The Rockford Files (1974) s02e01 Episode Script
The Aaron Ironwood School of Success
I'm gonna give you my company.
It's won'th about $200 million.
There's no other person in the world I'd trust with my net won'th.
Thanks, Beth.
I'll send you a bill.
Now that you're won'th $200 million, maybe you'll pay it before Christmas.
The agreed price is $20 million.
And a fair price it is.
That puts you pretty high on Genosa's list.
You sold him a bucket of sand for $20 million.
You can only kill somebody once.
If you plan to shut me up, you'd better do it right here and now.
This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
Hi, Jim.
We couldn't reach you, so we went ahead with the job, and I know you're really gonna dig it.
But if you don't, I suppose we could always tear it out.
Yeah.
Look, do you know I've been standing out front for 10 minutes waiting for you? Now if I had my own truck, I'd drive over myself, but you said you'd pick me up in 20 minutes.
We gotta be at the airport at 2:30.
Now we ain't gonna make it.
We'll make it.
Relax, will you? Relax? Relax? Well, you know it ain't every day old Aaron comes visiting.
Rocky, will you grab yourself a beer and turn on the roller derby.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Mr.
Rockford.
Hold it.
Who are you guys? What do you want? Shut up.
Come along quietly.
Hey, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I'm sure there's some kind of mistake.
Sure if we just talk about this, we'll all end up having a nice big laugh.
Look, the thing of it is I'm late for another appointment.
In.
Right.
Let's go.
Come on, get this pig started.
I'm trying.
It must be flooded.
Well, try pumping it.
Shut up! Don't listen to him.
Just put your foot down and hold it.
Hey, mister.
A little trouble? Yeah.
It seems to be flooded or something.
Hey listen, why don't you guys stay here? I'll go get a mechanic.
Hey, Dan.
Dan, I gotta borrow your car.
Thanks.
What's that? What's what? That.
Oh.
I had to borrow it.
Well, Jim, we can't go pick up Aaron Ironwood in no car like that.
Why not? Well, what's he gonna think, we come rolling up in some busted down car with writing and stuff all over it? Oh, give me the keys to the house.
I gotta make a phone call.
And look at you.
Look at how you're dressed.
Couldrt even wear a tie or something? Well, why do we gotta wear a tie? Because Aaron is gonna wear a tie.
Hey, wait a minute.
I thought we were going to the airport to pick somebody up.
Did I miss something? Did somebody die? We wanna make a good impression.
Now I gotta go hide that thing and rent a sedan to pick him up in.
What are you limping for? I went fishing.
Fell off the end of the pier.
Detective Becker, please.
Yeah.
ROCKFORD: Hey, Dennis, it's Jim.
Hi, Jim.
Guess what? Hey, I'd like to ask you a favor.
I took the Lieutenant's Exam and I'm fifth on the list.
That's great.
Look, Dennis.
I had a little run in with some guys and I got their license number.
You want to take it down? You know what that means, Jim? Yeah.
Yeah.
If we can get a make, I'll know who was chasing me.
No.
It means if I do well on the oral, I could make lieutenant in two or three months.
Now, Seibert and Dillman made the captairs list and they'll be moving up.
How about that? Dennis, do you want to take this number down? You know, I figured if I study hard for two or three months and take the Academy refresher course, I'd do pretty good.
But fifth! Boy, I never figured I'd score that high.
Dennis.
Yeah? I think it's great.
I congratulate you.
I will send you a gift.
Now, would you like to address yourself to this little problem I have? Okay, Jim.
Go ahead.
All right.
Three guys in a black Cadillac just tried to pick me up at gunpoint.
Their license number is 271 IEW.
Why? You working on something? No, no.
I can't figure it.
I never saw any of them before.
Okay, Jim.
I'll run it.
Thanks, Dennis.
And congratulations.
Yeah.
Hey, tell Rocky, will you? Yeah.
Sure.
He's gonna love it.
Who tried to pick you up at gunpoint? Guess what? Dennis just made the lieutenant's list.
He's fifth on the list.
Jimmy, what are you fooling around with now? How about that? Fifth on the list.
He said a couple of stiffs are just about to make captain, in two or three months he may make lieutenant.
Look, when are you gonna quit fooling around with this crazy business and get into something won'thwhile? Look at old Aaron.
He started from the bottom.
No mother, no father, living in foster homes and he's already got himself $100 million or more.
Yeah.
Well, Dennis thought you'd like to know.
You know, I can't help feeling that meeting up with old Aaron is gonna be awful good for you.
I feel that he's gonna wanna to take you in on one of his projects, maybe.
Like, a real estate company or even his School of Success.
Oh, yeah.
I'd really like that.
Remember when he first came to live with us, right after his folks was killed? How you was always sticking up for him in school? There was that one kid who was always trying to beat up on Aaron.
What was his name? Remember? What kid? The one who was always trying to beat up on old Aaron.
I don't remember.
LeBaron.
Tommy LeBaron.
Yeah, Tom something, I think.
Yes, sir.
I'll bet you old Aaron ain't never gonna forget what you done for him.
I'll bet he's gonna wanna take you in with him.
Even after they took him away from us and put him in a foster home, you kids was just like that.
Dad.
Huh? Shut up.
Shut up, huh? Yeah.
Shut up.
He's got a trucking division, too.
Don't you forget that.
Bully for him.
You're beginning to make me mad, sonny.
Well that's fine, because you're beginning to make me mad.
You think I'm not won'th spit.
All right.
I'm not won'th $200 million, I don't wear electric blue suits, I don't have a private jet, but I'm not exactly a failure either.
I'm sorry, sonny.
You Well, you know I'm proud of you.
And you know I love you.
Yeah, I know that, Dad.
I just wish you'd worn a tie, that's all.
I'm sorry, Jimmy, we ain't driving this pizza wagon out there where Aarors gonna see it.
Rocky, we're already We don't have time to rent a sedan and we don't have the money.
How do you do? I'm supposed to meet Aaron Ironwood.
His private jet is tied down 16.
I'm Jim Rockford and this is the honorable Joseph Rockford of the Bakersfield truck-driving Rockfords.
How would you like a rap in the mouth? What did I tell you, huh? Hello, Aaron.
Give me a hug, brother, old boy.
Hello.
Oh, lookie here.
How you doing? I love you, you know, I love you.
Boy, you've been taking care of yourself, huh? I can see that right off.
Oh, you've been doing all right yourself, Aaron.
Oh, I know.
I know You know what? We got us a good old fashioned family get-together.
I got so much to find out about.
You can't tell anybody what's happening on the back of a Christmas card.
No matter how small you write! How's that little Chet? Oh, he's grown, Jim.
You wouldn't believe it.
He's 14 years old and riding in New Mexico rodeos.
Took a second prize in calf roping in 18 and under.
He's gonna put his fat old pa to shame, I'll tell you that.
Hell, I got nothing more to say, except I waited too long to come visiting.
Too long and I'm I'm ashamed of myself.
Oh, you got nothing to be ashamed of, Aaron.
All right.
Let's get on out of here.
You got a car? Yeah.
No.
Huh? Well, lookie here.
Are you in the pizza business, Jimmy? It's a long story, Aaron.
