Original subtitles

(upbeat music)

(mysterious music)

(gun cocks)

(mysterious music)

(gun firing repeatedly)

(upbeat music)

- I didn't know there were this many

jewelry stores west of Vegas.

- Sorry to run you around like this,

but I just have to find the right present for Uncle Pete!

I mean, 25 years as a cop doesn't happen everyday, you know.

- For you, Jennifer, I'd walk around the world.

But you're losing your chauffer, after this stop,

I have to get back to roll call.

(calm music)

- Oh, isn't it super, Jim? - Perfect!

- You do the engraving here?

- Oh, yes, we do. - Good.

- And what would you like on it, miss?

- Oh, to Uncle Pete, from Jen.

Happy 25!

(gun loading)

- This will take about 20 minutes, will you wait?

- Mm-hmm!

- Hey, I gotta split, sweetheart.

Here's enough money for a cab.

I'll check with you later about the party.

(Jennifer chuckles)

- See ya, oh, and thanks again!

- Hey, I never could resist a pretty face.

(Jennifer chuckles)

(mysterious music)

- Okay, everybody, freeze!

All right, pops, you got a safe, you got no time, move it.

- It's on a time lock, it only opens at 9:00 PM.

- See that?

Look at the wall, see that little red dot?

Huh? (gun fires repeatedly)

You sure you don't want to open that safe?

(upbeat music)

- Come on, get moving.

Let's go, let's go!

Fill it up, fill it up, hurry up!

The girl, she's going for the alarm!

(gun fires repeatedly)

(upbeat music)

Let's get out of here.

- [Dispatcher] 4Adam30 and all units in the vicinity.

A 211 at the jewelry store, 2539 Palm Avenue.

Handle code two.

- 4Adam30, coming.

(siren wails)

(brakes squeak)

- [Stacy] I thought you were out

painting the town with a beautiful teen?

- No, not painting, shopping!

My legs. (radio beeps)

- [Dispatcher] Repeating, all units

in the vicinity, a 211 at the Gold Store jewelry shop.

2539 Palm Avenue, code two.

- The Gold Store, I left Jennifer there, let's move, c'mon!

(upbeat music) (siren wails)

- Let me by, please, move aside.

(siren wails)

- They shot her, not only did they

have to rob me, but they shot this poor young girl!

- Jennifer?

- Hooker?

- Hang in there, baby.

- Jennifer?

- Take it easy, Jim, she's still alive.

- Damn, I shouldn't have left her.

I'm sorry, Jennifer, I'm sorry.

I'm gonna go with them, somebody tell the Lieutenant.

- I'll tell him, Jim.

(radio chattering)

- Well, there was a tall one, he was about 25.

Talked with a country accent, he was young-ish.

The other one was harder looking, and mean, and older.

- What about the clothes, color of hair, eyes?

- I just don't remember.

My mind wasn't functioning very well,

once that young one started playing around with that gun!

I'll never forget that gun!

- Can you describe it?

- Well, I had never seen anything like it.

A red light came out of it, and then the bullets.

- The bullets hit every time he put a red light on?

- It was weird, it was like futuristic.

You know that comic strip character,

the man with a ray gun, what's his name?

- Jonny Starbuckle?

- Yeah, that's right, Jonny Starbuckle.

Hey, you're Lisa Temple, aren't you?

Is this gonna be on TV?

- If my editor thinks it's a good enough story.

Well, what about it, Hooker, is there

something to this red light gun thing that I could run with?

- Lisa, you know the drill,

it's a hot crime scene, question your witness,

get a statement later.

- This Jonny Starbuckle gun, did it

really seem like a ray gun to you?

- Lisa!

You and the other people will get

Mr. Miller in a half an hour.

- If you do want to be on the six o'clock news,

Mr. Miller, nobody can stop you

from stepping over to my news van.

- [TV Anchor] In other news, a young woman

is in critical condition after being

shot in a jewelry store robbery earlier today.

- Hey, that's us, turn it up.

- Our news beat reporter, Lisa Temple, was on the scene.

- [Lisa] I'm here at the Gold Store

jewelry shop, in the western downtown district,

where two daring thieves have taken

more than $20000 worth of jewelry,

and critically wounded a young woman customer.

