Original subtitles

The Streets of San Francisco, a Quinn Martin production.

Starring Carl Malden.

Also starring Richard Hatt.

With guest stars Dorothy Malone, Leslie Ackerman,

Jerry Douglas,

Guy Stockwell.

Tom Drake.

Steve Sandor.

Tonight's episode, Child of Anger.

Oh, hi, Virginia.

Hi. Is my mom here?

She'll be back in a minute.

But there's someone waiting for her in the office.

Oh, who? The guy who wears the greasy kid stuff on his head?

This is the one that smiles all the time.

Oh, him.

Come on, Mel. What are you doing here? Hi, Mother.

You said we were going to have lunch today.

Did you have to wear that dress? It makes you look like a lump.

Mr. Stillman's waiting in your office.

Oh, all right.

I can't have lunch today, Dumpling, but I can tomorrow.

Mother, don't call me dumpling.

Why don't you do something about your hair?

What do you suggest?

What's on your mind, Jerry?

Not the way you kissed me just now.

Well, if I thought you were going to grade me, I'd give you a great big hug.

Well, that would rate you about a C+. So what else is on your mind?

I'm in... I'm in trouble, baby.

Somebody into your book for a big score?

No. I mean someone else's book for some heavy action.

You're a bucky, Jerry.

You shouldn't be playing the horses.

But it was a sure thing in the fifth race at Hollywood Park.

He was six lengths ahead going into the stretch, and he fell down.

He fell down!

Jackie's still in the hospital.

If I don't pay up, I could be in the next bed.

Are you asking me for money, Jerry?

Well, you need something.

Well, who do you go to?

Your friends, right?

Well, you'd better go to your friends because I wouldn't give you five cents.

Well, it's not five cents, honey.

It's $50 ,000.

Oh, but not all at once.

$25 ,000 to start.

Well, you tell me what hospital and I'll send flowers.

I'll be by your place tonight to pick it up.

Oh!

Mother!

Get out!

Get out! Get out!

Well, that last kiss, uh...

I ought to bring up my average to at least a B+. See you.

Jerry.

Hey, Prince.

How you doing?

Fine, fine.

I was just going to call you.

Yeah, well, if you hurry, you'll be late. We've been looking all over for

for weeks.

You just haven't been looking in the right place now, have you?

Well, you see, your bill's overdue, Jerry.

We're going to have to have a little talk.

You understand.

Look, you're going to get your money.

Just tell Kid that it's in the works.

Wait, not by Julie yet. You see, now, he knows that.

He just thought it might help if we gave you a little incentive.

Sam. Yeah, look.

Get his keys.

You help me get him in my car, and you follow in his.

Come on.

Hey, look, Ethan.

Hey, you look.

Just do it.

How long has he been dead?

Oh, rigors well advanced, considering the state of the weather, oh, 14 to 16

hours. Anything else?

Nothing you didn't see for yourself. He was shot in the chest at very close

range, judging by the powder burns.

Okay.

I see you knew him.

Yeah, Stillman, Jerome Stillman.

Used to run an independent book over at the old Imperial Hotel. Remember that

one?

Very quick to collect, but very slow to pay.

as though you won't lack for suspects.

That's right.

Will, what do you got? No cartridge case.

There's a well -defined tire track at the edge of the road. You want a mold?

Okay, I'll get a mold.

Well, don't everybody talk at once.

Well, things just got out of hand. We had no choice.

He owed me a lot of money, Ethan.

How am I going to collect it from him now?

Hire a medium.

Look, I didn't mean for it to happen, Frank.

It was an accident.

Is that right?

Yeah, I guess so.

What's the matter with you?

Well, I don't like it, Mr. Kidd.

I was hired to collect, not to go around. You don't like it. I don't like

Nobody likes it.

But the next time I send you somewhere to collect, it'll be a lot easier.

This kind of thing gets around.

People like to stay healthy, so they pay up. Can I go now?

Go.

Worry about him.

He's an accessory.

He's a witness.

And he's nervous.

Mr. Green, I'll be there in ten minutes.

We got a meeting?

Yep. With a man who might have something to gain by talking to us.

Who's that?

One of Stillman's competitors.

I got the ballistics report on the slug.

From a nine millimeter automatic, octagon rifling. Good, come on.

You said 10 minutes. It's been 15.

Tell your friend to take it easy.

You said you had something on still.

His girlfriend.

He worked her over the other day.

He wasn't scratched to death, Mr. Green. He was shot to death by a professional.

So she has enough money to buy him a funeral.

You got a name?

Julia Desmond.

That's a name even I recognize.

What about his book?

