The Rockford Files (1974) s01e14 Episode Script

1
When I get through listing
the charges against you
your rap sheet's gonna look
like a grocery list.
Assault, kidnapping, forgery,
and murder.
For some totally obscure reason,
you have taken to believing
that a fine, upstanding company is corrupt.
This is a fatal mistake.
You ought to clear out
of your place, Mr. Rockford.
Maybe get a hotel room
under another name.
There he goes.
This is Jim Rockford,
At the tone leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
This is Mrs,
Beasley at the library,
We billed you for your overdue
book, Karate Made Easy.
We abuse our library,
we don't get our cards renewed.
This is James Garner.
The following scenes
are from Part 1
of Profit And Loss.
A two-part episode
of The Rockford Files.
You said it was dangerous.
How dangerous?
It's so bizarre,
I don't think anybody will believe me.
That's part of the problem,
you see.
That's my dad.
He said he'd come over
and help me fix this thing.
He's the one that
jammed it up.
Becker.
Dennis, this is Jim.
I want to file an assault
and battery complaint
and I'll give you a tip
on a kidnapping.
He wouldn't talk about it,
but something in that company scared him.
Where does he work?
Fiscal Dynamics Incorporated.
The conglomerate?
Alec is the head
computer programmer.
The police talked to
Alec Morris.
He says that no such event
ever took place.
That makes you guilty of
making a false police report.
I want to talk to my attorney.
Okay, Jim, we have a preliminary
hearing on the third.
My husband had the same job
with Financial Dynamics
that Alec Morris has now.
I was always suspicious
of that accident
but I couldn't get anybody
to help me.
The cops had it down
as a traffic accident
and they weren't about to
call it murder.
I think he was murdered.
And I think it has something
to do with that company.
I don't want to seem offensive, Mr. Rockford,
I don't work for just anybody.
I'm a securities analyst.
I screen my clients very carefully.
Because good clients
are like good sailboats.
You invest your time in them and you
get to go for a nice little ride.
That's why I'm in the field.
There is absolutely nothing
wrong with Fiscal Dynamics.
I don't have to research them
for you
because I have personally been
through their financial statement
at least 10 times.
I've spoken to Mr. Fielder
a dozen times.
That company is so healthy
it's disgusting.
Mr. Leon Fielder would like
to have a chat with you.
Leon Fielder?
He's the President and Chief
Operating Officer of
Fiscal Dynamics Incorporated.
Never heard of him.
Mr. Fielder will see you now.
You know, our stockholders
are just people like you.
All kinds of people. They are widows,
they are plumbers, school teachers.
Now, when you hurt us,
you hurt them.
And what I'm interested
in doing, Mr. Rockford
is protecting their interest.
You mean to tell me that I can
ask a few silly questions
and this great big company
could lose $10 million?
Investors are very cautious.
It doesn't take much.
Right now we're in the middle
of a big acquisition.
Don't mess with us,
Mr. Rockford.
We need some printing done.
Come back in the morning.
I'm closed. I got to go home.
We got to talk now.
Right now?
That's right, Mr. Bovino,
right now.
His name is Carl Bovino.
When I first read
that article
the name rang a bell,
but I couldn't quite place it.
My husband told me that
Mr. Bovino was a printer
who had been contracted out by
FDI to do the annual report.
Guy thought it was strange they
use a little printer like Bovino
instead of one of the big companies
that usually do annual reports.
It says here his shop
was burglarized.
He was working late,
surprised the thieves and was shot.
It just could have
happened just that way.
You're turning into
a big disappointment for me.
All right, I do know a guy
down at the police department.
I'll talk to him
about this printer.
I'll find out
what the cops know.
They're just gonna tell you
it was a robbery.
You've got to get in
to take a look at his files.
Absolutely
out of the question.
But don't you see? He must have
kept records of his work for FDI.
You've got to see what kind of
printing he was doing for them.
Tell you what. Why don't you break
into Bovino's shop and look around?
I'll go out to Riverside this weekend
and drive your little red racer.
But I'll compromise.
I'll go with you if you want.
I'm not afraid
to break in there.
Now if the police arrive
and you take off without me
I'll come after you
and strangle you.
Come on.
Come on.
Go!
We better lose that guy
or we're gonna have
a black-and-white
at every intersection.
You drive a race car, huh?
Lousy, damned suspension.
Okay, slow down.
I got to admit,
I couldn't have done better myself.
You should
get your shocks fixed.
This thing's got
a terrible understeer.