Now, one of the suspects used a weapon

described by the store's owner

as being something out of Jonny Starbuckle.

- Did you hear that, Jonny Starbuckle.

I used to read about him in comic books!

- ... News has learned that the bandit's gun

projects a red light, possibly a laser beam.

The gun then fires a barrage of bullets,

wherever that red light is aimed.

Witnesses say that this is a--

- What did you do that for, Roy?

- 'Cause I don't wanna hear any more about that gun.

- Are you kidding, did you hear what she said?

It got us $20000, cash.

- Man, that's insurance talking.

Be lucky if we get five from a fence.

(mysterious music)

- I ain't never been on TV before.

- Yeah, well, let's make it the first time,

and the last, okay?

- I don't know about that.

I sort of like being Jonny Starbuckle.

(calm music)

(elevator dings)

- How is she? - Still critical.

- How's O'Brien taking it?

- Doing a lot of praying, like the rest of us.

- Any luck with the store owner?

- I pressed him hard, and he was still pretty vague.

- If you pressed any harder, he would

have filed assault charges.

- I'm just so teed off at myself,

leaving Jennifer there, I should

have waited to take her home.

- You had to do roll call, you gave her taxi money.

- I don't know, then why do I feel so lousy?

- Because you give a damn.

(radio chattering)

- How you doing?

- Feeling just this side of helpless.

- How long has she been in the operating room?

- Five hours.

I'm still trying to reach her mother,

she's in Sacramento, on business.

- All you can do is hang tight.

- That's what we say to the other people.

It's not easy, following your own advice.

Hey, that's your own life, come on, take off.

- And do what?

Hang around Sherry's, worrying about you, and Jennifer?

No, I'm not going anywhere.

(gun firing repeatedly)

- [Stacy] That is out of Jonny Starbuckle.

- A Brachman 30?

- That's it.

- That's what they used in the robbery?

- Has to be.

- Brachman 30.

It's the only machine gun equipped with a laser aim.

- Where'd you get it?

- Army, fires 177 rounds, every six seconds.

So much it can do, its sufficiency

is due to its being able to stay on target,

and the full auto fire.

- That's what we're up against?

- That's it.

- Spooky, a guy can't miss.

All he has to do is put the red

dot on something and pull the trigger.

- [Stacy] Where would he get a weapon like that?

- Thanks.

(sad music)

Jennifer took a turn for the worse, about an hour ago.

She gave it all she had, but she lost the fight.

(sad music)

- [Pete] 25 years on the force, and I haven't been

able to change one thing out there on the streets.

- It's a treadmill, but we can't stop fighting the battle.

- She was 17, her whole life ahead of her.

I want them, Hooker, and I want them bad.

- I'll get them, what about you, how can we help you?

- I appreciate it, but I can handle it.

I've gotta help my sister make arrangements.

Look, I'm pulling you out of the black and white.

Take Corrigan, Stacy, whoever, and whatever you need.

- I'm sorry, Lieutenant, really sorry.

(sad music)

(sad music)

Hey, I gotta split, sweetheart.

Here's enough money for a cab,

and I'll check with you later about the party.

- See ya later, Jim, oh, and thanks again!

- [Jim] Hey, I never could resist a pretty face!

(glass shatters)

(men shouting)

- Stacy has been running down theft

reports of the last 90 days.

- Brachman 30 is not something you pick off a shelf.

- Except for the army, and certain prisons,

I can't think of any other institutions that use it.

- Now, one's on the street.

- [Stacy] Hooker!

- What have you got?

- A theft report filed two weeks ago.

- Brachman 30.

- Stolen from the Pack West Warehouse.

- Jennifer wanted O'Brien to have that watch so much.

She wanted it to be just right.

If only I'd been there. - And then what?

I could have done something.

- You don't know that.

- Don't worry about it, it's not your problem.

- That's right, it's not my problem, it's your problem.

I don't think you're handling it.

- A girl's dead because of me.

- There's only one person responsible for Jennifer's death,

that's the guy that pulled the trigger.

- Yeah.

And I want him.

- Look, man, I played this thing like a good citizen.

I reported being robbed and filled out more

papers than a CPA in April, so why am I being hassled?

- I don't know, Mr. Turlo, I thought

we were asking you some nice easy questions.

