All language subtitles for Ironside s01e12 A Very Cool Hot Car

Thank you.

Mark?

Lieutenant? Morning.

Will you tell the commission I'm here?
Of course.

Lieutenant Adams is here.

Tell him another minute, please.

Well, Bob?

There are enough criminals in the world
without my spying on fellow cops.

I want you to investigate, not to spy.
You're asking me to pussyfoot around in

another man's department.

Your file says that you're a special
consultant to the police commissioner.

So I'm consulting you.

Why have car thefts in this city gone
higher and higher?

Why have we recovered fewer and fewer of
those stolen cars?

I've had to assign so many extra men to
car theft that our performance in other

areas is being harmed.

You put a new man in charge of the whole
mess. Now give him time.

Adams has been on this three full
months, and not only haven't there been

improvements, but things are getting
worse.

Send in Lieutenant Adams, please.

I thought he was a good man.

But he's failed at this.

Morning. Bill, how are you?

I don't know, Commissioner.

How am I?

Chief? Good seeing you again.

I hear you may be giving us some help in
all of this.

I was just telling the Commissioner that
I'm certain whatever has to be done is

being done.

Well, we're doing everything we can
think of.

But what we need is new thinking.

Your kind.

My sentiments exactly.

Welcome aboard, Bob. Now, don't try to
railroad me.

I haven't said yes.

Hope you will.

We need you.

All right.

Good. Now, if you'll just let me chat
with Lieutenant Adams for a little

I'll send him up to you in a few
minutes, Bob.

Thanks a lot.

If I fail in this, will you get to help
me?

If you fail on this, there'll be a new
commissioner here.

Let him worry about that.

Would you bring in your notebook,
please?

How's he taking it? Who?

Alex, it's no secret, you know. The
whole building's talking about the fact

in trouble.

Seems to be cooperative.

Happy to have our help.

If he's so happy, why were his hands
shaking?

You have the makings of a first -rate
cop, sir. Me?

And why do you think his hands were
shaking, if they were? He's human.

Maybe he just doesn't like having a can
tied to his tail.

Looks as if they've come up high and
dry.

Unless they missed something.

Doubtful.

When John Breen started the Nautilus
theft, some cars ran on steam.

He looks a little as if he did too.

Every serial number, every engine
number.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

No stolen automobiles on this lot, and
so much for that tip. Hello, Chief, how

are you?

Fine, Breen.

And you?

Blaine, except for having to spend the
morning chasing down a bad tip on this

auto dealer. I'm interested in your
opinion.

Six months ago, we were recovering 91 %
of all stolen vehicles.

Today, it's less than 75%. Less than
74%. All right, less than 74%. What do

think?

To what strange born are almost 100
stolen vehicles a month disappearing?

If I knew that, I'd be a lieutenant or a
car thief.

Still, you must have an opinion.

I have lots of opinions, but I...

I'd like to stay on the force for a
while. What do you mean by that?

Well, I'm not much for guests, Chief.
I'm what you might call a slogger. I

kind of slog along.

Tell you what, though. You know Joe
Muldoon?

Yes. You see a lot of him? Well, we talk
together on the phone, but he won't see

nobody at all. Thank you, Brain.

Turned up anything of interest to you?

Just background information.

For instance, somewhere in the United
States, a car is stolen every 60

day and night.

map of the city with all recent auto
thefts indicated on it. We'll see if

there's any preferred area.

Yes, sir.

Tell me, Bill, you know where your
predecessor lives?

Muldoon? It shouldn't be hard to find.

Then let's go.

He said he'd see you, Chief Ironside,
but nobody else.

friend sergeant brain is here too he
says he just wants to see you

when

did you join the wheelchair club chief
ironside chief of what

As you know, I'm not chief of anything
anymore.

Just a consultant.

Now, why are you in that chair?

How is bright, shiny college boy
Lieutenant Adams doing with the auto

Better than me?

Why don't they give him early
retirement?

What's he, a sacred cow or something?

You keep in touch with your friends at
headquarters, so you must know we're

as much in the dark now about the auto
thefts as you were.

Give up.

Nobody is ever going to solve the auto
thefts.

I'm afraid you'll have to explain that.

Well, thank man.

I couldn't solve it. My department
couldn't. Why?

How long have I been a cop?

How many cases have I failed on?

How many?

