All language subtitles for Dragnet S02E07 The Senior Citizen.DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

This is the city, Los
Angeles, California.

It's a productive city
of industrious people

who work hard, play
hard, and live easy.

It's the hope of easy living

that attracts most
people to Los Angeles.

Some of them want an
easy life without hard work.

When they go that
route, they're my problem.

I carry a badge.

It was Tuesday, March 14th.

It was fair in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch

out of Burglary
Auto Theft Division.

The boss is Captain Mack.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.

For several weeks, the
city had been plagued

by a number of daring
daylight burglaries.

Using the same MO, the
burglar had been hitting

as many as four
homes a day in one area

between the hours
of 10:00 and 3:00.

The newspapers
were full of stories.

We had just been
assigned the case,

and we didn't have a clue.

The story you are
about to see is true.

The names have been
changed to protect the innocent.

Sorry, Joe. I thought
you'd seen it already.

What did you cut out?

Oh, nothing much,
just a couple of things.

- What things?
- These little items

they stick at the bottom
of pages, like this.

"There are more than 2,000
species of snakes known in the world."

Yeah, fillers.

- What?
- They call those fillers.

Sure. They're an education, Joe.

You take this one here.

"The word companion
comes from two Latin words

meaning "to break
bread together."

That's fascinating.
Now, companion,

why don't we try to
break this case together?

We've been over it
six dozen times, Joe.

There's gotta be something
we overlooked somewhere.

What? Every job's the same.

He hits in daylight. He
jimmies a patio door.

He takes furs, cash,
jewels, nothing else.

No latent prints,
no fuss, no muss.

There's gotta be a common
denominator somewhere.

I can't find it, Joe.

Well, you sure
can't find it in there.

I'm still thinking.

Just what are you going
to do with that collection

of instant intelligence?

You want to know the truth?

That's why I asked.

- Okay. Lou Sale.
- What about him?

Whenever Lou comes
in, what's he say?

- What?
- He says "What's new?" Right?

- Yeah.
- And what do you say?

- Not much.
- Same here.

I always say "Not much,
Lou. What's new with you?"

And he says "Not much." Right?

Right.

Well, wait'll he
checks in today.

He'll give me that
same old "What's new?"

Yeah? And then you'll say

there are 2,000 kinds
of snakes in the world.

You got it.

Speak of the devil.

Watch this, Joe.

Hey, Lou!

Bill, Joe. What's new?

Did you hear what he asked, Joe?

What?

You asked "What's new?"

So?

I'll tell you what's new.

Ahwahnee in Yosemite
Valley derived its name

from the Yokuts word
meaning "deep grassy valley".

- What's that Yokuts mean?
- Oh, it doesn't say.

The Yokuts were small
tribes of California Indians

who spoke related dialects.

They're nearly extinct now.

How'd you know that?

I used to date a librarian.

- What's new, Lou?
- Funny you should ask,
Gannon.

I had a hunch about that
daylight burglar you're chasing.

Now suppose, Joe,
it's not a he, but a she.

- Yeah?
- It's possible.

But not probable.

Now, think about it.

Now, whoever does
it, does a tidy job,

takes only the stuff that's
easy to lift, easy to carry,

leaves the house spic
and span, no mess.

Sound like a woman?

You buy that, Joe?

Just a hunch.

Let's say it is a
woman, for a minute.

There have been a few.

They usually work after dark.

Do you remember Bonnie McKenzie?

Oh, Bonnie's been
straight for two years, Joe.

- You know that.
- Do I?

11:48 a.m., Bill
and I left the office

and drove over to
Bonnie McKenzie's cafe.

We'd arrested Bonnie
four years ago for burglary.

She drew a two-year sentence.

The court had been
lenient with her.

She was pregnant at the time.

Is this a social
call or business?

A little of both, Bonnie.

Poor guy. He's stone deaf.
That's why he eats here.

He ain't heard how
lousy my food is.

Oh, you put out a good
bowl of chili, Bonnie.

- Want one?
- Yeah.

I'll have a bowl...
Plenty of onions, too.

You, too, Sarge?

I've got a big batch to move.

No. No, thanks, Bonnie.

I never touch onions
when I'm working.

Well, why not, Joe?

Nobody ever notices,
for goodness' sake.

Things kind of slow,
are they, Bonnie?

You see 'em lined
up to get in here,

I'm doing so big here?

