Original subtitles

Judah is gone into exile because of affliction and because of great

servitude.

Israel dwelleth among the nations.

and findeth no rest.

Everybody ready?

Ready.

Ready.

Now listen to this.

Just remember, stay close, and don't let yourself get cut off.

Okay?

Okay, let's go.

his anger.

He hath swallowed up unsparingly all the habitations of Jacob.

He hath brought them down to the ground.

He hath refrained the kingdom and the princes thereof.

And he hath burned in Jacob the land which devoureth round about.

But the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon us, the spirit of wisdom and

understanding.

We've got a 415 at Harding Park.

Only

four

of them. They're wearing these Nazi uniforms, and they've got this big

flag. And these people...

They're all, you know, Jewish, and they're getting hinky.

Nazis in Harding Park.

They're breaking up some kind of a Jewish demonstration. Just came over the

radio. You want us to cover it?

Why are you asking?

Well, you told us to cover the Flora Strike. I just want to know which one

want. Well, let's see.

I have a choice of sending you to a riot with guys dressed up in World War II

outfits, or having you go right on to the Flora Strike, where I believe the

issue is the use of baby's breath.

Okay, okay.

Stop you personally.

Hey, stay down there.

Tell me, Sergeant, are there any purebred American patriots left on the

are they all stooges for the communists?

It's okay. It's all right.

I started to support you people.

I'm not hard.

It's okay.

Then let's see a nice big smile, you off -the -wall lunatic.

Three nuts in brown costumes run around the park in their lunch hour and you

want to play it like it's World War II?

No, Phil, not World War II. Maybe ten years before the war.

Wait a minute. This isn't pre -war Nazi Germany.

Our Constitution's First Amendment guarantees that even nuts running around

brown shirts have got their place in the light.

Exactly. A strong light. That's my point. Cool off.

There's no question that we have to cover it.

have to give these people any publicity at all. That's the only reason they

pushed us like this in the first place. But at least let's keep it to the

absolute minimum.

I disagree.

All right, Lou, we have some extra time today.

Might be healthy to just kick something like this around.

I told you my reasons for wanting to keep it down to an absolute minimum.

Why don't you start telling your reasons for going with it?

News is news.

Wait a minute. Let me write that down.

I think it was that year he spent as a headline writer.

Charlie, I have a sense of responsibility about what we print, too.

something we shouldn't duck.

We should give it some attention.

Lou, if you think you can come up with an in -depth story on this thing that's

worth writing...

You go ahead and do it. When it's in, we'll read it and see.

In the meanwhile, we'll run this one column to fit on page eight next

to the airbag piece.

Picture? Kill it.

Not the park riot, roughly page eight, column two.

Five inches.

Would you just listen to me for a minute?

Look, I know what I'm up against. They're not just clowns. They're sickos,

guys. But you don't have to worry about me, Lou. I can handle myself.

To tell you the truth, that's not quite at the top of my list of worries.

Well, you don't have to worry about that story either, because I'll write you a

beauty. You'll love it. You'll love it. Mrs.

Pinchon will love it. Listen, I think I might as well warn you. I may like it,

but I'll never love it.

Come on, Lou. Have strong feelings about these pumps.

And I know what I'm talking about. It just so happens that in addition to

a reporter, I also happen to be a student of political history. I know all

how these guys operate.

Well, that's great, Rossi. Yeah.

Most of these poor, miserable fools, sometimes they don't even know what

gonna write till after they've done the legwork.

But after all, they're mere reporters.

They're not students of political history like you. That gives you a

advantage. Did you know that?

I mean, you have this story already written, and the only place you have

the men's room.

I don't have to do legwork if what I'm doing is a think piece.

Ah, now we have it.

A think piece.

You just want to sit down and do some writing, don't you, Rozzy, yeah? You

want to report. You want to show us how many words you know.

You know the trouble with you?

You're moody.

Just my luck, I get you with a bad time.

Yeah, middle age.

So?