Did he owe anybody?

Everybody.

If I find anyone in particular, I'll let you know.

Thanks.

I'll take these three for an ounce. Bye, Virginia.

Mother?

Oh, you came to have lunch. I can't make it today, gentlemen.

That's not why I'm here.

Wouldn't hurt your figure to skip a few lunches anyway.

I wanted to talk to you about Jerry Stillman.

Now, listen, that is none of your business.

But, Mother... It's my private life and none of your business, so stay out of

it. I thought I was part of your private life, too.

Oh, don't play word games with me, dumpling. You know what I mean.

Mother, please don't call me dumpling.

That's what you remind me of, darling.

All soft and shapeless like a dumpling.

Look at that hair.

Call Mr. Joseph today and see if he can't do something about it.

Will you get off my back? You ride me like a broom.

Mrs. Desmond, I'm Lieutenant Stone and this is Inspector Robbins.

Could we talk to you, please?

Excuse me, this is my daughter, Melanie.

Why don't we talk in my office?

I know, Mother. It's personal business. I'll wait here.

What can I do for you?

Mrs. Desmond, are you acquainted with a man named Jerry Stillman?

Yes. Well, you know, we met at parties and things.

I heard about his murder on the radio.

Terrible thing. You knew him socially?

Socially, yes.

Thank you. And no better than that?

I don't understand.

Were you lovers?

Do I have to answer these questions?

No. You can go down to the station. You can call your lawyer.

You know that he had mob connections.

Jerry and I weren't in business. We were... Close friends.

Close friends.

How much of this will get into the record?

I don't want the newspapers to get a hold of it because, well, I don't

particularly like to be humiliated in public.

We'll see to it that it's kept as quiet as possible.

Did you ever have a fight with him?

Of course, every now and again.

I mean, recently.

She didn't do it.

Melanie!

It was me, not her.

I did it.

You did what?

I murdered Jerry Stillman.

All right, Miss Desmond.

Why don't you call me Mel? And why don't you start at the beginning and tell me

everything that happened?

Okay.

I heard my mother scream and I entered the office.

Jerry was clutching her by her dress.

The blue -green original, wasn't it, Mother?

Melody, will you stop this? I know what I'm doing, Mother.

I waited by Jerry's car upstairs and when he came up, I told him if he didn't

stay away from my mother, I'd kill him.

Lieutenant. I must object to this.

It's all right, Mr. Foster. They can't do anything to me anyway. I'm a

Melanie, you don't know what you're saying.

Do I have to remain silent because he tells me to?

No. Then I wish you'd just stay out of this.

Anyway, Jerry reached out to push me out of his way, and I kicked him.

He grabbed me by the shoulders, and he started shaking me.

I reached out to grab him, and he had a gun under his coat.

I grabbed it, and it went off.

How close were you to the gun when it went off?

Right up against him.

Did you see the kind it was?

No, it was just a gun.

Did you get a good look at it?

Yeah, afterwards.

Could you recognize it if you saw it again?

Sure.

And what did you do then?

I put the body in the car, and I drove it down by that cliff.

And, um... Oh, I remember, then I walked home.

You walked home.

And what did you do with the gun?

Threw it over the cliff.

Come along with me.

Lieutenant.

Just routine.

Come along.

Now...

I want you to point out the one that most resembles the gun that you used,

Not really, Lieutenant.

Okay.

It's this one.

What is it?

Nine millimeter automatic.

The type that killed Stillman.

Ira? It's all right.

I'll have her writ ten minutes after she's booked.

She'll be released in your custody.

As the lieutenant says, just routine.

Do you own a gun like that, Mrs. Desmond?

No, I don't have any gun.

What about your husband?

We're divorced. We don't even live together.

Daniel, take her downstairs.

Don't worry, Mother.

Everything's going to be just fine.

Well, she's out, released to her mother.

You find the gun?

No, not yet.

Somehow I'm not surprised.

Neither am I.

What's troubling you?

Same thing that's bugging you. Her story, it's all too easy, too pat.

She did point out that gun, though.

Blood on the roof, 9mm cartridge.

She didn't read all that in the papers.

Mike, Stillman and Mrs. Desmond had a fight.

Suppose Mrs. Desmond shot him and Melanie saw it.

Suppose she's trying to cover for her mother.

That's what we're both supposing.

Well, the thing is that I love my mother, but I wouldn't want her to get

any kind of trouble.

No, I'll be terribly discreet.

Now, you say Mr.

Stillman and your mom were lovers?

Oh, yeah, he was her latest.

You mean there were others?

Oh, sure.

Do you remember their names?

