The Black Dahlia
Screenplay by
Josh Friedman
From the James Ellroy novel
CREDITS ROLL OVER
Black and white newsreel footage from the 1930s. Clips from
prize fights featuring two different boxers against various
opponents. One a light heavyweight--pure finesse, a
counterpunches; the other, stouter and stronger, a
headhunting puncher.
The intercutting of the two fighters suggests a possible
showdown at the end of the newsreel. No such luck.
END CREDITS
CLOSE UP ON:
A TRIPLE CARBON LAPD "INCIDENT REPORT" FORM trapped in an old
Corona typewriter. The keys pound letters into the blank
spaces.
INCIDENT: THE ZOOT SUIT RIOTS...JUNE 10, 1943...
REPORTING OFFICER...DWIGHT "BUCKY" BLEICHERT
EXT. BOYLE HEIGHTS - EVERGREEN AND WABASH - DUSK
A WORLD WAR II ERA PERSONNEL CARRIER transports twenty silent
LAPD officers into the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The
sounds of glass breaking and men screaming serves as backdrop
for their arrival.
We focus in on BUCKY BLEICHERT, 26, (The counterpuncher from
the newsreels) as he jumps from the carrier.
Bucky's minus his gun but plus a WWI tin helmet and a three
pound truncheon.
BUCKY'S POV:
Hundreds of in-uniform GI's use baseball bats and two-by-
fours to beat the shit out of Zoot Suit-wearing Mexicans.
Most of the cops wander to the edge of the race riot and
hobnob with the pockets of MPs and Shore Patrol who've chosen
to "restore order" by cheering on their countrymen against
the outnumbered but equally fierce zooters.
Sailors shatter streetlights and shop windows. Darkness falls
quickly on what Bucky rightly realizes is chaos.
Suddenly Bucky's RUNNING--
away from the action...
down a side street and onto a
QUIET RESIDENTIAL BLOCK.
He slows to a jog, trying to gather his thoughts. And then a
voice:
VOICE
Bleichert! Bleichert!
EXT. A BUNGALOW COURTYARD - SAME
A POLICE OFFICER has THREE MARINES IN DRESS BLUES and ONE
ZOOT SUITER cornered in a center walkway.
The marines swipe clumsily at the officer with their two-by-
fours as he bobs back and forth on the balls of his feet,
dodging the blows like the ex-fighter he is.
VOICE OVER
I already knew him by reputation, had our
respective records down pat: Lee
Blanchard, 43-4-2 as a heavyweight,
formerly a regular attraction at the
Hollywood Legion Stadium.
The terrified Mexican stands frozen on one side of Blanchard,
trying to avoid the entire mess as the policeman parries the
marines' blows with his own truncheon.
LEE BLANCHARD
Code three, Bleichert!
Bucky runs into the courtyard and immediately wades in,
fending off the marines' blows to jab at them with his stick.
VOICE OVER
And he knew me, Bucky Bleichert, light-
heavy, 36-0-0, ranked tenth by Ring
magazine in 1937 fighting no-name
opponents in no-man's-land division.
On instinct, Bucky drops his baton and begins wailing on the
marines with his fists, connecting hard punches with soft
midsections.
VOICE OVER (cont'd)
In our first year at Central we'd never
spoke--but people spoke of us. Opinions
about a fantasy Bleichert-Blanchard
fight, and who would win.
And now Blanchard moves in, lashing vicious truncheon blows
to the shoulders of the marines, sending them one by one into
a heap.
VOICE OVER (cont'd)
I'd heard almost all of 'em: Blanchard by
early KO; Bleichert by decision;
Blanchard stopped on cuts--everything but
Bleichert by knockout.
The marines reduced to rubble, Lee Blanchard turns his
attention to the Zooter: he slaps handcuffs on him and leads
him away. He motions for Bucky to follow.
Lee turns back to the marines:
LEE
To the halls of Tripoli, shitbirds.
One of them flips Lee off. The Zooter kicks him in the chest
as Lee pulls him away from them, laughing.
The three men start back toward the riots. Gunshots can be
heard. Palm trees blaze up into the night.
LEE (cont'd)
(re the Zooter)
Bucky Bleichert, meet Senor Tomas Dos
Santos, subject of an all-points fugitive
warrant for manslaughter committed during
the commission of a Class B Felony.
Snatched a purse off a hairbag and she
keeled of a heart attack.
BUCKY
You come all the way down here to roust--
LEE
(smiling)
I came all the way down here same as you
did.
(jerks a finger to the riots)
Keep from gettin' killed. Happened to see
those jarheads beatin' on a good collar--
(nudging Dos Santos)
Habla Ingles, Tomas?
The man shakes his head "no".
LEE (cont'd)
He's dead meat. Manslaughter Two's a gas
chamber jolt for spics. Hepcat here's
about six weeks away from the Big Adios.
Been better off getting a couple cracked
ribs from our Privates First Class back
there.
Blanchard spies a home with newspapers stacked on the front
porch.
LEE (cont'd)
We'll never get him booked tonight.
CUT TO:
LEE JIMMYING THE FRONT DOOR...
INT. THE KITCHEN - LATER
Tomas Dos Santos cuffed by his ankles to a radiator. The
three men are on their second fifth of Cutty Sark swiped from
the kitchen cupboard.
Dos Santos sings a drunken Spanish version of "The
Chattanooga Choo Choo" before slumping to his side and
passing out.
Bucky covers him with a blanket.
LEE
Tom here's my ninth hard felon of the
month. Six weeks he'll be sucking gas. In
three years I'll be working Central
Warrants. Jewboy Deputy D.A. over there
wets his pants for fighters. Promised me
the next spot he can wangle.
BUCKY
(not impressed)
Impressive.
LEE
(not impressed either)
Wanna hear something more impressive? My
first twenty fights were stumblebums
handpicked by my manager. My girlfriend
saw you fight a couple times over at the
Olympic. Says maybe you could take me.
Lee gets up and wanders into the living room. From the
kitchen Bucky watches Lee stare out at the flames.
BUCKY
Whatta we do about the Mex?
LEE
We'll take 'em in the morning.
BUCKY
You'll take him.
LEE
He's half yours, partner.
BUCKY
He's all yours. And I'm not your partner.
LEE
(without turning)
Someday.
DISSOLVE TO:
A CLOSE UP OF TOMAS DOS SANTOS' FACE
screaming in silence.
AS WE PULL BACK TO REVEAL
Tomas Dos Santos dying in a large Plexiglas GAS CHAMBER.
Bucky stands in the back of the room, forcing himself to
watch. He can't stand it and leaves.
IN THE FRONT ROW
Lee also watches, elbows on knees and chin in hands. He can't
stand it, either. He stays.
IN THE HALLWAY AFTERWARDS
Bucky watches from afar as men in suits shake Lee's hand and
brush imaginary lint off of his BRAND NEW SERGEANT'S STRIPES.
Their eyes meet briefly as Bucky retreats to daylight.
Another TRIPLE CARBON FORM FILLED OUT ON THE CORONA...
Transfer and Promotion...Sergeant Lee Blanchard...
Highland Park Vice to Central Warrants...Effective
10/14/46
EXT. 2ND AND BEAUDRY - DAY
An extremely bored Bucky Bleichert gives a man a speeding
ticket and sends him on his way.
EXT./INT. RADIO PATROL CAR - MOVING
Bucky drives as a ROOKIE COP chatters in the seat next to
him.
ROOKIE
Yep, three years in the Canal Zone.
Nothin' but skeeter bites and drunk
fights over three-dollar skank tail...
INT. THE CENTRAL MUSTER ROOM - DAY Bucky sits at his desk filling out a form as the rookie cop
prattles on in the background. ROOKIE
...fights over three-dollar skank tail... AN OLDER OFFICER walks by the rookie and rolls his eyes. Catching Bucky's
look, the cop throws him a shadow punching one-two. Bucky
smiles thinly. Returns to his paperwork. Then another cop
passes by and breaks into a bob-and-weave. Bucky looks
puzzled and annoyed. He grabs a third cop walking by (TOM JOSLIN). BUCKY
Somethin' up, Tommy? TOM
You, that's what. (off Bucky's look)
You know Lee Blanchard over at Central
Warrants? Bucky nods. TOM
His partner's toppin' his twenty and
goin' for early retirement. Word is the
felony D.A.'s lookin' for a bright boy to
fill the spot. Christ knows why but it's
down to you and Johnny Vogel for the
spot. Bucky takes a surreptitious peek across the room at JOHNNY
VOGEL, fat, slick-hair and bad skin. BUCKY
His old man Fritzie's a Central Dick. TOM
(chucking Bucky on the chin)
But who'd look better when they bring back
the boxing team, eh Buckaroo? Bucky shakes his head, dismissing the whole thing. INT. THE RADIO PATROL CAR - ANOTHER DAY Bucky drives on as the rookie talks and talks...
VOICE OVER
Warrants was local celebrity as a cop.
Warrants was plainclothes without a coat
and tie, romance and a mileage per diem
on your civilian car. Warrants was going
after the real bad guys and not rousting
winos and wienie waggers in front of the
Midnight Mission. INT. BUCKY'S GARAGE - NIGHT Bucky hits a speed-bag, building up a sweat. VOICE OVER
I told myself I didn't care. He hits the bag faster and faster. INT. THE CENTRAL MUSTER ROOM - DAY A desk officer hands Bucky a note. CUT TO: INT. CITY HALL - CHIEF OF DETECTIVES OFFICE - LATER A secretary leads Bucky into an office with CHIEF OF
DETECTIVES THAD GREEN etched on the pebble glass door. Inside the office: Lee Blanchard, ASST. D.A. ELLIS LOEW, and
CHIEF THAD GREEN. They all sit in matched leather chairs. SECRETARY
Officer Bleichert. She exits. An awkward silence. LEE (getting to his feet)
Gentlemen, Bucky Bleichert. Bucky, Chief
Thad Green, Deputy DA Ellis Loew. Bucky shakes their hands, nodding to each. Chief Green
gestures for him to sit. CHIEF GREEN Read this aloud, Officer. It's running in Sunday's Times.
BUCKY "Before the war, the City of the Angels was graced with two local fighters, born and raised a scant five miles apart,
pugilists with styles as different as
fire and ice. Lee Blanchard was a
bowlegged windmill of a leather slinger-- CHIEF GREEN
Skip down to the fire and ice part. BUCKY (searching, finding)
"Mr. Fire and Mr. Ice never fought each
other, but a sense of duty brought them
together in spirit, and both joined the
Los Angeles Police Department." Blanchard
cracked the baffling Boulevard-Citizens
bank robbery case in 1939 and captured
thrill-killer Tomas Dos Santos; Bleichert
served with distinction during the '43
Zoot Suit Wars--" A glance to Lee... CHIEF GREEN Skip to the end. BUCKY "Both men made great sacrifices to serve
their city, and on Election Day, voters
are going to be asked to do the same
thing--vote on a five million dollar bond
proposal to upgrade the LAPD's equipment
and provide for an eight percent pay
raise for all personnel. Keep in mind the
examples of Mr. Fire and Mr. Ice. Vote
"Yes" on Proposition B." CHIEF GREEN Whattya think? BUCKY Subtle. Blanchard and Green smile; Loew frowns. ELLIS LOEW
Prop. B's looking like a loser right now.
But if we can drum up some publicity we
may he able to get it passed in the '47
Special. We need to build up morale in
the department.
Impress voters with the quality of our
men. Wholesome white boxers are a big
draw, Bleichert. You know that. Bucky looks to Lee. LEE
Fire and Ice. LOEW
Ten rounds. The Academy Gym. Three weeks
from now. Right before the election. All
the gate to charity. After that, we bring
back the interdivisional boxing team.
Wholesome fighters.
