Walter, honey.
Time to wake up.
Just 10 more minutes.
Oh, I'm sorry, sport. You can sleep in tomorrow.
That's what Saturdays are for.
Up against the wall.
Come, come, come.
All right.
Got it. Got it. Look, look!
All right, sit down.
Your breakfast is getting cold.
It's cereal.
It's supposed to be cold.
Sweetheart, we're here.
Okay.
Here's your books.
Go ahead.
Yes, ma'am. If you hold just a moment, I'll get a supervisor for you.
Yes, she's coming right now.
Just a second, she'll be with you.
Just one second, please. You deal with this one. I'm not going near it.
Hello, this is the supervisor. How can I help you?
I can see you're on a party line...
Unfortunately, some people do listen in on party lines. We...
Well, what is he doing?
Oh, my...
Everything all right?
Yes, sir, it's fine. A lady was having trouble with the connection.
Hey, sport. - Hey, Mom.
How was school?
Okay. - Yeah?
We learned about dinosaurs.
And I got in a fight with Billy Mankowski.
What happened?
He hit me.
Did you hit him back?
Good.
Rule number one, remember?
Never start a fight, always finish it.
Why'd he hit you?
Because I hit him.
You hit him first?
Why?
He said my dad ran off because he didn't like me.
Honey, your father never met you,
so how could he not like you?
Then why did he leave?
Well, because the day you were born,
something else arrived in the mail.
And it was in a box a little bit bigger than you.
You know what was in it?
Something called responsibility.
And to some people,
responsibility is the scariest thing in the world.
So, he ran away because he was scared of what was in that box?
Uh-huh.
That's just dumb.
That is exactly what I thought.
Did I miss Amos 'N Andy?
I'm afraid so, sport.
Come now, time for bed.
Are we still going to the movies tomorrow?
Uh-huh. I hear there's a new Charlie Chaplin picture
and a new serial called The Mysterious Airman.
Who's that?
I don't know. Nobody does.
That's what makes him so mysterious.
Oh.
Am I too heavy for you to carry?
Oh, no, not for years.
Not for years.
Hello? - This is Margaret.
Hi, Margaret.
So, how are you?
Fine.
Listen, Jean can't come in today and now we're a little shorthanded.
When did she call in sick?
About half hour ago.
I'm having a hard time trying to find someone.
Well, what about Myrna?
I know she could use the extra hours and...
She's busy. Can't you come?
No. No, no, no. I just...
I promised Walter that I'd take him to the movies, is all, and...
Well, it's just until 4:00.
All right.
Just... Just until 4:00.
I'll see you then.
There's a sandwich and milk in the fridge,
and I've asked Mrs. Riley and her daughter
to stop in in a couple of hours.
I can take care of myself.
I know you can. They're checking on the house, not you.
Tomorrow we will go to the movies.
And then we'll ride Big Red to Santa Monica and take a walk on the pier.
How does that sound? Does that sound good?
I'll be home before it gets dark.
I'm not afraid of the dark.
I'm not afraid of anything.
I know. I know.
Be good.
I love you.
We've got lines jammed from here to Ohio.
He says he needs to speak to somebody in charge.
I need your signature here for a supply requisition.
Number, please. - Number, please.
Go ahead, please.
All right, get me the Omaha routing station.
See if we can put our calls through their switchers.
Let's get this console running, now.
Christine. Good, I was hoping to catch you.
Look, I've been following your work reports,
and I just want to let you know that I am very impressed.
When I first suggested hiring female supervisors,
my superiors weren't big on the idea.
But you have held your own as well as any of your male counterparts.
Thank you, Mr. Harris.
Oh, Ben, please. Listen, I...
Listen, the point is,
we're looking to take on a manager for our new Beverly Hills office.
And if you're interested in the job, I could write a report, or...
That would be wonderful. Thank you so much, sir.
Okay, good, so maybe we could...
Could we speak about it Monday? - Yeah, absolutely.
Would that be all right? Thank you so much, sir. Thank you.
Please!
Please.
Walter.
Honey?
Walter.
Walter!
Honey?
Walter?
Honey!
Walter!
Walter, it's time to come in, honey.
Suzie? Have you seen Walter?
No, Mrs. Collins.
Sorry.
Walter?
Walter.
Number, please.
May I please have the police station?
I'll connect you.
Lincoln Heights Division.
Hello, my name is Christine Collins.
I live at 210 North Avenue, 23.
And I'm calling to report a missing child.
Missing child.
What's your relation to the child, ma'am?
It's my son.
How long has he been gone?
I'm not sure. I just got home from work.
It could be since this morning
or it could be just the last hour.
Have you checked around the neighborhood?
Yes, of course I did.
Well, maybe he's lost track of time.
No. No, no.
He always stays around the house when it gets dark.
Would you please send someone down here?
I'm sorry, but our policy is that
we don't dispatch units on missing child cases for 24 hours.
What?
Look, 99 times out of 100, the kid shows up by morning.
We don't have the resources to go chasing every kid who runs off with his pals.
No, no, no.
No, that's not Walter. He doesn't do that.
With all due respect, ma'am, every parent who calls says the same thing.
Please, please.
Look, there's nothing I can do.
I'll take your name and your information,
but that's all until the morning, at the earliest.
I'm sure he'll show up by then. They always do.
Are you Mrs. Collins?
Our thoughts go out again today to Mrs. Christine Collins
of Lincoln Heights,
whose young son, Walter Collins,
disappeared nearly two weeks ago.
Though she is not a member of our congregation,
we pray for her today as we have every day,
since we learned of her plight.
On the radio and in the newspapers
we are told that the Los Angeles Police Department
is doing its very best to reunite mother and child,
and I'm sure that that is true.
But given its status as the most violent, corrupt
and incompetent police department
this side of the Rocky Mountains
I am not sure it's saying a great deal.
Every day, new bodies appear along Mulholland
and in the ditches of our cities,
the work of Police Chief James Davis and his aptly named Gun Squad.
Every day, the needs of honest citizens
are put second to greed and personal gain.
Every day, this city sinks deeper into a cesspool
of fear, intimidation and corruption.
Once the City of Angels,
Los Angeles has become a place where our protectors
have become our brutalizers.
Where to be the law is to be above the law.
I understand. Thank you.
I will call back in a few weeks.
Thank you very much.
Las Vegas Missing Persons Department?
Hello, this is Christine Collins.
I'm calling to see if you've found any missing or lost children
who meet the description that matches Walter Collins.
Oh, all right. Well, please do. Please do call.
And I'll call back in a matter...
In a week, if that's all right. Thank you very much.
Thank you.
$2.
Hell, I think I left my wallet at home.
