The Turning Point

Hurry up, boys, there he is.

Let's clear the way, clear the way.

Clear the way, clear the way.

What do you have to say, Mr. Conroy?

- I've said all I can say to the boys at the airport.

We haven't had a chance to get set up yet.

All we've got is the governor's hand out.

- You've extraordinary powers to break up the syndicate of crime.

Does that mean Neil Eichelberger?

- Well, if it turns out to be Eichelberger,

we'll take care of that.

Anyway, they've got me in to see if I can clean things up.

- But what specifically are you after, Mr. Conroy?

- Everything illegal, bookies, slot machines,

graft, corruption.

- And you think the Eichelberger syndicate controls all this?

If it does, we'll find it out.

When we find it out, we'll break it up.

- Do you think the situation is serious enough to call for such measures?

Well, for some reason or other,

the pendulum seems to have swung back again.

And as your newspapers have repeatedly pointed out,

this city has become infested with crime again.

It'll be our job to wipe it out.

Oh, please don't ask me how.

Thanks.

May we have a picture, please?

Yeah, sure, help yourself.

- Shaking hands with Mr. Fogel. - Yeah, certainly.

- Thank you. - Thanks a lot, fellas.

I'm gonna need your help. I know you'll go along with me.

I'll give you everything I can as soon as I can.

There's nothing more now, believe me.

Thanks a lot.

Thank you, Mr. Conroy.

What do you think? Boyish charm?

Are you kidding me? He'll need more men.

- We'll find out, when we do we'll break it up, just like that.

Oh, brother.

You'll want to get organised.

Shall we make it 12:30 in the Mayor's office?

- Fine. Thank you very much. - Good luck, Mr. Conroy.

- You know the department is squarely behind you.

Thank you very much, Captain.

- Thank you, gentlemen, thank you, thank you.

Mandy, oh.

Hello, Johnny.

I was wondering about you.

Oh, Johnny, please.

Oh, dignity beginning at noon.

We've been here since six.

Order will come later.

Oh, one thing I want for myself, a car

with a siren and a red light.

- You don't think it might be misunderstood.

Okay, we'll skip the light.

Hi.

Jerry.

How are you, kid?

I was looking for you in that crowd.

- I let you get the bugs out of your system.

Congratulations. - Thanks.

This is great, Jerry.

Oh, uh, Jerry McKibbon, Ms. Way cross.

- How do you do? - Hello.

Amanda's helping me out.

Combination of girl Friday and spiritual advisor.

Oh, Johnny.

Also picnics on weekends.

Amanda Way cross?

Yes, why?

- I just wanna get the names of the brain trust right.

Oh?

Oh, you got into a crime wave

should make quite a story on the society page.

Jerry's a reporter.

I was beginning to suspect.

Congratulations anyway.

Thank you.

- Jerry and I grew up together down in Caroline Street.

- It's nice you both have such important friends.

Yes, isn't it?

- Uh, Johnny, they're all kinds of messages,

none of them less than cosmic, and your mother called.

I promised I'd have breakfast with her.

Come on with me Jerry, we can talk.

I'll ride along, but they'll wanna have

their dear boy to themselves.

- No, they'll want to see you, it's been years.

If anyone calls?

- Tell him he just went out to get tattooed.

I suppose that's as good as anything.

And please call the house, say I'm on my way.

What's your angle, Jerry?

- I'm supposed to do some colour stuff on you, Johnny.

Do you feel like a colourful character? - Not exactly.

How's it been with you?

Oh, scraping by.

I've read some of your stuff, very tough, very bright.

There's a trick to it.

I propose the problems, but never suggest the solutions.

What are the problems?

Vice, graft, corruption, war.

None of it's simple.

We're weak human beings and the human equation

smears everything up.

All too sound.

You're the boy for the solutions.

So it seems.

- Why don't you help us out? - How?

- Take a leave of absence, come on in with us.

- As a press secretary or a guy to point out Eichelberger to you?

Write your own ticket.

- I'll point him up for nothing, wish you luck

and you can take it from there.

You don't go along with us?

I go along with you fine.

You give me a gun, a ready-made pardon

and I'll shoot the guy for you.

I don't go for the paper hat and the tinsel.

Do you know what it would mean to a man, Johnny,

to break the Eichelberger syndicate?

- DA's office, the Governor's chair, seat in the Senate.

That's right.

I don't want any of it.

Why not?

No political ambitions.

- Clean hands, pure heart, and no political future, huh?

That's me.

You're a sucker, Johnny.

Eichelberger's sitting on top of a $200 million empire.

Have you got any idea what he'd do to protect that?

Well, roughly.

Let me ask another.

You really know why you're in this?

There's a job to be done.

They tagged me.

I was around.

You were.

You're a man who wants to do good

and they want a man to do good.

Sure, you always wanted to do good.

I don't say that's wrong.

I say that's the way you are.

You've been discovered.

You made quite a splash at the University,

telling the other do-gooders the theory

of how the law should be.

You're made-to-order for them.

So, they suck you in with your clean hands and pure heart.

Happy little amateur?

- A kid standing in the sun with books under his arm.

And if a flagpole falls on you, it's just an accident.

You don't think I'm up to the job.

- I think you give it one fine whirl and I'll be cheering.

It's all nice and cosy.

Same old story.

Election's a year-off and the Governor's trying to stir up

some free advertising for himself.

- Oh, you sure you don't want something else, Johnny?

No, thanks, Mom.

You're beginning to sound like Jerry, Pop.

What's Jerry's saying?

He thinks I'm a sucker, a fall guy.

- Could be, but you're old enough to know your own mind.

Are you working with him on this, Jerry?

No, I'm painting a picture

of a special prosecutor's home life.

I was afraid of that.

- Well, Jerry couldn't write anything we wouldn't like.

Why, he's just like my own boy.

I'm not so sure.

The important thing is, Johnny,

how you feel about all this.

Well, Pop, I think it's great.

I've always hoped that someday

we'd work out a way to be closer.

So far, our jobs haven't allowed it.

Now, we'll be together.

What could be better than that, huh?

Well, Johnny, I know,

but I don't just see how you mean.

- Well, haven't you heard from the department yet?

Heard what?

- By special request of the Governor, you're my chief investigator.

No, son.

No, I won't have it, I...

Why not, Pop?

It's already been discussed.

Well, then you can undiscuss it.

I'm a cop, Johnny.

Just a hard-working, hoodlum-pinching cop

and I want to stay that way.

At least until they pension me off.

I'll leave the brain work for you.

You've got the education for it,

but leave me where I'm comfortable, huh?

Oh, Pop, it's not as simple as that.

I can get all the bright young men I want,

but what I need most is a cop, an honest cop,