That's it?

I don't get to do the story?

Okay.

City desk.

How about a drink?

A drink?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay.

Who was that?

Billy.

I wonder if she's got my number.

Lou, I don't ask.

I guess it's because I'm not the assertive type.

I'd like to do a story on the Nazis.

I just turned down Rossi on that.

I know.

And he's probably a better reporter than I am. And here I am, not as good a

reporter and not the assertive type.

And still I'm asking to do that story.

Why?

I don't know. It's just that I really wonder what those people are like.

Have you any ideas on how you want to handle it?

Yeah, well, I thought I'd find a few of them, ask some questions, and see where

that led.

Hey, a novel approach.

Well, for openers, how about 2385 Western, party headquarters?

I looked it up in the phone book.

So all you're asking to do is just go over there and see if there's a story.

Right.

I just may become pushy.

about our firearms collection, miss.

They're all quite legal, I can assure you.

Even the machine gun?

Doesn't work.

Just for show.

The firing pin has been removed from the bolt.

I don't think we'd be stupid enough to break that lock, either.

I imagine you'd be smart enough to find another firing pin if you ever wanted

it. Not for show.

No comment.

Anyway, what can I do for you?

I'd like some information about your party.

Why?

Oh, I thought you encouraged outside interest.

We do.

What's your name?

Billy Newman.

Can I see some ID, please?

There are your...

be very careful.

We got a lot of nuts coming in here.

Yeah.

I read about that riot in Harding Park.

Everything they print about us is a lie or a slander.

I ought to know.

I'm the propaganda officer.

Sounds like an uphill job.

It's very difficult getting our message across.

People have been brainwashed against us.

It's an image problem, basically.

That's why our commander started this new policy to direct access to the

at mass meetings and demonstrations.

We're going to let people know where we stand. We're going to make up their own

mind. Hey, come on over here.

See this literature here?

We're going to be handing it out at meetings, street corners.

Interesting stuff.

Thanks.

You can take whatever you want.

That one in the corner, I wrote that myself.

Imagine meeting the man who wrote race mixing and sex education in our public

schools.

I got some stuff coming up now that's even better.

You know, you should come to some of our meetings.

I'd like to take you up on that offer.

Okay.

Okay, I'll see if I can reserve some space for you tonight.

You know, we're starting to attract a lot of people.

of the German Workers' National Socialist Party in Munich.

In 1923, there were only eight members.

Eight!

Inside of ten years, he became Chancellor of Germany and the whole

what happened then.

We still have a long way to go in this country, but each day we become a little

bit stronger.

a little bit more determined, a little bit closer to the eventual victory.

What is this victory? What do we want?

We want a free America with no traitors, no race mixers, no foreigners of any

kind. We want the wealth of this land to belong to the people who really made

it, the white Protestant pioneer.

And this time is getting near.

It's getting to be our turn.

Oh sure, we're legal, we're law -abiding. But when our day comes, and it

rest assured we will use the power as it was meant to be used to liquidate the

traitors, to purify our country of the hypocrites, to restore the Aryan race

to its rightful position as lords of creation the way God intended us to

be.

It is God's legacy.

God bless America.

God bless America.

God bless America.

Sing high!

Sing high!

Sing high!

Sing high!

All right, people, sit down.

That was a beautiful speech.

And it reminds us of how we must remain dedicated to our movement and its

ideals. But we need more than dedication.

We also need hard cash.

Now, as you know, we just opened a 24 -hour -a -day telephone number.

Mr.

Stryker!

Mr. Stryker!

What do you want? Have you got a minute?

What for?

I'd like to talk to you.

The meeting's still going around.

Yes, but you were the best part.

I just had the feeling you'd be the one to talk to, to find out what your

party's about.

Why?

Well, I'm interested. I'd like to find out more about it.

Business or pleasure?

Business.

My name's Billy Newman. I'm a reporter for the Tribune. Hey, don't make any

points for honesty.