Melanie!

Melanie!

I don't regret killing him at all. Melanie!

Oh, Mother. Who are you?

San Francisco Gazette, Mrs. Get off the property. Go ahead and go.

Go on now. Stop it.

Are you out of your mind?

Ira told you not to talk to anybody.

He's a lawyer, Mother. He's supposed to say that.

What did you say to that woman?

The truth. The whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Sometimes I think they must have gotten the babies mixed up at the hospital and

given me the wrong one.

How could any child of mine be so, so... Clumsy?

Inept?

Ungainly? Oh, I've got it, Mother.

Discombobulated? You're not funny.

And also, I'm not funny.

Melanie, stop it!

I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to be sharp with you. It's just that... I

Oh, my gloves. Have you seen my gloves?

No.

Oh, well.

Well, I'll be back in about an hour.

You be a good girl and don't talk to strangers.

Is he in?

He's expecting me.

Thank you.

Miss

Desmond has since been

released in the custody of her mother, well -known fashion designer Julia

Desmond, pending further investigation.

According to the coroner's office, the victim, Jerome Stillman... Well, how

about that for a while?

It's more than wild, Ethan. Think about it.

That story that she told about what happened, she even picked out the right

Now, how could she know that unless she was there and saw it?

Okay, so she saw it.

But why the confession?

I don't know.

Maybe she has her own reasons.

Whatever those reasons are, she could change her mind any time.

And if she could describe the gun, she could describe you and Manning.

I wouldn't like that.

You're reading my mind.

So, let Manning handle it.

And he'll be involved as deeply as we are.

Frank, what if he won't do it?

I told you before, he's a potential witness.

You're late.

Couldn't get it started.

Figures.

Oh, hi.

My mother's not here.

It doesn't matter. We wanted to see you.

Why? Would you mind coming downstairs for a minute?

No.

Do

you recognize

that car?

Yeah, it looks like Jerry's.

We want to go over the incident step by step.

Would you like to call your lawyer?

Why? He wasn't there when it happened.

Just for your own protection.

That's okay. I trust you.

And would you mind showing us exactly what happened?

Yeah.

I waited by the car when Jerry came out of the stairwell, and I stopped him

right about here.

We talked, and then he grabbed me, and I grabbed the gun.

It went off, and he fell.

How far from the car?

Right about here.

Now, you mean to say that you picked up a 180 -pound man and you carried him and

put him in this car?

No, I remember now.

No, he staggered a few steps, and then he fell right against this door.

Then you pushed him in the car, right?

Got around, got in, and drove away.

Right. Right. Okay, now the body's in the car.

Now why don't you show us how you drove away?

Just back it up.

Well, I know I did it.

What do you think, I'm lying?

That's right, we think you're lying.

You've obviously never driven a porn stick shift before.

Well, I identified the gun, didn't I? How do you explain that?

We think you might have seen it in the murderer's hand.

What are you trying to protect?

Your mother?

Come on.

Where are you going?

Inside to look for the gun.

Well, you can't go in without a warrant.

Another collection.

Another murder?

You know, I'll say one thing for you. When you find a problem, you sure don't

know how to let go of it.

Yeah, that's my cross.

You know, Kenneth, this kid's getting a little worried about you.

Is that a fact?

Yeah, that's a fact.

He's not sure you have what it takes to go the distance.

Look, I'll bust as many phones as he wants.

But I'm dead if I kill a man.

How about a woman?

They've gone anywhere.

Maybe I've got something.

Well, what in the world?

What is going on here?

They had a warrant, Mother. I couldn't stop them. I want an explanation of

I want it right now.

Are these your gloves?

How would I know?

They might be. They look like mine.

What happened to them? Apparently someone tried to destroy it.

Well, why? I don't understand.

We were hoping you would be able to tell us.

Do you seriously expect me to explain something that doesn't make any sense at

all? Those are perfectly new gloves. Why would anybody on Earth possibly want to

destroy them? I could think of a couple of reasons, if I put my mind to it. Like

what? Like bloodstains.

Like powder burns.

Maybe you'd better call your attorney, Mrs. Desmond.

Hey, see, if we can freeze the girl's confession...

Then the police have to accept it.

All we have to do is make it look like an accident or suicide.

I don't like it.

Look, we all have to do things we don't like. Not me.

Not murder.

Ah, come on, Kenneth.

No! I don't want to even talk about it.

You want somebody dead?

Then you do it.

I don't even want to hear it.

Okay.

Okay, look, if that's the way you feel about it, listen, I understand.

I tell you again, I don't know how the gloves got into the fireplace.

