Original subtitles

I know you think that you know me well.

You've got some stories that I would not have you tell. But when push comes to

shove, baby, who can ring your bell?

Today is a brand new day.

And today is the day that we say.

Streets? Whoa.

You move, you die.

Don't shoot.

Don't shoot us, okay? Shut up.

Come on, guys.

We're flat broke.

We've been out of work.

The club we played got raided.

This look like a robbery?

My mistake. Could be the guns.

Problem?

We're on it.

What's in the cases?

Show us.

Slow.

Okay, okay.

The theater's a -letting out.

That's the crowd. We passed the hat.

We were trying to scratch together a meal.

So scratch.

That's natural. Keep playing.

Bye.

That guy with the dreamy eyes and movie star looks, in about 20 years he'll be

the man who invents Las Vegas.

His partner is a little guy with

big ideas.

One day he'll be the man who organizes crime.

A buddy is a sociopath who figured out how to make that a job description.

He's good at it. Always on time.

Dependable.

Bugsy Siegel.

Meyer Lansky.

Sid Rothman.

Three punks making their mark during prohibition.

It's guys like them that made the Roaring Twenties roar.

Run, you monkey!

Tell your boss we'll have a drink on him!

At his Irish weight!

Oh, Benny, no, come on. In years to come, Bugsy and Meyer will make history.

Sid, he'll just make trouble.

Wait.

I can't find my gun.

I think it's flooded.

We're here to hijack the booze, Benny, not blow it up, not with it.

Keep the pedal down.

You worry too much, you don't worry enough.

White hats, black hats.

That's what they always wore in those old westerns we watched growing up so we

could tell the good guys from the bad guys.

That works in a kid's western.

In real life, it's different.

In real life, the bad guys often wear flashy shoes.

Their ties aren't bad either.

Expensive, anyway.

Silk.

White hats and black hats.

They do exist.

They try to shape the world in their image.

Guys like me have to make do somewhere in the middle.

I live in a world of gray hats.

Joe, you've finally come for me.

To take me from this place, to sweep me off my feet.

I didn't hear the light.

Why would you not sweep me off my feet?

Plenty of guys would.

Pick one.

I have. He's sweet, but a fool.

I throw myself, he never catches.

Hey, don't think of that.

What are you afraid of, hmm?

That you'd break my heart.

I'd crush you.

Well, only if you were on top.

But I like that. It gets the job done.

A rendezvous?

Here, Joe.

No, Anya, don't be bitter.

Is she more beautiful than me?

More beautiful wouldn't be possible.

Sexier?

Think carefully before you answer me.

It's almost 8 o 'clock.

I guess we'll both find out.

Oh, Joe.

Darling Joe.

A blind date?

You could do better.

Not be a beer.

The guy left.

And the other guy.

The one drinking.

No, you're him.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Teague.

Marines, right?

Not lately.

Not now, but then.

Joe Teague.

That's what the fella said.

What fella?

The fella said you'd be here.

Said I should look you up.

He told me to call you Master Gunnery Sergeant Teague.

He said you'd get a kick out of it.

What else did he say? He said you killed every Jap on Guadalcanal single

-handed. Is that true?

Look, you don't know me.

Why ruin a good thing?

There might be a grand in it for you is why.

Did it hurt to listen?

I need a pal.

Get a dog.

Out of the shed, you gotta walk him.

I need a real pal.

A Marine, let's say. A guy who can handle himself.

You show up, you look mean.

An hour of your time tops.

You walk away a grand richer.

I had some details.

Right, the guy that said you killed those Japs. Says you're a man who can be

trusted. I asked around.

People aren't that general opinion.

I can confide.

Confide away.

There's a guy, see.

Not the guy who said I killed those Japs. No, he's just a go -between. He

lawyers sometimes for this other guy, the guy that I'm talking about.

Now, I can't say his name, but you'd know who he is now.

You read the papers? The funnies.

Is it Popeye?

No, it's not Popeye.

