Mission Impossible (1966) s06e03 Episode Script

The Tram

Rudy Landers, Cleveland.
Vic and Johnny are waiting.
Landers is on his way in.
Good.
If Rudy's got a virtue, it's he's punctual.
Vic? - Hey, Rudy.
Good to see you.
Hey, you never looked better.
Johnny.
How you doing, Rudy? Hey, how's our little Lois? Marvelous, Vic, marvelous.
She sure did appreciate that silver fox jacket.
Yeah, we sent one just like it to Millie Powers.
It's too bad about Eddie, huh? Hey, let's don't talk business, huh? Come on.
Some view, huh, Rudy? You boys got a lot of class.
Yeah, we couldn't have picked a better place for the meet.
Nobody around.
The place is all ours for ten days.
Yes, sir, Rudy, all the old beefs between Johnny's crowd and mine are dead and buried.
From now on, we're just one big, happy family.
Vic, it's about time.
Sure glad you asked me aboard.
Yeah, we thought it'd be a good idea if Vic and I shared a piece of that vending machine operation of yours.
Vic, this new operation you're putting together-- the way I figure it, makes us partners.
Share and share alike? Sure was cute the way you bilked Johnny and me out of that setup.
I mean, you really had us at each other's throats.
Yeah.
The coziest was how you fingered Eddie Powers when he was trying to get me and Vic together.
Johnny, you gotta be putting me on.
Eddie Powers was like my brother.
Hey, let's have a cigar.
No.
No, you got me all wrong! No! No! No! It's a crummy way for a family man to make a living.
How's the ticker? Ah, it's okay if I don't get worked up.
What's to get worked up about? Everything is just beautiful.
Good morning, Mr.
Phelps.
These two underworld leaders, Vic Hatcher and Johnny Thorne, have called a meeting of Syndicate leaders from around the country, at which Hatcher will propose the formation of a Syndicate holding company, the first step in the construction of an underworld financial empire with enormous power to corrupt American business and return huge profits to the Syndicate.
So far, conventional law enforcement agencies have been unable to interfere with their operations.
Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to stop Hatcher and Thorne and put them out of business for good.
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Good luck, Jim.
The controls are here.
The escape hatch is under here.
And this is the luggage compartment.
Everything works for us, Jim.
Great, Barney.
Don't keep me waiting.
Good-bye, dear.
Johnny's girlfriend, cheating on her husband.
Don't keep me waiting.
Good-bye, dear.
This will contract the blood vessels around Hatcher's heart.
It's completely harmless, but he'll think he's having a heart attack.
Not even his own pills will help.
These will, however.
We'll take those just before you administer the gas.
Mm-hmm.
Willie? Ten million, Jim.
All the big denominations.
Almost like the real thing.
Yes.
Jim, how much do you figure Thorne and Hatcher have in their Swiss bank account? Over $50 million, Willie, from gambling, prostitution, narcotics.
Their whole power and prestige in the underworld is based on that money.
Get that $50 million and you get Hatcher and Thorne.
And all we need is the account number.
Yeah, that's right, Casey.
Contrary to what most people think, a Swiss bank account is not inviolate.
Once an account number is known, it can be attached.
This is your target, Barney.
Arnie Gates, head of the Midwest operation.
Very big in heroin and contract murder.
I'll be very careful with him, Jim.
Look out! This man's been hurt.
Call an ambulance.
There's been an accident at Fourth and Olive.
We need an ambulance.
Right.
Hit and run? I'm sorry to hear that, Arnie.
How bad is it? I feel fine, but I'm going to be stuck in here for at least a week.
Now, look, Vic, I want in on this operation.
I'll send my man, Colby.
Now, look, some of the boys don't like strangers.
You'll like Frank.
You can trust him, Vic.
All right, how will we know him? This ruby ring you gave me? That'll be Frank's calling card.
And, oh, Vic-- I'll, uh, be sending some snapshots of the kids along with Colby.
You'd be proud of them, Vic.
Dr.
Ward, go to 561 West.
Frank Colby? You're under arrest.
What for? There's an old Ohio warrant on you.
