All language subtitles for Dragnet S03E20 Burglary (DR-31).DVDRip.NonHI.cc.en

This is the city. Los
Angeles, California.

In 1907, two men stepped
off a westbound train

with a motion picture camera.

They came to finish a 12-minute
version of the "Count of Monte Cristo".

The winter had stopped
the filming in Chicago.

Soon, the word spread...

Southern California had
sunshine and warm weather

most of the year 'round.

Artificial lighting had
not been perfected

and all filming had
to be done outdoors.

The trend was set.

Thomas Ince arrived in 1911

and produced movies
with William S. Hart.

A year later, Mack Sennett
came to Los Angeles.

He brought a new
kind of entertainment.

They called it slapstick comedy.

It was D.W. Griffith who gave
this country its first serious film

and a camera angle
known as the close-up.

Motion pictures
grew into big business

and its headquarters
still remain in Los Angeles.

It's a tough business.

It requires a lot of giving.

Some people figure
they should only take.

When they do, I go to
work. I carry a badge.

The story you are
about to see is true.

The names have been
changed to protect the innocent.

It was Tuesday, March 14th.

We were working the day watch out
of Burglary and Auto Theft Division.

The boss is Captain Mack.

My partner's Bill Gannon.

My name's Friday.
It was 9:20 a.m.

Bill had his problems.

What's the matter?
You got a stiff neck?

No, I always look this
way. Of course, I've

got a stiff neck Joe
and it's Eileen's fault.

- Is that right?
- She's a fresh air fiend.

Claims she can't sleep
unless the window is wide open.

It doesn't matter how cold it
is, she's got to have fresh air.

You know that
stuff can kill you?

What stuff?

What stuff? I'll tell you what
stuff; fresh air, cold fresh air.

It gets right into the bone.

You know before you get married there's
certain things you've got to find out.

After, it's too late.

Well now are you getting ready to
tell me about the birds and the bees?

No, Joe. One, you've got
to find out if she can cook.

Nowadays, girls can't cook.
You find a cook, marry her.

Two, find out if you
enjoy the same TV shows.

You think that's terribly
important, do you?

Well, you bet. Joe, what
do you do on a date?

We go out to dinner, maybe
take in a movie or a play.

But wait until you get married
and have a couple of kids,

then you wouldn't be
floating around every night.

I don't go out every night.

Don't interrupt, Joe,
I'm making a point.

The point is when you get married you'll
stay home with your wife and watch TV.

And if you don't like the same
shows, Joe, you'll be like two strangers,

you in one room watching your shows;
her in another room watching her shows.

It's no good, Joe.

Friday? Pick up two.

This is Friday. Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

I see.

Uh-huh.

What were those theaters
again? I understand, sir.

Yes, sir, we'll get right on it.

It was Captain Joe
Piche, Wilshire Division.

They've been answering quite a few
calls lately from movie houses out there.

What's the story? Somebody's
been busting into theater display cases

and stealing movie
posters and pictures.

What did they figure?

Well, the first couple of times, they
thought it might be malicious mischief,

but it looks like a
pattern is forming.

In the past couple of weeks, four theaters
in other divisions have been hit...

The Carlton, the Mercury,
the Violin, and the Rivoli.

Last night whoever it
is hit the Rex Theater.

- Where's the Rex?
- Over on Clarke near Foster.

The manager's
name is Dave Breslin.

Remember to keep the
window open your side of the car.

It was 9:50 a.m. when we arrived at
the Rex, a neighborhood movie theater.

Mr. Breslin? Yes, that's right.

Police officers. This is Sergeant
Friday and my name is Gannon.

You men detectives?

Yes, sir that's right.

Look at this mess.
Just look at it.

Yes, sir. Would you
mind filling us in?

I already told the
uniformed men everything.

Yes, sir, but would you tell us?

Sure. All the display material
for our current attraction...

You know, photos,
silkscreen posters?

Somebody stole it all
and that's all they took...

"Captain Lightning
versus the Martian Devils."

- I see.
- Yeah, he's on TV now.

One of those superheroes
who can make himself

invisible and move at
the speed of lightning.

Kids still go for that
stuff nowadays, huh?

Well, they like 'em on
TV. The show's a big hit.

But we're actually getting in
more adults for the feature.

Yes, sir. Is there anyone you
think might have done this?

Maybe some youngster
you've been having trouble with?

No, not really. Oh, we get the usual
horseplay at the Saturday matinees.

Kids throwing their popcorn boxes at
the screen when the villain shows up

or booing when the good guy
kisses the girl instead of his horse.