But you'd know him. Now, this guy, who is not Popeye, wants something that I

have. Now, I'm happy to give it to him, but I want to be compensated. It's a

transaction. It's a transact.

They're a hitch. The guy's the hitch.

He's not famous for being reasonable, and he seems to resent the fact that

invited him to do this business. Why? What's the item? I can't tell you that.

It's been nice knowing you.

Relax, relax.

Name the item, you understand? Let's just say that it could make life

for this guy if it's a felon of certain hands other than his.

You're blackmailing somebody.

That's a harsh word. It fits.

You want me there in case the guy who isn't Popeye, he decides to be

unreasonable. You tag along, you watch my back, that's it. Bingo.

Telling me you don't moonlight?

Come on, all you cops do it. It's your Christmas fund.

Grand buys a lot of tinsel. You get a tree to put it on.

Why me? Why a cop?

Because you're a cop.

These people, they don't kill cops.

There's too much business at stake, so they don't do it, ever. The mugs who

up for this thing, they see you standing there, they'll have to play nice.

You should shine that badge up. Where? Right here, on the front of your belt.

Right above your pecker, where they can see it.

I'll think about it.

All right, but don't think too long.

Okay, this thing's got to happen soon. Next night or two.

Here's my card. Got my name on it. I know who you are.

Becky Nash.

Cut your act at the Clover a couple years back.

Clover Club, right? Yeah.

You bring a date?

She laugh?

I was funny, right?

Not as funny as you were tonight.

Oh, zing!

And I thought I was the comedian.

Try this one.

A guy walks into a bar.

By the end of the week, he's a grand richer.

No joke.

Yes, sir.

They were very cozy.

How long has it been since your last confession?

A while, I guess.

What sins do you have to confess?

I'm a little pressed for time here.

Your sins.

That's why you're here, isn't it?

That you want to unburden your soul.

Come on, tell me your sins, you rat bastard.

Listen, you got it wrong.

It ain't me, it's that Leslie.

He's the one you want.

Guy's nuts, I tell you. A bedbug.

That, no. Why anyone would hire a guy like that? It is beyond me.

Just being in a car with him that night gave me the creeps.

Gang crawl.

That's no lie.

This thing he's into, it's all him, you understand?

It's his move. I got nothing to do with it.

I didn't even know about it.

You gotta believe me.

Sid, please.

Okay, I believe you.

I'm in the clear.

What else I gotta do?

How about an act of contrition?

What, like, say a Hail Mary?

Couldn't hurt.

I frankly find this sort of talk offensive.

Let's call this loose talk what it really is.

These latest rumors of corruption are an attempt to undermine confidence in this

city's police department and my administration.

I remind these critics that my office has been at the forefront of rooting out

and eliminating the corruption that existed in the past.

With the vigilance and dedication of fine officers like Police Chief Harrell,

The efforts we have spearheaded will continue with all the vigor and

at our disposal, as long as I am mayor of this great city.

I echo the

sentiments expressed here today by Mayor Bowery.

My department is a proud and honorable one, and I will not stand by while the

malcontent press dwells on a few bad apples.

And drags our good name down.

Don't forget where you found it.

Thanks, Jimmy.

Don't make me come looking for you.

I won't.

I'm sitting in his office right now.

Yeah, he just walked in.

Yes, Jimmy, it's in his hands.

I will make sure he brings it back.

It won't leave his desk.

He promises, right?

He just nodded, Jimmy.

It looked sincere.

Okay.

Just give us a minute.

Read any good files lately?

Marshall Nussbaum, a .k .a. Hickey Nash.

Stage name, I bet.

Detective Morrison.

See, you made yourself at home.

What can I do for you? Two of my boys were up all night on a follow job. I

help wondering why the guy they were tailing stopped at a seedy jazz club on

Central Avenue last night and had a drink with a detective from this

It's not that seedy.

Friend of yours?

Caught his act at the Clover a couple years back.

And? And he spotted me last night at Bunny's. He came up.

He offered me an after -hours job.

Doing what?

He's blackmailing somebody.

