Here, let me help you. Oh, let's see what you got here.
Isn't that nice?
You're an artist. No. Am I?
Let's see. Here, let me help you with this.
I'll take this. You take that. Ok?
No, I'll take this and you take... No, as a matter of fact...
No, let me have the easel back. You take...
You can take this back. I'll take a hold of the...
(Gunshot)
Your wanted on the phone.
Your wife is in the maternity hospital. Congratulations.
Tannoy: We regret to announce a two-hour delay in the departure...
What am I supposed to do for two hours?
I'm going back to the bar. If you had any class, you'd charter a flight.
If I could find a flight that I could charter, I would do that.
(French) Non, monsieur. What did he say?
That even if you could charter a flight, you wouldn't be leaving on it.
What are you talking about?
Why would someone shoot a young girl like that?
How would I know? That's for the police to figure out. It's not my problem.
Oh, indeed it is your problem.
I think that bullet was meant for you.
I'm telling you, I'm straight. All I'm after is a holiday.
Maybe somebody wanted to make it permanent.
Who? Whom.
Ok. Whom would want to make it permanent?
Any one of four outraged fathers, three disappointed daughters,
two consul generals or a partridge in a pear tree!
The French knew how to handle you aristocrats!
Some of us survived.
Nobody's got a right holding me, including these police.
They're not holding you.
They are merely requesting you not to leave the country.
Well, I've got a right to leave this country any time I want, right?
Legally, right. Right.
However, I have given my personal assurance that you won't. What?!
Only until they complete they investigation.
Shouldn't take more than six months.
Very funny (!) Very, very funny.
You can't come up with gems every time, Daniel.
Look, there must have been 20 or 30 other passengers on the tarmac.
Why didn't the police hold them?
Apparently, they were at a good distance from you and the girl.
Naturally. So that automatically makes me the target, I suppose?
Well, you seem more likely than a 22-year-old art student.
She could have had a jealous lover.
With a telescopic sight and flippers? He's right, you know.
It was all planned too professionally.
Do you think it was meant for me? I don't know.
You have both been active along this coast from time to time.
Well, excuse me, judge, but whose fault is that?
Erm, something may interest you. What's that?
If you will forgive the translation.
It says, "people are wondering
"whether the shot that hit mademoiselle devigne was, in fact,
"intended for the playboy De jetset, Danny wilde.
"Pictured above at the monte Carlo rally."
Yeah, nice picture.
You know, Michelle devigne is really rather attractive.
Why do you always look so furtive?
Does it say where she went or anything like that?
Isn't it marvellous?
Rather attractive and he wants to stop the operating theatre.
I want to know if they say where she went.
Hopital De... hopital. That's hospital. You dumb dumb.
Aren't you being a trifle impetuous? Look, they're asking me questions.
I want to ask her a question.
See you later.
(Knock)
Hi. Nurse, I've been looking all over for you.
Pardon. Le doctor parlez avec vous in the hallway.
I think a patient - le patient? - Is croaking in the next room.
I thought she'd never leave.
How are you? I'm ok.
I got you some flowers. Thank you.
I've been reading about you.
How's your shoulder? A bit sore.
Well, it...
It could have been worse. It could have been a lot more serious.
Danny wilde. I find that hard to believe.
Why is that hard to believe?
I've heard about your... Exploits. Is that the right word?
I don't know if they're exploits.
Was someone really trying to kill you? Everybody seems to think so.
And you? What do you think?
Well, I'll tell you, kiddo.
It's either me or you.
Me?
You must be joking. I'm nobody. Who'd want to shoot me?
So for his own safety we must send him away.
My great-uncle Charles runs a safari club in the wilds of Tanzania.
It's really quite comfortable.
You believe that bullet was meant for him?
He was 18 feet clear of anyone else. No professional sniper makes a six-yard mistake.
If you discount the girl. You don't?
"Mademoiselle devigne, who lives with her uncle, one of monte Carlo's more exclusive jewellers..."
Yes, I read... "Had been voted the most talented student at the arts centre
before her sudden decision to continue her studies in London."
