Original subtitles

Once upon a time

there were three little girls who went to the police academy.

One in Los Angeles.

One in San Francisco.

The other in Boston.

And they were each assigned

very hazardous duties.

But I took them away from all that

and now they work for me.

My name is Charlie.

Hey, mister,

you better get out of here.

Just what I need, Chester.

We're ready.

Let's get the bill. Hurry, come on.

Well, I gotta get back to work.

Joe, I thought you'd stay for the scene.

You still get uptight, don't you.

Not so much if you were there.

Then it seems all right, you know?

Please?

Sure. If it makes you feel better for me to be here,

well, I'll hang out.

Well, what is it now?

Seth? What?

It's Seth.

Oh, your hillbilly friend.

Joe, he was my fiancé.

Joe, I don't want to see him.

Okay.

Okay, just go ahead inside and,

uh, I'll take care of it, okay?

Yeah.

How you doing?

Can I help you?

I'm looking for Bess Hemsdale.

Well, I tell you what,

how about if I take you right to her?

Come on.

Why are we stopping here?

Listen, pal,

Bess asked me to give you a message.

Wh-What do you mean?

She doesn't want to see you.

She wants you to go home.

You're lying.

Listen, you want to understand something, hillbilly,

people talk that way to me they get hurt.

Listen, mister, I'm gonna see Bess,

then I'm gonna take her back home with me,

and you better not get in my way.

Our client this time

is an old friend of mine, Angels,

his name is Cal Jeffers.

We were in the OSS together.

Now he's the sheriff in his home county

in the Tennessee Mountains.

I thought all your friends were city-bred, Charlie.

Heh-heh, that's not true.

Big Cal and I were quite close.

"Big Cal," that does have a homey ring to it.

What can we do for your friend?

Well, Cal's son Seth Jeffers

came out here looking for his fiancé,

a girl named Bess Hemsdale about a month ago.

He seems to have disappeared.

And you want us to find him?

Yes. Also try to find the Hemsdale girl.

See if she has any idea where he might be.

Seth's father sent us a snapshot of the two of them.

Charlie, you have any ideas where we should start looking?

Uh, I'm afraid we haven't got much.

See, the local police checked out

the motel where Seth was staying here in L.A.,

and there was no sign of him there for a week.

So they picked up his clothes and his personal belongings.

Including these rubber bands,

some loose change, pocket knife,

and a theater ticket from a week ago.

"Starbrite."

"Starbrite"?

Isn't that one of those theaters that shows porno flicks?

Right, it is.

Seth's father has also mailed us these cassettes.

Apparently, Bess Hemsdale had sent those to his son

a little while ago

after she moved here to L.A.

What's on the cassettes?

Well, they're sort of a letter.

A letter?

Bess Hemsdale can't read or write, Angels.

She came here with a guitar,

some songs she's written...

And expected to become an overnight singing star.

Yeah, something like that.

Her last known address was the Senator Motor Lodge

in Inglewood.

You might look into that.

Why don't you cover that, Kris,

and Tiff and Kelly,

you can check out the Starbrite Theater.

Good idea.

We'll listen to the tapes on the way.

Maybe they'll tell us something.

Check you later, Charlie.

Seth, I've been in Los Angeles a month now.

I'm not having much luck.

I got real homesick last night

so I wrote this:

♪ Train crying In the mountain ♪

♪ Wind wailing Through the trees ♪

♪ Stay with me For a little while ♪

♪ I'm walking that Lonesome mile ♪

She sounds like a frightened little girl.

She sure does.

♪ Troubled wind and me We're brothers ♪

♪ They seem so wild and free ♪

♪ Show me how to get away ♪

♪ I'm leaving my yesterdays ♪

♪ Going home ♪

♪ Sweet mother How she loved me ♪

♪ When she held me On her knee ♪

♪ "Sweet child" That's what she called me ♪

♪ Sweet Child I'm gonna be again ♪

♪ So wind Blow me a direction ♪

♪ Train, you just Hitch me a ride ♪

♪ And say goodbye ♪

♪ To your wandering friend ♪

♪ She's leaving Her wandering when ♪

♪ She gets home ♪

It's open.

Mr. Stiles?

Yeah? I'm Tiffany Welles.

What are you selling?

I'm not selling anything.

I'd like to ask you a few questions.

Such as?

I'm looking for a man named Seth Jeffers.

He was a patron here a couple days ago.

You a cop?

Private detective, Townsend Agency.

This is a picture of Jeffers,

I'm also looking for the girl with him.