LEE Wholesome. CHIEF GREEN Are you in, Bucky? LEE
It's not like you'll last the ten rounds
anyway. Bucky eyes Lee quickly, assessing his larger but slightly
softer physique. All the remaining eyes are on him. BUCKY
I'm in. Back slaps and congratulations all around. LOEW
I'm betting on great things from you,
Bleichert. And if I don't miss my bet we
may be colleagues soon. BUCKY
Uh, yes sir. EXT. THE CITY HALL PARKING LOT - MINUTES LATEER Bucky exits and sees Lee leaning against an unmarked car
talking with a striking woman in an auburn pageboy cut. Lee waves Bucky over. LEE Bucky I'd like you to meet Kay Lake.
BUCKY Hello. FAY
I saw you fight a couple times. You won. BUCKY I always won. You a fight fan? KAY Lee used to drag me. I was taking somme art classes so I'd sketch the boxers. Lee puts his arm around her. LEE Made me quit fighting the smokers. Didn't
want me doin' the "vegetable shuffle." He staggers around like a punch-drunk fighter. BUCKY
I'll try not to hurt you. A flicker of anger in her eyes. LEE Sure make Loew happy. BUCKY He's got money on me, I gather? LEE Seems that way. BUCKY And if I win I get Warrants? LEE Seems that way. Bucky shakes his head. Turns to Kay. BUCKY What do you think of all this, Miss Lake? KAY For moral reasons I hope the LAPD gets ridiculed for perpetrating this farce. For financial reasons I hope Lee wins. And for aesthetic reasons I hope you both look good with your shirts off.
Bucky and Lee break into laughter. Bucky sticks out his hand.
Lee takes it. BUCKY
Luck short of winning. LEE You, too. Bucky tips his hat to Kay and turns to go. KAY
Luck, Dwight. He stops at hearing his real name. But he knows she's waiting
to see his reaction so he keeps walking... BUCKY'S BOXING MONTAGE --Bucky hits the heavy bag in the police gym while Lee spars
in the background VOICE OVER
The 77th Street lieutenant tapped as
official LAPD bookmaker had Lee as an
early 3 to 1 favorite... --Bucky runs through Elysian Park with two pound weights on
his ankles. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
...while the real bookie line had Mr.
Fire favored by knockout at 2 1/2 to 1,
and decision by 5 to 3. --Bucky spars with a fighter, peppering him with jab after
jab. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
Even the dicks in Ad Vice had suspended
bookie shakedowns because Mickey Cohen
was raking ten grand a day and kickin'
back five percent to the advertising
agency promoting the bond issue. --Cops exchange betting markers during roll call... VOICE OVER (cont'd)
I was a local celebrity again.
EXT./INT. BUCKY'S CAR - LINCOLN HEIGHTS - DAY Bucky pulls up in front of a small ugly house in a tired
neighborhood. He exits the car carrying a cardboard box full
of canned goods and old girlie magazines.
ON THE PORCH OF THE HOUSE a bony old man sits in a broken chair, aiming a BB pistol at
some balsa wood airplanes scattered in the yard.
ON BUCKY'S FACE
disgust and sadness. This is DOLPH BLEICHERT, Bucky's father. Bucky approaches,
pulling a chair up next to his father. Up close it's even
worse: white skin stretched tight over blue veins, yellow
rimming his rheumy eyes. Flecks of dirt and vomit on a filthy
shirt. BUCKY Papa? DOLPH Guten tag, Dwight. BUCKY Speak English, papa. DOLPH Englisch Schiesser! Amerikan Schiesser! He aims the BB gun and fires at an airplane: the gun's empty. Bucky enters the house. Half-eaten cans of beans on the
dining room table, an entire legion of broken balsa wood
airplane kits. Alley cats wander in and out of the kitchen,
nosing their faces into open tuna fish cans... BACK ON THE PORCH Dolph leans on the porch rail. Bucky returns. BUCKY Say something, Papa. Get me mad. Tell me
how you can fuck this place up so bad in one month. DOLPH Du, Dwight? Du?
BUCKY Speak...English. Papa, please. He searches his father's eyes for a response and gets none. He surveys the house again. Somewhere in the corner of his
eye we see the glint of an idea... INSIDE THE HOUSE Bucky on the phone. BUCKY ...He's had another stroke. If you could
just come by and clean the place up and
keep an eye on him for week or so...a
hundred dollars is fine. No more than ten
days. I promise. I do. Thank you. INT. THE POLICE BOXING GYM Bucky leans against a wall watching Lee spar. Studying him. Mentally fighting the sparring partner's fight. VOICE OVER He was better than I thought. It made
what came next easier. INT. A BANK - DAY Bucky sits at a desk with an assistant manager and fills out
forms. The manager counts out approximately $4,500 in cash.
Bucky slides him the forms. The manager slides him the cash. INT. THE GOOD LUCK BAR - NIGHT Bucky slides into a booth across from PETE LUKINS. PETE So...I'm surprised but I'm not so
surprised. I hear you been lookin' good.
Better'n people think. Bucky pushes an envelope across to Pete. He looks in it. PETE (cont'd)
I guess what I hear is correct. Then
you'll be wantin' to place this with
Mickey Cohen's indie. He's got Blanchard
2 to 1-- BUCKY
I'm not bettin' on me, Pete.
PETE (a beat)
Oh. (another beat)
Then as a friend I feel it's my duty to
tell you this: you better make it look
good. BUCKY Knockout between rounds eight and ten. Pete nods his head, thinking. PETE Dragna's got a guy really sold on you. Even money. Best you're gonna get. BUCKY
Thanks, Pete. Pete sticks out his hand. PETE Luck. BUCKY
Short of winning? PETE Luck. Bucky takes his hand. INT. THE BOXING GYM - DAY Bucky takes apart his sparring partner with a series of
lightning quick counterpunches. VOICE OVER
I'd almost finished the Police Academy
when the background check turned up my
father's German-American Bund membership.
Pressured by the FBI goons to confirm my
patriotism, I gave the Alien Squad Sam
Murakawa, a guy I'd grown up with, in
order to secure my LAPD appointment. EXT. DOLPH BLEICHERT'S HOUSE - NIGHT Bucky watches from across the street as AN OFF-DUTY NURSE
tries to get Papa Bleichert to eat a sandwich.
VOICE OVER The old fuck never knew any better. Never knew what he cost me. Or Sammy, who'd died at Manzanar. I was a good fit in the snitch's jacket and with a little alteration I slipped easily into the
whole suit. INT. THE BOXING GYM - DAY Bucky watches Lee spar. His quick eyes spying: --scar tissue over Lee's right eye --Lee dropping his left when throwing the right hook --Lee tucking his elbows too tight and opening up his ribcage VOICE OVER (cont'd)
I had traded Warrants for a close-out on
bad old debts, the eight grand I was
gonna clear enough to maintain the old
man in a good clean rest home for three
years; the late round tank job enough to
convince myself I wasn't a complete
coward. INT. THE BOXING GYM - DAY Kay approaches Bucky as he studies Lee. KAY
At least he looks good with his shirt
off. She waves to Lee between rounds. He blows a kiss back. BUCKY
Where's your sketch pad? KAY
I was never very good. Ended up with a
degree in History. Masters. Lee's fight
money paid for it. BUCKY Education's an expensive habit to kick.
(beat)
He shouldn't have quit fighting. KAY
I asked him to. Besides, catching
animals gave him a sense of order. You
have a girlfriend, Dwight?
BUCKY
Saving myself for Rita Hayworth. A roar from the gym onlookers. Lee's sparring partner hits
the deck, blood spraying from his mouth. BUCKY (cont'd)
Quits fighting for you. Puts you through
school. Quite a guy. Quite a pair. KAY (flirting)
We're not getting married if that's what
you're wondering. BUCKY
Why not? Shacking's against the regs.
Probably cost him a stripe. KAY
I have to go, Dwight. Good luck tomorrow
night. BUCKY
You didn't answer my question-- KAY (a throwaway)
Lee and I don't sleep together, Dwight. She keeps walking. He just stares... INT. BUCKY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT A half-eaten steak and two beers gone. It's six hours later
and Bucky's still thinking about Kay's exit line. Restless.
He grabs his jacket. INT. HEARST BUILDING - HERALD-EXAMINER MORGUE - NIGHT Bucky flashes his badge to a late-night clerk who escorts him
into the newspaper's morgue. Pulls a bound stack of newspaper
clippings and gives them to Bucky. He begins poring through
them... A newspaper photo of a BANK shifts into live action: A GRAINY NEWSREEL-TYPE FLASHBACK (SLO-MO) An armored truck idles in front of the Boulevard-Citizens
Bank. Three men dressed in guard uniforms run out of the
front of the bank, an alarm keening in the background. Three police cars converge on the scene and a gun battle
ensues... Two of the bank robbers are shot as the third man
(the one carrying the money) jumps into the truck. The truck
takes off, able to escape when someone from inside the truck
throws open the doors and pushes the naked and bound
legitimate guards out the back and into the line of
pursuit... VOICE OVER
With no lead on the two escaped men, the
heist quickly went from page one to page
five. Two weeks later... A newspaper clipping headline: "Tip from Ex-boxer cop
breaks B-C Bank Job" A still photo of Lee which becomes live action as... INT. A SMALL VENICE BEACH APARTMENT - DAY (FLASHBACK) A younger Lee and four other cops tear apart a small flat. In
a closet they find BANK GUARD UNIFORMS, BANK BAGS, and a
small stash of MARIJUANA. VOICE OVER
One of Lee's snitches fingered Bobby
DeWitt, a greasy little pimp with a yard
long rap, as the brains behind the bank
job. CUT TO: FLASHBACK: A HATCHET FACED MAN (DEWITT) LED BY HANDCUFFS
THROUGH A GIANT CROWD... VOICE OVER (cont'd)
DeWitt howled frame-up the entire trial,
never ID'ing the driver or coughing up
the dough, even after damning character
testimony from some of his employees,
including one Katherine Lake, formerly of
Sioux Falls, South Dakota and looking to
go straight. FLASHBACK: LEE LEADING KAY FROM THE COURTROOM, HAND ON HER
ELBOW... VOICE OVER (cont'd)
DeWitt got ten to life at San Quentin;
Lee got Kay, or maybe the other way
around.
BACK TO PRESENT: Bucky walks through downtown L.A., hands
stuffed in his pockets like James Dean... VOICE OVER (cont'd)
They both got a few weeks in the gossip
pages before Kay dove into her college
education and Lee down the hero's road
ending in Warrants and a shack job with a
woman he loved but wouldn't touch... Bucky passes A WHORE on the corner, their eyes meet for a
moment and he walks on. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
You come off a winning fight. Sweat-
drenched, tasting blood, still wanting to
go. The handbooks who made money on you
bring you a girl. A pro, a semi-pro. You
do it in the dressing room, or a hallway.
The eleventh round of a ten round fight.
And when you go back to an ordinary life,
it's just weakness, a loss. Bucky turns back to give the whore a second look but she's gone. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
To a fighter, sex tastes like blood and
resin and suture scrub. I wondered if
some day that would ever be different. CUT TO: A HAMMER HITTING A BELL and the fight is on. INSIDE THE PACKED ACADEMY GYM Cops and mobsters sit shoulder to shoulder, cigar smoke like
L.A. haze as LEE CHARGES BUCKY, the big man trying to cut of the ring.
Bucky engages, dodging Lee's thundering blows and peppering
back with counterpunches... **The general fight storyline is this: a very even and brutal
match see-sawing back and forth, Bucky doing all he can to
make it into the middle rounds. Somewhere around the fourth
or fifth round his competitive juices take over and he begins
trying to win at all costs. The two men hurt each other
badly, and in the eighth round it's anybody's fight. Bucky punches toe-to-toe with Lee, abandoning his strategy.