Pray, what is the implication?
Sudden. "Before her sudden..."
Why sudden?
Why not? People leave suddenly.
Daniel, for instance.
Mm. Danny doesn't deal in gold.
Are you suggesting that girl is involved in illegal gold trafficking?
I have no evidence to suggest anything.
But her uncle is Maurice devigne, the custom jeweller, who specialises in plaques, medals and gold coins.
He was involved in a most interesting case, a clever twisting of the law.
Ah! You're taller than I am. Please.
I suppose you're going to tell me what you're talking about.
Devigne sold a gold Napoleon 100-franc piece
which turned out to be counterfeit.
I suppose these are your special "declared innocent but really got away with it" files.
Exactly. In devigne's case he testified... let's see what he did testify.
Here we are. "He testified that as he himself was not too sure about the coin,
he charged only the market value of the gold itself."
That's not illegal. No.
But selling unauthorised gold is.
Of course. But not in the form of coins.
Counterfeit or otherwise?
That's the twist.
What's in the file about the girl?
The girl? Nothing. I know nothing at all about the girl.
There really isn't much to know.
I sketch, do Clay modelling, a little engraving.
Jill of all trades, mistress of none.
I lead a very uneventful life, mr wilde.
I don't know. I think being an artist would be an exciting life.
Think of all the beautiful things in the world to see.
And... you're very good.
And you're putting me on.
No, I'm not.
It was a very good ink portrait.
What ink portrait?
The one I saw at the airport.
Water? Thank you.
I'd much rather talk about you.
You're far more interesting. Are the things I hear about you true?
Don't believe everything you hear or read.
Who was the guy?
Who was who?
Now, look. The guy.
The one in the sketchbook. The one with the goatee beard.
Ever seen a gold Napoleon?
No. But I knew some day you would show me one.
Beautiful, isn't it?
It's counterfeit.
Really?
Valueless to a collector but literally worth its weight in gold.
Which is why hundreds of them periodically turn up in Paris, Rome, Geneva and Beirut.
Yes, it sounds like a wonderful way of unloading stolen bullion.
Precisely.
Devigne has neither the courage nor capacity to be involved in that
but he might be used. As a funnel.
As a funnel for something so big that they'd even kill to keep it going.
It's worthwhile exploring.
In which case, the key would be...
Monsieur devigne.
Uncle! Michelle. I just heard.
I came as soon as... careful.
What happened? Is it serious?
No, nothing. I'm all right.
Hi. This is mr wilde. My uncle, mr devigne.
Enchante. I was just keeping her company until you arrived. Goodbye.
Why? Why did you run away? Why?
I trusted in you. I believed you.
You went to the foundry? Of course I did.
If you had come to me, I would have explained. Explained what?
That those moulds I was making for you of the Napoleon coin weren't for bronze replicas?
Michelle, look. Look at my hands. I can no longer do this work myself.
I had to ask you to make those moulds.
You still have the shop. No. It is not mine any more.
Not even that.
But why not? What have you done with it?
I had no choice. A syndicate came, offered to take over.
Syndicate? Uncle, what on earth are you involved in?
I cannot tell you. Please, please don't ask me any more questions.
If you do not want to see me rot for the rest of my life in jail...
You lied to me! You said you'd learned your lesson the first time you were arrested.
I saw the kind of lesson you learned!
Gold! You were minting gold coins, not bronze!
Don't lie to me again, uncle, I saw it!
And someone saw you. Don't you understand?
They saw you run from the foundry. Saw you buy an air ticket.
Who? They panicked, thought you would cause trouble. They had to stop you.
So it was me.
The bullet was meant for me.
They tried to kill her, pullicino. They tried to kill my niece!
What a terrible thing. I was away, you know that. They will be adequately punished.
If anyone so much as touches her again, pullicino...
Dear devigne, I know exactly how you feel. I'm... I'm... I'm horrified.
Did you really think that she would talk? About what?
All she knows is that I am involved.
She does not know that you even exist.
We will try and keep it that way, eh, devigne?
