Original subtitles

This has always been my kind power.

Rugged.

Mighty, powerful, big, sprawling.

Fog, smog, and a good quantity of consumed drug.

A million and one -half stories motivated by every sundown, most

kind of sexual implication.

Show me a person, man or woman, who can say sex doesn't enter their minds more

than they care to admit, and I'll show you a dead human.

Sex, that's where I come in.

Dead or alive, sex is always in need of my services. A service to which I

sincerely apply myself wholeheartedly.

Sometimes even in the daylight hours.

As in the story I will tell to you now.

A case from the many in my files.

The files of Mac McGregor, private eye.

For I am the chaser.

Every year, thousands of young girls are taking up the dialogue of the old poem.

How are you going to keep us down on the farm?

Sometimes I wonder how any pretty young broad can give up her comfortable

surroundings to settle in the big city where jobs for such girls can be damn

elusive.

This must be the place. The food place.

Some, the lucky few, if they may be called lucky, find their way to the

of Madam Penny's call and home service.

You guys should try some of the other girls once in a while.

Surely do.

Oh, well.

Aren't the newcomers always in demand?

Just a minute.

Shirley!

There are always those who look like they took half a course

at the local physical culture establishment.

What? Christ's glory.

Shirley!

Busy night, dearie?

Don't I always?

You can bet on it, girl.

Hello?

Oh, Mr.

Bracken. How have you been?

Great.

Who was this girl?

We know her name to be Shirley.

But where does she come from?

What was her life before her entrance into Madame Penny's?

McGregor, Private Investigating Bureau.

You got it, lady.

Mack McGregor.

Private Investigator.

How'd you get my number?

What?

From the classified section.

How in the hell did they?

Great outfit.

Yes, I'm Mrs. Frank Riley.

What can I do for you, Mrs. Riley?

I'd like to have you come over in a very urgent matter.

Your address, and I'll be there.

Yes, fine.

Thank you very much.

You're most welcome.

I do hope he's a very good detective.

I hope so, too, dear.

I never required the services of a private detective before.

That's all right, Mrs. Riley. There's a lot of people who need the services of a

private eye.

Would you be seated?

Thank you. Would you care for a drink?

Have you ever heard of a private eye turning down good whiskey?

Oh, Frank, this is Mr.

McGregor. How are you doing, Mr. McGregor? Sit down, sit down. Thank you.

I'll have one of those also, please, Emily.

May's day off and I'm a bit rusty at mixing.

Well, that's quite all right, Mrs. Riley.

Let me help you.

Just take your time. You're paying for mine.

Yeah, this is all nonsense.

But it's my wife's idea.

Shirley's been able to take care of herself since she was 15.

How old is your daughter now?

20. And that's over the legal age in this state.

She can pretty well do damn well as she pleases.

Oh, dear, when I think of her. Poor little girl.

Happened a while, but who knows where.

Speaking frankly, that's what you'll be paying me for.

She's come to no bad end. I checked that the first thing.

Where can our little girl be?

I'd like to have a list of her friends.

Those have been contacted also.

Is there any relatives that she might have gone to visit?

Oh, they've also all been contacted.

How about changes?

Changes? Well, changes in her attitude.

Has she come on strong, well, recently, that's any different than her past?

Hmm.

She's been doing quite a bit of reading about the hippies.

Maybe running with a few of them.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Oh, Lord, it's impossible for her to have gone with such persons.

Why, look at the home life we've given her.

We wouldn't allow her to associate with anyone.

beneath her station in life.

We want her home. We want her to stay.

I'll need a picture.

I have one here.

Mighty pretty thing.

I hope she's as pretty when I find her.

By the way, how come you just didn't go to the police?

No, no, no police, no publicity. Think of our standard in the community.

Well, I get 200 a day in expenses, in cash, when I complete the assignment of

finding your daughter.

100 a day in expenses if I come up dry.

Dry? Well, if I don't find her.

I said in cash.

We're upstanding citizens. We pay our bills.

We're the heights of society.

We've got the money.

So I was finally on a case, and I figured it was time for my first

Of course, through the use of my credit card.

Papa would pay those expenses later.

Bye.

On the way home, I had a layover in Canada.

So I thought I might just as well use the time to some good advantage.

Well, another card from Gregor, Mom.

Things are looking up.

Nothing like seeing the world on somebody else's dough.