If you want... Mr. Chief, apparently you're going to have to cooperate with

Hey! They'll talk to you.

You think they'd be hot for the publicity?

Well, he wasn't.

Anything in the files on this Stryker? You check that?

Sure, of course.

Okay, okay.

That's what seems strange to me. A lot of these guys go back through different

groups. The Klan, the Renaissance Party.

But Stryker is brand new. No criminal record, no previous arrests.

Which is peculiar for a professional rabble -rouser. Maybe it's an alias.

They don't usually have aliases.

I mean... Usually?

Do people usually take the day off on Hitler's birthday? Do they usually?

I see your point.

All right.

Here's what you do.

You go down to the cop house.

BSI records on the eighth floor. Not ad records, BSI records. You ask for

Sergeant Parisi.

Lou.

I don't feel so good when you get overthinking of what to tell me to do

Well, it's just that you're new to the news side.

I figured you'd tell me when you didn't need any more steering.

I think I just told you.

Fine.

I'm in sort of an uncomfortable position here.

I mean, I think I just made my big stand a minute too soon.

Why am I going to go see Sergeant Parisi?

Because he has an alias file on extremists, so if you take a look, you

That's all I need to know. Thank you.

City desk.

You did?

It's an alias. I still don't know why yet, but I'm going to check it out.

His real name is Stirner.

Donald Stirner.

I can't find a current address on him.

No, he's not in the phone book. It's the first place.

All right.

I accept it.

I've got an address on him in the Fairfax area. Eight years old. Women's

records. I'm going to go over there and check it out.

I doubt he'll be there.

To place a start, it's so long.

You looking for somebody?

Donald, may I?

Sorry, you looking for somebody?

Mr. Stirner. Second floor in the back. Thanks. Is he there, do you know?

By him, he's always there.

Is he?

Well, where else would he be at his age?

Skateboarding?

I'm looking for a guy about 30.

Blonde hair, blue eyes. That's his son. He don't live with them anymore.

Do you happen to know where he is?

Well, I think Mr. Stirner said something about him being in the army overseas

someplace. I see.

I see.

Yes?

Are you Mrs.

Turner?

Yes.

Stop at the docking door.

It's all right. It's all right. I have it.

Excuse me.

So, what can I do for you?

What do you want, lady?

Do you have a son named Donald?

What? What did... What's she want, Dora? It's nothing. It's nothing. It's all

right. I'm looking for your son. I'm a newspaper reporter.

I'm doing a story on your son, Donald.

We got nothing to say. Go away.

Tell her, Dora. Tell her she should go away. He's sick.

He's not supposed to get excited.

Please excuse me.

It's all right. She's going. She's going.

I'm really sorry. Please excuse me. I said cut it for him years ago.

Leave it alone.

Please leave it alone.

It's all right. Excuse me. Goodbye.

It's all right. It's nothing.

You're not going to believe this story.

It's so good, I don't believe it myself.

When you've been in the newspaper business as long as I have, nothing

you. What did you find out about Sterner?

He's Jewish.

You're kidding me.

I don't believe it.

Are you sure?

That's fantastic. The Nazi, he's Jewish?

At City Hall, they've got a record of his parents' marriage by a rabbi.

Jewish service. I got a food extent.

That's why he changed his name, so his buddies in the party wouldn't find out.

Only now we're going to tell them. No, no, no.

Wait, wait, wait. Look, look. The story isn't that we found a Nazi who's Jewish.

That's for believe it or not.

We try to dig a little deeper in our part of the paper. The thing I want to

is what turned this bar mitzvah boy into a Nazi with a swastika on his arm. How

did it happen? That's what you're going to find out. I figured I'd go talk to

Stirner first thing in the morning.

Well, wait a minute. Don't you think it'd be a better idea if you talked to

everyone who knew him first?

Well, I'm too anxious to see how he'll react when I tell him. When that time

comes, you better know more about him than he knows about himself.

You must remember this goes back quite a number of years.

However, I do.

