Original subtitles

[theme music]

MARK GORDON: Oh, I love it.

Being back in Oakland again.

What do you say I take you on a little tour?

We got plenty of time for sightseeing.

Let's get there first.

Let me at least show you my old beat, huh?

Your old beat isn't going to disappear in 10 minutes,

not after 15 years.

Phew.

15 years.

Boy, it's great being back, seeing

Captain Friend, and Frank, and Joe, and all the guys.

Whoever said you can't go home again?

Thomas Wolfe.

Who's Thomas Wolfe?

Your assignment?

No, he's the guy who said you can't go home again.

Huh.

Wasn't very bright, was he?

[chatter]

G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-- don't you people have enough Gonzalezes?

OK.

At the corner--

You know what I think you ought to do you, mister?

I think you ought to reach for the ceiling one hand at a time.

Mark Gordon.

You son of gun. - Hey, Frank.

How are you?

Oh, God.

It's great to see you.

You could have called.

Well, I didn't know I was going

to be in town until yesterday.

How's Martha?

Oh, she's great.

She'll be dying to see you.

And you wouldn't believe Kevin.

Oh.

He's on the football team now.

Can't wait to see him.

I want you to meet a friend of mine.

Jonathan Smith, Frank Lawler. - Hi.

Frank, pleasure to meet you.

You got quite a fan in this guy right here.

Right here is the best partner any cop ever had.

[chuckles] We had some fine times.

That's a fact, not like nowadays.

Half the force is out with the blue flu.

We got scum like this walking the streets.

Richard, put this wetback in the cage, will you?

Please.

Please give me a break.

I didn't do nothing.

Please.

Tell that to the judge, Paco.

Come on.

Let's go on over to Sherlock's, get ourselves

a couple of cold ones, huh?

What's with the blue flu?

Oh, it's the same old story.

Everybody wants police protection,

but nobody wants to pay for it.

I'll tell you, if I didn't have only eight months

to go till my pension I might be coming down with something

myself.

One good thing happened out of all of this.

I'm going out on patrol again tomorrow.

First time in five years.

I wish I could be with you.

That's not a half bad idea, Gordon.

Captain Friend.

How are you?

It's good to see you, Mark.

You weren't serious right now?

Well, you're still in the police reserves, aren't you?

Yes, sir.

Then we can call you up in an emergency.

When half my men are out pretending to be sick

and the bad guys are about to take over my precinct,

that's an emergency.

You mean Frank and I'll be together again?

For a couple of days until we get this thing settled.

Hey, you and me together again, huh?

All right.

And Frank, I don't want to hear about any judge

and jury stuff out there.

Yeah, I know, sir.

I'm not kidding with you.

I heard you, OK?

All right.

I'll see you both in uniform, 0700 tomorrow morning.

Well, partner, let's go have that beer.

All right.

Jonathan, you're going to love Sherlock's.

It's the safest place in Oakland.

There's always a cop on the premises.

Look.

Why don't you two go ahead?

I've got an appointment.

We have an assignment?

I thought we'd go to Frank's for dinner after.

That's all right.

You go ahead, and I'll meet you at the motel later.

What do you mean an assignment?

You work for some big outfit?

The biggest.

[knocking]

Oh, Mrs. Neil.

I'm Jonathan Smith.

I'm from Watch Tech.

This is my resume.

[distant siren blares]

You were looking for a security guard, weren't you?

Yes.

We do need a security guard.

The old one quit a week ago.

But what this blue flu and all.

But um-- well, we've never had a white security

guard at Piedmont.

It's a dangerous enough job for a Black guard.

Maybe it's time you started to integrate.

[chuckles] You remind me a lot of my late husband, Mr. Smith.

He was always seeing the bright side.

Does that mean I have a job?

Well, I have to get dinner ready now for my two boys,

but come back in an hour and we'll fill out the paperwork.

I will have had time to talk to the Tenants Association

by then.

Oh, fine.

Thank you.

I'll see you in about an hour.

Hey, hey, hey.

Slow down.

Mr. Smith, this is my youngest son, Julius.

How are you doing, Julius?

What's the matter with you?

Cat got your tongue?

You're the police?

Well, sort of.

I'm going to be a new security guard, I hope.

You have to understand, Mr. Smith,

the only white folks come down here

seem to be with the police.

You got a gun?

Why?

Am I going to need one?

Around here you do.

[distant dog barking]

Boy, I got to tell you, I mean,

I thought it was all over.

Then all of a sudden, this guy jumps off the roof

on the two closest guys.

After that, it was almost a fair fight, right?

Right.

We kicked their black butts across the pier and back.

Two of them got booked in the hospital.

I want to tell you, if it wasn't for your father,

I wouldn't be here today.

Hey, hey, hey.

Come on.

You saved my behind enough times.

Hell, I ought to thank you for giving me the chance to teach

those jungle bunnies a lesson.

I speared one today in practice, Dad.

Got him real good.

Kevin, football is a game, not an organized race riot.

Was he a half-Black or a full Black.

[chuckling]

All right.

Now for the really big news, here's

to the best team that ever rolled

out of the 16th Street station.

Let's hope we still got it, buddy.

What do you mean still got it?

Captain Friend called me up from the reserves

because of this blue flu thing.

You promised me that you wouldn't

go back on patrol duty.

I don't have a choice, hun.

With this blue flu thing, we're operating at half strength.

All right.

May the force be with you.

OK.

KEVIN: OK.

She all right?

Oh, she's fine.

(SINGING) You got to be strong.

Sometimes you stand alone.

Do you dream?

Hang on.

We got to be strong.

Hey, Julius.

You know that guy, Julius?

Sure.

He's the new security.

Hi, Mr. Smith.

How you doing, pal?

Doing fine.

You boys are out a little late on a school night, aren't you?

You're not our parents.

I know.

If I was, you'd be inside doing your homework.

Yeah.

Well, like I said, you ain't.

Shooting baskets beats homework any day.

There's time for both.

You take care, Julius.

There's a lot of signs in Chinese around here

now, isn't there?

Chinks own all the markets down here now.

They come in with paper bags full of cash,

they buy up all the best locations.

Hell, they're even up in my neighborhood.

It's a free country.

Yeah.

Right now.

Don't kid yourself, partner.

Things have changed since you and I walked this beat.

Hey, why don't we stop at the barbershop?

For what?

To see Joe.

We always stopped to see Joe.

We're patrolling the neighborhood.

We're supposed to be keeping a high profile,

not giving high fives. - Come on.

It's only going to take a minute.

I want to say hi.

[sighs] All right.

Whatever you say.

[ukulele music]

(SINGING) I want to be happy, but I can't be happy

till I make you happy too.

I want to be happy, but I can't be happy

till I make you happy too.

BOTH: (SINGING) Life's really worth giving

when you are mirth-giving.

Why can't I give some to you?

Ha ha.

Hey, man.

Hey, man.

How you doing?

Bless me.

If it ain't the ghost of Mark Gordon.

Say, aren't you the man who gave me a tip on a horse one

time called Inside Move, huh?

JOE: [laughs] The only horse that

ever finished first without a jockey at Bay Meadows.

Hey, what happened your hair here?

I thought you were a barber.

Looks like you ate it.

Hey, stop that.

[laughter]

You remember Jerome.

Hey, Jerome, sure I do.

How's it going? JEROME: Good.

Fine. MARK GORDON: All right.

JEROME: I thought you retired about 15 years ago.

Yeah.

So did I. I stopped by to see Frank.

Next thing I know, they drafted me because

of this blue flu outbreak.

I heard they were scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Let's get out of here, Mark.

Hey, come on, Frank.

What are you doing?

I mean these are old friends here.

That's your problem.

Come on.

We're supposed to be working, remember?

Hey, look, pal.

I'll come by and see you later. All right.

Yeah.

Good to see. - Right.

Bye bye.

[engine starts]

There aren't many fish living near this pier.

What makes you say that?

Me and Albert, we fish here a lot.

Oh, I thought Albert didn't like fishing.

He likes fishing.

