Voila! Finally, the Panic In The Streets
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the Richard Widmark and
Jack Palance movie. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Panic In The Streets. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
Hey, you. Come on. Let's go.- You're holding up the game!- Sit down and play.
Come over here.
- Can't play no more.
- Sit down.
- I'm sick.
- What's the matter with you? You can't quit now.
Gotta quit.
Cold. Cold. I'm sick.
You wasn't too sick to walk off
the boat and win bucks...
the first night you were in the country,
was he, Blackie?
- You brung him, Poldi. You better tell him.
- What's the matter with you?
- There'll be trouble, huh?
- Sick. Got a headache. Bad.
- No. Look...
- Look, buddy, Blackie don't like it.
- Blackie don't like nobody to walk out of a game.
- Ah!
I'll talk to him, Blackie.
I'll get him back.
No, no, no!
I want that money.
All right.
Let's get it.
- Need an ambulance?
- Not anymore.
- Drowned?
- Naw, he's shot twice.
- Must have crawled on this site.
- Recognize him?
No, he ain't from around here.
Some kind of foreigner.
- Foreigner, huh?
- Yeah, something like that.
- Call the meat wagon, will ya?
- All right, folks, let's get moving. Break it up.
Let's go. Let's go, now.
Hustle up.
Hey, Matt, standing in that water
ain't good for a cold.
What is?
- Eddie.
- How's it goin', man.The trouble with that boy is he justdon't realize the honeymoon is over.
So I says, "Man, if you want to sell me a car,
you're gonna have to really sell it to me."
Then I'm just sittin' back and watching.
Yes, sir.
That's telling him, boy.
You're working too hard again, Jerry.
Thank you.
Will you be able to make it for lunch?
Well, I've got to dig a couple of bullets
out of this guy's chest.
May take or minutes.
Yeah, I guess I can make it.
Don't waste any time,
'cause I'm real hungry.
Where do you want to go?
- I said, where do you want to eat?
- I don't know.
That place down the street's okay.
I kind of like their spaghetti.
- Yeah, that's him.
- I figured we might try the Rendezvous again.
You interested in food
or talking to that waitress?
Oh, no. You don't pin that on me, Kleber.
You're the guy she really went for.
Maybe, but I don't know
how she ever saw me...
the way you kept sticking
your elbow in my face.
Okay, okay. You win.
We'll try the spaghetti.
Okay?
Hey, Kleber. Okay?
Maybe not.
This may take a little longer than I thought.
- All right. I'll wait for you.
- That the foreigner they just brought in, Kleber?
Yeah.
Better stay away from him.
- Got to tag him.
- I said, stay away from him.
- What's the matter? I've got to tag him.
- Look, stay away from him.
- Get out. Just stay out.
- What's wrong?
What's the matter with you?
You're holding
the brush wrong, Pop.
- Oh?
- Yeah. And you got too much paint on it.
Mm-hmm.
- How's that?
- Better.
- Thank you.
- Mr. Redfield says
that's the worst thing you can do...
to get too much paint
on the brush.
- Is that right?
- Mm-hmm.
- Why don't you let me do it for you?
Okay.
You'd better take it easy, now.
You don't want to get paint all over those pants.
- Hiya, Tommy.
- Hi, Mr. Redfield.
- Teaching your pop how to paint?
- Sure.
- Hello, Doctor.
- How are you?
- Great boy you have there.
- Thank you. Thank you.
- See you Saturday, Mr. Redfield.
- Sure. Anytime you like.
If things get dull, just drop
right on over, hear? Bye.
- Who's that?
- Mr. Redfield.
- He's a painter.
- Yeah, so I gathered.
He lives in the big house
down on the corner.
You ought to see it, Pop.
It's full of all kinds of stuff...
and he has electric trains
and everything.
Must be great. Hey, you know what
I think's the matter with this stuff?
- What?
- It's too thick.
- Naw.
- It's too thick. Look at it.
I'm gonna thin it.
Where's the turpentine? Ah.
Electric trains yet.
Clint?
- Clint, telephone.
- Not here.
- It's Gafney from the office.
- Tell him I went to Alaska.
He's waiting, Clint.
Oh, bosh.
- What's your problem?
- Pop, can I have a quarter?
- What happened to your allowance?
- It's for the movies, Pop.
- All the kids are going.
- Uh-uh. No.
- Aw, come on, Pop.
- Now, look, old boy.
You're supposed to get
fifty cents a week.
Aw, Pop, money just goes.
You know how it is.
Yeah, I've got
a pretty good idea.
Well...
Take it.
You're a pest.
- Thanks, Pop. I knew you would.
- Yeah, I knew it too.
The first day I've had off
in six weeks.
I just about get used to it
when the phone rings.
What am I supposed to be, anyhow?
The only one in that office
that knows what to do?
Tell Gafney.
He called, not me.
I should have had it disconnected.
Paul? I thought I told you
I was gonna take the whole day off.
Oh? Yeah.
What do you mean,
there's something funny about him?
Yeah?
Mmm.
Well, all right.
I'll come down.
Hold everybody there that had any contact
with the body in case it is something.
No, I'd rather
you stayed there.
Yeah, I know.
It's all right. I'll see you.
- Serious?
- Oh, it's always a crisis with those boys...
when they can't
diagnose something.
I don't suppose that cleaner
remembered to bring back my...
Well, what happened to him
all of a sudden?
Go ahead and change.
I'll bring it in.
Hey, Mom, isn't lunch ready yet?
I'm hungry. Oh.
- You and your father!
- Yippee!
And Al Jerio asked me to go huntingtoday with him down in the Bayous.
I know. I know.
What's the rush?
Got to meet the kids.
We're going to a movie.
Movie? What are you planning
to use for money?
- Oh, I got it.
- Nope, I told him, just gonna stay home...
lie around all day.
Not gonna shave.
Just slop around.
- Old clothes. Drink a couple...
- Aw, Mom!
Now what?
Take a little nap in the afternoon.
Have an early dinner.
Just take the whole day off.
Relax.
You know what I mean?
Did you give Tommy
a quarter for the movies?
Well, uh, yeah.
Weren't you the one that decided
we'd give him a regular allowance...
to teach him about money?
- Well, yeah, I did, honey, but you see...
- Look.
He may be an only child, but I'm not
gonna have him act like one. Here.
- I gave you the answer to that one two years ago.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I'm getting tired of always
being the heavy in the piece.
- Okay, okay.
- Incidentally, since you're being
so free with your money...
What?
- Holy smoke. The bill from Whitfield's.
- Uh-huh. The same one.
- What happened to your allowance?
- You're kidding, of course.
- Forty-two dollars, and I'm fresh out.
- Again?
Still. And you've been
promising to pay it, Clint.
It's getting embarrassing.
Really. I'm afraid to go down to the store.
What, for dollars?
Let 'em wait.
I never saw the day old Massa Whitfield
broke his neck getting anything over here.
Forty-two dollars. Listen, one of these days
we'll walk into that store and pay cash.
One of what days?
- Well, one of these days.
- Uh-huh.
And when one of those oil companies decides
they can't lay a pipeline in Arabia...
without the services
of Dr. Clinton Reed...
- All right.
- The man with the high forehead
and the disposition of an old...
Honey?
- Hey, Clint.
- What?
- I like high foreheads.
- Yeah, I'll bet you do.
Well, it happens.
Don't think it doesn't.
They've taken a lot of guys
from the department.
Bill Mosely works for an
industrial chemical company.
I know they have, honey.
Well, it could happen to me too.
Just like having that other baby.
One of these days, huh?
You're a fresh dame.
Pretty, though, hmm?
You just about get by.
I got to get out of here.
- Hey.
- What?
Try and get in early
if you can, won't you?
Yeah, I'll try.
- Honey?
- Mm-hmm?
Why don't you let Tommy
have this quarter?
Why don't you
get out of here?
- Bye.
- Bye.
- She took the quarter.
- Yeah.
Well, that's life, huh, sport?
- Well, I got to get to work.
- Tommy, dear.
Don't sit through it more than twice,
will you, dear?
What do you make
of that tissue, Ben?
I don't know,
but I don't like it.
This one's a specimen of his sputum,
and here's one of the bullets Kleber recovered.
Oh, yeah.
Let me see that slide.
It's practically pure culture.
- Get 'em away from that body.
- Okay, fellas. That's all. Let's go.
Just wait outside for a minute,
will you, fellas, with the others?
- Any way to pull these shades?
- Sure, Doc.
- Can you get this man cremated?
- Well, I suppose I can.
I don't want any supposing, Ben.
I want him cremated right now.
Set it up, will you?
- Oh, Kleber.
- Yes, sir.
I want everything that's touched him burned
or sterilized. Do you understand me?
Sure, Doc.
