taxi! yes ma'am. [engine revving] [crash] hey what's the idea.

get back in your cab or i'll slug you. ah don't get excited. come on. no eddie let's take this one. [music] criminal court building. yes ma'am. [engine revs] i have the sworn affidavits and depositions from those witnesses in chicago. they came in the mail this morning. what witnesses what's all this about? chicago should be pretty familiar to you. i understand your bosom pal has opened a couple of night spots there. you mean smiley. who is smiley dear, i don't see his name in these documents. when i finish with him the only place you'll find his name will be on a tombstone. well what has he to do with the bentley trial? i don't know no bentley all i know. the bentley trial dear, the case you're hearing in court today. don't worry eddie i be there, this gives you another go at parker. you be sure you don't bungle it this time. shush, i know all about trials... so do you bub.

are you talking to the cab driver? keep your eye front, do you want us to get killed. sorry your honor. dear listen to me i was talking to dr higgins he said that. listen rosy i'm handling it my way first comes bentley. then comes that st louie two-faced double-crossin backstabbin. fred! i'll show you a few tricks on how to get smiley, tricks you never even dreamed of. sure sure i go through with the trial in nothin flat and then we shoot out to st louie. what will we do in st louis? not you just us. not me just us? darling you frighten me when you talk like this. this is strictly between me and smiley were going south together. on a vacation? to florida? further south it's a hundred times hotter.

boss i tell ya thems his honors own words. and get this he said he's gonna rush through with the trial. then hop quick to st louie and get smiley. that's dangerous talk for a judge and a gubernatorial candidate to make. are you sure you heard right are you positive? yea he called him a double-crossin backstabber. who was running the racket with the judges dough. nice work jim, boys we're in. the honorable judge just put himself right out of the running. shaggsey that hunch of yours was right. this judge not only looks like eddie. he's the biggest two-timing double-crossin candidate that ever ran for office. he's even worse than our own man. are you calling the judge? i'm calling smiley. this looks like what they put on a guy what's givin a necktie party. now tell me the rap on these bentley's. attempted murder, mrs bentley and her husband tried to kill her father and collect his insurance. one of them things eh? um hum they pushed him in front of a subway train.

but they bungled it the fools the old man is alive but somewhat mangled. the entire country is shocked by the ugliness of it. some how they fail to see any beauty in it. what chance they got? judge parker-- none or they wouldn't have spent all that money. trying to square things before coming up for trial. did they try to get to judge parker? oh no no they wouldn't do that. they know its impossible to fix judge parker, but eddie kagle now. hey who spreading the dough. a man known as big harry. well what's his last name, i can't look up no big harry. i wanna call him up and have him come here quick before the trail. no he's too smart for that. well what'll i do. well you just dial spring 7 42 42. i'll guide you a little telepathic transmission. always showing off with those big words. i used to dish out plenty of dough myself when i put in the fix.

now's my chance to get some of it back. twenty-five grand ain't enough to fix a rap like what this is. why it's, it's heinous it's haymiss. the whole country is aroused by it. yeah its reroused the whole country. but your honor uh. as is the case in the people verses mitchell 186 new york 942. like in the case of the people worse than mitchell 186 new york's 942. they got thirty years. you don't want the bentley's to do a thirty year hitch do ya? no your honor but if you'll only be reasonable let me bring the bentley's in. hum, so you can have witnesses for the fix huh. no your honor i just want you to see them and have them say a word in their own defense. wait put the moola on the desk first. [paper shuffling]

your honor this is mr and mrs bentley. they will tell you that this whole affair was merely the result of a tragic misunderstanding. this fine upstanding citizen and this frail innocent law-abiding little lady. were simple victims of circumstance as a result of which. mrs bentley has been under the constant care of her physician. she's lost weight she's been unable to. rosy. rosy morgan. it can't be you was bumped you was bumped. you didn't wait long to get hooked up with this lug did you?

