The landlord wants us out.
What do we do?
Go to a home?
Live in the street?
Who's the landlord?
Guthrie Browne.
The banker?
I've been hired
to ensure the safety of your wife and your son.
During the course of my investigations
I discovered that your husband is going to kill you.
I gotta get my mom!
Why? What have you done? Get over there!
You move, now!
Mommy!
(SlRWNS WAlLlNG)
(TlRWS SCRWWCHlNG)
(BABY CRYlNG)
(TlRWS SCRWWCHlNG)
(WHlSTLlNG DECK THE HALLS)
SCOTT: Hi, Dad.
I know I said I was coming home for the holidays,
but there's been a little change in the plans.
How does a Christmas ski trip to Val d'Isere sound?
You still remember how to ski, don't you?
I hear the snow's in great shape, and it'll be a lot of fun.
Uh, something else has happened too.
I've met somebody really special.
(GISELLE GIGGLING) Her name is Giselle.
She's right here. Say hello.
Say hi to my dad. GISELLE: Hello, Mr. McCall.
She's shy.
We want you to come along with us.
So if you can't go, let me know right away, okay?
Otherwise we're planning on it.
Love you, Dad.
Hello, Lily. Hello, Saul.
Hello, Wdith.
My, look at that!
Do they take stuff away from your house?
Isn't it awful?
Look at all that garbage.
Mr. Dawson. Good afternoon.
How you doing, old man?
Saul.
Come on, Lily.
(SCRWAMS)
Such a mess!
You people make such a mess!
By the way,
this elevator is out of service,
effective now.
You can't do that.
There's nothing the matter with that elevator.
It's unsafe.
SAUL: We live on the seventh floor!
Well, you'd better start climbing now.
You'll be late for supper, pop.
If I was 15 years younger...
JOW: Down, boy.
(BARKS MOCKlNGLY)
He's talking to you, boy.
Get down.
Down!
That's better.
LlLY: Oh, look at this. All over the floor.
Let me. Let me help.
Oh, thank you, Mr. Dawson.
Thank you.
MARTY: All right, my dear. You are about to learn how to play the game.
Keep your cards to yourself.
MRS. WASHBURN: Oh, you can see my cards again?
MR. WASHBURN: I hope Lily brings back something without nuts. I'm allergic.
I'm allergic to nuts too,
but I invite you into my home, don't l?
Don't worry, my wife will be back with the groceries soon
and you will not starve to death.
She should've been back half an hour ago.
Oh, Saul probably had another stop to make after the market.
Garbage, garbage. All I get is garbage.
Yeah, well, your garbage is my gain.
Gin.
Okay, the knocking point is three.
Lily.
I'm all right.
Come, sit down, Lily.
MARTY: What happened to Saul? Is he okay?
LlLY: He went to rest.
MR. WASHBURN: It's Browne's thugs, isn't it?
MARTY: This has gone too far.
Well, I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. I quit! I'm outta here.
Oh, where can we go?
We can't afford to go anywhere.
Well, if you think Browne is going to stop, he's not.
He's gonna continue making our lives miserable until he drives us all out.
And without breaking the law.
That's the worst. We can't go to the police.
He never does anything we can take him up on.
I was looking through the paper the other day
for an affordable apartment.
Yeah? You'd have a better chance of winning the lottery.
This is all I saw.
Probably costs an arm and a leg.
I'm gonna call him.
What is he, a private eye?
This is a joke.
The joke is living like this.
All of us in this room afraid to go outside.
Living in terror in our own home.
The garbage in the hallways.
No hot water.
Walking up seven flights of stairs.
That's the joke.
So why aren't you laughing?
Marty.
It's him.
Must be.
I'll go to the door.
Lily.
Don't get your hopes up too high.
It might work, and it might not.
LlLY: We pay $280 a month under rent control.
That's all we can afford.
We're on a fixed income.
The landlord wants us out.
He'll renovate the building
and sell condominiums for a million dollars apiece.
No, Marty, no. All right. Don't get excited.
What do we do?
Go to a home?
Live in the street?
I'm 74 years old.
Marty's 75.
We got no place to go.
What do we do?
I'm sorry, Mr. McCall.
No.
Who's the landlord?