Come on, that's dead.
It came back to life.
Let's go.
I don't like it.
Arnie is my son-in-law.
He wants in, he's in! It's not Arnie who's coming here, Vic, and we don't know any of his boys.
Hey, Johnny, you pay this boy to run your show for you or to give you legal advice? No, we don't need any hassles, Jennings.
If Arnie's man is okay for Vic, he's okay for me.
Frank Colby, Chicago.
Colby, Chicago.
Colby's on his way up.
Arnie's man Colby's on his way up.
Colby.
They're waiting for you at the lodge.
Hennessy here.
What's up? Emergency brake on the blink.
Number one car.
Well, weren't you checked out on the system? Yeah, but I'm not an electrical engineer.
I can't figure it out.
Okay.
Don't let anybody on it till I get there.
Hi.
- Frank Colby? That's right.
Vic Hatcher.
Glad to meet you, Vic.
This is great country up here.
Yeah, we like it.
Come on in.
Boys, this is Arnie Gates's number one man.
Jennings, Frank Colby.
Colby.
Jennings.
Gentlemen.
How about a drink, Frank? Well, let's get to it.
All right.
Sit down.
Let me tell you something, boys.
If our lawyers tried to explain this to you, you'd never understand what they were saying.
In simple terms, this is it.
We create a holding company to put our money into.
We incorporate in South America.
Now, this holding company invests, buys, sells, but most of all most of all, it gets very rich on money we can't invest here.
Well, how are we protected? Your money buys shares in the company.
I brought it down empty.
Well, you watch the control panel, and I'll make a test run and check the circuits.
This operation has a lot of plusses going for it.
First, the books won't be anywhere where a US agency can get their hands on 'em.
That means we save on taxes.
It also means that nobody'll know where the profits go except the board of directors of the holding company-- us.
Casey, make the call.
Right.
Hello.
Yeah.
Johnny, your girl.
I'll take it.
Carol, I told you not to call me here.
I'm all tied up.
Johnny, Bob's in town.
I think he knows we're together.
I'm afraid.
Look, baby, I haven't got time for Johnny, he says he knows who you are and who your pals are up there, and he says he can get you into a lot of trouble.
All right, take it easy.
I'll be right down.
Vic.
Yeah.
Look, uh, Johnny's got to split.
Jennings will talk for him.
This thing working? Just had a little short, sir, but I can take you down now.
Batesly here.
Johnny Thorne's on his way down.
The company's first two acquisitions will be Tucson Freight and El Paso International Trucking.
Now, with these two lines, we can control the distribution of products between the Canadian border and the heart of Mexico.
Now, look at this.
Here's a profit breakdown for the first five years.
We trust you and Johnny, Vic.
What's the ante? Par value on the shares is $5,000.
Minimum investment, 100 shares.
That's why I told you all to bring the cash.
Well, that's it.
You put up the money sign these and the proper certificates will be drawn up and transferred to you.
A half million apiece, huh? Right.
Go check the solenoid on the master brake switch.
Where's Johnny? Johnny? Oh, you mean the man up there? He went back to the lodge.
Four million dollars, Vic.
The shares will be worth $40 million in one year.
Vic, you know Arnie is certainly impressed with his father-in-law and now I can see why.
It was a terrific presentation.
Hey! Vic, I almost forgot.
I got some, uh, photographs here of your grandchildren.
That Melissa sure is a beautiful kid.
Yeah, she's always talking about her Grandpa Vic.
I think she's even more impressed with you than Arnie is.
Well, I like to send her things.
Wish I could see her more often.
When you come right down to it, it's only them we live for anyway.
Yeah, yeah, I know what you mean, especially with a family like yours.
I've been kind of close to 'em the last couple of years.
I don't have any family of my own.
I've become sort of like, uh, the bachelor uncle, you know? Sunday dinner, Christmas, things like that.
That's real nice, Frank.
Hey, Vic.
Just a second! Yeah, Grossett? Something's screwy.
We can't locate Johnny.
He got on the tram and he never got off, and that tram repairman, he barreled out of here like crazy.