Did you find anything?
I don't think so,
I don't know.
Why don't you pull over
up here? And I'll look at it.
Find a place to park.
What's that?
It's a miscellaneous file.
There's nothing in here.
And there was nothing back there, either.
Nothing on Fiscal Dynamics
nothing on Leon Fielder,
Stan Gorrick.
There's just no record
that he ever worked for FDI.
But he did. I know he did,
at least 18 months ago.
Guy told me.
If there'd
been a record of it
there's a pretty good chance the cops
have it down right as just a robbery.
But since the records
are gone, maybe you're right.
Maybe he was doing some work for
them, and he got wise and got killed.
If that happened,
you can bet they removed the file.
What kind of printing could he be
doing that they'd want to kill him for?
One thing comes to mind.
What?
Phony stock certificates,
maybe.
What do we do?
If we're smart, we'll
forget about it and go home.
But we're not that smart,
I guess.
You got the cowling
off yet?
It gets ready to come
off, I'll tell you.
All right. On three,
it's ready to come.
One, two, three.
We're gonna have to call
a plumber.
You figured out a way
to stay out of the jailhouse?
Yeah, I've been thinking
about making a run for Mexico.
Now, wait a minute.
I'm down for half your bail, Son.
Why don't you just call
a plumber?
Besides, I got
someplace else to go.
You're kidding about that
Mexico stuff, aren't you?
You skip out, I'm the one
that bites the dust.
I lose my truck,
I lose everything.
Yeah, that's right.
We can't afford to lose the truck
I mean, how would Ma
get the crops to town?
What I meant was, it looks like you're
finally beginning to get some place.
What do you want to
quit the case for?
Because I don't think there's
anything more I can accomplish.
And if I don't, Fiscal Dynamics
is gonna sue me for $10 million.
And if they do that
that truck is gonna be the first
thing to go down the drain.
You talk like we was partners.
We are.
At least as far as
that truck is concerned.
I'm on the pink slip,
remember?
Oh, boy.
That's turning out to be
one of the worst mistakes
I ever made.
Just call the plumber, Rocky.
I wanna get that garbage out of the sink.
You keep saying I'm the one
that jammed it.
I ain't so sure
it didn't just jam itself
'cause it's so old
and so were out.
Maybe.
So?
So life is a crapshoot, Rocky.
And if you're gonna hit
snake eyes
it's better to do it on
a jammed-up garbage disposal
than on a fast lane
of the Hollywood Freeway.
How's the sailboat business?
What do you want?
I had a little talk
with Leon Fielder.
You know, he threatened
to sue me for $10 million.
Of course, I don't have $10 million,
but it does have an intimidating effect.
You were acting irresponsibly.
I felt I had a duty to tell Mr. Fielder.
Rumors are very hazardous.
I did some checking up
on you, too.
I talked to
one of your competitors.
He said you were
a triple threat.
Devious, dishonest,
and unethical.
He also said that Fiscal
Dynamics is a puffed-up hype.
Yeah, it doesn't take much
thought to know who said that.
Yeah, I'm sure.
If you believe anything
that Norm Mitchell said,
you got to be crazy.
Norm Mitchell.
Can I have my car keys,
please?
I'd appreciate it if you
didn't tell Leon Fielder
that I'm still poking around.
I kind of promised him I'd leave it alone.
He's the first person I'm
gonna call when I get home.
He likes you, he said that.
Glad to hear it.
He also said that he gives you
little inside tips
like the North Eastern
acquisition.
That's ridiculous.
It's also illegal.
And before you talk to Leon Fielder,
you ought to give that a lot of thought.
'Cause I'll turn that
information over to the SEC
and they'll take you out of
the sailboat business for good.
Have a nice day.
Who recommended me
as an analyst, Mr. Rockford?
Arnold Love.
If that's supposed to be
a joke
you ought to smile
or something, so I'll know.
It's sort of
a reverse recommendation.
I don't like Arnold Love
and he doesn't like you
so I figure you and I
might get along.
I'm kind of busy,
Mr. Rockford.
I have a theory that
might interest you.
Let's hear it.
I think that Fiscal Dynamics Inc.
is a dishonest, corrupt company.
That's a pretty serious charge.
What are your credentials?
I do all of my own cooking and
I know a soufflé when I see one.
Anything solid?
Have you?
I asked first.
You mind
if we get out of here?
Loose lips sink
financial ships.
I got that straight
from Leon Fielder.
Are you some kind of
crackpot or what?