I didn't put them there. Maybe Mel did.

Why? I don't know.

What were you and Jerry Stillman arguing about the day he was killed?

Don't answer that, Julia.

I'm going to answer it. What good is not answering, Don?

He wanted to borrow some money.

I turned him down and he got mad.

How much money?

$50 ,000.

Did he tell you why he needed it?

He said he lost a bet.

To whom?

How would I know?

After your fight in the office.

It wasn't a fight.

He slapped me and I wasn't about to slap him back.

All right.

After he left your office, what did you do then?

I went home.

I didn't feel very well.

Did you see him later?

No. Are you sure he wasn't waiting for you outside your office?

She's already answered your question, Lieutenant. She said she didn't see him.

Miss Desmond, where did you go after you left your mother's office?

Do I have to answer that?

I don't think so.

She's no longer a suspect, Mr. Foster, but she may be a witness.

And if she doesn't answer, she could be charged for withholding evidence.

Where did you go?

Out in the hall.

I don't know.

Did you see Jerry Stillman leave your mother's office?

I don't remember.

Did you see your mother leave the office?

I don't remember.

Now look here, young lady.

I'm not going to say anything against my mother and you can't make me. I'm not

going to tell you anything.

Get that arrow, please.

Is there anything else you'd like to know, Lieutenant?

No, nothing else.

Am I under arrest?

No, you're not under arrest.

But please don't try to make any plans to travel.

I wasn't planning any trips.

Julia, find our own way out, thank you.

ex -husband on the phone.

His lawyers have been in contact with the juvenile authorities.

They've given him permission to come here and pick up Melanie. He's on his

over now.

You know, Daniel, we might be missing a bit.

We're so busy trying to prove that she's lying, we might have forgotten that she

could be telling us the truth.

At least about part of it.

She still could have seen someone kill Stillman on that rooftop.

Yeah, which leads us right back to his gambling friends.

Take the car back to the garage.

I'll take these gloves into the lab, have them analyzed.

Want a bite?

I couldn't.

I shouldn't either, but I figure all I've been through, I deserve all the

rewards I can get.

I think you're right.

You know, it's really wonderful just being with you.

You don't make me feel fat and ugly.

Does she?

Well, you know her. How does she make you feel?

Grubby.

I've missed you, Mel.

And I've been worried about you.

Don't be. I'm okay, really.

No, I don't mean just since the Stillman mess.

I mean on a day -to -day basis.

You see, I was never sure you could take the founding.

I was always afraid you might be a little too much like me.

You're probably right.

I wanted to take you when your mom and I first split up.

You did?

Uh -huh.

But she loved you, too.

And besides, she had the clout.

Believe me, Cloud is in everything.

Oh, now you tell me.

Anyway, I'm ready to make the move, if you are.

You mean you want me to come and live with you?

Mm -hmm.

Here is the key to the front door.

And I'll see you later.

Daddy?

Hmm?

It's a big move, and, well...

there are a couple of loose ends with mother that i want to see tied up first

can i put it off for a little bit oh you take all the time you need

no no you keep them just in case

when you're finished we'll take a little walk i'm finished

are you

Honey, are you all right? Yeah.

Are you okay?

Crazy fool. He could have killed both of us.

At least he was not...

The word I get is that Stillman owed Frank Kidd over 50 ,000.

And he's no man to well shine.

Then you know him.

I know him. Well, a couple of his boys were looking for Stillman a few days

Check on a guy named Manning.

Okay.

And where do I reach you?

You can't.

Anything on the glove?

No, no. The blood knew nothing.

Just a common, ordinary pair of burp gloves.

All of this has got to lead somewhere.

Daniel, I have a feeling you and I have been snookered.

I don't get it. What's the point? The point is that somebody's trying to make

believe that Mrs. Desmond is guilty of murder.

Mike, just got a phone call.

Bernie wants you down at the morgue. Why?

He just brought in another homicide, gunshot, and the bullet was a 9mm.

Good. Thank you.

No, it's got to be a connection.

The gun that killed Manning is the same gun that killed Stillman.

No witnesses in either case. Yeah, like an instant replay.

Quite a coincidence. Two guys involved in underworld gambling killed in the

48 hours. Sounds like a gang war going on. Maybe we'd better ask Kidd.

In here.

Thanks, I've seen it.

Seen what?

The story of my life.

My very private life.

Makes interesting reading, doesn't it, Mother?

It's ugly and vicious and humiliating.

Well, you'd know more about it than I would. It's your private life.

Melanie. Well, I must admit, the reporter did take a certain amount of

license.

What on earth possessed you to tell her all those things?

