The Lineup

Synopsis: In San Francisco, two police inspectors are on the case when a rogue taxi driver, with the help of a rogue porter, manages to steal the suitcase of an antiques collector before running down a cop, whose dying gesture is to shoot the cabbie dead. The inspectors discover that a statuette in the suitcase contains heroin. Meanwhile, a psychopathic gangster, his malignant mentor and their dipsomaniac driver have the job of picking up the other heroin shipments, hidden in the luggage of unsuspecting travelers. All goes well until they attempt to retrieve the heroin stuffed in a Japanese doll. A little girl and her lovely young mother have the doll, but when the crooks take possession of it, they find that the heroin has mysteriously vanished.
Director(s): Don Siegel
Production: Columbia Pictures
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Rotten Tomatoes:
83%
APPROVED
Year:
1958
86 min
211 Views


Look out!

Are you nuts or something?

What's the matter with you?

Can't you see this truck?

Come back here!

Makes no sense.

No sense at all, Ben.

I mean, that cabby Ran him down -

Just like that.

Moore had time to get one shot off.

Moore?

Don Moore.

Did you notify the chaplain,

Chief's officer?

Yes, sir.

D.A.?

Yes, sir.

Let's look at that cab.

Apparently The cabdriver panicked

After he rammed that rig.

Maybe.

It still isn't much of a reason

for Moore to be dead.

I want lots of coverage on this, dave.

That gun certainly knocks out

the panic theory.

Possibly used that gun on Moore

If the cab hadn't been a handier weapon.

Sure looks that way, Ben.

Why?

Fred!

That's too bad about Moore.

We heard most of it While we were rolling.

Anything to add?

Well, nothing from the truck driver.

The other witness is Philip Dressler...

with the San Francisco Opera company.

Just got in on the ansonia.

Dressler says a porter

at pier 41 took his bag,

Threw it in this cab,

Porter disappeared,

and the cab dug out fast.

Witnesses corroborated The story.

That Dressler's bag?

Yeah.

We'll book it for evidence.

Run it through the lab for prints.

This Dressler seems pretty reputable.

You don't think his bag

means anything, do you?

I don't know what to think.

The whole case doesn't add up.

What about this cabdriver,

Fred?

You make him?

No. No I.D., wallet,

nothing.

Call the cab company

and get a rundown on the cab.

It's possibly hot.

and run that gun, too.

When the coroner arrives,

Tell him we want a set of his prints

As soon as we can get them.

Run them through the bureau.

Can't identify them,

We'll get an FBI make on them.

I see this cab coming at me

like suicide's back in style.

Are you Mr. Dressler?

Yes, that's right.

I'm Lieutenant Guthrie.

This is Inspector Quine.

How do you do, gentlemen?

It's unfortunate We have to meet

Under these awful circumstances.

We meet a lot of people under

unpleasant circumstances,

Mr. Dressler.

I understand that that bag

in that cab belongs to you.

That's correct, sir.

Mind describing the contents for us?

Not at all.

There's nothing of value in the bag -

Some personal things

and a few knickknacks

I picked up in hong kong.

What kind of knickknacks?

Oh, a few ebony pieces

and a rather unusual statuette.

I - I think that's about it.

Is the statuette very valuable?

You mean valuable enough

to have this happen?

We're looking for some kind of motive.

I - I only paid $20 for it.

Now, you told Inspector Asher

this porter took your bag,

Threw it in a taxicab,

and the cab took off

without waiting for you.

That's absolutely right,

Sir.

You know, stealing a bag

that's worth nothing, it -

Well, it seems...

Pretty senseless, doesn't it?

It would be,

except two people are dead.

Would you recognize this porter

if you saw him again?

Possibly, possibly not.

I'd - I'd be glad to try,

though.

We'd appreciate it,

Mr. Dressler.

What is your address?

3960 lake street.

Phone?

Seabright 10711.

We might be calling on you.

Well, I'll be at the opera house

most of the afternoon.

All right, Mr. Dressler.

That'll be all for now,

Thanks.

What about my bag?

We'll have to hold it for a while.