You came to promise me she will make no more foolish moves. Am I right?
Of course. Excellent. Excellent.
You'll keep your side of the bargain, pullicino keeps his.
The girl keeps her mouth shut and stays in one place.
Now you go back to your shop in comfort, knowing all will be well.
Vai. Vai.
Papa! Papa, look at me!
So. You arranged to have the girl killed, eh?
What kind of primitive animal are you?
Somebody had to make a decision. So you did.
A decision that's made her the focus of interest for every policeman and reporter on the riviera.
That's not true. Not any more.
We are moving $2.5 million worth of gold through that old man.
I give you a solemn warning, vernier.
If what you did jeopardises your operation, your family can start lighting candles for you.
I did a jump! I just did a jump!
Isn't that something? How high did you jump, my little cowgirl?
Oh, high. And I'm going to do it again.
Watch me! I'm watching, I'm watching.
The police aren't interested in the girl. They think the shot was meant for someone else.
A mr Danny wilde. I also read the papers, vernier.
They must do more than think it was him. They have to be sure.
Give them more evidence?
What do you suggest? Remove any doubt.
So suddenly I stop and I ask myself, what do I care if this girl is acting strange?
Who am I, Sherlock Holmes? I'm Danny wilde with my own problem in London.
So after lunch, which I'm gonna let you buy me,
it's gonna be up, up and away, even if I have to charter a plane on my own.
Have you finished? Yeah, completely.
If the judge is correct, the bullet could have been meant for the girl.
I've got news for you, my lord. I don't care if that bullet was marked "his" or "hers".
I admire your gallantry.
Furthermore, judge fulton can take his assurances and... americano.
Monsieur? Americano. What do you want to drink?
Oh, yeah. Lemonade. Lemonade? That girl really did something to you.
That girl didn't do anything to me. Maybe you aren't her type.
How does a mind like yours get so decadent? It's hereditary.
If she lives with her uncle and he is part of this Napoleon racket,
then they're also mixed up with some less than loveable characters.
People with nasty habits like picking off other people at airports.
Bully for them.
Merci. Cheers. If you can say cheers with a thing like that.
Do you want to test this and see if it's poisoned?
So it's the girl they're after, huh?
I promise you, you'll be very happy in Tanzania, Daniel.
It's a little primitive, I admit,
but my uncle, the viscount chesterfield, is an excellent host.
Who knows? He may even help you catch a wildebeest. Wilde! I get it.
Nobody's gonna aim his dirty car at me and get away with it.
You want me out of this country, you're gonna have to deport me.
There is a plane leaving for London in half an hour. Have a nice trip.
I suggest you eat something. Those open-faced sandwiches upset you.
Wait. You know what I'm gonna try to do? I'm gonna trace that car.
That should be easy. There are only about 2,000 in the south of France.
This one's got a busted Fender.
That does limit the field to 1,000. Tanzania.
You keep saying "Tanzania". I'm not going to Tanzania. I'm gonna stay here and find that car.
I wish you'd make up your mind. One minute you want to go,
the next minute you want to stay and chase untraceable cars.
He's probably trying to ambush you in the first place.
What are you so worried about me for?
Perhaps I'd rather hate you alive than dead.
I wish you'd make up your mind. At the airport you tell me that it's me they're after.
At the cafe, you tell me they're after the girl. Now it's me again.
Make up your mind. They're probably after both of you.
Please send somebody up for mr wilde's bags. Both of us?
I just said hello to the girl. We're not Bonnie and Clyde.
I don't understand you.
The British and Americans, two people separated by a common language.
See? I don't understand. A quote from another wilde.
You want to do me a favour? Don't do me any more favours.
Then who's going to pay for lunch?
I didn't have any lunch. You had lunch. But you ordered it. What?
We'll settle the argument. We'll toss for it. All right, toss.
Call. Heads.
Heads. Aren't you lucky? Wait a minute. That's the guy.
That's the guy. That's Napoleon III.
That's the guy in Michelle's sketchbook.
You know the sketch she made? That's the guy she made the sketch of.