Have you seen either one of them recently?

I'm not in the business of looking for missing persons.

Who said they were missing?

Now, listen, I'm busy.

So you haven't seen either one of them?

I haven't seen them.

Like I said, I'm busy.

Nice talking to you.

Bye.

Thank you.

Any luck? Not really,

except when I showed him this photograph,

the manager nearly flew out of his skin.

Well, this is probably why.

It's a flyer for the picture that was playing here

when Seth bought his ticket.

"Sally Storm in Love Fire."

Sally Storm and Bess Hemsdale are the same person.

So Seth came here and saw his girl on the screen.

Yeah, it really must have upset him.

The girl said he went crazy.

He nearly tore the projection room apart,

and he put his fist through the glass over there.

So the question is, "Where did he take that anger next?" Right?

I don't know.

Maybe this will give us some answers.

Hello.

Now, Willis, this is Stiles.

What's up, Stiles?

Two female private eyes were just here,

they're looking for that crazy

that tried to tear my theater apart last week.

What did you tell 'em?

I told them nothing,

but they saw one of last weeks' flyers

with your girlfriend's picture all over it.

So they're liable to connect the two.

Uh, where is that hillbilly anyway?

I told you, I took care of him.

Now, wh-what does that mean, "you took care of him"?

It means he's not gonna jeopardize our investment.

Listen, I help you finance and distribute pictures,

I don't want any part of any rough stuff.

I get enough problems with the cops as it is.

Don't sweat it, Stiles.

Who were the PIs?

Uh, they said they were from the Townsend Agency.

Blond, brunette.

Driving an orange compact.

Mm-hm. Okay, I'll check it out.

You relax. Eh... Hey.

We'll be finished with the new picture

in another two or three days.

"Let's... run... to the store."

How am I doing, Joe?

You are doing real good, baby.

Mm.

Something's come up and I gotta go out for a while.

Trask? Hacker?

Two lady detectives were just asking Stiles

about the hillbilly.

I don't like the sound of that, Willis.

One's a blond, the other's a brunette.

They're driving an orange compact

and they're out of the Townsend Agency.

You go check 'em out, I'll be at the office

in case they show up there. Willis.

Suppose they get too close.

We'll hope for their sake they don't.

Get the picture?

Yeah, and it's not a very pretty one.

No. No.

Well, the question is:

Do you think the fact that Seth

saw his fiancé in a porno flick at the Starbrite

is the reason he's missing?

I'd say there's a connection.

Yeah.

Well, here's another one of those letters

that Bess mailed Seth a couple of months

after she was here in town.

Dear Seth,

I'd like to tell you things are going good for me,

but they're not.

Not yet, anyway.

I did meet a fellow named Joe Willis.

He makes movies.

He offered me a part in one,

but I'm not sure he's a nice man.

Hm.

Love Fire starring Sally Storm,

et cetera, et cetera.

J. Willis production.

Well, she was right,

Mr. Willis is not a nice man.

Well, I think one of us should meet Mr. Willis.

That could be rough duty.

I mean, if he turned Bess Hemsdale into Sally Storm,

he must be one tough fellow.

Yeah, I don't think I'll be telling him

I'm a private investigator.

No. Nope.

Well, you make your move on Mr. Willis,

and we'll make our move on Bess Hemsdale.

Well, now, wait a minute. We don't even know where she is.

Like Kelly just said,

if he could turn a Bess Hemsdale into a Sally Storm,

well, I would wager that their relationship

has become quite intimate.

I suggest you get the address where he lives.

Well, I guess I'll slip

into something a little more provocative to meet Mr. Willis.

What are you gonna say to him?

Something he wants to hear.

Hi. Hi.

I'm here to see Mr. Willis.

Do you have an appointment?

Um, no, actually, I'm in a hurry.

Hey, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Mr. Willis? Joe Willis?

Who is this?

I told her she needed an appointment.

I'm Kris.

It's a pleasure meeting you.

It is?

Mm. Huh.

I'm sorry, Mr. Willis, she's just...

It's okay.

It's okay, Elaine. Uh...

Why don't you, uh, just go to lunch?

Hm?

Hm.

Well, as long as you're in here,

can I offer you a seat, miss, uh...

Miss what? I beg your pardon?

Well, I don't really like the name my daddy gave me,

I was hoping you could think of a name that would be better.

Sit down.

Uh, how about if we start this thing all over again, okay?

Okay. Who are you?

And why did you push your way into my office?

Well, who I am doesn't really matter,

or where I come from, what really matters is what,

uh, you and I can do for each other.

