Original subtitles

They tried to kill me. Now, who were they?

Not know.

Sounds to me like the makings of a trade. How's it sound to you?

Like kidnapping, 20-to-life.

You want to die here? You understand? Die?

There's an inspection going on. I'll see you later.

What am I? The lint on somebody's uniform?

Who did that to you?

Americans.

They took Vinh.

Rocky.

ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING MACHINE.. This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone, leave your name and message.

I'll get back to you.

PETE.. It's Pete.

Hope you enjoyed using the cabin last week.

Only next time leave the trout in the refrigerator, huh?

Not in the cupboard.

The gook's here.

GUARD: Hey, stop.

ROCKY: All I'm saying is

the place could use a new coat of paint.

Well, you got the inside fixed up real nice.

But that outside looks like

they ought to be taking up a collection for you.

When somebody does, I'll paint.

For a guy who can afford tickets to the Laker game,

it seems to me you could afford

a couple of bucks for a few gallons of paint.

Dad, I'm not going to paint the trailer and that's it.

Supposing we was to use seafoam green,

isn't that pretty?

Dad, I like the trailer the way it is, all right?

Yes? Mr. Rockford?

That's right. Come in.

What can I do for you?

You are detective?

Don't let the way this place looks on the outside throw you.

He's the best in the business.

That's my father, the happy homemaker.

Would you sit down, please?

Pham Thanh Mai.

Mai.

Oh.

Say here. Find missing person.

Vinh missing.

Brother. You find.

Well, it also says

I do complete underwater investigations.

But, you know, when you're composing an ad

you tend to oversell.

She didn't understand you.

You should go to the police.

Have money.

Well, that's not the point.

What do you mean that's not the point?

For a fellow who can't afford to paint his...

Ma'am, he's the best there is.

$200 a day and expenses.

I buy.

Look, it's not that easy to find a missing person.

You know, LA is kind of spread out all over.

Now, the police have the manpower.

Go to the police.

Ain't you even gonna ask her what happened to her brother?

Brother refugee. Stay Camp Blanchard.

Come from Vietnam.

Last night take bus.

I meet. No Vinh.

I call sponsor, no answer.

Maybe he just took the wrong bus.

Or maybe he got off at the wrong station.

You promise. You find.

Okay.

Okay, you want to throw your money away,

I'll give it my best shot.

What was your brother's sponsor's name?

Robert Coffey.

1631 South Alexander.

BECKER: Why didn't you tell me there was an inspection going on?

I didn't know, Sarge.

I just passed the brass on the way

back from the coffee machine.

Ah, well, just look busy. I am busy.

You'd look a lot busier without the coffee in your hand.

Hi, Dennis.

What are you doing here?

I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time,

but I need some help.

I've been trying to run down a guy

by the name of Robert Coffey.

I called his house, he doesn't answer his phone

and the address that I have is a vacant lot.

Do you want to give me the details?

There aren't any. Just what I told you.

I tried to call the telephone company,

I didn't get anywhere with them.

Do you think you could look this guy Coffey up in your crisscross directory, huh?

See if the phone's listed in another address.

Were there any signs of forced entry?

What are you talking about?

I'm just asking for a phone check.

I see. Well, then you'll have to see Lieutenant Chapman on this.

Chapman?

Right this way, sir.

Excuse me, sir. Have a good day, sir.

There's an inspection going on. I'll see you later.

What am I? The lint on somebody's uniform?

All I want to do is use the crisscross.

Well, it's your neck. There's brass all over the place.

First door on the right.

Thank you, Dennis.

Well, it's about time.

Please, don't tell me you're not the new cook.

I'm not the new cook.

What do you want, paI? Yeah, I was looking for Mitch Donner.

I went by his apartment.

They told me he was a cook here in the hospital.

He was. He didn't report to work this morning.

What about a Robert Coffey? You know him?

Never heard of him. Check the front office.

Yeah, well, he's supposed to be a friend of Donner's.

He's supposed to be sponsoring a Vietnamese refugee.

The kid's disappeared and I can't find Coffey.

Yeah, well, If you find him or the Vietnamese kid

and he can cook, I'll take him.

What is it with you and the salt?

This is a hospital. No salt.

None. You see what I mean?