The kids still stick their gum
at the bottom of the seats.

But we've never had any problem
with them cutting up the seats

or clogging up the plumbing like
some of the other theaters have.

No. We get a pretty good
group of youngsters in here.

We've never had this kind
of problem at the Rex, never.

Just last week I was
talking to Jack Bell.

He's the manager over
at the Carlton Theater

and he told me someone had
busted in into his display cases.

He was really sore about it and I
tried to calm him down just a week ago.

Now it's my turn
and I'm really sore.

I mean what sort of punk would do all
this damage just for a few crummy photos?

Somebody who
wanted them pretty bad.

It was 10:45 a.m. when we
got back to Burglary Division

to write a follow-up report.

You know something?

When I was a kid, I belonged
to the Captain Lightning fan club.

It was called Captain
Lightning's Light Brigade.

I still remember. For
25 cents you got a code

ring and your own
personal coded message.

Know what our motto was... "Lightning
strikes against the forces of evil twice."

Is that right?

Joe, don't you really
remember Captain Lightning?

It was before my time.

Before your time? How
old do you think I am?

I know how old you are.

Now what's that
supposed to mean?

Just that I know
how old you are.

- I'm hardly an old man, Joe.
- I know.

A guy gets a stiff neck, you probably
figured it's old age catching up with him.

Actually I'm in my prime.

Being mature isn't the
same as being elderly.

I agree.

You really don't remember Captain
Lightning? He was sensational.

He could make himself invisible.

The bad guys never had a chance.

Captain Lightning was the sort of fella a
boy could look up to. You know what I mean?

We had heroes in those days.

Now the movies are full of
what they call anti-heroes.

Today in the movies, the cowboy
wearing a white hat rides into town,

the first thing he does is
shoot a dog or rob a bank.

No wonder the kids are confused.

Burglary, Friday.

Uh-huh. I see.

May I have that address please?

And your name? Yes,
sir, in about 15 minutes.

What do you got?

Hollywood Arts bookshop,
window smashed.

We arrived at the Hollywood
Arts Magazine shop

on West Melrose at 12:10 p.m.

The owner George Gurvey
explained that on weekdays,

he didn't open for
business until noon.

When he arrived at
quarter to twelve to open up,

he discovered that
someone had beaten him to it.

He came right through
that window, busted it up.

Can you beat that? Right
through a man's window.

- You don't have
an alarm system?
- No.

I've been thinking of putting one
in, but I just never got around to it.

What have you found missing?

Well, I've been trying to
figure that out. Come on in.

We can cry in my office.

I'm not complaining mind you,
but as I close as I can figure

with just a spot check
I got off pretty lucky.

How's that, sir?

Whoever it was didn't touch a copy of
"Wonder Stories" or "Amazing Stories"

and they go for
several dollars each.

And I got some
books that are true

collector's items,
autographed first editions.

Any collector would have
gone through those first.

I don't understand it.

Well, just what is
missing, Mr. Gurvey?

About 70, 80 comic books.

What sort of comic books
where they? I mean the titles.

Oh, a few "Wizard Boys", maybe
a dozen "Commander Jupiters"

and the rest all
"Captain Lightning".

Captain Lightning?

Took all I had.
About 60 of them.

- Anything else?
- No.

Wait a second.
Will you look at that?

At what?

I had a feeling there was
something else missing.

Kept it right here.
Nice bright colors.

Now it's gone.

What's that, sir?

I had a good sized poster up
here, Captain Lightning big as life.

- Now it's gone, isn't it?
- Looks that way.

Maybe Captain Lighting
can make himself invisible,

but not his poster.

Sergeant Friday?

Yes, that's right.
Can I help you?

Lieutenant Murrow
suggested I talk to you.

My name is Bob Snow.

Sit down, Bob.

The whole thing is so nutty
I'm not sure where to begin.

I go to UCLA, Business
Administration major.

Weeknights I work
at the Arcadia Theater.

It's over on Benson Avenue.
I'm sort of the manager.

I take tickets, worked the candy
counter, changed the marquee.

Well, last night
after the last show,

I was changing the marquee and I
remember I was just to the L in Harlow.

- Harlow?
- Jean Harlow.

Oh, Jean Harlow.

We show a lot of old
movies at the Arcadia.

Well, our next bill is "Grand
Hotel" and "Dinner at Eight".

It opens tonight. And like I
say, I was up there on the ladder

and I had already done Greta
Garbo and John Barrymore

when this guy runs under my
ladder, picks up all the display art

I've got piled on the ground
and takes off like a big bird.