your honor? shut up! easy eddie don't ruin everything. you shut up too! all those trips to kansas city to see your poor old crippled mother and you! your honor get a hold of yourself. so this was your mother huh, you little two-timer playing around with him all the time. but i got you now, wait till the trial starts i'll throw the book at you. i'll give ya da works i'll salt you and him away for keeps. [scream] your honor the court is ready sir. here's your dough you can't fix this rap not for a million. not for all the dough in the country. your honor they tried to bribe you? yeah, image. wait till i tell this story to the press your honor. after this you're a synch to sit in the governor's chair. hey, don't you never say chair to me. i'm sorry your honor. you fool, you unmitigated abysmal fool. [music] if you had a body i would tear it apart.

good thing you can do that trick.

see him he's gotten worse. he's somebody i don't know anymore. what is it matt what's happened to fred. [music] it isn't as simple as diagnosing case of the measles. no thank you.

it could be a throw back to his formative years his young years. his boyhood years when he lived in the slums. but what caused it? fear probably. of what? [click] well he might be afraid of the high office he is running for. afraid of being elected afraid of the responsibilities it might mean. afraid of loving a woman like you. a woman like me? yes barbara i think fred should withdraw from the campaign. are you serious? deadly serious. but you can't be he's as good elected right now. yes i know. well he'll be alright, he's got to be he's got to be governor. from judges secretary to governor's wife not bad. why matt! barbara we've been friends for a long time. you're the loveliest girl i've ever known you're also the most ambitious. yes matt i am see i'm not a psychiatrist i don't know much about neurotic conditions.

but i do know that what fred is doing he must do. psychiatry won't give a lot of poor kids a chance to grow up like decent human beings but fred parker will. psychiatry won't wipe out the vicious elements in this world. but the influence of governor parker will. and this ambitious wench barbara foster is going to help him do it. i'm sorry barbara i guess i was mistaken in you, forgive me [music] i'm sorry too i'm sorry that a man like fred has to pay for all this with his health. well perhaps it will work out as a matter of fact. his condition may pass as quickly as it came. but he must be handled with patience and understanding, it's going to be difficult for you. nothing's difficult where fred's concerned. if you could possibly get him away for a short while it would help enormously. i'll do my best. good still friends?

of course, always, goodbye matt. [music] (nick) lovely isn't she? go ahead make the most of it she's all yours. (fred/eddie) mine huh nah this dame ain't like rosy. why i sent for you so sudden is this smiley. you've been negotiating to operate in the east the same as in st louie. which is okay with me and the boys under certain good and reasonable conditions of course. i got conditions too. oh sure we're not gonna have any argument about percentages. there is only one question. shoot. eddie kagle. what about him? well now that he's out free again. ain't you heard? eddie ain't around any more. he ain't?

na he was bumped off the minute he graduated college. [laughter] well what do you know that means your top dog now. nobody else. and your operating alone you don't have to ask nobody about nothin. you're learning fast. you wouldn't be holding out any important information on us would ya smiley. such as for instance. for instance like silent partners you know someone way up in political circles. that's maybe gettin a cut out of everything. i told you i operate strictly alone. we heard different and we heard it straight smiley. you're hearing it straight from me, yours truly, smiley williams. alright smiley if you say so, after all if you ain't exactly telling us the truth. there will be complications which somebody will get hurt. it's always the other guy gets hurt-- not me. send him to the judges house that will settle both of them,

just get them together. tell you what smiley i just had a thought, before you open up there is a guy you got to see. if he gives you the okay then we'll do business. is he the juice? yea, the juice. i'll give you his name and address, you better call on him right away. if he's not at home wait for him. judge, a judge huh? freddy parker. you better be gettin on over there. is he the juice? running for governor too. [whistling] surprised. yea. i thought you would be. is he tough? you tell us we'll be waiting to hear how you come out bye smiley. so long. [music] my children my children you'd be lost without me. [music]

the governor's mansion's alright, but this is where we really live. shall we go in? in where? in our house silly. oh sure. can't you just see it shining and beautiful remember darling all the fun we had planning all this. location and the rooms and the garden. come on let's go up these three little steps. careful now, now we're on our porch. oh darling we'll spend a lot of time out here. after dinner in the evenings when it's quite and peaceful. [music] let's go inside... hey wait. what's the matter? we have to open the door. oh