You see Conrad
Hilton on his knees

begging me to sell
him the business?

No, it's on me, Joe.
How much, Bonnie?

I didn't have anything.

Oh, that's right.

How much, Bonnie? 40 cents.

I'll have a creme soda, too.

That'll be 58
cents, including tax.

Bonnie, have you been
reading the papers lately?

Every day. What about 'em?

You been reading
about that day-lighter?

Yeah, he's been
hitting good, hasn't he?

You know, one of the boys at
the office has a hunch it's a she.

Look, when I was prowling,
I did it for my old man.

I got rid of my old man
before I took my last fall.

I ain't made a kinky move
since I come out, Gannon.

You know that.

You know that, Friday.

Well, sometimes you
hear things, Bonnie.

Look, there's how many people
dropping into L.A. every day?

They ain't all Shirley
Temple, you know.

Your day-lighter don't
sound like nobody

I ever went dancing with.

Well, just thought
we'd ask, Bonnie.

This kind of cargo
this cat hauls,

three, four big ones a day.

He's gotta be a
hype with a habit

that'd knock a
horse to his knees.

- Yeah, maybe.
- If he's a narco,

he ain't been on my
dance program ever.

I might've run with some
kinky ones in my day,

but addicts are out.

I've got my kid to think about.

How is she, Bonnie?

She's doing real good,
for a kid born in prison.

12:42 p.m. We
return to the office.

Captain Mack was waiting for us.

Another day-lighter, same MO.

- Name's Bakerton.
- Yes, sir.

And on your way down,
pick up a pack of mints.

For you, Captain?

For you.

We drove to the Bakerton
home at 706 Flores Bonitos Drive,

a fashionable
neighborhood in The Hills

south of Griffith Park.

We arrived at 1:01 p.m.

The Bakertons were doubly upset.

They had just returned

from the funeral of
Mrs. Bakerton's father,

when they discovered

their patio door had
been pried open.

The burglar's MO was the same...

$260 in cash, $1,200
worth of jewelry,

and a mink cape were missing.

It was 2:10 p.m.

Well, where are we today
that we weren't yesterday.

Weren't those people we
saw yesterday at a funeral

when they were hit?

The Edglies?

Yeah, rotten
coincidence, isn't it?

Suppose it's not a coincidence?

Suppose the guy knew.

Guy.

You sold back Lou's hunch.

I'm working on one
of my own. Yeah.

Where were all
these other victims

when their homes were entered?

Now, if we check back
on every one of them,

pinpoint where they were,

we may have that one
common denominator

we need for a lead.

You think there's a possibility

they were all at funerals?

A lot of bodies are buried
in this city every day, Bill,

and I never heard
of a funeral at night.

3:56 p.m. I explain
my hunch to the boss.

Officer Sale sat in.

- Yeah.
- Lou?

That woman Heisdorf
and I talked to last Friday

lost a sapphire ring
and a leopard coat,

the one with a
southern first name.

Mrs. Savannah Chandler.

Joe, she was at a funeral.

Okay.

You've got an hour
left on your shifts.

Joe, you and Gannon check
with the divisional detectives.

Sale, you and Heisdorf check
the crime reports we have here.

Let's find out exactly

where all those
victims were at the time.

The idea is so simple, Joe.

I'm surprised at you.

How's that, Captain?

You didn't think of it sooner.

7:50 p.m. We went over

the results of
our investigations,

collating the information
from every angle...

Age of victims,
location of homes,

times of day, reasons for
absence from their residence.

No consistent pattern emerged.

The funeral theory
didn't seem to hold up.

We checked out for the night.

Long day.

Yeah. You go on ahead.
I forgot my cigarettes.

You want a ride home?
No, I brought my car.

That funeral theory of yours?

Yeah, what about it?

Said you never heard
of a funeral at night?

That's right.

Japanese do it all the time.

Of 26 victims, 17
had been at funerals,

two had been in church,
four were in maternity wards,

two were at weddings,
and one at a bar mitzvah.

Then it hit me... Births,
deaths, weddings.

Vital statistics.

They were always
in the newspapers.

Names, times, addresses.

I took the bulldog
edition of the Times

home with me to
study. The next morning,

if anybody asked me what's new,

maybe I'd have some answers.

Wednesday, March 15th,
was a bright, warm day.

The reports from the
geographic divisions

confirmed my theory.