The display art?

I had already pinned up all
the still photos and the posters

for "Grand Hotel"
and "Dinner at Eight",

but I left all the stuff from
the previous bill on the ground.

What was the previous bill?

"Perils of Astroman"
and "Captain Lightning

versus the Martian Devils".

They're not all
classics at the Arcadia.

Can you describe the man?

You're not going to
believe me I'll tell you that.

- Try us.
- I never saw anything like it.

For one thing, he was
wearing a bright green cape.

- A cape?
- And a three-cornered
black hat.

You know, like Napoleon.

Only there was some
sort of a design on it,

an insignia and a long white
plume in the hat. Weird, I'll tell you.

Anything else?

He was carrying a little
black bag, like a doctor.

I was so surprised I
nearly fell off my ladder.

He held the cape
up to hide his face.

You know like the Black Shadow.

You didn't see his face?

No, way. Not with
the cape pulled up.

He was wearing that dopey
hat and all the rest of that jazz,

and I didn't really see him.

Was he tall, short?

He seemed to be built
pretty close to the ground.

I'd say he was short, I
guess, and kind of chubby.

Joe, looks like super
fan has struck again.

Somebody broke into the still department
at Continental Studios last night.

Think it's the same guy?

Could be, we don't know.

We'll take a run out there.

Maybe you think it's funny that I
didn't climb down off that ladder

and catch that goof, but there
was no way I tell you... no way.

- Is that right?
- Yeah, he moved like lightning.

We left Parker Center and drove
out to the San Fernando Valley

to the Continental Studios.

When we arrived at
the motion picture studio,

the guard directed us to the publicity
office where the burglary had occurred.

Must be some nutty kid. There's
a lot of them around these days.

It had to be a kid. The only photos
he took were of Captain Lightning.

- Captain Lightning?
- Yeah, we produce the TV
series out here.

That's all the kid was after...
Pictures of Captain Lightning.

How was entry made?

From that window.

Appears to me
he jimmied it open.

How do you spell
your name, Mr. Kelly?

- Two E's?
- No one E. K-E-L-L-Y.

Looks like a pry bar.

A good 15-foot drop
to the street down there.

No stand pipe. Must've
had a job scaling that wall.

You didn't find a ladder
outside that window?

No. But whoever did, they
certainly could have used one.

They're all over the lot.

Joe, what's that
look like to you?

- Red candle wax.
- That's the way I make it.

A burglar with a candle.

From what we've heard of this
guy, nothing will surprise me.

Do you mind if we take this
along? We'll return it to you.

Oh, you don't have to return
that. It's just a fixture in the back lot.

Thank you.

Say, Sergeant Friday, I
just thought of something.

Yes, sir. What's that?

Well, maybe it doesn't mean
anything, but it's been on mind

since we discovered the only thing that's
missing are the Captain Lightning photos.

Yes, sir, go on.

Last Monday I think it was,

a guy came in to ask if he could buy some
photos or posters of Captain Lightning.

I explained to him that we don't
sell them to the general public,

but we supply them to
magazines and newspapers

and theaters for
publicity purposes.

He got pretty upset,
became all unglued.

When I suggested he might find what he
was looking for in some of those bookstores

and poster shops on
Hollywood Boulevard,

he said he wasn't interested because anyone
on the street could buy those pictures.

He said he was a
collector, not a typical fan.

Those are the words he used. I gotta
say though that he didn't seem the sort

to bust through windows.
He was no Doug Fairbanks.

And what do you mean by that?

Well, he was a little
guy, on the chunky side.

I just don't see him
pulling a burglary.

How old would you say he was?

Maybe 22 or 23.

Can you remember
anything else about him?

Well, his hair was
dark and kind of curly

and I think he was trying to grow a
mustache without too much success.

He had long sideburns
like everybody's wearing.

Like I say, he was kind of on
the chunky side and kind of short.

Maybe 5'7 " or 5'8".

Now, I'm not too good
on guessing weights.

Any other identifying
marks or scars?

No. Not that I recall.

Guys like that always
strike me as kind of strange.

Getting so excited about Captain
Lightning. A lot of nuts around these days.

I'd say he's a real pistachio.

- Yeah, sir.
- I don't know maybe I'm wrong,
but I get the feeling this guy's

entire thrust centered around
this comic strip character.

Well, I mean he got so upset when I told
him we couldn't let him have the pictures.

To tell you the truth
I was afraid he was

going to have a breakdown
right then and there.

He really teared up
and started to sob.

Did he say anything else?

Yeah, he did.

I told him not
to worry about it.

That Captain Lightning wasn't the only
thing in life and he said, "He is to me."

And he turned and walked out.

I felt sorry for the guy.

He really had his
heart set on getting

those pictures. What
do you think, Sergeant?

Sounds a little
psycho, doesn't he?

Maybe. Anything strange
about the way he was dressed?

No, nothing strange.
How do you mean?

Well was he wearing
a costume or a cape?

No perfectly ordinary sport jacket,
open collared sport shirt, dark trousers.

Still room, Kelly.

He's right here. It's
for you, Sergeant.

Thank you. This is Friday.

Where?

Yup, I got it. We'll go
right over. Thanks, Murph.

Super fan. They just collared
him at the Variety Theater.

4:25 p.m. We drove back into
Hollywood to the Variety Theater.

The suspect was captured
by Mr. Webster here,

the manager of the theater.

That's right. Of course, I
didn't do anything very heroic.

I was just coming to work when I
heard the sound of glass breaking.

I saw this kid standing there with
a brick or something in his hand.

I could see he was harmless so
I walked over and grabbed him.

I told Duke our janitor to call the police
and this fella arrived a minute later.

That's all there was to it.

He was cleaning stuff
in his doctor's bag.

A lot of junk in it, all harmless
except maybe for this grappling hook.

Did you get anything out of him?

No, sir. I gave him his
rights and he waived them.

I just started to question
him when you arrived.

What's your name?

Come on, fella,
what's your name?

All the details will
come out in due time.

It's due time now,
fella. What's your name?

Well, gentlemen, you've
captured the Crimson Crusader

and I'm powerless to
act for you anymore.

The Crimson Crusader?

Me.

4:45 p.m. We again advised
the suspect of his rights.

He freely confessed to breaking
into the Continental Studios.

He admitted stealing pictures and
posters from several movie theaters

over the past several weeks,

but he kept insisting that the
Crimson Crusader was his true name.

How much longer are
you gonna detain me here?

How much longer are you gonna insist
your name is the Crimson Crusader?

My name is the Crimson Crusader.

Now, let me see if I've
got this straight, fella.

Your family name is Crusader and
your parents named you Crimson.

Is that what you're
trying to sell us?

Come on. What's your real name?

You know I can't tell you that.

You gentlemen more than anyone should
realize I can't disclose my true identity.

And what's that?

- Can't you tell?
- Tell what?

I'm on your side.

- Is that so?
- Of course.

Because it would destroy my
effectiveness as a crime fighter

if my true identity were known.

- Come again?
- We're on the same side.

I'm a crime fighter, but it's
essential that the underworld

not know my everyday identity.

You wouldn't expect Captain
Lightning or Commander Jupiter

to disclose their
identities, would you?

Why do you insist on the
Crimson Crusader doing it?

All right. Now, you've
had your fun, Mr. Crusader.

Understand this, we didn't bring
you down here to compare notes.

You're a thief and you're under
arrest. Now, let's have your name.

Very well.

And I want you to realize that
you'll be the only policemen

in this city who'll
know my real name.

I'm putting you on your honor.

No one else in this whole world knows
the Crimson Crusader's true identity.

There are gangland bosses who'd pay a
fortune to know what I'm about to tell you.

I want you to swear now.
I want your word of honor.

Here's the word, fella. We want
your name and we want it right now

or we'll let you sit for a few
hours until you feel like pulling it up.

- Stanley Stover.
- What's that?

If you'd give me a
pencil and paper, I prefer

writing it down
rather than to shout it.

Why don't you just spell it?

Capital S-T-A-N-L-E-Y,
Capital S-T-O-V-E-R.

Now don't repeat it, please.

How old are you, Stanley?

Softly please. I'm 23.

Why did you steal all
those pictures and posters?

I didn't steal them.
I'm a collector.

We call it stealing.

You broke into a movie
studio, a bookstore.

You damaged half
a dozen theaters.

Now is that your idea of
fighting crime, Stanley?

I'd be willing to
pay the damages.

I could save up and pay them off
or I could go to work for the theaters.

What do you mean
go to work for them?

Well, I'd give them protection.

There'd be very little
crime around those

theaters with the Crimson
Crusader on the job.

Why did you steal
all those things?

I'm a collector.

Stanley, you've got to
understand you're in trouble.

We want straight answers. We
want to know why you've been

stealing all of this
Captain Lightning stuff.

What makes it so important that
you are willing to risk jail for it?

I wanted them. They
were important to me.

Why only comic strip heroes?

How come you only
collected their pictures?

Because... because
they're great men.

They can fly and walk through walls
and nothing can hurt them... nothing.

And do you want to walk
through walls and fly?

Nothing can hurt them, and
when I'm the Crimson Crusader,

I'm one of them, and
nothing can hurt me.

And when you're Stanley Stover?

Then everything hurts.

What am I? Look at me.

I'm a short, ugly guy.

When I put on the uniform
of the Crimson Crusader,

I wasn't Stanley Stover anymore.

I was 10 feet tall.

I had muscles of steel.

There wasn't
anything I couldn't do.

Taking those pictures
didn't seem wrong.

Captain Lightning,
Wizard Boy, Super Flame...

They weren't just my
heroes, they were friends.

And having their pictures...
Pictures no one else had?

It made me feel closer to them.

It didn't seem wrong. I didn't
hurt anyone. I never hurt anybody.

How long have you been
stealing pictures and posters?

I started when I was
a kid, 10 maybe 11.

Not too often,
just once in awhile.

Just in the last month or so though,
I couldn't control myself anymore.

I really admired those supermen.

I always went to their movies
and bought their comic books.

It's my whole life.

Nothing else seemed very
real or important, just them.

What about your parents?

I never knew my father.

He left home when I was a baby.

It's just me and my mother.

She supported me and gave me
money, but we didn't have much.

I remember being
on county relief.

My mother figured I bought
all those stuff or traded it

with other kids, I
guess, like a hobby.

You never heard
from your father?

No. He left after I was born.

- And how old were you?
- A year.

But I guess he didn't
like me very much.

It was awful as a kid being the
only one in class without a father.

Maybe if I'd been tall and
strong and a good athlete,

that wouldn't have
mattered so much.

But I was always fatso and
butterball to the other kids.

They'd beat me up and throw
my books in the garbage can.

It wasn't the pain
I couldn't bear.

Even when they punched
me in the stomach,

it wasn't the pain
that made me cry.

What made me cry is that I
hadn't done anything to anyone

and yet everyone hated me.

Why should anyone hate
a kid just because he's fat?

I mean, being a fat kid

is bad enough without
having people hate you for it.

It was only in the movies
that I could stop being me.

When Super Flame
or Commander Jupiter

captured a gang of
outlaws single-handed,

that was me up there
in the screen doing it.

I'd go to the movies every
Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

I use to take the bus into Hollywood 'cause
that's where most of the theaters were.

I used to hate those buses.

It wasn't so bad going,
but coming home,

you were dark
and cold and lonely.

I was someone special when
I was watching the movie,

but coming home I was
just fatso Stover again.

Didn't you ever
have any friends?

The only real friends I
ever had were Captain

Lightning, Wizard
Boy and Super Flame.

Where'd you get that
outfit you're wearing?

I made it myself.
Sewed it all myself,

made part of it out of some
of my mother's old dresses.

These are hers too.

I always hoped that someday
I could have enough money

to have a real good
uniform made up.

I used candles. I
couldn't afford a flashlight.

What did you use this for?

It's my climbing rope. I made it out
of one of my mother's black dresses.

And this grappling hook?

That was for climbing too, but I
never got around to using them.

Out at the studio,
I used a ladder,

and after I got the pictures,
I climbed back down

and put the ladder
back where I found them.

How'd you get into the
Continental Studios?

Over on the San Glen side bordering
the studio. There's a hole in the fence.

All right, Stanley, what about
all the rest of the stuff you stole?

Where is it?

In my room, out at my house.

Do we have to go there?

With or without a warrant?

You won't need a warrant.

I want to give back
all the things I stole.

But I want you
to know one thing.

What's that?

Captain Lightning, Wizard Boy,

Super Flame and all the others,

I only stole their pictures.

I never stole their name.

I want you to know that.

I made up the name
of Crimson Crusader.

I didn't steal it.

There really is no
Crimson Crusader.

That's right, Stanley.

6:35 p.m. We drove
the suspect to his home

at 2185 Justine Avenue to
pick up the stolen articles,

the pictures and posters
he had taken over the years.

And you stole all this, did you?

- It's not really so much
when you think about it.
- How do you mean?

Would your entire life
fit into one small room?

My mother! She's
coming home from work.

Do you have to tell her?

Stanley, dear, are you home?

Oh, God, how I wish I
were Captain Lightning.

Anytime he wanted to, he
could make himself invisible.

It was the order of the court
that Stanley Stover remain

under the supervision of the Los
Angeles County Probation Department

for a period of two years,

during which time, he would
receive extensive psychiatric care.