Yeah. Hey, listen, what about this Coffey?

I told you, I've never heard of him.

Look, pal, I'm a little busy.

If Donner checks in, you want me to tell him something?

Yeah, would you give him my card

and have him call me?

Sure. Thank you.

All right.

Donner, move it.

Rocky.

Rocky.

No more ice, please.

My brain feels like it's frozen solid now.

Dad, if you won't let me take you to the doctor...

Look, quit clucking over me, will you?

I'm all right.

Well, did you get a look at them?

No, I didn't even see how many of them there was.

I was bending over the desk here,

looking at paint samples,

when they come slamming in

and push me down on the desk.

It took me clear by surprise

or I'd have been able to do something.

Yeah, like get your neck broken.

How does it feel?

It's all right.

I can't figure out what they wanted.

They didn't take the TV, the stereo.

I mean, my camera's back there in the closet.

What's that?

There's a couple of $100 here.

They didn't even touch it.

I thought you said you couldn't afford to have the trailer painted.

What were they after?

How long have you had that squirreled away in there?

They didn't go through the desk drawers.

They tore up my closet, they moved the bed.

Whatever they were looking for had to be something specific.

Something big.

You didn't hear them say anything?

They hit me pretty hard, you know.

Yeah.

Hurts, huh?

You want to die here? You understand? Die?

Save it. He's out again.

I'll spell you.

Why don't you run out and get us a bucket of chicken, huh?

Vinh.

Yes? Mrs. Hartman?

Yes.

My name is Jim Rockford. Is Mai in?

Mai?

Yes, she lives here, doesn't she?

Oh, yes.

I'm sorry, it's just that

since we brought her back with us from Vietnam two years ago,

well, you're one of the few people she's asked to

come visit her here at the house. Come on in.

Thank you.

Oh, Leslie, Mai has a visitor.

Mr. Rockford, my husband.

How do you do? How do you do?

I can't tell you how pleased I am.

It's been terribly difficult for her.

She's a lovely girl, but she's terribly shy.

Honey, why don't you tell Mai she has some company, huh?

Oh, yes. Excuse me.

She's been like that ever since we took Mai in.

90o/o mother hen.

You serve in Vietnam?

Well, not in the army. Civilian construction. Air bases, mostly.

We put them up, they blew them up.

Make yourself at home. Thank you.

Oh, here she is now.

If you'll excuse me, I've got some paperwork to do.

Nice meeting you. Pleasure.

Please.

You find Vinh?

Well, not yet, no. But I have to tell you

I'm not too happy with the way things are turning out.

Someone broke into my trailer and searched it.

And what they found was my father.

They knocked him cold.

Look, they hit him.

Your father hurt?

Not as bad as he could be.

Mai,

is there something about your brother

that you haven't told me?

Wait.

Mr. Rockford.

$500.

Well, I don't want any more of your money.

Take. You promise.

You find Vinh.

Okay.

Leslie.

Leslie, I've got to talk to you.

What's wrong?

It's about Mai.

What is it this time? Well, what's-his-name hasn't proposed to her yet?

Leslie, he's a detective.

What? He is a detective.

I just saw her giving him $500

to try to locate somebody named Vinh.

Oh, that's what's got you so upset, huh?

Leslie, if she's in some kind of trouble,

we have a responsibility.

Where would she get $500?

Well, she's been here two years, she saved it.

All right. Who's Vinh?

That is none of our business.

Look, you know what happened with the relocation program.

Families split up, spread all over the country.

It just seems... Don't interrupt me.

You're the one who wanted her to make new friends.

Well, what's wrong with finding one this way?

Just relax, will you? Stop hovering.

Let Mai do what she wants

and let me get back to my work, okay?

Rocky.

All right, hold it.

Yeah, well, I'm holding it.

That's nice.

You just answer a couple of questions, nobody gets hurt, huh?

Sounds fair to me. What do you want to know?

What do you got to do with Vinh? Vinh!

Hey, there's nothing I'd rather do than cooperate with you,

but I don't know what you're talking about.

Keep stalling, Rockford, and you're gonna wind up on a wheelchair basketball team.

What was the name again?

No games. Just answer the question.

Now, look, you see that?

Go, go, go, go!