Paul, get those slides into a sterilizer
right away, will you?
Right. Oh, say...
- they sent over the serum and the streptomycin.
- Good.
Hey, Kleber,
what's going on around here?
- Is there any report on
who killed this man, Sergeant?
- No.
- Any leads?
- No, sir. I don't think so.
Well, do you know or don't you?
This is important.
- Well, sure, Doc.
- Has anyone been able to identify the body?
No, sir. Nobody.
We sent the fingerprints off to the F.B. I...
but we haven't heard
anything from 'em yet.
Have you got everybody here
who had anything to do with the body?
Yeah. The fingerprint men,
photographers...
patrolmen who found him and...
- Nearly everybody.
- What do you mean, "nearly"?
- There's Billy Hall. He...
- Get him.
- Now?
- Yes, now. Right away.
Sure, Doc. Call Billy Hall and have him
come down right away.
- Now?
- Yeah, right now.
- Thanks.
Will you have these people line up, please?
- Let's form a line, fellas.
Shake it up here.
Dress a line here.
- This is Dr. Reed of
the Government Health Service.
- This will only take a minute.
As a precautionary measure,
we're going to inoculate all of you...
so if you'll just take your coats off,
roll up your sleeves.
Hurry it up, Paul.
They'll start asking questions.
- Oh, Kleber, would you mind helping out?
- Okay, Doc.
And, uh, thanks. That was a fine job.
You did just the right thing.
- I appreciate it.
- Well, thank you, Doctor.
- Give them each two c.c.'s.
- I fixed it to have him cremated.
Swell. Help Kleber down at the end,
will you, Ben?
- Start down at the other end.
- Here's the alcohol.
All right. Let's get this
over with quickly, please.
- Give me the first one, Paul.
- What's in them things, Doc?
- Nothing. Just a little serum.
- Serum? For what?
I told you...
a precautionary measure.
- Precautionary, but for what?
- It's possible the dead man
may have had some disease...
I don't have to take
one of those shots.
I can quarantine you
for days.
Hold still or this is going to hurt.
- Aside from isolatedcases in the past years...
- I'll see you, Murph.
There's been at leastone major outbreak.In November of in Los Ángeles, California...
a woman died of what was thought
to be pneumonia.
Thirty-two people had
had contact with her...
and within four days, before the disease
could be correctly diagnosed and contained...
twenty-six of them had died,
and they died suddenly, violently and horribly.
The disease was finally found
to be pneumonic plague.
Pneumonic plague is
the pulmonary form of bubonic...
the black death
of the Middle Ages...
- and its death incidence is practically %.
- Who'd you say he was?
I'm Dr. Reed of the United States
Public Health Service...
and one of the jobs of my department
is to keep plague out of this country.
Sit down. Sit down.
Don't let me interrupt you.
Speak to somebody about it, will you, please?
Come on, Mary.
Has Dr. Reed filled you in on this?
Have you finished, Doctor?
Well there's not much more,
Mr. Mayor.
Bubonic plague, as you probably know,
is spread by the rat flea...
which is why we watch
all ships and ports.
Pneumonic, on the contrary,
can be spread like a common cold...
on the breath, sneezesor sputum of its victims.
Very interesting, but I don't quite see why
we were called into this.
Because this morning,
right here in the city...
your police found the body of a man
who was infected with this disease.
Well, Dan, what about it?
- Our reports show the man died
with two bullet wounds.
- He did. Heart and lungs.
- Death was probably instantaneous. Right, Tom?
- Yes, sir.
- We had a police surgeon...
- Regardless of what the police surgeon said...
he would have died
within hours.
- But what he did die of was two bullet holes.
- He had pneumonic plague.
- But he died of...
- Drop it, Tom.
- Dr. Mackey?
- As you know, Mr. Mayor, I wasn't there.
Ben was there when the body was brought in,
but I can go now and check.
- I had the body destroyed.
- You had it destroyed?
It was the prime source of contamination.
I had Ben cremate it.
I see.
What else have you done, Mackey?
Everyone who came in contact
with the body has been inoculated...
everyone we know of...
with serum and streptomycin.
And now I think
they ought to be isolated.
We can have them watched.
We know who they are... all but one...
the man who killed him.
- Or men.- Mr. Mayor, this man was shot.
The killer wasn't within feet of him.
I can prove it.
- Was he shot on that riverbank, Captain?
- Of course not.
He was dumped off the Canal Street Pier
about : : .
- How did he get to the Canal Street Pier?
- How do I know?
Somebody must have...
The point is that whoever dumped him theremay very well be walking around...
with incipient plague
at this moment.
- Oh, now, wait a moment.
- No. We've got to work on the supposition
the doctor's right.
Dan, looks like your job.
All right, sir.
I'll do what I can.
But after all,
we don't know the identity of the dead man.
- We have no possible idea of the motivation.
- And you haven't got much time.
- Also, we haven't got the body.
- Did you empty out his pockets?
- I had everything burned.
- Great.
If the killer is incubating pneumonic plague,he can start spreading it within hours.
- Forty-eight hours?
- Yes. We have hours.
Shortly after that,
you'll have the makings of an epidemic.
Commissioner, what's the use
of kidding ourselves?
We can't turn up
an unknown killer in two days.
He's absolutely right,
Mr. Mayor.
The police departmentcan't be held responsible for this.
Now, if you want to believe
the doctor here...
I'm sorry, sir, but frankly,
I honestly don't...
but if you want to believe him,
there's only one way to handle this.
Give the story to the press.
You get on the radio...
And have everybody who wasin contact with the dead man leave town?
You can't give it to the press!
I may be an alarmist.
I may be entirely wrong about the whole matter.
But I've seen
this disease work...
and I'm telling you if it ever gets loose
it can spread over the entire country...
and the result will be more horrible
than any of you can imagine.
And the key to the whole thing lies right here,
now, in the next hours.
You can take me at my word.
Whatever you like.
What can we do?
Find this man.
Dan, put your best men on it.
Yes, sir.
Tom, you work with the doctor.
Anything else you need,
ask for it.
- Mackey.
- Thank you.
- We'll give him all the assistance possible.
- That's it, gentlemen.
All right, Tom.
Make your arrangements with the doctor here.
I'll be on call
waiting for a report.
Take any emergency action
you feel necessary.
Annapolis man?
No. Why?
No reason.
- Hope I wasn't too rough.
- On me?
- No.
- No, I meant the rest of'em.
I still have a feeling
they don't believe me.
I just know how serious
this can be.
- I was trying to put it across to 'em.
- Mm-hmm.
Now I'd start worrying
about what you're gonna do...
when we don't turn up
with your boy.
- Just a minute, Captain.
- Hi, Cap.
- Hello, Josh.
- If this is the attitude you're gonna start out with...
- we're not going to get far.
- I was assigned to this. I'll do the best I can.
But let's not get the idea
that I'm a sailor in your, uh, navy.
- Now, wait a minute...
- Hello, Warren. I've been looking for you.
- You found me and you're interrupting me.
- Heard you had a meeting.
- Little pitchers.
- Had Mackey and the Board of Health in too.
- What's the score?
- Some complaints about your newspaper.
- We ought to fumigate it.
- Now, you know you can't hide anything.
When it breaks,
I'll spell your name wrong.
That's what I told them...
We just ought to fumigate you.
- You boys worry me
when you take off on your own.
- No sense in our both worrying.
- Good-bye, Neff.
- Now, wait a second, Warren.
Good-bye, Neff.
Where are you going,
Mr. Reed?
I don't know.
That depends on you.
Listen, Doctor, I've got a job to do...
just a routine sort of thing...
like rounding up every
possible suspect.
I'm supposed to be pretty good at my job,
so why don't I call you if I need you?
Are you implying you'd
like to get rid of me, Captain?
- No, but, uh...
- Then I'll go with you.
Come on.
- Hi, Johnny.
- Hello, Mr. Neff. Good seeing you.
You call that a concealed weapon?
You think you can hold me on this?
- Where were you with it last night?
- Last night?
Why, I was home shucking oysters.
- What goes on here, Charlie?
- Who knows?
- Your wife says you didn't come home all night.
- She didn't come home all night.
- She don't know what she's talking about.
- I got a right to a lawyer.
You can't just haul me in
without a lawyer.
Oh, why don't you shut up?
You meet a lot of guys. Did you ever see this one?
What kind of a crack is that?
So I hang around the Roost once in a while.
Does that make me
an information bureau?
Listen, buddy, I happen to be a personal friend
of Charley Sweeney, see?
- He ain't gonna like this.
- Maybe Sweeney can tell me
where you was at last night.
Why don't you
call him and find out?
He'll have me out of here
in minutes.
Well, for minutes,
you'll tell me where you was at last night.
You can't do this to me.
I'm a citizen, and I got rights.
Raymond Fitch, laundry attendant.
... petty larceny.
Thirty days.
... petty larceny. Ninety days.
Shall I go any further?
Nah, forget it.
Mind if I smoke?
Trying to get away from cigarettes.
Put it out.
You ever see this guy?
- No, I never seen this guy.
- Well, look.
I never seen this guy.
What are you asking me for?
A kisser like that, you see it,
you remember it, huh?
- Where were you last night all night?
- Last night? Last night.
Oh, yeah. I went to see my mother-in-law.
She was wrestling semifinals...
- Where were you?
- I was only kidding. Actually...
- me and my wife went to see a movie.
- Where were you, fat boy?
- What's the matter? You don't believe me?
- You're a constitutional liar.
Lot of people have told me the same thing.
I don't mind.
Of course, the body was burned,
so we don't have too much.
The boys who did examine him
say he may be an Armenian...
Czech, or mixed blood...
approximate age, ;
height, ' "; weight, .
Suit made in Haifa,
shoes in Buenos Aires.
You ought to notify
the immigration authorities immediately.
- Get rid of him.
- All right. Let's go.
- Keep going, Scott.
- Mobile, Tampa, and other gulf ports
have no record of him.
- Anything else?
- Uh, let's see. The F.B.I. Has no record on him.
Our lab found traces of fish,
rust-resistant paint, and salt in his clothes.
- The fish traces could be shrimp.
- It's certainly positive he came in off a boat...
Unless he walked through a fish market,
bought four pounds of shrimp...
and brushed against
a freshly painted fire escape.
I suppose those are all
the photographs we have?
Those are the only ones, sir.
The emergency shifts are coming in now, sir.
- Okay.
- Oh, Captain...
the, uh... the boys are sort of wondering
why they have to take these shots.
They've been wondering, have they?
Where do they think they are... in a summer camp?
- Because the commissioner said so, that's why.
- That's what I told 'em.
What's the matter? They afraid of
a little needle? They been wondering.
- Roll up your sleeve.
- What do you mean?
What do you think you're gonna do?
- Roll up your sleeve.
- Why should I take one of those things?
Because the commissioner said so.
And I told the commissioner.
Roll it up.
- Anything funny, Scott?
- No, sir. No, sir.
Oh, brother.
This I've gotta see.
What's the matter?
You guys ain't got enough work to do?
- Yes, sir, Captain.
- Well, get on it!
- How about that?
- You can't say you're not getting action.
There's half the two-bit criminals in town.
More of them coming through.
I wish you sounded more confident
of getting information.
Information? We'll get plenty of it...
about pickpockets, sneak-thieves, wife-beaters.
But about your murderer?
Not a chance.
If it isn't gonna work,
what are you doing it for?
I'm doing it because
the commissioner told me to.
And I'm doing it this way
because it's the only way you let me.
But why I'm doing it,
I don't know.
- How can I make you believe...
- Believe it? Why shouldn't I believe you, Doctor?
You're a smart fellow.
A college man.
You probably wouldn't make something
out of nothing just to be important.
Mister, what are we here for?
I ought to be home.
You know, my mother always told me
if you looked deep enough in anybody...
you'd always find some good,
but I don't know.
With apologies to your mother,
that's the second mistake she made.
I should have seen
that one coming.
- Do you drink coffee, Captain?
Come on. I'll buy you a cup.
- I'm busy.
- I want to buy you a cup.
- I'm busy.
Come on. Let's see if you can
drag that load across the street.
Let's go.
Look, Captain, do you have a family?
Are you married?
No. My wife died
eight years ago.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- The doc I got said she had neuralgia.
But she didn't.
It was a brain tumor.
You don't think much of me
as a doctor either, do you?
Keep asking questions, Doc,
you finally get answers.
- No.
- You mind if I ask why?
Government job in civil service.
Thirty years, a pensión.
- What do you make?
- I think it runs about the same as a police captain.
- Thanks, lady.
- See that?
Probably phoned his lawyer
to sue us for false arrest.
Look, Warren, the reason I asked
if you had a family was that...
well, I thought if you had some children,
you might realize the seriousness of this.
- I haven't got any kids.
- Well, thousands of people do.
- And think what could happen...
- I'll think anything you like.
- But I'll still say I'm doing everything I can...
- Look, this man came off a boat.
- He was smuggled into the country.
- We've checked every boat...
we've combed the waterfront, and we're hauling
in every man that could know anything about it.
- From what I've seen,
they may not want to talk to the police.
- Maybe they don't.
Maybe they want to talk to their mothers. Maybe
they want to talk to you. What can I do about it?
Offer a reward.
Promise immunity for information.
- And get a couple more experts
from Washington to help me out.
- Well, you could use 'em.
You'll never see the day.
Look, do you mind if I do
something on my own?
- Yes, I do.
- What am I supposed to do?
Just sit here and watch?
Listen, Captain, I'm taking a chance
you may be right.
You can take a chance
I know what I'm doin' and let me do it!
As a matter of fact, you'd help us both out
if you went home and went to bed.
Okay, I'm not gonna
argue anymore.
And I'm not gonna wait until the facts
penetrate that thick skull of yours.
There just isn't that much time.
There's for the coffee.
- Hiya, honey.
- You look great.
You got that stuff all packed, Angie?
My suits and them two sweaters?
I got 'em.
What are they after you for this time?
Why do you want to talk like that for?
It's just a trip. Blackie says...
Blackie, Blackie!
He runs you around like a dog on a leash!
- He's my boss, ain't he?
- He's a big goon!
Shh!
He pays me every week.
Then he's a bigger boob
than you been saying he was!
Why don't you stand up to him sometime?
Why don't you tell him off?
Angie, will you shut up?
What are you hanging around outside for?
- Why don't you get inside?
- And be alone with that big ape?
Do you think
I've lost my buttons?
Do you think
I've lost my buttons?
Blackie?
- Blackie?
- Hurry up!
Blackie?
I wasn't long, was I?
I packed everything like you told me.
Can I bring your stuff
down for you, Blackie?
- Who's that with you?
- Just Angie.
- Is she comin'?
- She's my wife. What am I gonna do with her?
First, tell her to get away
from them machines.
Angie, will you
get away from there?
Blackie don't like nobody foolin'
with them washing machines.
Too late.
They're fallin' apart now.
Anything I don't like's a smart-cracking dame.
Hey, get away from there!
- Yes, you.
- What do you want me to do, just stand here?
- Will you tell her what she's supposed to do?
- Relax, will you, Angie?
We'll be leaving in a minute.
Huh, Blackie?
- You should have stayed single.
- Well, you know how it is. She was working as...
Where's Poldi?
I told you to bring Poldi.
I know you did, Blackie.
I went right over there, I told him what you said,
but he don't want to go.
He don't want to go? Why don't he want to go?
What's the matter with him?
I don't know, Blackie.
He was getting dressed to go out.
He said he was takin' this dame out.
He said he didn't want to go.
I told him all about
what was happening.
Where does he get
the dough to go out?
He never had a quarter.
You ever know Poldi when he had a quarter?
- That's right.
He's always borrowing from somebody.
- Where does he get the dough?
Why's he all of a sudden
taking a dame out?
- I got a hunch about him.
- He can stay here, Blackie.
- Yeah, I got a hunch about him.
- But, look, Blackie.
- Let's get going.
I tell you, they're picking everybody up.
- They ain't gonna pick me up.
You see them machines?
That's business.
Legitimate, even. They ain't gonna
pick up a legitimate businessman.
They're picking up legitimates.
They picked me up. They're picking everybody up.
That's just it. Why?
Why are they picking everybody up, Fitch?
Why?
- I don't know, Blackie, but let's get moving.
- You don't know?
You got a high-school education. You're a
smart fellow. You don't know? Figure it out.
This guy Kochak is just a floater.
He comes in off a boat,
gets very unsocial...
even pulls a knife
that he's gonna use on Poldi.
So they turn the town
upside-down for one crumb.
They got every cop in town
huffing and puffing...
trying to find out who he is.
- Why are they doing that?
- Blackie, I don't know.
Then I'll figure it out for you.
I got a hunch
he brung something in, see?
I got a hunch he brung something in,
and they're looking for it.
Only, he ain't got it.
And you know why?
- Because friend Poldi's got it.
- Poldi?
- Do you think we would do something like that?
- He was his cousin, wasn't he?
I told you I had a hunch about that guy,
and I was right.
But Poldi's a nice guy.
He wouldn't do nothing.
He's trying to put
something over on me, Fitch.
I saved his life,
and that's how he repays me.
You know, Fitch,
there's one thing I don't like.
- You know what it is?
- Sure, Blackie, sure.
- Somebody trying to put something over on you.
- Oh, I never liked it.
- You find Poldi. I want to see him.
- No, Blackie! No!