Can I owe it to you?
No credit.
Pay up or I call the cops.
I'm sick of bums like you coming around here.
I'm not trying to stiff you, chief.
I just left my wallet at home, that's all.
I'll go back and get it. Five, 10 minutes, tops.
Got collateral?
You can't ask for better collateral
than a man's own flesh and blood, right?
Now, you stay here, son.
I'll be right back.
But... - Now, don't give me any trouble.
He's a good man to trust us like this.
Now, you just stay here and I'll go back and get my wallet.
Ten minutes, then I call the cops.
Ah, hell.
Number, please. - Hello, Myrtle?
Hello? - Yeah, this is Harve, down at the diner.
Oh, hi, Harve.
Would you get me Sheriff Larsen?
Sure thing.
You have a nice day, too.
Christine, I'm having trouble with the connection here.
I can't seem to get through.
I think so. Yeah, I think that's better.
You have a person to person call, Fairfax 2231.
Long distance. Sorry, can you repeat?
I'll connect you right away, ma'am.
Thanks.
Mrs. Collins?
Yes.
I'm Captain J.J. Jones, Lincoln Park Juvenile Division.
My office supervises all runaway and missing child cases,
including your son's, and...
He's alive, Mrs. Collins.
He was picked up two days ago by local police in DeKalb, Illinois.
He's safe and unhurt.
He was in the company of some drifter. We have an APB out for him,
but he's safe.
Thank you so much.
Oh, Christine...
That is so great.
Thank you.
There's so much press.
Yours is a story with a happy ending, Mrs. Collins.
People love happy endings.
We better get a move on, the train's pulling in.
Back, boys. Back.
Thanks. Thanks, boys, thanks!
I'll have a statement for you in a few minutes,
but the important thing right now
is to reunite this little lady with her son,
so if you'll excuse us.
Stay right there. Come on, don't rush.
Easy, easy.
Mrs. Collins, I'd like to introduce you to James E. Davis,
Chief of Police.
Very nice to meet you.
We don't get a lot of positive attention
from the boys in the press these days,
so it's good to be here with a positive story, don't you think?
Yes, sir.
I take it you've been treated well by my boys in the department?
I couldn't file a report for 24 hours,
and I thought that maybe that was a...
Technicalities aside.
It was wonderful.
Well, good.
Then you won't have any trouble telling that to the press,
and the fact that the LAPD...
Women.
Hold on a second.
Back, boys, back.
Keep them back.
Well, aren't you... Aren't you gonna...
That's not my son.
What?
What are you saying?
It's not my son.
Well, I'm sure you're mistaken.
I'm not mistaken.
Well, he's been through five terrible long months.
He's lost weight, he's changed.
I would know my own son.
All I'm saying is you're in shock and he's changed.
What's your name? Can you tell me your name?
Walter Collins.
It's a common name.
Where do you live, Walter? You know your home address?
I live at 210 Avenue 23,
Los Angeles, California.
And that's my mommy!
Mrs. Collins, listen to me. I understand.
You're feeling a little uncertain right now, and that's to be expected.
A boy this age, he changes so fast.
We've compensated for that in our investigation.
And there's no question that this is your son.
That is not Walter.
It's not Walter as you remember him.
And that's why it's important for you to take him home on a trial basis.
A trial basis?
Yes, yes.
Once he's around his familiar surroundings,
and you've given yourself time to recover from the shock of his changed condition,
you will see that this is your Walter.
Now, I promise you, I swear to you, I give you my word.
This is your son.
Now, if you have any problems, any problems at all, you come and you talk to me.
I'll take care of it.
I give you my word. Trust me.
Mrs. Collins, he has nowhere else to go.
Please.
Maybe I'm not thinking clearly.
And...
All right.
All right, you're not thinking clearly, that's right.
Here we go!
Thank you. Thank you.
Here, just turn around here.
How does it feel to have your son home, Mrs. Collins?
What'd you think when you saw him for the first time?
It's hard to explain.
She was shocked at first.
She didn't recognize the boy, which is perfectly natural.
He's been through quite an ordeal.
How're you feeling, son?
Bet it feels great to be home.
Yeah. It's great.
The Los Angeles Police Department is thankful
for all the hard work done by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Department
in making this joyful reunion possible.
The LAPD is dedicated to serving the public at all times.
Can we get a photo with mother and son, Captain?
Absolutely! Here we are.
Like that. Like that.
Squeeze together. There you go, boys.
This way, Walter. - Big smile.
One more, please. - That's a good one.
One more.
The sandwich all right?
Would you like some more milk?
No.
No, thank you.
You're covered in soot from the train. You should take a bath.
Pajamas are on the edge of the bed.
You okay? You all right?
I fell. Stupid tub!
That's all right.
You're circumcised.
Get out.
Move.
Last time I measured Walter,
last time I measured my son,
he was inches taller than you are now.
Who are you?
What are you doing here?
Who are you?
He's not my son.
Mrs. Collins...
No, I don't know why he's saying that he is,
but he's not Walter and there's been a mistake.
I thought we agreed to give him time to adjust.
He's three inches shorter.
I measured him on the chart.
Well, maybe your measurements are off.
Look, I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this.
He's circumcised.
And Walter isn't.
Mrs. Collins.
Your son was missing for five months.
For at least part of that time in the company of an as yet unidentified drifter.
Who knows what such a disturbed individual might have done?
He could have had him circumcised. He could have...
Made him shorter?
Why aren't you listening to me?
I am listening, damn it, I am listening.
And I understand your feelings.
He's changed, no mistake, and that's...
You've both been through a terrible experience,
and that's why he needs your love and support to bounce back.
He's not my son!
Why are you doing this, Mrs. Collins?
Why are you doing this?
You seem perfectly capable of taking care of the boy.
Your job pays you enough to attend to his personal needs,
so I don't understand why you're running away
from your responsibilities as a mother.
I am not running away from anything!
Least of all my responsibilities!
I am even taking care of that boy right now,
because I am all he has!
What worries me is that you have stopped looking for my son!
Why should we be looking for someone we've already found?
Because you have not found him.
His identity has been confirmed
by the best minds in the field of child identification,
people who know what they're doing.
And I don't?
I'm sorry.
I appreciate everything that this department has done
and I know how hard you're working.
I really do, and I don't want to cause any trouble.
I just... There has been a terrible mistake,
and I need you to help me correct it,
so I can find my son before it's too late.
Please.
I won't take up any more of your time. I'm sorry I got upset.
I'm sorry, very sorry.
Yes, Captain?
Sara, get Dr. Tarr on the phone.
Yes, sir.
Mrs. Collins? - Yes?
Dr. Earl W. Tarr.