I asked Arnold Love
one question about FDI.
Five hours later, Leon Fielder sent for me
and threatened to sue me for $10 million
if I didn't get lost.
You wanna hear the question?
I'll meet you in my office
in 10 minutes.
It's on the 10th floor
of this building.
Okay, let's hear the question.
First, I'd like you to tell me
what you think of Fiscal Dynamics.
It's selling for $30 a share,
it's worth, maybe, $10.
It's a publicity-oriented
company.
I think the management is a little
too swift in the ethics department.
In short, I think it's a
pretty disgusting stock
but almost everybody else
thinks it's great.
I've got three clients in it, I can't
get them to sell, 'cause it's going up.
Okay, what's the question?
Their head computer programmer
is scared to death.
He came to me and asked if I
would carry some information
between him
and some federal agencies.
He was kidnapped
out of my place.
He's back at work now, and he claims
the whole thing never happened.
Rockford! Now I got it,
you're the guy in the paper.
My secretary
clipped that for me.
I know. Everybody's secretary
clipped it.
Then the $20 million
question is:
What is going on
in the FDI computer room?
That's right. And my theory is
that the computer is being rigged.
Of course, you know you'll never be
able to prove that even if it's true.
Is it possible to foil
the examiners
by working up
a confused computer program
where they can't trace back the
stock transfers or account billings?
Would you care for a drink?
No, thank you.
I can see now why Leon
threatened to sue you.
That kind of unsupported charge
could be very damaging to a stock.
The market runs on rumor
and innuendo.
It doesn't take much to get
investors to dump a stock
especially a high-flyer
like FDI.
But how about it?
Could it happen?
I don't think so. I mean, technically,
I suppose they could do it
but why would they?
I happen to know the company
has over $100 million in cash.
That's why they've been able
to grow so fast.
Would that be green,
folding cash?
Negotiable securities.
Stocks. They keep them in the
vault right in their building.
What if they're forgeries?
Come on, Mr. Rockford,
you're really reaching.
They were using a printer
by the name of Carl Bovino.
Now, I think there's a good
chance that they killed him.
I know guys who'd kill you for
what you got in your pockets.
So I don't find it
too strange
that they'd kill to protect
$2 billion in phony assets.
This isn't a back alley,
this is the financial district.
Things like that just don't
happen on the street, believe me.
But it's possible.
No. In my opinion,
it's not possible.
Thanks for seeing me.
Fill it up.
Mr. Mitchell's office.
Is he there?
This is Mr. Rockford.
He's about to leave,
It's important.
Yeah, what is it?
I'm glad I caught you.
When I went to your office
I was very careful to be sure
I wasn't followed
but on my way out,
I may have picked up a tail.
Come on, Mr. Rockford,
what are you trying to do?
Look, Mr. Mitchell, would you admit
that there's just one chance in 1,000
that I'm not
a raving paranoid?
Okay, maybe.
If they saw me leave your office,
then you might be in some danger.
I'm not in any danger,
but I'll be careful.
Thanks for the call.
Police Department, please.
Police? My name is
Terry Shoder
and I was coming out of my office
building on Fifth Street
and I saw two guys
stealing my car.
It's a blue Chevy and the
license number is 045-IWE.
Yeah, it's Fifth and Home.
Couldn't have happened two minutes ago.
There's a lot of traffic down
here so they can't go too fast.
They were heading toward the freeway.
If you hurry, you can head them off.
No, just now. Yeah, hurry.
They're heading east.
You be mighty
careful with that thing, I..
They're mighty touchy,
you know.
I'll tell you this much,
it ain't no olive pit or nothing.
Hi, I.. Hi, Jim.
It could be one of them sprockets
could have busted off
and fell down
in the mechanism.
It's getting mighty old,
it's just about were out.
You guys about through?
I just got out here.
All right, you got to leave.
You, too, Rocky.
You keep on, now.
Look, will you hold on
a minute, please, Son?
I suckered him out here.
I told him we was gonna have
a steak barbecue.
I asked him to grind up
the meat fat
and he discovered that busted
disposal all by himself.
He ain't even gonna
charge us.
Will you get lost, Rocky?
And don't come back here until I
tell you it's okay to come back.
Who's after you, sonny?
Maybe nobody,
but let's just play it safe.
Go home, will you?
And tell I.. he can come back
to fix the garbage disposal
later.
Then you're gonna have to
pay the trip charge.
I suckered him out here. He ain't
about to come back again on his own.
