Gangster Squad

Synopsis: It's 1949 Los Angeles, and gangster Mickey Cohen has moved in, with the intention of controlling all criminal activity in the city. He has bought local judges and police, and no one is willing to cross him or testify against him. Everyone except Sergeant John O'Mara, a former World War II soldier, whose goal is to settle with his family in a peaceful Los Angeles. Police Chief William Parker decides to form a special unit whose mission is to take down Cohen, and chooses O'Mara to lead the unit. O'Mara chooses 4 cops and asks another cop and vet, Jerry Wooters to join him but Wooters is not interested. But when he witnesses the murder of a young boy by Cohen's people, he joins them, and they decide to take apart Cohen's organization. Cohen wonders if a rival is going after him, but eventually he realizes it's the cops.
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Director(s): Ruben Fleischer
Production: Warner Bros.
  5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Metacritic:
40
Rotten Tomatoes:
32%
R
Year:
2013
113 min
$45,996,718
Website
2,538 Views


O'MARA:

Every man carries a badge.

Some symbol of his allegiance.

His were the scars of a boxer who'd used

his fists to climb the social ladder of the mob.

A Jew who'd gained the respect of wops

through a homicidal lust.

He'd sworn an oath of violence.

And his master?

His own insatiable will to power.

He wanted to own this town.

His name is Mickey Cohen.

On my badge is the city of Los Angeles.

I came back from the war

and I didn't even recognize it.

Brothels, vice, blood in the streets.

Cohen is building his empire.

"The children of the night."

(COYOTE HOWLING)

"What music they make."

It's the damnedest thing, Russo.

I come up here so many times...

...they see me,

they know they're getting a treat.

What's the matter with you? You think they're

not gonna hear about this in Chicago?

Oh, I'll make sure they do.

You're certifiable, Mickey.

You belong in a booby hatch,

eating pudding in your goddamn pajamas.

A minute ago, you were begging.

That's when I thought you were a man.

But you're something else.

You're rotten.

(COHEN WHISTLES)

Aah!

What about now, Tommy?

You impressed?

Argh! You prick bastard.

- Okay, boys.

RUSSO:
You sick son of a b*tch.

Let her rip!

Aah!

COHEN:

Oh, my. Heh, heh.

Now, you go back to Chicago...

...you tell them what you saw here tonight.

You tell them that Los Angeles

belongs to Mickey Cohen.

O'MARA:

Fighting the war had taught me...

...the only thing necessary for the triumph

of evil is for good men to do nothing.

People are scared.

They say leave it alone.

RACINE:

Excuse me, miss?

Anyone ever tell you you look like

Lauren Bacall?

No.

O'MARA:

But Cohen isn't the only fighter.

And I'm ready to step in the ring.

Son of a b*tch didn't waste any time,

did he?

Today's your lucky day.

We're holding auditions.

- Really?

- Let's go.

RACINE:
This is it.

WOMAN:
Ooh, wow.

This is wonderful.

Thank you. I can't wait to let

my folks know about this.

RACINE:

They're gonna be real proud of you.

You know, this is where

Bacall first met Bogart.

What the hell are you doing?

What's it look like? He's gonna

give her a bad time in there.

O'Mara, for chrissakes, that's Cohen's

place. Nobody goes in there.

I don't want any part of this.

Go get an ice cream.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Right this way.

You know, we hold all our screen tests

up here, kiddo.

Away from the crowds.

Come on.

- Help you with something, pal?

- Looking to meet someone.

Yeah? What's her name?

I don't know, I thought maybe you

could help me out with that.

- No, mister. It's okay, really.

RACINE:
Get in the goddamn room.

- Look at what Daddy found.

VACAREZZA:
Nice.

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

I tell you I was partial to blonds?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, big guy.

Pistola, butt-first.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're a cop?

Christ, buddy. What are you,

soft in the head?

(GUNSHOT)

Please! Let me go! Please! Aah!

Aah!

RACINE:
Break her, boys.

WOMAN:
Let me go!

No! No! Stop it, please! Don't!

Please! Please!

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

- Help!

RACINE:
Shh. Shh.

You make another sound and you're dead.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

(WOMAN GRUNTING)

Who is it?

Mitts in the air!

Come on!

I don't think so.

- Ten bucks says this guy ain't even heeled.

MOLINARI:
I'll take that bet.

Why don't you come over here

and find out. Come on.

Bang.

(LAUGHING)

Help! Somebody!

WOMAN:

Please help me!

Welcome to Los Angeles, ma'am.

JERRY:

Patty, it was the strangest thing.

I arrested Whalen, next thing you know,

lickety-split, he escapes.

Oh, really? He overpowered you again?

- No.

- He just slipped his cuffs?

He sure did. It was the damnedest thing.

O'MARA:

Keep moving.

What happened to you this time?

He resisted.

Oh, yeah? What happened to them?

They resisted.

You're working too hard.

Boys.

QUINCANNON:

O'Mara! Get your Irish ass in here!

Weren't you told to stay away

from Cohen's turf?

I was.

Hendricks told me you walked in there

without a warrant.

- These three are gonna walk.

- Says who?

Says Judge Carter.

Habeas corpus. Well, that's fast work.

I didn't know any better, I'd think

someone here stiffed in a call.

Listen to me, we got rules

around here, smartass.

Do yourself a favor: Learn them.

Is that how you got that new Packard

out there in the parking lot?

Following the rules, boss?

Two things you can't take back

on this job, kid:

Bullets out of your gun

and words out of your mouth.

That it?

Get out.

(TROLLEY BELL RINGING)

Karl Lockwood.

That's Mickey's bodyguard.

I'm sure I'm not the first person

to tell you this...

...but don't feed or tease the animals.

Doesn't it bother you?

No.

Not for a long time.

Okay, stay out of trouble.

Connie, look...

- Baby, you promised me.

- I know.

You stood right where you're standing

now and you promised me.

I know.

I didn't go looking for it. Scout's honor.

John, you go looking for it every time

you leave the house.

What happened this time?

(O'MARA SIGHS)

Oh, it was just some pimp.

He was gonna put the hurt on this poor

girl who didn't know any better.

She looked a little like you.

I mean, not nearly as pretty, but...

(O'MARA LAUGHING)

Smooth talk isn't your line, sarge.

Look, I don't mind living like

Ma and Pa Kettle.

I don't need a new pair of shoes every week.

I married an honest cop.

You're kind, you don't talk too much,

you're a demon in the sack.

But I don't need a hero, sarge,

I need a husband.

So you do not have permission

to go belly-flop on a grenade.

Not when we're expecting company.

Do you read me?

Yeah.

COHEN:

Whores don't grow on trees.

They're like mustangs.

You gotta catch them wild...

...and break them before you train them

to do tricks.

Means I need a quiet place where I can

keep the girls locked up.

Keep them hopped up on Mexican dope.

Watch your jacket, it's filthy here.

But this cop comes out of nowhere

like an early frost.

(WOMEN GROANING)

And now my whole crop of c*nt

is ruined.

Mr. Cohen, I swear to God...

You're talking to God, Mitch,

so you might as well swear to me.

I swear, if it hadn't been for that cop,

this would have never happened.

You think I'm sore about that cop?

Hell no.

He's a square Joe, the guy.

Rescues a damsel in distress.

Goddamn hero is what he is.

They should put a medal on him.

We're gonna have to find a whole

new place. Start over again.

It's like they say:

"All good things must one day be burnt

to the ground for the insurance money."

(MEN CHUCKLING)

Mr. Cohen, thank you so much.

I swear it won't ever happen again.

I know it won't, kid.

RACINE:

Whoa. Karl, what are you doing?

MOLINARI:

Let us out of here!

(ALL SCREAMING)

PETE:

Hey!

Hey, Jerry. Want a shine?

JERRY:

Hey, Pete, you want a shiner? Go to bed.

PETE:

Come on, I'm a working man just like you.

How many times I gotta tell you?

When it gets dark, go home.

I'd love to, but I gotta make just

one more buck before I can get out of here.

- If I give you a dollar, will you go home?

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Will Beall

Will Beall is an American screenwriter and former Los Angeles Police Department detective. He is best known for writing the script for the 2013 film Gangster Squad and developing the TV series Training Day. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Gangster Squad" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/gangster_squad_8782>.

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