Captain Jones sent me.
I consult with him from time to time on juvenile cases.
May I come in?
Yes, thank you for coming.
I was beginning to think he didn't believe me.
Well, I'm here now, and we'll put all that to rights.
Where's the boy?
Ah! There he is.
A handsome young man.
He has your eyes, doesn't he?
And a little bit of the nose.
Very fit, in spite of all his travails.
A very resilient boy you've got here, Mrs. Collins.
I thought you were here to help me.
Well, I am.
Captain Jones said that the boy had been through some severe physical changes
and asked me to drop in on him
to reassure you in your time of motherly concern.
My motherly concern is not for him because he's not my son.
Now, statements like that will hardly help the boy's self-esteem,
now will they?
Captain Jones said something about a change in height?
Yes.
Come.
Against the wall.
He's three inches shorter.
Ah, well...
Hardly a mystery, Mrs. Collins.
We've known for some time that trauma can affect the growth of children.
Given the stress of the past five months,
his spine may have actually shrunk.
It's uncommon, but it's within the realm of possibility.
And circumcision?
Very likely his abductor thought it appropriate.
After all, circumcision is hygienically sound.
Must have been quite traumatic at the time.
No wonder he's submerged the memory.
I...
You see, there's a perfectly sound medical explanation for all of this.
But it's right for you to raise the questions.
You need to be apprised of all changes the lad went through
during his absence.
Wouldn't I know whether or not he's my son?
I'm the mother.
Which means you're in no position to be objective.
You are looking through the prism of extreme emotion at a boy
who has changed from what you remember.
He isn't the same boy that left here.
Just as a boy that goes off to war and then returns
is not the same anymore.
And a mother's heart, driven by intuition and emotion,
sees these changes and rebels,
insists that this isn't your son.
Doesn't change the facts.
I'm willing to put my theory to the test of objectivity, Mrs. Collins.
Are you?
It is absolutely outrageous!
Calm yourself, calm yourself and just listen to me.
No, no, no. No, you listen to me, please.
This so called doctor paraded me around my own neighborhood,
like some kind of a derelict mother who didn't even know her own son.
And what was his findings?
He found what he expected to find,
what you obviously told him he would find.
Mrs. Collins. - But that's not...
That's nothing to be embarrassed about.
That I was embarrassed is not the issue.
The point is that you are wasting time
when you should be looking for my son.
But the report is final, Mrs. Collins.
Well, then I want to receive the report, so I can refute it,
before it goes to anyone else.
Fine.
Yes. Good day.
I'm finished. Could I go to my room now?
Yes.
Good night, Mommy.
Stop saying that!
I'm not your mother!
I want my son back.
You're not him. You're not my son!
I want my son back.
I want my son back!
Damn you!
I want my son back!
I was wrong to yell at you.
You're just a child
and I don't think you know what you're doing,
and the hurt you're causing.
But I need you to understand that my son is my life.
He's all I have.
And no matter what the police think, and no matter what the world thinks,
you and I,
we both know the truth, don't we?
We both know that you're not Walter.
You just have to tell them that you're not my son,
so they can find my son.
Please.
We can talk tomorrow.
Hello?
Is this Mrs. Christine Collins?
Yes.
My name is Gustav Briegleb.
I'm the pastor over at St. Paul's Presbyterian.
Oh, yes, I've heard your broadcasts.
I'm...
Thank you.
Have you read the Times this morning?
No.
Well, maybe you should give it a gander and then come over here to the parish
for breakfast, in, say, an hour. I think we should meet.
Hello?
"Mysterious case of...
"Acting on the request of the Los Angeles Police Department,
"Dr. Earl W. Tarr, child specialist, examined Walter Collins
"to determine the cause of his loss of weight,
"paleness, confusion, and rundown condition
"noticed since the return of the boy
"to his mother last Monday."
Lovely bit of phrasing, isn't it?
Noticed since the return of the boy to his mother.
Now, not only does that clearly state you're the boy's mother,
but one could infer from it that you're somehow responsible for these changes.
And that the police department is concerned
for the boy's welfare while he's in your charge.
You should try the eggs. They're very nice.
"'I examined the boy quite thoroughly,' Dr. Tarr said,
"'And it's clear that he has something to tell.
"'I'm sure that in time..."'
...time he will give his boyish story of the entire affair,
but not until he has faith in his listener.
And that is what is lacking here, faith in the poor lad's story.
Course of my examination, I found nothing to dispute the findings
of the LAPD.
Why would they do this?
To avoid admitting they made a mistake
when they brought back the wrong boy.
Of course, anyone reading the newspaper with half a brain
would see through it instantly.
Sadly, that would exclude about half the readership of the Times.
Mrs. Collins, I have made it my mission in life to bring to light all the things
the LAPD wish none of us ever knew about.
A department ruled by violence, abuse, murder, corruption and intimidation.
When Chief Davis took over the force two years ago, he said...
We will hold court against gunmen in the streets of Los Angeles.
I want them brought in dead, not alive,
and I will reprimand any officer who shows the least mercy to a criminal.
He picked 50 of the most violent cops on the force,
gave them machine guns and permission to shoot anyone who got in their way.
He called them the Gun Squad.
No lawyers, no trials, no questions, no suspensions, no investigations.
Just piles of bodies.
Bodies in the morgues, bodies in the hospitals, bodies by the side of the road.
And not because the LAPD wanted to wipe out crime. No.
The LAPD wanted to wipe out the competition.
Mayor Cryer and half the force are on the take.
Gambling, prostitution, bootlegging, you name it.
Because once you give people the freedom to do whatever they want,
as the Lord found in the Garden of Eden, they will do exactly that.
This police department does not tolerate dissent, or contradiction,
or even embarrassment.
And you are in a position to embarrass them and they do not like it.
They will do anything in their power to discredit you.
I've seen that happen too many times to start going blind now.
That's why I wanted to meet you,
to let you know what you're getting yourself into
and to help you fight it, if you choose to.
Reverend, I appreciate everything that you're doing
and everything that you said,
but I'm not on a mission.
I just want my son home.
Mrs. Collins, a lot of mothers' sons
have been sacrificed to expediency around here.
Your son, unfortunately, would not be the first.
But if you do it right, he may very well be the last.
He had two cavities that needed filling.
He put up a fight, but I took care of it.
And?
Your son's upper front teeth were separated by a small tissue, a diastema.
It made them sit about an eighth of an inch apart.
The boy in that room has no such gap.
Can that change with age? Because that's what they're gonna say.
In some cases, yes, it's possible.
But the tissue between Walter's teeth prevents that from happening.
See, they can never come together without an operation to sever the tissue,
and I can tell you right now that he has never had such an operation.