Girls, girls, girls.

I really love girls.

Amen.

Oh.

Sometimes there's nothing like being at home in familiar surroundings.

Naturally, I checked in at both of my offices.

Many messages at the call service from the Reillys, but nothing important.

Case history.

Shirley Reilly.

So, I had to look the situation over.

Although my nose always twitched at the smell of her alley, I figured sleazy,

mazy Rumpelstink was a likely place to start.

is it? Go away.

Go away.

I'm not buying any gum shoes this time of year.

You open up or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your cool down.

Damn.

So it's open.

Get out of here, Buster.

Don't you do it, Harry.

Help me. See, I ain't out here with no gun.

What time does your roof come down?

Any minute now if you don't get out of here.

What do you want? I don't know nothing.

You know a girl named Shirley Riley?

Sounds like a song title.

I asked you a question.

All right, all right.

You can't beat nothing out of me that I don't know.

I want an answer.

every kid on a stamp, new and old.

Not all of them.

Now you talk it straight, baby, or I'll crash this damn

thing into the wall.

Don't, Mac, don't.

Tricks haven't been too good lately. I'm broke.

And honest, I can't get another. And I've got to take somebody on tonight.

Now you talk me up a thunder and lightning storm, baby.

she took up with that drag queen Alicia.

And if anybody knows anything, it'd be him.

Happy holidays.

So I was... It was on the old man's expense account, via my credit cards.

I figured Papa Riley's pocketbook could stand another little trip.

Oh, sooner or later I knew that I had to start looking for the girl.

But, first things first.

I have always said, pleasure before business.

Working on a hot tip.

I wonder what he means by that.

What price, Glory?

Glory, what a price.

No matter how much a guy travels, it is always good to get home.

After checking with my offices, I started wondering just where Shirley

really was.

Then I was back on my own stomping grounds again

Ah

The wanderlust it can be so powerful a time

Let's get to a new brooch.

Matt.

Matt.

Matt McGregor.

What green -eyed monster put you on my path?

You know, you've never refused good whiskey before, so why should you refuse

now?

I thought you said good whiskey.

I only serve my friends the very best. You will have another, won't you?

Maisie was telling me that you shacked up with some broad named Shirley Riley.

Maisie had a loud, dirty mouth.

She was hurting, and I was the control for that hurt.

Yes, you always were a nasty man.

Like maybe right now?

With me? For what reason could you have at being nasty with me?

Fairly Riley.

Oh, the trap.

Well, who's your client?

Her mother.

Oh, I bet you she's a wild hare.

Where's the kid?

How should I know?

She lived here.

Is that a statement?

Or a question.

She lived here.

I suppose she did for a time.

But she was one of those social climbers.

Her mother liked that.

I'm not interested in her mother.

And if you knew that brat daughter of hers, you wouldn't be interested in her

either.

I'm only interested in my wallet.

And you wouldn't want to be a party to hurting my wallet, would you?

Mac, darling, I wouldn't be a party to hurting any man's working life.

Surely, Riley.

Oh, those damn nylons. You know, they don't make them any longer like they

to. Always a new whip.

She's gone.

Long gone.

She was a social climber, you know.

Always another step on the ladder, and so was I.

So when she found another, she took it.

Where'd she go?

I don't know.

Really? I bet I could make you eat those rubber falsies before you could scream

one high note!

I could blow the whistle on you!

Go ahead!

But answer my question.

Look,

Mac. Mac, she doesn't want anybody to know what she is. I'm not anybody!

Now get it out!

All right.

All right, Mac.

You got on the hard stuff.

Not the real hard stuff.

At least not a couple of months ago when she left here.

Maisie was supplying her.

That much I figured.

Well, anyway.

Anyway, Matthew.

I kicked her out.

You kicked her out? Soon as I knew.

But anyway, it was more of a mutual agreement.

She had other places to go anyway.

Like where?

Last time I heard it was with... She went to Paul and Henry's.

First, out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Oh, Matt, they're nice.

They're nice boys.

If you like boys!

Alicia, I don't know why you bother with wigs.

Your hair is long enough as it is.

Why don't you dye it?

I'll get even.

Mark my words, I'll get even with him.

He doesn't go with Alicia.

Paul?

Felicia here.

Yes, I know it's been a long time, but that's not what I'm calling about. Will?

Yes,

we'll get together soon.