Let's get out of town!
I'm scared, I tell you!
- They'll pick me up again.
Angie, will you stop with that!
They picked you up once,
They ain't gonna do it again.
Blackie, I don't know where Poldi went!
I don't know where to look for him!
- I'm gonna get out of town.
- Look.
I just told you I don't like nobody
putting anything over on me.
Particularly you, Fitch!
Poldi ain't leavin' town,
and you ain't leavin' neither!
- Okay, Blackie. Sure.
- Get your hands off him, you big ape!
Angie, stay away from him!
I'll get him. I'll find him.
- Thank you, Fitch.
- I swear I will.
Come on, Angie.
Let's go.
What am I gonna do
with them suitcases I packed?
- Unpack 'em.
- Come on, Angie. Hurry up.
Fitch...
I hope you're not plannin'
on leaving town anyway.
I wouldn't do that.
Where would you go?
Yeah. That's right.
Where would I go?
- Is this the seaman's hiring hall?
- Yeah, this is it.
- They're trolling the ships now.
- Thanks a lot.
On the Joseph Martin,
Fitzgerald Steamship Company...a Liberty Ship, going to Rio,sailing at : in the morning.Two A.B. 's.
We have : and : .
They're going, they're going,
they're gone.
- Do this guy a favor.
- Thank you.
On the Steamship Pelican,
Louisiana Steamship Company...
a C going to Yokohama,sailing at noon.
Say, fellow, do you mind if I make
an announcement? Just take a second.
I have : and : .They're going, they're going,they're gone.
Grab the mike a minute, Leo?
Oh that's swell.
Thanks very much.
Could I have
your attention, please?
Could I have your attention?
This is very important.
I have some pictures of a man here.
I'll pass them out right away.
Would you take care of those, please?
Would you mind, sir?
Thank you.
Now, please take a good look at him.
I'll pay dollars to anyone
who can tell me anything at all about him.
Anything. I'm not from the police,
so you can't get into any trouble.
I just want the information,
and I'm willing to pay for it.
Thank you very much.
Thanks an awful lot.
- Thank you, sir.
- Okay, buddy.
Okay. Anybody that's ever seen this man,
speak right up, will you?
I never saw him before.
I never saw him either.
Anybody that can tell me anything at all?
How about it?
I've never seen him before.
- I've never seen him, Mac.
- You got the dough on you, Johnny?
- Can you tell me anything?
- I can tell you you're taking a terrific chance...
flashing that kind
of dough around this mob.
- Shipping is tough.
- You can say that again.
I'm serious about this. Any information at all.
Even if you just think
you've ever seen him.
What's this fellow done, lad?
Nothing.
There's no trouble.
Let me give you
a bit of advice.
- These fellows are not liable to talk around here.
- What do you mean?
- He's liable to be a seaman too.
- That's right, bud.
Oh, I got you.
- Thanks.
- No trouble at all.
Look, uh, if anybody
knows anything about him...
I'll be at Frank's Place
right next door here...
until, uh, : .
You can ask any questions
you want to.
You can give me the information
if you want to do that. Okay?
- You buy the coffee, mate?
- I'll buy your breakfast...
your lunch and your dinner if you can find me
anybody who knows this man.
We have three Liberties coming outof the boneyard. We'll need three full crews.One boatswainand two ordinaries.On the boatswainwe have : .It's going...
Throw that sugar down,
will you?
Come on along with those eggs, Frank.I got to make the : bus, you hear?I'm comin'! I'm comin'!
That's the one. That's the one.
Can I speak to you?
Sure. Go right ahead.
Are you the man
who's looking for someone?
Yeah, as a matter of fact, I was.
Someone looking
for dollars?
That's right.
Well, he said for you to come with me.
Will you?
"He" said?
Who's "he"?
Well, are you coming?
Yeah.
- It's cold down here by the water.
- Yeah.
Now, uh, what was it
you wanted to know?
I want to know if your friend
has ever seen this man.
- Why?
- Because obviously, I want to find out about him.
- Did he do something wrong?
- No, he did nothing wrong.
Nobody's gonna get into any trouble.
Have you ever seen him?
- No. No, I never seen him.
- Come on. Come on.
Then where is
this friend of yours?
Uh, he, uh, wanted to know
why you were looking.
He did, huh?
Well, if he wants to know so badly,
let him him come and ask me.
- I'm t...
- What are you doing here?
- Where'd you come from?
- Cut it out.
- Who are you, a cop?
- I'm with the Public Health Service. I'm a doctor.
- A doctor?
- That's right. I'm a doctor.
I want to know who this man is.
How he got into the country.
What ship he was smuggled off.
That's a lot of wanting
for bucks.
- That's all you're gonna get. Take it or leave it.
- I told you not to drink anymore.
I told you yesterday
to keep away from me.
- Did you bring this man into the country?
- No.
Because if you did, there's a good chance
you're gonna die in about four days.
- Who are you tryin' to kid?
- Nobody. I'm trying to save you.
You're a sailor.
Did you ever hear of plague?
- Plague?
- This man died of it yesterday morning.
- He's making it up.
- I'm not making it up.
- No, I don't think he...
- Trying to frame me!
I ain't never seen this guy.
I ain't been out of port in days,
and I can prove it.
Okay.
If you didn't bring him in
or have any contact with him...
then you've got
nothing to worry about.
- No, wait!
- Let him go!
- No, I won't!
- Get out of here!
You told me yourself, Charlie, that the man
was sick when you brought him here.
- Why, you stupid little fool.
- Take it easy.
Charlie, please. He's a doctor.
He ought to know what he's doing.
This is dollars.
This is anti-plague serum.
Charlie?
Now, roll up your sleeve and start talking.
Hold this, will you?
I got him off a tramp
out in the gulf.
I don't know his name,
and I know nothing about him.
- I swung the whole deal with one of the mates.
- What ship?
- I don't know.
- You know!
- It was night. I couldn't see.
- What ship?
- Give him the shot, Doc, please.
- What's the name of that ship?
- I said I don't know.
- This is the only hypodermic I've got,
and it breaks very easily.
Now, start talking,
or you're gonna get into trouble.
- Charlie...
- All right.
- It was the Nile Queen.
- Are you sure?
- Yeah, I'm sure.
- All right. Hold still. Roll up your sleeve.
Now, hold still.
Bring 'em aboard.
I'm going to finish my breakfast.
Aye, aye, sir.
Couldn't he have been aboard
without your knowledge, Captain?
No, he couldn't.
This is a waste of your time and mine.
The sooner you go over the side,
the sooner I can get underway again.
- Pass the word to the engine room
to stand by to get underway.
- Have any luck?
- Nothing. He told me nothing.
- Did he tell you anything?
Let's go, You've cost me two hours' delay
already with this heaving-to.
The man I spoke to was positive
the ship was the Nile Queen.
For the last time, I'm telling you...
I never saw the man in my life.
Anyone who says he was smuggled in
off my ship is a liar.
A man exposed to
pneumonic plague doesn't lie.
- I say he did.
- All right, Captain.
- Is he gonna call me a liar too?
- I'm calling you a fool!
Okay, I'll get off your ship...
but if that man
was aboard, you...
and most of your crew will be dead
before you're halfway to Santiago!
- I'll worry about that!
- Take it easy! Take it easy!
We're in international waters.
This man is master of this vessel.
We have no authority here.
Come on. Let's go.
- What did you find out?
- Well, from the tracings on those beams, Clint...
I can guarantee to
rats on this ship.
What did I tell you?
You men hear that?
Rats!
And they might be
carrying plague!
Hey, what's going ondown there?Hey, what's going ondown there?
Boatswain, get those men out of there!
All of'em! Get back to work!
All right, boys.
Let's start moving.
- No, we want to hear what he's saying.
- Yeah, we want to hear.
Never mind what he's saying.
Get moving.
Don't shove me!
Mr. Anson, break out the weapons,
mister, and stand by.
Stop bluffing, Captain!
You've got plague on this ship.
You're inciting
my men to mutiny.
- Now, get off of here
before I take action against you!
- Your men know it's true!
Wasn't there another man on board
who died just last week?
I'm the master here,
and for the last time I'm telling you...
One of your cooks
is down with fever.
That's just the first one, Captain.
Now, what are you gonna do about it?
- What do you want me to do?
- Right now, I want to inoculate
every man on board.
After that, you'll put about
and quarantine your ship under my men.
What about the stowaways?
I didn't have anything to do with them.
- It wouldn't make much difference
if you were dead.
- Get the equipment, Paul.
All right.
Let's get started.
- Sailmaker.
- Sailmaker, yes.
You're sure these
two men got on at Oran?
- They must have.
- It's the only place they could've.
What about the other man?
Did anybody see his body after he died?
Well, he's the sailmaker.
