Thieves' Highway

The loud one's my old man.

You owe me a buck-ninety.

Keep the change.

Hey, Nicko! Hey, Mitera. Mitera!

- Is Nicko! - Hiya, Pop!

- How's my girl? - (Parthena) Oh, Nicko!

Why you don't write? Why you don't telephone you coming?

- I get ready, I cook up dolmades. - Because I want to cook up surprise.

- Where's Polly? I called her from the station. - Oh, she not here.

- Oh, she don't like you. - How you doing, Pop?

What are you doing home? I heard him singing three blocks away.

- Look, presents for everybody. Presents?

- The big box is a lamp from India. - Oh, India.

China. Japan. Africa. Melanese Islands.

Oh, you hear, Mitera? Man of the world, Nicko.

I bet he's the best mechanic on the ship.

Shoot a rod, they send for me. Blow a valve, they send for me.

Yeah, they cry when you quit.

Look, Ma, earrings for you.

Dancing girls in Java wear them.

No. No, Nick. I'm too old.

You wear them. You're my dancing girl.

Papa?

Look what I got for Polly's pop.

- Oh, looks just like him. - Just about.

Nicky! Nicky. - Shh!

Nicky! Oh, where is he?

Oh, Nicky! No!

Nick, stop.

Bravo!

Oh, Nick, where did you get that awful thing?

One of the Cannibal Islands.

Polly.

Dancing girls wearing them in...? Nicko?

- Java, Ma. - In Java.

Oh, they're lovely. - And here's something for you.

Oh, isn't she pretty.

Oh, thank you, Nick. I like it very much.

I'll use is it as a pincushion.

The finger. Keep your eye on the finger.

Oh, Nicky. Oh, it's beautiful!

Why, it must have cost a fortune.

- What do you think of that now? - That's wonderful.

1800 smackers. Enough to go into business with your old man.

You should hear his plans. He's got an option on a vacant lot.

Hey, jive-boy.

These I got for Pop. All the way from China, Mandarin slippers.

The Chinese have small feet. I had a tough time getting your size.

Here, try them on. See how they fit.

What's the matter? Did I say something bad?

All I said was, try them on.

I can't try on, Nicko.

Why not?

- Pop. - Cover me, Nicko.

What happened?

- Tell me, what happened? - Nicko.

I came in here like a clown. I couldn't tell...

- He plays the phonograph, he sings. - What I'm gonna do?

I don't lose my head, just my legs.

What happened?

- Tell me what happened. - I got a nice truckload tomatoes...

Earlianas, first of season.

I leave with produce dealer, Mike Figlia

in San Francisco, on consignment.

I go back for money.

He say he sell good, for good price.

"Come on, we have party," he say. "I buy you drinks."

I go for drink. Two, three glass wine.

I say, "Now you pay me money."

Mike Figlia say, "Sure, I'm gonna pay.

"Have another glass wine."

Two fellas from market, they say, "Come on, Pop."

So we drinks lots of wine.

I laugh, I feel good. I have good time.

I think how happy Mama gonna be when I come home

throw money like leaves all over the floor.

I don't remember no more.

All I know is here it hurt. It hurt.

For long time he don't believe his legs gone.

He think new legs will grow.

Don't you know how it happened?

They find truck turned over in ditch.

Yeah, they find me. But they don't find money.

I think Mike Figlia, he don't pay.

I telephone Mr. Figlia in San Francisco. He say he pay.

- He no pay. - My father saw a lawyer.

- He say forget all about. - I never forget.

- The lawyer got in touch with Figlia. - He have two witnesses

who say he pay. - I say he no pay.

All right, Ma, leave him alone.

I'll see you tonight after you get home from work.

Sure, Nicky.

So long.

Pop, those two witnesses. Did they work for Mike Figlia?

Yeah. They big crook too, they big liar.

He's right, Mom. He never got paid.

They just got him drunk, put him in his truck and sent him home.

And on the way he probably fell asleep at the wheel.

Where's the truck?

Insurance company fix. I got no legs. I don't need it.

I sell it to trucker named Ed Kinney.

Ed Kinney. He don't pay no money. Just take the truck and give promise.

You're doing good all around, ain't you, Pop?

Where's this guy live?

Why, Nicko?

I'm gonna get that truck and gouge your money out of Figlia's carcass.

