her a settlement,

anything she wants. But get free of her.

I am.

Laurie's dead.

Hello?

Miller!

God, help me.

Bill Burnett's testimony against Bert Granz can't be bought now.

Nor can his tax evidence against Sam Kellis be lost.

It will take more than effective and militant bar associations to eliminate

the gamblers and their fringe lawyers who plot the crime.

It will take a strong people with strong leaders to whom much

is given and much is required to conquer the corruptors.