Oh, I'm sorry. Would you mind if I turned this on while we talked?

It makes things a lot easier for me.

Certainly, certainly.

It's quite helpful.

Thank you.

Now, you were saying?

Well, I was saying that even after all these years, I remember the boy.

You know, we have here a Hebrew school where children study religious subjects

and prepare for bar mitzvah.

And this boy, Turner, I still recall because he was an excellent student.

Outstanding.

He read beautifully in Hebrew.

He didn't waste his time chasing a ball in the street like the rest of the boys.

Was he bar mitzvahed?

Of course, of course.

I remember it was very sad.

Why sad?

His father, troubled with ill health, was too sick to attend.

Naturally, this is terrible business you're telling me.

Of this I know nothing about.

Does it surprise you?

Yes.

Yes, it surprises me.

However, he isn't the first Jew who lost his faith.

And he won't be the last.

But a Nazi...

Of all the things you might have chosen.

When you turn your back on God, whichever way you go, it's the

wrong direction.

It's the wrong direction.

Sure, I remember him.

He was a little runny kid.

His mother used to bring him every afternoon and pick him up afterwards.

He was an only child.

Well, you gotta remember the neighborhood's changed.

The time you're talking about, there was already lots of different elements.

The Jewish kids, they were the minority.

Did the other kids' mothers walk them to school and pick them up?

No, his mother worried about him a lot.

Oh, here it is.

Donald Stirner.

What's this after it?

Oh, that's his name written in Hebrew.

And the date and the rabbi's name.

Samuel...

Rabbi Stein.

That's the rabbi who bar mitzvahed him?

Mm -hmm.

But that's not the man I just talked to.

Oh, no. Rabbi Stein's a much younger, snappier fellow.

He could have told you a lot about Donald. That kid used to follow him

all over the place like his hero.

Where's this Rabbi Stein now?

Oh, he left.

Got off at a big shul back east somewhere, and he jumped at the chance.

That kid took it hard.

I'd slap him in the face. You should have seen the way he looked.

But the rabbi had to go. It was a big opportunity.

I think I'm ready to talk to him now.

You've spoken to two people and you think you're ready.

I know his whole background.

You haven't even done your basics.

You haven't even found that old gray -haired school teacher who thought he

the sweetest kid in the class.

Good boy.

Extremely bright.

Had a keen interest in politics with such a young boy.

Barber?

You know how there's always one or two who come up after class? Just can never

get enough.

Well, Donald was one of those.

Do you remember what his politics were like in those days?

Politics? No, nothing out of the ordinary.

Matter of fact...

He was rather a clear thinker.

You must remember, back in the 60s, the peaceniks and the hippies were just

coming into fashion.

Long hair, bra burning, rock and roll music, drugs.

A good many children, I say the majority of them, they swallowed it all, hook,

line, and sinker.

But not Donald.

No, not Donald.

Well, the rest of them were out there burning their draft cards and... Riding

the streets, calling the president of the United States a murderer.

But Donald was smart enough to see what was behind it. He was one of the few who

kept faith with the country.

And let me tell you, that wasn't a popular attitude for a young boy to have

those days.

Then I take it Donald was not a popular boy.

It wasn't easy for him.

But he believed in sticking to his principles no matter what it cost him.

a patriot.

A patriot. Well, that wasn't an easy thing to be.

He even applied to West Point.

I wrote out the recommendation for him myself.

Do you know why he didn't make it?

Well, he never finished high school.

Oh?

Oh, no.

He left school for good a month or so before the end of his senior year.

There was an incident in the schoolyard.

A fight.

A gang of boys. Tough kids.

Delinquents.

They got hold of Donald and beat him up pretty badly.

I think they broke his arm.

We assumed he'd come back to school.

But he never did.

Do you know what the fight was about?

It was because of his faith.

Are you sure?

Quite sure.

It was the last time I ever saw him.

He was such a nice boy.