Come on.
Oh, I'll ride with you and my people can follow along in my car.
I'm free to open a School of Success.
Rocky, you get in the back.
Ain't this something.
Pizza Dan.
Come on in.
Come on.
We got the plans all drawed up for a beach house.
We're gonna start construction in a couple of weeks.
Until then, Jimmy, he's just temporarily living here, you know.
Rocky.
I live here permanently and I like it fine here.
And I'm not in the pizza business.
Sit down.
I kind of figured that, Jimmy.
See, I been keeping some track.
Last I heard, you was in the private investigating business.
Well, I think that's a fine thing.
Real fine.
Why didn't you say so? 'Cause it ain't my way, stepping on other people's dreams.
I feel right at home here.
It's good to be home, too, partner.
It's good to have you, Aaron.
We missed you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you America's success story, Aaron Ironwood.
Thank you all.
My, that's nice.
Thank you.
That's wonderful.
That's wonderful.
Thank you very much.
Please be seated.
Thank you very much.
Can you see me back there? No! Well, I want you folks to take a good look at me.
See, I don't look like no superman.
I ain't got no more than an eighth grade education.
But I came to Los Angeles in my own private jet airplane.
And that's from believing in myself.
And most of you people here are looking for success, but you haven't found it.
Hell, the hardest part of climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom.
Dare to make money! Dare to be first! And dare to win.
That's my slogan.
And that's what this school is all about.
I'm gonna teach you people through my very own course.
I'm gonna teach you how to make $1 million.
And that ain't pie in the sky.
And It ain't "maybe you'll make it.
" 'Cause if you follow just exactly what the school manual tells you, you're just flat gonna end up rich and there's no two ways about it.
"Dare to win," I said! Dare to make money! Spit in their eye! Dare to turn your life around! Make $1 million by the end of the year.
What's it gonna cost? Only $5,000.
Stop.
Get it down.
Get it down.
Come on.
You still You still got one of the best right arms in the business.
Yeah, I guess some things never change.
And a good thing, too.
Hey, you remember that little place we used to go to? Over behind Sutter's farm on that little creek? Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
The place where you lost your shoes the first week you lived with us.
About a week ago I was back there.
I own it now.
Kind of bought it out of sentiment.
You know something, Jimmy? Our old fort's still there.
It's busted down some, but it's there.
And so I started building it back the way we had it.
There I was, this dumb old country boy in a neon suit, pants legs rolled up, stacking up wood like a kid.
I must have worked at it all afternoon.
And then along about 5:00 I realized I was crying.
Crying for all the things I haven't done and for the time I haven't got left.
And I was crying, Jimmy, because things ain't gonna last for me.
I know that.
Come on, Aaron.
Anybody who can sell a Dare-to-Win kit for $5,000 isn't likely to tap out.
I believe everything I told those people.
People are the greatest single resource this country's got, but you gotta get them moving.
It wasrt until I said, "Why can't I do it?" Till I dared to be great, that I became great.
The human soul is a marvelous thing.
It's resourceful.
But now this old country soul has deep, deep problems.
And that's why I was crying.
And that's why I came to see you.
What is it, Aaron? Why me? I'm in trouble.
And sitting there in that old fort of ours, I knew there was only one person that I could completely trust.
Well, Aaron.
I guess you know there's nothing much I could refuse you.
Well, we're brothers.
I mean, if either one of us had a brother, I guess, that's what it would feel like.
Yeah.
I guess.
Excuse me.
Well, okay, Aaron, let's hear about it.
It shames me, Jim.
It's hard even telling you.
It's like it's against everything I've been preaching to folks, it's against my philosophy.
Aaron, I gotta tell you about your philosophy.
There's not too much about it that doesn't sound like a medicine show sales pitch.
You were always long on bull, a little short on cash as a kid.
It just never bothered me on you like it did on some others.
About six months ago, I was traveling around talking to my sales managers up in the Northwest.
A man ought to take his wife with him, somebody to comfort him.
I got lonely.
What, a girl? A prostitute.
I threw up all the next day.
I don't know if it was from the booze or maybe it was from the damage to my soul.
But they got pictures.
They said they want to buy my whole company for $20 million.
That's a little cheap, isn't it? It's a fire sale.
The rolling stock alone is won'th $20 million.
That plane I came in on is won'th $2 million.
But if I don't sell to them they're gonna send the pictures to Sue Ann.
I can't let that happen.
It ain't that I don't deserve it, I do.
Well, the harm it would do to her and Chet.
They just wouldn't ever get over it.
Anyways, I don't want to lose my company and I don't wanna lose being able to give self-respect to thousands of people.
And that's where you come in.
What do you want me to do about it? I'm gonna give you my company.
Whole shebang.
Worth $200 million.
There's no other person in the world I'd trust with my net won'th.
Sounds a little flaky, Aaron.
What if they go ahead and send the pictures anyway? Well, then I'm through and I'm just gonna plain charge them with blackmail and extortion.
But I don't think they're gonna risk it if they got nothing to gain.
Leastways, that's what I'm gambling.
King for a day, huh? That's about the size of it.
What do you say? I gotta think a little about it, Aaron.
Fair enough.
And this is the main stock transfer contract.
It gives Jimmy full ownership of Dare to Win Incorporated, plus controlling interest in both Class A and Class B preferred stocks of Ironwood Incorporated, which is a holding company for the outfits listed here on the next page.
You got yourself some good looking lawyer, boy.
She's also pretty good at it.
We'd need a list of contingent liabilities.
I don't want Jim signing up for a lawsuit.
I've indemnified him against any financial loss.
Oh, okay, that's fine.
Well, legally you're not in any trouble, Jim, but anytime you get involved in something this tricky there are always risks.
All that stuff is clean? Yeah.
It looks fine.
Aaron, these guys you're dealing with, who are they? You've been a little vague about it.
They're a bunch of old boys I knew from an oil field venture a while back.
We all got stung pretty good and since I put the deal together, they been looking for a way to ream me.
But I never figured they'd go to this much trouble.
Excuse me.
I've gotta get inside for a 10:00 hearing.
Nice to have met you, Mr.
Ironwood.
Likewise.
What are you limping for, Jim? I fell off my skateboard.
You think these things are all right to sign? If you trust him and he's an old friend, there's nothing legally wrong with what he's proposing.
Thanks, Beth.
I'll send you a bill.
Now, that you're won'th $200 million, maybe you'll pay it before Christmas.
Let's get over to the hotel.
I've gotta meet them guys.
Now wait a minute.
I haven't signed these yet.
Well you gotta sign it, Jimmy.
Please.
All right, Aaron.
I'm going to, but on one condition.
What's that? If you haven't been straight with me, I mean 100% straight, I'm gonna sell out to these little old oil boys.
Just like that.
Okay, that's fair enough.
When have I not been straight with you? I've always been straight with you.
I think the first time I remember is when we were in the fourth grade.
You stole my catcher's mitt and sold it to Bobby Krug.
Yeah, but I gave you half the money.
That's not the point, Aaron.
Jimmy, we had to get you out from behind home plate, or you'd have cost us every game.
Now, you was better off in center field.
