[ Up-tempo music playing ]
[ Whistle blowing ]
[ Music volume increases ]
Halt!
[ Screams ]
[ Gunshots ]
[ Sirens wailing ]
Who shot the cop?
Same guy that stuck up the bar.
Grab every hood with a police record.
This guy we're gonna get.
Wait a minute! Wait a minute!
[ Indistinct talking ]
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Tires screech ]
Every time some jerk gets knocked off, I get picked up.
You can't hold me here.
72 hours on an open charge.
Man: You killed that officer in the alley.
You're trying to frame me.
Don't give us that. You know you killed him.
Let me alone. I want my lawyer.
You're gonna need one, Romano.
Did you pick up the witnesses? Yeah.
Let me call Morton... Andrew Morton.
Let me call him. I got a right.
Uh-huh.
[ Chuckling ] Oh, sure. Yeah.
No, no. No, I'm sorry.
No, get yourself another lawyer.
I'm through.
I'm off that merry-go-round for keeps.
I don't owe him a thing. Done everything I can do.
Well, don't look at me like that.
That guy's a hoodlum...
a hoodlum who doesn't want to be anything else.
Well, come on. Where'd you move?
Hmm.
This time he really fixed himself.
Killed a cop. Got himself a murder rap.
Oh, sure, sure.
I know... there must be some mistake.
And poor Nick is innocent,
and what a heel I am to be sitting here playing chess
when he needs me.
Well, you're wrong, honey.
If he's innocent, this is the first time.
[ Sighs ] It's your move.
Ah.
All right. You win.
I'll go talk to him.
But I won't promise you anything.
I'll just go talk to him... that's all.
Anything to keep you quiet.
[ Door closes ]
You know, you sit there and deliberately lie to me,
and I'm through before I start.
Mr. Morton... Andy, please, don't walk out on me.
I swear it by my mother...
may she drop dead, may I drop dead...
if the cops ain't framed me.
Look up Butch and Sunshine. Ask 'em.
I was with 'em the whole time.
You're asking me to believe this is the same old setup...
a man with a bad police record's
charged with a crime he didn't commit.
So help me.
You know, if you're lying in a setup like this,
you're like a man cheating himself at solitaire.
Don't you think I don't know that?
I... Well...
Everything you told me better be right in the groove
because, baby, if ever a guy was in a tough spot,
you're it.
Here.
[ Indistinct talking ]
Hey, junior!
Huh. Andrew.
What are you doing slumming?
How's it, junior?
Ah, you look just about the same.
A little older, a little more tired.
[ Grunting ] A little more confused.
Well, get yourself some chow
instead of that embalming fluid you drink.
Your conscience must hurt,
or you wouldn't give me all this.
What do you want to know, Andrew?
Where can I find a couple of characters
named, uh, Butch and Sunshine?
Up and down this street
until the meat wagon comes and carts us all off.
Inside here, when it opens.
A few of the smart ones like you, Andrew,
get off and stay off.
I remember when you sold papers
on the corner of Mills and Dehaven.
My advice is, don't take any truck with us.
Remember that.
Yeah, I'll remember that.
And you stay away from the squirrels.
In my day, a comedian had style.
[ Laughs ]
See you around, junior.
[ Up-tempo music playing ]
Refill.
Hiya, Butch.
Hey, fingers, grab a cue, huh?
You're not lying to me, are you, Sunshine?
No, I ain't, mister. I was with Nick.
I wouldn't twist you.
He didn't kill nobody. Honest, he didn't kill nobody.
You know what perjury is?
We're giving you the straight goods, mister.
You're a pretty good friend of his, aren't you?
He was good to me.
Do a lot for him, huh?
I don't need to.
He was with Butch and me the whole night,
till maybe after midnight.
We drunk a lot of beer.
Squint: Hey, rack!
Comin'!
It's level, mister.
We're giving it to you very level.
You know, if you guys are lying to me,
you're pushing Nick straight into the electric chair.
What about that bartender at the 380?
You know. [ Sniffs ]
Punchy... he's been punchy for years.
You ought to take a look at him.
What do you say about the bartender at the 380?
He identified Nick right out of the lineup.
He's a meat head.
[ Chuckles ]
Thanks.
Try the combination, 3 ball in the corner pocket.
Who asked ya?
Hey, didn't you have a holdup here recently?
So what do I get for it? A hangover and the day shift.
That's gratitude... no tips.
Cop was killed, wasn't he?
Killed?
He was granulated, right down the alley...
the same guy that held me up.
Are you sure?
Am I sure of what?
That it was the same guy that held you up?
Do I know my own name?
Uh...
Swanson... Carl.
I'm gonna retire.
Where's Arabia?
I don't know. I haven't got my atlas.
Atlas.
There's a guy could wrestle.
Yeah. Fill her up.
Uh...
Red wine.
[ Liquid pours ]
Oh, I'm awfully sorry.
Ah, forget it.
Is there anything I can do about it?
Happens all the time with them drunks coming in here.
Okay.
A little service here, my dear fellow.
I'm in the chips.
[ Door closes ]
What you need most is some sleep and a shave.
Sure. Let's take this up tomorrow.
Come on, I'll drive you over to the club.
Look, gentlemen, I've got a tough decision to make...
not tomorrow, now.
Give me an opinion.
Would I be a fool to take this case?
Andy, a law firm like ours lives on confidence and dignity.
This kind of a case is sure to be dragged
through the newspapers...
sensational tabloid stuff.
It's... it's impossible.
Farm it out to Stevens or O'Connor.
You've been tied up to property in the state practice too long
to go back to a criminal case.
Sure, I've been concentrating on documents,
not human beings.
But no other lawyer could know this kid like I do.
Andy, for a long time
we've been thinking of adding a name to this firm.
"Purcell, Corey, and Morton."
A full partnership.
You know what that would mean to you
financially, professionally?
Heh.
From night law school to Purcell, Corey, and Morton.
That's quite a transition.
One you won't make, Andy,
if you take this Romano case.
Oh.
Oh, so it's like that?
[ Door closes ]
Give us another minute, will you, George?
Well, here goes.
Nick, you've got to get rid of that hangdog look.
You're our exhibit "a," the most important evidence we have.
I'm expecting a lot of help from you.
I want you confident, I want you smiling.
I knocked myself out getting seven women on that jury.
I want you to sit there facing them.
Turn on that baby-face stare.
Come on, let's see it.
How's this?
That's perfect.
This jailbird with a felony conviction behind him,
this moocher to whom the police lineup is weekly routine,
"pretty boy" Romano, the skid-row Romeo,
the jackroller, the king of the streets,
this outcast, this hoodlum killer!
Andrew: Object, your honor.
I move the district attorney's remark
be stricken from the record.
As a matter of fact,
all his remarks are made to induce passion and prejudice.
But I object only to "hoodlum killer."
In the case of a boy who's being railroaded,
[ chuckling ] It's hardly an apt phrase.
Sustained.
The jury will disregard the words "hoodlum killer."
Also, Mr. Morton's remark about a boy who was being railroaded.
The state will prove that Nick Romano was the killer.