If you want to lodge an official complaint ...

- Forget it, man.

Like I was saying, Pack West is mostly

into shipping appliances, we don't get many jobs

involving firearms.

- The packing crate with the Brachman 30

have any identifying marks on it?

- I don't know, I don't remember.

- What else was stolen? - It's in the report.

Just the crate containing the Brachman.

- As a point of interest, Mr. Turlo,

the manufacturer tells us that the Brachman

is shipped in an unmarked crate, for security reasons.

- Makes sense.

- So somebody passed up all these TVs,

and VCRs, and machinery, for a single,

unmarked crate, with who knows what inside, huh?

Hey, who do you think?

- Get him off of me!

- Well, I don't know, what Officer Corrigan

says makes pretty good sense to me.

You better be laying it out straight, now.

- I am, I told you all I know.

- Then you have nothing to worry about.

If you think of anything else, call me.

(dramatic music)

- Don't count on it.

(jazzy music)

- [Jim] He's lying like a bad rookie.

- Maybe, but we can prove it if he is.

- I'm gonna work on that scuzzball.

- Hey, Jim, the reasons doctors

don't treat members of their own family

is that they're too close; that's why

O'Brien hasn't touched this case.

Maybe you should stay away, too.

- Come on, Hooker, you wouldn't do that to me.

- Maybe.

Not yet, I got an idea I want to try first.

- Do you really think this will work?

- Lisa's smart, but if she shows, she'll swallow the bait.

- Why do I feel like I'm about to consort with the enemy?

- What was the big emergency?

You want to give me your favorite

lecture on journalistic ethics?

- Something better than that, I got an

old-fashioned scoop for you, interested?

- If you could be a little more specific.

- Jonny Starbuckle.

- Jerry, get the camera over here.

Police are still baffled by the Jonny Starbuckle

jewelry store bandit, who, yesterday,

killed 17 year old Jennifer Smith.

With me now for a special report

is Sergeant TJ Hooker, of the LCPD.

Sergeant Hooker, how is the investigation going?

- Well, like all investigations,

it starts slowly, as we begin to build our file of evidence.

Meanwhile, we're baiting our trap.

- Baiting your trap, Sergeant?

- We're putting police officers

in jewelry stores around the city.

- Does the police department have enough officers

to stake out every jewelry establishment in the city?

- Wish we had, but, we're excluding

all of the wholesale outlets, which are concentrated

inside a two square block area, they have their own guards.

- So you don't feel that the bandits

will strike in the wholesale district?

- Well, you can't rule anything out,

but these suspects are really small time,

even with the special gun.

They'll most likely go after the small businesses.

- (laughs) Hey, we'll show him, Roy.

- What are you talking about?

- You heard him, they're only guarding the stores.

Not the wholesale outlets, we'll turn

ol' Jonny Starbuckle loose on one of them, right?

(jazzy music)

- It's been two days, Hooker.

What if the killers can't stomach Lisa Temple either?

- Why are they putting all our aides in this area?

- This two block area contains

practically every wholesaler south of San Francisco.

- What if they stick with the mom and pop stores?

- The chief is going along with this stake,

after another 24 hours, let's stay

with it until then. (radio beeps)

- [Dispatcher] 4Xray30, silent alarm

reported at J and D Wholesale Company,

433 South Spring Street, a possible 211 in progress.

- Let's roll.

- [Dispatcher] Repeat, silent alarm,

at J and D Wholesale Company, 433 South Spring Street,

211 believed to be in progress.

- That's the wholesale jewelry district.

Let's go!

(mysterious music)

- Bet you know what that little red dot means, right?

- I saw it on TV.

- Then you get yourself a whole slew

of brownie points for recognizing who you're dealing with.

It's me, all right, Jonny Starbuckle!

- Can it, man.

Open the safe, now.

(upbeat music)

- Takes a man to cover the front, I'll cover the rear!

You men come with me!

- So that's why he came on my program.

It was a setup all along.

J and D, end of the hall.

- What's your van doing here?

You men cover the garage.

(mysterious music)

- It's Lisa Temple! (gun firing)

(gun firing repeatedly)

- Block off the alley.

- She's here, why not the cops?

This is a setup, come on.

(gun firing)

(gun firing repeatedly)

- It's Jonny Starbuckle, ma'am!