Mm. And what would that be?

Well, you make films, and I'm an actress,

and I also need to make some money real fast.

You know, if you could just get over your shyness

and learn not to be so vague,

speak your mind, get... Get to the point,

you might get someplace in this world.

You think so?

Maybe.

Well, it's just that I've seen

what you've done for other girls.

I was hoping you could do the same for me.

What makes you think you're a salable commodity.

What makes you think I'm not?

You know, I don't know what you look like on film,

but I know you've got more than your share of nerve.

And mouth.

Does that mean you'll think about it?

Actually, I've got a girl I'm doing real well with right now.

Ah. Sally Storm.

That's right.

Well, look at it this way,

with two girls, you could make twice as much.

Willis Productions.

Willis, this is Hacker.

What's up?

We staked out the Townsend Agency.

The blond and brunette left, we followed them.

To where?

Your apartment.

They just got here.

Parking the car now.

You sure it's the Townsend people?

Uh, why don't you just hang out,

and I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Okay?

Good.

I don't want you to think that this hasn't been fun,

but I really do have to go.

Uh, no problem.

Here's my number just in case.

Great.

Oh, no.

I just remembered I have to make an important phone call.

It's local. Do you mind?

Well, actually, I'm really in a hurry.

I-I can see myself out.

Okay.

Maybe I'll call you.

I'll make it worth your while.

"J. Willis and S. Storm."

6B.

Close as pages in a book. Looks like Bosley was right.

Their relationship has become more intimate.

This is one time I wish Bosley was wrong.

Me too.

Let's go.

Nobody home.

Miss Hemsdale?

Yes?

Hi, I'm Kelly Garrett and this is Tiffany Welles.

Hello. Hi.

We'd like to talk to you for a moment.

About what?

About a friend of yours from home,

somebody named Seth Jeffers.

Come on in.

Thank you.

Sit down.

Can I get y'all a drink of something?

No, thank you.

You people know Seth?

No, we don't know Seth.

His father has asked us to find him.

Find him?

Yes.

Yes, he's missing.

We're private detectives.

Really?

I've seen a lot of things since I came to this city,

but I never met a real detective.

Have you seen Seth since you came to Los Angeles?

No. Well, yes.

I saw him, but we didn't talk.

I don't understand.

Well, I'm an actress,

and he showed up on the set about a month ago.

I didn't want to see him,

so I asked Joe to handle it.

Is this Joe Willis you're talking about?

Yes. He's my producer and my fiancé.

We heard that Seth was your fiancé.

Well, he was, but I changed my mind,

which is why I didn't want to see Seth.

Huh.

Yeah.

Bess,

you said that Seth came to visit you on the set.

Where was that?

Well, I can't tell you that. Why not?

We shoot most of our pictures at that location.

Not many people know about it.

So Joe keeps it private. Yeah.

You understand?

Of course we understand.

But you understand that Seth's father's

very worried about him, don't you?

Well, he needn't be.

I'm sure Seth just went off to worry it all out of his head.

Then he'll go back home.

I'm sorry it didn't work out.

I really still love Seth in my own way.

It's just that I've made a new life for myself.

I'm an artist now.

You understand.

An artist? Yes.

Joe and I make art pictures.

Oh, I see.

I'm going to leave you one of my cards

and, uh, if you think of anything that might help us...

I'll be sure and call.

Okay.

It's a pretty good book.

You're learning to read.

I'm trying.

Bess, I really hope we hear from you.

Thanks. Bye, now.

Bye. Bye.

Bye.

Joe.

You startled me.

How long have you been standing there?

Long enough to know that you talk too much.

What do you mean?

Why did you let the cops in here?

They're not cops, Joe. They're detectives.

They're looking for Seth.

Well, let 'em look someplace else.

Why are you mad, Joe?

There's nothing to worry about, is there?

I told you 100 times.

In our business we don't talk to strangers.

It wasn't about business, Joe.

It was about Seth on account of he's missing.

Now, why should that worry you?

It doesn't.

Joe?

You didn't hurt Seth or anything that day, did you?

I told him you didn't want to see him,

and he left.

I mean, if I thought you'd hurt him.

I told you...

I didn't hurt him.

Look. Why don't you go in there

and, uh, get dressed

and I'll take you to dinner.

Joe.

You're not mad at me, are you?

You'll know when I'm mad at you.

Joe, you said if those Townsend people

get to close... I know what I said.

Coming here.

It's close enough, right?

Make it look like an accident.

And do it quickly.