Our evidence will be conclusive.
Your verdict must be equally conclusive.
There is no place on earth for such a criminal.
Do you wish to make your opening statement now, Mr. Morton?
Uh, yes. Thank you, your honor.
[ Thinking ]Now, shake hands now and come out fighting.
What about this jury?
A manicurist... conscious of a person's looks.
[Chuckles]
Handsome Nick.
Social worker... good.
Grandmother...
firm believer in the gentle Christ... good.
Jewish refugee, ex-professor, naturalized.
He'll know about persecution and slums.
Truck driver...
[chuckles] Plays chess... good.
Mix them well and shake before using.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you just heard the district attorney
list Nick Romano's past vices, his excesses, his crimes...
none of which have any bearing on the charges here today.
They're not pertinent.
They are pertinent, however, in another sense.
They pertain to, who is Nick Romano?
Why is Nick Romano?
What is Nick Romano?
Perhaps more than anybody in this courtroom,
I know the answer.
Perhaps more than anybody else, I'm to blame for that answer.
With the state's permission, I'd...
I'd like to take a little time
to more fully explain what I mean.
You see...
In every man's life, there are pinpoints of time
that govern his destiny.
And his adolescence and his youth are pushed to the right,
a life of honor and credit...
But pushed to the left...
a life like Nick Romano's.
I first met this boy about six years ago.
At that time, I... I had a small law office of my own
with a few associates.
Mate. Get out of that one.
Anything else?
Just the Romano boy.
Romano?
Yes, you handled his father's case, Mr. Morton,
or, rather, the office did.
Oh, yes, the, uh, the grocer. Where is he?
He's in prison... been there for four months.
In prison? Well, that's impossible.
Customer came at him with a knife.
It was a case of self-defense, plain and simple.
You turned the case over to Mr. Elkins.
Oh.
[ Door closes ]
What's the story on the Romano case?
Well, Andy, you see,
the old chap doesn't speak English much,
and the D.A. made a monkey out of him on the stand.
Well, go on.
Well, then there were...
there were a couple of character witnesses
that I couldn't find.
Did you try hard?
Well, I figured whatever the old boy got,
the judge would suspend sentence.
Only... only he didn't.
Did you move for a new trial?
Well, uh, no.
Since he'd be out in only a year or so, I figured that...
what do you mean "only a year or so"?
You think you got the right
just because you have a fancy law-school degree
to botch a case this way?
Well, Andy, you...
you told me to do exactly what I thought best about it.
You remember, you were busy with the Davenport will.
Mm-hmm. Well, I guess it's my fault.
That's all, then.
Let's have a talk soon.
I want to trade you for a good chess player.
Oh, miss holiday?
Send the boy in!
Mr. Morton, I know you're busy, but...
sit down, kid.
I'm Nick Romano.
I came to see you,
if there's anything you can do for my father!
Dad's got a bad pump! He faints sometimes!
They told us he wouldn't go to jail,
and we paid you all the money we had.
Take it easy, kid. I know how you feel.
Nobody knows how anybody feels.
How'd you find that out?
Look, the social worker got the rent paid last month.
What are we gonna do this time?
Can't you get dad out, mister?!
I don't know.
But I'll tell you one thing... I'm sure gonna try.
Come on, let's go talk to your mother.
[ Piano music playing ]
Mr. Morton, ma... he's gonna help us!
How do you do, Mrs. Romano?
[ Italian accent ] Hello.
Please, uh, sit down.
Well, thank you.
[ Speaking Italian ]
Um...
Tell her how sorry I am.
Tell her I'll do everything possible
to get your father out of jail.
[ Speaking Italian ]
She said if you'd done your duty,
dad would never be in prison.
Oh...
Well, she's right.
I was just too busy to pay proper attention to the case.
Uh, uh...
Mea culpa.
[ Speaking Italian ]
Ma says to get him out of jail as fast as you can.
We need him.
Oh, sure. I'll... I'll do everything I can.
Grazie!
[ Bell rings ]
Oh, hello! Oh!
Angie, Maria. How's your mother feeling?
Better.
I got an "a" in drawing today.
Hello, Mrs. Romano.
Hello.
Mr. Morton.
[ Chuckling ] Uh, hello.
The Umberto case last year, remember?
Oh, yes, miss, uh, Harrison, social worker.
Miss Patterson, social worker.
[ Chuckling ] Oh.
Your outfit, uh, giving the Romanos a lift?
They need it.
Mrs. Romano...
[ Speaking Italian excitedly ]
Mrs. Romano, I have some bad news for you.
[ Speaking Italian ]
We just got a wire from the penitentiary.
Your father died of a heart attack this morning.
Papa's dead?!
Julian: She says papa's dead!
No!
[ Speaking Italian emotionally ]
[ Crying ]
Andrew: That was how I first met Nick Romano.
That was the push I gave him.
Sure, I tried to help the family.
I sent them some money.
Perhaps if I'd been able to see them through a little longer,
but... but then I was called to Washington.
Two weeks later, I was in the army.
I was overseas for three years.
War and men being what they are, I forgot the Romanos.
And the help they got from organized charity wasn't enough.
So with Nick at his most impressionable age,
they were forced to move into one of the worst districts
in the city,
perhaps the worst in any American city!
And that can do it.
A year or so of that can take what was once a family
and finish it...
can take a fine, sensitive, friendly kid...
And twist him and turn him.
Jimmy: Hey, what's that?
Vito: He's the new kid. He just moved in.
He's been to the store for his ma.
Let's make him feel at home.
Yeah. Hey, you! Hey, pretty boy!
Hi, fellas.
"Hi, fellas," he says. You hear that, Jimmy?
Sure, Vito, I heard him.
Why don't you give pretty boy here a welcome, Jimmy?
Welcome, pretty boy.
[ Shouting indistinctly ]
So that's how it is.
Easy, easy! That's a good job, boy.
If you need to know anything, I got the answers.
Yeah. You can find me down at the pastime pool hall.
My name's kid fingers.
Here... there's your knife.
Maria, get me some soap.
Borrow it from upstairs.
We ain't got any.
Try, will ya?
What's for dinner?
[ Speaking Italian ]
I'll eat somewhere else.
Nick, you come home, eat, eh?
Home? You call this pigpen a home?
[ Speaking Italian ]
You bad boy.
[ Speaking Italian ]
[ Jimmy whistles ]
What do I want in church?
[ Whistles ]
My soul's okay without going to church.
[ Speaking Italian ]
Jimmy's okay.
[ Speaking Italian ]
He uses swear words and plays rough tricks.
He treats me better than any of you do.
Oh, yes?
[ Crying ] Why you no go live his house, eh?
I'll pack your clothes, if you want me to.
Okay.
Okay, do that, sourpuss.
Nick.
Nick!
[ Speaking Italian ]
Did I ask to get born? Did I?!
[ Jimmy whistles ]
Oh, ma, Jimmy's all right.
Hey, Nick, what do you say, huh?
Hey, Nick.
Hi, Vito, Jimmy.
What's burning ya?
Eh...