Lee knocks Bucky out. INT. BUCKY'S BEDROOM - DAY Bucky lies in bed, radio playing jazz. He looks horrible--
face swollen, lip split, stitches across his nose. He sips
whiskey from a bottle through a straw. The phone rings and rings. He refuses to answer it... INT. A REST HOME - ANOTHER DAY Bucky, bruised but somewhat better, stands in the hallway of
a very nice rest home. He surreptitiously watches his father
as the old man tries to grab at a nurse. EXT. THE REST HOME - MINUTES LATER Pete Lukins waits outside on the porch for Bucky. PETE Well? BUCKY He'll catch on soon enough. The scene widens behind the two men and we see the sign on
the facility: KING DAVID VILLA Jewish stars adorn the sign. INT. BUCKY'S APARTMENT - DAY Bucky stands in front of his mirror clipping at his stitches
with scissors. He hears a voice outside his window. VOICE OVER Hey. Canvasback! Bucky recognizes the voice and goes to the window. EXT. THE COURTYARD - SAME Lee Blanchard, his own bruises fading, stands in the yard. LEE You gonna hide in there another week? Ain't you bored yet? BUCKY Gettin' there.
LEE
Wanna work Warrants with me? BUCKY
What? LEE
Harrell's been callin' to tell you. You
been hibernating-- BUCKY
But I lost. Loew's deal-- LEE Don't you read the papers? The bond issue passed yesterday. Want the job, partner? Off Lee's devilish grin: VOICE OVER
Mister Fire. Mister Ice. The hero and the
snitch. CUT TO: INT. CENTRAL WARRANTS - MORNING A door marked "DETECTIVE'S MUSTER ROOM". Bucky, wearing his
best SPORTS COAT AND SLACKS, pushes through the door. INSIDE THE MUSTER ROOM Full of the LAPD's plainclothes hotshots. All stand and give
Bucky a standing ovation. Lee's there, too, playing to the
crowd. On the blackboard at the front of the room: 8%!!! CAPTAIN JACK TIERNEY is at the podium. TIERNEY (as introduction)
Officer Bleichert, the men of Central
Dicks, Homicide, Ad Vice, Bunco, et
cetera. I'm Captain Jack Tierney. You and
Lee are the white men of the hour, so I
hope you enjoyed your ovation. You won't
get another one until you retire. Everyone laughs. Tierney raps the podium and speaks again.
TIERNEY (cont'd) Enough horseshit. This is the felony
summary for the week ending November 14,
1946. First, three liquor store
stickups... Tierney begins the summary as Bucky's eyes wander around the
room, taking in his new surroundings... Older men, coats and
ties... He tunes back in... TIERNEY (cont'd)
And here's a collar'd please Cap'n Jack
to no end. Sergeants Vogel, Koenig, have
you read the SID memos on the Bunker Hill
burglaries? FRITZ VOGEL AND BILL KOENIG, both hulking and unpleasant-
looking (Fritzie being the elder version of his son Johnny).
The two men shake their heads "no". Tierney disapproves. TIERNEY (cont'd) Set of latents at the last break-in ID's one Maynard Coleman, two sodomy priors. A
surefire baby raper. Highland Park's got
four child sodomy unsolveds. Maybe he's
our boy, maybe not. But between that and
the B&E's I'd put Maynard as a high
priority lamster right now. There's a
list of his known associates on the
bulletin board. Let's all take a look... INT. THE MUSTER ROOM - LATER The meeting's breaking up. A tall, elegant man (RUSS MILLARD)
and a squat disheveled man (HARRY SEARS) approach Bucky. RUSS MILLARD (introducing himself)
Russ Millard, homicides. Wife and kids
thank you for the raise, Officer. Bucky smiles a dumb smile, not knowing what to say. RUSS MILLARD (cont'd) (re the other man)
My partner, Harry Sears. HARRY (stuttering)
Y-y-y-yes. Th-th-thanks Officer B-B-
Bleichert.
Before Bucky can answer ELLIS LOEW grabs him by the elbow and
leads him away. ELLIS LOEW
Officer Bleichert. Welcome to Central
Warrants-- When he gets him out of ear shot: ELLIS LOEW (cont'd)
You shouldn't have slugged with him. You
were ahead on all three cards. BUCKY The proposition passed, sir. ELLIS LOEW Yes but some of your patron's lost money.
Play things smarter here. Don't blow this
like you blew the fight. Bucky's about to respond when Lee saves him-- LEE
Ready to roll, canvasback? He grabs Bucky and they head out the door. INT. LEE'S CAR - LATER Lee cruises them through downtown, rambling about the job
description. BUCKY Why'd you really quit fighting? He pulls the car into a parking lot of a Mexican restaurant. LEE (matter of fact)
Benny Siegel bought out my contract,
scared off my manager. Said he'd get me a
shot at Joe Louis if I'd take two dives
for him. I said no, joined the Department
'cuz Jew syndicate boys won't kill cops.
Anything else? BUCKY (as they exit the car)
One more. What are we doin' here?
LEE
While you were dancing with Ellis at
muster I checked Maynard Coleman's KA's
on the bulletin and recognized the name
of a fence. Think he tends bar here... INSIDE THE RESTAURANT Lee and Bucky slide into a booth on either side of BRUNO
ALBANESE, halfway through plate of huevos rancheros. LEE
Bruno Albanese? BRUNO
Who wants to know? LEE
Police officers, Bruno. Let's make this
fast so I don't have to watch you eat. Lee slides the Maynard Coleman mug shot to Albanese. LEE (cont'd)
We know he sells to you and we don't
care. Where is he? Albanese burps. BRUNO Never seen 'em before. Lee sighs. And then grabs Bruno by the back of the neck and
jams his face into the hot cheese and goo of his food.
Bruno's arms flap back and forth as Lee drowns him in his
food. Finally Lee shrugs and pulls Bruno's face out of his food,
blood from his nose mixing with the grease of the enchiladas. BRUNO Versailles apartments. Sixth and St.
Andrews. EXT. THE VERSAILLES APARTMENTS - MINUTES LATER Lee and Bucky pull up and look for a parking spot just as
MAYNARD COLEMAN trots down the front stairs and gets into a
car. BUCKY
Right there!
They ease the car back into traffic and follow Coleman's car
from a safe distance. Bucky picks up the two-way radio. Lee
gestures for him to put it back: Coleman's pulling into the parking lot of THE POLAR PALACE,
an ICE SKATING RINK. They follow. Coleman exits his car, eyeing a group of kids carrying ice
skates and heading into the Polar Palace. He follows them
inside... The two men follow... INSIDE THE POLAR PALACE Children skate around on the ice with a giant polar bear
suit. Lee and Bucky scan the area--not an adult in sight. Lee
spots some stairs leading to the restrooms and gestures to
Bucky, who hustles down them. ON THE STAIRCASE Maynard Coleman, carrying a stuffed bunny rabbit, walks up
the stairs toward Bucky. Just as the two men pass Bucky PULLS
HIS GUN and puts it to Coleman's head. BUCKY Police officer. You're under arrest. Coleman throws his hands in the air; the bunny drops to the
ground. Bucky cuffs Coleman and leads him up the stairs as
Lee comes down from above. A small voice from below Bucky: VOICE OVER Let go of him! Let go of him! Bucky looks down to see A SMALL BOY pounding on his leg. The
kid's hysterical. BOY Let go a my daddy! Daddy! The resemblance is unmistakable. Two generations of Okie
white trash. Bucky continues marching Coleman the elder up
the stairs as Lee snags the kid, both the father and the son
crying like babies.
INT. THE HALL OF JUSTICE JAIL - LATER Lee and Bucky fill out a release form for the desk officer. Bucky looks up to see BILL KOENIG and FRITZ VOGEL march by
with barely a nod. LEE They got here fast. (off Bucky's look) The confession. INT. CENTRAL WARRANTS - LATER Lee finishes typing up a report on a manual typewriter while
Bucky talks on the phone. He hangs up as Fritz Vogel and Bill
Koenig return. LEE (cont'd) (re the two meatheads) Play nice. They've got juice with Loew. KOENIG (stupid and proud) He confessed. Kiddie porks and the
burglaries. Fritzie says we're all getting commendations. Bucky's POV: both Koenig and Vogel have small bits of
blood spattered on their white dress shirts. VOGEL Ellis loves the kid angle. LEE You talk to Ellis? VOGEL He's only "Ellis" to lieutenants on up, Blanchard. LEE Least I don't call him "kike". VOGEL (flushing) C'mon, Billy. The two men push by with barely a nod in Bucky's direction.
BUCKY
Play nice. Hm.
LEE Shitbirds. HARRY SEARS approaches their cubicle. He looks a little
drunk. (And when you get to know him you'll realize that when
he's drunk he doesn't stutter.) HARRY Russ says good collar today. The men nod thanks. Bucky notes the lack of stutter and the
presence of a liquor smell. HARRY (cont'd) And Lee--I heard something you oughta
know--I was over at County Parole--Bobby
DeWitt got an "A" number. He'll be released to LA around mid-January. Lee bobs his head slightly as Harry moves off. He's disturbed
but covers quickly-- LEE You like pot roast? EXT. A BEAUTIFUL DECO HOME - NIGHT Lee leads Bucky up the walk. Bucky's impressed with the house. LEE Don't say anything to Kay about DeWitt. It'll upset her. INT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS A doll's house of Danish Modern furniture, fresh flowers and
polished mahogany wainscoting. BUCKY You takin' bribes, partner? LEE Fight stash. Kay arrives from the kitchen, smiling broadly at Bucky. She
takes his hand. KAY Hello, Dwight. Glad you could make it. And holds his hand about two beats than usual...
INT. THE DINING ROOM - LATER Kay brings in the food. Bucky walks around the room, checking
things out. FAY Fairy tale come true, isn't it? BUCKY Hm? FAY The house. You and Lee partners. Fairy tale. BUCKY Can't say I believe in fairy tales. KAY Then you've never really had to. Lucky man. (beat) Lee! Dinner! INT. THE DINING ROOM - LATER The food is finished. So is a bottle of champagne. Kay pops
another one, hitting Lee in the chest with the cork. Everyone
laughs hysterically. They fill the glasses again. LEE A toast...To Proposition B! BUCKY To the Bleichert/Blanchard rematch! Bigger than Louis/Schmeling! KAY To fairy tales! BUCKY (abruptly, drunk) To...us! He's referring to all three of them--something which doesn't
escape or displease anyone. They clink glasses and drink. ANOTHER LAPD TRIPLE CARBON INCIDENT REPORT: JANUARY 10, 1947...Raymond "Junior" Nash...
INT. ELLIS LOEW'S OFFICE - MORNING
Lee and Bucky enter the Loew's inner sanctum where they are
joined by Russ Millard and Harry Sears. A stack of L.A.
Heralds sit on the desk, the top one folded to the headline:
"Criminal Division's DA to try for Boss's Job in '48
Primary?" Bucky's look of disgust says it all just as Loew walks into
the room-- LEE
Goin' into politics, Ellis? Give us a
quote. (as FDR) "The only thing to fear
is fear itself." Loew smiles thinly and hands over a photo and a rap sheet. ELLIS LOEW
Here's the man to fear. ANGLE ON THE MUG SHOT AND RAP SHEET: RAYMOND "JUNIOR" NASH: Statutory raps, armed robbery,
felony mayhem...Texas State Prison...Alcatraz... The cops are impressed. BUCKY
Give us the good news. He's in LA and
actin' uppity? ELLIS LOEW Witnesses made him at a stickup near
Leimert Park over the weekend. Pistol-
whipped an old lady. She died about an
hour ago. RUSS MILLARD Anything common in the sex beefs? ELLIS LOEW
Negro girls. Young ones. All the
complainants have been colored. LEE
Seeya in Leimert Park. As they walk out... ELLIS LOEW
Sergeant Blanchard? Try not to kill the
man. I'd like to do it in court. Lee flashes a demon smile.