Would you be willing to put that officially in writing?
Pardon my language, but hell yes.
Sounds like the anesthetic's wearing off.
On the other hand, maybe I'll write that letter first.
Give the little fella something to think about.
Well, if it is, he's changed enormously.
Do you know who I am?
You're a teacher.
Yes, but even teachers have names. What's mine?
I don't remember.
I know you, but I don't remember your name.
Mrs. Fox. Now, take your seat.
I didn't say take a seat. I said take your seat, the one assigned you.
You must know where it is, you've been sitting in it for over a year now.
Mrs. Collins, if that's your son, I'll eat my yardstick.
Not only will I put it in writing, I will testify to it in a court of law
or to the President Calvin Coolidge himself if I have to.
Thank you.
I'll see you tonight for the broadcast.
Good luck.
Quick question, ma'am.
Quick question!
Mrs. Collins.
Hello. My name is Christine Collins.
Good morning. - Good morning.
On March 10th, my nine-year-old son, Walter Collins, disappeared.
And a five-month investigation
led to a boy being brought to Los Angeles from DeKalb, Illinois.
They told me and all of you that this boy was my son.
He was not my son.
The LAPD made a mistake,
and that is the reason for the supposed transformation.
I have letters from his teachers and his doctors
all confirming that he is not my son.
I'm having them reprinted now, and I'll have them for you tomorrow.
I have given the LAPD every opportunity to admit their mistake
and renew the search for my son.
Since they have refused to do so,
it has forced me to bring my case public.
And I hope that this now will persuade them to finish what they started
and bring my son home to me.
Thank you very much.
Morelli!
I want you to find the Collins woman and get her here.
And, Bill, bring her in the back way.
Yes, sir.
This way, miss.
Why are we going in the back?
Captain's orders. Front's jammed with reporters.
Please, sit down, miss. Captain Jones'll be right with you.
Hey! Anyone want to take a call from the Canadian Mounties? Ybarra?
What'd they do, lose a moose?
They need a juvenile living here illegally deported back to Canada.
He's living with his cousin on some ranch near Riverside, in Wineville.
You want it? - I'll take it.
Got nothing better to do.
You're a prince.
Mrs. Collins.
You can leave the boy. She'll take care of him.
Sit.
Oh, you've caused us quite a bit of trouble, Mrs. Collins.
This situation has become an embarrassment for the entire police department.
It wasn't my intention to embarrass anyone.
Oh, no, of course not.
You just told the papers we couldn't tell one boy from another as a compliment
for the months we spent working on your case.
You trying to make fools out of us? Is that it? You enjoy this?
Of course not.
I want you to find my son.
You know what your problem is, Mrs. Collins?
You're trying to shirk your responsibilities as a mother.
What?
You enjoyed being a free woman, didn't you?
You enjoyed not having to worry about a young son.
You could go where you wanted, do whatever you wanted,
see anyone you wanted.
But then we found your son, and we brought him back.
And now he's an inconvenience to you.
And that's why you cooked up this scheme,
to throw him to the state and get the state to raise him for you.
Isn't that true? - That is not true!
No? Well, even the boy says he's your son.
Why would he say that?
How would he know to do that?
I don't know. I just know he's lying.
Oh, maybe so. Maybe he is a liar.
But that's how he's been trained, isn't it?
Lying was born in both of you.
You're a liar and a troublemaker and, if you ask me,
you got no business walking the streets of Los Angeles.
Now wait a minute.
Because either you know you're lying,
or you're not capable of knowing if you're lying or telling the truth.
So, which is it?
You a derelict mother? Or just plain nuts?
'Cause from where I sit, those are the only options.
I'm not gonna sit here and take this.
You want experts? You want doctors? I have a few of my own.
Matron.
Mrs. Collins, you still insist that the boy out there is not your son?
Yes, I do.
Please, don't struggle. - What?
No! - You'll only hurt yourself.
What are you doing? - Hold still.
You can't just do this. No, you can't.
You are to convey the prisoner
to the Los Angeles County General Hospital Psychopathic Ward.
What?
You are to make the following entry.
Defendant states she's been deceived by police and others,
and that we have given her a boy and tried
to make her think it is her son when she says it is not.
Take her away. - No. No, no.
Please. Please.
Come on, Mrs. Collins.
No. No.
This way.
Mrs. Collins has been known to us since about March 10th, 1928
when she reported her nine-year-old son, Walter, missing.
The boy was gone until August 1928. - Okay.
Since his return, she has complained that he is still missing
and has made repeated requests that he be found.
She suffers from paranoia, delusions of persecution and dislocation from reality.
She may be a threat to herself or others.
We recommend that she be conveyed to the psychopathic ward
until her senses can be restored.
Got another code 12.
Name?
Collins. Christine.
No, no, no, listen, this is a mistake.
Certifying officer?
Captain J.J. Jones, Lincoln Heights Division.
No, no, please! Please! The police are trying to punish me...
If you keep it up, I'm gonna have to put you in a straitjacket.
Do you want that?
No, ma'am.
Then behave yourself. Code 12.
I'm not mad!
Please.
Oh, God.
All right.
No!
Stop!
Spread your legs.
What?
Wider.
Oh.
I'm not sick!
Touch me! Touch me!
Inside. This is your room.
The doctor has left for the day. He will see you in the morning.
Can I... I need to speak to somebody in authority.
Sorry.
My room! No. No, no, no, this is my room.
Can I make a phone call?
Phone privileges are earned by good behavior.
You're not allowed newspapers, magazines, radio, books or sharp objects.
This is for your own good. - Help me!
Listen to me.
My room.
No, this is my room.
Oh, God!
My room.
No, no, this is my room.
My room.
My room! My room! My room!
They said it was my room!
You have a problem?
Overheated, that's all. She'll be fine in a bit.
Hey, listen, could you give me a hand?
I'm trying to find a place called the Northcott Ranch, up by Wineville.
Northcott Ranch, huh?
Oh, yeah, yeah.
You're almost there.
You just... You just follow this road west,
about two, no, three miles.
And then you take that next right.
And you stay on that and it will bring you right to it.
Is something going on out there?
No.
Just looking into a juvenile matter.
Thanks for your help.
Sure.
Hello?
Hey!
Hey! Hey!
Come here! Come here!
This is the police!
I have a warrant for a minor named Sanford Clark.
Open the door or stand aside.
Hey! Stop!
Stop! Stop it! Stop it!
Stop it! Stop it or I'll push your face through this floor!
Stop it!
Fine!
Give me your hands.
Come on. Sit down.
Jesus!
What the hell is wrong with you, kid?
Huh?
Don't you know assaulting a cop is against the law?