Wants me to tag along, see that he doesn't wind up in a dumpster.

The mayor is out there right now defending his record as a crusader

police corruption.

There's a lot of heat these days.

A lot of scrutiny.

I was just sitting there.

Minding your own business, having a drink, and out of the blue, this guy

up you haven't seen in years. Met him only once.

And he tries to engage you in a criminal conspiracy.

Right.

More. Oh, you'll love this part.

The guy he's blackmailing. You give him a name? No, but it's somebody high up in

the mob.

How high? High.

Somebody who gets his name in the papers.

You were going to bring this to me, right?

Why else would I pull the file?

Detective Teague reported the incident to me immediately. We brought it

to you. Well, if it's enough to blackmail a high -ranking mobster, it

strong evidence.

If we get our hands on it, we can bring down someone big.

Cripple organized crime in the city. That is a win we could use right now.

some criticism.

You know, things like this get mayors reelected.

Mayor Bauer is a man who remembers his friends.

All right, bring in everyone who shows up for the exchange and the evidence.

Catch them in the act, fellas.

That's the key.

Key to the kingdom.

And you.

You're on loan to Hal's unit until further notice.

Bring home the bacon, Detective Teague.

Do this right.

You could make some friends.

Bill Parker just teed you up to be his golden

boy.

A thing like this could put him one step closer to being our next chief.

There's two things you need to know about Bill the Boy Scout. One, it's a

position he deserves.

Two...

He's also a man who remembers his friends.

You write your own ticket, we both would.

So don't screw this, Rick.

I'm Phil Hecke.

A wannabe that never was in a bad game.

That rap she did, it's a mobster.

Nah, but he's been hit deep in their world his whole life. He's rubbed a lot

elbows. Well, he's friends with Mickey Cohen since forever.

And this guy knows things.

A lot of things.

He'll make a formidable witness.

We've tried to squeeze him a few times. He wriggles away.

What's special about now?

What were you guys doing?

Sooner or later, a guy like this, he's ripe to get flipped.

Lately, he's been like that.

Mr. Nash's fortunes are in serious decline. He's racked up a lot of

debts. He owes a lot of money to the wrong people.

They carry him for old time's sake, but that kind of patience runs out. And when

it does, you want to be there to catch him when he falls.

Offer him a way out, as long as he goes witness.

I told you he was bright.

I didn't believe you.

Where'd you get these guys?

Me, he found under a rock.

Pat here washed up on the beach one day.

Eddie there crawled out of a drainpipe.

And Nick and Tug got left in a basket on his doorstep.

He raised us from puppies.

You, you pull this off, you're on all our Christmas lists.

Yeah, as if.

No, no, now's a fine time.

No, I'm just waking up.

Who is it? Shh.

Really?

No, that's great news.

No, it's worth waking up for.

Uh, let me make a call, and, um, I'll set this thing in motion.

Okay.

If that's where they agreed.

Right.

He's got a gig tonight at the Griffin.

You know it? Yeah, the doc.

I meet him when he gets off. We drive to the exchange from there.

Baldwin Hills, the oil fields.

Oil fields are 1 ,100 acres of horseshit. The terrain's wide open.

There's no place for us to be, no place to hide. No way to know where you'll be

in those 1 ,100 acres. The closest we can be to you is down the hill around

Jefferson. It's over half a mile away.

That's no good for backup. It would take us three minutes to get up that hill.

Maybe longer. How's it going to signal us? Our radios are crap in those hills.

There's too much interference.

A flare gun.

I signed one out. I have it in my trunk.

Dicey. He's up there. He's on his own.

Exposed. Especially after he fires that flare.

Three minutes.

It's a long time to wait. Your ass hanging in the breeze.

You just watch for my signal.

Don't worry about my ass.

Your ass?

No kidding. I thought that was your wife.

It's got her smile.

Oh, I pull out. I apologize to the guy.

It's an honest mistake, you know.

I thought I was getting a flutter.

Give her my regards, Senator.

Oh, you like that one.

Remind me to check your pulse later.

