The Sugarland Express Page #3

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but he's a good boy.

We can't count on him

to act in his own best interest.

So, in the event of a face-off,

I want you to keep your shirts on.

(woman)... are armed.

Do not attempt to act with force.

I see lights. A whole bunch!

Put that shotgun on this officer here

so's he knows where you're at.

(Slide) That's my captain.

Don't shoot! That's Captain Tanner. You'll

get us killed. I'll put you on the radio.

(Lou Jean) Tell him to get out of here.

We never hurt nobody.

2311 to 2590.

Go ahead, 2311.

We got a 10-32 in here.

Says drop off or he'll shoot.

They hurt you any, Maxwell?

I'm sorry about this, Captain.

I had no idea they were 96s.

What you talkin', 32, 96?

You tryin' to code me out?

No, sir. It is a verbal shorthand.

10-32 is a man with a gun.

10-96 is your mental subject.

- How do you work this?

- To talk, press the button.

We ain't no mental subjects!

I've done some dumb things,

but I ain't a goddamn mental subject!

What's your name, son?

My name's Clovis Poplin,

and this here's my old lady, Lou Jean.

What are you doin'

with our man in there?

He's just takin' us to Sugarland

to get my boy Langston.

You sure got a strange notion

on how to hitchhike.

Y'all stay back, no need to worry.

Now get your cars back.

Quit followin' us!

I've got a job to do.

I can't have old boys

commandeerin' my patrol cars.

What would the taxpayers say?

Get on back

or I'll shoot him in the head!

Take it easy

and think about what you're doin'.

No one's gonna get hurt.

Do you hear me?

We'll get you out of this, Maxwell.

We've got a bad hombre here.

We're gonna have to lift that roadblock.

Houston, let 'em all know to back off

and let that boy through.

Here they come.

Get that car out of the hole!

Hit it, boys! Hit it!

I couldn't see a damn thing!

We'd better phone it in.

Here, Doggie.

Doggie want more?

Be sick.

I'll be sick.

Baby? Baby Langston?

- Let's go inside and play.

- Mommy! Mommy!

- Please, baby. Mommy'll get you.

- Mommy! (crying)

(engine stalls)

- You're lyin'!

- I'm awful sorry, sir.

- You had the whole thing planned.

- No, sir. I sure as hell never.

Don't tell me you didn't!

I can see you had it planned!

- You're wrong.

- Don't say you didn't!

- You get us goin'!

- Ma'am, we're out of gas.

There's no fillin' station

anywhere nears here.

Now, why don't you surrender yourselves

and this thing'll end peaceable.

(echoes) Captain Tanner? This is...

You're on the outside speaker.

Captain Tanner, this is Clovis Poplin

speakin'. I wanna talk to you.

(bell rings)

(# "You're Letting Me Go")

- Oh, they give Gold Stamps. I want some.

- Lou Jean, you don't need no stamps.

- Fill 'er up?

- Ethyl.

That oil needs checkin'.

- Honey? Honey?

- What?

If you wanna run do somethin',

now'll be the time.

No, not me.

I know you. Run and do what you have to.

I don't have anything to do!

Shall we go, if you please?

All right.

How are y'all today?

You want me to check that oil?

Oil's OK.

(Lou Jean whispers)

Tell him I want Gold Stamps.

(Clovis) He's comin'. Be quiet.

That'll be $7.90, please, sir.

What in the world

is going on around here?

- I'm sorry, we can't accept these here.

- Better talk to the captain.

Captain who? The captain?

Wait! Come back here!

Hold it!

Hold it, hold it!

Hold on just a minute!

This ain't no contract station.

We can't accept your Green Card.

- Talk to the captain.

- You the captain?

We can't accept

them credit cards here.

Hey, are you the captain? And if you ain't,

would you please tell me where he is?

- Your name, sir.

- Oh, uh...

Fred Mengers. Fred Mengers.

I own this station right here.

Do you know you just served gas

to an escaped felon?

- Oh, you mean in that police car?

- Yes, sir.

I sure did, yes, sir.

I'm from right here in Killdeer,

and I seen the whole thing happen.

(tires squeal)

- There.

- (news) The fugitives have been identified

as Clovis Michael Poplin,

25, a convict from Crowley,

and Lou Jean Sparrow Poplin, 25,

an unemployed beautician from Sayers.

The patrolman's name

has not been released

pending notification of next of kin.

The hijackers stated

to Captain Harlin Tanner

that their purpose was to protest

the action of the Child Welfare Board

which last week refused to return custody

of their son to Mrs. Poplin,

who has a criminal record.

The boy has been living

with foster parents in Sugarland.

The KKOK mobile command unit

is on its way for a live report.

This has been a KKOK news KO.

(commercial) This is the big country.

It's great country.

But sometimes it can get

mighty hot and dry.

Out here, men grow

the mightiest thirsts on earth,

and it takes a lot to cut it.

That's why Lone Star

is one of the world's finest...

What they're saying is I'm an unfit mother.

- You broke out of pre-release?

- Shut up and mind your own business!

You broke your husband

out of pre-release?

You're assuming a lot for a man your size.

"Unemployed beautician"?

You been takin' money from Donny Hyatt?

- No, I quit.

- You got $65. You ain't never seen work.

- What you been doin'? Runnin' around?

- I have not!

- You're lyin'.

- I am not!

- Don't lie to me!

- Don't call me no liar!

Donny Hyatt and Bill Fails ain't

runnin' around. They's just beerin'.

Suspicions of marital infidelity

are often groundless,

but the ensuin' disputes are destructive.

- What do you know?

- Yeah, why'd you have to come along?

- This whole thing's your fault.

- It's your fault!

If you were half as good-lookin' as Donny

I still wouldn't quit no job for you.

- Not after this mess you got me in.

- I've been trained to stop marital disputes.

- We don't just chase speeders all day.

- Mind your own goddamn business.

What you wanna hang around

Donny and Bill for? They're idiots.

They'll call you promiscuous and unfit.

In the three years we've been married,

I haven't even had the urge.

And I am not promiscuous

and I am not unfit, neither!

Pull over. I wanna talk to that man.

Well, I'll be doggoned.

(radio) A spokesman for

the highway patrol in neighboring Texas

admitted earlier this afternoon

that their roadblock has been licked.

Your bayou- country newshounds found

that the hijackers, a man and his wife...

Admire it while you got it. Cos next time

around it's propane and super-slow.

(radio)... especially equipped

to give officers a run for their money.

Texas patrol vehicles, like ours

in Louisiana, boast high-performance...

Hey, Pete, these things ready to roll?

They're ready when you are.

Say, you been followin' the fun?

Texas highway patrols

got their hijacker on the radio.

- The hell you say.

- It's no lie!

- I believe they'll talk him out of it.

- Where'd they be about this time?

Outside of Killdeer, Texas, goin' west.

- What say we just poke on up there?

- That's over three hours away.

Just about the break-in period.

"Has 3-D animal pets.

Featherweight, plastic."

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