All right, I'll pay the trip charge.
Get going, will you?
Got to get my tools, Rocky.
This thing is busted good.
Lucky I was here.
Yeah, lucky.
You got to leave, I.. You can come
back and fix this later. Come on.
How come?
Because Jimmy's hot, you see.
We got to hit the bunkers before
the joint fills up with killers.
Come on.
This is crazy.
You tell him, I..
Don't tell me.
Come on, will you guys get lost?
I'll talk to you later.
Yeah?
Is this Jim Rockford?
Yeah. What is it?
I take it back, Mr. Rockford,
you're not paranoid.
I think you may be absolutely
right about that computer
and maybe the killing.
What changed your mind?
When I got home,
I got a call from Leon Fielder.
He wanted to know what you
and I been talking about,
He was very threatening
and he sounded angry.
Did you tell him?
I told him to climb his thumb.
But I got to admit
he scared me.
You ought to clear out
of your place, Mr. Rockford.
Maybe get a hotel room
under another name.
Maybe that wouldn't be too bad
an idea for you, either.
My wife's packing up the family right now.
We'll be out of here in 10 minutes.
Where can I reach you?
You can't.
Can I help you?
I think that's exactly
what you can do, Mr. Rockford.
You can help us,
and you can help yourself.
I don't live in Los Angeles,
Mr. Rockford.
I flew in here this evening
just to meet with you.
I'll be leaving town within a few hours.
You will never see me again.
But I sincerely hope that
what we discuss will make
a considerable impression
on you.
I also want you to know
that I intend you no harm.
I'm not a thug,
I'm a messenger.
My job is passing information
between interested parties.
I apologize for the way I got you
here, but there was no other way.
You should try engraved
invitations sometime.
For some totally obscure reason,
you have taken to believing
that a fine,
upstanding company is corrupt.
This is a fatal mistake.
In this case, the word "fatal" can be
taken both figuratively and literally.
My employers would consider it
a big favor to them
if you would cease
this aimless
and destructive investigation
of yours.
You are embarrassing
and endangering
a fine, healthy
public company.
A company that is constantly
involved with acquisitions
and cannot stand the type of
pressure you're trying to put on it.
You see, Mr. Rockford
when you stir up analysts like
Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Love
you run the risk that they'll advise
their clients to sell FDI stock.
In the case of
Mr. Mitchell's clients
they hold almost
300,000 shares.
If they were sell
all at once
Fiscal Dynamics stock
goes down.
And my clients at FDI must trade more of
their shares to acquire new companies.
This is costly
and destructive
and must stop
as of this instant.
Or?
Or
you will find that the stove is very
hot, Mr. Rockford.
And that you will have
your hand on it
for a very long time, and it will
be severely and irreparably burned.
Are we being figurative
or literal?
Three other men
will visit you.
They will not bother
to discuss this at all.
They will take you some place
and that will end it.
Do you understand the gravity
of the situation?
Yeah.
Good.
Then I've done my job.
I have, hopefully,
persuaded you that you're being foolish.
I hope, for your sake and mine,
you'll make the right decision.
I apologize
for the inconvenience.
Good evening.
Hello.
Is Rocky there?
Yeah.
Thanks. Yeah.
Rocky, I need some help.
You all right, sonny?
Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm on the corner of Selby
and Ridge in a gas station.
You got to come get me.
Where's your car?
It's along story, Dad.
You got to move.
All right.
Dad.
Yeah?
Did you take my gun
out of the coffee jar?
Yeah, I was cleaning it
two nights ago.
Then I thought I'd go target
shooting this weekend
so stuck it in the pickup.
Bring it with you.
Sure.
I got to hit the road, I..
Where are we going, Jimmy?
2356 Bet-Air Drive.
What are we doing?
We're gonna stake out a house.
Is it gonna be dangerous?
If it was gonna be
dangerous
would I ask a chicken-hearted
old man like you to go along?
Then why did you tell me
to bring a gun?
Well
Can't answer that one,
can you?
Sure, I can.
We're taking a gun along because
somebody may try and kill us.
That's what I figured.
All right,
pull over here, Rocky.
Who lives there?
Leon Fielder.
I want you to go up the
street, about half a block
and turn around
facing this way.
When I blink this light at you,
you come down and pick me up in a hurry.
I'll be in the bushes.
Who's gonna keep the gun?
We don't need the gun yet.
We may never need the gun, Rocky.
Just leave it under the seat.
Now get going.
I'm driving.
No, I see what you do to your car.
