Dragnet 1967 (1967) s01e05 Episode Script

1
[Friday Narrating]
This is the city, Los Angeles California.
Two and one-half million people live here.
Every month, 5,000 more crowd in.
Tourists spend over a billion,
one hundred million dollars a year
in Southern California.
It's a big business.
On Olvera Street, you can buy
the best Mexican handcrafts
this side of Mexico City.
Anything you’re looking for,
Los Angeles has it.
If it’s for sale, you can buy it.
Some people don't bother bringing money.
They do their shopping at the point of a gun.
That's when I come in.
I carry a badge.
It was Tuesday, June 14.
It was clear in Los Angeles.
We were working the day watch
out of Robbery Division.
My partner's Bill Gannon.
The boss is Captain Howe.
My name's Friday.
The Daily Occurrence Report is
a measurement of the city.
It's all there:
burglaries, holdups, murders.
As the city grows, the report grows.
Part of the extra weight was being
contributed by a gang of armed thieves,
specializing in
holding up cocktail lounges.
The count to date was six.
So far, nobody had been killed.
Number seven might not be so lucky.
[Man Narrating]
The story you are about to see is true.
The names have been changed
to protect the innocent.
Bill. Joe.
[Together]
Morning, Skipper.
- How're you coming on
those cocktail lounge 211s?
- Nothing much so far.
M. O. 's always the same.
Four men wearing full-faced,
red plastic masks.
Near as we can tell, they haven't hit
anything but cocktail lounges—six so far.
Mostly around the Highland Park area.
Yeah.
- Suspects always drive a red Cadillac.
- Anything else on the car?
No license number,
but they all agree on one thing.
- What's that?
- It's an old model, red convertible.
- Anything show up in the F.I. cards?
- Nothing.
- [Phone Rings]
- Robbery, Howe.
Yeah. Okay.
Yeah, Lou. All right, thanks.
Maybe they got something for you
over on Georgia Street.
- Yeah, what's that?
- Edwards and Beeson have
a juvenile in custody for G.T.A.
- Picked up last night in Highland Park.
- Yeah?
Says he remembers seeing four men
in an old model, red Cad convertible.
[Friday Narrating]
9:32 a.m. Bill and I
drove over to Georgia Juvenile.
The interrogating officers were
Jack Edwards and Frank Beeson.
Edwards told us the boy's name
was Fred Tillar, aged 1 7.
This was his second offense.
He was on probation.
He's a cool one, Joe.
He won't give you much.
Yeah.
Copped out on three other auto thefts.
That's all we can get.
Right. Thanks, Jack.
Frank. Let us know
when you're through, Joe.
Right.
Got a couple more questions, son.
I already
talked to Edwards.
Talk to us. Tell us about
the four men in that Cadillac.
What about 'em?
You know 'em?
No.
You sure?
Edwards asked me
if I ever lifted a Caddy.
Told him he must be kidding.
Man, those things are boats.
Me, I dig Mustangs.
They're really boss.
Where'd you see it?
What?
The Cadillac.
Where the kids hang out.
You know, at the drive-in.
Where's that?
Sixth and Franklin,
but you're wasting your time.
Are we?
Sure, nobody'd
steal that Caddy, man.
Why not?
Man, who'd want it?
It's a piece of junk.
[Friday Narrating]
12:28 p.m. Bill and I checked out
the drive-in Tillar told us about.
We asked a waitress named Angie
if she had seen a red Cadillac.
Red Caddy? Sure, I remember it.
A couple of wise kids. Teenagers.
Think they're clever.
Yes, ma'am.
Do you remember their names?
Who remembers names?
I wait on cars, I don't wait on people.
You can spot 'em, you know?
Take a Buick, always good for a tip.
Little foreign cars, forget it.
They stiff you every time.
Can't get a nickel from 'em.
Yes, ma'am.
How many did you say were in the car?
Two, I think. Yeah, one's a large Coke,
the other one's a milk shake. Yeah, two.
- Could you describe them?
- Oh, no. Kids all look alike.
Like I said, one's a Coke,
and the other one's a milk shake. That's it.
When you took their order,
did they say anything? Mention a name?
Anything like that?
- One thing, maybe.
- Yes, ma'am?
Well, they were kidding around,
you know, and the Coke says to
the milk shake, "It's robbery," he says.
"Yeah," he says, "Larry, she sure
robbed the cradle when she married you."
And the milk shake just laughs.
Thought it was real funny.