But look, it's important what I'm calling you about.

You can expect a visitor very soon.

Yes, he just left here.

Who?

Mac McGregor, that gumshoe private eye.

That's who.

He's looking for that tramp witch, Shirley Riley.

Alicia affected me much as Maisie had.

I needed the smell of good, clean air.

I figured Papa Riley's pocketbook could stand another little trip.

Following a new lead.

Being a credit card holder in the jet set ain't always what it's cracked up to

be. Sometimes the planes get to going the wrong way.

I knew I'd been around these parts in the past week.

And when I saw the guy with the smarting face and some flying red nighties, I

was positive.

But what the hell? I was having a ball.

A repeat ball.

Eureka. Hot new angle.

A very healthy atmosphere.

Another car from Berger, Mom.

He says everything here is all wet.

Being let up a blind alley and so am I Parting is such

sweet sorrow

After that shock, I decided I had enough traveling for a while. So I flew back

to Los Angeles and checked into both my offices.

My expense account was growing by leaps and bounds.

So was my love life.

I figured 7 ,500 bucks on my credit cards for my expenses was about all Papa

Riley would stand for.

It really was time I got back to work, for I am the chaser.

I couldn't help but wonder what Shirley Riley was doing at that moment.

Madam Penny.

Thrill establishment.

A personification of modern womanhood.

With all the friends she had, she didn't need any enemies.

So it looked like Paul and Henry's pad was next on my list.

Hello, darling.

Hi.

Lots of spaghetti.

I'm just starting it.

When is that cop expected in England?

Private investigator.

Same thing.

So I guess he'll be here any time now.

Had to stop for gas.

She's not here.

Forewarned and ready, huh?

You have your clip. We have ours.

I think you got a telegraph system all your own.

You know, it could be called that.

But Don Amici invented it first.

They call that the telephone.

So you know the reason for my visit?

So? Build your gun.

How vulgar.

I'm a very vulgar man.

At times.

You mean there's another side to your nature?

Right now, I'll stick with the one that I got.

Vulgar. All right, let's have her by the rally, girl.

She was a witch.

Of the first water.

You said was?

Was, meaning when she was around here.

What did she do?

Take away a little of your action?

We've been married for two years now.

No one can steal our actions.

Wouldn't let you in on the goodies, huh?

Anyway, she left, and I could care less where she went.

Maybe I could tell you something about Shirley.

I knew house mother. She takes care of the place.

They never had house mothers like that in my day.

You were born ten years too early, Matt, you burly darling.

That's rude.

She took Shirley's place.

Maybe she does know something.

She and Shirley spent a couple nights together before Shirley split.

Beast no doubt about that, but don't invite him for dinner especially dessert

They

tell me your name is Ruth

they tell you right kiss me What

have you got to lose

Disgusting. She's supposed to be recruiting new tricks for us.

But look at her. She's playing with an old hat.

We simply must speak to her about this kind of carrying on.

Yeah, like you said, what have I got to lose?

What are you going to do?

Look, I don't like that Shirley witch.

But I hate him.

So I'm going to warn Shirley.

Sure do wish that business would pick up for me.

Honey, you sure look good tonight.

Baloney, you say that to all the girls.

Well, somebody's got the bathroom.

Go mind your own business. We're on our own time. Hello?

No, this is Stella.

She's busy at the moment.

No, I can't disturb her.

Right now?

Yeah, sure. I'll give her a message.

Okay. Bye -bye.

You do.

They've been in there for more than an hour.

Well, Matt's not as young as he used to be.

Oh, God.

What was it you wanted?

When?

When you were talking to Paul and Henry in the kitchen.

Oh. Oh, yeah. I was looking for Shirley Riley.

Wow. She was groovy.

You know what?

No.

So what do you want?

Business.

Cop, like fuzz business?

Something like that, but I'm not the fuzz.

You got feet like one.

I do a lot of walking.

And I do a lot of sitting, too.

Is she in trouble?

Not that I know of.

Then what are you hounding her for?

Well, her mom and papa want to know where she's at.

And her mom and papa are paying me a lot of money for that information.

And I want to earn my money.

But no trouble, huh?

No trouble.

You know where Madame Penny's place is?

On Old Mill Road?

Yeah. You ever been up there?

No.

Because if they knew who you was, you'd get a load of buckshot right in the

fanny before you could ring the doorbell.

Rough stuff, huh?