If I couldn't beat this one, that
college boy from Africa can't, and you

So there's no use wearing yourself down.
I don't know what it is you're

suggesting. A hundred cars a month are
stolen.

Let's figure a thousand dollars net
profit per theft.

That's a hundred thousand dollars a
month.

Over a million dollars a year that
somebody's getting. You can make some

good payoffs with money like that.
You're suggesting there's police

They didn't want it solved.

And when I got close, they retired me.

I see.

Years of... Good service on the force
and then early retirement.

Why?

Why?

You didn't tell me why you're in that
chair.

Lack of oxygen for near half an hour.
Just give it to me straight.

I wasn't retired for health reasons. I
was fine.

But suddenly...

Man gets so mad, so sick of his stomach
about the dirt, the LSD, the things that

are going on, and the graft in high
places that he just don't want to live

anymore.

I tied the knot wrong.

And they cut me down.

You know, the world is dirty.

But never dirty enough for that.

I say it is. I say it's not. You got any
proof?

I'll get some.

It's just too easy to holler corruption.

Is there anything you need?

Yeah.

Something to believe in.

You still love that department.

I still do.

Maybe that's why I'm so sure you're
wrong.

How is he? Still the same big, strong,
furious man he always was. Big Joe, we

used to call him. That's him.

You got any ideas?

One.

Ed, Bill, I want you to look into all
major automobile activities in the city.

Everything in which cars are bought,
sold, dismantled, or shipped.

I want to know which ones have changed
hands in the last six months.

You got it?

Got it. Right, Chief.

O 'Brien.

Yep.

Breen, do you think there may be
departmental corruption here?

Some kind of payoff?

Look, I'm only asking for an opinion.

I know you're a slogger. I'm asking for
a slogger's opinion.

Is that what the lieutenant thinks?

By the lieutenant, do you mean
Lieutenant Muldoon?

I do.

That's what he thinks.

Well, then, that's what I think.

What's the matter, Mark?

Like I said, I thought maybe they were
tying a can to Lieutenant Adams' tail.

But I didn't think they'd put a cherry
bomb under it.

Corruption. I didn't invent the word.
Adams is a good man.

How do you know?

Black solidarity, Mark?

Something wrong with that?

Not a thing.

Let's get going.

I think it's time we all taught a lesson
in geography.

Every car stolen locally in the last six
months is represented here?

Yes, sir. Either the place it was stolen
from, or if that's not known, then the

address of the place it was usually
garaged.

Doesn't look like much of a pattern,
does it? I'd like to see another map

showing only thefts of cars which
haven't been recovered.

A dot showing where every unrecovered
car was stolen from? Of course.

Well, as we say in conversational French
22...

There's nothing very difficult about
police work once you've learned the

Just a matter of routine.

Well, this is very interesting.

All right, what do you see that I don't
see?

Well, it's obvious.

A total lack of pattern.

in the city, including used car lots,
auction rooms, foreign shippers, salvage

and dismantling yards, etc.

Not one business has been bought or sold
in the past six months.

Now, one salvage yard did change hands,
but it wasn't bought or sold.

The owner died and the yard was
inherited by his son and daughter.

A Burlingame family named Dunn.

Well, Miss Whitfield, what do you know
about the Dunn family of Burlingame?

Well, I've seen their name on my
mother's charity committees and a couple

club membership rosters, but I don't
know them personally.

Ask around a little.

Where are you going?

Well, I have to change if I'm going to
the Burlington Country Club for lunch. I

have to do my hair.

Eve, try to remember a car is stolen
every 60 seconds.

I'll think of nothing else.

How much farther, Mark?

About ten minutes.

But why a junkyard?

All Eve said was that she wanted us to
meet some very prominent people and that

she was sure we'd find it interesting.

Chief, this is Rosemary and Alfred Dunn.

I'm Alfred.

How do you do?

But, uh, we're flower people and we
don't believe in shaking hands with

policemen.

Are you brother and sister?

Husband and wife? Or do you just cross
-pollinate?

Oh, that's very funny.

Actually, I use the name dandelion, and
my sister uses the name prettyweed.

We belong to a group of people that
wishes to emulate the flowers of the

Meaning that you do not spin and neither
do you weave?

Meaning that we do not kill, threaten
with guns or truncheons or handcuffs or

napalm, or jails or courts or judges,
like dandelions and prettyweeds.