What difference does it make?
We're just sending you back to Canada, son.
It isn't the end of the world.
What?
Well, you can't stay in the U.S. as long as you want, pal.
No word from Mrs. Collins?
We haven't heard from her.
Get on down to her house, make sure she's all right.
And if she's not there, check with her neighbors.
Find out what they know.
Absolutely.
And now KGF welcomes the Reverend Gustav Briegleb
of St. Paul's Presbyterian.
This is Pastor Gustav A. Briegleb of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church,
bringing you the Lord's word on Radio KGF.
Good evening.
I had hoped to have a guest with us tonight,
but apparently she has been delayed.
And since she cannot be here to tell you what she told the press this afternoon,
I'll have to fill in as best I can.
I'm going to tell you what happened
and I'm going to keep on telling you every night, right here,
until somebody does something about it.
The Desert Local, train number 45,
will be arriving on track two in five minutes.
Hello. I'd like a ticket to Canada.
Alberta or Vancouver, whatever's leaving tonight.
I don't have anything going that far tonight.
The best I can do is put you on a train to Seattle.
From there you can transfer to a local or drive across the border.
That would be fine.
Roundtrip?
One way.
That'll be $15.
Right.
There you go.
Thank you. There you go. Enjoy your trip.
I will.
Breakfast is half an hour.
Please, miss, I need to see a doctor in charge.
The dining room is down the hall.
The doctor will call for you when he's ready.
Do you want eggs or oatmeal?
Okay, that's everyone that's here.
All right.
You can pull the oatmeal.
Do you want it for tomorrow?
You know, just dump it. - All right.
You should eat.
Eating is normal.
You gotta do everything you can to look normal.
It's the only chance you got.
I'm not hungry.
Barbara, you have to eat now. - I'm not hungry.
My name's Carol Dexter. What's yours?
Christine. Christine Collins.
Now, finish it all. I know it's hard, but you gotta try.
Oh, boy.
I heard them talking.
You're here on code 12?
Police action.
I mean, the doctors, the staff, they figure
that if the police brought you here,
there must be a good reason for it.
There isn't a good reason for it.
I'm perfectly sane and I will explain that to them.
How?
The more you try to act sane, the crazier you start to look.
If you smile too much, you're delusional or you're stifling hysteria.
And if you don't smile, you're depressed.
If you remain neutral, you're emotionally withdrawn, potentially catatonic.
You've given this a lot of thought.
Yeah, I have. Don't you get it?
You're a code 12, so am I.
We're here for the exact same reasons.
We both pissed off the cops.
Now, you see, you see that lady there?
She was married to a cop who kept beating her up.
When she tried to tell somebody about it, he brought her here.
I want more juice.
And that one?
Put your tray back where it belongs.
The police beat the crap out of her brother, broke both his arms.
When she tried to tell the papers...
And you?
I work nights.
Sure.
I mean, I work nights.
Oh.
Yeah. In the clubs. Downtown.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, well, this one client just kept hitting me and he wouldn't stop,
so I filed a complaint.
And it turns out he was a cop.
Next thing I know, I'm here.
But they can't do that.
Are you kidding?
All right, one more and then that's it.
Everybody knows women are fragile.
I mean, they're all emotions, no logic, there's nothing going on upstairs.
Somebody! Help me!
Every once in a while they say something that's a little inconvenient,
they just go fucking nuts.
Pardon my French.
You gotta get those dishes. - You got it.
If we're insane, nobody has to listen to us.
I mean, who are you gonna believe,
some crazy woman trying to destroy the integrity of the force,
or a police officer?
Then once they get us in here, we either shut up and we learn to behave,
or we don't go home.
Are you all done?
Or we go home like that.
Stop. Stop it.
Stop it! Stop it.
Please.
Clark.
Sanford Clark?
Here.
Paperwork's come through.
You'll be deported back to Canada day after tomorrow.
Police there will decide what to do with you next.
I hope your stay here has convinced you not to try crossing the border
illegally in the future.
Wait!
I'd like to talk to the officer who brought me in.
I'm sure he has far more important things...
Please. It's important.
Christine Collins.
Thank you. Mrs. Collins.
Dr. Jonathan Steele. Please, have a seat.
I hope your stay with us has been comfortable so far.
Yes.
Really?
I'd think it'd be quite difficult at first.
Yes, it was.
Of course it was very difficult, but comfortable enough.
I see that they have... They've taken a blood test.
The Wassermman Test.
They said it was to check for syphilis, 'cause it affects the mind.
The idea that someone thinks you need to be checked for syphilis,
does that upset you?
No, they said it was standard procedure, so it did not.
Yes, exactly. Standard procedure.
We have to cover all our bases.
I can imagine
that for some people that would be uncomfortable,
but I understood.
According to your file you believe that the police substituted
a fake boy for your son.
No, I didn't say he was a fake boy.
He's not my boy.
They brought home the wrong boy.
My son is still missing.
Well, that's strange, because I have here a newspaper article
with a photo of you at the train station, welcoming home your son.
That is you in the photo, isn't it?
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes.
So, at first he was your son,
and now he's not your son.
Has this been going on for a long time?
People changing, becoming something other than what they are?
People don't change.
You don't think people change?
No, that's not...
The police, they're not out to persecute you?
No, they're not.
The police are here to protect you.
Yes.
Really?
Yes.
Well, that's odd because when you were admitted,
you told the head nurse that the police were conspiring deliberately to punish you.
So, either the head nurse and the interns are also conspiring to punish you
or you're changing your story.
Do you often have trouble telling reality from fantasy, Mrs. Collins?
No.
I'm sorry to bring you out in this weather, Detective,
but the boy has been quite insistent.
It's all right.
I'll see what he has to say so I can go home and get dry.
It's raining cats, dogs, and Democrats out there,
so this had better be worth it.
You again, huh?
We'll see.
Well?
This isn't easy, okay?
Yeah?
Driving my ass here in the pouring rain wasn't easy either.
My cousin is Gordon Northcott.
He owns the ranch where you found me.
He said I could live there in exchange I watch the place when he's gone,
doing chores and stuff like that.
Said I could stay as long as I wanted to.
I thought that meant I could leave whenever I wanted.
Mmm.
You saying that he held you prisoner?
Bull.
When I got there, you were running around free as a jaybird.
Could've left any time you wanted.
No.
So, what's this, huh?
Some kind of story to cover why you're in the country illegally?
No, it's nothing like that.
'Cause I don't have time for this, okay?
Listen to me! He said...
What?
What did he say?
He said that if I tried to leave, he'd kill me.
Look, you don't understand what he's like,
what he... What we did, what he made me do.
All right.
Let's start at the beginning then.