I thought we were gonna paint.

All right, you got them. They're stuck.

Nice work, Rocky.

L.J.: Jim, I don't mind painting,

but I sure don't like nobody trying to shoot at me.

Oh, nobody likes to get shot at.

Yeah, but I don't like it in particular.

Okay, L.J., later, all right?

Mai, they wanted answers from me.

Now, I want them from you. And I think I've earned a few.

The two guys that came to my trailer,

they knew your brother's name

and they tried to cancel my ticket.

They tried to kill me. Now, who were they?

I telling you truth. Not know.

Mai, if you don't level with me,

we're not going to get anywhere.

Not know men.

Maybe know why.

At least that's a start.

You know American Rangers?

Yeah.

Near home, whole bunch American Rangers.

Vinh work their camp.

One night Viet Cong made rocket attack.

Whole bunch American Rangers killed.

Soldiers blame Vinh.

Say he give information Viet Cong.

Did your brother tell them?

No! Vinh no go around with Viet Cong.

Vinh likes Americans.

Vinh like cowboys.

All the time going American cowboy movies.

When Vinh escape Rangers,

hide in Binh Thuan province.

I no see him two years.

You think the two guys that came to my trailer were part of the Ranger outfit?

I've known folks that'd carry a grudge

a lot farther than Saigon to Los Angeles.

Night I go bus meet Vinh,

guard say two men chase.

Maybe catch, maybe torture.

Why didn't you tell me this? Even better, why didn't you tell the police?

You find.

You no find, they kill Vinh.

Excuse me, has Mitch Donner checked in yet?

No. And don't count on him.

Yeah, well, what about the manager?

You're looking at him. I'm administration.

Oh, yeah? You know, you're not the same guy I talked to the other day...

Benson Kelly. Yeah.

Yeah, well, he's the reason that I'm in charge of all of this.

He said he couldn't stand it anymore. What, he quit?

Well, he said he had to get up to the Sierras and think.

Now, look, you're gonna have to excuse me

because I got to do something about lunch. Maybe I should call my...

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

All right, fella. Excuse me.

About this Kelly and Donner, are they pretty tight?

Well, they've been buddies since Vietnam.

Same Ranger battalion, right?

Well, that's a laugh. Kitchen rangers, maybe.

The closest they ever got to action

was a food fight in the mess hall.

Now, mister, those two loafers were potato soldiers.

They were quartermaster corps.

Man, I think this is a major mistake.

I think Ben's got the right idea.

Give the kid some rope and he'll lead us where we want to go.

Don't lose him.

Boy, I'll tell you, Dad, if there's one thing I hate,

I just hate to get suckered.

Well, maybe you're being too hard on that little old girl.

She's done nothing but lie to me.

Those two gorillas weren't in the Rangers,

they were in the quartermaster corps.

Well, suppose she don't know the difference.

She knows the difference between an M-16 and a chicken fried steak.

You said we was gonna paint the trailer.

I said, ''I got a couple of hours.''

I get shot at, drove all over town.

Okay, L.J. I'll take you back to your shop.

I've got to pick up my car anyway.

Now, just hold on. There's nobody going no place.

We all agreed we're going to paint the trailer.

Who all agreed?

We're taking the paint back to the shop

and get a refund of my money.

Oh, now, look, it ain't as though you don't have no money. You got a client.

That's what you think.

She's got one more chance to make some sense

and if she doesn't, we're finished.

This could be where it is.

Could be. You take the back.

ROCKFORD: How long ago did you get the call?

MAI: Few minute.

Friend of Vinh from refugee camp named Nguyen

have information.

ROCKFORD: Okay. Let's see what he has to say.

You told him we were coming?

He wait.

Nguyen?

Nguyen.

Hey, who did that to you?

Two men. Americans.

They took Vinh.

We fought, but they had guns.

You think you could describe them for me?

One was a big man.

The other was taller, thinner.

Sounds like old friends.

Was Vinh here when they came?

Perhaps two minutes.

What did they want to know?

They wanted Vinh.

They had Vinh.

They wanted some kind of information. Now, what was it?

What you do?

You won't let the guy talk, so I'm calling the police.

MAI: No!

There's been a FederaI crime committed, kidnapping.