We enjoy the sun in the short time
that's allotted us. And try briefly to

beautify a corner of the dung heap which
humanity's made out of God's world.

I see. We inherited this auto salvage
yard from our late father. And needless

say, we have no knowledge of or about
auto thefts.

It's a slightly embarrassing thing.

Inheriting. As we aren't really mad
about the whole idea of private

How do you feel about the fuzz? We don't
approve.

But that doesn't mean we approve of
violent crimes either. I did a year in

Vietnam, so I earned the right to be
nonviolent. You earned the right to be

nonviolent because there's a ring of
fuzz around you protecting you.

Now, you say you have no knowledge of or
about auto thefts. That's right. How

about the identification plates in the
cars you dismantle? What happens to

We put them in little packages and mail
them to the Motor Vehicle Bureau in

Sacramento, as required by law.

Look, we are innocent of vehicular theft
or of abetting vehicular theft.

That seems to be true of everybody in
San Francisco.

Well, thank you for your time.

May we go now? There's a party this
afternoon and responses.

Anti -violence?

Anti -police brutality.

Why doesn't anybody ever give an anti
-brutality to cops party?

Is there such a thing as brutality to
policemen?

You think he was born in a wheelchair?

Let's see if we can still get some work
done today.

There's one thing the computer's proven.

Of the stolen vehicles which aren't
recovered, almost 90 % are passenger

less than three months old. You ever
notice that, Lieutenant?

No. No, I haven't.

There's another way to say that.

Apparently, the newer the stolen
passenger vehicle, the less chance we

recovering it. Has that always been true
in the past?

No. Usually, we get the newer cars back
fastest.

They're more easily recognizable and
more valuable.

What does it mean?

It means we didn't need a computer to
tell us that a commercial auto theft

prefers to steal shiny new cars instead
of beat up old ones.

You know, I have an idea.

What about assigning Sergeant Breen to a
kind of standby patrol?

Keep him on 24 -hour alert so that
whenever an auto theft is reported, if

passenger vehicle less than a month old,
Breen can get hopping on it within

minutes. Well, now, sir, I'll do
anything I can to help, but that's a

man's job.

Sleeping in your clothes half the time.

I'll do it.

Thank you, Brown.

How old are you, Sergeant Brain?

I'm 47.

Well, you're going to settle down when
you retire.

Time isn't here to think about that yet.
Isn't it?

I herewith volunteer to share a standby
duty with Brown.

Well, thank you, Brain.

That's very kind of you.

Well... We'd all better get some sleep.

You two start on standby tomorrow
morning.

Work out your own relief schedule.

Ed.

Yes, sir?

Ed, I need an officer. Someone we can
trust who doesn't know Lieutenant Adams

anyone in commercial auto theft.

I'm sure we can find someone.

Why? I know we've come up dry at the mid
-city salvage yard, but it is the only

major used car activity that's changed
hands, and I think it should be watched.

I noticed a help wanted sign on the gate
there.

There are some burly types in the
division. I'll check the list in the

All right, then. Good night.

You got something on your mind, haven't
you? About the mid -city salvage

company. Yeah.

I want to know if any new cars come in
there.

Specifically, new cars that have been
totaled in a wreck.

What would that mean?

Somehow, a stolen car has to be given
identification numbers and serial plates

that aren't on the police list.

Now, suppose a car came in there, a new
car, and they got its identification

numbers.

Then all they'd have to do would be to
steal a car of the same make and the

model.

Why don't I just tell Adams what you're
thinking?

You too, huh?

It isn't a nice job, Mark, but the
commissioner gave it to me.

Now, if there's something wrong in that
department, I'm going to find it out.

You too.

If there's somebody on the force who
isn't too friendly to Adams for any

it would be easy not to see anything at
the Mid -City Salvage Company.

I think that's an unfair statement.

Maybe. But you're the one who always
says anything's possible.

Look, I can get a job as a laborer.

I might not be bright, but I'm strong.

Out of the question.

Why? I need you here.

No, that's not it.

Maybe you don't trust me. Don't be
silly. You're just not a cop.

You bet I'm not. That's why I could do
the job.

Look, if there's anything wrong at that
yard, they're going to smell cops a mile

away. I'm not a cop, and they'll know
it.

No.

Besides, I'm going to care more than
anybody else. Yep.