EXT. CRENSHAW BOULEVARD - DAY - LATER A montage of shots as Lee and Bucky cruise south on Crenshaw
Boulevard. The beginning of the post-war boom. VOICE OVER From November through the New Year, Lee and I captured a total of eleven hard
felons, eighteen traffic warrantees and
three parole and probation absconders... On Crenshaw's northern end, once grand and now dilapidated
houses in the process of demolition, their faces replaced by
giant billboards advertising department stores, jumbo
shopping centers and movie theaters. VOICE OVER
After tours of duty, Lee and I would go
to the house and find Kay. Sometimes she
made dinner for us, other times the three
of us would go dancing, or see a flick. Southbound, older wooden structures looking more and more
unkempt. Empty lots... VOICE OVER (cont'd)
Always she'd be there, never in between
us, but always in the middle. It was the
best time of my life. EXT./INT. THE CAR - A FILLING STATION - CONTINUOUS Lee pulls the car into the parking lot. Jumping out of the
car-- LEE
This grand tour stuff's for shit. I'm
callin' in some favors. He heads to a payphone and beings pumping coins into it. BACK IN THE CAR - MINUTES LATER Lee gets back in the car. He's pale, sweating. LEE
Got a tip. Snitch a mine says he's
shacking with some poon in a crib near
Slauson and Hoover. BUCKY
It's all colored down there--
LEE We fuckin' roll. He pulls out. CUT TO: EXT./INT. THE CAR - HOOVER AVE - MINUTES LATER Lee and Bucky roll up on four men loitering on a corner.
Three are black and one is white. LEE
Hopheads. Let's shake 'em for an address
or a name. As Lee and Bucky exit the car, the four men immediately start
the slow walk to the wall, arms over their heads. The white
guy glances at Lee: WHITE HOPHEAD What the---Blanchard? LEE Shut up, shitbird. Lee pushes him closer to the wall and starts frisking him.
Bucky starts with one of the other men, pulling out some
marijuana cigarettes. Out of the corner of his eye, Bucky sees the black man
closest to Lee reaches for something shiny in his belt-- BUCKY Partner! Bucky pulls his .38... THE WHITE GUY swings around and LEE SHOOTS HIM twice in the
face-- THE FIRST BLACK MAN pulls a SHIV free and BUCKY SHOOTS HIM in
the neck-- ANOTHER OF THE MEN goes for his trousers, fumbling for
something as BUCKY SHOOTS HIM THREE TIMES. LEE Bucky duck! Bucky hits the cement and gets an upside down view of Lee and
the last man drawing guns on each other--Lee's three shots
cutting down the man before he can fire his tiny derringer.
Bucky pulls himself to his feet, stumbling past the blood-
covered sidewalk and vomits in the gutter. FROM THE DISTANCE: THE SOUND OF SIRENS. Bucky pulls out his badge and pins it to his jacket pocket.
Behind him, Lee is busy turning the dead men's pockets inside
out--scattering shivs and reefers onto the sidewalk away from
the blood. All the while Lee cries like a baby. INT. THE 77TH ST. DETECTIVES' STATION - LATER Bucky and a Detective exit a de-briefing room. Bucky looks
worn but composed. DETECTIVE Thank you for your time, Officer. And
your police work, as well. They pass another de-briefing area where Lee sits with
another Detective. Lee looks terrible, muttering and
shivering. DETECTIVE (cont'd)
Your partner's taking this hard. BUCKY
He knew one of the guys. Baxter Fitch.
Busted him once for loitering. Sort of
liked the guy. The detective nods sympathetically. EXT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Lee and Bucky walk up the front steps where they're met by Kay. She runs to Lee and embraces him. KAY
Oh baby. Oh babe. She escorts him into the house. Bucky sees a newspaper on the
front porch railing. The evening edition of The Mirror. "Boxer Cops in Gun Battle. Four Crooks Dead." Publicity boxing photos accompany a full-page article. Bucky
begins to read it when he hears from inside:
LEE Leave me alone! You'll never fucking
understand-- A door slam. Soon after the sound of Lee's motorcycle roaring
off... After a beat Kay comes outside and sits down next to
Bucky. BUCKY He knew one of the guys. She nods. BUCKY (cont'd) It was them or us. She nods again. BUCKY (cont'd) Tomorrow's off-duty so treat him nice-- KAY Bobby DeWitt gets out in a week, Dwight. We're on edge. He swore at the trial he was going to kill Lee. BUCKY We can take care of Bobby DeWitt. KAY Lee's scared. You don't know Bobby. BUCKY I know as much as I need to know. Kay gives him a look: that's what you think. She gets up and
goes inside. Not knowing what to do, Bucky continues reading
the paper. INT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - LATER Bucky wanders inside, obviously fidgety and not wanting to go
home. He putters around their living room. From the back of
the house Bucky hears the sound of A SHOWER RUNNING. Bucky walks back to the bathroom, drawn there by the sound of
the drumming water. The bathroom door is open, an invitation. He stops at the threshold of the bathroom. His POV: Kay stands in the shower, curtain open for Bucky's benefit.
She faces him and he takes in the view of her nakedness.
Her attitude is not one of seduction, however, her expression
passive and fixed even when their eyes meet. She pirouettes
for him, showing: A SERIES OF OLD KNIFE SCARS CRISS-CROSSING HER BACK FROM
THIGH TO SPINE. The history of Bobby DeWitt. Bucky backs away, retreating as he chokes back tears. INT. BUCKY'S APARTMENT - MORNING Bucky's awakened by the phone ringing. He pulls the receiver
off the cradle but leaves it on the nightstand. From the
receiver he barely hears: LEE
Rise and shine partner! Bucky grabs the phone. BUCKY
Lee? You okay? LEE
Sure. Ran Mulholland at a hundred and
ten. Played house with Kay all day
yesterday. Feel like doing some police
work? BUCKY
Keep going. LEE
Junior Nash's got a fuck pad on Norton
and Coliseum. EXT. THE CORNER OF COLISEUM AND NORTON - SOON AFTER Bucky and Lee pull up to a mangy apartment building. INT. RAYMOND NASH'S ROOM - SOON AFTER They push the door open to reveal a filthy little flop
littered with muscatel short dogs and used rubbers. LEE
Okie trash. They poke around for a minute, finding nothing. The smell is
awful. Bucky goes to a window and pulls it open. HIS POV OUT THE WINDOW:
IN A VACANT LOT ACROSS THE WAY A cluster of uniformed cops and men in civilian clothes stare
at something in the weeds. A CORONER'S VAN parks next to
three black and whites and two detectives' sedans. BUCKY
Lee. Lee goes to the window. LEE
Is that Millard and Sears? An LAPD PHOTO VAN pulls up next. Lee and Bucky sprint out of the room. EXT. THE VACANT LOT - 39TH AND NORTON - SECONDS LATER Photo men have already begun fanning out and taking photos.
Bucky sees Harry Sears take a shot from a hip flask in full
view of other officers. Lee and Bucky elbow their way to the
front and see: The nude, mutilated body of a young woman, cut in half at the
waist. Another wide cut down her center reveal an empty
cavity--her organs have been removed. Her face has been bashed in and her mouth cut ear to ear in a
leering smile. Even the experienced cops are rattled by the scene. They
point and whisper and generally begin to fall into disbelief
and disorder when RUSS MILLARD whistles harshly with his fingers in his mouth. RUSS MILLARD Before this gets out of hand let's put
the kibosh on something. If this gets a
lot of publicity we're going to get a lot
of confessions. So we keep some things
quiet. This girl was disemboweled. You
keep this information to yourselves. Not
your wives, not your girlfriends, no
other officers. The men all nod, coming together as Millard takes control.
RUSS MILLARD (cont'd)
No reporters view the body. You photo
men, take your pictures now. Coroner's
men, you put a sheet on the body as soon
as they're done. Set up a perimeter six
feet back. Any reporter crosses it,
arrest him. (noticing Bucky)
Bleichert. What are you doing here?
Where's Blanchard? Bucky indicates Lee, crouched down by the body taking notes. BUCKY
Nash is renting a room in that building
over there. RUSS MILLARD
Blood on the premises? BUCKY
No. This isn't him. RUSS MILLARD
The lab'll be the judge of that. Millard and Bucky look dawn the street to see cars swinging
onto Norton, beelining for the commotion. Reporters and
photographers begin pouring out of their cars, quickly coming
up against a line of cops keeping them from the body. Bucky makes his way over to Lee, unable to stop staring at
the body. BUCKY
Hey. Junior Nash, remember?
LEE
He didn't do this. BUCKY
No. He beat an old woman to death. That's
why he's our priority warrantee. LEE
Not anymore.
BUCKY This ain't ours, partner-- LEE (on edge)
It is now, partner.
EXT. THE CRIME SCENE - LATER Too sheet-covered stretchers are shoved into the coroner's
wagon. The doors slam shut and the car pulls away. CUT TO: RUSS MILLARD DIVIDING A STREET ATLAS INTO FOOTBEATS as fifteen officers (including Lee and Bucky) wait for their
assignment. A MONTAGE OF QUESTIONING Cops ring doorbells throughout Leimert Park: OFFICER (to an old woman) Have you heard female screams... BUCKY
(to an off-duty serviceman) ...anyone discarding women's clothing? LEE (to a little kid) ...seen anyone in the lot on 39th... BUCKY (to a housewife) ...and what about this man? (holds out a photo of Junior Nash) To all of these questions a big fat "no". INT. THE OLYMPIC BOXING ARENA - NIGHHT Bucky watches two Mexican bantamweights beat each other
bloody. An EMPTY SEAT next to him. Irritated, he gets up and
leaves. ENT. 39TH AND NORTON - NIGHT - LATER Bucky gets out of his car and finds Lee standing inside the
crime scene rope watching lab techs poke around in the weeds.
The entire area is lit up by arclights, illuminating the two
quicklime outlines of the body parts. BUCKY You were supposed to meet me at the fights tonight, remember?
LEE Priority. Remember. BUCKY Priority for the Bureau. Not for us. LEE
Nice white girl gets snuffed. Gotta show
the voters they did the right thing passing the bond issue. It's a showcase. It's A-plus, Buck. We don't miss this. BUCKY We've had enough headlines for the week. Lee points to the body outline. His hand shakes a bit and
maybe for the first time we sense he's wired on something. LEE With or without you, partner. Bucky shakes his head and begins walking away. LEE (cont'd) With or without you. BUCKY I heard you. INT. THE SQUAD ROOM - NEXT DAY Bucky enters a mob scene. One cop holds up a front page headline: "Hunt Werewolf's Den in Torture Slaying" Along a bench, five derelict-looking men are manacled to a bench. A cop walks by, notes Bucky's confusion: OFFICER Confessors. Just then the interrogation room door opens and Bill Koenig
leads a doubled-over fat man out of the door. KOENIG He didn't do it. A couple officers clap satirically at their desks. BUCKY (to another cop) Blanchard?
OFFICER
In with Loew.(beat) And reporters. Off Bucky's concerned look we CUT TO: INT. ELLIS LOEW'S OFFICE - MORNING Bucky walks in to see Loew holding a press conference, Lee
dressed in a suit and sitting at his side. ELLIS LOEW
...and the heinous nature of this killing
makes it imperative to catch this fiend
as soon as possible. A number of
specially trained officers, including Mr.
Fire and his partner Mr. Ice... ON BUCKY'S FACE Disbelief. Disgust. BACK IN THE WARRANTS CUBICLE - LATER Lee catches up with a pissed off Bucky. BUCKY
You got us detached? LEE
Slow and easy, Bucky. First I gave Loew a
memo saying Nash blew our jurisdiction-- BUCKY
You did what? LEE
It's all right. The APB still stands.