What'd he make you do?
We killed some kids.
What?
Look, I didn't mean to, I swear. He made me help him.
He said if I didn't, he'd kill me, too.
Look, you gotta help me, please. I'm so scared.
I don't want to go to hell for killing kids.
Look.
What kids? What... What are you talking about?
I don't know. I never knew their names.
Names?
How many?
How many kids?
All together?
About 20, I guess.
No, you're lying.
No! It's true, I swear!
You're gonna tell me you killed 20 kids?
Yeah! Thereabouts.
I stopped counting after a while.
Gordon said maybe one or two may have escaped.
But...
No.
Nobody can just up and kill 20 kids, okay?
We did.
How?
Most times we'd just have one or two.
Sometimes as many as three.
I always knew when we were getting ready to leave.
Clean up the car.
Make sure the tires were good.
Check the engine.
'Cause he was afraid that the car would break down
and we'd get caught.
My loving baby
We'd always go a different direction every time.
Never hit the same part of town twice.
Sometimes we'd just drive around for hours,
till we found somebody.
Well, there you are!
We've been looking for you like mad.
You have?
Sure thing.
Listen, your folks, they've been in an accident.
And they sent us to come find you. Now, they're hurt real bad.
The police took them to the hospital, but they didn't have time to come find you,
so we said that we would do it.
Now, come on.
All right. Get in here. Hurry.
Listen, we gotta get you to that hospital so you can see your folks.
See, a lot of kids won't get in a car alone with a stranger,
but when he's got a kid there...
There's a good boy.
Scoot over. Scoot over, San.
... that made it easier.
I want you to hold on tight.
They'd look at me and say...
We've got a long way to go.
"Hey, if he's safe..."
And we are gonna fly.
"...I guess I will be, too. "
Every time they got in the truck,
I just wanted to die.
As soon as we got back to the ranch, they went in the coop.
You boys hungry?
Huh?
Watch the door, Sanford!
Hey! Watch the door!
What's the matter?
I'm not gonna hurt you.
Are you worried that I'm gonna hurt you?
I'm not gonna hurt you.
Huh? Come here.
No! No! No! No! Please! - I would never hurt you.
Some days he'd do them right off.
Other days he'd wait,
pick up a few more,
until he had about four or five of them.
Yeah.
No! No! No! - No what?
No what, huh?
Come on. Come on. Come on!
Sanford, keep your eye on that door!
No! Please, no! No! No!
No! No! No! No! Please! No! No!
He'd... He'd sometimes leave
just one or two of them alive, barely, anyway.
He'd say,
"Finish them, San.
"Finish them or... Finish them or I'll finish you."
And I did.
And I killed them.
And I did.
I killed them.
Oh, God, I killed them!
Oh, God! Oh!
Hey.
What?
Look at me.
These kids.
You think if you saw them again, you think you might be able to recognize them?
I don't know.
Maybe.
Hey, I haven't updated these in a while, but still.
Just...
It should be. Just go through these, okay?
If you see any you recognize, just put them down on the table here.
I'm sorry!
Oh, my God.
I didn't mean to... He made me.
Oh, shit.
This one. Look at me.
You're sure?
I'm sure.
Jesus Christ.
Oh, God! Oh, God!
Jesus Christ.
Son of a bitch.
Oh, God.
Well, he's lying.
Have you gone soft in the head, Les?
Twenty kids, sir.
He's playing you.
He knows he's in trouble, so he's come up with some cock and bull story
about how he was forced to stay in the country.
With all due respect, sir, I don't think so. You didn't see him.
This kid, he's scared half out of his mind.
He picked the Collins kid. We found him, remember?
Haven't you been reading the papers?
Or maybe you have, is that it?
Sir, if you'd just listen to me...
I'm sorry, Captain, but he's here again.
Who? - That Reverend Briegleb.
He's asking about Christine Collins.
Well, you tell that son of a bitch
to get the hell off of police property,
or I'll have him arrested for disturbing the peace.
I tried. He said he won't leave, him or his friends.
What?
Oh, what the hell!
Jesus!
Oh, Jesus jumped down.
Captain?
Ybarra? - Yeah.
Listen to me. You're to do nothing except get back here.
Sir, departmental policy requires that
all allegations of homicide have to be investigated.
These are kids, for Christ sake.
Departmental policy is what I say it is.
Now, I'm ordering you to get your ass back here with that kid, you got that?
You don't talk to anybody and you bring me that kid. You got it?
Nobody!
Captain Jones. - Boys.
What the hell have you done with Christine Collins?
And don't try and lie your way out of it,
because several of her neighbors saw her being driven away in a police car.
Mrs. Collins has been placed in protective custody
following a mental breakdown.
A what?
She's getting the best treatment available.
And that will be all.
Next.
Go on. Move up. - For what?
Medication.
Medication for what? - The kind that's good for you.
Help you relax.
Well, I don't want to relax. - Come on.
I'm not gonna take something... - We can force-feed you
if that's what you want. - I don't know what it is!
I don't know what it is. Dr. Steele? - Take it. Orderly.
Dr. Steele?
I understand. Come on.
Ladies, keep moving. Come on.
I don't wanna take anything that I don't know what it is.
There's nothing wrong with me that I need medication.
There's nothing wrong with you.
No, there's nothing wrong. No.
You're fine. - Yes, I am.
Well, then you shouldn't have any trouble signing this.
By signing it, you certify that you were wrong
when you stated the boy returned to you by the police was not your son.
It further stipulates that the police were right
in sending you here for observation and it absolves them
of all responsibility. Sign it.
I won't sign that.
Well, then your condition is not improved.
Sign it, and you can be out of here first thing tomorrow morning.
But I wasn't wrong.
He's not my son. My son is still missing.
Mrs. Collins, you're becoming agitated.
Yes, I'm, yes... I'm not signing that, because he's not my son!
Orderly!
He's not my son! - Orderly!
My son is missing!
The patient is becoming hysterical! - No! My son is missing!
See to it she is sedated properly.
Get her out of here. - No! No! No!
Next! - No!
No, no! - Orderly, hold on.
Stop it!
No! - Open your mouth. Open, open your mouth.
Easy! - You got her?
God! - Swallow it.
Stop it!
Move back.
You! - Get her out of here!
Come on, you got her?
Stay out of this! This is none of your business! This is police business!
All of you! You'll stay out of it if you know what's good for you!
You'd think you were in enough trouble with the law already,
being a whore, wouldn't you?
Attacking a staff member. Room 18.
No, no! Stop it! No!
No! No!
No! Stop it!
Come on, kid.
I don't know. I'm not sure. I think so. He was pretty close.
Excuse me.
It's all right, I can take it from here. - But I got...