He sewed him up. He might have.
- No, I just dumped him over the side.
- Mmm. Great.
- Secondary infection from the man who died.
- It's the only possible way.
Okay. You can move along.
Think we have enough on this fellow?
- Yes, sir.
- Okay. That'll be all for you.
- Aah!
- Now you come on and sit down here.
Did you ever see these two men
who were in the chain locker?
- He see them every day.
- You see them every day? How come?
He cabin boy.
He bring them food.
Okay, let him talk for himself now.
You brought them their food every day?
- Yes, sir.
- Did they ever say anything?
Uh... Uh, sure.
"Food stinks. Good-bye."
This boy just kills you, doesn't he?
Are you the cook?
- Yes, sir.
- Go away. Did they ever talk about anything else?
No, sir. Only one time they tell me...
to tell cook
to make shish kebab.
- Shish kebab. They want shish kebab.
- Shut up.
- They like shish kebab.
- Yes, I'm sure.
And if I knew what shish kebab was...
- maybe we'd be on the trail of something.
- It's lamb on a skewer.
Some of the Greek and Armenian restaurants
around town serve it.
To tell you the truth,
I'm rather fond of it myself.
That's it.
They call me dirty names.
- They say when they go ashore...
- They go ashore?
- They know a place...
- What's the name of the place?
Did they say
the name of the place?
- He doesn't know. Just a restaurant.
- Okay. Run along.
Well, I thought maybe we had something there.
It might be a little something at that.
Now you ask me the questions?
I suppose we're apt to wind up
at a policeman's benefit, but I'll have to.
Where's the owner
of this joint?
Over here.
- What is it?
- You the proprietor?
- Yes.
- John Mefaris?
- Yes, sir.
- You serve Greek food?
Anything you like, gentlemen.
We're from the Public Health Service.
I run clean place.
I passed inspection last month.
No, we're just trying to identify a man.
That's all.
You know this man?
Has he ever come in your place?
What you want him for,
if you don't mind my asking you?
I'm asking you,
do you recognize him?
He's not across the street.
You won't get into any trouble.
- We just want some information.
- I ain't worried.
He had an infection.
A contagious disease.
We want to find out who he was,
where he went, the people he saw.
Sure, sure.
Uh, I don't know.
So many people
come here all the time.
Maybe my wife.
I'll ask her.
Yeah.
I got a feeling this is
gonna be very helpful.
You know this is hopeless,
don't you, Doc?
This is about the th
joint we've been in.
It's by actual count.
What can you suggest?
Look, we run the whole story
in tonight's paper.
His picture, everything. I'll block every road
leaving town, cover the bus stations and...
- No, huh?
- You're getting it.
Slowly.
- They sure make 'em stubborn
up where you come from.
- That's right.
It's the man that fellow Poldi
brought in the other night.
- Yes. Kochak.
- Hmm.
The one that ate
like a field hand.
- What about him?
- They asked me if I know him.
For pity sakes,
go and tell them and stop fussing at me.
It's the Board of Health.
They say he's sick.
Oh, that Board of Health
was here just last month.
We've paid for our license,
though I don't know how we did it.
But they say he's sick...
bad sick.
- So am I sick.
- But this is contagious.
Contagious? Hmph. Then you tell them
to go and mind their own business.
We don't know nothing about it.
Don't stand there. Go and tell 'em.
But the law...
We've got to obey the law.
- We've never seen him.
- I don't know. I don't like it.
Aw, John, I got a headache
that's fit to kill me.
If you don't go out there and tell them
that we don't know nothing about this...
and get 'em out of this place,
I'm gonna do it myself.
Stop all this nonsense.
Go on and tell 'em!
Okay, Rita, okay.
I'll tell 'em. I'll tell 'em.
She doesn't know anything either.
Why don't you leave the picture.
- He may come sometime.
- I don't think he'll be around for awhile.
They're there now, Blackie.
In the back.
- They found Poldi, huh?
- Yes. I tipped him off where to go.
Did you take care
of that other matter, Pat?
- I stayed all night. Watched the house.
- What happened?
She came home early.
Not a peep out of her.
- Good. Here you are, Pat.
- No. No, thanks.
No, Blackie.
No, no.
God bless you, Blackie.
God bless you.
Hey! You get away from there.
This is my beat. Get away.
Paper, sir?
Blackie, I found him.
See? I found him.
Pat told me how you found him.
What's that smell in here?
Have you been trying something
on your hair again?
No, Blackie.
I ain't put nothing on it.
- Touched that yet?
- No, Blackie.
- Hiya, Blackie.
- Hello, Poldi. What's the matter?
I'm sick.
Don't feel so good.
You felt good enough to stay out last night
and run me all over town.
You gave him a little bit of trouble,
huh, Poldi?
- Who's this?
- My kid brother, Vincent.
- Let's lose him.
- I told you, I don't feel good.
I need somebody with me.
- We're with you, Poldi. Blow out of here, kid.
- Who asked you, Curly?
- Hit the road before l...
- Don't be objectionable, Fitch.
- Nice to know you, Vince.
- Thanks, Blackie.
- You want to do Blackie a favor, kid?
- Yeah, I guess so.
Get me a scratch sheet. Maybe I got something
I can put a couple of bucks on for you.
Thanks, Blackie.
Thanks, Blackie.
You don't feel good,
huh, Poldi?
I got a pretty good doctor.
Maybe he can take a look at you.
I'll be all right.
I'm just sort of cold in my head.
- I ought to be in bed.
- Aw!
- "Aw" what?
- Aw, you're always bellyaching, that's what.
- Nobody asked you.
- Leave him alone, Fitch.
Maybe he's got a touch
of swamp fever or something.
Look, Poldi, I wouldn't have had him bother you.
I wanted to ask...
About Kochak? I never should have
brung him that night. I'm sorry, Blackie...
- But you got your dough and everything, so...
- I wasn't thinking about him.
- But now that you bring it up, tell me...
- He was nothing. Honest.
He was nothing... just enough to have
every cop in town looking for him.
They're grabbing every guy in sight,
whether he's got a record or not.
Yeah. They even picked up
the master criminal here.
Why do you suppose
they're doing that, Poldi?
I don't know, Blackie.
It's like I told Fitch... he was a cousin of mine.
- But I don't know nothing else about him.
- Some cousin.
- He might have killed you if I hadn't been there.
- Yeah, a fine cousin.
I thank you, Blackie,
but he didn't bring nothing into the country.
- I mean... He was...
- What made you say that, Poldi?
I don't know, Blackie.
I just thought that...
maybe the cops
or maybe you thought that...
I got to get out of here
and get some water.
Sit down, Poldi.
Here's some water.
What made you say that?
I don't know, Blackie.
I just thought that you figured that...
- Why would I figure that?
- I don't know. But there was nothing.
Nothing at all.
- Can't you believe me?
- Why should he?
Don't talk like that, Fitch.
All Poldi said was he didn't bring nothing in.
Poldi ought to know.
The guy was his cousin.
He was going to stay with you, wasn't he, Poldi?
He left his stuff with you.
- I don't know where he was gonna stay.
- Sit down, Poldi.
I'm talking to you.
It ain't polite to get up when...
I thought there was something funny
about that shirt.
"La Pere, Lisbon."
- When was you in Lisbon last?
- You lied to Blackie, Poldi.
He don't like to be lied to.
You know what I mean, Poldi? He don't like it.
He just had a couple of shirts.
You can have 'em all, Blackie.
- That what I smelled. What have you got on?
- I ain't got nothing on.
You're lyin' again.
Perfume.
Dough to go out last night.
I'm disappointed in you.
I treated you like a friend,
and look at you.
- I ain't lying. Honest, I ain't.
- See why I'm always right, Fitch?
Because I never trust nobody.
You make an exception, and...
You remember how it was when we
took Poldi in? Share and share alike?
Yeah, that's right, Blackie.
What's yours is mine.
Only Poldi doesn't believe that.
He's like everybody else... just out for himself.
- No, no, no. That isn't true. I wouldn't do nothing...
- What am I going to do with you?
What would you do if you was in my shoes,
and a friend double-crossed you?
How would you...
Hi, Poldi.
Hi, handsome.
Blackie, can I see you
for just a minute?
Sure, baby.
Anything wrong?
No, nothing.
What's the matter with you?
Why don't you tell him?
I don't know nothing,
I tell you.
Blackie, honey,
I've just got to have a hundred dollars.
Sure, honey, if you really...
I'll be with you
in a minute, kid.
Thought that dame
gave him the brush.
You see, Fitch?
Didn't I tell you he's been holding out on us?
- Blackie, I didn't mean to let him get away.
- That's all right, Fitch.
Don't get sweaty.
Where's he gonna go
that we can't find him?
Come on.
Car car ...
He was tied up right off the end
of the dock here this morning.