The crime lab will want to go over it...

for fingerprints and so on.

Yes, of course.

Well, good day, gentlemen.

Good day.

Why, ben?

No rhyme, no reason.

Yet Don Moore is dead.

Unh-unh.

The gun's as dead as your cabdriver, fellas.

I'm sorry.

We can usually bring

the serial number right out

No matter how well it's been filed down.

But in this case,

It's been completely Gouged out -

Probably by a gunsmith.

Somebody sure wanted to

guarantee it couldn't be traced.

Oh, it's a pro's gun,

All right.

Lab, Thompson speaking.

Yeah, yeah.

He's right here.

Ben.

Guthrie.

Oh, you did fine.

Who?

What does his rap sheet show?

Well, try and confirm His last address...

and let us know, will you?

All right, thanks.

The B.F.I. Made the cabdriver.

Coroner got the prints Right over there.

His name is James Sanford Jenkins -

Nickname Leftie.

What are his priors?

Well, his rap sheet shows

his last big fall was at 'q' -

Did five years on a 211 robbery -

Drove the getaway car

on a sausalito bank job.

Supposed to be one of the best wheelmen...

in the coast.

Maybe we're getting somewhere.

Norm, did you get any prints

off Dressler's bag?

Yeah, we lifted a good, clear set,

But they don't match up

with anything we have here.

Well, maybe they will later

when we get the FBI make.

Hey, now!

She shows up hollow Under the lights,

But there's something inside.

I'm sure it's heroin.

Give it the Marquis Reagent test.

All right.

If that's the pure stuff,

There's enough in there to fix

every addict in San Francisco...

for the next two weeks.

After it's cut,

it'll be worth $100,000.

What was it Dressler said -

just a few knickknacks?

We'll get him in here fast.

No, al,

we'll go and talk to him...

at the opera house.

Oh, well,

How will we handle it?

We'll soft-pedal it.

We won't tip.

Thompson, I want a dummy package

of milk sugar...

in that same wrapping.

Put the statuette together

exactly the way it was.

The plan is we let Dressler

make the delivery

If he's guilty.

Well, obviously, this is a big

narcotics-smuggling operation.

There's more Than one man responsible...

for Don Moore's death.

But I wanna get them all.

Where can we find Mr. Dressler, please?

In his office down the corridor there -

Second door to your right.

Thank you!

Okay.

There was sure a slew of stuff

in here to mark and photograph.

We might need a record of it for evidence.

Yeah, but suppose

Dressler spots our marks...

on these items?

That'll throw the whole plan

out the window, won't it?

I don't think so.

If our friend Dressler

Can spot police Identification marks,

at least we'll know one thing.

What's that?

He's guilty.

Yes?

Oh, I didn't expect to see you so soon.

I see you brought my bag.

Thank you very much.

Yes, we want to talk to you

about the porter that took it.

Do you think You could identify him?

I don't know. Possibly.

We'd appreciate if you'd come

down to the hall of justice

Tomorrow morning at 9:00 and

take a look at the porters

Who work the ansonia dock in the lineup.

You might be able to recognize

the man who took the bag...

and threw it in the cab.

Yes, I'd be glad to.

Oh, there's one thing more,

Mr. Dressler.

We'll have to check the contents

of the bag with you.

We'd like to be sure nothing's

missing before we release it.

Well, of course, of course.

Oh, do you mind?

I think over on the table,

We'll have a little more room.

You know,

I still don't know why anyone

Would want to steal this bag.

Hmm.

Let's see.

Yes, everything Seems to be here, all right.

Here's an interesting item.

Yes, I found that

in a curio shop in hong kong.

Beautiful carving, isn't it?

You know, it's amazing the buys

you can still find.

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Stirling Silliphant

Stirling Dale Silliphant (January 16, 1918 – April 26, 1996) was an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his screenplay for In the Heat of the Night, for which he won an Academy Award in 1967, and for creating the television series Naked City and Route 66. Other features as screenwriter include the Irwin Allen productions The Towering Inferno and The Poseidon Adventure. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Lineup" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_lineup_20702>.

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