All language subtitles for Target The Corruptors - S01E34 - Nobody Gets Hurt

This is where America's
future lies, in its students.

Each year, billions of our tax
dollars are invested in that future.

And in most cases, it is very well spent.

But there are exceptions.

In one of the major eastern cities,
conditions were among the worst in the nation.

There were overcrowded
classrooms, underpaid instructors,

and a tragic shortage of good teachers.

There was money available to
correct all these conditions.

There were taxes
collected to right every wrong.

But there were the hands of the
corruptors reaching deep into the public till.

Almost finished, huh?

I have about a half hour. Good.

Hey, let me see them, huh? Oh, boy,
a man can be really big with these.

What have you got there?

Now, what is it, Kustak?

Nothing.

Come on, let's see.

Oh, I haven't got anything.

Did you hear what I said?

Let's have it.

I haven't got anything.

I'm going to ask you one more time.

Come across. Let's have it.

Look, teacher.

He's awful, Celery. Pardon
me, pardon me. All right.

Where is it?

Come on, one of you, speak up.

Come on, one of you, show a little guts.

Where is it?

Where is it?

Who has it?

Who has it? Who has what?

It seems our dear teacher
doesn't know what he's looking for.

I have to apologize, Q-Stack.
I shouldn't have done that.

He, uh, he clouted me real
hard. It, uh, it still hurts.

He, uh, he picked on me, Mr. Spannard.

That's the truth, so help me.

I was minding my own
business. Making brass knuckles.

He's, uh...

He's got it in for me.

I didn't do a thing, so help me.

I was at my bench... You're
lying, you're lying, you're lying.

You've been lying ever since you came to
this school. He doesn't know the truth.

Crazy.

You see what he does to me? He
even calls me a liar, you see.

What about these brass knuckles, Kustak?

Well, what would I know about any of
that? I want an honest answer. Well, look,

would I lie to you, the
principal? Kustak, come on, Kustak.

Look, Mr. Spannard, he says that there
is this thing about which I do not know.

So, okay, where is it?

One of his pals hid them.

He says.

Ask anybody in class,
and they'll tell you he

just made it up because
he's got it in for me.

I swear on my mother's grave.

Right on her grave.

That'll be all.

Yes, Mr. Spannard, sir.

Yes, sir.

You know he's lying. I
wasn't thinking about

Kustak. I was thinking about you, McLeod.

You only weakened your position with
violence. A teacher must maintain his dignity.

Dignity over what? Animals like Kustak?

He's not an animal, McCloud. Whatever
you think of him, he's not an animal.

And I am a teacher.

I do best what I've been
trained to do best, teach history.

Not shop or an occasional utility
class you have to assign me to.

And the same goes for
Kustak. He needs a specialist.

And isolation.

Otherwise, we're just asking for trouble.

I hear you, and I hear myself.

30 years ago.

We're a poor school. We'll be a lot
poorer if we don't do something about it.

You're asking for the impossible.

The practical solution is to work with
what we have. No, no, that's the fault.

Turning our back on the
problem, Mr. Spannard.

You want miracles, McCloud.

There are some things
that can't be changed.

I started in this very building 30
years ago as a substitute teacher.

Things were the same then.

30 years.

Wasted.

I was a young man like you, with a
dream and an ideal. I loved knowledge.

I wanted to spread it, inspire my pupil.

And I settled for the
security of a weekly paycheck.

It's a dream, McLeod.

Only a dream.

A citizens' committee, which
had been hamstrung in their

efforts to alleviate the
conditions in the school system,

tipped me off to the
political maneuverings of John Walsh,

a local bigwig in the party.

As leader of a powerful organization,

Walsh could obtain key appointments
for building inspectors and expedite

school appropriations where
it would do him the most good.

Jack Flood's job was to put together
the visible evidence of this racket.

With a school construction and repair
program averaging 100 million a year,

the payoffs were said to
total 10 million annually.

This was the background for the Q-Stacks.

All of it living proof of a wasteland.

Firehose is rotting.

Loose stairway supports, cracked
walls, doors off hinges, smashed windows,

falling ceiling
plaster. Yeah, you name it.

Real pretty, huh?

I'll have to ask where
the money went. That's the

usual pattern. Payoffs,
kickbacks, shakedowns.