(gun firing repeatedly)

- What's your real name, Jonny?

- Another time, another place, ma'am!

- Lisa, what the hell are you doing here?

(upbeat music)

(gun firing repeatedly)

(gun firing repeatedly)

(gun firing)

(fire blazing)

- Mad at me, Hooker?

- Mad, I didn't know you went in for understatement.

The killers got away, this place looks like a war zone.

- I was just trying to do my job.

- If we really wanted to do our job,

we might press a couple charges against you.

- And let a million and a half viewers

wonder why you arrest me, and can't catch Jonny Starbuckle?

- Jonny Starbuckle would be in jail right now

if it wasn't for you. - Really?

- Oh, tell me something, why is it, whenever you cops

can't do your job, you blame it on the press?

- Not the press, just those that

play fast and loose with the privileges given them.

- I'm sorry, but I have a job to do.

That means, sometimes, we're gonna be adversaries.

- That's a nice catchphrase, my adversaries

are out there on the street, they kill people!

Like 17 year old girls.

- Hot off the press.

- The lists you asked for, Hooker,

of all discharged army persons

who had access to the Brachman 30.

- Contact Army CID and have them checked out.

What about prison guards?

- The names of 37 guards who have left

the penal system, or have been fired, in the last 12 months.

There's nothing unusual in any of the files.

- These are pretty good, see if you can match these.

It's a list of names that Jim has.

Show them to every store that sells ammunition.

- Anyone who shoots a weapon that fires

177 rounds in six seconds has got to be a volume buyer.

- You got it.

- The computer also shows Turlo,

the manager of Pack West, where the gun was stolen?

He's an ex-con.

- Well, that's interesting.

He could know a lot of people in prison

who had seen the Brachman 30.

- You read my mind.

(upbeat music)

- Looks like he's not too happy to see us again.

(upbeat music)

Turlo!

(boxes falling)

- What are you harassing me for?

- Lots of practice. - How about forgetfulness?

- What?

- You forgot to tell me you pulled time.

- So what, I'm clean now!

- The Brachman 30, Mr. Turlo.

Whoever stole it had help from the inside.

- And you're the only inside man here, or are you?

- Look, okay, I'm an ex con, and I know what it's like.

So, when I can, I hire other ex-cons!

I try to give them a break!

- Names, I want names.

Give them to me or I'll let Officer Corrigan take over.

- Okay, okay.

- Just like you said, Roy, no more pinching pennies.

No more doing without.

Buy whatever I want, and never even look at the price tag.

- Yeah, you're a regular American

success story, all right, Harlan.

- And when you think, I was keeping cons

like you in line for the last five years.

All that time I had $225 saved.

What do you think, Roy?

- All you need to do now is shave part of your head,

and color the rest of it purple.

(phone rings)

- Hello.

It's your friend from Cell Block Six.

- Turlo, what's up?

- Been trying to get you for the last couple of hours, man.

The cops have been down here to see me.

- What about?

- I had to give them a list of the ex-cons

working here when the gun was stolen.

- You gave them my name?

Okay, I'll keep in touch.

Cops just got my name.

Won't take them long to find this address.

Time to split.

- No way, Jonny Starbuckle don't split

when he's in the middle of a streak.

- Yeah, you wanna stick around here,

play kid games, get yourself killed, fine.

Me, I am history.

(dramatic music)

Hey, quit clowning around.

- What's come over you, Roy?

All that time I was a prison guard,

I knew I was gonna have to find a better paying business.

And all the while I kept an eye on you,

because you had guts!

You're flaking out on me, Roy.

- I was just kidding.

Harlan, I'm still with you.

- You still with old Jonny?

- Come on man, that thing's got a hair trigger!

- You haven't answered me!

- Yeah, yeah, I'm still with you, Jonny Starbuckle.

- You know, she's looking out for me, you know that Roy?

I bet Lisa Temple is just dying for me to take her

in my arms and show her what paradise is all about.

Zap! (dramatic music)

(jazzy music)

- The names Turlo gave us, anything new?

- All of the ex-cons who worked

at the warehouse are clean, except for one.

- Name? - Roy Mead.

- Someone think he's gone dirty?

- His parole officer isn't sure,

but he thinks Mead looks too high

on the hog for someone who doesn't have a steady job.

