Hollywoodland

Now how the hell

should I know?

You said

he was distraught.

I didn't say

I knew why.

I mean, you don't look

too happy, either.

Will you excuse me?

That's the fiance of the

deceased. Miss Leonore Lemmon.

The one on the end is a

houseguest. Robert Condon.

The other two are friends,

Carol Van Ronkel and Bill Bliss.

Bliss found the body.

What time the party start?

Just after midnight.

He woke up, came downstairs,

said good night

and went back to bed.

The coroner's ruling it

indicated suicide.

Patterson.

Yeah.

The fiance said

he was depressed.

Also predicted

he would do it.

He went upstairs, she told her

pals he was going to shoot himself.

So, why didn't she

stop him?

Maybe she believed

what she saw on TV.

On TV?

What, him?

Faster than

a speeding bullet.

Hmm.

Oh, hi.

I have new information.

Good.

I went to the office

on Rossmore.

The office is occupied

by an orthodontist.

You can imagine

my consternation.

We're setting up

in a better location.

It's right off Wilshire,

adding an operative.

But delays, phone lines.

So, the time being...

We have reason to believe that my

wife continues to engage in illicit

carnal relations.

I'm gonna

take care of the mail.

Good.

Mr. Sinclair.

We did check into that and there

was nothing we came up with.

Yes, well, in that regard,

I blame myself.

How's that?

My wife became aware of

a change in my demeanor

and curtailed her activities

accordingly.

She still at

Western Costume?

I drop her off there

every morning.

What transpires

after that...

All right, the fee is...

50 a day.

Three-day minimum,

in advance.

We'll do everything we can.

It's not right,

you know.

His money.

He's nuts.

Don't give me grief, okay? Nobody

said you had to stay in Van Nuys.

You're the one

that wanted a backyard.

What did I say?

Disneyland.

He like it?

Russ took him on a canoe,

the Indian Village.

Seemed to go all right.

Russ... Russell.

Rusty...

Am I supposed to

ask your permission?

I just want to make sure

his intentions are honorable.

Keeping busy?

Yeah. May be

something big.

You don't believe me?

Oh, I always believed you.

Every time.

Where's Evan?

What's going on?

That actor who shot himself,

the one who plays Superman.

What about him?

It's made him

very upset.

He told you that?

Every kid on the block

is upset.

Scout. Come on. Your old

pops is taking you to school.

What's on your mind,

Scout?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Nothing.

You know,

things you see on TV,

you know, someone's

a cowboy or a spaceman,

it's just pretend, right?

I know.

You remember

we talked about that?

I remember.

Okay.

Hey, what's this?

I don't know.

Well, why don't you

find out?

Do you like that?

Kind of.

All right, come on,

turn the knobs.

...2:
00 in the morning, I'm thinking,

maybe I ain't the best PI in California,

but if I catch

a one-eyed Negro Jew

sneaking into a house in Beverly

Hills, it's time to pack it in.

Davis is

a very talented performer.

What'd Rick do?

What's the matter, Ace? Alpha Beta

not hiring any more parking lot guards?

Not with you moonlighting,

Chuck.

Study this gentleman.

Observe him closely.

The haircut, the getup.

Nobody told him the world

don't need two Ralph Meekers.

Listen to him, kid.

And don't start smoking,

either. Filthy habit.

This isn't

show business, pal.

It's just a job.

You punch in every day.

Let's get out of here.

I'm still eating,

Chuck.

Come on.

Sweetheart, check please.

Hey, Del.

Rick working you hard?

Payroll scam at Warners.

Well, that's

real detective work.

I'm a real detective.

Anything you guys

throwing away?

Jesus, Lou...

Look, I'm asking.

The sh*t you won't touch,

come on.

You will?

If it puts me in a Fleetwood

bigger than Ricky Harris', yeah.

He drives a Lincoln.

Come on, Del,

feed me something.

Why should I?

'Cause you owe me, partner.

What?

What, the guy who used to play

Superman? He shot himself, what?

Someone thinks

he didn't.

Oh, yeah? Who?

His mother.

How do you know

what she thinks?

She tried to hire us

this morning.

What does she have

the cops don't?

Look, you like a headline,

there's a headline.

What did Rick say?

Maybe you forgot, we're paid to

keep things out of the newspaper.

Helen Bessolo.

She's in from Illinois.

At the Ambassador. And you

don't work for Rick Harris.

What?

When you pitch her,

you're not an associate,

you're not a stringer.

Who said I'm pitching her?

I'm done eating.

Oh, I forgot.

Have one.

Guess who's a daddy?

It's a boy.

Mrs. Bessolo?

I'm Louis Simo.

I called.

Our children, yes.

They'll always be our babies.

You work for Mr. Harris?

I was an operative at the

agency. I branched out on my own.

May I?

Now, there are

certain situations

the agency

is not prepared to handle.

They come to me.

A house full of strangers.

How's that?

The ones there,

that night.

Van Ronkel, Bliss.

And that woman.

This is Lenore?

The fiance?

Leonore.

How could you trust

anything they say?

Did he give

any indication to you?

About what?

Being, you know, despondent?

Why would he be?

When was, if I may, the last

time you spoke with your son?

Do you know

a Herbert Spirakis?

No.

He's also an investigator

here. Very professional.

He says I have a case.

Mrs. Bessolo, I'm gonna

level with you, all right?

LAPD, Los Angeles Police Department,

they don't like to be shown up.

Okay, they've already

closed the door on your son.

It's a suicide. End of story.

You want that door open again?

You want to make the cops

and the DA pay attention?

You need a headline this big,

only with the truth.

So that everybody knows. Okay?

You got to shove it in their faces.

Did Herbert Spirakis

tell you that?

I have to pay by check.

Five minutes.

I didn't let you in.

Hey. The 20?

Right.

Sorry.

Say, you know who people wanted

to see? Lana Turner's guy...

Stompanato.

No kidding.

I tell you,

that kid of hers,

the knife was practically

sticking out of his ass.

Think about how hard...

What are these?

Huh?

These marks?

What'd he do, beat himself

up before he shot himself?

I don't know.

Don't do that. Hey.

I didn't say

you could touch anything.

Don't worry about it.

Put it down,

the coroner's gonna be back.

You hear?

Okay, that's it, you gotta go.

So, pal, who's T.M.?

Come on, what do you say?

You help me, I'll help you.

George. George.

Yes?

Don't order any more drinks,

I can't afford it.

We couldn't afford the cover,

Nati. Drinks are just gravy. Hello.

Billy Wilder.

Hire me, please.

We're two steps from the men's room.

Anyone sees us, they'll think we're queer.

You do look fetching tonight.

Okay. I'm leaving.

No, you're not.

You're gonna stay right here and wait

for the casting guy from Fox, right there.

You and I are going to practice

the fine art of being noticed

without looking like you're

trying. Fred Zinnemann.

Who?

He's a director. Pictures.

He hires people.

George, no one's going

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