Give me the pen.
You really was.
Why you limping? Oh, I went dancing the other night.
I got a little carried away.
Started to dip and I slipped.
Dip? Dipped.
Well, here goes, partner, so hang tight.
Mr.
Rockford.
Mr.
Ironwood.
Everybody's here.
Is this one of your little old oil boys? Please, come in.
Aaron.
And this must be your silent partner, the one who won't sell.
Hi, Vito.
The last time we saw each other, we were both doing 20 to life.
Looks like we both got lucky, huh? You two know each other? That's great.
Aaron, I'd like to talk to you for a moment.
Alone.
Later, Jimmy.
I've tried several times to get Jim to accept your terms, Mr.
Genosa.
I've presented your offer, but he says he won't sell.
You said you were gonna bring some documentation of Mr.
Rockford's ownership of the company.
Oh, yes.
I have it right here.
Dave.
If Mr.
Rockford has owned this stock for a week, it would surprise me.
But he owns it now and that kind of changes things, don't it, Mr.
Genosa? I'm not sure it does.
How about it, Dave? Is that stuff clean? Yeah, Mr.
Genosa.
Rockford owns the stock.
And you don't want to sell the company, is that right? Oh, I think we can solve all this pretty easily.
Could I talk to you for a moment? Outside? Want a drink? No, thank you.
Now, just how can you settle this, Mr.
Rockford? Well, the way I see the problem is, you want to buy Ironwood Incorporated for $20 million, only I have the stock.
Now, I think the best way to settle this is I sign the stock over to you and you give me a check for $22 million.
Mr.
Ironwood said you wouldn't sell.
Well, Mr.
Ironwood is inside and I say the company is on the block.
Do you want it or not? The agreed price is $20 million.
I'm afraid you didn't hear me.
I said $22 million.
The price is $20 million.
And a fair price it is.
Come on out here, will you, Dave? You have everything? A stock transfer, a contract and a cashier's check for $20 million.
I want you to indemnify me against any legal indentures and all closing sales costs.
That's agreeable.
You own it.
I still can't believe it.
You wasrt supposed to sell it.
That's right, I sold it.
You don't say no to those guys, they'll kill you.
You ever try? Did you? That's what you were supposed to do.
Look, I don't understand what's going on.
But I'm getting out.
You don't understand? That's right.
I don't understand.
Now, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you run me up some story about a bunch of old oil buddies, you give me the company and then throw me at the Mafia.
You must've known I was gonna sell it.
I didn't figure you Only a dummy wouldn't sell to them.
I didn't figure you'd turn chicken.
Why not? You did.
Give me my check.
Hmm? I want my check.
What check? If you don't give me that check, I'm gonna cause you a heap of pain.
I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll make you the same deal you made me on my catcher's mitt.
I'll split it with you.
You're out of it now.
I want my $20 million.
I get the strange feeling that I'm not out of it, Aaron.
Now, this whole thing doesn't add up.
You've got something going on and I'm gonna deposit the check until I have time to figure out just exactly what's going on.
Either you give me that check or I'm Or what are you gonna do? Tell Rocky? I'll take it from you.
Okay, hotshot, you give it a try.
Aaron.
Aaron, get out of my way.
Get away! Get away! Where did he go? Gosh, I don't know.
He could have gone anywhere.
You know, I called Sue Ann.
I got to thinking about Aarors whole story about those pictures and protecting their marriage and everything.
You wanna hear the kicker? What? They've been divorced for two years.
Well, I guess old Aaron forgot to write that on a Christmas card.
I never would have gone for this whole thing for anybody else.
I don't know, I guess you and I have always had a soft spot for Aarors line of bull.
You remember when he sold your catcher's mitt? Yeah.
Well, you can't keep the money.
I know that, Rocky.
You know, he told them that I was his silent partner long before he ever asked me.
How do you know that? Because two torpedoes tried to pick me up before he ever got here.
The only thing that makes any sense at all is that he actually wanted me to sell his company.
Yeah.
But why? I don't know.
Yeah.
But why wouldn't he just sell it himself? I don't know.
Well, it looks to me like you and old Aaron got a lot of straightening out to do.
Yeah.
Aaron, it's me.
Yeah? I've got your check.
Yeah? Where are you? Down in the lobby, but I'll be waiting for you in the alley behind this joint.
We got some talking to do.
That's just fine.
I'll be right down.
I don't suppose you really want to do this country style? I don't want to do it at all.
I just want to know what's going on.
You owe me that much.
I told you.
I called Sue Ann.
All right.
I stretched the truth a little bit.
You ought to expect that from me.
Now listen, old buddy.
You said you had my check.
How about forking it over? Not until you tell me what's going on.
I don't know any more.
Now, are you gonna give me my money, or am I gonna have to take it from you? Aaron, I don't want to fight you.
I never took you when we was kids, but I've grown up a little bit since then.
Come on.
Aaron, now, I don't want you to do something you're gonna regret.
Just Oh, come on, Aaron.
Aaron! Didrt used to be so easy to hit.
Now, Aaron, stop that.
That hurt.
Give me my check.
Aaron! Give me my check.
What's the matter with you, Aaron? You want some more? You ain't gonna give nobody no more.
Look at you.
You can't even stand up without a prop.
I trusted you, Aaron.
What do you want from me? Just a few answers, that's all.
Well, you got them all.
Stop it! Here.
What happened to us, Aaron? You Jim Rockford? That depends on who you are.
Cute, that's nice.
We're used to dealing with barf bags like you.
Cop, huh? Federal.
Out.
Do you mind if I see your tin? I'm a stickler for detail.
I ain't in no mood.
Out.
Lock it.
I got him.
Come on down and get this load of garbage.
Up against it and spread it.
You're used to it.
In.
In, out.
You ever think of getting a job as an usher? You owned it yesterday, right? That's right.
But I sold it.
To Vito Genosa, is that the story? Yeah.
Where's Aaron Ironwood? You're supposed to be Flash Gordon.
Don't you know? I'm getting tired of all this flip chatter.
You're beginning to wear on me a little yourself.
Where is he? We're looking for him.
We want Ironwood because he's selling multiple franchises in his company.
It's a pyramid, that constitutes fraud, embezzlement and the illegal sale of unregistered securities.
You're gonna have to break that down for me.
Watch my lips, fraud.
I'm telling you that Aaron Ironwood's a fraud.
He's selling franchises like a chain letter.
Now we're gonna close him up and stick him in jail.
Yeah.
You should look worried.
That puts you pretty high on Genosa's list.
You sold him a bucket of sand for $20 million.
He ain't gonna like that.
Yeah.
It's all beginning to make a little sense.
Did Aaron know that you were about ready to nail him? He might have.
Depends on how good a spy setup he's got.
Genosa was already interested in buying, so Aaron got me to sell it to him knowing full well you were 50 feet behind him with a fistful of court orders.
Nobody said you were supposed to be a genius.
Yeah.
I guess not.
So, where is he? At his hotel.
You forgot to look there, huh? He ain't at his hotel, Rockford.
I left him there 40 minutes ago.
We've been staked out on that hotel since 12:30 this morning.
Look, Pat.
Agent Patrick.