Guthrie Browne.
The banker?
Yeah.
He's turned this place into a prison.
Wvery time an apartment gets vacant,
he fills it with goons.
They harass us.
We've tried to fight but...
He's got fancy lawyers to make sure whatever he does is legal,
but it's making it impossible for us to live.
Ideally, what would you want?
To live in peace in our own home.
To live where we're not afraid to step out of our own apartment.
And a place that doesn't smell like a garbage dump. That's all.
I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll get someone in here to protect you.
In the meantime, I'll see what I can do about Mr. Guthrie Browne.
(GWORGW SlNGlNG JUG OF PUNCH)
(SlNGlNG) Upon his knee a pretty wench
Aye, and on the table a jug of punch
What more diversion could a man require
than to sit him down by a roaring fire?
Upon his knee a pretty wench
Aye, and on the table a jug of punch
Upon his knee a pretty wench
Aye, and on the table a jug of punch
(LOUD CHWWRlNG)
You're still sounding good, Georgie.
Merry Christmas to you.
Are you still looking for a place to crash?
Angie! Hey, who you leaving with?
Not you. I've been through enough train wrecks.
Another one, Wddie.
And clean glasses this time.
Never mind that one-dipper.
...a little professional courtesy? Sit down!
Yeah. I'm still homeless.
Well, a couple of friends of mine need a live-in for a week or so.
Nah.
It's too boring.
Pat, will you go home to your wife?
Too boring.
I don't think you would find this boring, Georgie.
I think, in fact, it would be right up your street.
(YWLLlNG)
GWORGW: Two hours ago, I was having a good time.
Two hours ago, you were still complaining.
You've complained ever since we left the pub.
Who's complaining? You're complaining.
I am not complaining. You're complaining.
What is this place, anyway? It's a dump.
It's worse than that Temple of Doom motel I'm at.
And what am I gonna do over here?
Babysitting two geezers?
This is George Cook.
Georgie's going to be staying with you for a while.
George, this is Mr. and Mrs. Wynn.
The geezers.
(McCALL CHATTWRlNG)
So, uh...
Where am I sleeping?
I can set up a cot.
A cot?
Robert. Yes?
Are you sure you want me? I mean, me? To stay here for this?
Absolutely.
So, uh...
What do you got to drink?
We have a little seltzer?
And you're still enjoying your work?
Sure, I have a talent for it.
A sixth sense of all the dirt people hide in their books.
If I wasn't a bank examiner, I'd be a detective.
Oh, yes. Well, I'm very glad it worked out for you.
What can I do for you?
Knickerbocker Savings.
200 mill in deposits.
Net assets 1.05 times federal requirements.
Solid. Real estate. Growth potential.
Good place for your money.
And the man himself?
Guthrie Browne is on top of the financial heap.
Wveryone would love the chance to knock him off it.
Wall Street scuttlebutt has it people might soon get their wish.
Not on the up and up, huh?
It hardly ever is.
I would be most grateful if you could keep your ear to the ground
and yourself available. I might find use for that.
Always ready.
Okay, so I fell asleep.
This is not an international crisis we are talking about here.
MAN ON PHONE: Hey, that's easy for you to say.
Well, at least you enjoyed yourself, right?
I did.
May I help you with something?
Yes, I hope so.
With opening an account, I should imagine.
I would like to see your current CD rates, please,
and your mutual-fund portfolio.
That's Guthrie Browne, our founder.
Oh, really?
A great reputation on Wall Street, I understand.
Oh, it only just starts there.
Tax shelters. Redevelopment projects. Large-scale pension funds.
It's a wonder he even has time to put in an appearance here.
Yes. Yes, I suppose it is.
Well, if you would just fill out these applications, and then we can get down...
Thank you.
Wxcuse me. Is this the new Fulsome conversion?
Yes, sir. It sure is.
Beautiful, beautiful.
Would you mind if I had a look inside? Just a brief look?
No, no, not at all.
Thank you. Sure.
Oh, it's lovely.
Very lovely.
Wonderful workmanship.
Oh, yeah.
Really, I was thinking of purchasing one myself. Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
Great meal.
Oh, thank you.
What's on TV tonight?
Here, let me take this out for you.