It was 8:25 when I spelled it
out for Captain Mack and Bill.

I can't argue the logic, Joe,

but we haven't enough men
to cover everyone in the city

who'll be at a wedding,
funeral, and a bar mitzvah.

Well, the way it breaks
down, he works in cycles,

and he's on a funeral kick now.

Or he could go back to weddings
any day, Joe, or bar mitzvahs.

That's right, but most daytime
weddings are on weekends,

and bar mitzvahs,
they're all on Saturdays.

If he's on a funeral
kick, look at this, Joe.

Must be 70 death
notices in today's paper.

63, but only 14 of those print
the address of the deceased,

and only six of
those are in this area,

where he's been working.

You really did some
homework, Joe.

All right.

Give it a shake. Sale
and Heisdorf can assist.

With six possible targets,

can you spare two
more men a few hours?

Lansroni and Guy until 1:00.

I can't spare six
men longer than that.

That gives us four and a
half hours to catch a thief.

We've had four and a half weeks.

9:25 a.m. We
dressed in soft clothes.

Each man was
issued a handy talkie,

because we would use our
personal cars for the stakeout.

A veteran burglar
can spot an official unit,

and the man we were
after was no amateur.

My car was in the
garage for overhaul.

The mechanic was a buddy,

so he let me use
his pickup for the day.

I parked across from an
address on Lime Grove Way.

The others were deployed
to observe other addresses

in the funeral notices.

It was 9:55 when the
last man checked with me

to announce he was in position.

According to the paper,

the first service was
to begin at 10:00 a.m.

At 9:56, a vehicle pulled
up on Lime Grove Way.

There were two reasons
why the vehicle was suspect.

Although it said
Laundry on the truck,

there was no firm name,
no other identification,

and the driver was
acting in a peculiar fashion.

I got Bill at his stakeout
spot on frequency 9

and told him I thought
I had something.

Looks kind of old, doesn't he?

Yeah, a little.

A little?

Looks old enough
to be my grandfather.

I'm going to check
his registration.

Here, you!

You're not her
regular laundry man.

- Who's that, ma'am?
- Mrs. Pendyke.

- No, ma'am.
- Nobody's home anyway.

They're all at
Mr. Pendyke's funeral.

He passed away on Monday.

You'd better come
back some other time.

Yes, ma'am.

Strangers make us
jittery around here...

The papers and the TV just full

of all those burglars
in the daytime.

We can't be too
careful, you know.

Yes, ma'am, I understand.

Well, good.

See that you do.

10:38 a.m. The suspect had been

inside the residence
over half an hour.

Hold it right there, Mister.
We'd like to talk to you.

Talk about what, and who
are you people anyway?

Stand still.

Police officers.

Yes, sir, that's what
it says all right. Cops.

Well, what's the problem?
I park wrong or something?

More like something.
Now, before we talk,

it's our duty to inform
you of your rights.

What rights is that?

Any statement you make to
us may be used against you

in a court of law.

Yeah?

You have the right
to remain silent

and the right to the presence of
an attorney during questioning.

If you desire and
cannot afford an attorney,

one'll be appointed
before any questioning.

You understand that?

Yes, sir, clear as glass.

You want to ask me something,

then I'm not supposed
to tell you, right?

So, what do I need
an attorney for?

- What's your name?
- Williams.

Charles Augustus Williams.

You have a driver's
license, Mr. Williams?

Ah, you figure it out.

How could I drive
a truck without one?

May we see it?

There it is, big as a house!

He means your license.

Well, say so. Be specific.

You'll find it's up-to-date,
official, A number 1.

Yes, sir, except for one thing.

It's a Florida license.

Of course it is. In Miami Beach,

you wouldn't use a
Pennsylvania license, would you?

How long have you
been here, Williams?

Oh, how do you mean, here?

Los Angeles.

Five, six, seven months.

I'm no bookkeeper.

Where do you live?

Here and there. I move a lot.

I don't get along
with landlords.

They're all chiselers.

You living in this house now?

Me, here? You've
gotta be kidding.

You know the people
who do live here?

Certainly. I pick up
their laundry, don't I?

- Do you?
- No, I went in there

to make love to
the upstairs maid.

What do you got in that bundle?

Dirty laundry, that's what
I've got in that bundle.

What do you think
I've got in that bundle?

Dirty laundry!