- TO have an address?

- Yeah, the Belmont Hotel, 2800 Alvarado.

- Let's go.

(upbeat music)

- Hey, Jim, this isn't a code three.

Look, I know you're anxious, and that

every new lead gets you that much closer

to nailing these guys. - You got that right.

We can't make this a personal crusade.

- Why can't I?

- It's just that I'm worried about you, okay?

- I can't get Jenny out of my mind.

I keep seeing this picture of her being

blown away. (jazzy music)

(mysterious music)

(knocking on door)

- Mr. Mead, Mr. Mead, it's the police, we wanna talk to you.

(intense music)

- They left in a hurry.

- Turlo probably tipped them off.

- Hooker?

- Manager said the roommate matches

the composite of the one with the Southern accent.

- KSBZ, newsroom.

- What is it?

- I think it's a safe bet to say

that Mr. Mead's roommate would turn out

to be Jonny Starbuckle.

- How do you think of that?

- This telephone number, it's to the newsroom, KSBZ TV.

(phone ringing)

- Yes?

He said his name was Jonny?

Put him on.

Hello, this is Lisa Temple.

- Ms. Temple?

Sure hope I didn't scare you back at that jewelry place.

- Jonny Starbuckle?

- [Harlan] Yes ma'am, live and in person.

I just called to thank you for helping

when those cops almost canceled my reservations.

- Oh, you have to understand, I was

just following a news story, that's all.

- But why you were doing it?

You were telling folks that Jonny Starbuckle

ain't somebody to mess with.

You got 'em real scared of me, ma'am.

- Shouldn't they be?

- Oh, yeah, mm-hmm, I'm a menace, all right.

But you playing me up like you been doing,

I wanna thank you for that.

- Why don't you come down to the studio

and let me interview you on camera?

- (laughs) Yeah, you putting ol' Jonny on, right?

But I fell for you just like you fell for me, ma'am.

- And how is that?

- [Harlan] Aw, heck, you know,

I'm gonna do something real big for you, you'll see.

- Like what?

- [Harlan] I'll let you know real soon.

I'm looking forward to meeting you, in person.

Bye now. (mysterious music)

(sad music)

- [Lisa] Jennifer Smith, niece of Lieutenant

Pete O'Brien, of the LCPD, is being buried here today.

Police are no closer now to apprehending

the elusive Jonny Starbuckle than they were

in the beginning; however, I have been

in contact with someone close to the suspect.

And I expect an exclusive interview

with Jonny Starbuckle sometime very soon.

This is Lisa Temple, at Riverview Memorial Park.

Let's get some interviews for the six o'clock, Jerry.

- [Stacy] Uh-oh, here comes sunshine.

- My condolences, Lieutenant.

Would you mind answering a few questions?

- I'm sorry, I have no time.

- Lieutenant, do you think you can maintain

the proper objectivity in helping to solve this case,

insomuch as the victim was your niece?

- I believe he said another time.

Besides, there's questions I've been holding for you.

- You're interfering with my job, Hooker.

Do I need to call a cop?

- Found a very interesting telephone number,

in the hotel room that your pal,

Jonny Starbuckle, just vacated.

- (sighs) He's not my pal, what number?

- Yours, or just your newsroom, is that close enough?

- Well, a lot of people call the newsroom,

Hooker, but mostly to ask about the weather.

- We could bring you up before a judge

on this one, Lisa, what are you gonna tell them?

That Starbuckle called asking about

thermals over the high desert?

- Look, I have First Amendment rights, here,

I don't have to tell you anything!

- The jury's still out on how far

you can push those rights in that direction.

- What about Jennifer's rights?

She's dead and you're ready to party with her killer?

- Oh, that's a cheap shot.

- I could say you wrote the book.

- Oh, but you won't, because you know it's not true.

Damn it, Hooker, I'm just trying to do my job,

just like you, I can't help it

if we're on different sides of the fence!

- We could debate that for a week!

- I'm ready whenever you are.

- I'm sure you are.

(mysterious music)

- What are we gonna do about her?

- The lady's gonna help us, without her knowing it.

- [Lisa] Hello, this is Lisa Temple.

- [Harlan] Hello, Lisa, Jonny Starbuckle again.