Move, Rocky.
All right.
Transglobal
skycap to Baggage Area,
Mr. Johnson, please report to the
Insurance Counter, Concourse 4,.
Let's go on home, Son.
I don't like this.
I need the truck, Rocky.
If you wanna go home, you take a cab.
I'll pay for it.
Where are we going?
Right back where we were.
Why?
He saw me. Let's hope he
panics and spooks Fielder.
We're gonna have to pull him over.
How come?
He's gonna spot us.
Jim, if you
smash up this truck--
I'm not gonna smash it up.
Get the gun.
There he goes.
Lousy, damn suspension-- I
suppose yours is better, huh?
All right, out.
I'm making a citizen's arrest. I'm
taking you and those briefcases downtown.
You're crazy.
100% certifiable.
You cannot make a citizen's arrest
unless you were eyewitness to a felony.
If you try and take me against my
will, at gunpoint, that's kidnapping.
I'll see you put in jail
for that.
Can he do that?
Probably.
Now, if you'll
move your truck
I'd like to get out of here.
I've had about all
I'm gonna take out of you.
When I get through listing
the charges against you
your rap sheet's gonna look
like a grocery list.
Assault, kidnapping, forgery,
and murder.
You get in the truck, Fielder.
And don't tempt me.
I got a lot to get even for.
Rocky, get those briefcases.
No, Rocky!
What did you done that?
Get away from my car!
Rocky, he's only got
one more shot left.
I'm gonna try something.
You stay here.
I'm gonna catch that guy if
it's the last thing I ever do.
Go get him, Pa.
Everybody
out with your hands up.
Over your heads. Up!
I'm Leon Fielder,
Chairman of the Board of Fiscal Dynamics.
These men were attempting
to rob me.
Sergeant, he was trying to kill us.
He's got a gun in the car.
I managed to take a gun
from that man
it's right there
on my front seat.
This yours, buddy?
Are you kidding?
I never saw it before in my life.
We'll run a check on it.
Would you listen to me
for a minute?
Shut up.
You better listen to Jimmy. This here
fella, Fielder, he tried to kill us.
This is ridiculous.
Sergeant, will you
do yourself a favor?
Don't try to figure this
thing out right here.
That man is guilty
of a half a dozen felonies.
He's got two briefcases in that car
full of forged stocks and bonds.
Shake him down.
You're making the worst
mistake of your life, Sergeant.
I'm Leon Fielder.
Read these guys their rights,
and let's get them out of here.
Pick up those bags.
You know, sonny
now that I've really been in
one of these capers with you
I think I understand a lot
more about what's going on.
Yeah, it's kind of
rewarding, isn't it?
In a strange way it beats
truck driving, doesn't it?
Right. You're right
in many respects
it's got truck driving
beat all to heck.
You got a lot more chances of getting
killed. You get to spend time in jail.
You even get your car painted
about twice a month
to take the bullet holes and
the mashed fenders out of it.
You've got
a real winner, sonny.
Okay, Rocky, forget, it.
Forget it? Are you kidding?
How am I gonna forget it?
I'm gonna have cold sweats
for a year.
Hello, Jim. Mr. Rockford.
Hi.
They're gonna get him, Jim.
They got a securities analyst
in the next room
and those two briefcases are full
of forged stock certificates.
The stock exchange suspended
trading of Fiscal Dynamics
about an hour ago,
pending an investigation.
They think the whole company is a
fraud, not worth 10 cents.
Good. Does that mean
I can get out of here?
We. That means we.
I'm sorry, Rocky.
Can we get out of here?
Did you have a gun, Jim?
Apparently they found a gun.
It's being traced. A gun?
Are you kidding, Beth?
You know you can't go around
carrying a gun without a permit.
Okay, Jim. I think I can get you out
of here. It may take an hour or so.
Would you hurry up?
I hate the menu.
You see? Sometimes it's worth
taking chances, Mr. Rockford.
Look what we did.
And that's you, too, Mr. Rockford.
I'll never forget it.
They killed my husband,
and I think we're gonna end up proving it.
Now you see? There's
one of the benefits I like.
You forgot to mention
that one.
Yeah. We got to face facts,
Jim.
That gun only had
five shots in it.
Now, if it had had six shots in
it, like it's supposed to have
you'd be dead.
I don't understand it.
When I cleaned the gun,
it had six bullets in it.
Where did that
sixth bullet go?
I think I know
where it is, Dad.
It's in
the garbage disposal.
How about that?