What's that, a mink bed sheet?

We also clean furs.

You clean jewelry, too?

Isn't that just like
people for you?

Always mixing up diamonds,
pearls, gems in their laundry.

Oh, give it to me, all of it.

I'll just have to take it back.

No, we'll do
that for you, fella.

How can you be suspicious
of a man 75 years old?

According to your
license, you're 72.

72, 75. I'm no bookkeeper.

You're no doctor, either.

What do you do
with rubber gloves?

I wear them, what else?

I have a bad arthritis, and they
help keep out the dampness.

Is that illegal?

No, sir. What about this?

What about it? It's money.

Is that against the
law, too, these days?

No, not if it's yours.

What about this, Williams?

Oh, that?

An old man like me needs
something to protect himself

against hoodlums and muggers.

You know how it is.

Yeah, we know how it is.

People have been known to
pry open doors and windows

with bars like this.

All right, Williams.

You're under
arrest for burglary.

You've gotta be kidding.

A judge would laugh
you out of court.

A man my age, 77, a burglar?

Come on.

Told you before, we do not
welcome strangers anymore,

and if you don't leave with
your friends immediately,

I'm going to call the police.

Yes, ma'am, we'll be
outta here in just a minute.

That's not fast enough.

I'm going to turn
you in, all of you.

11:05 a.m. The suspect was
booked and held in Central Jail,

pending further investigation.

He continued to deny his guilt

and refused to divulge
his present address.

Williams' name and description
were put through R & I

to search for any prior record.

He had none in the
state of California.

1:15 p.m. We brought the
suspect in for further questioning.

We had him on one count,

but we needed
additional evidence

or his admission of guilt

in all the other jobs we
suspected he had pulled

during the past weeks.

Now, what happens,
the third degree?

We want to ask
you a few questions.

I'm an innocent man!

You've got the
wrong boy, fellas.

You ever see a crook
73 years old before?

I thought you said you were 75.

75, 74, what's the difference?

You ever bust a
burglar my age before?

No, I can't say we have.

Well, that's your answer.

We don't think so, Williams.

Cops. You're all alike.
You can't catch a crook,

so you grab an innocent old man

and brainwash
him to say he did it,

so you can get a promotion.

Nobody's brainwashing you.

Then you'll keep me locked
up here in this tiny room

without windows until my
throat is parched from thirst,

and you won't
even give me water.

Would you like some water?

No, not now, but
you got a cigarette?

- Help yourself.
- Thanks!

I don't know about
you fellas, but for me,

a cigarette always
tastes better with coffee.

Got any coffee
around this place?

We might have.

Milk, no cream.

You gonna tell us
what we want to know?

I might, if you've got some pie.

- Pie?
- Apple, cherry, anything,

with vanilla ice cream
on top, two scoops.

I'll see what's left
in the cafeteria, Joe.

Of course, it's real bad for
you to eat dessert until after.

After what?

Steak, boiled beef,

chicken, pork chops, anything,

as long as it comes
with a green vegetable,

a few carrots, and a
baked potato, no butter.

That's a whole meal.

With salad, it would be...

Just oil and vinegar
dressing, after, of course, soup.

If you've got a cafeteria
here, like you say,

they'll have a soup du jour.

We're not running a lunch
counter here, Williams.

I'm talking to him.

First, I've gotta have a half
grapefruit or tomato juice, then soup.

At my age, you've
gotta watch how you eat.

Didn't you have lunch in jail?

- An hour ago!
- And you're still hungry?

No, not especially, but
you gave me a cigarette.

That's right, but we're not
gonna serve you a complete meal.

In that case, take
back your cigarette.

All right, now, let's talk about

this unfortunate little
situation of yours, shall we?

My unfortunate situation?

Your unfortunate situation.

But if you want to
talk about it, I'll listen.

We don't want you to
listen. We want you to talk.

How can I talk about something
I don't know about? Come on!

Then let's talk about
something you do know about.

- Like what, for example?
- Burglary!

Okay, light me up one,

and I'll tell you
boys a few things.

For the next 35 minutes,

the suspect gave us a
detailed lecture on everything

that came into his
mind, except burglary.

After 45 minutes, we knew
we were wasting our time.

The old guy's sure
a talker, isn't he?

Friday, Gannon?

I was just gonna
send this down to you.

- I dug it out of the files.
- Yes, sir?

It's an old warrant on your
suspect, Dade County, Florida.

That him?

That's him.

Charles Augustus Williams Smith.

That's four years old, Joe.

And look at his age then, 81.

Well, like he said,
he's no bookkeeper.

His first fall was in New York

back in 1915 for larceny.

Yeah.

The old boy's spent more
time in the joint than most lifers.

Yeah, well, maybe
now he'll talk to us.

Let's get him
back up here, Bill.

Right now, how
about a little breather?

Why? Do you think
he needs a rest?

I do.

At 4:00 p.m., we began to
re-interview Charles Smith.

We confronted him with
the old Florida warrant,

which he examined carefully.

You know, that's not
a bad picture of me,

the full face.

Profile, so-so,
but the full face...

- Yeah?
- They've sure got

a first-class
photographer in Miami.

Did my pictures
here turn out good?

We haven't seen them yet.

You know why they
shouldn't be as good as these?

No, why?

Because I was a
younger man then.

Well, you still
don't look your age.

Do you know how old I am?

85.

84, 85. Who counts?

How'd you get that
72 on your license?

Look, even in Miami,
they don't encourage

an 80-year-old
man to operate a car.

So, you touch up your
hair a little, walk in straight,

and tell the clerk
you're only 69.

And you also give
them a different name.

You're a different man.

- Who is?
- I am.

This man, Smith, was
an old-time cat burglar,

one of the best,
fast, clever, daring.

But when he decided to
retire, to stay out of prison,

he changed everything, his
home, his business, his name.

- I see.
- No, you don't.

Willie Smith is dead.

I'm Charley Williams
in the laundry business,

a new leaf, a new life, a
new man, completely innocent.

And it's a good thing for you.

- How's that, Smith?
- Cops.

If I were Smith,
would I be here now?

He had a brilliant mind.

The police of 16 states
couldn't catch him,

a cat burglar like him, such
intelligence, grace, artistry!

Willie Smith was a genius.

Yeah, Lou.

That stuff you just picked up,

the fur coat and the jewelry?

- What about it?
- The victim just identified it.

Thanks, Lou.

Sorry, Bill.

I guess Charley here is right.

We've been pretty stupid

trying to pin all those
jobs on you, Williams.

What's happened?

I checked with the
divisional detectives

who worked all the
other daylight burglaries.

- Yeah?
- They say it couldn't
have been anybody

who knows what he's doing.
The jobs were too sloppy.

Sloppy?

Pure amateur.

The way they'd spot
the empty houses,

looked in the papers for
funeral announcements, sloppy.

That's right. Weddings, parties.

You call that amateur?
If you weren't amateurs,

you'd know what a
brilliant scheme it is.

- Is that right?
- Did you nincompoops

ever find a latent
print anywhere?

Did you ever have a witness?

Was there ever any ransacking?

Did you ever find the kind
of mess an amateur makes?

No, and we never found
any of the loot, either.

A pro would've cashed
in most of it by now,

some of it, anyway.

This stumblebum, whoever he is,

is too stupid to find a fence.

Will you take me
where I want to go?

We'll try.

I'll show you who's
stupid, Mr. Big Shot!

4:19 p.m. we drove the suspect

to an address in
North Hollywood,

where he had
rented a small house.

Smith said he would show
us more than $60,000 worth

of jewelry and furs wrapped
in bed sheets or pillow slips.

He did.

Each bundle contained
the loot of one burglary.

4:32 p.m. We called the office

and asked that Officers
Sale and Heisdorf come out

and give us a hand.

4:50 p.m. While Bill
filled in Sale and Heisdorf,

I returned the
suspect to the car.

You know, Sergeant,
I've been working too hard.

You have to admit,
I did a brilliant job,

but I've gotta slow down.

Property truck's
on the way, Joe.

Could I go home, boys?

I'd like to lie
down for a while.

You're going back to jail.

That's home! Yes, siree Bob!

All right, let's go, Smith.

You two boys have a
great distinction, don't you?

- How's that?
- No doubt about it, is there?

- What do you mean?
- You're looking at him...

Charlie Smith, the
world's oldest cat burglar.

He was.

The suspect was found guilty

on four counts of burglary
in the second degree.

Burglary in the second
degree is punishable

by imprisonment in the county
jail not exceeding one year,

or in the state prison for
not less than one year,

or more than 15 years.