We've got the pad staked. He's covered. Bucky's face says he's not sold on Lee's reasoning. LEE (cont'd)
One week. Just one week. After that, it's
back to Junior. I promise. Bucky studies Lee's resolve; he relents. LEE (cont'd)
Copacetic. CUT TO:
INT. PATHOLOGY ROOM - LATER Antiseptic white with metallic slab tables. Two objects
covered in sheets lay on the table. Bucky, Lee, Russ Millard and Harry Sears sit on benches
facing the table. THE CORONER and a STENOGRAPHER NUN stand
over the body. The coroner pulls the sheets off.
LEE
Jesus, Bucky. CORONER
On gross pathology, we have a female
Caucasian between sixteen and thirty.
Cadaver is presented in two halves with
bisection level with the umbilicus. The nun scribbles furiously to keep up. The officers are torn
between staring at their shoes and at the body. CORONER (cont'd)
...Through-and through laceration from
both mouth corners...no visible signs of
neck bruises...massive depressed skull
fractures...Inspection of upper half
abdominal cavity reveals no free-flowing
blood. Intestines, stomach, liver and
spleen removed. The doctor stops to allow the nun time to catch up. Russ
Millard clears his throat. RUSS MILLARD
Is it...all right to smoke, doctor? CORONER
She's not going to mind. Both Russ and Harry light up. CORONER (cont'd)
Lower half of the cadaver reveals removal
of reproductive organs...Both legs broken
at the knee, and healing, light lash
marks on the upper back and shoulders... The door opens and a police officer enters, handing a sheet
of paper to Millard and speaking to him briefly. Millard
reads the sheet and hands it to Harry, who then hands it to
Lee.
LEE (reading)
Bingo. He hands it to Bucky. The note: "Girl ID'd as Elizabeth Ann Short, DOB
7/29/24, Medford, Mass." The coroner steps back from the table. CORONER
Questions? RUSS MILLARD What's your best guess? CORONER
Here's what she wasn't. She wasn't raped,
she wasn't pregnant, dried semen
indicates voluntary intercourse within
the last week...She took what I'd call a
gentle whipping in the last ten days...In
terms of the nitty-gritty...She was
probably tortured with a knife for thirty-
six to forty-eight hours before death.
The cause of which is either the mouth
wound or more likely she was beaten to
death with something like a baseball bat. LEE
What about her insides? CORONER
They came out after death. Then I'd say
he drained the blood from the body and
washed it clean, probably in a bathtub. LEE Did the guy know anything about medicine
or anatomy? CORONER
Maybe. Probably not a surgeon type--but
that doesn't rule out veterinary
training, biological training, or my
Pathology for Beginners class at UCLA.
Has she got a name yet? The cops look to each other, hesitant to speak her name. RUSS MILLARD
Elizabeth Short.
CORONER (saluting heaven)
God love you, Elizabeth. (to Millard)
Russell, when you get the son of a bitch
who did this to her, give him a kick in
the balls and tell him it's from
Frederick D. Newbarr, M.D. Now all of you
get out of here, I've got a date with a
jumper suicide in ten minutes. INT. CENTRAL DIVISION BULLPEN - LATER Jack Tierney posts mug shots of Elizabeth Short as Russ,
Harry, Lee and Bucky look over his shoulder. (In the
background we can hear the by-now constant droning of Ellis
Loew to reporters, both in person and over the phone) CAPTAIN JACK Cops popped her in '43. Santa Barbara.
Underage drinking. Other than that she's
clean. Four sisters. Parents divorced.
Father's here in LA. Hear he sold some
old portrait photos of her to the Herald. Russ makes a noise of disgust. RUSS MILLARD
How many confessions so far? CAPTAIN JACK Eighteen. RUSS MILLARD
Double that by morning. More if Loew got
the press excited with his purple prose. LOEW (he's been eavesdropping)
I'd say my prose fits the crime,
Lieutenant. Reveal Loew with Koenig and Fritz Vogel behind him. RUSS MILLARD
Too much publicity is a hindrance, Ellis.
If you were a policeman you'd know that. Loew flushes and gives Millard a dark look.
ELLIS LOEW (to Tierney)
Captain have you sent men to talk to the
victim's father? CAPTAIN JACK Not yet, Ellis. ELLIS LOEW How about Vogel and Koenig? Tierney looks to Millard. The second in command shakes his
head ever so slightly. We understand that even though he's
second in command to Jack he's in charge. CAPTAIN JACK Aaah, Russ, who do you think we should
send? CUT TO: EXT. WILSHIRE DISTRICT - DUSK A garage apartment at the rear of a big Victorian house. Lee
and Bucky amble up and ring the buzzer. A skinny man (CLEO SHORT) in his fifties opens the door,
eyeing them narrowly. CLEO SHORT
Cops, huh? He leads them inside. The apartment resembles its resident,
soiled, worn and ugly. CLEO SHORT (cont'd)
I've got an alibi, just in case you think
I did it. Tighter than a crab's ass, and
that is air tight. The two cops sit down, sizing up his hostility. BUCKY
I'm Detective Bleichert, Mr. Short. This
is Sergeant Blanchard. We'd like to
express our condolences for the loss of
your daughter. CLEO SHORT
I know who you are. Neither of you'da
lasted a round with Gentleman Jim
Jeffries. (beat) As for Betty, c'est la vie. She
called the tune, she paid the piper.
(beat) You wanna hear my alibi? LEE Since you're so anxious to tell it. CLEO SHORT Johnny on the spot at my job. Twenty-
seven straight hours. Refrigerator
repairman. Twenty-seven straight and the
last seventeen overtime. Call my boss.
He'll alibi me up tighter than a popcorn
fart, and that's air tight. BUCKY When was the last time you saw your
daughter? CLEO SHORT
Betty came west in '43 with stars in her
eyes. I promised her three squares and a
five-spot if she kept the house tidy. The cops look around at the squalor. CLEO SHORT (cont'd)
Gave her the boot in July. She moved to
Santa Barbara. Sent me a postcard couple
weeks later. Some soldier beat her up
bad. Last I heard from her. BUCKY Was that soldier her boyfriend? The old man lets out a hoot. CLEO SHORT
They were all her boyfriends! Not so ugly
and wearing a uniform, can't go wrong
there. Betty believed in quantity before
quality. LEE
You calling your own daughter a tramp? CLEO SHORT
Got five daughters. One bad apple ain't
so bad. Lee's about to burst. Bucky motions for him to take a walk.
Lee goes through the den into the bathroom. From his view
Bucky can see Lee chase a couple pills with a glass of
water...
BUCKY Any names, Mr. Short? CLEO SHORT
Tom, Dick, Harry. Don't matter.
(he drifts for a moment)
Said she was looking for movie work
but...just paraded the Boulevard in those
black get-ups of hers. Lee returns to the room. CLEO SHORT (cont'd)
Who wouldn't get herself killed doin'
that? Who? Who wouldn't? EXT. CLEO SHORT'S APARTMENT - MINUTES LATER The two men walk out, disgusted. LEE
Jesus fuck. We just got handed the entire
U.S. Armed forces as suspects. BUCKY
Flip to see who writes it up? LEE
I'm staking Nash's pad for the night. See
if we get any strange drive-bys at the
murder sight. Do me a favor and drop in
on Kay. She's worried about me. BUCKY She's a smart woman. INT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Bucky opens the front door to find Kay reading a book on the
couch. She doesn't even look up. KAY
Hi, Dwight. BUCKY How'd you know it was me? KAY
Lee stomps, you tread lightly. Bucky appreciates her subtext.
BUCKY
Lee's-- KAY
Let me guess...Lee's up all night--
probably on Benzedrine again--working
that poor girl's murder-- She says this as fact, not judgement. She knows him. KAY
You're worried about him. And he's
worried about me.
(beat)
But who's worried about you? Is that left
for me? BUCKY
No need for that. KAY
For such a cautious man you're quite a
hardcase. BUCKY
It's just...He's done a lot for me. Kay smiles, sweeps her arms around the perfect living room as
if to reinforce to Bucky all Lee's done for her. The point is not lost on him. She crosses to him and kisses him softly on the cheek. KAY (cont'd)
Good night. INT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bucky sits at their kitchen table, eating a ham sandwich with
a glass of milk and filling out the police reports. INT. THE HOMICIDE BULLPEN - MORNING Bucky walks in reading the Herald front page: A picture of
Elizabeth Short in a striking black dress. Underneath:"The
Black Dahlia". He stops at a room where two detectives are sorting through
a steamer trunk full of letters and assorted personal effects.
RUSS MILLARD (O.S.) (re trunk)
Found it in storage down at the railway.
Carbons of mash notes to sailors.
Hundreds of 'em. Bucky shows him the newspaper. RUSS MILLARD Thank our friend Bevo Means at the
Herald. Bevo's painting Betty and her
black dress like some actress in that
Alan Ladd movie, The Blue Dahlia. Should
triple our confessions. BUCKY
Great. RUSS MILLARD (cont'd)
Hollywood will fuck you when no else
will. What do you think? BUCKY
I think I want to go back to Warrants. RUSS MILLARD No dice. You're a bright penny and I want
you here. (hands him a piece of paper)
Betty's last known residences and KA's.
Go to University Station and pick up Bill
Koenig. Fritzie's sick. Keep Bill on a
tight leash, and you write the report
because Billy's practically illiterate. BUCKY
Lieutenant-- RUSS MILLARD Call me Russ and get out of here. Millard gestures for him to leave. EXT. AN APARTMENT HOUSE - LATER Bucky and Koenig walk up to the steps of an apartment house. BUCKY
How do you want to play this, Sarge? KOENIG
Fritzie usually does the talking and I
stand back up. (re a leather sap in his belt) Muscle job? BUCKY Let's try talk job. Bucky checks names on the doorbells against a couple names on
his piece of paper. He stops at "S. Saddon". INT. THE HALLWAY UPSTAIRS - LATER Bucky knocks on the door. BUCKY Miss Saddon? A young woman dressed in a metallic Egyptian costume opens
the door. SHERYL You the driver from RKO? BUCKY Police. The woman shuts the door. Seconds later the TOILET FLUSHES.
She returns and opens it again. SHERYL If this is about those jaywalking-- BUCKY It's about Elizabeth Short. SHERYL I did all this on the phone this morning. Nine thousand questions about Betty's
nine thousand boyfriends and I don't remember any of the names. Can I go now? The extras truck is due any minute. BUCKY How about you sit dawn and answer my
questions or I bust you for the reefer
you flushed. She lets him in and sits defiantly. BUCKY (cont'd)
First question. Does a...
(re to his paper)
Linda Martin or a Marjorie Graham live
here?
SHERYL That's Betty's other place. DeLongpre and
Orange. BUCKY She moved around quite a bit. You know
why? Was somebody threatening her? SHERYL Betty's problem wasn't enemies. It was
too many friends. BUCKY
I've gathered that. Let's change the
subject. SHERYL How 'bout "the world of high finance"? BUCKY (cont'd)
How about movies? You girls are all
tryin' to break in, right? SHERYL (re her extras costume)
I'm in mister. BUCKY
Congratulations. What about Betty? SHERYL
Maybe once. Maybe not. 'Round
Thanksgiving she showed up bragging about
gettin' her big break...Had one of those
viewfinders around her neck? But who
knows where she really got it. Betty had
a tendency to-- BUCKY
...stretch the truth? SHERYL
Lie. A CAR HORN HONKS. Bucky walks to the window and looks
outside: A FLATBED TRUCK FULL OF CLEOPATRAS waits. BUCKY
Your ride's here-- But she's already gone.