Speaking of pulses, here's a gal who'll give yours a flutter.

Treat her nice, she'll do it twice.

Miss Dixie Hill!

I'm reduced to work in places like this.

It's like rolling in vomit.

Bye, bitches.

I need a minute.

I'm just checking in.

I thought I'd call.

You're waiting for somebody.

You're waiting for me?

Well, I got business with a man over here. Still.

Well, that's too bad.

Maybe later.

I can have it, too, just in case.

Knock them dead.

Jasmine, this is happening, okay?

You'll have your bags packed.

Tell me yes.

By the time I get there, just like we talked about, I honk.

You're at the door.

No going back. Not even for a toothbrush.

Yeah. Packed and ready.

We're gonna be fine.

Love you.

So what do you think? I'd have picked a more public place.

You can get no one around to get curious.

Fine.

Wait, you think you'll meet that?

Doubt it.

Maybe.

It's not too late.

Go a different way.

My way's fine.

You will be looking over your shoulder the rest of your life.

The evidence you got, you can take it to the police. It can protect you.

What, are you my rabbi?

No? Then save it.

I'm paying you a grand to cover my ass. That's a lot of money for one ass.

Well, I'm counting, too.

That girl you called. Jasmine?

Oh, you got big ears.

Don't drag her into this.

You're the one who did that, sounds like.

She know the risk?

Mostly.

Enough to not like it.

She don't have to.

She goes my way. My way or the highway.

I don't know she's any part of this, right? So just leave it alone.

And don't confuse me for upstanding. That's not what this is.

It's a winning hand.

My whole life I've been dealt crap.

Finally, I got a royal flush.

Finally a win.

That's what this is. My ticket out.

This city.

So damn beautiful.

It's like a sky full of stars.

But only from a distance.

Up close, it's all gutter.

Those islands you fought on.

I bet they were pretty too, huh? Two of you went ashore.

They were always ugly.

Rocks, most of them.

A lot of men died for those ugly rocks. Tell me the sense.

You could die for this scheme. Is there sense in that?

If only to see the looks on their stupid faces.

The wise guys.

They always get the best.

Money falls out of the sky for these idiots.

You know the kicker?

Dumbest mugs you ever met.

I've been around them all my life.

Keep going.

Yeah, Mickey.

No secret.

Since the first grade I've known him. Of course, he never got past the second

grade.

The shit this guy pulled.

He should be serving life or dead a dozen times over. And I'm Mickey.

He just rises.

Makes like he's the king.

He's got like 300 suits in his closet. You know that?

The finest shoes. A guy so dumb he can barely tie the laces.

Thought the two of you were friends.

Right, friends.

Call it that.

We were kids.

He says, let's be a gang, pull a heist.

Me and this other kid, Gabe Zemanski.

We thought it was a game.

Mickey took us up to Third Street, where all the movie theaters are.

And what's he do?

He smashes up a ticket booth with a baseball bat.

Girls inside screaming their head off. Two cops show. I yell to Mickey, try and

warn him.

Does he listen?

Like hell, Mickey never listens.

Me and Gabe run, Mickey gets pinched.

You think he blames himself, even a little?

Me, he blames.

All these years, he rubs my nose in it. He even gave me a nickname, Jesse.

Jesse, he calls me, you know, like Jesse Owens.

He says, that's you, hecky, a nigger who runs.

Then he laughs his ass off, the mad bastard, because he finds that funny.

That's a joke. I'm a joke to him.

I ran.

I was 10, for Christ's sake!

The guy you're blackmailing, is it Mickey?

Above him.

Even Mickey answers to somebody.

Take my word, this will not reflect well on Mickey Cohen. And you know what?

That's Jake by me.

Why should they always get away with it, huh?

Them and not me.

My whole life they feast, I get crumbs.

And that's my turn.

It's my score.

For once, the joke's on them and I get to laugh.

Is it worth it?

What do you think?

I think they're here.

It is intention.

Second thought.

Backing out was five minutes ago.

Make a move.