Nguyen is a witness

or he's an accessory.

Now, either you allow him to tell me what's going on

or he can tell it to the police.

Vinh has something they want.

He won't tell them. So they ask me.

I do not want your money.

Mai said she would pay me $1000

to do no more than describe them to you.

Give you information to help you find them,

but not reveaI what they wanted. She's rich.

She has many American dollars.

But she doesn't want to tell you.

That is what they want.

Mr. Rockford, wait, wait, where you go?

I've got a couple of tickets for the Lakers game.

I thought I might use them.

You're going to a basketball game?

Didn't you hear what Nguyen said? They have Vinh.

Look, I paid you $700. That ought to buy more than a quick brush-off.

Crash course in Berlitz?

All right, I speak English.

I also speak French.

Ah, but pidgin English, that's where you really shine.

There was a reason for that.

Sure. Not understanding's very convenient

when you don't want to answer questions.

I understand greed, Mr. Rockford.

I didn't know if I could trust you.

Now, I think I can.

Well, that's too bad. Because now I don't trust you.

I don't know which tear-jerker is upsetting my stomach.

You weren't there, you don't know what it was like.

When are you going to stop using it?

The truth this time, okay? Just hear me out, huh? Please.

Okay, okay, why don't we just start with

why those two war hawks are after your brother?

Vinh was a driver for a Vietnamese colonel

attached to the quartermaster corps.

Sort of a liaison between your army and ours.

The colonel, like many others, dealt in black market money.

American dollars?

All American personnel were supposed to use only Vietnamese money or script.

But US currency was constantly

being smuggled in and out of the country.

What about our two enterprising kitchen rangers?

Were they partners with the colonel?

How much did they steaI? I don't know exactly.

But Vinh said there were actually three men.

Near the end, the colonel was ambushed and killed.

Vinh ended up with his briefcase containing $50,000.

And you smuggled it into this country

when the Hartmans brought you back home with them.

Well, we had no choice.

Vinh was still in the army and he knew the three men would be after it.

We didn't have anything.

It was a fortune. Do you understand?

Yeah. Yeah, I understand.

And it's becoming pretty clear

that the third gorilla was Benson Kelly,

alias Robert Coffey.

Maybe the police will understand, too.

How many times do I have to tell you, I don't want to involve the police?

Mai, either we involve the police,

or you're in this thing alone.

I need your brother's full name, Miss.

Pham Van Vinh.

That it?

It's got an ''H.'' V-I-N-H.

Okay.

The color of his hair?

Eyes?

Height? Weight?

I don't know. Mai, how tall is your brother?

Just put down medium.

Could you be just a little bit more specific?

If you could tell me how? I've never seen him.

Oh, that's great. Then there's a good chance that he doesn't even exist.

He exists.

Mai, look, I know how you feel about cops.

If you trust me, you can trust Dennis.

Mai, they've got your brother. They're chasing us.

If you don't help us, we can't fill out the police report.

Wait a minute.

I need a description of your brother.

Mai not understand. Mai not have brother.

She's lying. She understands.

She speaks English like Sir John Gielgud.

Well, what am I supposed to do?

Fill out the police report.

I'm telling you, her brother has been kidnapped.

She says she doesn't even have a brother.

Now, what am I supposed to do?

Fill out a report based on hearsay,

bring it to Lieutenant Chapman?

What do you think is gonna happen?

Mr. Rockford.

Mr. Rockford.

Hey. I don't speak English.

I'm sorry. I couldn't let you tell the police.

Well, of course, you couldn't.

My father gets clobbered, I get clobbered,

Nguyen gets beat up, your brother gets kidnapped.

No, what do we need the police for?

Let's just call in the coroner.

That money is all we have.

We're not even considered permanent residents here.

We're parolees.

Now, what am I supposed to do?

Scrub toilets, floors, wash dishes?

Vinh and I need that money.

I'm sorry, Mai, I really am, but...

I mean, those two guys saw us together.

They're going to keep in touch.

Now what am I supposed to say when I get a ransom call, huh?

Now, what do you want?

You want your brother or do you want the money?

You can't have both.

I want my brother. Safe.

Hello.

BENSON.. Rockford? Yeah.

Your lady friend's got something that belongs to us.