BESS: Dear, Seth,

I just did a part in a movie,

for that fella I mentioned, Joe Willis,

I guess he isn't so bad.

He paid me well.

I didn't like it at first

but he explained it was an art film.

And I said I'd do it if he'd use my music in the background.

Look out!

Now, if they ain't dead,

they'll be out of action for a long time.

Let's go.

I always wondered... What?

How I'd feel if I got that close to dying.

How do you feel?

Angry.

Very, very angry.

Yeah.

We still got power in that thing?

Yeah. I don't believe it.

Operator,

you'll never believe where I'm calling from.

Did any of you get a look at the car

that pushed you over the edge?

I think it was a black car, Charlie.

I thought it was blue.

Well, so much for the description.

Those ought to help calm you down.

I'm afraid the car's a bit of a mess, Charlie.

Well, never mind that,

as long as you two are all right.

I'm gonna have some friends of mine at the police lab

check out the area where it happened.

They might find paint scrapings

or markings on the road or...

Or maybe even a witness.

I'll get back to you.

Hey, by the way, uh, what's this?

This is a film projector.

No, I know it's a film projector but, ah,

what is it set up for?

When I was leaving Mr. Willis' office

I borrowed a print of Love Fire.

Starring Sally Storm.

You got it.

Thought it might give us some help.

Bess Hemsdale said that most of these pictures

were shot at the same location.

This looks like Franklin Meadows.

Looks like it to me.

So this must be where Seth confronted Willis.

Yeah, the question is

just how rough did that confrontation get.

Well, having met Mr. Willis,

I suggest that we tell the police to start looking

in the Franklin Meadows area for Seth.

You think it's that bad?

Well, Seth went to see Beth and disappeared.

You two went to see her, ended up at the bottom of a canyon.

How bad does it have to get before we believe

that Willis and his friends are capable of murder?

Kris.

Seth, I've been in Los Angeles a month now.

I'm not having much luck.

I got real homesick last night.

So I wrote this.

♪ Train crying In the mountain ♪

♪ Wind wailing Through the trees ♪

♪ Stay with me ♪

♪ For a little while ♪

♪ I'm walking That lonesome mile ♪

God, how do people get so messed up?

It always seems to come down the hardest on the lost ones.

She's orphaned at two

and she sings about her mother,

who she never really knew.

Yeah, she's made some really bad moves.

But I think she's worth salvaging.

Let's try, okay?

Okay.

Let's.

All right.

♪ Going home ♪

♪ Sweet mother ♪

What are you guys looking so grim about?

We got trouble. Such as?

Such as that guy we took care of.

What about him?

The cops are over there searching.

What? Are you sure?

We were just there.

Somebody tipped them where to look.

Okay, and they're looking.

Okay, just be cool.

Just because they're looking for the hillbilly

doesn't mean they'll find him. Not right away, at least.

We're gonna be done with this picture today.

After that, tomorrow we'll start looking for a new location

for the next one.

You guys just hang around.

As soon as we wrap, we'll pack and we'll split.

Hey.

There you are.

I thought you were on the set.

I wish I was.

Then I wouldn't have heard.

Heard what?

What are you talking about?

I heard what you said, Joe.

I heard what you said about Seth.

I'm sorry, kid.

I really am.

We didn't wanna hurt him.

But he wouldn't have it any other way.

You killed him, didn't you, Joe?

I had no choice.

Now, you get yourself together,

you go back there, you do your thing,

you collect your money and forget about it.

Oh, my God, you're a liar and a killer.

You think I'm gonna go on with all this now?

I think you're gonna do everything I tell you to do.

You're gonna do it exactly how I tell you to do it,

you're gonna do it when I tell you. You're not gonna think,

you're not gonna talk about it, you're gonna do it.

You're an ignorant little hillbilly

and this is all out of your hands.

Now, go back to work.

You crazy?

You're just gonna let her just walk around?

She's ready to freak, Joe.

We gotta finish the picture.

Joe, she's gonna blow the whistle on us.

Who's that?

It just occurs to me

that she may very well be our future.

She is definitely our past.

Relax.

I got a way to finish her and the picture

that's gonna blow your mind.

You are a pushy broad.

Well, you don't catch the brass ring unless you grab for it.

How'd you find this place?

What difference does it make?

You didn't call me so I had to find you.

Listen, you see me when and if I want.

Understand?

Understand.

Now, as a matter of fact, you lucked out.

It may be that we'll do business real soon.

Oh, yeah? Tell me more.

When I'm ready.

Now, you disappear.