He just doesn't like fishing with white folks.

But you don't feel that way?

Sometimes I do.

Why?

Because your brother feels that way?

I suppose.

You know, you're going to meet an awful lot

of people in your life.

Some of them you're going to like, and some of them

you're not.

But it shouldn't have anything to do with what color they are.

I was thinking, maybe we catch a fish,

maybe you could come to dinner at our house.

I'd like that very much.

Let's see if we can catch one, huh?

[upbeat music]

You boys having trouble getting into your car?

This ain't our car.

We were just checking it out.

Checking it out?

Checking out to steal is what you were doing.

Right, boy?

- We didn't touch this car. - Watch your mouth.

Hey, Frank, come on.

Take it easy.

You've been off the streets too long, partner.

All right, you two, beat it.

I said beat it!

Not you.

Hey, look what we got here.

And if I'm not mistaken, this is the kind of a tool a person

could use to break into a car.

That's my tool, man.

No, man.

That's your ticket to jail.

I didn't do nothing.

Tell that to the judge, punk.

I didn't do nothing.

FLORA: I sure like having my son bring home dinner like this.

- Mm. - Fish is good for you.

Right, mama?

Oh, you bet it is.

[door opens]

Mrs. Neil.

Yes.

Your son was arrested today on suspicion of car theft.

I didn't do nothing.

Jonathan, what are you doing here?

I was just having dinner.

I work for Mrs. Neil.

Listen.

The juvenile court will contact you first thing in the morning.

All right.

Go and wash up.

Your brother caught us a fish for dinner.

I ain't eating with him.

You're eating with whoever your brother

and I invite to this house.

You can't make me.

You can't make me do nothing.

Is there anything else, officer?

No, ma'am.

Maybe you should go with your friend.

Thanks for the fish, Julius.

[distant dance music]

What are you doing down here, Smith?

Well, I work down here, Frank.

I'm the new security guard for the housing project.

Jeez.

I didn't know you worked down here.

I could have gotten you a job on the docks

instead of keeping the peace in Little Nairobi here.

I'm doing fine.

Suit yourself.

Let's go, partner.

You want us to drop you off at the motel?

I'd rather walk.

FRANK: Hey, Mark, let's go.

You're back early.

I thought you were going to stop off at Sherlock's.

I didn't feel like it tonight.

[sighs] Boy.

You know, he's one of my best friends, Jonathan.

I mean, he says things, he doesn't mean it.

It's not him.

He's not like that.

I don't know.

Maybe the job's getting to him.

Look.

I'm not trying to make excuses for him.

Yes, you are.

All right.

So what if I am?

Frank's my friend.

He's a good cop.

I'm going to take a shower.

You know, Jonathan, this morning I couldn't

wait to get this uniform on.

Tonight, I can't wait to get out of it.

[upbeat music]

[vacuum running]

Albert, why don't you help your brother with the cleaning?

Uh-uh.

Sugarman don't do no housework.

[phone ringing]

Yes.

Oh, yes, officer.

He won't?

Thank you, officer.

Thank you very much.

Goodbye.

That was the juvenile court clerk, Albert.

They're not going to press charges.

Yes!

The Sugarman.

Too bad for the chump police.

They said they had insufficient evidence.

Yeah.

They got insufficient brains is what they got,

and that includes Julius's friend, Smith.

Mr. Smith has never done anything to hurt you.

He's white.

And that's good enough for me.

The way you and Julius kiss up to him

make me think you're both going to end up like Papa.

What do you mean end up like Papa?

I mean, Papa was the white man's fool.

Everybody knows that.

Your father was no man's fool.

He was a good Marine.

If he was such a good Marine, why'd he die?

Honey, he died for his country.

He died for some fake white politician, Mama,

and you know it.

Don't you ever say that.

Don't you ever say nothing to hurt your father's memory.

That's the last time you hit me, Mama.

You hear?

What do you want?

It's Mrs. Gault in apartment 4B.

She says there's a snake in her toilet.

Well, that'll be about the 10th one this year.

The problem is nobody else can see them but her.

Come on, Julius.

Let's go get us a new rap sound.

Can we get the new LL Cool J?

We'll get whatever you like.

You be back by dinner.

Yes, Mama.

[somber music]

Are you all right?

I can't seem to reach him.

He just gets further and further away.

Well, it's not easy for you being both mother and father.

Sometimes I feel like Albert does.

I feel that no matter what I do nothing will change.

And that's when I feel that maybe my husband

did die for the wrong country.

I don't think Ron would like to hear you talk like that.

Ron?

How did you know my husband's name?

Well, it's hard to spend any time around Julius

and not hear about his father.

Julius was only six when Ron was

sent off to the Middle East.

He's a lot like his father.

Sometimes, I feel that Albert will change him.

Albert has so much hate.

[screaming]

That'll be Mrs. Gault and her invisible snake.

I'll see to her.

[energetic music]

Well, well.

Looks like we just found ourselves

a drug dealer, maybe a pimp.

MARK GORDON: Come on, Frank.

It's just a guy coming out of a house.

FRANK: Hey, good buddy.

Open your eyes.

A spade in this neighborhood with a car

like that, dressed like that.

He's no Supreme Court justice.

I'll run a check on his license.

Suit yourself.

I'm going to go have a little talk with him.

[police radio chatter]

It's nice car you got there.

I like it.

I suppose you got proof of ownership.

It's in the glove compartment.

You're not looking in any glove compartment, mister.

Not without me looking in there first.

Hey, man. What are you doing?

This is outrageous.

You just come out of a rockhouse, didn't you, brother?

I just come from my mother's house.

Frank, car's registered to Jonas Barnes, Orinda.

If you look in my pocket, you'll see that that's my name.

Take out your wallet, sir.

And your license.

Jonas Barnes, Orinda, California.

Picture ID's him, Frank.

Sir, we're sorry.

Look.

My friend here is a little antsy because

of the blue flu situation.

You and your partner haven't heard the last of this.

Oh yeah?

Be sure and get my badge number right.

You can read, can't you, Sambo?

[car starts]

Well, can't win them all, huh, partner?

Frank, what's happened you?

What do you mean what's happened to me?

I mean you used to stop a suspect

because of what he was doing not because of the color

of his skin.

Oh, hey, hey, hey.

Don't lecture me on being a cop.

I am not trying to lecture you.

I'm trying to talk some sense into you.

It's not a police state.

This is America.

Yeah?

Then what's he doing here?

[music playing]

From the streets of New York City came to dance.

Instead of bang bang, they dance on their hands.

And then it moves across the nation.

They call it the breakdown.

And it takes imagination.

East Coast.

West Coast.

No coast at all.

Everybody's doing it.

They dance like a wind-up doll.

On their backs.

On your hands.

Like a puppet on a thread, y'all.

Make a move.

Boy, can they move.

body rock.

Make that body pop.

JONATHAN SMITH: How you doing, fellas?

You like rap music, Mr. Smith?

Well, to be honest with you, Julius,

I don't think I know very much about it.

It goes like this--

[beatboxing] That's Mr. Smith, guards our house.

Keeps the bad guys out.

Man, he ain't into it.

White folks don't care about rap.

You know, Albert, there's an auto repair shop near here.

I was talking to the owner.

The mechanic just quit.

He's looking for a young trainee.

I thought you might be interested.

I told you I don't work for no white man.

Yeah.

Well, I didn't say whether he was white or Black.

The fact of the matter is he's Black.

What'd you say this place is?

I might check it out.

I got the address right here.

It's 16th and Main near the train station.

ALBERT: I can find it.

Yeah.

Well, later.

You know, Albert's not really so bad.

You know what he said about you not digging rap music.

I could tell he was just blowing smoke.

[chuckles] You could tell, could you?

You have soul.

I can tell. - Yeah.

And I can tell it's time for you to get home

and start on your schoolwork.

Yeah.

You got a pretty good soul yourself, Julius.

Excuse me.

Thanks.

ANNOUNCER (ON TV): Three, two, pitch.

Swing and a miss. - Hey!

All right.

OK.