Who set this thing up? You just shut up and sit down, right here.
Maybe you don't know the kind of muscle I got.
I know all I need to know.
So why don't you just shut up and be a good little boy, Johnny, huh? I don't get it! Batesly swears he got on that tram.
Telephone, Vic.
Yeah.
Hatcher? We got Johnny Thorne.
Here are your instructions.
You and you alone bring four million dollars to the abandoned sign loft at Fourth and Spruce on the outskirts of town in exactly one hour.
Johnny's been snatched.
Ask to talk to Johnny, Vic.
Let me hear Johnny's voice.
Hello, Vic.
Johnny! They mean business, Vic.
Do like he says.
What do they want? Four million dollars.
Four mill.
Four million? That's an interesting figure, four million dollars.
What are you thinking about, Jennings? Just thinking.
Now, wait a minute, boys.
First order of business is we get Johnny back.
Four million for Johnny Thorne? What do I tell the 20,000 guys who think their money's in a pension fund? I want my half million back, Vic.
Why, you punk! Wait.
You gonna let Johnny Thorne die? It's his muscle that makes this thing work! Now, we need him more than Vic, come here, sit down.
- What's the matter? Sit down.
Get him some water.
Vince? You all right? Now, look.
This operation is worth $40 million a year.
I say we pay the ransom.
Get Johnny free.
Then we'll go after the guys who snatched him.
We'll get the money back.
Johnny'll still be alive.
Speaking for Arnie, I go along with Vic.
Right.
Maybe I better go with you, Vic.
The man said alone.
Now, if this thing goes wrong, I'll pay every one of you back out of our Swiss account.
And you can hold me as collateral.
Four million? How did they know? Hello, Vic.
We're over here.
Walk straight ahead.
Stop right there.
Put down the satchel.
They mean business, Vic.
Do like he says.
Now walk to the office.
Do like he says, Vic.
You're being watched.
Don't try anything clever or both you and Johnny will get it.
Now walk to the office.
You're being watched.
Don't try anything clever or both you and Johnny'll get it.
Vic, they mean business.
Their money's back there.
Now we'll give them some of ours.
Stay on this post.
Nobody gets out.
- Yes, sir.
You're wasting your time, Johnny.
Yeah.
I don't know why I'd want to get away from a beautiful looking broad like you anyway.
You got a name? Mm-hmm.
Lilly.
Ah.
Is the big guy who put the snatch on me your boyfriend, Lilly? Ah, he's all right.
He just doesn't have much up here.
You got plenty.
Not only there, but, uh everywhere.
Say, Lilly how'd you like to play the big time with Johnny Thorne? How big? Oh 50,000 bucks to cut these strings.
Johnny the ransom is four million.
But, Lilly, they won't let you live to spend it.
You like that color? You got the money? Ten grand? I told you, you could That was the deal, Lilly.
"That was the deal, Lilly.
" You could have got ten times that much from the guy.
Listen I don't fool around with that old man.
First thing you know, there would have been a contract out on us.
Now what? I'm gonna finish the job.
Who's paying you to do this? Who's the old man? Shut up, Johnny.
I'll pay you a hundred grand.
I'll pay you anything.
Look, you kill him and we've got nothing left to bargain with.
Now, you call the old man and tell him we want a million dollars or we'll let Johnny go.
You're crazy, Lilly.
Look, he's got all those guys up there from all over the country.
Do you think he wants them to find out that he snatched Johnny? Now call him! I'm not calling.
You make me sick.
I'll call him! Lilly, you're a smart girl.
Listen to me! Listen, it may save your life! Go on.
The old man's Vic, isn't he? Vic Hatcher? From what you said, it has to be.
I don't know why I'm wasting my time.
Lilly, he'll promise you anything, but he has to kill you.
Don't you see that? He can't let you live, not as long as you can blow the whistle on him.
Well, Johnny, when you want to make it, sometimes you take chances.
But it's no gamble with me, Lilly.
Listen, Vic has a lot of friends, and once I take him out, they'll want to know why, and you're the one who can tell them.