All right, Agent Patrick.
Don't hang it on me because your stakeout was down in the hotel gift shop looking through the magazines.
Get me Agent Schiller on the line.
I want to talk to him.
Hey, can I go? How 'bout it, fellas? The inside of my mouth is like Shredded Wheat.
You haven't got anything on me.
Okay, Rockford.
But stay handy.
Okay.
You betcha.
Hey, mister.
We're being tailed.
Sure hope so.
$10, I'll lose him for you.
I'm the one that's supposed to suggest that.
No you're supposed to say, "Follow that cab," or "Lose the tail.
" I'm supposed to say, I'll lose him for $10.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Forget it.
I like him back there.
Suit yourself.
That'll be $2.
50, mister.
Keep the change.
Thanks.
Have a nice night, fellas, and stay awake.
Up.
Hmm? Up.
What can I do for you? Get your butt out of bed for starters.
Oh.
Yeah.
Well, I think I can manage that.
Well, I'm for some breakfast.
Maybe a little scrambled eggs.
Something light.
How about you? No, you ain't got time for breakfast.
Let's go.
Oh.
Look, Nino, isn't it? Look.
Maybe we could talk about this for a while, huh? What do you want? This may not be any problem at all.
Let's go.
Oh.
Yeah.
Okay, okay.
I'm sorry, Jimmy.
I didn't plan on this part.
Well, I hope nobody forgot the peanut butter sandwiches.
You guys think you're pretty cute.
I get up this morning and I find out you sold me a company that's up to its neck in legal trouble.
Everything's frozen.
All the assets.
So I wanna know what you got in mind to make this right.
If you remember correctly, you're the one that wanted to buy the company.
We tried not to sell it to you.
Well, you didn't try hard enough.
Look, I told you I'll give you your money back.
You can't.
I checked with the bank.
All your assets are frozen.
Well, we'll just unfreeze it then.
Listen, Mr.
Genosa.
Vito.
Look, this here ain't such a bad problem.
We can fix it up.
Hell's bells, a little business misunderstanding.
This ain't nothing to get worked up about.
Right, Jimmy? Of course.
See? Nothing to it.
Okay.
Then that's all I wanted to know.
Let's get out of here.
What's wrong with this thing? Let's get out of here.
It's new, Mr.
Genosa.
There's something wrong with the carburetor.
Try pumping it.
You shut up.
You think maybe these guys are gonna plow us under? Yeah, that's the way I got it figured.
Aaron, you remember when we were in school, that kid that you wrecked his car? Yeah, I remember.
Yeah, that was something.
Remember how mad he got? Yeah.
Shut up.
Jam it.
I said shut up.
Something never occurred to you, I guess.
You can only kill somebody once.
If you plan to shut me up, you'd better do it right here and now.
Well, I'm glad we got rid of him.
Right fellas? Go ahead.
Be funny.
Pretty soon, you're gonna be looking at your guts in the dirt.
Then I'm gonna be laughing.
Something I forgot to tell you about, Aaron.
All these guys have a tendency to take themselves too seriously.
Yeah.
I can see that.
Yeah, I remember that kid.
You know, boy, when I had his car delivered, I thought he was gonna go nuts.
Yeah.
And I thought he was gonna tear you limb from limb.
You remember he went back and got his two big brothers? Yeah.
And they was gonna take us apart at the knees.
Yeah.
Yeah, to think I saved you from that just to be gunned down by a couple of third grade dropouts.
Uh, uh, uh.
I wouldn't do that without asking Mr.
Vito.
See, he might not like you shooting Jimmy in his car.
He might not like that at all.
Rockford, I'm gonna take it real slow.
Maybe, it's gonna take me two or three clips to hit you just where I want.
See what I mean, Aaron? Yeah.
They ain't got no sense of humor at all.
Yeah.
Okay, over there.
Mr.
Genosa, maybe you better stay back here, huh? No, I want to watch this.
Get up, damn you! He's having a seizure.
He can't.
Well, I'm gonna waste you right here.
Aaron! Find the gun.
I can't find it.
Come on.
MAN: Hey! No! You go watch the car.
Why didn't you find the gun? Well, I was a little bit busy at the time.
Well, we need it.
Why didn't you find it? You want me to go back and get it? Come on, let's see if we can get to the car.
Where are they? I lost them.
Now, I'll take him, you drive.
You think you can do it by yourself this time? Yeah.
I think I can handle it.
Is that better? AARON: Much.
Come on, come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
Let's go! Freeze! This is the police.
Well, where were you? I thought you were gonna stay closer.
We do it our own way.
I decided to pull back and see what happened.
Well, if you'd have stayed a little closer, none of this would've happened.
I think it worked out good.
Well, we're sure glad to see you.
What you doing? Well, you're under arrest, honey.
Fraud, selling unregistered securities, abusing the mail, and about a dozen minor felonies.
Hey, look, Pat.
Agent Patrick, I can testify Shut up, Rockford! Or I'll get something on you too.
Like what? Like assault and battery.
Look at him.
Poor fella.
You wouldn't dare.
This ain't gonna be so bad.
Aaron, when you get up there, ask for C Block.
They usually put the fish in D Block, but, you know, if you ask, maybe they'll make an exception.
Fish? Yeah, that's the new prisoners.
Also known as greenies.
C Block, huh? What's so great about C Block? Well, they got better facilities and closed showers and the rec room is next to the outside wall.
With binoculars you can see the girls from the factory from there.
Boy, that sounds like a blast.
Yeah, after five or six months, it gets to be a pretty big thrill.
You know, there's probably a lot of things wrong with the prison system.
Sounds to me like they could use some reforming.
I always sort of felt that way.
You know, the best way to effect reform has gotta be from the inside.
I suppose.
Yeah.
I could organize the prisoners, get them to think positively about this prison reform, get the old philosophy cooking.
Aaron, if I was you, I wouldn't get too No, I mean, really, Jim.
Now you think about it.
I could write me a whole new chapter in penology.
Okay, Rockford.
You're out.
Pick up your stuff at front desk.
Hi, Rocky.
I guess you're disappointed in me.
I mean you must be really upset with me going to jail and all.
That ain't why I'm disappointed in you, Aaron.
And you know it.
Well, Rocky, I don't like to dwell on negative thoughts.
Well, it's just hard for me to admit I ain't perfect.
You ain't, you know.
Yeah, but I will be.
All I gotta do is keep working on it.
Well, I guess you are one of a kind, Aaron.
I ain't gonna hold that against you.
What about Vito Genosa and his head crushers? Well, it looks like they got 'em for attempted murder.
They got them all locked up down the hall.
Okay, Aaron.
I'm sorry I done you like that, Jim.
I guess we got away pretty clean, considering.
Yeah.
Yeah, considering.
Oh, and, Aaron, about that prison reform.
I wouldn't get too carried away with that.
Just take a tip from me, huh? When you're doing time, keep your nose clean.
Don't talk to people.
Kind of live within yourself.
I mean, you start stirring the pot, they'll land on you.
No, Jim, I gotta give it a go.
It could be a great opportunity.
It's like a whole new career, kind of.
I'm gonna call it "Dare to be Free.
"
It's won'th about $200 million.
There's no other person in the world I'd trust with my net won'th.
Thanks, Beth.
I'll send you a bill.
Now that you're won'th $200 million, maybe you'll pay it before Christmas.
The agreed price is $20 million.
And a fair price it is.
That puts you pretty high on Genosa's list.
You sold him a bucket of sand for $20 million.
You can only kill somebody once.
If you plan to shut me up, you'd better do it right here and now.
This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
Hi, Jim.
We couldn't reach you, so we went ahead with the job, and I know you're really gonna dig it.
But if you don't, I suppose we could always tear it out.
Yeah.
Look, do you know I've been standing out front for 10 minutes waiting for you? Now if I had my own truck, I'd drive over myself, but you said you'd pick me up in 20 minutes.
We gotta be at the airport at 2:30.
Now we ain't gonna make it.
We'll make it.
Relax, will you? Relax? Relax? Well, you know it ain't every day old Aaron comes visiting.
Rocky, will you grab yourself a beer and turn on the roller derby.
I'll be there in 15 minutes.
Mr.
Rockford.
Hold it.
Who are you guys? What do you want? Shut up.
Come along quietly.
Hey, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I'm sure there's some kind of mistake.
Sure if we just talk about this, we'll all end up having a nice big laugh.
Look, the thing of it is I'm late for another appointment.
In.
Right.
Let's go.
Come on, get this pig started.
I'm trying.
It must be flooded.
Well, try pumping it.
Shut up! Don't listen to him.
Just put your foot down and hold it.
Hey, mister.
A little trouble? Yeah.
It seems to be flooded or something.
Hey listen, why don't you guys stay here? I'll go get a mechanic.
Hey, Dan.
Dan, I gotta borrow your car.
Thanks.
What's that? What's what? That.
Oh.
I had to borrow it.
Well, Jim, we can't go pick up Aaron Ironwood in no car like that.
Why not? Well, what's he gonna think, we come rolling up in some busted down car with writing and stuff all over it? Oh, give me the keys to the house.
I gotta make a phone call.
And look at you.
Look at how you're dressed.
Couldrt even wear a tie or something? Well, why do we gotta wear a tie? Because Aaron is gonna wear a tie.
Hey, wait a minute.
I thought we were going to the airport to pick somebody up.
Did I miss something? Did somebody die? We wanna make a good impression.
Now I gotta go hide that thing and rent a sedan to pick him up in.
What are you limping for? I went fishing.
Fell off the end of the pier.
Detective Becker, please.
Yeah.
ROCKFORD: Hey, Dennis, it's Jim.
Hi, Jim.
Guess what? Hey, I'd like to ask you a favor.
I took the Lieutenant's Exam and I'm fifth on the list.
That's great.
Look, Dennis.
I had a little run in with some guys and I got their license number.
You want to take it down? You know what that means, Jim? Yeah.
Yeah.
If we can get a make, I'll know who was chasing me.
No.
It means if I do well on the oral, I could make lieutenant in two or three months.
Now, Seibert and Dillman made the captairs list and they'll be moving up.
How about that? Dennis, do you want to take this number down? You know, I figured if I study hard for two or three months and take the Academy refresher course, I'd do pretty good.
But fifth! Boy, I never figured I'd score that high.
Dennis.
Yeah? I think it's great.
I congratulate you.
I will send you a gift.
Now, would you like to address yourself to this little problem I have? Okay, Jim.
Go ahead.
All right.
Three guys in a black Cadillac just tried to pick me up at gunpoint.
Their license number is 271 IEW.
Why? You working on something? No, no.
I can't figure it.
I never saw any of them before.
Okay, Jim.
I'll run it.
Thanks, Dennis.
And congratulations.
Yeah.
Hey, tell Rocky, will you? Yeah.
Sure.
He's gonna love it.
Who tried to pick you up at gunpoint? Guess what? Dennis just made the lieutenant's list.
He's fifth on the list.
Jimmy, what are you fooling around with now? How about that? Fifth on the list.
He said a couple of stiffs are just about to make captain, in two or three months he may make lieutenant.
Look, when are you gonna quit fooling around with this crazy business and get into something won'thwhile? Look at old Aaron.
He started from the bottom.
No mother, no father, living in foster homes and he's already got himself $100 million or more.
Yeah.
Well, Dennis thought you'd like to know.
You know, I can't help feeling that meeting up with old Aaron is gonna be awful good for you.
I feel that he's gonna wanna to take you in on one of his projects, maybe.
Like, a real estate company or even his School of Success.
Oh, yeah.
I'd really like that.
Remember when he first came to live with us, right after his folks was killed? How you was always sticking up for him in school? There was that one kid who was always trying to beat up on Aaron.
What was his name? Remember? What kid? The one who was always trying to beat up on old Aaron.
I don't remember.
LeBaron.
Tommy LeBaron.
Yeah, Tom something, I think.
Yes, sir.
I'll bet you old Aaron ain't never gonna forget what you done for him.
I'll bet he's gonna wanna take you in with him.
Even after they took him away from us and put him in a foster home, you kids was just like that.
Dad.
Huh? Shut up.
Shut up, huh? Yeah.
Shut up.
He's got a trucking division, too.
Don't you forget that.
Bully for him.
You're beginning to make me mad, sonny.
Well that's fine, because you're beginning to make me mad.
You think I'm not won'th spit.
All right.
I'm not won'th $200 million, I don't wear electric blue suits, I don't have a private jet, but I'm not exactly a failure either.
I'm sorry, sonny.
You Well, you know I'm proud of you.
And you know I love you.
Yeah, I know that, Dad.
I just wish you'd worn a tie, that's all.
I'm sorry, Jimmy, we ain't driving this pizza wagon out there where Aarors gonna see it.
Rocky, we're already We don't have time to rent a sedan and we don't have the money.
How do you do? I'm supposed to meet Aaron Ironwood.
His private jet is tied down 16.
I'm Jim Rockford and this is the honorable Joseph Rockford of the Bakersfield truck-driving Rockfords.
How would you like a rap in the mouth? What did I tell you, huh? Hello, Aaron.
Give me a hug, brother, old boy.
Hello.
Oh, lookie here.
How you doing? I love you, you know, I love you.
Boy, you've been taking care of yourself, huh? I can see that right off.
Oh, you've been doing all right yourself, Aaron.
Oh, I know.
I know You know what? We got us a good old fashioned family get-together.
I got so much to find out about.
You can't tell anybody what's happening on the back of a Christmas card.
No matter how small you write! How's that little Chet? Oh, he's grown, Jim.
You wouldn't believe it.
He's 14 years old and riding in New Mexico rodeos.
Took a second prize in calf roping in 18 and under.
He's gonna put his fat old pa to shame, I'll tell you that.
Hell, I got nothing more to say, except I waited too long to come visiting.
Too long and I'm I'm ashamed of myself.
Oh, you got nothing to be ashamed of, Aaron.
All right.
Let's get on out of here.
You got a car? Yeah.
No.
Huh? Well, lookie here.
Are you in the pizza business, Jimmy? It's a long story, Aaron.
Come on.
Oh, I'll ride with you and my people can follow along in my car.
I'm free to open a School of Success.
Rocky, you get in the back.
Ain't this something.
Pizza Dan.
Come on in.
Come on.
We got the plans all drawed up for a beach house.
We're gonna start construction in a couple of weeks.
Until then, Jimmy, he's just temporarily living here, you know.
Rocky.
I live here permanently and I like it fine here.
And I'm not in the pizza business.
Sit down.
I kind of figured that, Jimmy.
See, I been keeping some track.
Last I heard, you was in the private investigating business.
Well, I think that's a fine thing.
Real fine.
Why didn't you say so? 'Cause it ain't my way, stepping on other people's dreams.
I feel right at home here.
It's good to be home, too, partner.
It's good to have you, Aaron.
We missed you.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you America's success story, Aaron Ironwood.
Thank you all.
My, that's nice.
Thank you.
That's wonderful.
That's wonderful.
Thank you very much.
Please be seated.
Thank you very much.
Can you see me back there? No! Well, I want you folks to take a good look at me.
See, I don't look like no superman.
I ain't got no more than an eighth grade education.
But I came to Los Angeles in my own private jet airplane.
And that's from believing in myself.
And most of you people here are looking for success, but you haven't found it.
Hell, the hardest part of climbing the ladder of success is getting through the crowd at the bottom.
Dare to make money! Dare to be first! And dare to win.
That's my slogan.
And that's what this school is all about.
I'm gonna teach you people through my very own course.
I'm gonna teach you how to make $1 million.
And that ain't pie in the sky.
And It ain't "maybe you'll make it.
" 'Cause if you follow just exactly what the school manual tells you, you're just flat gonna end up rich and there's no two ways about it.
"Dare to win," I said! Dare to make money! Spit in their eye! Dare to turn your life around! Make $1 million by the end of the year.
What's it gonna cost? Only $5,000.
Stop.
Get it down.
Get it down.
Come on.
You still You still got one of the best right arms in the business.
Yeah, I guess some things never change.
And a good thing, too.
Hey, you remember that little place we used to go to? Over behind Sutter's farm on that little creek? Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
The place where you lost your shoes the first week you lived with us.
About a week ago I was back there.
I own it now.
Kind of bought it out of sentiment.
You know something, Jimmy? Our old fort's still there.
It's busted down some, but it's there.
And so I started building it back the way we had it.
There I was, this dumb old country boy in a neon suit, pants legs rolled up, stacking up wood like a kid.
I must have worked at it all afternoon.
And then along about 5:00 I realized I was crying.
Crying for all the things I haven't done and for the time I haven't got left.
And I was crying, Jimmy, because things ain't gonna last for me.
I know that.
Come on, Aaron.
Anybody who can sell a Dare-to-Win kit for $5,000 isn't likely to tap out.
I believe everything I told those people.
People are the greatest single resource this country's got, but you gotta get them moving.
It wasrt until I said, "Why can't I do it?" Till I dared to be great, that I became great.
The human soul is a marvelous thing.
It's resourceful.
But now this old country soul has deep, deep problems.
And that's why I was crying.
And that's why I came to see you.
What is it, Aaron? Why me? I'm in trouble.
And sitting there in that old fort of ours, I knew there was only one person that I could completely trust.
Well, Aaron.
I guess you know there's nothing much I could refuse you.
Well, we're brothers.
I mean, if either one of us had a brother, I guess, that's what it would feel like.
Yeah.
I guess.
Excuse me.
Well, okay, Aaron, let's hear about it.
It shames me, Jim.
It's hard even telling you.
It's like it's against everything I've been preaching to folks, it's against my philosophy.
Aaron, I gotta tell you about your philosophy.
There's not too much about it that doesn't sound like a medicine show sales pitch.
You were always long on bull, a little short on cash as a kid.
It just never bothered me on you like it did on some others.
About six months ago, I was traveling around talking to my sales managers up in the Northwest.
A man ought to take his wife with him, somebody to comfort him.
I got lonely.
What, a girl? A prostitute.
I threw up all the next day.
I don't know if it was from the booze or maybe it was from the damage to my soul.
But they got pictures.
They said they want to buy my whole company for $20 million.
That's a little cheap, isn't it? It's a fire sale.
The rolling stock alone is won'th $20 million.
That plane I came in on is won'th $2 million.
But if I don't sell to them they're gonna send the pictures to Sue Ann.
I can't let that happen.
It ain't that I don't deserve it, I do.
Well, the harm it would do to her and Chet.
They just wouldn't ever get over it.
Anyways, I don't want to lose my company and I don't wanna lose being able to give self-respect to thousands of people.
And that's where you come in.
What do you want me to do about it? I'm gonna give you my company.
Whole shebang.
Worth $200 million.
There's no other person in the world I'd trust with my net won'th.
Sounds a little flaky, Aaron.
What if they go ahead and send the pictures anyway? Well, then I'm through and I'm just gonna plain charge them with blackmail and extortion.
But I don't think they're gonna risk it if they got nothing to gain.
Leastways, that's what I'm gambling.
King for a day, huh? That's about the size of it.
What do you say? I gotta think a little about it, Aaron.
Fair enough.
And this is the main stock transfer contract.
It gives Jimmy full ownership of Dare to Win Incorporated, plus controlling interest in both Class A and Class B preferred stocks of Ironwood Incorporated, which is a holding company for the outfits listed here on the next page.
You got yourself some good looking lawyer, boy.
She's also pretty good at it.
We'd need a list of contingent liabilities.
I don't want Jim signing up for a lawsuit.
I've indemnified him against any financial loss.
Oh, okay, that's fine.
Well, legally you're not in any trouble, Jim, but anytime you get involved in something this tricky there are always risks.
All that stuff is clean? Yeah.
It looks fine.
Aaron, these guys you're dealing with, who are they? You've been a little vague about it.
They're a bunch of old boys I knew from an oil field venture a while back.
We all got stung pretty good and since I put the deal together, they been looking for a way to ream me.
But I never figured they'd go to this much trouble.
Excuse me.
I've gotta get inside for a 10:00 hearing.
Nice to have met you, Mr.
Ironwood.
Likewise.
What are you limping for, Jim? I fell off my skateboard.
You think these things are all right to sign? If you trust him and he's an old friend, there's nothing legally wrong with what he's proposing.
Thanks, Beth.
I'll send you a bill.
Now, that you're won'th $200 million, maybe you'll pay it before Christmas.
Let's get over to the hotel.
I've gotta meet them guys.
Now wait a minute.
I haven't signed these yet.
Well you gotta sign it, Jimmy.
Please.
All right, Aaron.
I'm going to, but on one condition.
What's that? If you haven't been straight with me, I mean 100% straight, I'm gonna sell out to these little old oil boys.
Just like that.
Okay, that's fair enough.
When have I not been straight with you? I've always been straight with you.
I think the first time I remember is when we were in the fourth grade.
You stole my catcher's mitt and sold it to Bobby Krug.
Yeah, but I gave you half the money.
That's not the point, Aaron.
Jimmy, we had to get you out from behind home plate, or you'd have cost us every game.
Now, you was better off in center field.
Give me the pen.
You really was.
Why you limping? Oh, I went dancing the other night.
I got a little carried away.
Started to dip and I slipped.
Dip? Dipped.
Well, here goes, partner, so hang tight.
Mr.
Rockford.
Mr.
Ironwood.
Everybody's here.
Is this one of your little old oil boys? Please, come in.
Aaron.
And this must be your silent partner, the one who won't sell.
Hi, Vito.
The last time we saw each other, we were both doing 20 to life.
Looks like we both got lucky, huh? You two know each other? That's great.
Aaron, I'd like to talk to you for a moment.
Alone.
Later, Jimmy.
I've tried several times to get Jim to accept your terms, Mr.
Genosa.
I've presented your offer, but he says he won't sell.
You said you were gonna bring some documentation of Mr.
Rockford's ownership of the company.
Oh, yes.
I have it right here.
Dave.
If Mr.
Rockford has owned this stock for a week, it would surprise me.
But he owns it now and that kind of changes things, don't it, Mr.
Genosa? I'm not sure it does.
How about it, Dave? Is that stuff clean? Yeah, Mr.
Genosa.
Rockford owns the stock.
And you don't want to sell the company, is that right? Oh, I think we can solve all this pretty easily.
Could I talk to you for a moment? Outside? Want a drink? No, thank you.
Now, just how can you settle this, Mr.
Rockford? Well, the way I see the problem is, you want to buy Ironwood Incorporated for $20 million, only I have the stock.
Now, I think the best way to settle this is I sign the stock over to you and you give me a check for $22 million.
Mr.
Ironwood said you wouldn't sell.
Well, Mr.
Ironwood is inside and I say the company is on the block.
Do you want it or not? The agreed price is $20 million.
I'm afraid you didn't hear me.
I said $22 million.
The price is $20 million.
And a fair price it is.
Come on out here, will you, Dave? You have everything? A stock transfer, a contract and a cashier's check for $20 million.
I want you to indemnify me against any legal indentures and all closing sales costs.
That's agreeable.
You own it.
I still can't believe it.
You wasrt supposed to sell it.
That's right, I sold it.
You don't say no to those guys, they'll kill you.
You ever try? Did you? That's what you were supposed to do.
Look, I don't understand what's going on.
But I'm getting out.
You don't understand? That's right.
I don't understand.
Now, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you run me up some story about a bunch of old oil buddies, you give me the company and then throw me at the Mafia.
You must've known I was gonna sell it.
I didn't figure you Only a dummy wouldn't sell to them.
I didn't figure you'd turn chicken.
Why not? You did.
Give me my check.
Hmm? I want my check.
What check? If you don't give me that check, I'm gonna cause you a heap of pain.
I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll make you the same deal you made me on my catcher's mitt.
I'll split it with you.
You're out of it now.
I want my $20 million.
I get the strange feeling that I'm not out of it, Aaron.
Now, this whole thing doesn't add up.
You've got something going on and I'm gonna deposit the check until I have time to figure out just exactly what's going on.
Either you give me that check or I'm Or what are you gonna do? Tell Rocky? I'll take it from you.
Okay, hotshot, you give it a try.
Aaron.
Aaron, get out of my way.
Get away! Get away! Where did he go? Gosh, I don't know.
He could have gone anywhere.
You know, I called Sue Ann.
I got to thinking about Aarors whole story about those pictures and protecting their marriage and everything.
You wanna hear the kicker? What? They've been divorced for two years.
Well, I guess old Aaron forgot to write that on a Christmas card.
I never would have gone for this whole thing for anybody else.
I don't know, I guess you and I have always had a soft spot for Aarors line of bull.
You remember when he sold your catcher's mitt? Yeah.
Well, you can't keep the money.
I know that, Rocky.
You know, he told them that I was his silent partner long before he ever asked me.
How do you know that? Because two torpedoes tried to pick me up before he ever got here.
The only thing that makes any sense at all is that he actually wanted me to sell his company.
Yeah.
But why? I don't know.
Yeah.
But why wouldn't he just sell it himself? I don't know.
Well, it looks to me like you and old Aaron got a lot of straightening out to do.
Yeah.
Aaron, it's me.
Yeah? I've got your check.
Yeah? Where are you? Down in the lobby, but I'll be waiting for you in the alley behind this joint.
We got some talking to do.
That's just fine.
I'll be right down.
I don't suppose you really want to do this country style? I don't want to do it at all.
I just want to know what's going on.
You owe me that much.
I told you.
I called Sue Ann.
All right.
I stretched the truth a little bit.
You ought to expect that from me.
Now listen, old buddy.
You said you had my check.
How about forking it over? Not until you tell me what's going on.
I don't know any more.
Now, are you gonna give me my money, or am I gonna have to take it from you? Aaron, I don't want to fight you.
I never took you when we was kids, but I've grown up a little bit since then.
Come on.
Aaron, now, I don't want you to do something you're gonna regret.
Just Oh, come on, Aaron.
Aaron! Didrt used to be so easy to hit.
Now, Aaron, stop that.
That hurt.
Give me my check.
Aaron! Give me my check.
What's the matter with you, Aaron? You want some more? You ain't gonna give nobody no more.
Look at you.
You can't even stand up without a prop.
I trusted you, Aaron.
What do you want from me? Just a few answers, that's all.
Well, you got them all.
Stop it! Here.
What happened to us, Aaron? You Jim Rockford? That depends on who you are.
Cute, that's nice.
We're used to dealing with barf bags like you.
Cop, huh? Federal.
Out.
Do you mind if I see your tin? I'm a stickler for detail.
I ain't in no mood.
Out.
Lock it.
I got him.
Come on down and get this load of garbage.
Up against it and spread it.
You're used to it.
In.
In, out.
You ever think of getting a job as an usher? You owned it yesterday, right? That's right.
But I sold it.
To Vito Genosa, is that the story? Yeah.
Where's Aaron Ironwood? You're supposed to be Flash Gordon.
Don't you know? I'm getting tired of all this flip chatter.
You're beginning to wear on me a little yourself.
Where is he? We're looking for him.
We want Ironwood because he's selling multiple franchises in his company.
It's a pyramid, that constitutes fraud, embezzlement and the illegal sale of unregistered securities.
You're gonna have to break that down for me.
Watch my lips, fraud.
I'm telling you that Aaron Ironwood's a fraud.
He's selling franchises like a chain letter.
Now we're gonna close him up and stick him in jail.
Yeah.
You should look worried.
That puts you pretty high on Genosa's list.
You sold him a bucket of sand for $20 million.
He ain't gonna like that.
Yeah.
It's all beginning to make a little sense.
Did Aaron know that you were about ready to nail him? He might have.
Depends on how good a spy setup he's got.
Genosa was already interested in buying, so Aaron got me to sell it to him knowing full well you were 50 feet behind him with a fistful of court orders.
Nobody said you were supposed to be a genius.
Yeah.
I guess not.
So, where is he? At his hotel.
You forgot to look there, huh? He ain't at his hotel, Rockford.
I left him there 40 minutes ago.
We've been staked out on that hotel since 12:30 this morning.
Look, Pat.
Agent Patrick.
All right, Agent Patrick.
Don't hang it on me because your stakeout was down in the hotel gift shop looking through the magazines.
Get me Agent Schiller on the line.
I want to talk to him.
Hey, can I go? How 'bout it, fellas? The inside of my mouth is like Shredded Wheat.
You haven't got anything on me.
Okay, Rockford.
But stay handy.
Okay.
You betcha.
Hey, mister.
We're being tailed.
Sure hope so.
$10, I'll lose him for you.
I'm the one that's supposed to suggest that.
No you're supposed to say, "Follow that cab," or "Lose the tail.
" I'm supposed to say, I'll lose him for $10.
Yeah, I guess you're right.
Forget it.
I like him back there.
Suit yourself.
That'll be $2.
50, mister.
Keep the change.
Thanks.
Have a nice night, fellas, and stay awake.
Up.
Hmm? Up.
What can I do for you? Get your butt out of bed for starters.
Oh.
Yeah.
Well, I think I can manage that.
Well, I'm for some breakfast.
Maybe a little scrambled eggs.
Something light.
How about you? No, you ain't got time for breakfast.
Let's go.
Oh.
Look, Nino, isn't it? Look.
Maybe we could talk about this for a while, huh? What do you want? This may not be any problem at all.
Let's go.
Oh.
Yeah.
Okay, okay.
I'm sorry, Jimmy.
I didn't plan on this part.
Well, I hope nobody forgot the peanut butter sandwiches.
You guys think you're pretty cute.
I get up this morning and I find out you sold me a company that's up to its neck in legal trouble.
Everything's frozen.
All the assets.
So I wanna know what you got in mind to make this right.
If you remember correctly, you're the one that wanted to buy the company.
We tried not to sell it to you.
Well, you didn't try hard enough.
Look, I told you I'll give you your money back.
You can't.
I checked with the bank.
All your assets are frozen.
Well, we'll just unfreeze it then.
Listen, Mr.
Genosa.
Vito.
Look, this here ain't such a bad problem.
We can fix it up.
Hell's bells, a little business misunderstanding.
This ain't nothing to get worked up about.
Right, Jimmy? Of course.
See? Nothing to it.
Okay.
Then that's all I wanted to know.
Let's get out of here.
What's wrong with this thing? Let's get out of here.
It's new, Mr.
Genosa.
There's something wrong with the carburetor.
Try pumping it.
You shut up.
You think maybe these guys are gonna plow us under? Yeah, that's the way I got it figured.
Aaron, you remember when we were in school, that kid that you wrecked his car? Yeah, I remember.
Yeah, that was something.
Remember how mad he got? Yeah.
Shut up.
Jam it.
I said shut up.
Something never occurred to you, I guess.
You can only kill somebody once.
If you plan to shut me up, you'd better do it right here and now.
Well, I'm glad we got rid of him.
Right fellas? Go ahead.
Be funny.
Pretty soon, you're gonna be looking at your guts in the dirt.
Then I'm gonna be laughing.
Something I forgot to tell you about, Aaron.
All these guys have a tendency to take themselves too seriously.
Yeah.
I can see that.
Yeah, I remember that kid.
You know, boy, when I had his car delivered, I thought he was gonna go nuts.
Yeah.
And I thought he was gonna tear you limb from limb.
You remember he went back and got his two big brothers? Yeah.
And they was gonna take us apart at the knees.
Yeah.
Yeah, to think I saved you from that just to be gunned down by a couple of third grade dropouts.
Uh, uh, uh.
I wouldn't do that without asking Mr.
Vito.
See, he might not like you shooting Jimmy in his car.
He might not like that at all.
Rockford, I'm gonna take it real slow.
Maybe, it's gonna take me two or three clips to hit you just where I want.
See what I mean, Aaron? Yeah.
They ain't got no sense of humor at all.
Yeah.
Okay, over there.
Mr.
Genosa, maybe you better stay back here, huh? No, I want to watch this.
Get up, damn you! He's having a seizure.
He can't.
Well, I'm gonna waste you right here.
Aaron! Find the gun.
I can't find it.
Come on.
MAN: Hey! No! You go watch the car.
Why didn't you find the gun? Well, I was a little bit busy at the time.
Well, we need it.
Why didn't you find it? You want me to go back and get it? Come on, let's see if we can get to the car.
Where are they? I lost them.
Now, I'll take him, you drive.
You think you can do it by yourself this time? Yeah.
I think I can handle it.
Is that better? AARON: Much.
Come on, come on.
Come on.
Let's go.
Let's go! Freeze! This is the police.
Well, where were you? I thought you were gonna stay closer.
We do it our own way.
I decided to pull back and see what happened.
Well, if you'd have stayed a little closer, none of this would've happened.
I think it worked out good.
Well, we're sure glad to see you.
What you doing? Well, you're under arrest, honey.
Fraud, selling unregistered securities, abusing the mail, and about a dozen minor felonies.
Hey, look, Pat.
Agent Patrick, I can testify Shut up, Rockford! Or I'll get something on you too.
Like what? Like assault and battery.
Look at him.
Poor fella.
You wouldn't dare.
This ain't gonna be so bad.
Aaron, when you get up there, ask for C Block.
They usually put the fish in D Block, but, you know, if you ask, maybe they'll make an exception.
Fish? Yeah, that's the new prisoners.
Also known as greenies.
C Block, huh? What's so great about C Block? Well, they got better facilities and closed showers and the rec room is next to the outside wall.
With binoculars you can see the girls from the factory from there.
Boy, that sounds like a blast.
Yeah, after five or six months, it gets to be a pretty big thrill.
You know, there's probably a lot of things wrong with the prison system.
Sounds to me like they could use some reforming.
I always sort of felt that way.
You know, the best way to effect reform has gotta be from the inside.
I suppose.
Yeah.
I could organize the prisoners, get them to think positively about this prison reform, get the old philosophy cooking.
Aaron, if I was you, I wouldn't get too No, I mean, really, Jim.
Now you think about it.
I could write me a whole new chapter in penology.
Okay, Rockford.
You're out.
Pick up your stuff at front desk.
Hi, Rocky.
I guess you're disappointed in me.
I mean you must be really upset with me going to jail and all.
That ain't why I'm disappointed in you, Aaron.
And you know it.
Well, Rocky, I don't like to dwell on negative thoughts.
Well, it's just hard for me to admit I ain't perfect.
You ain't, you know.
Yeah, but I will be.
All I gotta do is keep working on it.
Well, I guess you are one of a kind, Aaron.
I ain't gonna hold that against you.
What about Vito Genosa and his head crushers? Well, it looks like they got 'em for attempted murder.
They got them all locked up down the hall.
Okay, Aaron.
I'm sorry I done you like that, Jim.
I guess we got away pretty clean, considering.
Yeah.
Yeah, considering.
Oh, and, Aaron, about that prison reform.
I wouldn't get too carried away with that.
Just take a tip from me, huh? When you're doing time, keep your nose clean.
Don't talk to people.
Kind of live within yourself.
I mean, you start stirring the pot, they'll land on you.
No, Jim, I gotta give it a go.
It could be a great opportunity.
It's like a whole new career, kind of.
I'm gonna call it "Dare to be Free.
"