INT. THE CAR - MOVING - HOLLYWOOD - CONTINUOUS They cruise to the next address. KOENIG
What'd the cooze say 'bout me? Bucky just stares at him; the guy's an idiot. EXT./INT. DELONGPRE APARTMENT BUILDING - LATER Two men lounge on the stoop. Koenig gives them the eye as he
passes. Bucky checks his piece of paper against the doorbells again.
Finds "M. Graham" but no Linda Martin. KOENIG
I'm bored. BUCKY This'll just take a minute. KOENIG I'm gonna take those two guys outside.
Maybe they knew the cooze-- BUCKY I'll handle 'em Sarge-- KOENIG
No! I'm gonna do it! (beat) Now what do I
roust 'em about? BUCKY
I dunno. Ask 'em anything. Alibis. See if
Betty ever engaged in prostitution...
Koenig goes running outside. Bucky shakes his head. INT. A COMMUNAL SITTING ROOM - LATER Marjorie Graham sits on a couch with a dog-eared back issue
of Photoplay in her hands. She's mild but well-traveled. MARJORIE
...Betty had this gift, you see. She was
so sweet and eager to please...a bit
dumb, maybe. But she'd do anything to be
liked, become whatever you wanted her to
be. She'd walk like you, or talk like
you...but she wasn't...she was still her.
BUCKY Did she ever tell you she was in a movie?
Sometime around November? MARJORIE
Sure. She had this viewfinder and showed
it around to all the guys. Said it was
from the director. A co-starring role. BUCKY
Did she say what it was? MARJORIE
Once she said it was for Fox. Another
time Paramount. I think she was just
fibbing. You know, for the boys. BUCKY Do you remember the names of any of the guys? MARJORIE
Don and Harold--sitting outside. She
dated both of 'em once or twice. Other
than that...I just...didn't really pay
attention to who she was with. Marjorie looks down, fidgeting. BUCKY What is it? You can tell me. MARJORIE
Well...Right before she moved out...l saw
her and Linda... BUCKY
Linda Martin? MARJORIE
Yeah. Her and Linda Martin--talking to
this older woman up on the Boulevard. She
had a man's suit and short hair like a
man...Only that one time... BUCKY Are you saying the woman was a lesbian? Marjorie nods yes. Bucky's about to press her for more when Bill Koenig barges
in, all sweaty. KOENIG
Them guys talked. Said the stiff peddled
her twat when she got strapped bad. I
called it in. Mr. Loew said to keep it
zipped cuz it don't look as good. Bucky looks at Marjorie. Back to Koenig. BUCKY Take their statements, Bill. I've got a
little more here. Bill disappears back to the porch. BUCKY (cont'd)
Linda Martin's room? INT. LINDA MARTIN'S ROOM - LATER Bucky pushes open the room and finds it empty. He checks the
closet. Empty. Bucky runs his hand under the bed. Finds something and pulls
it out. A small red vinyl purse. He opens the purse. Inside
is an ID. He shows it to Marjorie. MARJORIE
That's her. God...She's only fifteen. BUCKY (re card)
Lorna Martikova. Omaha, Nebraska.
Runaway. When'd you see her last? MARJORIE
This morning. I told her I'd called the
police to come talk to us about Betty.
Was that the wrong thing to do? BUCKY
You couldn't have known. EXT. THE APARTMENT COMPLEX - LATER Bucky emerges. Koenig stands on the stoop with the two men,
both of whom look like they might have seen the wrong end of
Koenig's less-than-subtle interrogation style. KOENIG (re the men) They didn't do it.
BUCKY
No shit Sherlock. INT. AN ANONYMOUS CASTING OFFICE - DAY Clapsticks come down in front of the camera: "Elizabeth Short...Screen Test #1." Elizabeth Short sits on a tiny chair in a cheap office. She's
dressed for an audition, overly made up and nervous. MAN (O.S.)
Your name please? ELIZABETH SHORT
Elizabeth Short. Betty. Beth...Elizabeth. MAN (O.S)
Relax, Elizabeth. She nods, can't relax. ELIZABETH SHORT
Sorry. Can we try it again? MAN (O.S.)
We haven't even started yet. ELIZABETH SHORT
Oh. FADE OUT. INT. HOLLYWOOD STATION - LATER Bucky fills out forms. VOICE OVER
I used a Warrant cops special prerogative
and issued an APB on Lorna Martikova aka
Linda Martin. I wrote up my day's report,
omitting Marjorie Graham's lead on the
old dyke. I didn't need Ellis Loew
quashing it along with the skinny on
Betty as the part-time prostie. EXT. LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS Bucky pulls up in front of the house. Heads inside...
VOICE OVER (cont'd)
To be honest, I'd pretty much overdosed
on Betty Short's low-rent last months on
earth and decided to kiss off the rest of
the day and head to Lee and Kay's for a
sandwich. CUT TO: CLOSE-UPS OF BLACK DAHLIA CRIME SCENE PHOTOS spread out on Lee and Kay's dining room table. Bucky stands just inside the door watching Lee study the
photos, Kay a pace or two back, smoking nervously. Neither of
them seem to notice him. Finally Kay sees him: KAY
Hi, Dwight. LEE (wired)
It ain't a random job. Horseshit. Guy who
did this...hated her. Bad. Wanted the
whole goddamn world to know. Babe, you
took pre-Med, whattya think? Mad doctor? KAY
Lee, Dwight's here. LEE
Oh, hey partner. Bucky listen to Kay.
Babe's got ideas. Good stuff-- KAY
This kind of theorizing's nonsense, but
I'll give you a theory if you'll eat
something to calm yourself down. LEE
Theory on, teach. KAY
Well. Just a guess. But maybe there were
two killers. Because the torture cuts are
crude, while the bisection and the cut on
the abdomen are neat and clean... CLOSE ON: Lee's face, somehow both intense and unfocused... VOICE OVER
Three days 'til Bobby De Witt hit LA.
Three days since we killed four men.
BACK ON: BUCKY, who turns on his heels and exits, catching
Kay's eye as he goes. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
Maybe nobody cared. Maybe they cared too
much. EXT. 39TH AND NORTON - DUSK - LATER Bucky cruises by the crime scene. Rubberneckers gawk around
the vacant lot while vendors peddle greasy food and cheap
portrait glossies of the Dahlia in a black dress. INT. CENTRAL DIVISION BULLPEN - BUCKY'S DESK - NIGHT Bucky sits at his desk staring at RAYMOND NASH'S MUGSHOT. HIS EYES DRIFT TO: A WAGER POOL SIGN-UP LIST POSTED ON THE WALL: a crude felt
craps table with various betting spaces: "Solved--2 to 1",
"Random Sex Job--4 to 1", "Uhsolved--Even Money",
"Boyfriend(s)--l to 4"... Next to it are TWO HALVES OF A BLACK DRESS on separate
hangers...a crude joke. Bucky opens up his desk drawer and drops the Nash mugshot
inside. He dials the phone: BUCKY
Administrative Vice Squad? DISSOLVE TO: EXT. THE SWANK SPOT LOUNGE - THE VALLEY - NIGHT Bucky pulls his car up to a low-slung building with a log-
cabin facade and swinging Western doors. He enters. INT. THE SWANK SPOT LOUNGE - CONTINUOUS A dimly lit LESBIAN BAR. Butch women in GI khakis mix with
soft girls in cashmere skirt suits. Bucky approaches a bartender. The woman sizes him up and
slides him a whiskey. BARTENDER
Beverage Control?
BUCKY (downing the whiskey)
LAPD Homicide. BARTENDER
Who got snuffed? Bucky slides her a photo of the Dahlia and Linda Martin's ID. BUCKY Seen either of 'em? BARTENDER
Huh. The Dahlia's a sister? BUCKY
You tell me. BARTENDER
Never seen her 'cept in the papers. And
the little schoolgirl twist I've never
seen. We don't truck with underaged
stuff. Capice? BUCKY
Capice when your girls tell me that. CUT TO: INT. THE BAR - SOON AFTER as the photos are passed from patron to patron. Aside from a
few raised eyebrows over the Dahlia, nothing to indicate
anyone knows anything. DISSOLVE TO: INT. A DIFFERENT LESBIAN BAR - LATER This time an Olde English motif. Bucky sips another free
whiskey as a dozen more women pass the photos around. Bucky
watches their reactions closely but doesn't see anything out
of the ordinary. He takes another shot of whiskey and heads out the door. DISSOLVE TO: INT. LAVERNE'S HIDEWAY - LATER A tropical motif. Faux bamboo wrap-around booths shield women
snuggled deep into the dark corners.
A bit buzzed and embarrassed to have to go booth to booth and
break up couples, Bucky slowly makes his way around the bar
with the two photos. More of the same... He approaches a woman polishing glasses at the bar. Slides
over the photos. BUCKY
Black Dahlia. BARTENDER
No shit. He taps a finger onto Linda Martin's ID. BUCKY What about this girl? The bartender picks up the card and squints at it. Bucky sees
a flicker of recognition in her eyes. She hesitates-- BARTENDER
Never seen her. He leans over the counter. BUCKY Don't you fuckin' lie to me. She's
fifteen fucking years old. So you come
clean or I slap a contributing beef on
you, and you spend the next five years
servin' raisinjack to bulldykes in
Tehachapi. The bartender looks again at the ID card. BARTENDER
A couple times. Two, three months ago.
Just to cadge drinks off the sisters,
though. She liked boys, I'm sure. And not
the Dahlia. Never. Out of his peripheral vision Bucky sees another woman just
starting to sit down on a bar stool but at the last minute,
change her mind and make for the door. A baby spotlight catches her face; a fleeting resemblance to
Elizabeth Short. Bucky takes a deep breath, counts to ten and then goes out
after the woman.
EXT. THE PARKING LOT - CONTINUOUS The woman gets into a beautiful snow-white Packard. CUT TO: SHOTS OF VARIOUS STREETS - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS as Bucky tails the white Packard from three car-lengths back.
He follows her all the way from the Valley to Hancock Park. CUT TO: EXT. MUIRFIELD ROAD - HANCOCK PARK - NIGHT As the woman parks her car in front of A HUGE TUDOR MANSION, Bucky cruises by, catching her license plate and writing it
on a pack of matches from LaVerne's. In his rear view mirror he sees her exit the car, a striking
figure in a sharkskin suit. He watches her walk up the
enormous lawn and into the home. EXT. A PAY PHONE - MINUTES LATER Bucky reads the license plate into the phone. He receives
information back and writes it onto the matchbook, as well. INT. BUCKY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Bucky lies in his bed, staring at the ceiling. His bedside
light reveals a still life: Elizabeth Short's mug shot photo
tucked underneath the matchbook. The cover is flipped open
and we can see written: "Madeleine Cathcart Sprague". INT. BUCKY'S CAR - MORNING Bucky's listening to The Dexter Gordon quartet on the radio
when the tune is interrupted by a feverish voice: ANNOUNCER We interrupt our regular broadcast to
bring you a bulletin. A major suspect in
the investigation of Elizabeth Short, the
raven-haired beauty known as the Black
Dahlia, has been captured! Red Manley, a
Huntington Park hardware salesman and one
of the last men to be seen with the
Dahlia, was captured early this morning.
Currently being held at Hollenback
Station--
Bucky takes a quick left down another street. CUT TO: INT. HOLLENBACK STATION JAIL - LATER Bucky runs into Lee as he enters the station. LEE Dahlia left San Diego six days before we
found her. Dago cops got a witness puts
her in a tan Dodge with a partial plate
ident. Finally got a cross-check that
matched on Red here. INT. OUTSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM - CONT. Seems like every cop in town has jammed themselves into a
small corridor, watching Russ Millard interrogate RED MANLEY
through a one way mirror. Manley is carrot-topped, 25, and
scared shitless. Millard's soothing voice can be heard through speakers. MILLARD
Like I said, Robert. We're doing this
because you didn't come forward. RED MANLEY I've told it three times now. I didn't
want my wife to know I was chipping her. MILLARD
But you said you didn't chip on her.