Sounds to me like the makings of a trade. How's it sound to you?

Like kidnapping, 20-to-life.

When you're dealing for half a million,

what's a couple of years?

You mean $50,000.

She's got half a million. We've got her brother.

Let's not play games.

You just stay close to home, get the bread together.

You'll be contacted in the morning with more instructions.

Oh, sure, all alone by the telephone,

so you know right where to find me,

knock me off and boost the half a million, huh? No, you forget it.

Leave your instructions on my phone machine.

I've got a remote unit and I'll check in every half hour.

Hello. They called.

Is Vinh all right? That's what they say.

You got the money close at hand?

Yes, it's hidden. What am I supposed to do with it?

Just leave it right where it is.

I'll be over in the morning.

And, Mai, they want all of it.

The whole $500,000.

We're alone.

Mr. Hartman went to work

and Mrs. Hartman went shopping.

The money's in here. In here?

Yeah. Put it on the bed.

Okay.

Okay.

Fill this thing up.

I'm going to see if our friends have called yet.

Well, there's nothing on the answer phone yet.

Mai, step away from there.

No, Mr. Hartman, you don't understand.

It's my money.

I haven't done anything wrong to get it.

Oh, I know all about where the money came from.

Now, I said step back.

It's been sitting here for three years in that crummy elephant?

I thought the kid was going to bring it over.

Want to hear something funny?

Cathy almost gave this away to the St. Vincent de PauI Society last spring.

Please, Mr. Hartman. I need that money.

Somebody have my brother... Oh, I know.

Benson Kelly, Mitchell Donner

and another Section 8 by the name of Gary Stillman.

You're about the best-informed

construction engineer I've ever met.

And don't tell me, let me guess.

That was your cover in Nam.

Are you CIA? Army Intelligence?

Army CID.

Assigned to the Colonel Tranh- Benson Kelly money conduit.

We almost got them, too.

But the poor colonel was vaporized

when his jeep hit a claymore.

That's when you decided to cross the line?

Well, the war was ending.

Just another ex-soldier without any prospects.

I knew Vinh had wound up with a half a million dollars,

but I couldn't locate him.

I mean, everything was coming down. It was pure chaos over there.

So I talked Cathy into bringing our little Mai stateside.

I thought he had the money.

But, I knew she and the kid

would connect up with each other one day.

Your own supplement to the GI Bill.

Move over against that wall.

Was Mrs. Hartman in on the plan with you?

She and I can hardly agree on when to make love,

much less anything else.

Now, I said turn around and face that wall.

Move!

Get up in here.

Mai. Mai?

Hey. You all right?

Yes.

Here, sit up.

Let me help you.

Sit down.

You sure you're all right? Yeah, I think so.

I got to check my phone.

ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING MACHINE.. ...leave your name and message.

I'll get back to you.

BENSON.. Rockford, Kelly. What good's it gonna do? We don't have the money.

The wharf. 9..00 a.m. Be there.

They called, didn't they?

We make the exchange in half an hour.

What exchange?

They're going to kill him. Not if we give them what they're after.

We can't.

Where does Hartman keep his records?

His phone bills, his, you know, calendar, address book?

In the study. But I don't see...

If Hartman was smart enough to figure this whole thing out

he's smart enough to know that he cannot spend government payroll money.

He'll have to fence the money. All we have to do is find out who the fence is.

Here, look through the calendar.

But how will I know if I find anything?

Just read the entries out loud.

I'm not sure where he keeps the paid bills,

they may not even be here.

Well, the phone bill's a long shot, anyway.

Just got to go with what we got.

''Dinner. Hal and Thelma.

''Green Duck. 7:30.''

It won't be in the social notes.

Look for anything that sounds like a business appointment.

Oh.

Chamber of commerce. That's it.

Chamber of commerce?

The Fontaine Brothers Pet Food Company.

The Fontaine brothers wouldn't know a doggie biscuit

if it was stuck in their ear.

Where's the phone? Over there. But...

The pet food company is just a front.

They're one of the largest fences in town.

I'll call the police and clue them in on Hartman.

What is it?

Somebody must have heard the shot and called the police.

Let's go.

Come on.

Why didn't you stop? That was the police.