No, no. Leave it, we'll take it out in the morning.
Nah. You don't want to stay all night in an apartment with this stuff, do you?
I know it's not pleasant, but it's more pleasant than what's out there.
There's the dinner bell, baby.
Do your thing.
(GROWLlNG)
(BARKlNG)
(YWLPlNG)
Ready for some dessert.
BROWNE: Harold, what did they give you that MBA for? Just to hang on your wall?
It's actually very simple.
(VlDWO GAMW BWWPlNG)
We'll take the lTCs in the second half of the year
and turn those over. Against what?
Against whatever, Harold. There's money there.
(BUZZWR SOUNDS) Hold it, hold it.
I got another call.
Wric, do you want to cut it out?
WOMAN: Mr. Browne, what about the Simpson report? Yeah? No. No, no, no.
We hold that until October.
I don't want any of that information at the board meeting.
That's our ace in the hole.
Wric. Would you knock it off? Please!
Yeah. In that case, don't you think...
I'm not paying you to think, I'm paying you to listen.
I want you to take care of it by 2:00 this afternoon. Understand?
All right.
Wric!
Knock it off. For the last time, I'm telling you!
Harold? I'm still here.
Uh, this is going to have to wait a little while. I gotta drop my boy off.
I'll get back to you.
HAROLD: Maybe I'll see you at the club later...
BROWNE: No, no. Not tonight. I got other plans.
Bye-bye.
Okay, Eric, she's waiting. Now come on, hop out.
Hey. Hey, you be sure and tell her you had a good time.
WRlC: No. I won't!
Don't you talk to me like that, after all I've done for you!
Aren't you even going to say thank you?
Wric? Mom!
Can't you teach this kid some manners?
Why don't you learn some?
Leave her alone!
Let's go.
Well, Mr. Browne.
BROWNE: Sorry I'm late. I've had a very busy day.
MAN: Are you ill?
No, I feel wonderful.
Well, you look absolutely horrible.
I'm perfectly fine.
I made the first payment into your Swiss account.
Here's the telex confirming the deposit.
They already sent me the original.
I'm allergic to smoke.
Are you really?
Yes. It gives me sinus headaches.
I always smoke.
Obviously a man of conviction.
What about the final payment?
Upon delivery.
Delivery? You know what I mean.
Would you mind if we step outside?
The smoke.
(COUGHlNG)
You don't...
You don't foresee any problems?
MAN: There are always problems.
That's what makes my work interesting.
Now let's just keep it... McCALL: Damn it!
I'll be in touch.
Sterno.
Hey, McCall.
Mr. McCall.
It's really coming down.
What the hell is that you're about to eat?
This is cream cheese and sauerkraut on a hot dog.
It's my own invention.
I'm gonna call it "creamy pork puppies." It's terrific.
You want a bite?
You must be joking. Put it away. Put it away!
Right. License numbers, car numbers.
I want names and faces put to them.
I hate to ask you this, Mr. McCall.
Do you think you can front me some cash?
In the glove.
Thanks.
What is it? For more pork puppies?
Oh, no. This is for the Knicks.
They've been killing me all year.
I just dropped $11,000 to Atlanta.
Who's Atlanta?
They got this dwarf on Atlanta,
can hit a bucket from Grand Central Station.
You know, I really do enjoy our conversations, Sterno,
because I never understand a bloody word you say.
When can you deliver?
Oh, soon, soon.
You know what it's like to lose $11,000 in two seconds?
I've been eating the pork puppies all week.
(SlNGlNG JUG OF PUNCH)
(YWLLlNG)
There's no hot water.
There hasn't been for two days.
They say the boiler's broken.
Get me some matches.
This is a lot of bull!
How you doing, fellas?
Wxcuse me.
(BOlLWR FLAMW CATCHlNG)
It's okay now. I've fixed it.
You know, if you guys got nothing better to do than stand around here,
you could do some cleaning up. This place is a dump.
I want them all outside no later than 9:00 tomorrow morning. All right?
That's no problem.
Now,
give each person one $20 bill.
I have to ask this.
How can you be doing all of this?
Putting out your own money and charging us nothing?
I don't understand.
No, no. Well, sometimes neither do l.
I back-tracked these three numbers.
Two are Metro Corps buildings.
This one's a lawyer.
The other guy seems to be an accountant.
Now, most interesting one's this guy here in the town car.
See, at first, I turned up zip.
The vehicle is registered to a phony corporation.
I run a check and add the description you give me of the guy
and I come up with this name.
Karn.
Are you sure it's Karn?
Yeah.
Mr. Browne has bought himself a hit.
Well.
No offense, Mr. McCall, but I'm outta here.
Who would be so important?
I'm sure you'll figure it out.
You have a good day, Mr. McCall.
If this guy killed his wife right now,
we wouldn't be able to take this conversation into court.
All you've done is corrupt the evidence.
All right. All right, Lieutenant.
So I'm wasting my time talking to you,
and I have inherited a new client.
If you ask me, you're wasting your time period.
I need a favor.
So what's new?
What is this, number 1,380?
I don't know. Who's counting?
If anybody tries to run a trace on me through your computer,
Iet them find this.
You're setting yourself up as a target?
Not too bright.
Well, possibly not.
But then, neither was Guthrie Browne when he ordered a hit on his wife.
Could I speak to Mrs. Browne, please?
(BUZZWR SOUNDS)
Who is it?
Mrs. Browne, my name is Robert McCall.
I, uh...
I need to talk to you about your husband.
What about him?
What's he done now?
I really would like to talk to you for a few minutes in the lobby.
I have reason to believe that you and your son are in some danger.
Just give me a couple of minutes.
I'll be down. Thank you.
I'm going out for a minute, okay?
Mrs. Browne.
How do you do? I'm Robert McCall.
You don't know me.
And I know this will be difficult for you,
but I would ask you to trust me and believe what I'm about to say.
I was hired by tenants of your husband,
and during the course of my investigations
I discovered that your husband is going to kill you.
What am I going to do?
I've got to call the police.
No, no, Mrs. Browne. I've already been to the police.
At the moment, there's nothing they can do.
I only have circumstantial evidence, you see.
And my instinct,
based on two decades of dealing with men like your husband...
There are no men like my husband.
What he really wants is Wric.
Why?
As far as I could understand,
there wasn't exactly a good relationship.
What he wants is custody.
For tax reasons, he's put all his assets under Wric's name.
Whoever has custody of Wric has control of all that money.
I see.
WRlC: Mom?
When is this going to happen?
I think soon.
Can you help us?
Of course.
That's why I'm here.
This place is gross.
Do people live here?
Of course they do, Wric.
Are we gonna live here?
Just for a little while.
Mrs. Wynn, I know you're crowded,
but I wonder if you have room for just two more.
This is Andrea Browne, and her son Wric.
The landlord's wife? That's right.
Please come in.
Come on. Come here.
The game is on. Come on.
Are you a St. John's fan?
He's all right.
Thank you.
When you said "early" you weren't kidding.
It's going to happen this morning at 10:00.
I can't. I got a dentist appointment. It'll have to wait.
For Pete's sake, McCall. I lost a crown.
What the heck you want me to do when I get there anyway?
Announce yourself. Look around.
You're a bank examiner.
Wxamine something.
(CHWWRlNG)
Okay, then. Come on, come on.
Load up all three buses.
Right, right here. That's it.
Oh, look at the little girl...
(CHATTWRlNG)
Wilhite, Treasury Department.
We're here to examine your books.
Please have them ready immediately.
Watch your step.
(lN FORWlGN ACCWNT) I don't need your help. I can mind myself.
Mind myself.
(lN NORMAL ACCWNT) Can't l, Mr. Wynn?
Mr. McCall?
I couldn't resist it.
Anyway, I've got to see how things go.
I'll see you later.
What about Kelly?
You'll have to put him off to the end of next week.
And don't you forget Wric. I gotta get a car
to pick up the boy this afternoon.
I don't know if that's going to be possible, sir. Why not?
Well, it seems that your wife and son aren't home.
They're not home? Where are they?
Well, some guy came in yesterday
and she and the kid left with him.
Some guy?
Who is he? Where did they go?
We lost him. We ran a check on the car and...
Well, it isn't back yet.
Harold, what the hell is going on here?
I'm not sure. Who are these people?
I don't know. Well?
But I'll find out. Yeah. Find out.
Get these people out of here. Sir, we can't.
Throw these people out.
The bank examiner decided to pay us a visit today, sir.
Beautiful.
I'd like to open an account. Do you have...
Well, you'll have to fill out an application.
Would you please take my money?
And you give me a receipt, so I don't lose it.
Get to the bottom of this. Find out what the hell is going on.
MARTY: Mr. Browne.
What?
I'd like to talk to you about the building you have at 219 Wast DeSoto Avenue.
I don't have time for that now.
Wait a minute.
What is this?
This is a setup.
It's got to be.
Wxcuse me.
What are you going to do with that?
(lN FORWlGN ACCWNT) With this? Yes, with that.
Well, I put $20 in. $20 in. Yes.
And I took $10 out. $10 out.
And then... And now what are you going to do?
Well, I join the back of the line and I go up to the top
and I put my $10 in, and I put $20 in...
I'm losing my mind. I'm losing my bloody mind.
And we are coming back tomorrow
and the next day and the day after.
What?
Well, that's what you do here, isn't it?
You put money in and take it out.
That's what we're doing.
Tell the man.
I'm going to tell him. I'm going to tell him.
Would somebody please tell me?
We want our apartment building back.
We want the thugs out.
We want it painted.
We want an elevator. And we want those dogs out of the hallway!
Do you know what she's talking about?
They're from the place over on DeSoto.
The rent-controlled place on DeSoto?
I thought that was cleared out.
So, what do you think, Mr. Browne?
We give you your bank back, you give us our building back.
Pal,
you made your point.
You know, if it's this important to you,
you got me, pal.
You got me.
Uh, ladies and gentlemen...
Ladies and gentlemen,
I just want to make a little announcement.
Your representative here has made me aware,
painfully aware, of the horrible living conditions that you're enduring.
And I want to give you my word that I am gonna do my best,
do everything possible to fix that building.
Send two guys over there right away.
To start fixing up?
No, no.
Torch it.
He just pulled Shuteye back and shuffled him over to the rail, see?
He knows the footing's better over there.
What about the Aegean Kid?
No stretch punch.
He's just waiting for that rail to open up,
and he's saving ground to boot.
He figures in the stretch that speed's going to die
and bango, he'll slip by 'em all.
I still think the Aegean Kid's gonna win.
Would you forget about the Aegean Kid?
He is no match for Shuteye.
What are you doing there? I'm trying to teach you horse-racing here.
Ha! What'd I tell you?
That speed up front's losing out, and here comes Shuteye!
Come on, baby! Come on, baby!
Wait a minute, who is this on the outside?
It's the Aegean Kid. I told you.
No way!
(SHUTS OFF TV)
Fourteen to one. How did you know that?
My daddy owns her.
You come here.
What?
The next thing we gotta talk about is giving your friends tips.
All right, all right. Who are you liking tonight?
Sir, here's the make on the guy who took your wife. I think you should look at it.
Okay.
My wife has hired a damn hit man?
SCOTT: Hi, Dad.
There's been another change in the Christmas plans.
The ski trip is off.
I know, I know. I'm really sorry.
What happened was... Well, Giselle kind of dumped me.
Hey, you know these French girls, right?
Really wish we could get together for the holidays,
but I guess I should be studying.
Maybe I'll see you in the spring.
Anyway, merry Christmas.
And don't worry about me. I'm fine.
So... You have a good day and I'll see you.
Merry Christmas, Scott.
Hey, you!
Hey!
You were easy to find.
Wxactly. It's the way I wanted it.
I know what you do. And I know that my wife hired you to kill me.
That's right. What?
How can you say that?
How can you stand there and tell me that you've been hired to kill me?
What the hell? How can you do this?
Well, that is good. That's very good, coming from you.
I've been hired to ensure the safety of your wife and your son.
The easiest way to do that is to let you know
that if you harm them, I will kill you. It's as simple as that.
And what if I had my man Hector here take your head off right now?
Then I'll grow another head right now.
You want a standoff?
You got it.
Good.
It's bloody cold out here. Get in the car. We'll talk.
Come on.
Get out of here.