Need some dough?
Go ahead. Take a buck.
Put the arm on a lush yesterday for a five.
Go ahead.
Hey, big lady.
How dare you, you dirty...
[ Screams ]
Get away from me!
[ Laughs ]
Hey, Nick.
I'm poor.
Yeah, let's maybe turn a trick.
That bakery, where we heisted the pies.
Nah. We got to get something we can turn over.
Listen, I got my eye on a special joint over on 3rd.
You in? Sure, Vito.
You?
Yeah. What are we waiting for?
[ Car horn honks ]
Ah, take a trip!
Is this the place?
For the little stuff, yeah.
Listen, we get something big... a car, maybe.
That, we can take out of town.
Watch.
Hi, Nick.
Hi, Julian.
Go on. Muff off!
[ Bell chimes ]
Hello, young men. Welcome. Come in and buy.
Buy or sell. Take or put.
Hello, Duke.
What can we do for you, gentlemen?
Want to talk to you back there.
Why not? Talk is cheap.
And he's got plenty of cheap talk.
Miss America, 1913...
weighs 2 pounds less than a grand piano.
Mush... inside.
Sit down, young men, sit down.
Have a chocolate drip.
We got a couple of watches.
Tell me an answer... where'd you get them?
Over on 3rd...
we got 'em. What do you care?
Watches are very hard to turn over.
I got a cracked rib. Don't make me laugh.
You want them, or you don't want them?
All right, all right. Show 'em.
$2 for this one, $3 for the big one. [ Scoffs ]
Two comedians.
Oh, young men, you're young.
You don't know the trouble I go through.
Okay, guys, let's blow. I know a better place. Now wait.
Have an orange slice.
7 bucks for the two.
Hey, your shirttail's hanging.
7 bucks? Gee.
[ Siren wails ]
[ Tires screech ]
[ Gunshot ]
The, uh, stolen car led Nick Romano and Jimmy
to reform school.
The word "reform"...
Means to remove doubt, to reclaim, to improve.
It can also mean degrade and brutalize.
There are reformatories with modern methods,
where delinquents are looked upon as individuals
with individual problems.
And then there are others, like the one Nick was sent to,
where life is based on one law... fear.
An island of outrage.
Work and sleep and eat by command.
Pray by command.
Talk to your neighbor while you're eating,
you're whipped until you bleed.
Show up a minute late for an assembly...
solitary confinement.
Grab a smoke after hours...
you wind up at a burlap party.
Look over the gray fence at the faraway hills.
Look through the bars
at the free night without hope,
except someday, get out,
get even.
Yes, I said "burlap party."
A method for which this particular institution
was famous.
Do you think they've had enough?
[ Jimmy coughing ]
Take it easy, Jimmy.
Guard: Hey, you shut up!
We've soaked it up five times already!
Ain't that enough?!
We'll tell you when you've had enough!
Mop.
[ Coughing ]
He's sick!
What did they tell Jimmy's folks?
That he died of pneumonia!
All good guys get the dirty end of the stick.
You're gonna make sure it doesn't happen to you, eh?
You ever, uh...
You ever hear from your folks or write to them?
Not if I can help it.
I, uh, I looked them up when I got out of the army.
They're in Seattle, doing fine.
Julian's working.
Don't sing me lullabies, mister.
That's for Julian. Only suckers work!
You know, Nick, I'm trying to help you.
Oh, sure.
Maybe you can get me a job, winding an eight-day clock.
You're really sorry for yourself, aren't you?
You do a stretch in a joint like this and see how you feel!
I got a flash for you.
I've done a stretch in a joint like this
when I was younger than you are.
And you came out feeling great!
No, I came out feeling just about the way you do.
But I got over it, like you'll have to.
I'm with a couple of other lawyers now.
Here's my new address.
Don't hold your breath till you hear from me.
You better look me up when you get out of this rattrap.
You want to do something for me?
Remember me in your prayers.
Boy, oh, boy.
What a lovable character they made out of you.
[ Sighs ]
Okay, sucker, if you want anything,
you know where to find me.
Ah, hey, Nick, you coming? Yes or no?
Yeah.
Come on, Larry, shake it, will ya?
You're finished with him.
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
W-w-w-where you going? Do you ever ask yourself?
I'll g-give you odds you never get there.
Put it on the cuff.
T-that, you don't need to tell me.
Ain't it wonderful the way a guy grows up, huh?
T-t-this street's no good, Nick... gets in your blood.
So it's in my blood... who cares?
Live fast, die young, have a good-looking corpse.
W-w-w-why don't you go out w-west
and l-l-live with your folks?
Why don't you quit asking me dumb questions?
Yeah, but I'm g-g-giving you good advice.
Who asked ya?
Hi, Sunshine. What do you look so happy about?
How can a guy be happy and broke at the same time?
You really need eating money, or is this for a horse?
It's for a horse.
Yeah? [ Chuckles ] Okay, you sold me.
Thanks, Nick. Anything I can do?
No, I'm livin'.
How are things, fingers?
Oh, the kid's got dough in his pocket all the time.
Uh, squint and me will take you and Butch on.
No, I got to get going... got a date.
But I got money to put up on the side.
Where are the kicks in trimming a pushover like squint?
You think you're good, huh?
You think you're pretty sharp, huh? Yeah.
Yeah, you think you're all-American moonshine, huh?
How are things with you, squint?
[ Pool cue clatters ]
You told him, Nick.
¿Qué pasa, Juan?
There's a twist waiting outside for you...
says her name's Nelly. Yours?
Friend of mine... nice kid, buys me things.
Look out, Nick!
Got a cigarette?
Hey, that's a sharp case.
She's all right.
I only pick 'em all right.
What's her angle?
Slings hash over at the nickel plate.
Oh?
Oh, Nick. Hi, Nelly.
Oh, Nick, I waited for you last night.
I got tied up.
Let's make it tonight, when you're through work.
You got tied up, sure. Can imagine with what.
Oh, honey, you treat me terrible.
One, there was a poker game,
two, I was drinking, and, three, I passed out.
That's the level, Nelly.
Oh, you're lyin'!
Look, honey, I... I know you was with some girl,
but I just can't get sore at you.
Nick, all I want you to do is to be nice to me.
Tonight.
If not tonight, tomorrow night.
See?
Yeah? Why is it too late now?
Ah, the joint's closed.
Look, I had it timed so we'd catch him
coming down the stairs, see?
This bookie is loaded. He's always loaded.
You had me all keyed up!
Paper, gentlemen?
Latest stock market reports and society chitchat.
Hiya, junior.
So long, junior.
Good day, riffraff.
I was counting on this. Got to have me some dough.
We missed a real break, Nick.
Ah!
Who runs this place
since the Duke and Gussie got sent up?
Maybe we can pick up a few bucks.
Cover me.
[ Bell chimes ]
Do you want something?
Yeah.
Those caramels there... how much?
Penny apiece... same as always.
Give me five.
[ Cash register rings ]
[ Woman speaking indistinctly ]
I'll be back.
Auntie, please!
Help me to bed.
Anything else?
You run this place?