That's OK.

Well, at least we'll get to see the final three innings.

You know, it's a lucky thing that Jonas

Barnes turned out to be legit.

No thanks to you, partner.

FRANK: Oh, come on.

Give me a break, will you?

Three out of four times a shine like that

turns out to be a pimp or a pusher.

[laughs]

It's all right. It's all right.

Let me get this.

All right.

- I'll clean it up. - No, Martha.

You've done enough for me in this last couple of weeks.

All right.

Just let me clean it up.

Just let me do it.

ANNOUNCER (ON TV): Jose Canseco will

lead off again Mark Williamson in the seventh inning.

[popcorn crunches]

The right handers Williamson and [inaudible]

settling things down, where the left handers couldn't do it.

Canseco, 0 for 2--

I get so tired of that talk.

I had hoped that he'd finish out his 25 years on the desk.

What's happened to him?

I wish I knew.

I don't know.

The years on the street, something snapped.

He hates anyone who isn't white in the car, at the mall,

even watching television.

He's-- he's always saying something.

And now, Kevin is imitating him, except I know

that kind of prejudice sticks.

It's passed on from one generation to the next.

Yeah.

I know.

I've talked to him about it, but he doesn't

admit there's a problem.

If you could somehow get him back on the desk.

This work slowdown should only last for a few more days.

I'm scared, Mark.

Every time he walks out that door,

I'm scared of what will happen.

I'll go clean up the mess.

[dramatic music]

MRS. GAULT: Help!

He's coming out.

He's trying to kill me.

He's trying to kill me.

Somebody help me.

All right, lady, I'm coming!

Hey, Mark, Mark, take it easy.

Take it easy?

Somebody's trying to kill her.

No, they're not.

That's Mrs. Gault. She thinks there's a snake in the toilet.

[chuckles] Snake in the toilet.

That's right.

All right.

I'll go calm her down.

You know if you use it right, this uniform can work wonders.

MRS. GAULT: Help me please, somebody.

All right, lady, lady, lady.

Just calm yourself.

Calm yourself.

I'm Officer Gordon.

Oh, thank God, you're here.

Uh-huh.

They don't believe me.

There's a big snake in my toilet.

I haven't gone to the bathroom in five days.

You got to believe me. - Yeah.

All right. I'll take care of it.

All right.

You just lead the way here. - Come on.

Please come on. - All right.

MRS. GAULT: Come on.

And I've been telling the landlady,

and every time she come here that old big snake done

hid down the toilet, and they say I'm crazy.

But officer, I seen him.

Well, of course, you have.

In there.

I done-- I done slammed the seat down on his head.

Oh, that was good.

That was very good.

Now, what I'm going to do is I'm going to go over,

and I'm going to lift that lid.

Then you can tell me if you see a snake.

Mhm.

You think I'm crazy.

No, I didn't say that.

I'm a police officer.

All I want is the facts, ma'am.

Don't be talking like no Dragnet show.

Just lift the seat.

OK.

[chuckles]

Now, do you see a snake?

I do not see a snake.

MRS. GAULT: But I seen him, officer.

He's in there.

MARK GORDON: Well, of course, you did.

[shouting]

You seen him.

You seen him.

Hallelujah.

I'm not crazy.

Happens all the time.

People try and keep them as pets,

and they get into pipes and move from one place to another.

They're nothing to be scared of.

Oh, hey.

I know that.

I'm a police officer.

ANIMAL CONTROL: It's my second one today.

He's just a baby.

I've got a 15-footer back here.

Wait till you feel the weight of this one.

He can swallow a goat.

[shouts]

Goat, huh. Look.

I got to be going.

I got, you know, people to protect.

Where have you been, Albert?

I know you weren't at church this morning.

I had some appointments.

Oh, speaking of appointments.

A Mr. Holmes called here a while back.

Said you were supposed to see him about a mechanic's job.

I ain't working for no slave wages.

Everybody's got to start somewhere.

Once you get experience, there's good money

to be made fixing cars.

There's more money to be made stealing them.

What's happened to you?

What did I do wrong to make you hate so?