Okay, now, the last shot we need

is also the last shot of the picture.

You're running out of the brush.

The guys have attacked you.

Torn off half your clothes.

When you reach the camera, we hear a shot.

You do a little heavy acting.

You fall down.

You roll over on your back,

then we fade out, okay?

Yeah. Okay?

Yeah. Okay, all right.

Let's shoot it.

How would you like to pick up an extra thousand bucks

after we wrap the crew? What?

Ten minutes work.

I'm listening.

I want her to think that we need the last shot twice.

Y-you lost me.

The second time we're gonna use real bullets.

Are you crazy?

No. Why?

What difference does it make? It's a thousand bucks.

One set up, nobody'll know but you and me. Want it or not?

I want it.

Got a deal.

Concentrate.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay, roll it.

And... action.

Bang!

Stumble. Fall.

Roll over.

Good. Good.

Die!

Perfect. Let's go home.

That's a wrap.

Don't go any place. We're gonna shoot some publicity stills.

Kelly, where are you?

We're with the police, about two miles from you.

They think there's a body at the bottom of the canyon.

How are you doing?

Well, I'm not sure.

But I got a feeling something's going down here.

I mean, Bess looks terrible.

She looks like she's about to fall apart.

And Willis just told me that...

Tells you what?

Listen that car that forced you off the road,

you said it was blue

or maybe black? What about it?

Were there two guys in it?

Well, it could've been. Why?

Well, because there's two guys here in a blue sedan.

It's got a broken headlight.

Anyways, as I started to say, Mr. Willis told me

that he and I might be doing business real soon.

Kris, if you become his new leading lady,

what happens to Sally Storm?

Yeah, good question.

I think we'd better get over there and help you out.

Okay, okay, but lay back.

If these two in the blue sedan spot you,

everybody's gonna run for cover.

Will do. Okay.

Bess.

Can we talk?

Who are you?

I'm a friend of Seth's.

I wanna be a friend of yours.

Listen, I can't talk about Seth.

And if you are a friend of his,

you better just get out of here.

Bess, I think I know what happened to Seth.

To you.

Please.

I can't talk about it.

Listen, if you're in trouble,

if you wanna get away from Willis...

I can't.

He's coming.

Look, whoever you are,

you... You better just get in your car and drive away.

Then come with me.

I can't.

You can if you want to.

Just say so, we'll leave here together.

I told you to disappear.

I was just leaving.

Nice meeting you.

What did she say?

I don't remember.

It wasn't important.

We're gonna do that last piece of action again.

We're gonna use it for a publicity still.

Now, go on.

You guys, wait there.

You okay?

Okay.

Okay, same piece of business.

Why can't we just take a picture from the print?

We want you alone. No bikers in the background.

If Kris is in her car, she's not answering the phone.

I don't like that.

Neither do I.

Come on, we gotta get out of here.

Hey, look, we're doing a scene.

No, I don't think so.

Who the hell is that?

He was gonna kill me.

We'll discuss it later.

Come on.

Get 'em and kill 'em.

Go on. Go on.

My car's this way.

Run!

Kris!

Freeze!

Don't do it.

Drop 'em.

All right, move.

All right, out.

Down on the ground, come on.

Bess.

What's happening?

God, what's happening to me?

It's all over now.

You're gonna be all right.

I don't think so.

I don't think I'll ever be all right again.

You will be.

I promise.

I promise.

Well, it's, uh...

It's a long way to Tennessee on a bus.

You sure you don't wanna fly?

I need time to think.

I came here on a bus so

maybe if I go home the same way

it'll turn back the clock.

Make things like they were.

Maybe even better.

How could that be?

How could things ever be better?

Because you've been hurt

but you've learned.

And we're always better for that.

I know it's hard to believe that right now.

But it's true.

There you go.

How do I ever thank you guys?

Don't thank us.

As a matter of fact, forget all about us.

And Joe Willis and Sally Storm.

See if you can't remember who Bess Hemsdale is.

I'll try.

Bye, honey.

Bye.

You have a really safe trip, now.

Take care of yourself. You too.

♪ Sweet mother How she loved me ♪

Take care.

♪ When she held me On her knee ♪

♪ "Sweet child" ♪

♪ That's what she called me ♪

♪ Sweet Child ♪

♪ I'm gonna be again ♪

♪ So wind blow me A direction ♪

♪ Train you just hitch me A ride ♪

♪ And say goodbye ♪

♪ To your wandering friend ♪

♪ She's leaving Her wandering when ♪

♪ She gets home ♪