There's nobody left to talk to. I did three more teachers, all the students I

could track down, and now the psychiatrist. The only way I could

people would be to ask, how come you didn't know Donald Sterner? Will you let

listen to the psychiatrist?

The person is being attacked, but instead of defending himself, he begins

identify with the attacker.

He can't bear to be a victim any longer, so he simply changes sides.

Of course, that usually involves a certain loss of contact with reality.

We have to be careful of labeling.

But on the basis of what you've told me, I'd say it's possible.

The pattern is already evident. Rigid personality, unstable, violence -prone.

Thank you, Doctor.

I'd rather have you thank me tonight over dinner.

Well, it is time for me to interview Stryker, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

Yes.

Did you go out with that army doctor?

Well, you know me.

I'm a sucker for a guy in uniform.

Commander Stryker will be right with you.

Yes? Commander Stryker?

Yes? This is Billy Newman of the Tribune.

I spoke to you once before.

I'd really like to interview you. I don't give out interviews.

I already have enough information to do a story on you, but I'd hate to do that

without checking with you first.

All right, there's a coffee shop at the corner on 5th and Western. I'll be there

at 9 o 'clock tonight.

Couldn't we do it here at the Tribune?

If you want to meet me, I'll be there.

All right, I'll be there.

You're taking stupid chances meeting him alone.

You wouldn't say that to Rossi. I encourage Rossi to take stupid chances.

But anybody else I would warn, man or woman.

Lou, you know I gotta meet him.

How about if I go with you?

I didn't know that you'd come.

Because the last time we met, you weren't interested in talking.

What do you want?

As you know, my paper's doing a story on you.

A party of the propaganda officer.

Why don't you see him?

We're not interested in the party. We're interested in you.

After all, you're the star of the show, aren't you?

I'm only their leader.

That's why I want to find out more about you.

My personal life is nobody's business but my own.

Is that why you changed your name?

What is that, one of your reporter's shock tactics?

No, actually, it's a matter of party security.

A lot of people would like to see me dead.

You know that?

Would you be willing to tell me your real name?

Off the record.

Why should I? My past history has nothing to do with the movement.

I'd just like to find out what kind of person you were before you made your

conversion. How you became a Nazi.

Let's start at the beginning.

You planning to use that?

I always use this in my work.

No.

It makes the quotes accurate.

That's what you want, isn't it?

You really shouldn't leave that stuff sitting around like that. People can

in there like that.

Are you from California originally?

No, from the east, Philadelphia.

What kind of background?

Oh, normal.

Nothing out of the ordinary.

I wasn't a Nazi then, if that's what you mean.

I believed the same lies everybody else did.

I was the same as everybody else.

Then gradually my eyes began to open.

I started to read, think.

I began to see the truth.

There was... There was this one man, this teacher I had in high school.

He was a great influence on me.

He opened my eyes.

I didn't come out and actually say it, but I got the message.

Since then, I did a lot of studying.

History, politics, anthropology.

It's all on my own, of course.

I didn't bother to go to college.

Why not?

That, for me, would be a waste of time.

I mean, I have an aversion to anarchists and intellectual dilettantes.

Besides, the colleges in this country are controlled by the communists.

Even West Point?

What do you mean, West Point?

Well, didn't you try to get in there once?

I could have gone to West Point.

I could have gone there.

Except I quit high school. I beat up this kid, this weaselly little punk kid,

and I broke his arm, as a matter of fact.

So they threw me out.

Anything else you'd like to ask me?

Yes. Is your real name Donald Sterner?

Is your father's name Abraham?

Is your mother's name Dora?

Were they married in an Orthodox Jewish ceremony?

Were you bar mitzvahed on April 28th, 1961 at the B 'nai Israel Synagogue by

Rabbi Samuel Stein?

Yeah, I print that.

Is it true?

It's a lie.

Your name's not Donald Sterner. You're not Jewish.

I have a gun. Did you know that?

It's in my jacket. I have my hand on it right now.

I could kill you this instant.