We need him for questioning.
Like I said, it was dark.
Thanks. Come on.
Brady, Ross.
You've just been requisitioned for backup. I'll explain on the way.
Yes, sir.
I'm not sure. She said she'd had the croup before. This could be pneumonia.
I keep telling her that, and she doesn't want to.
You have to insist.
You shouldn't have done that.
Please, let me out! - Get in there!
Wanted to.
Felt good.
Let me out! No! Please! No! - You got her?
I lost two babies to back alley doctors.
No choice.
Never had the chance to fight for them.
You do.
Don't stop.
I won't.
Fuck them and the horse they rode in on.
That's not exactly language for a lady.
Hell.
There are times that's exactly the right language to use.
Yeah?
When you've got nothing left to lose.
You're not supposed to be here!
Mmm. Mmm.
Stay there. Check the house. Check the barn.
It's all clear.
Clear here.
Bring me that shovel.
All right. Let's go.
Come on.
You're gonna show me.
Come on. Show me.
This it?
You sure?
Yeah.
Dig.
You put them in the ground, you can take them out of the ground.
Go on. Dig.
You heard me. Dig.
My God.
Oh, my God.
Call it in.
Get the coroner and every officer
in a 20-mile radius here inside the hour.
Then put out an APB on Gordon Stewart Northcott.
The information's in my car. Go on.
You can stop, son.
You can stop now. It's over.
Hey.
We'll take it, we can take it from here. We can take it from...
We can take it from here, okay? It's over.
It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
It's all over.
Okay?
File.
Privacy, please.
I see that you've been refusing medication, requiring force feeding.
All right, Michael. Lunchtime?
Six days, Mrs. Collins, and no progress.
We may have to move on to more strenuous therapies.
Unless you're willing to prove that you're doing better
by signing this.
Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.
Room 18.
I want to talk to somebody in charge, right now!
Please.
Who is in charge here?
Open.
I'm the head doctor on duty.
You're the doctor who locked up Christine Collins?
Oh, I'm sorry, sir.
We don't discuss cases with anyone other than family.
Oh, you'll damn well discuss this one. Read it.
Sir.
Read it.
Stop.
Mrs. Collins, one last time.
Are you or are you not prepared to sign that letter?
No.
You're free to leave.
What?
Your clothes are in the next room. You can change there.
In the next room?
Yes. That's right.
See to it.
Christ.
Long as it's not the original.
No, it's not.
Here it is.
And who is that? Is that Baker's file or Larson?
That's Baker.
He said he wanted...
Nurse, I wanna see
every piece of paper you have on the case of Mrs. Christine Collins,
and I want to see it right now, do you understand me?
Every piece. When will she be coming out?
Oh, it's just up ahead.
Oh, all right. Let's...
Hurricane hits West Palm Beach!
Babe Ruth hits 53rd home run!
Kids found murdered in Riverside! - There it is.
Biggest crime in Los Angeles history!
Collins boy assumed dead!
Read it here! Read it here!
Mrs. Collins, I'm so sorry.
Captain, your handling of the Christine Collins case
has exposed this department to public ridicule.
There is even the possibility of civil and criminal liability.
Sir, nobody could've known what was happening up at that ranch.
Not us, the sheriff's department, or the marshal's office.
And as for the Collins woman,
I'm still not convinced that her boy is among the victims up in Wineville.
No?
No.
There were four other photos of missing boys that looked a lot like him.
The Clark kid could've been mistaken.
Maybe he was.
Which begs the obvious question. Who cares?
Sir?
The mayor wants this to go away.
I want this to go away.
The way you do that is to stop insisting that Walter Collins
is not among those boys killed up at that goddamn ranch.
Because if the boy you brought back is not Walter Collins,
and he's not dead up at that ranch, then where the hell is he?
People are gonna want to know why we haven't found him.
Why we're not doing our job.
But if, on the other hand,
he is, or could be, among those poor boys killed up in Wineville,
then the inquiries stop.
It's a momentary embarrassment
you're just gonna have to live with.
Better a short inconvenience
than a lingering problem, wouldn't you say, Captain?
Yes, sir.
The boy's been gone nearly a year.
If he was going to be found, it would've happened by now.
Whether he was up at that ranch or not,
the truth is he probably is dead somewhere.
Better his mother accept that now than later, don't you think?
Yes, sir. - Good.
That'll be all, Captain.
That's how you want it, then I guess we're done here.
Tell county jail we're remanding him for trial.
Wait. I didn't do anything. I wasn't even here when it happened.
By pretending to be Walter Collins,
you're interfering in a police investigation of a kidnapping and murder.
We can try you as accomplice to that murder after the fact.
That's too bad.
County jail is a lot worse than a juvenile hall or a foster home.
It's a lot worse.
You can't do that. I'm just a kid.
Sanford Clark's a kid, too.
Fifteen. He's going to jail.
All murderers and their accomplices go to jail. Everybody knows that.
Get him out of here. It's out of my hands now.
Wait. I don't want to go to jail.
Prove it.
I...
I knew Los Angeles is where they make the Tom Mix movies.
I figured if I could meet Tom Mix
maybe he would let me ride on his horse.
His horse is named Tony. Did you know that?
How are you feeling?
All right.
The police still have a car outside.
I guess they're waiting to see what your next move is going to be.
I'm going home. - And then?
Then, I've been giving it a lot of thought.
And what they did to those women, and what they did about Walter.
I used to always tell him, "You never start a fight, but you always finish it."
And I didn't start this fight, but I'm gonna finish it.
Mrs. Collins, right now you're a sufficiently high profile that I think
even the police would hesitate to go after you out in the open,
but I have to warn you that could change very quickly
if they feel their position threatened.
Very quickly indeed.
What are they gonna do to me now?
They got nothing.
I'm going home.
Hi, sis.
Gordon.
I didn't know you were back in town.
Yeah, I got in a couple of days ago,
figured I'd surprise you. Is that... Is that okay?
Yes. Yes, of course. Of course, come on in.
Where's that little niece of mine?
She went into town.
Should be back this evening.
Uh, Bob's here.
Oh, good.
Uh, I was gonna ask if I could stay on a couple days.
Staying?
Yeah.
Listen, can I use your bathroom?
It's been a long ride and I could really use a shower.
Of course. - Okay.
Thank you.
Is that...
All right, go next door. I'll call the police. Hurry.
Operator. How may I connect you?
He's upstairs, sir.
Go around the other side! Cut him off!
Come with me! - Yes, sir.
Let's go!
Mrs. Collins, I'd like you to meet my friend, Mr. Hahn.
Mrs. Collins, my deepest condolences on your loss.
May we come in?