You don't get it, Mama, do you?

You still don't get it.

Don't get what?

It's a war, Mama.

It's us against them, and they ain't going to get me.

Albert.

Oh.

I told you, Mama, you keep your hands off me!

Mama.

Mama.

Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith, come quick.

Julius, what's wrong?

My mama's heart.

All right.

Let's go.

Good afternoon.

Can I help you?

Nah.

We just looking.

Hey, this a grocery store, not a jewelry market.

Look quick.

DISPATCHER (ON RADIO): I've got a 211 in progress

at 1876 San Pablo Avenue.

Repeat.

A 211 in progress at 1876 San Pablo.

Unit 43 responding.

That's Wong's Market.

Let's go.

WONG: OK, boys.

Party's over.

The police are on the way.

Maybe next time you'll try somebody else's neighborhood.

Hey, Sugarman, we got to make tracks, man.

Homeboy just called the police.

He didn't call nobody.

Hey, man.

I'm getting out of here.

You leave now, man, you get nothing.

Hey, man, if I stay, I got less than nothing.

That's right.

Run home to your mamas.

I'll take the back.

You go around the front.

[door opens]

Hold it, Hot Shot.

You hold real still.

Why, if it isn't the Cadillac man.

I had a feeling we'd meet again.

Wong is in the back on the floor,

and he's hurt pretty bad.

I'll take the boy to the car and call an ambulance.

You stay with Wong.

All right.

Over the hood.

What are you doing?

Taking off your cuffs.

For what, man?

I'm being a nice guy and giving you a break.

Take off.

No.

I said take off.

So you can shoot me?

No way!

Suit yourself.

[grunting]

[gunshot]

He went for my gun, partner.

You saw it.

He went for my gun.

I cuffed him, Frank.

Where are the cuffs?

You saw what he did to Wong.

That black scum could have killed him.

[grumbles]

It was self-defense.

You saw it.

You saw it, and that's the way I'm going to report it.

I only have eight months to go till my pension.

I'm not going to lose my pension over that black piece of trash.

Remember, Mark, I'm the one who saved your life.

Yeah, Frank, I remember.

I'm going to call the ambulance.

According to the preliminary medical examiner's

report, the suspect--

the victim was pretty badly beaten up.

I tried to cuff him.

He attacked me.

I hit him with my stick.

He got it away from me.

I had to shoot him.

Do you have anything else to say?

It's all the report, sir.

How about you, Gordon?

Yes, sir.

Do you have anything to add?

[sighs] When I arrested the suspect, I cuffed him.

The next thing I saw--

the next time I saw him, Frank had shot him.

The cuffs were off.

What are you talking about?

I am talking about the truth, Frank.

You can't do this to me.

That kid was scum.

Now, Frank, Frank--

He didn't deserve to live.

Frank, stop it.

FRANK: I saved your life!

Frank, stop it.

He was worthless.

He didn't deserve to live.

Put him in a holding cell until I can get IAD up here.

[dramatic music]

[telephone ringing]

[typewriters clacking]

I'm sorry.

I'm so terribly, terribly sorry.

We both knew it would happen.

Kevin, your-- your father was the best partner I ever had.

Believe me.

Is that why you turned him in?

Kevin, Kevin, I just told the truth.

I didn't make up what happened.

You ruined my dad.

You ruined his life.

I won't let hate destroy your life the way

it destroyed your father's.

No one in this world loves Frank Lawler more than I do,

but if his life is ruined, if his career is ruined,

it's ruined because he's a racist.

It wasn't Mark who killed that boy.

It wasn't Captain Friend.

It was your father.

It was his hatred, and now that hatred has got to stop.

[somber music]

Julius, he's here.

Changed my mind.

I don't want to speak to him.

Julius, listen to me.

You've lost a brother, and that boy's lost a father.

Two people who hated each other without even

knowing each other.

Does that make sense to you, son?

No.

Then talk to him.

Give him a chance to know you.

Give yourself a chance to know him.

It's the only way the hatred is going to stop.

[theme music]

I'm Kevin.

I'm Julius.

[theme music]