And a big fat slice going to the
hands of John F. Walsh himself.

And the price of corruption
being paid by school kids.

We waste them, Jack, a
million kids a year, dropouts.

We force them out of
schools like these to become

drifters, wasters, rejects, outsiders.

And a few aimless years on the
outside, they become dynamite.

Kids jealous of anybody who has
anything more than they have.

And the number of teachers willing to
take the gaffe gets smaller and smaller.

More coffee?

Thanks.

It's a lovely evening out.

Just what you ordered to
take Julie to the park.

Julie? Is my birthday girl
ready to go with her daddy?

Just a minute, Mommy.

Something wrong, Frank?

You hardly touched your dinner.

No, I wasn't hungry.

Trouble at school?

There's always trouble there.

Is it worth it, Frank?

This constant struggle against the odds.

I don't know.

I used to think so.

I can't give up.

What I like to do, what I want to do.

What makes me feel as though
I'm accomplishing something.

Frank, I want to
understand. Only it isn't easy.

I go to the shopping market
and listen to them sometimes.

The women.

They talk about their trips
and the new cars they're buying.

And I wonder about you.

Underpaid and not even being appreciated.

I want to teach.

That's why it's wrong, Frank,

for a teacher to earn less
than the janitor at your school.

It won't always be like that.

No.

One day, you'll be the
superintendent of schools.

You get to do everything
you've always wanted to do.

Separate classes for the boys who
need help, specially trained teachers.

I don't like to hear you so bitter.

And I don't want to preach, Frank.

Only I keep thinking how
little it's brought you.

I get enough.

You know, see good come out of
kids that might otherwise be wasted.

Well, well, Miss McCloud, look at you.

Look at here.

You see how grown up your daughter is?

Must be that extra year. I'm ready, Daddy.

You are?

Well, let's not keep the
carousel waiting then.

Bye-bye.

Let's go.

Goodbye, dear. Bye.

Have a good time. Bye, Mommy.

Bucky, Bucky, I gotta talk to
you. It's important. Are you crazy?

I've got money on this shot.

Forget it. This is
important. Later. Listen to me.

This is... Look!

When I want you to talk
to me, I'll tell you.

I'd better make this shot.

I just better.

I thought you got worry on
your face, old man. Hey, Hal.

You ever see a guy worry so much?

I think it's six bucks.

What's the matter?

I'm not going to get a
chance to make it up? Come on.

Come on.

All right, Sandy. Listen,

I just saw our dear teacher
taking his kid to the amusement park.

Are you sure?

Hey, Roger, we're still
over on the merry-go-round.

Hey, don't flip out, man. I mean, cool it.

Because they're going to be here a
while, and we'll keep an eye on them. Hey.

Hey.

You want this back?

You really want it?

Hey, we're going to see your uncle.

Yeah. Yeah? Where? Where?

Yeah. Come on.

Come on.

There's your uncle. You know
something, he's right. If you look,

there's a slight
resemblance. Hey, take a look.

Go on, go on, go on. Oh, Daddy.

You do, huh? You love it? Yeah. All
right, well, what are we gonna do next?

The Ferris wheel.

The Ferris wheel.

You think so? Yeah.

I'm sorry you lost your balloon, honey.

That's all right, Daddy.

I'm sure having a good time.

Daddy, you went away.

Oh, oh, I'm sorry, honey. I was
just thinking about something.

I love you.

I love you, too.

You know what I want.

You do a good job.

I'll be waiting for you.

You don't mind about that
balloon going up in the air, huh?

You know, I don't think you've ever
been out this late before in your life.

It's all right, honey.
Julie, it's all right.

Why did they hit you, Daddy?

Why did they hit you? It's
okay, honey. It's okay. It's okay.

We're going home. What a bunch.

What a bunch of lumps.

Yeah, when you give you guys a job, you
sure know how to louse it up, don't you?

Man, you sure know how to louse it up.
We tried, Rocky. Why don't you shut up?

Wow.

Yeah, you let him get
away. No, no, you let him take

you. That's what you
did. You let him take you.

Three against one.

A teacher.

Man, that guy must be a tiger.

Excuse me.

You, uh... You weren't there, were you?

No, no, you weren't there.

Man, you can really make tracks.

That's wild, that's wild. Wow. You know,
you should have worked him over real good.

But you know, he worked you guys
over. He took you apart at the seams.

He really gave you guys a lesson.

Well, he's got a lesson coming, too.

Please, God, don't let those
bad boys hurt my daddy again.

God bless Mommy and Daddy and make
those boys not hurt Daddy again.

I'm sorry it happened, honey.

You can't just pass it
off like that, Frank.

Not now.

Not when they mean to
do you physical harm.

And Julie, forced to look on
while those thugs attacked you.

Don't make it tougher than it already is.

I want you to go to the police, Frank.

Now.

Now, before you have a chance
to talk yourself out of it.

I can't.

Why not, Frank?

I'm a teacher, not a policeman.

Some of those kids are with me, and I
can't lose them. And the others, well,

I think they got the message tonight.

I don't want theory, Frank.

Just protection for my family.

Now you're talking through anger.

Yes, Frank.

Cold, calculated anger.

Don't you realize those hoodlums
are... They're laughing at us.

Maybe planning more moves against you.

Stop, Frank. Please.

Well, now, what's wrong with putting
students into beautiful surroundings,

making our schools proper, dignified
places of learning? You call that a waste?

Putting in luxurious shower rooms
that have never been used is a waste.

Well, some kids just don't
think to showering, I guess.

Maybe they would if the pipes
were connected with the water lines.

Oh, yes, yes, that's quite an oversight.

I'll have to look into that.

Sure, mistakes are only natural.

Like in bids for school
construction. That old chestnut.

You know about sore losers, Mr. Marino.

I know about schools
where kids aren't getting a

fair shake because of
waste, neglect, and graft.

You're accusing me of an awful lot. Why
not the London Bridge that's falling down?

I might if you build it.

That's pretty good. Say, I can go along
with the joke, Marino. How about you?

I didn't mean to be funny.

Well, of course, there's always
a certain amount of red tape,

and a few dollars do get
wasted, but nobody gets hurt.

School kids bullied by gangs,

teachers in sheer self-defense
turning their backs or quitting,

and you tell me nobody gets hurt?

Well, now I went to a pretty tough
school myself, and it didn't hurt me.

Plenty of kids have come out of the
slums and gone on to be judges, mayors,

even governors. Those that
have what it takes make it.

Some do and some don't, that's all. Now,
you're not going to change human nature.

Like I say, Mr. Marino, Nobody gets hurt.

Unless, of course, they ask for it.

Before we begin today's class in history,

I'd like to give you a
little of my personal history.

It may be of interest to some of you.

I used to be a Marine on Guadalcanal.

I was trained for work behind enemy
lines, especially hand-to-hand combat.

Anything else you'd like to
know about me, please ask.

No?

Good.

Then let's get to today's lesson.

Democracy.

Its meaning.

Page 287.

Come.

Real good. Table turns
out as good as the drawing.

You can take over the class.

Good work.

Big man.

Well, I wouldn't want to
tangle with him again.

You won't have to.

You got something up for McCloud?

What are you gonna do, Rocky?

Something.

He means this.

Better.

Better.

There's nothing erotic about a
switchblade held at your throat.

There's just not enough
money for everything.

What you mean is, instead of making
recommendations, you've been taking orders.

You have no right to say that.

And you have no right to protect
yourself at the expense of a school.

I know you expect to retire
in a few months, on a pension.

Then it'll all be behind you.

So why upset the apple cart
now, huh? I've heard enough.

Please, Mr. Marino,
I... Oh, no, you haven't.

Not until people are aware of it and
are willing to do something about it.

And you might tell your friend Walsh...

But in a mess like this,
somebody always gets hurt.

All right, boys. Here we go. Here we go.

Never let it be said that John
Walsh didn't play it fair and square.

Right, boys?

Equal opportunity for all. The
American way. Am I right, boys?

How about it, Don?

Yes, John. Good, good. And Don
Kerry should know, gentlemen. Well,

who got the lucky number?

Come on, who's got it?
Emmett, Emmett, congratulations.

Emmett.

The building contract for the new
school on 14th Street is yours.

Now, I hold up my end. I see to it
that your bid makes it among these four,

and I also see to it that all
other bids are disqualified.

You know what you do.
Consolation prize to these

other gentlemen is
agreed in payment to you,

of course, for your efforts.
That's right. That's right.

Everything nice and neat and
nobody gets hurt. Gentlemen,

the bar's set up in the other
room. Will you go in and have a drink?

Don and I'll join you in just a minute.

Hey, where are you going? Out. How far?

For a walk in the park.
Like, man, I'm real hot.

Get back to work. You heard me.

You're a very cruel
teacher, very misunderstanding.

Let go of me! Come on.

Let go of me!

Oh, my arm.

It's broken. My whole arm is broken.

Oh, come on, come on.

I can't move it. It's broken.
He did it. He broke my arm.

Oh, teach. Hey, we
better get him to the nurse.

Yeah, yeah, the nurse.
Can we take him to the

nurse? All right, all right, everybody.

Come on, get back to work.

Let's go.

Oh, hey, hey, what's the idea?
We're supposed to go see the nurse.

Rocky said it should look
real bad when the nurse sees it.

I'm sorry, Roy.

He said a broken arm
should be a broken arm.

Come on, come on. No, you can't do
that. What? He was only kidding.

Do you really think it'll work?

I know it will.

You got it all
straightened out, don't you, Hazel?

Yeah.

How about you?

You girls go practice,
because I don't want any slip-ups.

Sure, Rocky.

You know, I really think this is
going to clinch it for McCloud.

What about me? I did all right, didn't I?

You know what I'm going to do? About what?

I'm going to autograph that.

With love and kisses from The Rock.

He put the Hargrove boy up to it.

You should have gone
straight to the police

the night they attacked you in the alley.

I couldn't.

That would be admitting absolute defeat.

You go on about dedication.

And I think about my family. Who knows
what might have happened that night?

What do you suppose I think
about every time you take her out?

I even imagine somebody's following me.

Julie's forgotten about
it, Helen. I wish she would.

No, she hasn't, Frank.

You were asleep last night.

I heard her sobbing.
Oh, it's no good, Frank.

I want to do it your way,
only it gets more difficult.

I just can't give up.

You can get another job
teaching in a better neighborhood

and for more appreciation, too. Oh, Frank.

I don't want to see you hurt.

I love you.

Come in. Good morning. Good morning.

Good morning, girls.

You sent for me?

Yes, I did.

Now repeat, in Mr. McCloud's presence.

What you told me.

We saw Mr. McCloud peeking through
the door of the girls' locker room.

What?

Isn't that right, Marie?

And it wasn't only
yesterday. It's happened before. Yes.

Yes?

Marie.

Now, Marie, you know me better than that.

Why are you doing this, Marie?

Why? Who put you up to this?

Girls, you may leave. No, no, no.

No, I want them to stay.

Marie, why are you doing this?

You don't tell lies.

What have I ever done to you
that you should do this to me?

Marie, please.

Girls.

Marie, I've never
mistreated you in any way.

Why should you do... Give me leave.

You believe that, Tripe?

You said you didn't strike the
Hargrove boy either, but his arm is broken.

It happened after he
left the shop, I told you.

There is no tactic too low or
filthy for that Kustak boy.

You've got to know that.

McLeod.

I'm going to let you slip out
of this gracefully by resigning.

Resign?

The less fuss, the better.

You mean for you.

The less trouble for you, the better.

Maintain the status quo. Keep the lid on
the garbage can. Well, I'm not buying.

No, sir.

I was going to tell you today
that I was leaving, but not now.

Nobody's going to scare me off.

I'm staying.

Then I have no
alternative but to discharge you.

All the better.

I'm going to the school
board and demand a hearing.

You only make things worse for yourself.

Mr. Spannard, what happened to your dream?

The one that made you a teacher?

I understand the hearing
is set for next Tuesday.

I've got a right to teach,

and I've got a right to
defend myself against

lies and accusations. Of course you have.

But unfortunately, you did hit
Q-Stack. You've admitted it.

And they'll play that up
for everything it's worth.

I'm not trained to deal with monsters.

This boy needs to be
separated from the rest.

He's probably beyond
rehabilitation, but nonetheless,

they gotta get him out of there.

Spanner just turns his back on
the whole thing. I don't know.