All of a sudden you want to talk to the police.

We've got 15 minutes to get to the exchange.

There's a dead woman lying on the floor of that house,

and we were the only two people in it.

Why are we going to the exchange?

We don't have the money.

Okay, then let's not go to the exchange.

Do you want to try that?

Mrs. Hartman was my friend.

How could he do that to her?

Maybe she tried to stop him.

I got an idea. Maybe we can deaI with the kidnappers.

But first I want to drop you off.

There's something I want you to do for me.

I hope there won't be any late arrivals, Rockford.

My friend's gonna be keeping an eye on you.

I came alone.

Where's the money?

I don't have it.

What?

I don't have it.

Now just a freaking minute!

This is a ransom exchange. This is the ransom exchange.

You're not going to get another chance!

The money was taken by Mai's sponsor,

a guy named Leslie Hartman.

He's a former Army CID.

He's known about this thing from the beginning.

Okay, whack the kid. Right now.

Hold on! There's no percentage in that.

We can get the money back, but we need Vinh alive.

Hold it, Gary.

Now what's with ''We''? What about we? Talk.

To tell you the truth, I...

If Hartman hadn't have pulled his little number,

I was planning on doing it myself.

Talk about the money! Talk about the money!

Hartman's going to fence it with some local brokers.

I know these guys. I've had dealings with them before.

And you're cutting us in on it

because you're so crazy about us.

I'm cutting you in

because I can't walk in on these people and take it back myself.

These are heavy guys?

Well, there's two of them,

and one of them's just a little schizoid.

Plus Hartman, he'll be there.

Why are you so anxious to keep the kid alive?

I was hired to find Vinh.

I'm on the record with the police

as having been involved with him. You're not.

GARY: What are we gonna do, Ben? Shut up.

Hey, we've been sitting on top of this for four years.

I say let's take his deal. Right now we got squat.

Okay.

Get in the van.

BENSON: This guy Hartman was supposed to show.

You know what one of your problems is, Benny?

You don't know how to sit on a rabbithole.

I'm sitting in front of this dog food factory for 20 more minutes, slick.

Then if we get no results,

I'm taking you and this banana out in the middle of nowhere

and introducing you to a couple of six-foot holes.

Come on, now.

You guys are really taking this whole thing too seriously.

Believe me, we just wait for Hartman to arrive,

then we go on in and relieve these guys of the money.

You sure we can handle them? There's only two?

Yeah, plus Hartman. There's nothing to it.

Tommy Fontaine is a shrimp,

and, well, Sal is big, but he's mostly fat.

Hey, now hold it. Just hold it a minute.

Then when we hit them, we'll not only get the half a mil,

but we can get the cold money

the Fontaine Brothers have raised.

Come on, Benny, let's move it.

I'm getting tired of sitting around.

Come on, slick, you're leading the parade.

Those guys are monsters.

Come on, fellows. We can take them.

OFFICER: Don't move.

Stay where you are.

Vinh! Vinh! Mai!

It's good to see you, Dennis.

What took you so long?

Well, you had Mai call me, so I found the whole thing

a little hard to believe at first.

Well, she has a little credibility gap,

but she's not an out-and-out liar.

Forget her credibility gap.

When anybody calls me and tells me

that an allegedly rational adult

would go to a kidnap exchange with no backup and no money,

well, I find that hard to swallow.

Yeah, well, I wasn't too crazy about it myself.

It seems to me you're being mighty hard-nosed about this, Son.

It ain't going to cost you that much.

Rocky, you haven't been listening.

I like the trailer the way it is.

It has character.

All right, all right, I won't say no more about it.

Good. I'll just paint the front door

and then if you don't like it, we'll let it go at that.

Hey.

Mr. Rockford. Yeah.

Hey, I told you that we'd help you get moved.

You didn't... Oh, thank you anyway.

But there wasn't that much.

How's your brother feeling?

Angry. Disappointed.

Hi, there. How you doing?

He doesn't speak English.

Have you found a place to live yet?

No.

We just came by to say goodbye,

and thank you for giving us a new life.

Thank you.

All right, now listen, you be careful on the highway.

Okay.

Does Vinh here know all the signals and everything?

Yes.

Be careful.

You know, Dad...

Rocky!