Betty wouldn't put out. That's no reason
to hide from the police. RED MANLEY I dated her down in Dago. I slow-danced
with her. It's the same thing as
chipping. MILLARD And you wanted to fuck her, didn't you? RED MANLEY I wanted...to test my loyalty to my wife. MILLARD
Come on, son! RED MANLEY I wanted to fuck her. Yes.
MILLARD
But she cock-teased you. RED MANLEY
She said she had her period-- All of the cops outside laugh. RED MANLEY Said the father of her child would be a
combat veteran-- MILLARD
And you were in the Army band. You get
angry? RED MANLEY I told you. I didn't kill her. MILLARD
You drove her back to LA with you
on...December tenth? And dropped her at
the Biltmore Hotel? RED MANLEY I've told it how many ways? How many more
ways do you went to hear it? Millard straightens up and turns to the one-way mirror. He
tugs at the knot of his tie. Soon after he slips out of the
room and Harry Sears slips in. Bucky turns to Lee. BUCKY
Welcome back to earth, partner. LEE Your fault, really. After you left Kay
slipped me a Mickey. Slept for seventeen
hours. BUCKY
Your fault for buying her all those
chemistry classes. LEE
Learn anything interesting? BUCKY
No.
LEE (re the interrogation)
Now you'll see why Russ keeps Harry
around. INT. THE INTERROGATION ROOM - SAME Harry circles Red Manley, lightly tapping a metal-studded sap
in his hand. LEE (re the sap) Russ's only rule. No actual hitting. BACK INSIDE THE INTERROGATION ROOM - SAME Harry leans close to Red, tapping the sap on the table. His
stutter completely gone. HARRY SEARS
You wanted some fresh gash, and you
thought Betty was easy. You came on
strong and that didn't work. You offered
her money. She told you she was on the
rag, and that was the final straw. You
wanted to make her bleed for real-- RED MANLEY No no no. Not Betty-- Harry SMASHES the sap onto a glass ashtray, shattering it.
Red bites down on his lip, cutting it. HARRY SEARS You plied Betty with drinks, got her to
talk about her old boyfriends and came on
like a pal, like the nice little corporal
willing to leave Betty to the real men,
the men who saw combat-- RED MANLEY
No-- Harry SMASHES the table again. HARRY SEARS
You took her to a toolshed, maybe one of
those abandoned warehouses out by the old
Ford plant in Pico-Rivera. There was some
twine and lots of cutting tools lying
around, and you got a hard-on...
RED MANLEY No no no-- Again Harry smashes the table. Red almost topples his chair
backwards out of fear, only Harry's hand an the back slats
keeping it from going over... HARRY SEARS Yes, Reddy, yes. You thought of every
girl who said "I don't suck", every time
your mommy spanked you, every evil eye
you got from real soldiers when you
played your trombone in the army band. RED MANLEY No-- HARRY SEARS (cont'd) Goldbrick, needle-nick, pussy-whipped-- RED MANLEY No-- HARRY SEARS
That's what Betty had to pay for wasn't
it? RED MANLEY No, please! God as my witness! HARRY SEARS God hates liars! Smash! HARRY SEARS (cont'd) Tell me, Red! Tell Betty! Tell God! RED MANLEY I didn't hurt her-- HARRY SEARS
Tell God! Harry smashes the sap down the table once more and then hurls
the whole thing over onto its side. Red fumbles out of the chair onto his knees. He clasps his
hands together-- RED MANLEY
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want...
He begins to weep. Completely broken. Harry turns to the one way mirror, looking straight out at
his audience: self-loathing etched into his flabby,
juicehound face. He gives the thumbs-down sign and walks out of the room. OUTSIDE IN THE HALLWAY Russ Millard meets him at the door and leads him away from
the general crowd of officers. BACK IN THE INTERROGATION ROOM Bucky watches as Lee and another officer handcuff Red and
take him outside. Lee has his hand on Red's shoulder like a
kindly uncle. OUTSIDE THE STATION Bucky stands on the steps, taking fresh air. Russ steps out. RUSS MILLARD Good report yesterday, Bleichert. BUCKY
Thanks. RUSS MILLARD What next? BUCKY
You send me back to Warrants? RUSS MILLARD
Wrong again. But keep going. BUCKY Canvass around the Biltmore. If Red
dropped her off there on the tenth maybe
we can start reconstructing the last days
before she got snatched. RUSS MILLARD Bright penny. You're doing well, Bucky.
Run with the ball. BUCKY
All I know is you should keep an eye on
Loew and his boys.
I didn't put it in my report, but Betty
sold it outright when she needed money
bad enough, and Loew's been trying to
keep it kiboshed so it'll look better if
he ever takes it to trial. RUSS MILLARD
(smiles)
You calling your boss an evidence
suppressor? BUCKY
And a grandstanding son of a bitch. RUSS MILLARD
You're a brighter penny than I thought.
(hands him a sheet of paper)
Betty sightings. Wilshire Division. I
need smart pennies to eliminate the
phonies from the tip sheet. BUCKY What are you gonna do? MILLARD
Keep an eye on the evidence suppressor
son of a bitch and his minions to make
sure they don't try to coerce a
confession out of that innocent man in
the holding tank. He pats Bucky on the shoulder and walks inside. CUT TO: BUCKY CANVASSING THE WILSHIRE DISTRICT Restaurants, bars, juke joints. Bucky interviews every drunk
on Western and Normandie... VOICE OVER
Barflies. Daytime juicers...The longer I
listened the more they talked about
themselves, interweaving their sad tales
with the Black Dahlia, who they actually
believed to be a glamorous siren headed
for Hollywood stardom... Bucky cruises in his car into Lee and Kay's neighborhood. VOICE OVER (cont'd)
It was as if they would have traded their own lives for a juicy front-page death.
I decided my report would consist of two
words: "All bullshit". IN FRONT OF LEE AND KAY'S HOUSE - NIGHT Bucky pulls up just as Kay storms out the door and down the
steps, hurling an armful of paper onto the lawn. Lee storms
beside her, shouting and waving his arms as they go back
inside. Bucky walks over and kneels down besides the papers: carbons of LAPD report forms, tip sheets, evidence tickets, the
autopsy...all with "E. Short" typed at the top. BUCKY Oh Jesus. Kay and Lee come back out again, Kay tossing out more files. KAY
It's sick and it's insane! After
everything...And all that might happen-- LEE
I need this, babe. You know it. I'll rent
a room for the stuff but--
(noticing Bucky)
You tell her Bucky. Reason with her. BUCKY She's right, Lee. You've pulled at least
three misdemeanors here. It's out of
control-- Bucky stops himself short, studying Lee's strained face. BUCKY (cont'd)
(to Kay)
I promised him a week on it. Four more
days and it's over. KAY
Dwight, you can be so gutless sometimes. She turns on them both and goes back inside. Before Lee can
make a wisecrack Bucky kicks his way through the LAPD papers
back to his car... INT. LAVERNE'S HIDEAWAY - NIGHT Bucky sits low in his car, watching THE WHITE PACKARD parked
near the front of LaVerne's. He's been there awhile...
Finally the woman from the night before exits and heads for
her car. He jumps out and walks quickly to intercept her
while she's fumbling for her keys. BUCKY Slumming, Miss Sprague? She sighs, exasperated. MADELEINE
I am now. Daddy spying on me again? She pulls a wad of cash out of her purse. Switching to a very
deft imitation of a Scotchman's burr: MADELEINE (cont'd) Maddy, girl, ye shouldn't be congregatin'
in such unsuitable places-- BUCKY I'm a policeman. MADELEINE Well that's a new one-- She peels off another bill. Hands it to Bucky. He counts it
out. Over a hundred dollars. BUCKY Homicide. He hands the money back. BUCKY (cont'd) Let's try Elizabeth Short. Linda Martin. All of her bravado drops. Bucky sees it immediately. He grabs
her purse and keys and tosses them on the hood of her car. BUCKY (cont'd) Here or downtown? I know you knew her so
don't jerk me off on that or it's downtown and a whole lot of publicity. She opens the door to her car and slides in. Bucky gets in
next to her. By the roof light he can see that her similarity
to the Dahlia is more in her clothes and hair, but the
resemblance is still there nonetheless. MADELEINE (gathering herself)
This is all a fluke. I met them at
LaVerne's last fall.
Betty maybe one time. Linda a couple.
She'd come in to cadge a drink or a meal
off a sister. BUCKY
You sleep with either of them? MADELEINE
No. Just cocktail lounge chitchat. BUCKY
Are you lez? MADELEINE (Scotchman's burr) Ye might say I take it where I can find it, laddie. Bucky's charmed by her, but stays focused. BUCKY
Why'd you rabbit last night? MADELEINE (exasperated)
Mister, my father is Emmett Sprague. The
Emmett Sprague. He built half of
Hollywood and Long Beach, and what he
didn't build he bought. Imagine the
headlines. "Tycoon's Daughter Questioned
in Black Dahlia Case--Played Footsie with
Dead Girl at Lesbian Nightclub". Get the
picture? BUCKY In Technicolor. (beat) What did you talk
about? MADELEINE Linda talked about her boring boy back in
Hicktown, Nebraska, or wherever. Betty
talked about the latest issue of Screen
World. Hollywood dreams, the sad nine
yards. BUCKY Betty ever tell you about a movie she
did? Show you a viewfinder? Anything
specific? MADELEINE
On a conversational level they were right
down there with you, only they were
better looking.
BUCKY
You're cute. MADELEINE You're not. Look, I'm tired. You want to
hear my alibi so I can end this farce and
go home? BUCKY That's all anyone ever wants to
volunteer: the alibi. Go ahead. MADELEINE My family and I were at our house in
Laguna from Sunday through Thursday along
with our live-in servants. If you want
verification, call Daddy. But be discreet
about where we met. She turns in the seat to face him directly. MADELEINE (cont'd)
Don't suppose I can convince you to keep
my name out of the papers? BUCKY
I don't need your cash if that's what
you're saying. She touches his leg. MADELEINE Ah, Laddie...'S not what I'm saying... He knows exactly what she's saying. BUCKY
Convince me. MADELEINE
Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock. My address
is 482 So. Muirfield. BUCKY
I know the address. MADELEINE Not surprised. Pick me up. Like a
gentleman. He starts to get out of the car.
MADELEINE (cont'd)
One more thing--What's your name? BUCKY
Bucky Bleichert. MADELEINE
I'll try to remember. He pulls the purse off the hood and tosses her the keys. As he walks away he lets out a deep breath, as if he'd been holding it the whole time... INT. THE SQUAD ROOM - NEXT DAY Bucky enters and finds Lee at a desk, manning the tip phones. LEE Yes, ma'am. I understand. A werewolf and
Red Manley. Oh no. The werewolf is Red
Manley. Yes that would be more
efficient... Lee dutifully writes down the crank on a routing slip. Bucky
slides into a chair across from him, brushing imaginary dust
off of the phone in front of him. Lee rings off. Smiles at Bucky. LEE (cont'd)
I love tip duty. BUCKY
So...You smooth things with Kay? LEE Yeah. I rented a room for the stuff at
the El Nido Motel. Nine scoots a week.
Chump change if it makes her feel good. BUCKY
De Witt gets out tomorrow, Lee. I was
thinking maybe I should lean on him. Get
Fritz Vogel and Koenig to do it-- Lee swings away in his rotating chair, knocking over a
wastepaper basket. BUCKY (cont'd)
Lee-- The phone in front of Lee rings. He snatches it--
LEE Blanchard. Homicide. Lee listens to the call, not saying anything. It goes on for
some time. Finally Bucky catches Lee's eye. Lee makes the
"looney" sign with his finger. Bucky's phone rings. He picks it up. BUCKY Bleichert. Homicide. The person on the other line starts rambling on. Bucky takes
notes diligently as we DISSOLVE TO: INT. THE SQUAD ROOM - LATER Bucky's on another call. His pile of tip sheets and routing
slips have grown. Behind him Lee pulls on his jacket and
gives Bucky a two-fingered salute as he saunters out. VOICE OVER
I logged forty-six phone tips, about half
of which were reasonably coherent. Lee
left early, dodging any talk about De
Witt. Ellis Loew stuck me with writing up
the summary report, most of which
concerned the numerous dead end leads,
bogus confessions and three hundred new
Dahlia sightings per day. It left me gut
certain of one thing: CUT TO: A CLOSE UP OF THE BETTING POOL TABLE as Bucky drops twenty dollars on "Unsolved - pay 2 to 1". INT. ANOTHER CASTING OFFICE - DAY Elizabeth Short in another dress, her hair fixed differently. Clapsticks come in again: "Elizabeth Short...Screen Test
#2" MAN #2 (O.S.)
Where are you from? ELIZABETH SHORT Boston. Massachusetts.
MAN #2
How long have you lived here? ELIZABETH SHORT
Two years. MAN #2 You've lost your accent. ELIZABETH SHORT
Well, you know, when in Rome... (looks nervously into camera)
Why? Do you want a girl with an accent? FADE OUT EXT. THE SPRAGUE MANSION - NIGHT Bucky rings the bell dressed in his Sunday best blazer.
Madeleine answers, a knockout in a skirt and cashmere sweater. MADELEINE Look. I hate to pull this, but Daddy has
heard about you. He insisted you stay for
dinner. I told him we met at that art
exhibit at Stanley Rose's Bookshop, so if
you have to pump everybody for my alibi,
be subtle. All right? BUCKY
Sure. She leads him inside. INT. THE SPRAGUE MANSION - CONTINUOUS Thick Persian carpets, tapestries, giant rooms with a men's
club atmosphere. Next to the fireplace Bucky notices A STUFFED SPANIEL with a
yellowed newspaper rolled into its mouth. MADELEINE (re the dog)
That's Balto. The paper is the LA Times
for August 1, 1926. Balto was bringing in
the paper when Daddy's accountant told
him he'd made his first million. Daddy
wanted to consecrate the moment so he
shot him. Here we go-- INT. A SMALL SITTING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
The Sprague family sits in matching easy chairs. No one
stands up. MADELEINE Bucky Bleichert. May I present my family.
My mother, Ramona Cathcart Sprague. My
father, Emmett Sprague. My sister, Martha
McConville Sprague. Emmett Sprague jumps to his feet, pumping Bucky's hand. BUCKY A pleasure, Mr. Sprague. EMMETT SPRAGUE Saw you fight Mondo Sanchez. Boxed the
pants off him. Another Billy Conn you
were. BUCKY
Thanks. EMMETT SPRAGUE Mondo gave a good show. What ever
happened to him? BUCKY
Died of a heroin overdose. EMMETT SPRAGUE Too bad. Shamed his family. (beat)
Speaking of families-- Both Martha and Ramona stand up. Martha is 19, plain and
serious, with a tenacious resemblance to Emmett. (Neither of
whom look much like Madeleine.) Ramona, on the other hand, possesses a pushing-fifty
resemblance to Madeleine combined with the flaccid face and
unfocused features of a booze or drug addict. RAMONA (trace of a slur)
Madeleine says nice things about you. MADELEINE
Daddy can we eat? Bucky and I want to
catch a nine-thirty show. INT. THE DINING ROOOM - LATER A black maid serves large portions of corned beef and cabbage.
EMMETT SPRAGUE
Dig in, lad. Hearty fare breeds hearty
people. Haute cuisine breeds degenerates.
Bucky smiles politely and begins eating.
MARTHA
I want to draw Mr. Bleichert, Daddy.
On Emmett's nod Martha pulls out a small sketch pad.
EMMETT SPRAGUE
You're in for a cruel caricaturing,
Bucky. Maddy's my pretty one, but
Martha's my certified genius.
A wince from Martha.
EMMETT SPRAGUE (cont'd)
What kind of name is Bleichert? Dutch?
BUCKY
German.
EMMETT SPRAGUE
A great people, the Germans. Hitler was a
bit excessive, but mark my words that
someday we'll regret not joining forces
with him to fight the Reds. I killed a
lot of your countrymen during the war.
MARTHA
Did you meet Balto out in the hallway?
BUCKY
Very realistic.
EMMETT SPRAGUE
An old friend stuffed him. We were in the
Scots regiment together. Georgie Tilden.
He wanted to work in the flickers.
BUCKY
So when did you come here?
EMMETT SPRAGUE
1920. Hollywood was a cow pasture, but
the silent flickers was booming. Georgie
got work as a lighting man, and me
building houses.
Georgie got me introduced to Mack Sennett
and I helped him build that housing
project he was putting up--Hollywoodland--
underneath that godawful sign. BUCKY I always loved the Keystone Kops. EMMETT SPRAGUE Old Mack knew how to squeeze a dollar
dry, he did. He had extras moonlighting
as laborers and vice versa. I used to
drive 'em over to Hollywoodland after
twelve hours on a Keystone Cops flicker
and put in another six hours by
torchlight. Even gave me as assistant
director credit a couple times, so
grateful he was for the way I squeezed
his slaves--
A SCREECH interrupts Emmett's monologue. Bucky looks across
the table to see Ramona trying to corral a potato with her
fork (the source of the sound). EMMETT SPRAGUE (cont'd)
Mother? Are you feeling well? Would you
like to contribute to the conversation? Ramona forks a small bit of food and chews it daintily. RAMONA
Did you know, Mr. Bleichert, that Ramona
Boulevard was named after me? BUCKY No Mrs. Sprague, I didn't. RAMONA When Emmett married me for my father's
money he promised my family that he would
use his influence with the City Zoning
Board to have a street named after me.
But all he could manage was a dead-end
block in a red light district in Lincoln
Heights. Are you familiar with the
neighborhood, Mr. Bleichert? BUCKY
I grew up there.
RAMONA
Then you know that the Mexican
prostitutes expose themselves out of
windows to attract customers. I hear many
of them know Mr. Sprague by name-- Emmett Sprague SLAMS the table. Plates rattle. Silence. Bucky
stares into his lap as Madeleine grabs his knee tightly. RAMONA (cont'd) I'll sing for my supper when Mayor Bowron comes to dinner, but not for Madeleine's
male whores. A common policeman. My God,
Emmett. How little you think of me. She struggles to her feet and leaves the room. Her husband
follows. MADELEINE
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. MARTHA
(cheery)
Mr. Bleichert? Martha tears a piece of paper out of her sketch pad. Bucky
takes it as she walks away. ANGLE ON THE SKETCH: A caricature of a naked Bucky having sex with Madeleine. CUT TO: EXT. THE RED ARROW INN - LATER A cinderblock auto court filled with pre-war jalopies. The
camera closes on a dingy door. Room 11. INT. THE RED ARROW INN - ROOM 11 - SAME A single yellow light illuminates the dreary flop as Bucky
and Madeleine fuck on the bed. MADELEINE I'm so...sorry. Don't hate my family--
don't--they're not so bad-- Bucky grabs her hair-- BUCKY
Not them, me. Do me. Be with me.
Focusing, Madeleine pins Bucky with her knees and pulls him
deep into her until they're no longer common policeman and
rich girl slut. They're one. INT. THE RED ARROW INN - ROOM 11 - SAME They hold each other, sweaty and spent. BUCKY
Well. I think you kept your name out of
the papers. MADELEINE
Until we announce the wedding? BUCKY
Your mother would love that. MADELEINE She's a hypocrite. She takes pills the
doctor gives her, so she's not a hophead.
You know how Daddy really made his money? BUCKY How? MADELEINE
He bought rotten lumber and abandoned
movie facades from Mack Sennett and built
houses out of them. He's got firetraps
all over LA registered to phony
corporations...His "good friend" George?
Disfigured in a car crash while running
Daddy some errands. Daddy throws him
scraps now--odd jobs tending some rental
property-- BUCKY
You don't have to tell me this-- MADELEINE
I want to. I like you Bucky. BUCKY I like you, too. She looks at him earnestly. MADELEINE Bucky, I didn't tell you all about Betty
Short.
BUCKY
Jesus-- MADELEINE Don't be mad at me. It's nothing. I just
don't want to lie to you. BUCKY
What is it? MADELEINE
Last summer I was bar-hopping a lot.
Straight bars. I heard about a girl who
looked like me. I got curious and left
notes at a couple places: "Your lookalike
wants to meet you", things like that. I
left my number. She called. That's how I
met her at LaVerne's with Linda. BUCKY
And that's all of it?
MADELEINE Yes. That's all of it. BUCKY
Then be prepared, babe. There's fifty
cops out there combing every bar in town
looking for Dahlia info. You could be
headed for the papers no matter what. MADELEINE
Serve my family right. BUCKY
You don't mean that. MADELEINE No. I don't. He strokes her dark hair. BUCKY
Tell me something. Why'd you want to meet
Betty Short? MADELEINE
I've worked pretty hard to be loose and
free. But the way people described Betty.
It sounded like she was a natural.
BUCKY
How do you mean?
MADELEINE Hmmm...She was this poor girl...Came from nothing...But then she carried nothing with her, either. I don't know...when
you're rich sometimes you romanticize the
poor... BUCKY
I wouldn't know. An awkward silence as she considers her foot in her mouth. He
studies her for a moment. Pulls her close, kisses her
mouth...the arch of her neck...They begin to move together
again... Another LAPD FORM: "Witness Report: Lorna
Martikova...aka Linda Martin..." EXT./INT. BUCKY'S CAR - MOVING Bucky weaves fast through traffic. He whips a right turn... EXT. THE CALEDONIA LOUNGE - CONTINUOUS Bucky's car screeches into the parking lot just as LINDA
MARTIN bursts through the doors and takes off running. Bucky jumps from the car and sprints after her, the girl
clutching an oversized purse to her chest as she dashes in
and out of busy traffic. The girl runs like a fucking antelope as Bucky barely misses
being hit by a large BEER TRUCK and gets to the other side of
the street just as Linda stumbles over a curb--sending her
sprawling on the sidewalk. Bucky jumps on her, grabbing her tiny fists as she kicks and
screams like a hell cat. He cuffs her and pulls her up, dragging her to where she
spilled her purse. LINDA MARTIN
I'm an emancipated minor and if you touch
me without a matron present I'll sue you! He picks it up her purse. Surprised by the heft, he opens it
and pulls out A METAL FILM CAN. Her demeanor changes instantly to fear:
LINDA MARTIN (near tears) Please, mister...My...my parents. INT. JUVENILE DETENTION HALL - INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER Russ, Harry and Bucky sit opposite Linda Martin. She's pretty
and small, and about to get smaller... RUSS MILLARD ...and you don't recall any of the names Betty went out with last fall? LINDA MARTIN
They were just pickups. RUSS MILLARD No one who would do her harm? The girl thinks hard, shakes her head "no". BUCKY You made the casting rounds together. Ever get any movie work? LINDA MARTIN No. BUCKY
So what about the film can? Her eyes go to the floor, tears begin to drop. LINDA MARTIN It's...a movie. BUCKY A dirty movie? She nods her head silently. RUSS MILLARD You have to tell us the whole thing, sweetheart. So think it through. Harry pours her a paper cup of water. She takes a sip. LINDA MARTIN I was...cadging at a bar in