Larry. Is that the name he used?
Yeah, that's right. Larry. The Coke was
kidding him about his wife.
Claimed she looked more like his mother.
- Yes, ma'am. Go on.
- And one more thing I remember.
- What's that?
- They didn't leave a tip.
- [Horn Honks]
- [ No Audible Dialogue]
[Friday Narrating] We figured there was
a chance the suspect, known only
as Larry, could've been in trouble before.
If so, the officers at Juvenile Division
might be able to help us again.
1:33 p.m. We checked back
with Officer Jack Edwards.
Hi, Jack.
Friday. Hi, Gannon.
Keeping you busy?
All the time.
We're looking for a kid,
first name Larry, no last name.
Chance you might've handled him?
I might've handled
a thousand Larrys.
Yeah, we know, Jack.
We got something
that might help.
What's that?
He might be married to an older woman.
Now, does that mean anything to you?
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Larry, uh—
Larry Hubbert.
Sure, we've handled him before.
Here his package.
County camp graduate.
Kind of a weird setup, Joe.
Larry's 17. Edna—that's the wife—
gotta be at least 10-12 years
older than him.
Anything on her?
- No. Clean as far as we know.
- Got the address, Jack?
Yeah, uh, 8854 Wilton.
Thanks a lot, Jack.
What's Hubbert up to now?
211. We figure
three adults in the gang.
- Kid'll never learn, I guess.
- Well, it might help if he'd do one thing.
- What's that?
- Stick to people his own age.
[Friday Narrating]
2: 15 p.m. The Wilton Street address
was in an older section of the city.
It was neat and well-kept,
like the Cadillac parked at the curb.
Without a warrant,
we couldn't shake down the car.
We would have to question
Larry Hubbert first, try to get his permission.
You Larry Hubbert?
Yeah.
Police officers.
All right if we come in?
You Juvie cops?
Robbery Division.
Where's Edwards?
I don't know you guys.
Well, maybe it's time
you did, son.
Why don't you come right in?
How come Edwards isn't with you?
I give him all my business.
We're living in the age
of specialization, son.
You own that Cadillac parked outside?
Well, yeah—
Just stay put. Keep your hands
out of your pockets.
Yeah, that's my car.
Neat, isn't it? You know,
I fixed that thing up myself.
What are you guys looking for?
Some answers.
Hey, uh, is it all right
if I put a shirt on?
I'm kind of cold.
Where is it?
In the bedroom.
We'll both go.
Sure.
I'll check the kitchen.
Freeze!
All right, now. You just stand still
and keep those hands in plain sight
where I can see 'em. Bill!
Get your hands behind your back.
[Handcuffs Rattle]
Now, suppose you just
sit down on the end of the bed.
I'll check it through C.I.I.
Right.
All right, son, you're under arrest.
It's my duty to inform you of
your constitutional rights.
You have the right to remain silent.
Any statement you make may be
used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to
the presence of an attorney.
If you desire an attorney
and cannot afford one, one will be
appointed before any questioning.
Do you understand that?
Yeah, I've heard it before.
Do you understand it?
Okay. I understand it.
Where'd you get the gun?
A friend gave it to me.
What friend?
Just a guy who borrows
my car once and a while.
He gave it to me to pay for
using the car, that's all.
What's his name?
Why should I find out?
I can give you a couple
of reasons.
You're on probation.
Possession of a deadly weapon.
Is that enough?
It was a gift.
Did you ever
point it at anybody?
I told you, the guy gave it
to me for using the car.
Tell me so I believe it.
Guy's name was Jones.
You wanna try for Smith
or Brown? I want it straight.
I'm leveling with you. Can I help it
if the guy's name is Jones? I met him at work.
Where's that?
Burbank.
Phillips Industries.
They make that plastic tile stuff,
you know, that they glue on counters?
This Jones, he work there too,
does he?
Yeah. Then he quit.
What'd you do, retire?
No. I'm sick today.
Oh, sure you are.
Who are you?
We're police officers, ma'am.
What are you doing here?
Are you Edna Hubbert?
I'm Mrs. Hubbert, yes.
Is this your husband?
Yes. Did you have to
put those handcuffs on him?
He has a gun, ma'am. It's hot, Joe.
One of seven taken in a 459 from
a sporting goods store last month.
Mm-hmm. Before or after
the red-mask holdups?
Before.
All right, son.
Tell me where you got that gun.
What's this about a red mask?