- Is no use, Nicko. - I want to see Figlia, Mom.

Where's the truck?

Maybe Mama's right, Nicko. Maybe Figlia pay.

Maybe somebody steal money from truck after I have accident.

Where does Kinney live?

Sixteen hundred block, Elm Street. But you leave Ed Kinney alone.

He know more about crop than anybody in state. He pay me.

You're a pushover, Pop.

Hey, get-rich-quick, somebody to see you.

Tell him I'm busy. - He says he can't see you.

Tell him I can see him.

Better come out, honey, looks like the man's gonna stay.

- Yeah? - My name's Nick Garcos.

You haven't kept up payments. I'm taking the truck back.

You don't have to do that. I'll pay.

- When? - Day after tomorrow.

All the money I owe in one lump, and a box of cigars for your old man.

My old man falls for that, but not me. Where are the keys?

Tell him I need the truck. I got a big haul coming up.

Can I have the keys?

I bought this truck from your old man. I'll talk to him.

You'll talk to me. Where are the keys?

Look, kid, this bargain your old man sold me.

I've been keeping it together with spit.

The universal's shot. The rear end's coming apart.

I'd be glad to give it back, but I need it for one more haul. Just one.

If your old man's worried about his money

tell him Ed Kinney's got the first load of Golden Delicious apples.

If you can buy apples, why don't you pay for the truck?

I haven't got a dime. This crop's so hot

two guys are buying me a load just to find out where it is.

You talk just like my old man used to. Always blowing off a lot of smoke.

Now let's have the keys.

You'll have to kick my face in to get them, brother.

I know when I got a good thing. Been hauling a long time.

I found this orchard where they come ripe early.

A south slope that catches the sun. Golden Delicious apples!

It's like money in the bank. Ask your old man

if any produce dealer wouldn't give his eye-teeth to get them.

Would they...?

They go for them in San Francisco?

They eat apples, they ain't snobs. They'd grab them up like that.

- Do you think Figlia might be interested? - That chiseller.

He'd be so crazy to get them he might even make a straight deal.

It's too bad your old man is laid up.

He'd go in with me if he had 1200 bucks.

And I wouldn't have to go with these other two guys. They ain't no friends of mine.

But your old man, I like him. He used to be a good trucker.

We could buy two loads of Golden Delicious, one for him and one for me

and make a killing. Hey, doc!

The two guys I was telling you about.

Wish I didn't have to go in with them. They're sharp.

I got a hunch they'll bounce me after they find out where the apples are.

Hey, you beanpole, you long drink of...

When are you gonna get that gas-buggy heated up, huh?

Maybe I could raise 1200 bucks.

Hi, Ed. Got her all set to go? She's ready to roll.

That's our partner, boy. That's our partner.

After we pick up the money tomorrow noon, we're on our way.

I told you. Tomorrow's too late. You should have been here yesterday.

We ain't going nowhere. The deal's off.

- What? - I don't hear you.

The farmer said he sold the whole orchard to a big shipper.

He can't do that. You said he made a deal with us.

Yeah, you can't trust nobody these days.

How do you like that? Kissed off before we get a chance to pucker up.

I know how you feel. Well, something may come up next week.

Keep in touch with me. I got my eyes open.

Great. Great.

I should have known it when I had that dream.

I had a dream that I had a handful of $1000 bills, and when I woke up...

No, no. Don't sound kosher. Don't sound kosher.

- What do you mean? - He's taking it too easy.

What do you want him to do? Wriggle in the dirt there and have convulsions?

That's just it. He don't feel bad enough.

We'll need another truck.

I know a guy who's stuck with a lot of war-surplus jobs. Triple-A Garage.

That's where they got this. Just give him a down payment and we're in business.

Tell him Ed Kinney sent you.

That was a dirty trick you pulled.

This ain't no lace pants business.

It takes tricks to get what you want in this game.

You just buy the loads, I'll sell them.

Trick me like that, I'd climb all over your neck.

You wanna back out? Any time you like.

- When do we go for the apples? - We'll start tonight.

After you get the truck, go get some shut-eye.

We'll be on the road for 36 hours.

- You think you can make it? - Sure I can make it.

But remember, no tricks.

Now why would I wanna pull a trick on you?

Because I'm a pushover too, like my old man.

I come down here to pick up this truck and I wind up blowing all my cash.

But I want to tell you one thing: