Return to the Alamo
On
the graveyard shift one lengthy night, Chief Clifford and much of the staff are
out with the flu, the American Brotherhood Movement is blowing up buildings,
Chris Coughlin is writing a story with a feminist angle on the NYPD, a robbery
suspect’s brother (an addict) tries to break him out (and both are sons of an
Albany bigwig) by kidnapping the Acting Watch Commander (Sgt. Broadhurst),
McCloud pulls in New York’s top drug dealers in a citywide search for a junkie
whose addicted newborn infant needs urgent treatment, and Sgt. Phyllis Norton
is the Acting Deputy Watch Commander in charge.
Big Move on Albany
The tour de force script is a spécialité
de la maison. As
Foreman, Brad Dexter’s resemblance to Edward Arnold advances with great
rapidity the allusion to Meet John Doe. An unspecified “move on Albany”
is menaced by his sons’ peccadillo, and his payoffs from the New York dealers
for advance knowledge of raids are revealed, at least to the audience.
In
all fairness to Sgt. Broadhurst, it must be said that Chief Clifford himself
was kidnapped once (in “Who Says You Can’t Make Friends in New York City?”).
This is Sgt. Broadhurst’s second stint in command. The earlier fiasco (“This
Must Be the Alamo”) is briefly discussed in terms of “a shambles”, but McCloud
defends him, and Chief Clifford allows later on that “Joe Broadhurst is a good man.”
Sgt.
Phyllis Norton’s commonsensicality, and a word of wisdom from Chief Clifford’s
secretary Gladys (Jeanne Cooper), come to her rescue in the crisis, even though
Sgt. Norton’s regular duties consist of filework (she confuses IBM and ABM) and
supplying coffee and donuts. It’s at Chris Coughlin’s insistence that she’s
made Acting Deputy Watch Commander, and Coughlin is still disappointed.
The
American Brotherhood Movement is said to have “an unstated cause,” but the
bomber who strikes headquarters (in the uniform of a Hudson Power Company
employee) is merely vexed over traffic tickets.
As
in the previous Broadhurst epic, headquarters is invaded, but not this time by
an armed band. Foreman’s aide-de-camp Parkes (Larry Storch) and son
Marty (Robert Weaver), a heroin addict whose habit led his brother Hoyt (Mark
Wheeler) to join him in an armed robbery of a liquor store ironically owned by
one of their father’s holding companies—Parkes and Marty bring handcuffed Sgt,
Broadhurst back to headquarters to secure Hoyt’s release, but find the building
empty because of the bomber’s note eked out by further information from his
girlfriend, Samantha Johnson.
The
actress playing this part is presumably Marjorie Battles (billed as “Lady”), certainly
not Stefanie Powers, who played a weathergirl of the same name in “Butch
Cassidy Rides Again”.
Doniger’s
direction is rigorous, skillful and faultless.
|
Larry Storch Parkes |
Written by Glen A. Larson Directed by Walter Doniger |
40519, 3.30.75
The actress playing the junkie mother is unbilled.
(Chris Coughlin is at police headquarters to see the Chief.)
GLADYS: I thought you played for the other side.
CHRIS
COUGHLIN: Other side?
GLADYS: Yeah,
well, there are two teams around here, Clifford and McCloud.
(Chris Coughlin sits in on the staff meeting.)
CHRIS COUGHLIN: There don’t seem to be any women in places of
responsibility.
CHIEF
CLIFFORD: Women?
CHRIS
COUGHLIN: Women. You have heard of women.
(McCloud finds Chris Coughlin in Chief Clifford’s office.)
McCLOUD: Hey, Chris! I haven’t seen you since last night. (They kiss.
Noises off.)
McCLOUD:
(To Det. Grover and Sgt. Broadhurst, standing in the back of the room.) I’m not disturbin’ you, am I?
DET.
GROVER: I don’t feel a thing. How about you, Joe?
SGT.
BROADHURST: Not a tingle.
(Sgt. Broadhurst is the Acting Watch Commander.)
SGT. BROADHURST: I’m in charge? How did that happen?
(Two patrolmen come in with the bombers’ latest note. Chief
Clifford is out with the flu, Sgt. Broadhust is “all tied up”, who’s the Acting Deputy Watch Commander?)
GLADYS: Sergeant Norton.
PATROLMAN: Where is
he? (Gladys points in her direction.)