Car . Captain Warren. Captain Warren.Emergency. Woman sick. Governor Nichols.High-fever case.Captain Warren.Captain Warren.Please acknowledge.
The woman called him Charlie.
Doesn't that mean anything?
- Not to me, mister.
I've got a nephew named Charlie...
- I'm sure he's a nice fellow.
That's great.
Oh, I don't know.
That was my last idea.
- Captain Warren!
- What?
- There's a call.
- What is it?
It's a woman. Sick.
Fever case. It's an emergency call.
What's going on here?
Not now, lady.
The boys in the patrol car are
picking up the husband, Captain.
They'll have him here
in a few minutes.
I wish that doctor
had called sooner.
I'll have to quarantine the whole apartment.
Gafney will inoculate.
Call in and tell Monahan
I want a detail here right away.
- Cover the entrance yourself.
Nobody in but the husband.
- Yes, sir.
- No chance of a mistake?
- Nah. You couldn't miss it.
Oh, Paul, I want all that bedding burned
after you get her out.
- That door.
- Yes, sir.
What about the death certificate?
It's got to be filed.
The doctor put down a tentative diagnosis
of pneumonia with complications.
- That'll do for now.
- How about the body?
- I'll have the Board of Health take care of it.
- What happened? What you do here?
Oh, clear these people
out of here.
Where's my wife?
Rita?
Where is she?
What you do?
- Let me see my wife.
- I can't let you go in there.
- What you do to her?
- Your wife is dead.
Dead?
Dead. Rita?
She can't be. You lie.
She's dead, mister.
This afternoon she said
she just don't feel good.
- I'm sorry.
- She...
Remember me, Mefaris?
We showed you a picture of a man
and asked if you knew him.
- You lied to us. Who was he?
- I don't know. I don't know.
If you'd told us the truth,
there's a chance your wife might not have died.
- Who is he?
- I don't know! I don't know.
Look, Mefaris, I want to
know about this man.
He had the disease that killed your wife.
Now, who is he?
- His disease killed my wife?
- Yes. Now, who is he, who is he, who is he?
Kochak.
His name was Kochak.
- I don't know him.
Poldi brought him the other night.
- Who is Poldi?
- Rita served him.
- Who's Poldi? Where does he live?
- Where does he live?
- Gloria Hotel, I guess.
Come on. There's nothing you can do for him.
Let's go.
- The ambulance is outside now.
- Ben.
- Yes, sir?
- Have them work with Gafney.
This place is quarantined.
Get the address of Mefaris' restaurant.
Quarantine that.
Then try and get a list of everybody
who's been in there in the past three days.
- Yes, sir.
- I wonder how many people have been in there.
- It's gettin' pretty rugged.
- Oh, look, you stay and take charge, will you, Ben?
- Send for any help you need.
- Right.
- Nobody in or out. Nobody!
- Right.
Come on. Gloria Hotel.
Let's go!
- Gloria Hotel, huh?
- Right.
Thanks.
Nobody in or out.
Nobody. Come on.
- What do you want?
- I'm looking for a fellow named Poldi.
- He's not up in his room.
- Where is his room?
All right. Follow me.
- Never mind why I want him. I want him!
- I swear to you, Captain...
if I know the guy has a record,
I never take him in.
- I run a clean establishment.
- I know. Nothing but retired
millionaires and honeymooners.
Aw, no, Cap.
You know I wouldn't have nobody in here...
Look, we pulled three hoodlums out of here
last month. Now, who knew this man?
Nobody, Cap.
Honest, nobody.
The guy just comes in for a room and l...
Well, eh, just a minute.
- Just a minute. I... I just do remember.
- He just does remember.
- Yeah. A couple of guys
were looking for him today.
- Who were they?
No, but l...
I don't know, honest.
I don't know.
Y- You got to believe me.
Why? Come on.
Let's get out of here.
You're gonna get both of us in trouble,
so why don't you be a nice fellow?
Why don't you take your big hands off me
and knock off?
- I'm warning you Neff. You hear me?
- I hear you. That's the trouble.
- I can't seem to tune you out.
- All right. That's enough.
Oh, Neff. I didn't know
you lived here too.
- I'm ready for your statement
on this story now, Doctor.
- What story is that, Neff?
Oh, cut it out. You think I've been
walking around with my head in a bag?
You and the Public Health Service
turning this town upside down?
A murdered hoodlum, a ship in quarantine
and now a woman dead.
- An idiot could figure it out.
- You qualify. What do you figure?
I figure the guy had smallpox or cholera
or something like that.
And I want to know why this story
wasn't released to the press.
- Listen, you...
- Wait a minute, Warren.
Now, look, Neff.
It isn't smallpox,
and it isn't cholera.
It's plague...
pneumonic plague.
- Plague?
- That's why we can't let you have the story.
- You can't let me have it.
- That's right.
With a chance of an epidemic?
- I knew you guys were crazy...
- Wait a minute, Neff. Wait a minute.
Wait for what?
Somebody else to die?
Not much.
You've already wasted a day and a half.
I'm sorry, but I can't
let you print this story.
You can't let me print it.
Since when have you been making the rules?
- I represent the Public Health Service.
- Well, I represent the public...
and they've got a right to know what's going on,
and no two-bit civil servant...
Regardless of your opinion,
I've got to do what I think is best.
Did you do what you thought was best
for that woman who just died?
If the doctor had known what was going on,
couldn't he have saved her? Couldn't he?
- I don't know.
- You don't know.
And because you don't know,
you don't want anybody else to know.
- Well, there's a chance we could contain...
- You bet there is!
And don't think for a minute that everybody
in this town isn't going to get it.
Aw, drop it. If your editor's got the story,
let him go ahead and print it.
- Well, my editor doesn't have it,
but he's going to get it.
- Oh, he doesn't have it, eh?
What do you know?
- Take him.
- A pleasure.
- What do you think you're trying to pull?
- He speaks to no one.
- What's the charge?
- Loitering, public nuisance, anything you like.
- You're crazy! I'll have your badge for this, Warren!
- Take him out!
- You'll be walking a beat if you're lucky!
- Out!
If I'd been busted by every newspaperman
that tried to get my bars...
I'd be mopping floors
in the Hall ofJustice years ago. Come on.
- Can that reporter really make trouble for him?
- Trouble?
- Where you been living, mister?
- If that newspaper wanted
to put the pressure on him...
he'd be lucky if he could
get a job mopping floors.
Let's go, Bill.
Clint? I thought I heard you.
Don't come any closer, honey.
You better stay right there.
- Another contagion case, huh?
- Yep.
And another uniform to be decontaminated.
Some fun, huh?
You didn't catch it yourself, did you?
You look a little beat.
Yeah, I look
so good normally.
- I didn't pay it.
- You can pay it tomorrow.
No, I can't pay it tomorrow,
and I can't pay it the next day.
I spent the money.
Now will you please just forget about that bill?
When I get the dough, I'll pay it.
Just stop pestering me about it.
Clint, honey,
I didn't say anything.
Yeah, I know.
- Whenever you're tired you always
seem to think I'm scolding you.
- Yeah, l... I'm sorry.
- And I wasn't.
- I know. I know you're right.
- What happened?
- I gave it to somebody.
Clint, I wasn't... I wasn't
talking about the money.
Oh. Well, anyway, I spent it
on something for the department.
- You can put in a voucher,
or whatever they call them.
- Hm!
As far as I know, nobody's yet figured out a way
to get money back from the U.S. Government...
- quickly, that is.
- I'll make up the cot for you.
- No, I've got to go right out again, honey.
- Go right out?
Look, be a good kid
and make me some coffee, will you?
- How about some nice, hot soup?
- Just coffee, Nancy.
- But, Clint, you need...
- Coffee!
Nancy, I told you, I can't sleep.
I gotta take a shower and get out of here.
- Did you sleep last night?
- Last night?
Yeah. Oh, sure.
Guess I must have.
- Oh, I didn't call you, did I?
- That's all right.
I didn't think.
It's a plague case...
pneumonic.
- Plague? Here in New Orleans?
- Yeah. A woman died of it tonight.
Whoever's carrying it's
still wandering around.
Well, at least
they have you.
You've been through it.
You know how to handle it.
Now, look, hon. Let's not
be little Miss Sunshine.
All right, all right.We went through it in Cal...
- Why don't you lie down, just for an hour or two?
- No, no.
Gafney's waiting for me at the office.
He hasn't had any sleep either.
Gafney can wait.
He's younger than you are.
- Baby, Methuselah's younger than I am tonight.
- What's eating you anyway?
- Nothing.
- Come on.
I'm all right.
I'm just out of gas...
I'm tired
and I'm fed up.
Well, if you won't lie down, at least sit.
You're making me tired standing.
- Stick around, honey.
- I've got to get the coffee.
I'm just afraid if I sit down,
the next thing, I'll lie down.
If I lie down, sure as there are worms
in little green apples...
I'll fall asleep.
And if I fall asleep,
I'm dead.
Now you're cooking.
Just don't let me
fall asleep, will you?
I'll watch you.
You know, today I took
a perfectly nice guy... a cop...
not the smartest guy in the worid,
but who is?
So I push him around,
make a lot of smart cracks about him...
and tell him off
all day long...
and he winds up proving
he's four times the man I'll ever be.
- I don't believe it.
- Why do I do that?
- Hmm?
- You're tired now, Clint.
All right, so I'm tired.
But you know what I mean.
Yeah, I guess I do.
Yeah. I do the same thing
to you, don't I?
- Yes, you do.
- Well?
Well, Clint, you're not a kid anymore,
and you ought to stop thinking like one.
What do you mean?
Well, like those jobs
you're always talking about...
Arabian pipelines or expeditions to Chile
as medical advisor, or...
- You know.
- Yeah, what you want to say...
is that I'm a bust now
and to forget about them.
- That's what you mean, isn't it?
- That's exactly what I don't mean.
You might get an offer like that tomorrow,
and you'd be perfect for it.
But that's a chance, and it's in the future.
You can't spend the rest of your life...
You know, you're a pretty lucky guy
right this minute.
Lucky?
- Holy smoke.
- You are.
You've done exactly what you
planned you were going to do...
when you were a junior
in medical school.
- How many people can say that?
- I don't know.
But I do know I've got exactly $
in the savings account.
So, every once in a while you...
you get a guilty feeling...
that you've beenmissing out, or...
that you owe something to...
to me or to Tommy
or somebody or other.
Then you take it outon whoever happens to be around.
Mostly I'm around.
So?
So stop feeling sorry
for yourself.
- Yes, ma'am.
- And don't get smart with me.
If there's a plague here,
you're the most important guy in town...
and not only to me.
Yes, ma'am. So?
So that's all.
Well. How long you been
cookin' that one up?
You'd be surprised.
Housework leaves
a lot of time for thinking.
Some of it l...
I thought up a few weeks ago.
About the time
I decided that...
Tommy wasn't gonna be
an only child anymore.
- You decided what?
- You heard me.
Well, for Pete's sake.
Do you mind?
You son of a gun.
You said yourself that...
that it was bad for Tommy to be an only child.
Well, what do you know?
- And, Clint, aside from Tommy...
- You gotta stay away from me, honey.
Aside from Tommy, l...
I have no intention...
of being too old to
enjoy my grandchildren.
Hm! How do you like that?
Don't worry about the money,
Clint. We'll work it out.
I'm not worried.
This is nice.
I guess the reason I did it was because
I knew you really wanted it.
I like you, Clint.
It's only fair that you get
some of the things you want.
I guess that's
the real reason.
Clint?
Hey!
- What's up?
- I don't know, but it ain't good.
- Well, what's going on?
- They just told me to get you
and bring you over here.
Look.
Sorry I had to call you here...
but my office and my home
are crawling with reporters.
Now I find you've arrested one. What's the matter
with you, Warren? Have you lost your mind?
- If the desk sergeant hadn't made a mistake,
he'd be there still.
- Yeah, I know.
- What imbecility prompted...
- He did it on my authority, Mr. Mayor.
- Your authority?
- Yes, sir.
What authority is that?
You're an adviser here, Doctor, a guest...
and you can oblige me by confining
your authority to your own duties.
Where's Mackey?
We can't fool around with this any longer.
I told him to get over here right away.
He should be here any minute now.
All I want is a simple statement of fact.That shouldn't take him too long.
Mr. Mayor, we already got a line
on one of the dead man's friends.
- His name is Poldi...
- Have you made any arrests yet?
- No, sir.
- When will you?
- It's hard to go out...
- I'm sorry.
- We can't wait that long for you.
Sorry about the delay.
- Yeah.
- Have you got it with you?
- Yes, sir. Best I could do on such short notice.
- How are you, Doctor?
- About the same.
That's all I wanted.
I had Mackey make up a statement...
a complete explanation
of the facts as they stand.
Before I give it to Neff here,
I want a confirmation from you...
that the disease can be contained,
and there's no reason for panic.
Our only chance for full cooperation,
Clint, is to inform the public.
You agree?
No. The minute he prints it,
the men we're looking for will leave the city.
Now, I told you once,
and I'll tell you again.
Anyone leaving here with...
with plague endangers the entire country.
The entire country hasn't got it.
We have. A woman died here last night.
- This problem lies right here
in our own community.
- Community? What community?
- Do you think you're living in the Middle Ages?
- Oh, come now.
Anybody that leaves here can be
in any city in the country within hours.
I could leave here today and be in Africa tomorrow.
And whatever disease I had would go with me.
- I know that.
- Then think of it when you're
talking about communities!
We're all in a community...
the same one!
- Give me a cigarette.
- Take the pack.
- Can I go now?
- All right.
There are about four more hours
before the morning edition.
Then I'm wasting
my time here.
Do what you can, Tom.
I couldn't hold Neff.
Strangely enough, I find myself in complete
agreement with you, but I couldn't hold him.
- He can color a story any way he wants.
- Yes, he can.
But that's his privilege.
I won't take it away from him.
And I won't say
it isn't better that way.
- What is it, Bob?
- Mind if I take off now, sir?
All right, but I want to be on the radio
in the morning at : .
I'll be here by then, sir.
I'm not going to lie to you.
I'm taking the kids upriver
to their grandmother.
- Oh.
- I'll be in your office by : but I gotta do it.
All right.
- Well, here we go.
- Don't get any wrong ideas.
- He'll be there in the morning, and he'll stay there.
- Yeah, sure he will.
And kids are kids.
Nevertheless, here we go.
- You want some coffee?
- Naw, I don't think so.
To tell you the truth,
I'm scared to death.
I want to call Washington
and start getting some help in here.
Well, Dan, I seem to remember you as the guy
that talked me into running for this office.
Hm! I was hoping
you'd forget that.
Good-bye, Father.
If you need me, Mama, send Vince.
I'll be right over.
Thank you, Father.
- This is Poldi's mother.
- Hello.
This is Blackie, his best friend.
He wants to help him.
Yes, I heard he was sick,
but I can't find him, Mama.
- He's not in his room. I was worried about him.
- No, no, he's home.
Always when he's sick he comes home.
But he's dying this time.
Oh, no, no, Mama. He's not gonna die.
I'm not gonna let him.
I'm gonna send for
a doctor for him.
But the neighbors already,
they have sent for somebody.
Yes, but, Mama, this is my doctor.
He's the best.
He'll make Poldi well. You'll see.
Now, you tell Vince to go and get him, huh?
You see that Vince gets the doc.
- Say, where did Fitch say he was going?
- He went to breakfast.
He didn't go to breakfast. I've been looking for him.
Now, find him and bring him over.
- You hurry up.
- God bless you, Blackie. God bless you.
That's great, Poldi. Drink it up. It'll do you good.
I'm gonna take care of you.
It's just you and me, huh, Poldi?
Just you and me.
We're gonna...
Hiya, Blackie. I was just gonna get ya.
I was gonna get ya...
- only Poldi was so sick, I didn't want to leave him.
- Shouldn't have done it.
Shouldn't have done it.
He says we shouldn't have done it. He says...
What'll we do, Blackie?
- Shouldn't have done it. Shouldn't have it!
- Take it easy. Take it easy.
- Do what he says. Shh.
- Shouldn't have done it!
I'm sorry, Poldi, but there's nothing
we can do about that anymore.
The first thing we gotta do
is get you well.
You hear me?
We gotta get you well.
I sent Vince for a doctor. Vince is gonna
bring him here. He's gonna get you well.
- Ain't gonna get well.
- Sure you're gonna get well.
- I'm gonna die.
- Oh, you ain't gonna die.
- I want to confess, please.
- You'll confess later.
- Get me a priest!
- You don't need a priest. You need a doctor.
I'm getting you one.
You're gonna get well.
Will you stop?
Stop aggravating him, will you?
What's this?
I don't know.
I didn't see it when I come in.
- Let's get out of here.
- Let him confess everything to the priest?
- I'm gonna get out of here!
- You're not going anyplace!
Not till Poldi tells us.
Blackie, you ain't gonna...
I ain't gonna what?
Let's get this straight, just between us.
What did Kochak bring in?
- Take it easy.
- Don't know. It's just...
- I don't know.
- Oh, you know. You talked to him in that lingo.
- I don't know nothing.
- Where is it, Poldi?
It must be lying
around someplace.
It must be worth a fortune
the way they're looking for who killed him.
I got the connections.
I can move that stuff.
- We'll split it, me and you.
- I want a priest, please.
- What did you do with it?
- Please, I want a priest. Kochak, three aces...
- He's getting delirious.
- He ain't delirious.
- He's hysterical!
- He ain't hysterical! Where's the stuff, Poldi?
Your brother Vince,
Poldi, is a nice kid.
You don't want him
to grow up here.
If you had some dough, you could buy him
and your old lady a place in the country.
Country's good for kids,
makes them healthy.
Be good for you too, Poldi.
You gotta get well.
You're sick, Poldi, very, very sick,
and you ain't gonna get well in this dump.
I got a doc coming.
He's a specialist, but he's gonna cost dough...
a lot of dough.
Now, where's the stuff, Poldi?
What did you do with it?
- What did Kochak bring?
- All right, all right, all right!
- We're gonna be friends.
- What's going on here?
How did you people
get in this room?
- Get off that bed.
- Who sent for you?
- Let's get out of here.
- What are you doing here anyway?
- Are you members of the family?
- We're his best friends.
- Well, clear out of here.
- Don't do that.
This man's got to be taken
to a hospital immediately.
- He ain't going to no hospital.
- It just happens I've already reported the case.
An ambulance
is on its way over.
Well, you can just send it back,
because he ain't going to no hospital.
His family have already agreed
to hospitalization.
I brung the doc.
- Good morning, all.
- How is he, miss?
He's a very sick man.
High fever, Doctor.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh.
- Hot, very hot.
- Fine.
Rapid pulse, respiration
difficult and uneven.
- I phoned the hospital for an ambulance.
They're on their way.
- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
He's gonna stay here.
That's why we got the doc. Now, tell her, Doc.
- But if the nurse says we...
- Oh, Vince, you don't want Poldi...
lying around some charity ward, do you,
with some intern working on him?
I had an aunt once went to the hospital.
She never come out.
- Oh, now, that's all right, son.
We'll take care of him.
- Doc...
Probably just a touch of malarial fever.
We'll have him on his feet in...
But, Doctor, his respiration.
He can barely breathe.
It's probably some pulmonary complications.
Now, there's no need to excite the family.
- Yes, sir. I'm sorry. But don't you think a hospital...
- You know these people.
- Very superstitious.
- Well, yes, but...
And if you take the patient without permissión...
All right, Doctor.
- We can't force treatment on you,
but if you'll take my advice...
- Doc?
That'll be all.
Thank you, Nurse.
Just escort the young lady downstairs,
will you, son?
Shouldn't have done it. Shouldn't have done it.
- This man's in very bad shape.
- Just fix him up so he can talk.
Give him a shot of something.
It's gonna take more than
a shot to make him talk.
- Well, whatever it is, give it to him.
- He needs an oxygen tent.
- He'd be better off going to a hospital.
- He ain't going to no hospital.
- You better fix him up now, Doc.
- I tell you he needs an oxygen tent.
- Send out for some.
- Unfortunately, I am persona non grata...
- in most of the medical supply houses.
- What?
Now, look, it's important for Poldi to talk to us,
Doc. Very important. You understand me?
Well, there's a little private place
that I have access to.
- It's rather an expensive proposition.
- Never mind that.
- We'll take care of that.
How do we get him out of here?
- If you can lift that mattress...
and get him down to my car,
we'll take care of him right now.
All right, let's go.
- It's on the third floor, Doctor, up those stairs.
- Right.
Thanks for reporting it.
I think you'd better wait down here.
- All right, hold it.
- Out of the way, bub! We got a sick man here!
- I'm a doctor. I want to take a look at him.
- We got our own doctor.
- Get out of the way.
- Isn't his name Poldi? Put him down. I want to see.
Get out of the way!
Poldi! Poldi!
I think his back's broken.
- Hey, Officer! They've stolen my truck!
They've stolen my truck!
- Okay. All right, all right!
- Hey, Officer...
- They just killed Poldi!
- What?
- Danny, Gafney! Quarantine the whole place!
They've stolen my truck!
They've stolen my truck.
Captain Warren to headquarters.
Signal coffee warehouse.
Captain Warren to headquarters.
Signal coffee warehouse. Come on, Reed.
Look, you two guys go over that way.
Cover the roof of the building.
You go out for help.
Whoa, there.
Stay right down here and post yourself.
Block the inside.
Come on!
They kicked in the skylight and got through.
- Put a line up around here right away.
Now get going.
- Right away.
Hi, Tom. Got the emergency squads working.
The riot trucks are comin' in.
Hiya, Blackie! Well, well.
Look what drifted back.
- Hiya, Pete.
- Where you been hidin', fella?
- Ain't seen you in a dog's age.
- Oh, I've been around.
Yeah. A lot of the boys been asking for you.
You figuring on coming back to work here?
Nah, not me.
I've had enough of this stuff.
- Say, when's that fruit boat sailing?
- The Honduras?
Late this afternoon.
She's unloaded already.
Say, you ain't figuring on signing on, are you?
She's got a full crew.
- Well, I'll try her anyway. Take it easy, Pete.
- Yeah, Blackie.
Be good.
If you can't be good, be careful.
Get 'em, get 'em!
- Hold those guys, Pete!
- They mean you, Blackie.
Get 'em, get 'em!
Hold 'em, Pete!
Don't start no trouble now,Blackie. I, uh...
We'll start at opposite ends
of the building and work...
- Captain, they just shot
a watchman in the warehouse.
- That's it. Let's go.
- Start issuing rifles, submachine guns. Get going.
- We can't have those men shot.
- They're no good to us dead.
- No shooting?
What are we supposed to do, play tag?
- Who is this guy anyway?
- Come on, Danny.
Let me give you a rundown on this.
I don't need no rundown.
These are armed hoodlums.
- I've got one man dead and two wounded already.
- I know.
Blackie, I can't go any further.
We can't get out of here.
- We got to quit.
- You ain't quittin', Fitch.
I'm gettin' on that fruit boat.
Okay, if that's the way it is, starve them out
or use gas, but I ain't taking responsibility.
Gas? With a half a million dollars'
worth of coffee? Are you...
Where's Reed? Reed?
You two men! Listen to me.
I've got something
to tell you.
Keep going, down by that manhole.
Keep going.
Poldi had plague!
I can't... I can't...
- Shut up!
- Do you hear me?Poldi had plague!
Listen! Poldi had plague!
I'm a doctor.I can cure you.- It's your only chance.
- Blackie, he had plague. Look how he looked.
You touched him. I touched him too.
Maybe he's right.
- Maybe we got the plague.
- Shut up.
I'm a doctor, and I can cure you.
It's your only chance.
Come out now and surrender,and I promise nothing'll happen to you.
It's gotta be here.
Get these sacks off.
Reed!
Reed!
Where's the other man?
All right, come on.
Get out of there.
Come on. Move it!
Aah! Ow!
Get off. Get off!
Ow!
I give up! I give up!
Ow!
- I'll tell you anything you want!
- It's just a flesh wound.
- Al, Bushway, get him out of here.
- Come on!
- Where's the other one?
- Went along those straits.
- Come on, fat boy. On your feet.
- You all right?
Yeah, I'm fine.
Let's go.
Captain, Captain!
- Captain, there he is!
- Oh, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it, hold it.
He ain't goin' no place.
All right, Leo.
All right.
Now we've got
to fish him out.
Hey, I almost forgot
to tell you.
They found that case of perfume under the sink
in Poldi's tenement. No customs stamps.
- Perfume?
- Yeah.
- Is it worth anything?
- Oh, about two or three hundred bucks.
- Why, do you want a bottle?
- No, thanks. Not today.
Car car .Thirty-seven at rd and Katina.Dog barking.
- Back to the grind again, huh?
- A barking dog. They got a lot to worry about...
- sending a squad car out...
- What are you getting so tough about?
I don't know.
So long, Clint.
Keep me in mind, will you?
Right, Captain. So long.
- Hello there, Doctor.
- Oh, hello there, Redfield. How are you?
- All right.
- Good.
Say, Tommy tells me you haven't
been around in a couple of days.
You ought to spend some time with that boy.
He's a great kid.
- Yeah. Well, been kind of busy.
- Your own son comes first, you know.
- I'll get to work on it.
- Say, by the way, ought not leave this out either.
- Wood rots, you know.
- Thanks.
- Okay.
- In a wild chase during which...one man was killedand the other captured.As a result, Dr. Mackeyof the Board of Health...
has been able to issue a bulletin that
all contacts have been found and inoculated.
Sounds like Mackey's got things under control.
He's a good man.
Turn it off.
- Hi, honey.
- Hi. Anything new around here?
- Not a thing.
- Hmm.
- What's that?
- Just a bill from the cleaners.
Uniforms.
Thought I forgot,
didn't you?
What a mushy dame.