Maybe it's a question of money.

They'll dirty your name, Frank.

They'll tell their story,
those girls, use it against you.

Because that's all they have to use
against you. You know, one time, Mr. Marino,

you wouldn't find any
bickering in this house.

We had time to laugh with Julie.

That's what this job has done to us.

We have a right to some peace, Mr. Marino.

He's gone as far as he can here, Mr.
Marino. Done as much as he can do.

I'm not throwing in my hat now.

Not now.

You were going to leave.
Nothing's changed since last week.

Oh, yes.

Yes.

You see, Mr. Marino, what it's done to us?

I can't blame him.

Only hope.

I'm not trying to be a hero,
Helen. You've got to believe that.

I know, Frank.

She's right, Frank.

You'll be the scapegoat.
You'll play right into their hands.

They'd rather expose one bad
teacher than a hundred bad kids.

A hundred bad kids
reflects a corrupt system.

But one bad teacher?

Just a rotten apple to be tossed away.

No, but he's gonna talk me out of it.

I don't intend to.

I just want you to be aware
of what you're up against.

And I figure if you're going to go
through with this, maybe you'll need some help.

I told you, everything
is nothing more to say.

You lied.

Marie, you're going to have to live
with this for the rest of your life.

You'll never be able to forget it.

I have to go now.

You didn't see me do what you said.

You didn't see me.

I did.

I'm not that kind of a man. You know it.

Why did you say I was?

Marie, you'd really like to
tell the truth, wouldn't you?

I did. Ask Hazel. She lives
upstairs. Go on up and ask her.

Don't compare yourself to
Hazel. You're different from Hazel.

You're not the same kind of a girl.

Come on, Marie.

Tell us the truth.

Please, I told you everything I can.

You mean what Rocky Custack
ordered you to say? Marie.

Marie, what have I ever done to you?

Don't you realize what
you're doing to Mr. McCloud?

A man who never harmed
you, who only means well.

Please.

And his daughter, they'll be hurt too.

Is that what you really want?

I didn't want to do it. I
was just afraid of Rocky.

All you have to do is tell the truth.

Rocky! Forget Rocky.

Just go on as you were until
you appear at the hearing.

After that, you won't have to
worry about Rocky Custack anymore.

I promise.

Okay.

I'll tell you everything.

Hazel, what's the matter?

I'm scared.

Well, walk.

Look, now, do you want
Rocky to get mad at us?

But there's no light.

He's waiting for us inside.

Now, come on. Rocky?

Rocky!

There's nobody around.

Well, look, you just
wait here, and I'll go see

if I can find him.
Hazel, can I just wait here?

You're a real bird.

You already know how to sing.

Well, I'm gonna give you a lesson.

Listen, don't hurt her. He shouldn't
hurt her. Where do you think you're going?

He's not going to hurt her.

Don't worry. Take it easy.

What's this about, Marino?

You'll see.

Q-Stack's handiwork.

She was going to tell the
truth to the school board.

How does it make you feel, Spenett?

Are you blaming me for
what happened to that girl?

You decide that.

You decide how far you'll
go to protect your own skin.

Mr. Marino, I... I... I just don't know.

McLeod?

Clara?

I teach.

You come to play a game?

You know who that cat is,
don't you, Hal? If that's the guy,

then that knows all
about American history.

Yeah, Blaine, like
that, uh, that canal place.

That, uh, that guadal.

He's a real big shot marine, a real hero.

And he knows tricks, too.

This guy can break your arm.

What's the matter, Marine?

You come to show me how you
knocked off those other guys?

Get out.

Get out of here!

Hey, guys.

Guys!

Stay away from me, Marine.

I'll bring you.

You're going to tell me
everything. Everything. What

you did to that girl. You hear me?

You hear me? Come on.

THE END

Corruption doesn't end
with the trial and conviction

of one John Walsh and his clique,

or the weeding out of
several juvenile delinquents.

The problem asks for deeper probing and
understanding, and this is our heritage.

These young men and women of
school age compose our true wealth.

The John Walshes and his kind are
just one of the factors that add

to this social dynamite and make
the rocky cue stacks possible.

The free American educational system
is a precious heritage worth guarding.

And when there's corruption,
somebody always gets hurt.