come in dear... now then. hey you forgot to close the door. when we're married i am going to insist that you carry me across the threshold. when we get married. well don't say it so gloomy dear it won't be that bad. now over here is your study you private sacred room. there will be pictures of all the great men of law and literature and politics. then over here by the window will be your law library. a big lounging chair for you to slump down in and read. what do i want to do any reading with you in the house. why fred that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. a lot of nice things i want to say to you. save it until we get in there that's the most important room in the house what is it the kitchen? no the nursery.

you mean you want to live here with me and have kids and sit on the porch. of course daring. look at me, you mean with me the way i am what you see and how i talk. i love you. you don't see no difference. no difference that matters. image that i could have had all this been all this. people calling me your honor and smiling at me and kids making a fuss over me. and me not having to hide from someone all the time.

and you i coulda had you. but you are all that-- you have me. i, i got nothin i ain't even got myself. don't say those things at least not up here. you promised today would be our day, you promised to forget all about the court and the election everything. please darling let's just enjoy ourselves. [music] i beg pardon sir but perhaps you prefer to come back tomorrow. evidently his honor is unavoidably detained. i'll wait. yes sir [music]

[music] you happy darling. yea but i am scared too. of what? i don't know. i've never been scared of nothing in all my life. dr higgins says your. nah it ain't nothing the doctor knows about, something i can't figure out myself. except maybe cause i found something i never had before something i want to hold on to. a place like this a feeling of quiet inside a new slant on things. ah i don't know -i'm talking screwy. no you're not, it makes me so happy to hear you talk like that. happy? fred i am beginning to find you again. [music]

ah honey i'm all mixed i can't. you see i made a deal, well how could i know that i meet up with a girl like you. i rather cut my arm off than hurt you. [music] i like to puzzle it out for just a couple of minutes myself. its alright darling.

[music] [music] [dramatic music] that was a very touching scene. what are you gum-shoeing around for. i have some nice news for you, do you remember i promised that if you'd help me get judge parker.

i'd help you get smiley um hum. well i happen to keep my word even some other don't. i did everything you asked me. and bungled everything too, instead of ruining judge parker you made him more popular. that fight in the auditorium or refusing the bribe in the bentley case. and now fantastic billing and cooing. a guy can change can't he. oh not you eddie its too late for that. besides a halo isn't your particular dish. however what i came to tell you is this smiley is in town. [loud tone] what's he doing here? he's come to extend his cafe business. he's going to open up in this city with your money eddie, the money you went to jail for. the money he killed you for. [music]

i don't know gettin the rat don't seem important no more. oh now really eddie you're going soft, what's more you're getting yellow. don't you never say that to me. then prove i'm wrong by carrying out your end of the bargain. i, i can't leave rosy, i mean barbara. smiley in town is not only a threat to you but to barbara too. you mean the girlie's in danger with smiley here. figure it out for yourself, when he sees you if you don't get him he'll get you. like he did before, with a smile on his face.

you know what that would mean to judge parker- to his body. and where would that leave barbara, so you see either way. for her sake or the sake of any little children she may have, you've got to kill him. you got a way of puttin things which makes sense, although inside of me i know that i shouldn't follow your advice. but its like you say it could only be doing barbara a favor. protecting her, her kids our kids maybe i don't know. uh hum now you're beginning to see straight and think clearly. here we go. i got to tell barbara first. [music]

honey i got to tell you something, something very important i got to use your car. my car! i guess its alright dear if you want to. thanks i won't be long. [music] look honey i want you should straighten me out on something. i'll try dear if i can. if we was already married and living in this house and had kids. and one day a big rat full of poison came out of his hole and showed his teeth. and went for the kids throats, what would you do? there'd be nothing to do but destroy it. you mean kill it don't you. well yes. thanks thanks for straighten me out.

[music] fred wait! [engine starts] kill kill. [music]