GLADYS: Don’t
look at me, I’m a born follower.
PATROLMAN:
(Sgt. Norton is immersed in paperwork.) Sergeant? Sergeant? Sergeant?
SGT.
PHYLLIS NORTON: (Not looking up.) We’re out of donuts.
GLADYS: Why does everyone forget how to function the minute
they’re made an executive?
DET. POLK: (The bombers’ note.) It doesn’t
take a student of Kipling to know what they mean by “the dawn comes up like
thunder.”
SGT. PHYLLIS NORTON: (To Dets. Grover and Polk.) You guys
think Joe was taken hostage right here out of police headquarters?
MR. FOREMAN: (On the telephone to Marty Foreman.) If one of
you clowns gets in trouble while we’re trying to move on Albany, they’ll spread
it all over the papers.
MARTY FOREMAN: (On the telephone to his father.) You
always want the bottom line! There’s never anything in between!
(Pressuring the pushers.)
WILLIAM LANG: (To McCloud.) You’re kidding. You’re gonna make a
fuss over a coupla joints? Oh, c’mon, fella. What is it? You want me to cooperate? I’ll cooperate!
But don’t try to embarrass me.
WILLIE DEE: (At police headquarters, on the telephone to
one of his pushers.) You do like I tell you or you’re gonna find yourself back
in the ballpark hustling fudge bars!
MR. FOREMAN: (He has received a call from Dolan, who is
at police headquarters.) You called me at home about some
trick?
DOLAN: You stop
right there, big stuff. Now, you are supposed to tell us when somethin’ big’s about to go down.
That’s why we give you the big bucks, to spread around your friends in Albany.
(The bomber isn’t with the American Brotherhood Movement, he’s incensed over parking violations.)
SGT. PHYLLIS NORTON: (On the telephone.) Parking violations aren’t
exactly the kind of thing you go on a crusade over, Miss...
SAMANTHA
JOHNSON: Johnson. Samantha Johnson. But you gotta know what kinda guy
John is. He’s very—well, explosive. He does pretty wild things. It took me a
really long time to get him—calmed down.
(The infant “born addict” is brought to Bellevue in time.)
CHRIS COUGHLIN: Your job can be very rewarding, Sam. I can see why you’re
so dedicated.
McCLOUD: Yeah, it’s,
uh (Laughs.), kind o’ nice when ya win one.
(Chief Clifford, sick with flu, half-awakens agitatedly
during this eventful night.)
CHIEF CLIFFORD: Unnnnh... I’ll fix your wagon, McCl—
MRS.
CLIFFORD: Are you all right? You’re feverish. You’ve just had a bad
dream.
CHIEF
CLIFFORD: (Groggily.) Nightmare... delirious...
(Because of the bomb threat, HQ is evacuated.)
SGT. PHYLLIS NORTON: Well, it was nice being in command of headquarters while
it lasted. Headquarters, I mean.
(Marty Foreman and Parkes bring Sgt. Broadhurst back to HQ
in order to force Hoyt’s release, but the building has now been evacuated.)
MARTY FOREMAN: Hey man, what’s goin’ on here? It’s like a plague wiped
everybody out!
(McCloud, looking for stragglers, stumbles on Parkes, Marty
and Sgt. Broadhurst.)
McCLOUD: Joe, we gotta get outta here! There’s a bomb in the building!
It could be on this floor!
SGT.
BROADHURST: I’m tryin’!
(Mrs. Clifford has screened calls all night.)
MRS. CLIFFORD: Pete, you really should stay in bed. You’re a sick man.
You’ll have a relapse.
CHIEF
CLIFFORD: Don’t worry. Not gonna put in a full day. Just gonna go by and
see how—see how Joe is doing. Let him know I’m available in an emergency. You
know, frankly, I’m surprised I haven’t heard from anyone.
MRS.
CLIFFORD: (Hoping for the best.) Yes, dear.
(Chief Clifford returns to work.)
CHIEF CLIFFORD: You really didn’t have to come downtown with me. I
promised I wouldn’t stay.
MRS.
CLIFFORD: (As they exit the headquarters elevator.) My place
is with you, dear. (Fearing the worst.) Through
thick and thin.
CHIEF
CLIFFORD: It’s funny, just being here, I feel better already.
(Firemen pass them in the corridor. Chief Clifford enters the
bomb-wrecked Squad Room.)