Mark, this is a million -dollar racket
we're trying to break up.

Now, it's possible they'll react with
violence.

You have no pension, no health
insurance, no medical payments. Not one

of a civil service employee.

I have two weeks' vacation coming.

No. I'm an American citizen, and I can
take my vacation anywhere I want.

In this yard, you keep your eye on that
crane.

It goes where it wants to, and you duck.

That's right, I remember.

If you don't, you might get hurt.

You ain't much use to hard work, are
you?

Not lately.

Been away.

Away where?

Just away.

Brand new, Mark?

I checked the speedometer. It only has
241 miles on it. Must have been a beaut

of a crash.

Good work.

This may be a big help.

Can I quit this job now? Every part of
me aches, including my eardrums. That's

the trouble with volunteers.

They quit when the going gets tough.

Can't be much worse than working for me
here, is it? That's like asking if I

prefer being hit on the head or poked in
the eye with a stick.

A brand new model with only a couple
hundred miles on it.

You know, we may have just gotten a
break.

See if we can get Adams up here.

Well, it's not that difficult,
Lieutenant.

That particular model's only been out a
few days.

We haven't put more than 10 or 11 on the
streets.

Good.

We'd like the names and addresses of all
10 or 11 buyers.

Please.

Just as soon as possible.

Thank you.

House headquarters and the commission
are going to feel about this.

Keeping 10 or 11 cars under surveillance
that haven't even been stolen yet.

And may not be.

I call headquarters everywhere.

They'll take the credit if it works and
cut somebody's head off if it doesn't.

I was asking for encouragement, not the
truth.

Here are 11 possible candidates for
theft. We can't afford to watch them

If we were car thieves, which one would
we choose?

Brain, you've spent the best years of
your life among hot cars. Which one

you steal?

Like I said, Chief Ironside, I'm just a
slogger. I don't have any imagination.

Doesn't take much imagination. I don't
have much imagination either.

But if I were a car thief, I'd have to
see the car.

See it on the street or something.

You take this one here.

The owner's a broker.

Drives downtown every day.

Lots of times he leaves the car right
out on the street.

And he's a commuter.

He commutes down the coast every weekend
by helicopter.

While the car sits all alone outside the
hilloport.

Chief, if I were a car cat, this would
make my mouth water. I'd have to get

one.

All right, Brown, stake that one out.

Particularly weekends.

You know, we're making a pretty big bet.

That car is the one most likely to be
stolen.

How about it, Ed? Any action?

Everything peaceful, Chief.

I'm sorry to say.

Well, the break has to come sometime.

Unless I'm playing the wrong hunch.

Night, Ed.

rich you'll be when you enter civilian
life.

It's all going into Litterman.

Mark, if I were going to remove
identification plates from a car in that

when would I do it? What?

I wouldn't do it during the day, now
would I? Now I get to sleep there. Is

it?

This is Ironside.

I want a sound activated tape recorder
right away.

Mel then put me through to him.

We're going to leave a listening device
there every night while you sleep

peacefully. Isn't science wonderful?

Contact.

Contact.

A suspect just forced left front door of
car. He is starting car.

He's driving out of parking. I'm on my
way.

He's heading out of the heliport.

Driver is a male Caucasian, middle
height.

Ed, do you still have him?

Affirmative. He's heading south.

Turning on to Mountain View Road now.

I'll have to drop a little farther back.

Do that.

I'd rather you lost him than let him
know we're in this.

On Mountain View Road now. Still
proceeding south.

trying to force me off the road.

This is Ironside.

This is the highway patrol.

Ed!

Come in, Ed.

Ed!

If I'd stayed any further back, I
couldn't have kept the car in sight.

you.

Anyway, they're alerted now.

I'm sorry, Chief.

You didn't do anything wrong. I did.

I should have had you covered by another
car the way they covered their man.

Well, who could have figured that?

I could have.

Thank you.

One thing, though. They did steal a car
you said they would.

That must prove some connection with the
salvage yard. But stealing that car

just might have been a coincidence.

Yes, it might be a coincidence.

Mark, there was nothing at all on that
recording machine?

Nothing. Minus nothing.

Well, my theory had been correct. Been
involved there, A, spotting a new car

being dismantled, B, collecting the
identification plate and license, C,

stealing a new car of the same make and
model, D, putting the identification and

the license on that car and painting it
to match.

Mark, let's hear that recording.

There's nothing to hear.

Humor me.

Well, one thing's for certain.

They're going to hit the ground for a
while.

Yes, they will.

Another thing is certain.

Somewhere right now, they're busy as
beavers altering the identification

numbers. But where right now?

There sure isn't any action at the
salvage yard at night.

Listen.

Are you sure it was working?

It's working now.

You know, you'd think there'd be the
sound of an occasional rat running

the yard. Or a horn somewhere.

The magnet.

What?

That tape recorder.

More correctly called a magnetic
recorder, right?

Right. What would happen to that device
if a very powerful electromagnet were

passed over it?

Well? An electromagnet strong enough to
pick up a car.

Let me ask the technicians, but I think
it would wipe the tape clear.

I think so, too. But they don't use the
magnet at night.

Correction. They're not supposed to use
that magnet at night.

So they could have been busy there last
night.

And they could be busy there right now.
Now, let's go.

Shouldn't we be hearing their footsteps
or something?

I've never been in the field with a
listening device as sensitive as this

but if it works, we should hear their
breathing.

About there, aren't we?

Near here, I think. The place looks
different at night.

The cop would remember exactly where he
put that recorder.

I'm not a cop.

Then you shouldn't be doing a cop's job.

I had my reasons.

Maybe. You better go back to the van and
wait.

Come on, boys, cut the gab.

They can't hear you, Chief.

I understand that, but it makes me feel
better.

Well, you gonna leave?

You know, sometimes I get the feeling
you're trying to get rid of me.

You got a reason?

Am I going to have to order you to go
back? You can try.

Not being a cop, I don't take orders.

Come on, let's try over there, huh?

Chief? You can hear me.

Heading north.

If anybody were working in there, that
machine would have heard them by now,

wouldn't it?

Oh, no, this is too highly directional.

We're only using it to cover our men.

If you want me to scan the yard, though,
I'll be...

Find out what that is.

What's that?

I don't know.

Diathermy or... Or an electromagnet?

Could be.

All mobile units, this is Ironside.
Stand by.

Those cars should have been here with
us.

Intended to be a minimum operation.

Squad cars would have tipped them for
sure.

There's anyone in there to be tipped.

as best we can.

How long is it going to take you to get
that thing fixed?

I'm sorry, Chief. I don't know.

Chief, that was an automobile engine
going over our heads.

Southeast.

I'm not sure if we were spotted.

I'm heading in that direction.

Alone. And you might get lost or... Stay
here.

Come on, come on.

I'm doing my best, Chief.

I know.

If it wasn't your fault, I wouldn't be
in there instead of here.

There.

The interference is gone, but I've lost
our men.

Well, you better find them again.

They must be on the move.

I've got them. Good.

They seem to be heading back toward us.
Unless it isn't them.

It could be a switchblade knife.

Graham, send them in.

He fought like a tiger, Chief.

Mark.

Mark.

But you have no knowledge of how or
where the cars were sold.

Look, I'm a mechanic.

I work on cars.

Where they go, I don't know.

That's all clear except the critical
question.

How did they dispose of the hot cars?
They did their work in the center of the

yard here, moving their vehicles in by
crane.

Our friend Alfred gave them the use of
his yard.

That's not very nonviolent, is it,
Rhododendron?

You must have known you were profiting
from crime, which is violence against

society. It's a hard world to be
nonviolent in. You know you and your

will be charged as accessories, don't
you?

Everything we made, we gave to good
causes.

We give green stamps for that.

Whenever they saw a new car about to be
junked, they stole one just like it and

switched the registrations.

But we searched every used car lot and
auction for cars being sold with wrecked

or dismantled IDs.

What difference does it make?

I still think private property is a
thing of the past.

I don't even own a car.

They lend me a rental car.

you a rental car oh big deal a rental
car with all the hot cars they have why

would they rent a car from hertz mavis
no from a place on market street called

24 -hour rent -a -car

Hello, Muldoon.

What is it, Arnside?

We have some news for you.

Sergeant Brain.

Lieutenant, it was just a new wrinkle.

There wasn't any payoff or anything.
Just a new wrinkle.

We were looking for them to resell the
cars, and they never did.

What? They never sold them at all. No.

They rented them to doctors,
businessmen, corporation presidents.

Well, in a way, it's a shame to shut
them down.

They might have become number three.