Yes. My aunt and I.
Do you want anything else?
Yeah.
Give me five more.
Bet you could be a lot sweeter than them caramels.
Dreaming is free.
You're old enough to dream, honey.
Stop it.
You don't have to talk like that.
You don't look like that.
Are you new here?
I've never seen you in here before.
I was out of town.
Hey, you're different from most girls.
Most girls don't look like they belong to families.
Y-you look so...
Nice and healthy.
Yes, I'm very healthy.
[ Bell chimes ]
You work fast, don't ya? I'm coming.
You're in here romancing while I'm out there waiting, huh?
Go on, wait some more. I'm coming.
[ Bell chimes ]
Well, so long.
Well, what's your name?
Emma.
I'm Nick.
I got a pack of cigarettes.
I almost forgot to pay.
Thanks, Nick.
[ Bell chimes ]
Man, that was our last two bits.
I enjoyed the movie an awful lot, Nicky.
Thanks for taking me.
Good night, Nicky.
Can I come in a minute?
All right.
[ Muffled chime ]
I got you something.
[ Exhales ]
The guy told me it was genuine Mexican silver.
Nicky!
Isn't it...
Isn't it lovely?
I never gave anybody anything before.
It feels...
[ Exhales ]
Good.
Auntie.
She has dizzy spells.
[ Bottles clink ]
She has dizzy spells a lot now, Nicky.
Yeah. You want me to go?
No.
Will you help me put her to bed?
No!
I'm sorry.
You see, her husband left her a long time ago.
That's why she has dizzy spells.
Yeah, sure.
Put it on.
I'm afraid.
Don't be afraid.
Oh, Nicky, Nicky, my darling!
No! No!
I ain't gonna let you get mixed up with me.
What?
Keep away from me. I'm no good... not for you!
You know where this came from?
I slugged a guy and robbed him to get the money to buy it.
I drink, I gamble, I steal!
That's how I live!
No, you don't get this.
I ain't gonna mess up your life.
Now stay away from me.
[ Bell chimes, door closes ]
[ Exhales sharply ]
[ Car horn honking ]
That's Butch! Something's gone wrong!
Come on!
Get the hands up... quick!
Move.
[ Mid-tempo music playing ]
Were you surprised when I phoned you?
Bowled over.
That's the way I felt when you asked me to have dinner.
You know, you don't look like a social worker,
and you don't dance like one.
Well, you don't look or act like a lawyer.
How's my dancing?
Oh, Sincere, well-thought out, strong.
Hmm.
Andy, I have a confession to make.
Ah, you want something.
Mm-hmm. And what's your problem?
It's that boy... Nick Romano. Remember him?
He knows where I am if he needs help.
He's been in jail again.
He came out meaner, tougher than before.
We have to do something about it.
"We have to do something about it"?
Why do we have to do anything about it?
Look, he's a weak, bad kid.
I don't agree with you.
If only someone could get him off that street.
Mm, according to my book, if he were worth saving,
he'd get off the street by himself.
You're not serious?
Why not?
Without any help at all?
Plenty of guys have done it without help.
You, for instance.
Me, for instance.
Ah, come on, let's go practice my dancing.
I think I'm going home.
What for? Nothing.
I'm suddenly just tired. I want to go home.
All right, all right.
Now, what do you want me to do for the kid?
Not a thing.
Look, I'm licked.
I'll be a father to him.
I'll wipe his nose and brush his teeth.
I'll... I'll buy him a bicycle.
I'll take him camping.
I'll push him in a baby carriage.
I'll be a mother to him. How's that?
[ Mid-tempo music playing ]
Hey, what was the girl's name?
Emma. I met her again.
I bumped into her on the street.
I didn't look her up 'cause I gave her a rough deal once.
Guess I shouldn't be taking her out, should I?
Well, Nick, people are always looking for something...
somebody or something to feel good about.
And when you find it, you better know it for sure.
You ever figure it that way?
Never thought about it. Maybe you're right.
Boy, what a life.
You and your friends sure know how to live.
[ Laughing ] Yeah.
Maybe I don't, huh?
Hello.
Say, you fellas did all right today.
Yes, sir. Got to clean 'em and get 'em on ice.
Therapy working?
I think it is.
Andy, if you can straighten that one out
and keep him straight,
you've done the neatest trick of the week.
Skeptical, aren't you?
No, just practical.
In my book, it takes more than fresh air,
a little sunshine,
and a few kind words to make a tame canary out of a jailbird.
[ Chuckles ]
You've got to admit there's a big improvement.
And you've got to admit there's a long way to go.
I'm going in town to send a few wires.
Want to come along?
Sure, I'll be right down.
We're going into town for a while, Nick.
Would you like to go along?
Don't think so, sir. Thanks just the same.
Coming into town, Nick?
No, thanks.
"Therapy working?"!
"Neatest trick of the week."
"We're going into town for a while.
Want to come along?"
"Tame canary out of a jailbird."
So, that's the result of my being a mother.
My kid steals 100 bucks from me.
Why don't you just have him arrested
if you're so indignant?
Well, you have a stranger arrested
for stealing and running out,
but a friend like Nick,
you just kind of, um, ask him a few questions.
I'll find that guy if I got to hit every joint on skid row.
You certainly seem to know the best.
What are you kicking about?
You're the best-looking mouse in the "joint."
"Tanks," rat.
[ Chuckles ]
How come you never got married?
Marriage, my friend, is always a... yes, it sure is.
Hey, there's our guy.
Come on.
Hiya, Nick. Good to see you.
Excuse us, will ya?
I didn't expect to run into you so soon.
$50...
$60...$70.
You owe me $30.
I can still teach you a few, kid.
You're just a tin-horn thug, and you always will be.
You haven't got the guts to be anything else!
Did you question him?
Mildly, my dear, just mildly.
Nicky?!
Who was that man? Did he hurt you?
Maybe I had it coming to me.
Go on home, Emma.
No, Nicky.
Come on with me.
I'd like to live on the top of a hill in a big white house
and just have a home of our own.
And a little spotted dog.
All the people I've met in my life,
you're the only one like you.
Lots of stars.
With you, I remember things...
Long-ago things.
Me too.
Like Jimmy.
He was my pal in reform school.
My father.
I didn't know my father.
When I was an altar boy.
Et introibo ad altare dei,
ad deum qui laetificat juventutem meam.
[ Chuckles ] How'd I remember that?
What's it mean?
"And I go into the altar of god,
to god who giveth joy to my youth."
It's beautiful.
I guess I got all mixed up.
I guess I played it wrong.
[ Chuckles ]
You know, in the spring when I started to grow up,
I used to come into this park.
I felt the way I do now.
Just floating with happiness.
Look, what I said to you that night,
when I gave you the bracelet almost...
don't talk about it anymore, Nicky.
Don't talk about anything.
Once you play it wrong...
I couldn't go straight if I wanted to.
Maybe you can if you're not lonely.
I believe in you, Nicky.
If I helped you, would you try?
Don't ever leave me, Emma. Don't ever leave me.
I love you, Nicky.