A most interesting speculation.
She's just a young, aspiring artist working for her uncle sketching coins, that's all.
One casts coins. These casts are then reduced on an engraving machine
and made into a steel die which in turn punches out the coins.
Did you just make that up?
Pearls before swine. May I?
Of course. And good luck. Tout alors.
Now where are you going? Prospecting.
Bonjour, monsieur. German accent: Guten tag.
Ve are interested in your coins.
Coins. What sort of coins have you in mind, monsieur?
Ze best. Ve are interested only in ze best.
Mein late fatherer... General Von graumann...
Would always say, "less than the best is not best enough."
Vell... does not translate vell.
Ze coins, Bitte?
We have a varied selection.
From these superb gold ones, several in almost mint condition.
To some extremely rare silver specimens.
And we ourselves mint a very fine bronze reproduction
of the popular 100-franc gold Napoleon III.
Like this one, ja?
Ah, yes. A particularly fine specimen.
Ja. But ve ask ourselves, is it genuine or is it counterfeit?
Pardon, monsieur?
Ve understand that there are many good copies around. Nicht wahr?
There are indeed. You are quite correct, monsieur.
The Von graumanns always try to be correct.
Mein father the general would say, "any dummkopf can be incorrect.
But not to be a dummkopf is more correct!"
(Laughs) Is good, ja?
It's even better in German.
Now, Bitte, you will tell me the correctness of this coin?
It... it will be a personal opinion only. Exactly what we vish.
Yes, the work is good.
But it is a copy. It is not genuine.
So. But the value?
It is a counterfeit piece.
Jawohl. But the metal is not counterfeit. It is genuine.
In that case... Ja, in that case?
Well, it weighs an ounce.
Market value of the gold alone is a little bit more than $75.
Ve prefer to speak in deutschmarks.
I will have to check on the currency conversion table.
Or even better, in reichsmarks? Reichsmarks?
Or to be more precise, reich gold.
I'm afraid I do not understand, monsieur.
Herr devigne, I am in your trade.
Like you, I represent big interests. I see.
Good. So we will continue discussion in your office.
It will afford more privacy. Jawohl?
Please. Gesundheit.
(Clock chimes gently)
Wunderscher.
Yes, we do have some very beautiful pieces.
I too have something very beautiful, herr devigne.
It is a steel chest mein father raised from the depths of the wannsee in Bavaria.
It was part of the famous reich bank gold convoy that Adolf Hitler tried to move to Switzerland.
Yes, I suppose it has a certain curiosity value.
Ah. But what is the value of the gold that is still inside that chest,
I ask meinself?
Zwei und zwanzig solid gold ingot.
(Door opens) Excuse me, monsieur. Bitte.
Vorking on today's gold quotations, allowing 10% discount...
I am sorry, monsieur. I cannot help you further in the matter.
But I was instructed you were the person to contact.
I don't know who could have told you that, monsieur.
In our trade we do not disclose names. Of course not.
But the simple fact is we do not buy gold in bulk,
whatever its source, herr graumann.
Von graumann.
I will contact you again in say, 24 hours.
I'm sorry. It will just be a waste of time.
Mein father the general always said,
"it is never a waste of time if some of the time has not been wasted."
(Laughs) Witty man, my father! Auf wiedersehen.
You're this girl. You see or hear something you shouldn't. So you want out.
A large warehouse. A factory. Someplace that's been out of business until recently.
Yes. Of course I'll wait.
So that's what you do. But somebody doesn't want you out. So they try to stop you. A near miss.
Yes? Splendid.
Who is the actual owner of the company?
Now here you are lying in the hospital, afraid for your life,
and you clam up. Why?
Oh, he does, does he?
Tell me, where is this place?
Could you let me have the address?
Why doesn't she go to the police and spill everything she knows?
I don't know. I'll tell you why.
She's got an uncle that she loves very much that's in it up to his gold napoleons, that's why.
Yes, I'm ready. Now, here's the switch.
All of a sudden she gets too hot to handle, so they've got to take the heat off.
I am most grateful.