That's why I need you alive, Lilly.
Vic needs you dead.
You figure out the odds.
I don't know, Johnny.
The money's the same, Lilly! And I can throw in a dividend.
I take out the big guy and you get the whole million.
All of it.
Oh, yeah? When? Well, when soon as I get my hands on the ransom.
He wouldn't bring it down.
Probably figured we'd try and heist it.
I'll wait for your call.
Yeah, you wait for my call.
Lilly! Just too neat, too pat.
They knew too much.
What really gets me is they used Johnny's voice to sucker me out.
Maybe Johnny cooperated.
Hey, Vic, what are you trying to say? He's saying Johnny kidnapped himself.
That's ridiculous.
Why? For four million dollars.
When there's $40 million a year involved? Vic understands those big Numbers-- Johnny doesn't.
As a matter of fact, Arnie told me that Johnny's welshed on a million and a half in gambling debts, and the heat's on.
That's why Arnie asked me to check out this whole operation.
Hey, I keep Johnny's books and I've never heard of a gambling debt.
Now, if someone's trying to frame Johnny and me Johnny's girlfriend called him away from here when we were all conveniently assembled.
A set-up.
You answered the phone, Jennings.
You said it was Johnny's girl.
Who's this? What's the difference? I gotta talk to Jennings.
It's very important.
Put him on.
For you, Jennings.
Hello.
Jennings? Don't say anything.
Just listen.
Johnny got away, Vic.
That's good.
Sure it's good, Vic.
He says you set it all up.
Johnny says the four million is still up here.
That doesn't make any sense.
Doesn't it? The old man's getting tired.
He's got pains in his chest.
He'd like to get rid of Johnny, so he arranges all of this.
He winds up with the four million and no more Johnny to worry about.
Right, old man? We all saw Vic take the money out of the safe and get on the tram with it.
Did we? What we saw was Vic take a valise out of the safe, but we didn't see what was in it.
Open the safe, Vic.
You're making a big mistake, Jennings.
Vic.
Open the safe.
Quit stalling.
Did you have two valises, Vic? One empty, the other one full? Of our money.
It's a setup.
You and Johnny set me up.
Give him a chance.
You're getting it too, Colby.
Hold it! Drop 'em! Who's he? - You ought to know how carefully Arnie plays it, Vic.
He's with me.
Now close that up.
You, over there.
Let's go.
All right, follow him.
Move! Hold it, gentlemen.
This way.
This is Jennings.
Vic's on his way down with Colby and his men.
You stop him any way you can.
He's got four million dollars of our money.
We got orders to stop Vic.
Let's go.
Johnny.
I gotta get up there, fast! Jennings just called.
Vic is on his way down.
We gotta stop him.
Well, then we better wait down here.
Come on.
Looks like a welcoming party.
It's Colby and somebody else.
And there's Vic.
Can they stop that thing? No way.
Oh, this is a bad one.
Look if you get out of here and I don't make sure the kids get that money.
Those kids aren't gonna get anything, Vic.
What are you talking about? It's counterfeit.
What? - Counterfeit.
Queer.
All of it.
Look at it.
Listen, Vic, you gotta pull yourself together.
You've gotta fight it.
You have to try.
You can't let Johnny get away with all that bread you both got stashed in Switzerland.
Well, the pill isn't helping.
Listen, Vic, you can't let Johnny get away with it.
It's your whole lifetime, everything you've worked for.
You've gotta fight it.
You can make it.
Pull yourself together.
You can make it.
I can't breathe.
Now.
What made it stop? Get it moving.
Hey, Vic.
Vic, we can get out here.
Come on! No.
No, it's no use.
I can't make it.
Yes you can! You've got to try.
No, listen.
Listen.
I don't want Johnny to get that money.
Here.
Here Give this to Arnie.
It's the, uh It's the number in Switzerland.
All right, now get outta here! I'll take care of everything, Vic.
Do you want me to go after Colby and the other guy? Naw.
It's Vic I want.
Did you get the number of the Swiss account? In Roman numerals.
On the back of his Saint Francis.

Previous EpisodeNext Episode