She doesn't know anything.
Six cocktail lounges were held up,
all by four men wearing red masks.
They drove a car like Larry's,
and Larry has a gun.
What'd he tell you?
Back out of this, Edna, will you?
She doesn't know anything. Honest.
Sergeant?
Yes, ma'am?
Could I talk to you
alone a minute?
Yes, ma'am.
I, uh—I don't want Larry to hear this.
He doesn't like his wife to interfere.
- I understand, ma'am.
- I don't think Larry did this,
whatever you said he did.
- We have to check it out, ma'am.
- But even if he did,
it's not his fault, you know.
- I'm the one should be arrested.
- How's that?
Well, I work nights
cashier in a coffee shop,
and there's nobody.
- Nobody?
- Well, there's nobody to
look after him while I'm out.
Well, now, looks to me like
he can take care of himself.
- But he's only a boy.
- Well, I guess you know that
better than I do, ma'am.
- You disapprove of me, don't you?
- Should I?
- You're like everybody else.
- How's that?
I can hear 'em when I come home.
Whispering and pointing fingers
and laughing behind my back.
They think it's funny.
I'm not ashamed.
Why shouldn't I have
what everybody else has got?
A little happiness. That's all I want.
Yes, ma'am.
He's better off
with me, you know.
It's a nice home. It's clean.
Nice things.
- He wouldn't have it if it wasn't for me.
- Yes, ma'am.
Guess you think all he sees in me
is somebody to pay the bills.
- No, ma'am.
- I'm only 29.
Well, I'm not so old.
Maybe I'm not so pretty, but,
well, he could've had his pick.
I know that.
They make it easy for him.
Who's that, ma'am?
Birds, he calls 'em.
The teenage girls.
You know, short skirts
and showing everything?
Stand around on corners, making eyes.
The delinquents.
- Well, that's what they are, you know.
- I wouldn't know, ma'am.
- Larry used to be.
- Used to be what?
A delinquent.
He was always getting into trouble.
But nobody wanted him, you see?
Nobody. He'd still be on the street
if it wasn't for me.
- Is that so?
- I rescued him.
You-You see these books?
They're his. He's very intelligent.
He goes to the library.
Has a card and everything.
We read a lot, you know, together.
- Well, that's better, isn't it?
- Better than what?
- Than being alone?
- Yes, ma'am.
- Sergeant?
- Yes, ma'am?
I don't know where his parents are.
Does that make a difference?
Well, I wouldn't know, ma'am.
Larry won't let me contact them.
Know what I think?
What's that?
I think he's ashamed.
They're poor people, you know.
- They're, well, not used to nice things.
- I see.
Well, that makes me his guardian,
doesn't it? I mean, being his wife?
No. I doubt that, ma'am.
But, as his wife, it's my duty
to inform you of your constitutional rights.
Now, both you and Larry
have the right to remain silent.
Any statement you make may be
used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to
the presence of an attorney.
If you desire an attorney
and can't afford one, one will be
appointed before any questioning.
- Do you understand that, ma'am?
- Yes.
Found it in the closet, Joe.
Sergeant, did you mean
what you said before?
What's that, ma'am?
About if I couldn't afford
an attorney?
Yes, ma'am.
I guess maybe we need one.
[Friday Narrating]
3:48 p.m. We returned to
Georgia Juvenile with the suspect.
Although we had decided
not to detain Mrs. Hubbert,
she insisted on coming anyway.
Mrs. Hubbert called
the public defender's office
to arrange for an attorney.
Bill and I took the subject
to the Juvenile squad room.
We turned Hubbert over to Jack Edwards
to be booked under Section 602 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code
for a 2 1 1 P. C., Robbery.
Since further interrogation of
Larry Hubbert would have to
await the arrival of an attorney,
we decided to check out
the one lead he had given us.
Without a first name on Jones,
we couldn't run it through R&I.
But we figured that Phillips Industries,
the place Hubbert claimed he met Jones,
would be the best place
to check it out.
4: 15 p.m. Because of the outbound
commuter traffic, it took us
20 minutes to get to Burbank.
Phillips Industries was a medium-sized,
combination plant-and-showroom operation.
The personnel manager,
Mr. Bernard Ashton, told us
they employed about a hundred people.
He didn't remember
either Hubbert or Jones.
We get a lot of transients, you know.
They think the grass is
always greener down the street.
Most of our people have been
with us 10, 12 years though.
Good, solid people.
- Yes, sir.
- Larry Hubbert, good, solid lad.
- It's a shame though.
- How's that?
He missed four or five days’ work
last month. Keeps that up,
I'll have to let him go.
- Yes, sir.
- Oh, that Jones fella,
what's his first name?
We don't know, sir.
We'd like you to tell us.
I got three here. Uh, "Jones, Robert M."
He's been with us for eight years.
"Jones, James A." A little short fella.
He does finishing work.
Has a way about him, you know?
He jokes a lot.
"Jones, Donald R." Huh, that's interesting.
- What's that?
- This fella left us five or six weeks ago.
Now, that's real funny.
What's that, sir?
His closing check.
He never came back to get it.
[Friday Narrating]
With Jones's address
provided by Ashton,
we arranged for the nearest
black-and-white unit to try
and pick him up immediately.
The black-and-white unit
reported that Jones was not at home.
We asked that another Robbery Division
unit stake out the apartment house
while we returned to P.A. B.
to check Jones through R&I.
We ran the name "Donald R. Jones"
through R&I.
He had done time at San Quentin
for armed robbery.
He was out on parole.
He had not checked with Al Tucker,
his parole officer, for six weeks.
It looked like he had
gone back to his old habits.
With the stakeout on Jones's apartment,
we decided to return to Georgia Juvenile.
6: 12 p.m.
This is my attorney,
Mr. Auerbach.
How do you do, sir?
This is Bill Gannon.
How are you?
Joe Friday.
Glad to know you. I've talked to
the boy. Do you wanna fill me in?
We're holding him under
W.I.C. 602, 211 P.C., Robbery.
- On what grounds?
- Gang always wore full-face,
plastic red masks. He had one.
He was also in possession
of a stolen gun.
They can't keep him in jail, can they?
A 17-year-old boy?
- That's the best thing
he's got going for him, Mrs. Hubbert.
- What's that?
His age, being 1 7.
You see, juvenile law in California
is based on a concept of correction
and rehabilitation, not punishment.
I've talked to him.
He knows he can remain silent.
But after a hearing, it could
influence a judge to declare Larry
unfit as a juvenile
and remand him for trial as an adult.
The judge might have a lot in favor
of that argument. Larry has a record.
He's on probation.
He's married.
He's functioning as an adult.
I think the police would have to
come up with more evidence
to convict him for armed robbery.
But if they've got
what Gannon here says they've got,
there's a good chance they could
put Larry away for a while right now.
Now, if Larry were to make a clean breast
of it, the judge might view that
as an indication of repentance.
It could make it easier on him.
That's just my opinion, you understand?
You want Larry to confess.
Is that what you want?
No. That's up to Larry.
I told him what I'm telling you.
- He wanted to know what you thought.
- What'd you tell him?
I just told you. If he's innocent,
he has nothing to hide.
If he's guilty, I'd advise him to admit
his guilt. It's to his benefit to do so.
It's not fair, Mr. Auerbach.
It's not fair at all.
Mrs. Hubbert, I just explain
the way the law works.
It really doesn't make
any difference, does it?
Whether he confesses or not?
- How's that, ma'am?
- Well, they'll take him away from me.
I lose either way, don't I?
[Friday Narrating]
6:43 p.m. Acting on the advice of
his attorney,
Larry Hubbert made a full confession.
He implicated Donald Jones as the leader
and named two other accomplices.
We put out an A. P. B.
to have them picked up.
Under California law, the confession
of an accomplice without corroboration,
is never sufficient to convict.
The red masks Hubbert
and the others wore, prevented
positive identification by their victims.
Unless they all confessed, we felt
we didn't have enough to take to court.
7:20 p.m. We returned to Jones's apartment
house and checked in with the team
on stakeout, Chitwood and Emlet.
They had nothing to report.
No sign of the suspect.
They drove around to the rear
of the building to relieve the team
on stakeout in the alley.
7:44 p.m.
Police officers. Stand still.
Open that box, you're a dead man.
Put it down. Now!
Keep those hands
out of your pockets, lady.
[ Huffs]
Would somebody tell me
what this is all about?
You just stay quiet.
You're under arrest.
For what,
illegal parking?
Just shut up and listen, both of you.
It's my duty to advise you
of your constitutional rights.
You have the right to remain silent.
Any statement you make may be
used against you in a court of law.
You have the right to
the presence of an attorney.
If you desire an attorney
and can't afford one, one will be
appointed before any questioning.
- Yeah, you finished?
- Do you understand that, Jones?
- Yeah.
- You?
- She understands it.
- Do you?
Yes.
- These belong to you, lady?
- She's a collector.
- He gimme the case.
I didn't know what was in it.
- Why'd you carry it?
It was pretty.
Real talent, huh?
All body, no brain.
Good thing for you I'm slow.
Is that right?
- Little faster, you'd know how dead feels.
- Well, now, what else
would you like to tell us?
That's it, cop.
You heard it from me.
Hang on to 'em.
We'll shake the apartment.
What are you looking for, cop?
My little black book?
We'll settle for a red mask.
[Friday Narrating]
The shakedown of Jones's apartment
gave us nothing more to go on.
He refused to talk, and under the law,
we could go no further.
We took him downtown to be booked.
The guns we found in
the girl's makeup kit
were taken in the same 459
as the gun we took from Larry Hubbert.
We knew we had Jones
for parole violation.
We wanted him and the other two members
of the gang for the red mask holdups.
9: 15 p.m.
Boy, I got that migraine again.
Yeah?
What time did we have lunch?
We didn't.
We didn't?
No.
You hungry?
I could eat.
Me too.
Maybe I oughta call Tuck.
Jones's P.O.?
Yeah.
Figure he can get him to talk?
Might be worth a try.
[Friday Narrating]
9:45 p.m. Bill picked up a sandwich,
and I went back to
the squad room to wait for Al Tucker.
He'd been working late. I filled him in
while Bill waited in the interrogation room
with the suspect.
Parole officers are a special breed:
half policeman, half social worker.
They have to take the rejects
of society and try to make
decent citizens out of them.
It's a tough job. Tougher because
there's not enough of 'em to go around.
Most ex-convicts have a lot of respect
for their parole officers.
They get close. They have to.
Their parole officer has to approve
almost everything.
Where they live. Where they work.
What time they get home at night.
Jones was no exception.
I blew it, huh?
All the way.
You quit your job. You moved.
You didn't check in.
Here you are again.
I thought you were squaring, Don?
I got bored with making tile.
What'd you have?
Nine months, 10 months
out of the joint?
Things were going sweet
till these guys showed up.
You wanna tell me about it?
In front of them?
Look, Tucker, I got the right
to stay silent and I'm staying silent.
Wait for you outside, Tuck.
All right.
Now, look, Don,
this sort of an attitude
isn't going to get you anywhere.
[ Exhales]
You wanna bite?
No, thanks.
You sure?
Sure.
Corned beef, imported Swiss,
lettuce, Russian dressing, coleslaw,
kosher pickle, slice of tomato,
mayonnaise, peanut butter,
horseradish and a little hot mustard.
No, thanks.
Sure, now?
It's an awful good sandwich.
Sounds like a seven-course meal.
Well, it's a little filling.
You think he'll cop out to Tuck?
Save an awful lot of time
if he does.
He'll talk to you now.
What'd you do, Tuck?
Nothing any other parole officer
couldn't do.
What's that?
Well, Jones figures he's bound to go back
to the joint one way or the other.
Yeah?
There's more than 200 different
prison jobs they can hand him
up there at Quentin.
You remember him saying
he didn't like making tile?
Yeah, I do.
Well, he told me
he'd like to try metal work.
I can recommend what job he gets.
I told him I'd see what I could do.
You know, Jones told me something.
I don't know if he'll mention it to you.
It's not really important.
Thought you might want it for your case.
What's that, Tuck?
Well, it's about that kid,
that teenager Larry Hubbert?
Oh, yeah.
What about him?
Gonna be a father.
Well, I missed dinner.
Guess I'd better be getting on home.
Don't rush off, Tuck.
I got half a sandwich.
Yeah? What's in it?
Oh, you'll love it.
Corned beef, imported Swiss
Good night, Bill.
lettuce, Russian dressing
Tuck, I'll see you.
coleslaw, kosher pickle,
a slice of tomato—
[ No Audible Dialogue]
[Narrator]
The story you have just seen is true.
The names were changed
to protect the innocent.
On September 15,
trial was held in Department 180,
Superior Court of the State of California,
in and for the County of Los Angeles.
In a moment, the results of that trial.
The suspects were found guilty
on two counts of armed robbery.
Robbery in the first degree
is punishable by imprisonment
in the state prison for not less than five years.
After a hearing, the juvenile suspect
was remanded to the custody
of the California Youth Authority.