So they take it off and put the heat on me.
While the fuzz is busy with me, they're up in the mountains making these little gold nappies.
It's probably in a stone quarry or a warehouse.
How about an abandoned foundry that suddenly sprung to life?
That's not a bad idea. It's up in the haute provence.
(Whistles a tune nonchalantly)
(Whistles chopin's funeral march)
Everybody, finish for tonight.
(Phone rings)
Yes?
D'accord.
That was the main gate. Devigne just drove through.
What are you doing here? Something came up. It could be something big.
There was a man in the shop, a herr Von graumann.
He says he has got his hands on the wannsee gold.
All the ingots the Nazis hid.
What? It could be a fortune, pullicino.
It just came to me. It was a proposition. If it is true.
What were you doing? Huh?
Sinclair! I don't know any sinclair.
Don't lie. I saw him drive away from your shop.
The only one who came in was Von graumann with this proposition.
I can imagine the proposition.
He's Danny wilde's friend. I followed him! I know!
Let him go.
What's in your mind, old man?
Nothing. I am telling you.
A man came, he has a German accent. He offers a steel...
You have betrayed us, old man. No. No!
Devigne!
He's dead.
So is our control over that girl.
We'd better get to the hospital and silence her for good.
Hey!
Run him down.
There's no more time. Go to the hospital and get that girl.
Wait here. Watch his car.
Visiting hours are over. I know. This is very urgent.
No one has been up through here. Visiting hours are finished.
If I may see Michelle... Certainly.
I don't think we should upset her by mentioning that I'm coming.
Ssh. Danny!
Be quiet. What are you doing here?
Come on! Tell me! Ssh!
I'll explain everything later.
Vernier! The fire escape!
Put your hands up. Just put your hands up.
Patron!
Wait a minute!
Are you sure, commandant?
I see.
Yes. Very well, commandant. Tell him I apologise for the trouble.
May I ask you something? What are you apologising about?
Oh, wine. Where's Michelle?
She'll be down in a minute, she said.
Any luck? All bad.
I wish I hadn't asked.
The police had been to the foundry but the birds had flown.
No body, no truck, no packing cases, no coins.
The police commandant is sending an escort here
to make sure the American troublemaker is on the next plane.
Bon voyage. I told you what I saw.
I believe you. I know this pullicino. He's been implicated in every major theft in Europe.
I've wanted to see him behind bars for years.
But he cannot be convicted without positive proof.
What about the shipping manifest, the one you lifted from the foundry?
"Six crates bronze coins, destination genoa."
It's perfectly legitimate.
Come in, my dear.
Sit down. Have a cup of coffee. Thank you.
Wasn't there anything else? Anything? Some tangible evidence?
Hey. Wait a minute.
What about this coin? I clipped it from one of the packs.
It's exactly what their manifest states. A replica of the Napoleon.
In bronze.
There were others in gold.
I was there. I saw them minting gold coins.
From the Napoleon moulds you made for your uncle.
I didn't know! I didn't know about pullicino. The only reason I went to the airport was to get away.
So it was you they were trying to kill.
Yes. But it was my uncle they destroyed. If it hadn't been for them...
Yes, I know, my dear. But there's no proof they were doing anything illegal.
Daniel, when you got there, were the crates already packed?
Well, almost packed, yeah.
Perhaps they sandwich the gold between layers of bronze.
Perhaps is not a legal term. If you stop them and find nothing wrong, you're in trouble.
We're always in trouble. I think we ought to check that out.
Before you go off half-cocked... So?
There are two roads they can take into Italy. The lower coast road or the new autostrada.
We got two cars. You take the lower, I'll take the auto. There's a song!
I'm going with you. You're not going.
(Door buzzer) The gendarmerie. Your escort. Go out the back way!
Wait! I'm not taking any wounded girl in my red Ferrari!
If you don't take me, I'll scream!
It's not a bad idea. If you are stopped, at least she can corroborate your story.
(Door buzzes)
I'm coming.
Hello, Mayfair? Hello, come in, please.
Yes, Bronx, I read you.