She's got a good thing going up there.

Anything smells like trouble, gets trouble first.

You don't have to go up there right now, do you?

Business is business.

Is it always business with you?

Always. Even a little while ago.

Go to hell.

Hold these for me.

I'll be back.

She's gotta be kidding!

Oh, never mind her.

Firebug?

Penny's got her fire insurance paid.

Sure is certain you don't pay it.

You can bet my cut pays a healthy percentage of it.

Paul? Oh, Henry.

What's it all about?

Who in hell is he?

No?

Never heard of him.

Oh. Okay, I'll take care of it.

What's he look like?

Look, I'll do you a favor someday.

Bye -bye.

Look at me. I sure need a tan.

She'll waste this business to pick up for me.

Look gang I gotta ask your help

I

Mean it I may have troubles now if any of you girls were in trouble, you know,

we'd pull it off together None of us can afford

fuzz trouble or anything that smells like fuzz

I've got a gumshoe looking for me.

And for what reason, I don't know.

But he found out I was here and is coming.

Now, if he starts prying into my business here, he may find out something

girls don't want to be known.

Get what I mean?

You got a point there, Shirley.

What do you think we should do about it?

Okay, girls, this is what I have in mind.

I'll get it.

You've ducked for a while.

And

you

two know what to do.

Why don't you two go get the ropes out of the closet and help us tie him up?

Well, Mrs. Santa Claus.

Remember, be good to your little children, even though it is past

time. Well, hello yourself, handsome.

Come on in. Some thrill establishment.

The old mill road.

Right this way.

Into the parlor, said the spider to the fly.

And these are the girls.

Well, they sure don't look like boys.

We go together, honey, and that ain't bad. Two for the price of one.

Well, maybe he has his own ideas.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, maybe I do.

Never saw you around here before.

I'm new here.

Somebody must have told you about us.

Ever hear of Alicia?

Alicia?

Dear Mother Alicia?

Our great procurer?

Is that all she told you? Where we were?

Well, he did swish out a name. It was, um... Let me see now.

Shirley... Shirley... Shirley Riley.

Um... I understand she's new here.

Yeah. All the new ones get the breaks.

Come on.

Dreams for the dreamers as they are in their tortured dreams.

What in the hell do you girls think you're doing?

Hey, that's a gun.

Get rid of it, quick!

This is my kind of game.

Whoopee! Seven to play all alone.

But surely if he saw her...

You're not going already, are you?

You just wait right here. There's something I simply must attend to.

But I'll send one of the girls in with some champagne to help you suffer your

shirt weight.

Would you like something stronger?

Just send me my dream pipe.

Dream in yourself.

My John wants to dream a while.

Take care of him for me, Casey.

You bet.

He takes the pipe.

Then the pipe it is.

Your man's ready, too.

I hope you didn't kill him.

What would we do with a body?

I'll take care of him now.

Maybe later?

We'll see.

Mr. Mac McGregor.

You got better gumshoe tactics than I do.

Here.

Drink this.

You'll start seeing little pink clouds.

Then I'll send you home.

Just hope you don't have a bad trip.

Ain't none of that stuff.

You've got to be taught a lesson.

Private eyes mean trouble.

I've done lots of bad things in the past few months.

Which one are you after me for?

I'm not after you for any of them.

Your mother and father only hired me to find out how you were, that's all.

You've got to be kidding.

I'm on a level.

All that trouble running around to friends in my past just to find out that

all right?

Look, girly, I don't care if you stay here the rest of your life.

All I want for them to do is to see you and know that you're all right.

Look, you make your living the way you want to, and I'll make mine the only way

that I know how.

Your folks will pay me plenty.

By God, you may be telling the truth.

Give you a rough time.

You sure as hell did.

Safe and sound.

My baby, my baby. Are you all right? Of course, Mother.

Now pay this gentleman so I can get back.

Get back?

You're not staying?

I found my own life, Father.

But, but, but... Stop sputtering, Emily.

I guess she's entitled to have her own life.

And what a life it is.

What a life it is. So all's well that ends well. My job is completed,

accomplished as promised.

Pay me.

Pay you hell.

You were to deliver our daughter and leave her here.

I'll bring her home for a short visit and then leave again.

You're not going to pay me? Not one damn red cent.

You're not going to pay me? Hell no.

Then I'm gonna take it out in trade.

Oh