Go right.

Clear my line of fire.

Eckie?

You?

Yeah, it's me.

Lower the thing, will you? What am I, a moth?

Who's that?

Who's back there?

A friend.

Come in.

Makes me nervous in the dark back there.

You bring a cop to a thing like this, what ails you?

It's just a pal.

He's tagged along.

He's come just to prick the scale here.

We got no choice. We got to do it the other way.

Boss won't be happy. Yeah, he can get in line.

I don't like this should happen with a cop.

Just pals, like he said.

Okay, fine, as long as we're pals.

Go easy.

Let's stay pals.

I'm easy.

Here's all the negatives.

That'd be all of them, you know that?

Every single one.

And beautifully displayed.

Those clear sleeves they're in?

You can't even get those in L .A.

Here, you get wax paint.

These sleeves?

Only one place makes them, back here.

There's a reason we should care.

Only the best for the big man. Am I right?

That's a roll of Tri -X, very sensitive film. Push it a stop, you can shoot most

anything, even at night.

Right. They're a little grainy, but they really show off his profile.

He's very handsome.

He's not?

Can you walk away whistling?

My move tonight, Aggie.

Well played.

See you around.

Doubt it.

I won't be showing my face much. Yeah, it might be best.

You're burning bridges with this.

It goes without saying.

Say it anyway.

You made your score.

How does it feel?

That's how the hand is played.

Ace high straight, suckers. Read them and weep. And take this back to the son

a bitch that sent you. This right here, with my highest regards.

Where's your gun?

Just give me a sec. Give me a sec. I need a sec. I gotta take this in.

Did you see?

Did you see their faces?

That's the look I'm talking about when they see the cards lay down on the

Because of you.

All I did was show up. But you did.

Took balls.

You did good, Heckey.

My whole life I dreamed of a moment like this.

Now I get to rise.

I'm king.

Me.

Heckey Nash.

I'm like friggin' Cagney.

Top of the world, Ma.

Top of the world, Heckey.

He's over there.

What the hell happened?

I told him if I fell behind on the ride over here, he should pull off down the

hill away from me. We'd come up together.

I don't know why he didn't. God, what a moron. They were waiting for him up

here. Get the lab boys up here. Wake them up if you have to. Looks like they

clipped him there. He got out of his car. Left the gun behind.

What about the evidence?

As soon as I found him, I fired up the flare.

Waited for you. Check the body and tear his damn car apart.

Okay, we got him. The crime team. Fan out.

grand under my hat.

That much?

Hey, your boss will be happy to get it back.

Nah, he doesn't care about that.

He cared about not getting taken by a two -bit loser.

Then he should be doubly happy.

You're missing the point.

He wants you to have it.

Your boss thinks he just bought himself a cop, huh?

Enforcer with a badge.

Not a bad thing.

I could steer a lot of work your way.

That is a good offer.

Here's my counter.

You tell Bugsy Siegel to take his money.

Tell him to shove it up his ass.

He hates being called Bugsy.

Makes him bitter.

There's a bitter little world.

Hold on.

I got this.

Come on, make sure you let me do as buying you a drink.

So if not for the money, why?

Do you need to ask?

You fed me the guy. You knew what would happen. Maybe.

Maybe I'm just not clever.

Maybe I just want to hear you say it.

Why'd you kill the comedian?

Maybe I didn't like his jokes.

I heard you passed the bar, Sam.

Passed hell.

I eased it. Top 5%. I always said you had brains, kid.

Yeah, you always did.

Semper Fi, Gunny.

Yeah.

Semper Fi, Marie.

There are a lot of reasons to kill a man.

In my line of work, you see them all.

Greed.

Lust.

Despair.

Murder is often meager and selfish.

Lives are taken because somebody lost at the track that day.

Or because dinner was laid on the table.

Sometimes there's no reason at all.

Just boredom and booze on a Saturday night.

For me, there's only one reason that ever made sense.

Doesn't make your hands any cleaner.

But maybe it'll let you sleep at night.

You do it for love.