It's not Daniel, it's Michelle. Have you seen any trucks?
Not yet. Where are you? Eze. Outside of eze.
We're just outside eze. Eze? You're three miles behind me.
Remember that little white number that spilt your lemonade?
Yeah, sure. What about it? Ask him. He says sure, what about it?
It's been tailing me for the last three miles.
That's sinclair's car up ahead.
Well, we can be sure mr wilde is covering the other route. Don't lose him.
Bronx, you reading me?
Yeah, we're reading... I'm here.
'I'm stuck between the border gendarmerie and the lemonade spillers. How about you?'
we're in sunny Italy.
The Van just passed through customs about six cars ahead of me.
You'd better come on my road and keep tabs.
Get in his car.
Keep his mouth shut.
(Speaks French)
I don't suppose you'd believe the Van that just passed through was carrying $2 million worth of gold.
I'm sorry. You must use the other Lane.
I'll tell you the truth. My grandmother's 100 years old today.
Ma vielle grandmere la cent ans aujourd'hui.
She's flying to Rome to have some la dolce vita before she passes on.
If I'm not there to help her off the plane she may fall, break her leg and miss the whole thing.
Je comprends. Ok. Cent ans. C'est magnifique!
Fantastique. Tout alors.
(Honks horn) Hey! (Shouts in Italian)
There's a slip road.
(Honks horn)
Now look. I was just telling this young lady...
Put me down.
Thanks.
Next!
You...! I've got something to tell you.
Put me down! Here! Put my friends down!
Put him... that's better. All you have to do is be reasonable, Daniel.
You should have asked me.
Peter Pan, come here. I want to talk to you. I just thought of something.
You see, Daniel? When I punch them, they stay down. Right, come on.
Sunday driver!
I just had a horrible thought. Really? What?
We'd better be right about this smuggling or we're gonna be in trouble.
Look, I'm telling you. I know those coins are gold.
Could I ask you something? What do you know about Italian jails?
Nothing. I prefer French cooking anyway.
After them.
(Honking)
Is that them? That's them.
His lordship's gonna love this!
(Honking)
Hold on now.
All right, pal, what's going on?
Daniel, there's something you ought to know. Arrest them!
Let go! Now look.
I've been shot at, people have aimed cars at me,
they've been trying to hit me in that truck...
Arrest them! Arrest them! They're hijackers. They stole this Van.
Who owns this machine? Who are you? Chief of police.
He owns this machine. Those two guys behind him have been shooting at us.
Of course we did. They were stealing my Van. I've a right to protect my cargo!
He's a gold smuggler. Daniel...
Daniel, please take notice of me.
How dare you? I will sue you for defamation of character!
Go ahead. What about this gold smuggling?
Bronze copies of the Napoleon coin. Gold(!)
Gold. Bronze.
I'm telling you, they're gold. Both: Bronze!
They are thieves of the worst kind. I demand you put them under arrest!
Please do not tell me what to do, monsieur.
Feel the difference. This is gold and this is bronze.
They've been dipped. What did I tell you?
Daniel, I apologise.
What else can I say? I'm not used to handling coins. They make holes in one's pocket.
A legitimate shipment of bronze coins.
Tell him, both of you. Gold! Gold!
Here you are, sir. Examine that, please.
Arrest these men.
Do you know my friend? This is pullicino.
You'll forgive me if I don't shake hands.
You sure hit hard.
Not really. Just about ten napoleons' worth.
Merci.
Which one of you is lord Brett sinclair?
I am. If you believe that, you'll believe anything.
A telephone message from judge fulton. Tell him we don't need any.
Apparently it is he who needs you. Au revoir, monsieur.
What is it? The good judge has been arrested. What for?
For interfering with the police in the course of their duties.
That'll teach him. What do you think we ought to do?
I suppose we could bail him out.
We could. Why don't you think about it? Michelle and I are going to have dinner.
Yes.
I have the money!
Come on. Daniel, the dinner money.
Here comes a car. Smile!
Bonjour!
How about a little ride, pal? What do you say?
It's not my fault.
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