Warts and wens and bad complexion.

I'm just naturally ugly, Mother.

And you've pointed that out to me on every opportunity, Mother.

You've always told me it was for my own good.

A person should be made aware of their faults and flaws and shortcomings.

But we're all ugly, Mother, in one way or another.

In your case, it just doesn't show. It's...

It's way down deep underneath all those clothes and cosmetics and nail polish.

Jerry Stillman was a wart.

Steve Bianco a pimple and Dave Watts' name, bad complexion. They're your

and flaws and shortcomings, mother. And you're going to have to deal with them

sooner or later. You're going to end up clumsy and ugly and lumpish like me.

Why the newspapers? Why make it so public?

You've always corrected me in public.

In front of customers.

and friends, and strangers.

You really are very insensitive, Mother.

You burned those gloves, didn't you?

Yes.

Ann called the reporter.

This whole thing was a way to get even with me.

That's right, Mother.

You realize I could be sent to jail.

I wouldn't go that far.

See, because I can stop it any time I want to. Because I know who really did

Two men.

One of them was just your type.

35, dark hair, hard eyes, had a scar down his left cheek.

Oh, you would have loved him.

He was just your type.

Mr. Kidd?

Yes. San Francisco police.

Oh, certainly. Should have recognized you by the feet.

It's a little humid there.

What can I do for you?

Well, you can start by telling us why Ken Manning was killed.

Manning killed?

Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that.

Ken worked for me, you know.

Oh, I'm heartsick about that.

And how heartsick are you about Jerry Stillman?

Oh, I knew Jerry, but we were never very close. Jerry owe you any money when he

died? Money? No.

Never welshed on a bet?

I don't bet.

And I don't understand what Jerry Stillman's got to do with any of this

You have his murderer, don't you? We thought we had until Manning was killed.

What's the connection?

Well, the same weapon killed both victims.

Our suspect could have killed Stillman, but she had an ironclad alibi about

Manning. So do I.

You do?

Now, that's funny. I didn't mention the time of death, did I?

No.

I didn't mention the time of death to you.

Doesn't matter.

I've been in my office all day. I didn't even leave for lunch.

You can ask my secretary.

You can count on him, Mr. Kate.

Now, goodbye, Mother.

Where are you going?

To my father.

That was a nice, dreadful routine.

Oh, thanks. Not for me.

Homicide stone.

Lieutenant? Oh, this is Julia Desmond.

Oh, hello, Mrs. Desmond.

It's about Melanie.

She lied.

The whole thing was a lie.

She saw the murder.

She was a witness.

Yeah, we know.

Then why didn't you do something?

Well, we thought she was lying to protect you.

It wasn't me. It was two men.

One was about 35, dark, with a scar down his left cheek.

And what about the other man?

She didn't say.

Well, could I talk to her, please?

She's gone. She isn't here anymore.

Where did she go?

Her father's.

Could I have his address?

2310 Division Street.

2310 Division Street.

Thank you very much. Thank you, Lieutenant.

Alerted records. They're running description.

computer right now. Alright, we'll pick it up on the way to the car.

Bye.

John Woodall, 37, slight scar on the left cheek.

Armed robbery, county jail awaiting trial. Let's him out. George Spelvin,

scars and other distinguishing marks.

Bullet hole in the left cheek.

Doing 5 to 10 in Chino, forget him.

Prince, Ethan Prince, record of simple assault.

Assault and battery, bookmaking, loan sharking, deep scar left cheek.

Bookmaking, loan sharking. And strong -armed man.

Still in the note, kid money.

Maybe Prince was sent to collect.

Pretty good for a guess.

I'm sorry, but you're going to have to come down to Bryan Street Station in the

morning. That's where I'll take your statement.

I should have told you the truth in the beginning.

It saved us all a lot of trouble, Mel.

I guess I had to learn things the hard way.

Most people do.

Oh, Melanie.

Oh, my baby, are you all right?

Yes, Mother, I'm fine.

You keep forgetting, Julie, she's not a baby anymore.

That's okay, Dad.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mother.

I wish I could undo everything and start all over again.

But I feel the same way.

Oh, well, uh... Goodbye, everybody.

Good night, and thank you. Goodbye. Good night.

Why is it everybody has to learn the hard way?

Oh, I guess most children are naturally hard -headed. I wasn't talking about

children. I was talking about parents.

Well, did it ever occur to you that parents might know what is best for

children?

Look, all I'm saying is being young doesn't always make you wrong.

And being older doesn't always make you right.

You know you're right.

Even though you are young.

Yeah. Come on.

I want to talk to Kid.