[ Buzzer sounds ]
Yes?
Miss holiday: Mr. Morton, there's a Mr. Romano.
Who? Mr. Nick Romano. He...
no, I don't want to see him.
He'll wait until you're free.
No, don't have him wait. Kick him out.
[ Footsteps approaching, door slams ]
But I told Mr. Morton...
hello, Andy. Get out of here.
Miss holiday, haven't you been with me long enough to...
I want to tell you
I don't blame you for jackrolling me.
What?!
Okay.
I should've broken both your legs.
Okay, I apologize.
I thought Mr. Purcell didn't trust me
because I'd been in stir, so I blow my top and rob you.
So I'm sorry.
Count it.
30 bucks... you're paid in full.
Well, that's great. You want a receipt?
Chances are, you jackrolled some other poor sucker to get it.
Did you? I did not.
I won it absolutely fair in a crap game.
[ Chuckling ] Well, that's not exactly earning it,
but, uh, we'll give it to the community chest.
Anything else?
No.
In case you're interested, I'm getting married.
You're kidding.
No... next week, to a wonderful girl.
Oh, that'll be cozy.
You and Mrs. Romano can spend your evenings
beating up the cops.
Nick.
I'm sorry I made that crack.
Yeah, we're both sorry. People say things.
A guy gets a break, and people say things.
You got a job?
No, not yet.
Let me know if there's any way I can help.
Thanks.
Sharp.
[ Chuckles ]
So long.
[ Mid-tempo music playing ]
I hope it works out.
Well, I hope so, too,
but there have been very few miracles since the 13th century.
Oh, if I were as cynical as you, I'd hang myself.
I'd be too cynical to trust the rope.
Oh, Paul?
Paul: Right now, Mr. Morton?
This is the most marvelous place I've ever seen.
The band even has a harp in it.
It sure is a classy joint.
When I was a little girl,
I wanted to grow up
and play the symphony orchestra in the harp.
[ Andrew chuckles ]
[ Chuckles ]
Oh, that's all right, Emma.
You're not supposed to make sense when you're in love.
Nick's sure he can get a job.
Yeah, that's right.
And I'm gonna get one, too, for now.
I know a guy.
He can get me a chance in a big office.
We'll save, and...
Maybe next week, we can move uptown.
I want Nick to have nice things.
I want him to have a suit like yours, Mr. Morton.
Well, I still owe the tailor for this one.
[ Harp playing ]
Emma can cook cacciatore.
Adele: Oh, you kids are wonderful.
Well, here's to the job, to uptown,
to the new suit, and to the bride and groom.
Stay with it, Nick.
I'll try, Andy. Nobody will try any harder.
We saw Nick and Emma from time to time
after they were married.
And Nick did try.
For a while, he quit the hard drinking,
the gambling, the bad company, and went to work.
But he lost one job after another...
quit or was fired.
Not working had been a habit too long.
At times, they lived on Emma's salary.
They were still in love,
but the honeymoon was definitely ending.
Say it ain't so. Say I'm seeing a vision!
Well, look at him.
Married and working... what a combo.
A good man gone wrong.
Nick... You ain't working.
How you like it, pal?
I love it.
I can't wait to get up in the morning,
5:00 A.M., and go to my job.
Present for Emma... you got it?
Yeah. Step into my office, huh?
Now...
Tell me they ain't got class.
Yeah. Just tell me, huh?
Never mind the buildup. How much?
40 bucks... to a pal.
Are you nuts, pal?
They're worth $100. You're getting them for $40.
They're hot.
Lukewarm.
I'm making $38.20, take-home pay.
How am I gonna give you $40 for the earrings?
That's your problem... period.
I'll pay you 10 bucks a weekend.
Well...
It's been nice knowing you, huh?
The crap game still on back there?
When did it ever stop?
Come on, I'll give you luck.
Vito: Hey, Nick.
Hi, Vito, Butch. See you later.
Em, honey, I'm home.
You asleep?
I know.
So I shot dice.
So I had a couple of drinks.
Nothin' to bawl about.
I wish you'd come home earlier.
I wanted to go for a walk or something after supper.
Why walk?
If we had a car, we could take a ride, if we had some gas.
Come on, I'll help you get to bed.
You know what?
I'm gonna get you some real classy earrings.
Please, honey, don't worry about things like that.
Just as soon as I get a little money.
What you need now is sleep.
What I need is somebody to slug some sense into me!
Know anybody that's big enough?
Oh, Nicky.
Payday...
Lose every dime.
Why do you hang around?
Oh, Nicky, how can you say that?
Why don't you call it off?
Well, what's the matter?
Nothing's the matter, only don't talk like that.
You can't believe in me no more, Emma.
You can't.
I do.
I always will.
Only, Nicky, you've got to keep believing in yourself.
I'm trying, honey... really trying.
I just can't make the grade.
Kiss me?
Oh, Nicky.
Nicky, you're the only thing I've ever had all my own.
Make me proud of you.
Please, darling, please.
[ Exhales deeply ]
Hey, you!
How many times I got to tell you, no smoking in here?
I'm sorry. I just...
how many times I got to tell you
I ain't paying you just to sit around?
I'm sorry. No wonder you can't keep no job.
No wonder you keep getting in Dutch
with every guy that hires you.
You ought to be back in jail.
See what I mean?
[ Exhales ]
Hello, darling. I kept our supper warm.
What is it, Nicky?
N-nothin'.
Everything's milk and honey, only I ain't got a job.
Oh.
You'll get another one, darling.
I don't want it. I rode that line long enough.
Here's where I get off.
What do you mean?
I'm going away, Emma.
[ Dishes clank ] No.
No!
For long?
No way to tell yet.
Saw Butch, Juan, and Vito tonight.
We got a surefire setup.
This means real dough.
But afterwards, we'd better get out of town for a while.
I guess I knew it would happen...
In the night, in my sleep... dreams like knives.
Always, you were bad.
Always, you were running away.
Don't do it, Nicky.
Don't do it now.
I'd do it sooner or later.
I'm not kidding myself no more.
And you mean that, don't you?
Don't I look like I mean it?
I have to think.
I have to think about the baby.
Don't!
Are you trying to hurt me?
You got crazy notions about us.
It ain't gonna work that way.
Nicky...
I don't want it. No baby, you understand?
I don't want it.
When you have it, give it away! Give it to somebody!
Oh, Nicky, it can still be all right!
No!
Nothing's gonna slow me down.
From here on in, I travel in a hurry.
What I used to say still goes.
Live fast, die young...
And have a good-looking corpse.
[ Door opens, closes ]
[ Water bubbling ]
[ Wheels squeal ]
[ Train restarts ]
You, let him in!
Some dope said, "I suppose you're a personal friend
of Christopher Columbus."
Maybe I have theories, too.
Hmph!
Hmm, something new has been added.
[ Sirens wailing in distance ]
Go on, do it!
No. Please, don't. I got a wife, three kids!
You do it.
[ Grunts ]
Nick!
[ Wailing continues ]
Come on, come on, come on!
[ Engine revs, tires screech ]
Cut through to my street. Got to see Emma.