He's with you, isn't he?

No.

You're lying.

You've done nothing to me but lie.

Yeah, yeah.

You sure you're okay?

Yeah, sure, Lou. I'm okay. I'm okay.

That's good.

I'm a wreck.

Hello. That's right.

I know your number.

I know where you live.

I can get you anytime I want.

Are you listening?

Yes. It's not true what you said about me tonight, you know.

It's an obvious lie and nobody will believe it.

Then what are you worried about?

You're the one who should be worried.

You and that damn paper.

Because I got nothing to lose, you understand me? And I have to go and take

lot of people with me.

Look, Mr. Stryker, this isn't doing either one of us any good.

Why don't you do whatever you want, and so will I.

And right now, I want to go to sleep.

Goodbye.

Maybe too powerful.

How's that?

It's Sky Striker. He's threatened Billy in the paper. I've alerted building

security and I've hired a private detective to watch Billy. Apparently he

where she lives.

I don't like that.

Well, I thought I'd tell you all this before we ran the story.

Are you suggesting that we shouldn't?

Yeah.

Somebody downstairs for you, Lou. Who is it?

Hey, Mr.

Stryker.

I came here to ask you not to print that story about me.

Look, Stryker, if you want to deny it, we'll run that too.

But we are going to print what we have got.

I'll make you a deal.

A fair exchange. I've got another story.

Better than this one.

Documented proof, I'll give you that.

To these homosexuals, homosexuals in the Ku Klux Klan, I'll give you names,

addresses, anything.

Anything you want.

There are homosexuals everywhere, Stryker. Why shouldn't they be in the

We even have a homosexual sports writer here on the paper.

Who? This is no joke to me. This is no joke to anyone.

I'll go ahead and print it.

You think I care? I don't care.

Nobody's going to believe it.

Go ahead. Nobody will believe it.

All right.

Maybe nobody will believe it.

Oh.

Please, you just don't understand.

Look, what did I do to you?

I've worked so hard at this thing.

If it comes out, the people find out, it'll all be gone.

Everything will be gone. I've worked so hard.

Everything I worked for will be gone.

I'll lose all my friends.

You know what?

You're going to be very sorry for this, both of you.

Very sorry. I got nothing to lose now.

Goodbye, Mr. Stryker.

Sorry for him.

Have you mobilized the men?

They're on their way.

I want them in uniform.

That's what I told them.

What's it gonna be, Commander?

We'll find out.

No, no.

it, please.

Can I see some identification?

I'm Joe Rossi. Some identification, please.

What is this all about?

It doubled security because of that article she wrote. I knew she was

Oh, yeah, the Nazi thing. I read that. Good story.

I almost couldn't tell a woman had written it.

I read your piece this morning, too.

Almost couldn't tell a man had written it.

What do you mean by that?

Now what did I do?

Not you.

Her.

See you in a minute.

Yeah, Lou.

What's this all about?

It just came in from the police beat.

The striker killed himself.

I killed him.

He killed himself.

I put the gun in his hand.

That gun has been in his hand for a long time. Yeah, but if I hadn't written

this story... Did you know when we went for the story that he was going to kill

himself? No.

Did you think there was a possibility that he might kill somebody?

Yeah. Who?

Me.

But knowing that, you wrote it anyway. You had the courage to face that.

Think about it.

Think about it.

Maybe it'll help you to accept this.

Billy.

Billy.

We can't weigh each story and say maybe we shouldn't print it because somebody

might get hurt.

Sometimes people do get hurt. Sometimes careers are ruined. Governments are

brought down.

But if the story is there, we have to print it.

It's our job.

And if you're going to be in this business, you'll have to learn to handle

Okay?

You mean I should just shrug this one off and go on to the next?

A man is dead.

A sad, twisted, tormented man.

But a human being, nevertheless.

By writing about him, you've helped us understand him and maybe ourselves a

little better.

You've done a great job.

And I'm proud of you.

Thanks.

Good story, Billy.