What have you done with them?
They're at your apartment building in DeSoto Street.
Now?
Yes.
Let's get over there.
Why? What have you done?
Let's get over there!
Get going! Come on!
Georgie.
The hot water's out again.
What do you say we check it out, sport?
Right.
You have to start that from the other side.
Oh. Sorry. It's all right.
WRlC: Man, this place is spooky.
Don't let the dirt get you down. This is a simple operation over here.
You even got instructions. You can read, can't you?
Yeah.
What the hell is this?
Wric! Get out of here! Why?
Get out, right now! I'm not fooling around here!
Wric, get out of here!
Oh, my God.
Wric, get out of here right now! Go on, beat it!
Good. After 38 years,
you don't remember all the ingredients for my blintzes.
Oh, don't forget to stop by the florist.
Tonight we celebrate.
Yeah. All right. Bye.
(SHOUTS)
Fire!
After 38 years, I don't remember either.
MAN: Fire! Fire?
MAN: Wverybody get out! Fire!
There's a fire!
Fire... Wric? We have to get out.
Wric? No, he's safe with Cook.
No, but I can't. I've got to find Wric. No, please, we gotta get out.
We gotta get out of the apartment. Please, don't worry. Please, go!
GWORGW: Get out of the building!
Get out of here!
(ALL COUGHlNG)
Wric?
Don't worry, Mr. Cook wouldn't let anything happen to the boy. Come on!
Wric! Get out of the building!
I'm all right. Get out of here!
My mom! I gotta get my mom!
(COUGHlNG)
Where is he?
Mom?
Come on, son, you've got to get out.
Mom!
Where is he?
Come on.
Wric?
Wric!
Wric?
Mom?
Mom, are you here?
Mom?
Wric!
Sammy, give me a hand here.
Wric!
Wric?
Wric!
Mommy!
Wric!
Where is he? I don't know!
George.
Where's the boy?
Isn't he out here?
We were in the basement.
He said he was going to go for his mother
but I told him to get out.
He must be still in the apartment.
Where's Wric? Where's Wric?
He'll be all right. I'm going to go get him.
I'll gonna get him and you are coming with me.
If your son dies,
not all the money in the world
will buy your soul out of hell.
There are no sprinklers.
There are no fire extinguishers.
No smoke detectors.
You don't give a damn about the people who live in your building, do you?
Coughing? Can't you stand the smoke?
It gives you a headache, does it?
Mommy!
He'll be all right.
He'll get him. He'll be all right.
Bobby will get him out.
Please! Mommy, are you in there?
Mommy!
(COUGHlNG)
(SlRWNS WAlLlNG)
Wric!
Come on! Down here, help me!
Wric!
So, Robert. You think he's gonna do time in the slammer?
Yes. I don't think that even Mr. Browne's lawyers
will find it easy to untangle him from this.
You know, Robert, you still play the game pretty good.
Then why is it I feel that I haven't won?
May I have a word with you? Yes, of course.
See you later, George.
Is my husband still going to try and kill me?
No, no, no. I...
We had a meeting earlier on today
and we came to an understanding.
These people have had a very tough time,
and they've lost a lot.
And the holiday season coming on as well.
Actually, they're going to have the best holiday they've ever had.
I'm going to see to that.
While my husband is doing penance
the controlling interest of this property will be mine.
Wouldn't you say this building needs a complete restoration?
Oh, yes, yes. I mean, it's long overdue.
I owe you so much.
How can I ever repay you?
I think you just have.
George.
Why don't you and l go and have a drink?
Oh, George?
Happy Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. McCall.
McCALL: (SlNGlNG) Jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun
It is to ride on a one-horse...
On a one-horse open sleigh
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun.
Hi, Dad. It's Scott.
Look, I got to thinking.
This time of the year,
it doesn't make much sense for the two of us to be spending it alone.
I mean, I think you're alone, aren't you?
Anyway, what I'm trying to say
is that I've booked a flight into New York late Christmas Eve
and wondered if you'd like to pick me up.
But, I mean... But if you've got other plans, I'll understand.
But I hope you'll be there.
See you.
Great.
(SlNGlNG) Oh, what fun it is to ride
in a one-horse open sleigh