I'm gonna take her with us.
Muchacho, you're crazy. We got no time!
Go on, Butch... do it!
[ Coughs ]
Forgive me.
[ Hoarse voice ] A few months later,
the defendant was charged
with the murder of patrolman Hawkins.
I've told you Nick Romano's story in such detail
because I want you to know all about his past.
No matter how deplorable or antisocial
that past may have been,
I will prove that he did not attempt to rob the 380 bar,
nor did he commit the murder with which he's charged.
Nothing can be simpler than the evidence
I intend to present.
[ Gavel bangs ]
And now, Mr. Swanson, be very careful of your next answer.
Did you get a good look at the holdup man?
Yes.
Do you see him here in this courtroom?
Yes, sir.
Point him out to the jury.
That's him.
Oh, you mean the young man, the pretty boy,
sitting next to Mr. Morton?
Mr. Morton objects, your honor.
And if he desires,
I will withdraw the appellation "pretty boy."
His cherubic countenance and assumed innocence
made me forget the black heart of a murderer.
Cross examination.
Mr. Swanson, did the unidentified holdup man
wear a hat or a cap, or was he bareheaded?
He wore a hat.
What color?
I don't know, but that's him right over there.
The man that held you up... what color was his hair?
[ Sniffs ] Same as his.
You got a good look at the man who held you up?
Sure. He stood right across the bar from me.
Say, for a minute or so?
Yeah.
Mr. Swanson, my name is Andrew Morton.
Have you ever seen me before?
No, never. You're quite sure?
No, I never seen you before.
Do you recall a glass of red wine
that was spilled on your shirt?
To refresh your memory,
do you recall that we talked together about this killing,
that I spilled a glass of wine on your shirt?
Do you recall that now?
We talked together for quite a while, didn't we?
Didn't we?
Well, yeah.
Uh-huh.
Mr. Swanson, would you be good enough to tell the jury
why you can't identify me, although we talked together,
but you can identify the alleged holdup man
who was with you only a minute or so?
Tell that to the jury.
Of course you identified him
because the police told you that was the man who held you up.
Isn't that right?
Yeah, that's right.
Object! Sustained.
You know better than to ask a question like that, Mr. Morton.
Oh, I'm very sorry, your honor.
That's all.
Kerman: And now, Mr. Carnahan, as a final question,
I want you to repeat the time of night
you saw the defendant run out of the alley...
and loud enough for the jury to hear it.
Somewhere between 5 after 8:00 and 8:30.
And you're absolutely sure?
I am.
Cross examination.
Mr. Carnahan, what's your occupation?
Mr. Kerman neglected to ask you that.
I... well, I... I do odd jobs.
Isn't that address you gave on 12th street...
isn't that a flophouse?
Well, it's a-a sort of... a sort of a club.
A club... I can imagine.
As a matter of fact, you have no permanent address.
You're better known as "kid fingers," aren't you?
Yes.
How old are you, kid?
49.
Thank you, "kid."
[ Light laughter ]
How many times have you been convicted of a felony?
Twice.
Twice? Oh, you're under oath.
Well, maybe I should've said three or four times.
Yes, maybe you should. What was the first time?
I...
I don't remember.
You don't remember?
Wasn't it for the sale of a certain kind of literature
to high-school students?
Yes.
What was the next time?
Well, I...
I don't remember.
Again, he doesn't remember.
Well, we'll just sit right down here
and wait until you do remember.
[ Gavel banging steadily ]
[ Clears throat ]
Panhandling.
[ Laughter, gavel bangs rapidly ]
Mr. Fingers...
Would you mind telling the jury
what you mean by "panhandling"?
Well, it's... it's like asking somebody to help you.
You mean begging?
Yes.
I guess you could call it that, if you wanted to be nasty.
[ Laughter ]
[ Gavel bangs ]
You did time in the federal penitentiary at Leavenworth, didn't you?
All right, okay, so I took a relief check from a mailbox.
If other words, you'll do anything for money...
anything except work, that is.
Kerman: Object. This line of questioning has no... judge: Sustained.
I think, Mr. Morton, that...
Yes, your honor.
Where were you on the night the crime was committed?
Uh, walking along 12th street.
Panhandling?
Kerman: Don't answer that.
Sustained.
Are these clothes you have on...
are they the ones you usually wear?
No.
They're not.
In other words, some person or persons unknown
gave you the clothes you're wearing.
Kerman: Object.
Where he got the clothes proves or tends to prove nothing.
The person or persons unknown
doesn't seem to want to have his good deed told in public.
Is counsel intimating that the prosecution
would stoop so low as to procure unfair testimony?
Your honor, I'm intimating nothing.
I'm merely questioning.
Judge: Objection sustained, Mr. Kerman.
Oh, uh...
One more question, and this is the last one.
Do you keep the clothes?
[ Laughter ]
[ Gavel banging ]
Well, I was playing pool in the pastime, see?
We hear shootin'.
Kid fingers and I run out
and down to the end of the alley.
We look down the alley and see this guy.
Then he comes running our way and goes right past us...
right past us.
Who'd you see?
Nick Romano.
Your witness.
What's your occupation, Mr. Zinsky?
I, uh, don't have a job right now.
You really mean you have no occupation?
I guess so, yeah.
Were you ever charged with this murder?
Me? No, sir. I saw it, though.
And I thought about it for a couple of days,
and I just couldn't stand it.
So I went to the police and told them what I seen.
Just a loyal, patriotic, justice-loving citizen.
Is that right?
Yes, sir.
Although you had to think about it
for two or three days first.
Where are you living now?
Sloan hotel.
Well, if you haven't got a job, who pays your bills?
Kerman: Object.
Won't prove any issue in the case.
Overruled.
Well?
Well, I... Win at pool.
He's a pushover.
I'm pretty good at pool.
Isn't it true, isn't it a fact that every week
since you volunteered this testimony,
you've been handed an envelope containing money?
Object, your honor!
Judge: Sustained.
If your mysterious benefactor
wants to support anybody else, give him my name.
That's all. Thank you.
You're in love with the defendant,
aren't you, miss Watkins?
No.
Yeah.
Guess maybe I am.
Used to be.
Speak up.
Yeah, I'm in love with him.
Did you know the defendant
was going to hold up that bartender?
Oh, no. No, I didn't.
Didn't he plan this with you?
Oh, no, nothing like that.
He's a sweet kid.
Now, think this one over carefully.
Didn't the defendant tell you in the past
how easy it would be to hold up the 380 bar?
I don't know.
Miss Watkins.
I don't know.
Maybe he did a long time ago, but...
But it was a long time ago.
Your witness.
You're dismissed.
Kerman: Call Juan Rodriguez.
Man: Juan Rodriguez? Juan: Yes, sir.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear the testimony you're about to give
is the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you god?
I do.
Thought this guy was a pal of yours.
Yeah.
Do you know the defendant, Nicholas Romano?
Yes.
Tell us if you saw him
the night officer Hawkins was killed.
I don't remember.
You don't remember what?
If I saw him.
Well, were you on the street that night?
I don't remember.
You were near the 380 bar near the entrance to an alley,
weren't you?
You saw Nick Romano run into that alley, didn't you?
I don't remember.
What do you remember about this case?
I remember that the police picked me up
and said they'd prove I was in this country illegal
and they'd have me deported
if I didn't say I saw Nick run into the alley.
The witness has perjured himself!
He should be arrested.
I withdraw him as a state witness.
Here's a break. Just a minute!
The prosecution called this witness.
He's theirs, not ours.
He can't withdraw him until I've had my cross examination.
He's a hostile witness. That's beside the point.
The witness is obviously perjuring himself.
Perjuring himself?
The burden of proof is on you, my friend.
I will see the prosecuting attorney
and the defense counsel in my chambers.
Court will recess for half an hour.
[ Indistinct talking ]
Man: What a picture!
Make yourselves comfortable, if you can.
What I can't understand is Kerman's personal vindictiveness
against Romano... this "pretty boy" business.
I'm being entirely objective. You know very well that...
do you want to play fair?
One at a time!
The witness gave a signed statement to the police
that he saw Romano at the scene of the crime.
We admit the statement.
We've already heard him say why he made it.
He's lying now. You can't allow this testimony.
I can bring in two officers who took the statement.
Mr. Kerman, don't try to conduct my trial for me.
If there's perjury in any phase of this trial,
believe me, the guilty parties are going to sweat for it.
When the witness is called
into the prosecuting attorney's office...
You're a liar! I'm tired of your dirty insinua...
stop it!
If the court will...
If the court will swear in Rodriguez as its witness...
no. It wouldn't be fair to the defendant.
He can't cross-examine!
Strike out the testimony. Morton can have him.
We don't want him.
The testimony's already been given to the jury.
I stand on my right of cross examination at every point.
The testimony stands.
Gentlemen, this trial is developing
into a slugging match.
We've got to be more orderly when we go back,
or I'll begin slugging both of you.
And at the same time, if you like.
[ Door closes ]
How's it going, darling? Feels good.
I didn't count on the break we just got.
[ Gavel bangs ]
Kerman: I will read you the witness' previous statement
to the police.
"Yes, I saw Nick Romano kill officer Dan Hawkins."
Did you ever tell that to the police?
Yes, but I was lying.
Did you testify before the grand jury
that you saw the killing?
Yeah, I lied to the grand jury, too.
You lied all the way, didn't you?
You're lying at this very moment, aren't you?!
Object. The district attorney's trying to...
judge: Is trying to impeach his own witness.
Objection sustained.
You'll be arrested before you leave this building.
I'm going to send you up for this.
The witness is under the protection of this court!
You will not threaten any witness in my presence!
Do you wish to be held in contempt?
I'm sorry, your honor.
You, uh...
You want to tell the truth now, don't you, Juan?
Yes, sir.
You realize that telling the truth
may get you in trouble with the police?
If they're gonna deport me, let them.
I just ain't a rat,
and I'm not gonna lie so they can burn Nick.
All right. Now, I'll ask you one question.
Did you or did you not see Nick Romano
run into the alley the night Hawkins was murdered?
I did not.
Thank you.
Thank you, your honor.
[ Gavel bangs ]
Now, you said you were supposed to meet Nick and Sunshine
in a bar called the, uh...
Cobra tap the night the crime was committed.
Is that right?
Yeah. Nick came in early.
Sunshine didn't get there until later.
Then what?
We chewed the fat for a while, had some beer.
Then Sunshine and me left together.
That's all. Thank you.
What kind of beer were you drinking that night?
Regent.
You're sure it was Regent?
Yeah.
Was there a floor show?
Just a dancer... a little dame...
lady.
Was the little lady blond or brunette?
You think I was looking at her hair?
[ Light laughter, gavel bangs ]
Look, Nick didn't do it. He was with me and Sunshine.
Who is Sunshine... a friend of Romano's?
Yeah.
What did Sunshine say when he came into the tavern?
That Hawkins had been killed.
Were you sorry?
I didn't care one way or the other.
That's all.
You're dismissed.
Man: Call Jim Jackson.
Man #2: Jim Jackson? Yes.
Raise your right hand.
Do you swear the testimony you're about to give
is the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth, so help you god?
I do.
What's your work, Jim?
Rack boy and janitor at the pastime pool room.
Do you know Nick Romano?
Yes, sir. I do.
You were with him the night officer Hawkins was killed,
weren't you? Yes, sir.
We were at the cobra tap when that man was killed.
Well, then he couldn't possibly
have committed the crime, could he?
No, he didn't do it. How could he have done it?
Thank you, Jim.
How old are you?
24.
How many times have you been in jail?
Never been there.
Reformatory?
I didn't go there.
You like Romano, don't you?
You want him to get out of this, don't you?
I sure do.
Why?
He's always been good to me.
He staked me when I'm broke.
Therefore you'd like to save him, huh?
I ain't lyin', mister. Nick was with me.
He didn't do it.
Were you sorry officer Hawkins was killed?
Do I have to answer?
Yes, answer the question.
I didn't care.
Ever read the Bible, Sunshine?
Yes, sir.
Do you remember the commandment
"thou shalt not bear false witness"?
Yes, sir.
It has been stated that you were drinking beer
that night in the cobra tap.
Yes, sir.
What kind of beer?
Baum's green label. Nick likes it.
Baum's green label, huh?
Your friend Butch said you were drinking Regent.
Which was it? Who's wrong?
Well...
Maybe it could've... maybe it was Regent.
I thought it was Baum's.
"Maybe it was Regent."
Could it have been root beer?
Nick couldn't have done it. He was with us!
That's what you told Mr. Morton over and over again, huh?
Yes, that's my story.
Oh, it's a story?
It's the truth.
It is?
What would you say if I reminded you
that Negroes are not served at the cobra tap?
Andrew: Object!
Since when aren't Negroes served there
or anyplace else on skid row?
You're resorting to one of the oldest,
most underhanded devices...
I'm conducting this cross examination.
I simply asked him what he would say in case...
if that's the way the state wants to play,
I know that game myself.
[ Gavel bangs ] Let's throw the rule book away, and we'll start!
Gentlemen!
You, Mr. Morton, stop it,
or you'll be held in contempt.
I apologize to the court.
But there are limits to what I...
I apologize.
[ Gavel bangs ]
Judge is leaving his chambers now, Mr. Morton.
Thanks.
Nick, you're sure there's nothing you want to tell me?
About what?
You're sure you haven't lied to me about the cobra tap?
The whole thing happened just like I said.
All right, then. You've got to decide.
Do we go to the jury with what we have now,
or do I put you on the stand?
Now, think about it.
Kerman will confuse you, he'll needle you,
he'll try to break you down.
Put me on the stand.
You realize, don't you,
that the verdict will probably depend on what you say and do?
And remember this...
look at the jury when you answer them,
right in their eyes, all the time.
Try...
Nick, you're not listening to me.
I was just thinking.
I want to live, Andy.
Gee, I want to live.
Andrew: Why did you run away from the police
when they tried to arrest you?
Well, on skid row when the cops come around,
everybody runs.
Nick...
Did you have anything to do with the killing
with which you're charged?
No, I'm innocent.
Cross examination.
He wouldn't kill anybody.
He kills me.
Shh, quiet.
You're "pretty boy" Romano, aren't you?
Question excluded.
You're the... Good-looking fellow, aren't you?
Yeah, I'm good-looking.
Question excluded.
Mr. Kerman, you know those tactics are improper.
Know a lot of girls?
A few.
Why did you lie on the stand just now?
I didn't... look at me, Romano, not at the jury.
That trick won't work.
I didn't lie.
Answer this one carefully.
Do you wear a hat?
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.
That night? I...
come on, come on.
Maybe. I don't think so.
I call the jury's attention to exhibit "C,"
already admitted into evidence.
This hat was found near the entrance to an alley,
which the killer ran out of after committing the crime.
Evidently, it was thrown away by the killer.
I remind you of statements by pedestrians
who saw the killing
and testified that the murderer wore a slouch hat.
Is this your hat?
No.
Well, Mr. Romano, would you please try it on?
Let's see if it's becoming.
Your honor.
Your honor, may I take a look at the state's exhibit "C"?
Proceed.
Nick.
Just a hat.
No marks.
What are you trying to prove, Mr. Morton?
It fits me, too.
Am the killer?
Was counsel for the defense
in the neighborhood of the 380 bar
the night officer Hawkins was killed?
You're probably as tired as I am, Mr. Romano.
Thanks for your Patience. I'm almost finished.
Just a few more simple questions.
For instance...
Did you kill Hawkins?
I didn't kill him.
You stood there in the alley and killed him, didn't you?
No, I didn't, and I don't know nothin' about it.
Are you sure? Sure, I'm sure.
I object!
Your honor, the prosecution
has been badgering this boy for hours,
asking these same questions!
Mr. Kerman, don't you think
you've exhausted that method of approach?
Very well, your honor.
This is the gun you killed Hawkins with, isn't it?
No, it's not my gun.
And I didn't kill Hawkins.
Excused.
Oh, just a minute.
Sit down.
Didn't your wife commit suicide?
Leave her out of this!
Well, didn't she?
Leave her out of this!!
Sit down, please.
You weren't anywhere near the cobra tap
the night Hawkins was killed, were you?
I don't...
Yeah, I was there.
Was Sunshine there when you arrived?
Sunshine?
No, later.
Where was Butch?
He was already there.
You're sure?
Yeah.
Did you see kid fingers when you ran out of that alley?
No, I told you.
Weren't you trying to escape from the consequences
of your crime when you ran away from the police?
I didn't do it!
You hated Hawkins, didn't you?
I don't like cops.
You killed Hawkins, didn't you? No!
Isn't it true your wife killed herself because of you?!
Didn't your wife commit suicide?
I believe in you, Nicky.
Well, didn't she?
On, come on, come on.
Make me proud of you.
You hated Hawkins, didn't you?
Don't do it, Nicky.
You stood there in the alley and killed him. Don't do it now.
Didn't your wife commit suicide?
Oh, come on, come on.
Isn't it true your wife killed herself because of you?!
Stop it! Let me alone!
You killed him, didn't you?
Stop badgering me! All right, I killed him!
Sure, I did! I killed him! I'm glad I did!
Stop badgering me, or I'll kill you, too!
Shall we remove the witness, your honor?
Judge: No.
[ Camera shutters clicking ]
Sorry I had to do it the hard way.
Why'd you lie to me?
I'm sorry, Andy.
Yeah.
Your honor...
I'd like to make a motion out of the hearing of the jury.
The jury will be taken to the jury room.
Your honor...
I request that the plea of the defendant
in this case be changed from "not guilty" to "guilty."
Will the defendant rise?
Do you understand the consequences
of your attorney's request?
Yes.
The request is granted.
The jury will not be recalled and a plea of guilty entered.
I was on the jury.
So was I.
Is there any statement you wish to make
before sentence is passed?
Mr. Morton?
Your honor, there's...
Something I'd like to say in behalf of the defendant.
When I took this case, I...
I believed Nick Romano was innocent.
I believed what he told me, and...
I believed what those men, Butch and Sunshine, told me.
I believed because I wanted to believe.
I wanted to believe that all the filth and fury
and jumble of this boy's past
had not produced a killer.
But...
Nick Romano is guilty.
He's guilty of...
Of many things.
He's guilty of... of knowing his father died in prison.
He's guilty of having been reared in poverty.
He's guilty of having lived in the slums.
Of having had the wrong companions...
the pickpockets and hoodlums, panhandlers and prostitutes
of the worst district that ever disgraced a modern city.
He's guilty of the pool rooms and bars
that were open to him as a boy.
He's guilty of the foul treatment
of a primitive reform school.
Keep the boy...
And civilize the boyhood.
This boy could've been exulted instead of degraded,
student instead of savage.
But come with Nick on his own way to that reform school,
see your best friend die of subhuman punishment.
Come with Nick along skid row,
where the fences buy anything and no questions asked.
Come with Nick into the alleys and on the streets,
past the drunks and panhandlers and prostitutes
into the pool rooms and the bars.
Listen.
Listen to the jackrollers and the thieves.
Absorb their poisonous philosophy of life.
Come with Nick to the penitentiary.
Be numbered and counted and hated,
and leave there determined to be worthy of that hatred.
Yes...
Nick Romano is guilty.
But so are we!
And so is that precious thing called society.
Society is you and you and you
and all of us.
We, society, are hard and selfish and stupid!
We're scandalized by environment,
and we call it crime.
We denounce crime, and... and yet we...
we disclaim any responsibility for it.
And we lack the will to do anything about it.
Until we do away with the type of neighborhood
that produced this boy,
10 will spring up to take his place...
100, 1,000,
until we wipe out the slums and rebuild them!
Knock on any door...
And you may find Nick Romano.
The newspapers have been clamoring for pictures
and stories about this trial.
Well, why don't you print this?
They and you and I, we good people,
we, the solid citizens of this community,
we photographed and labeled this boy years ago.
We made this rendezvous with him years ago.
We brutalized and ordered him here years ago.
If he dies in the electric chair...
We killed him.
Print that!
Where do we take him now?
Do we kill him?
The current coursing through the blood, the nerves,
the heart, the brain.
I ask mercy from this court.
I ask this so that for us who walk free,
for all of us,
there may be some mercy.
Judge: I am moved by your eloquence, Mr. Morton...
deeply moved.
However, the law and the duty of this court is clear.
Will the defendant rise?
It is the judgment of this court
that you be taken into the custody of the warden
of the state penitentiary
until Friday, the 29th day of November,
when you shall be put to death
in the manner prescribed by the state.
And may god have mercy on your soul.
Sorry I fouled out.
Look, Nick...
I'm afraid I haven't been able
to be very much help to you, but...
You know how I feel.
If there's one thing I can promise you...
I'll do everything I can to...
Keep other fellas like you from...
well, to help other fellas like you...
As long as I live.