Prince of the City

Synopsis: New York City cop Daniel Ciello is involved in some questionable police practices. He is approached by internal affairs and in exchange for him potentially being let off the hook, he is instructed to begin to expose the inner workings of police corruption. Danny agrees as long as he does not have to turn in his partners but he soon learns that he cannot trust anyone and he must decide whose side he is on and who is on his.
Genre: Crime, Drama
Director(s): Sidney Lumet
Production: Warner Home Video
  Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
91%
R
Year:
1981
167 min
587 Views


What? What is it?

The door.

There's nobody there, Danny.

Go on back to sleep.

It's okay.

There's nobody there.

Oh, Christ.

Across the street. The phone booth.

It's going down at 3.

- Don't forget me, baby face.

- Could I forget the King?

- Yeah.

- Three o'clock.

Excuse me, Alan.

- Is Gus Levy there?

- Yeah, Dom.

Three o 'clock.

Three o 'clock.

Goddamn door,

you never get used to it.

- Want me to get the door?

- No, no. I'm all right.

Hey, Gio, your cigar stand sucks,

you know that?

Here you go, kid.

All right, all right. Mother's milk.

The best is none too good.

Sing it to me, baby.

- Let me give you a hand.

- Hands off. That's more money...

...than you can spend in a lifetime.

- Touchy, touchy.

We're going back to Bogot.

Come on, arriba, arriba.

You're starting to stink up the place.

Watch your step out there, now.

They just mopped the floor.

A star-studded night.

- Good evening, gentlemen.

- Evening, Your Honor.

Detective Daniel Ciello,

Special Investigating Unit, Narcotics.

Detective Gino Mascone, Special

Investigating Unit, Narcotics Division.

- You don't mind, do you, sergeant?

- No, Your Honor, not at all.

Counselors.

Ladies, will you excuse us?

Either of you gentlemen in a hurry?

Detective Mascone?

After you, Detective Ciello.

Well, thank you, Detective Mascone.

Your Honor... Maria, you wanna

stand up there, please?

Thank you.

Your Honor, this young lady

has nothing on under her fur coat.

The court wouldn't want

her to catch cold.

Certainly not, Detective Ciello.

It could be grounds for an appeal.

Step forward, please.

So I say, "Lieutenant, my team is

photographing the outside of the place.

Plus we got two bugs

inside the place.

Will you for chrissake tell your men

to put back the f***ing TV sets...

...from where they stole them?"

All right, all right, you pricks.

Next time we go first.

One of the ho's bit the clerk.

We were there for two f***ing hours.

Come in, detective.

Sorry I kept you waiting.

I'm new. I never know how long

interviews will take.

- It's okay, I got a light day.

- Good.

For the record, I'm District Attorney

Cappalino. Special assistant prosecutor...

...investigating police corruption.

- I know all about it.

- Chase Commission.

- I hope you're impressed.

Sure, I'm a cop.

Detective, you personally are under

no suspicion, no investigation here.

Why am I here?

I have to start somewhere,

so I'm starting at the top.

Why narcotics, counselor?

Willie Sutton said it. "That's where

the money is. " Sit down, detective.

Well, you know, I'd like to help.

I just don't know how.

- Sorry, you all right?

- Yeah, I'm all right.

Sorry, just bear with me, detective...

If anybody knows anything,

SIU should.

You guys have

city-wide jurisdiction, right?

Choose your own targets,

enforce the law or not as you see fit.

What was it Judge Bernstein called you?

"Princes of the City."

Sure, we walk on water.

You work virtually unsupervised.

Well, we're judged on results,

counselor.

Some of which are spectacular. One of

the reasons I'm interviewing you...

...is your own extraordinary career.

You're the leader of your unit.

Yet you...

Excuse me. Seven years younger

than the next youngest man.

- You know there's been talk, detective.

- About me, sir?

No, about the Special

Investigating Unit, SIU.

Well, Mr. Cappalino,

there's also talk about feds.

I would like to hear about that.

But for now, let's talk about cops.

Oh, sure. You guys spy on cops

all the time.

I mean, you go for cops

because cops are easy.

That's right.

And I can't tell you how sorry I am

that cops are easy.

You know, my whole career,

I've never seen anything but good cops.

In SIU, I see great cops.

Great detectives.

If a guy took as a cop,

he'll take as a detective.

If a guy took as a DA,

he'll take as a judge.

Okay, thanks for coming in, detective.

Oh, I will be in touch.

Or if you should want to call me,

office and home.

By the way, if you do

have something, anything...

...it wouldn't have to go through

the Chase Commission.

There are lots of other

investigative branches.

Looking for something besides cops?

I'd love to hear it.

Did you read the report?

Ten times as many cops

got themselves bit in 1966...

...as got themselves bit in 1964.

Hey, Gino, do they say

where they got themselves bit?

- Who else could live with this?

- Who needs a drink?

Hey, Ernie.

I've got Ronnie upstairs.

Watch what your sister

puts in her mouth, hear?

Why ask?

I'm reading the new Vonnegut.

- Who?

- Vonnegut, you guys ought to try it.

- Who?

- I wanna get out of here.

Your father and Ernie

have got Ronnie upstairs.

I read that report, Gino. Thanks, Bill.

One of the worst hazards

of the profession, biters.

Yeah, but you got to see

where my horse was bit.

I found him in the road.

He wouldn't tell me who done it.

All right, thanks Ernie.

Go back downstairs, Pop.

- His cheek is cut bad.

- I said I'd take care of it.

- He's your brother.

- Sure you'll take care of it.

Like you always take care of it, right?

If you took care of it...

...think I'd be coming here

like some f***ed-over piece of meat?

What is it, huh?

You got a problem, Ronnie?

You got a new problem? Why don't

you tell me about your problem, Ronnie?

- I mean, I've done everything I can.

- You don't do nothing. Nothing!

Sh*t, I come here,

you got this house.

You got a car,

your wife's got a car. You know?

- Got a problem? Tell me the problem.

- You're always wearing the best clothes!

You smell like I don't know what.

And all your friends down there...

...they're in the same shape!

- Hey, we earn what we got.

I look at those cops. What are you

telling me? You guys are civil servants?

Is that what you're telling me?

You guys are doing more sh*t than me

or any of the people I know would!

Listen to this. We earn what we got.

Why don't you search my house, huh?

- Search my house. Like the other times.

- Always coming on like you're special...

...because you got a badge

to go with your gun!

Know the difference between you and

a guy putting a stocking over his head?

You got a badge!

You're the same f***ing crook.

The same f***ing crook.

And your father don't see it, but I see it.

And in his heart, your father sees it.

If you want to help me,

you can help me!

All of you have the right time

on your gold Rolexes?

- I'm sorry, Pop, I...

- I know you can't. I know that.

But what he says about everything.

Your brother's right, Danny.

He ain't blind.

And neither am I.

I thought you got him

into a methadone program?

I got him in two methadone programs.

I swear to God, Joe.

The day I give him junk is the day

I take my gun and I shoot us both.

Danny, come on.

All right, everybody.

A little vino for the digestion, huh?

I kind of enjoy it when Nancy

takes the kids to her folks.

I get to go in the kitchen,

and I do it my way, you know?

How...? How do you like your steak?

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Jay Presson Allen

Jay Presson Allen (March 3, 1922 – May 1, 2006) was an American screenwriter, playwright, stage director, television producer and novelist. Known for her withering wit and sometimes-off-color wisecracks, she was one of the few women making a living as a screenwriter at a time when women were a rarity in the profession. "You write to please yourself," she said, "The only office where there's no superior is the office of the scribe." more…

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