- I'd still like to get that interview

with you, Jonny, you don't have to come here.

I'll come to you.

- I got something for you, better than an interview.

I got something that's gonna make your show

be watched by everybody in the country.

- I'm listening.

- [Harlan] You know I think about you, Lisa.

I think about you all the time.

- Harlan, what's keeping you?

- I gotta go, but look, the Excelsior Hotel,

the first side room, be there in 15 minutes,

and get yourself the story of the century.

Bye baby.

(mysterious music)

- Here she comes, in a hurry.

- 4XRay16, patch me through to 30.

- [Operator] 4XRay30, meet 4XRay16, on track two.

- [TJ] What have you got, Stacy?

- Lisa Temple and her crew just pulled out of the studio.

- Keep me informed. - Roger.

- Let's hope Hooker's right.

- He seems to know this particular lady's moves pretty well.

(dramatic music)

The Excelsior Hotel Hooker, could be what we're looking for.

The sign says they're having

a million dollar diamond auction.

- [TJ] I'm rolling.

4XRay30, I'm gonna need backup.

Three units, for a possible 211 at the Excelsior Hotel.

Advise all units to approach with extreme caution.

(dramatic music)

- Do you mind?

- Me, no, but Hooker does.

- You can't keep me out.

- We're trying to keep you from getting hurt.

- Jennifer Smith died to make you and Jonny famous.

Go on, Ms. Temple, live it up.

- Look, there's something I want to tell you.

(dramatic music)

- What's up on the mezzanine?

- Now, a hotel like this ain't gonna be too good for B-roll.

I'm about to sell the whole bullet.

(dramatic music)

- Have a look around, the back door takes two men!

Cover the alleyways!

Men with rifles, one there, and one there,

in case they reach the street!

You want to listen to what I have in mind?

- Try me, Hooker.

- [Auctioneer] And, now, ladies and gentlemen,

a flawless diamond that was once

owned by the Queen of Luxembourg.

I'll open the bidding at $300000.

I have $30000, do I hear $350000?

I have $350000, do I hear $400000?

- You hear that?

- Ol' Jonnyboy is gonna make history, today!

Son of a gun, she did come!

- Guy in the black jacket.

- Where those two corners meet,

when we get there, get out of the way.

- You told her about this?

You out of your skull, man?

Remember the last time, the cops?

We gotta get out of here.

- No, it's all right, we don't,

all she's gonna do is take pictures.

- That cameraman she's with, that's the cop

we saw her with on TV.

- Look out!

(guns firing repeatedly)

(guns firing repeatedly)

(guns firing repeatedly)

(mysterious music)

(upbeat music)

(dramatic music)

(guns firing repeatedly)

- Know who you're up against, cop?

This is Jonny Starbuckle and his ray gun!

(mysterious music)

- [TJ] How about that, Jonny, which one

of these red dots is yours?

(gun firing)

(gun firing repeatedly)

(upbeat music)

- There's only one red spot left, you're wearing it.

Give me an excuse!

(jazzy music)

- In a way, it was kind of hard

being off the job for a week,

but it gave me a chance to say goodbye to Jennifer.

How about you, Jim, you feeling any better?

- It's been rough.

It was just great knowing Jennifer.

- She was a really sweet girl,

she left us all something to remember.

- Well-put, Stacy, let's just leave it that way.

- [Lisa] Harlan Walker, known as

the Jonny Starbuckle Bandit, was shaken,

as he and his partner-in-crime, Roy Mead,

were booked today for first-degree murder.

The man with the futuristic gun

has his own future very much in doubt tonight.

And if proven guilty, that's the way it should be.

I'm Lisa Temple, KSBZ News, goodnight.

- Is it my imagination, or has she mellowed a little?

- Oh, don't let her fool you.

I mean, she cooperated, sure, but wait

'til the next big story breaks.

- I think you're being a little rough on her.

- Don't worry about it, Hooker's going to mellow

a little bit himself, Saturday night.

It's when he's taking her out to dinner!

- That's right!

- How'd you know?

- There's very little we don't know.

- Oh, don't let it get to you, I mean, come on.

By the time we get to the salad,

we'll be at each other's throats.

(all laughing but TJ)

What are you laughing at?

(all laughing)

(upbeat music)