I appreciate the sentiment,
but they've yet to find...
To identify the remains as my son.
I'm afraid it never gets any easier.
I lost a daughter to polio five years ago.
There's not a day goes by when I don't think,
"I should mention this to Claudine."
Then I remember she's not here.
Please, sit.
I've been on the phone all morning
with the appointment secretary of the police commission.
They said that they won't let me testify
at the hearing or call witnesses. That it won't be necessary.
I know. My sources say the police commission
is going to say that Jones and the LAPD did absolutely nothing wrong,
and that the real blame lies with the kid and with you
for being difficult and forcing them to put you away for your own safety.
Then I guess I would have to hire a lawyer, file a civil suit.
I went to the best attorney in town,
a man who's sued this city four times and won.
Unfortunately, we can't afford to really hire him.
I see.
Which is why I'm doing this pro bono.
It would be my honor to defend your honor, Mrs. Collins.
In my 15 years as a lawyer,
I have never seen anyone fight as long or as hard as you have,
in what is so clearly in the cause of justice.
Thank you.
Let me see what's on the shelf.
I'll look.
Yes? May I...
My name is S.S. Hahn,
and I have a court order for the immediate release of all women being detained
in this institution under the designation code 12
pending a formal inquiry into the reasons for their detainment.
I'm sorry, the doctor in charge is not here
until the morning. - Madam, let me be clearer.
Either you will produce the people named in that court order,
or you will find yourself behind bars, and I mean without a key.
I can't authorize you... - Madam, stand aside.
Can I see her now?
Sure. Absolutely. - How does she look?
All right, fellas, step back. Let's give him room.
Here he is.
Mr. Northcott, any comment on your arrest?
Mr. Northcott, how are you feeling?
Oh, I'm feeling fine.
I've been on a little vacation, as some of you know.
It was a really pleasant vacation.
The police have certainly provided me with a lot of amusement.
How long you been in hiding?
How did you avoid capture?
Easy, easy. That's far enough.
Well, I didn't, did I?
One more shot!
Have you seen your picture in the paper?
Didn't know anybody wanted me until just recently.
Didn't even try.
My luggage still has my initials on it, fellas.
Did you know why the police were after you?
No, but I figured it'd be a good idea if I were to just stay out of it.
Any remorse, sir?
Do you have anything to say to the parents of the children you murdered?
No comment.
One more shot, this way!
Mayor Cryer. This is unexpected.
So was this.
Subpoenas, requests for depositions, interrogatories.
All courtesy of Mr. Hahn and his new client, Christine Collins.
You don't have to look them over too closely, Chief.
Your own copies should be coming any time now.
The city council has also agreed to look into this,
starting immediately.
God damn it!
I thought this was supposed to go away.
This is an election year.
I can't afford this kind of press.
It is going away, sir. I've instructed Captain Jones to deal with it.
I'm afraid, falling on his sword
and saying he made a mistake isn't going to be good enough, Chief.
If we take him out of the picture for a while,
just might help calm things down until the hearing's finished.
What is happening? - Didn't you hear?
It's the biggest protest I've ever seen.
Protest? - Yeah.
Over the Collins broad, if you can believe that.
We want justice! We want justice!
Oh, my!
Mr. Harris.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, Mrs. Collins.
Boy, does he ever.
Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention, please?
There are more people gathered in this chamber than have ever been in this room before.
Therefore, I ask you to refrain from demonstrations of any kind.
Tell the truth! Tell the truth!
We are all here because we want to know the real facts in this case.
And everybody is going to be heard if we have to sit here for a week.
Mr. Thorpe, I don't see any members of the police commission.
Are there any members of the police department in the room?
Is Chief Davis here?
Is Captain Jones here?
Is there anybody here representing the police?
Mrs. Collins, could you come across the street with me for just a moment?
There's something I think you should see.
Well, I hate to call a recess before we've even started,
but I think a few phone calls are in order.
The police decided it'd be best to keep this off the main docket
in order to avoid exactly the sort of chaos we have across the street.
Mrs. Collins. I'm Leanne Clay.
This is my husband, John. - Hi.
I just wanted to pass along my sympathies.
What we went through waiting to hear anything
about our son David was bad enough, now this.
But what the police did to you, there was no call for that.
No call at all.
All rise.
Please, be seated. - Bailiff.
Oh, hey.
I saw you in the papers.
You got a lot of moxie, standing up to the police like that.
The defendant will please rise.
Gordon Stewart Northcott,
you've been charged with three counts of murder in the first degree,
with an additional 17 counts under review by the district attorney's office.
How do you plea?
Oh, not guilty, Your Honor.
You may sit, Mr. Northcott.
In light of the defendant's penchant for international travel, no bail will be set.
This court will hear preliminary motions by tomorrow morning.
The boy, Walter Collins,
was reported as missing, March 10, 1928.
We then instituted a nationwide search.
On August 18th, we received a cable indicating that a boy
matching his description was found in DeKalb, Illinois.
Upon questioning, he admitted to being Walter Collins.
We then made arrangements for him to be transported back to California.
Where Mrs. Collins told you the boy was not her son.
Yes. She denied his identity
in spite of all of the evidence pointing to the contrary.
But, as subsequent events have demonstrated,
she was correct.
So, what prompted you to send her
for psychological evaluation?
Whether or not this was in fact the correct boy
was not relevant to my decision.
Throughout this period, she acted strangely.
She was often cool and aloof and unemotional,
especially when confronted with the boy we found in DeKalb
and in our subsequent conversation.
It was because of her
disturbing behavior that I submitted her for observation
to the psychopathic ward of Los Angeles County General Hospital.
Just like that.
You snap your fingers and an innocent woman
is thrown into the psycho ward!
She wasn't thrown. Every family in this state is in grave danger
when a police captain can take a woman into his office
and five minutes later
have her thrown into the psychopathic ward on his own authority!
She wasn't thrown.
She wasn't thrown! She wasn't thrown!
What was that, Captain?
She wasn't thrown. She was escorted.
Escorted, thrown, the verb doesn't matter, Captain.
What does matter is that her incarceration was ordered without a warrant.
I am holding a carbon copy
of the affidavit of insanity that was issued in the case
of the State of California v. Christine Collins.
Who signed the affidavit?
I did.
Well, now, let me see if I have this correct,
a woman was thrown into the psychopathic ward without a warrant,
because no warrant existed.
And when it was finally written several days later,
there was no need to sign it or to go to a judge
because she was already in the asylum!
Is this correct, Captain?
Technically, yes.
Extraordinary steps were necessary because we were dealing...
We were dealing with an extraordinary situation.
Now, is it our fault that we were being deceived
by a boy who claimed to be Walter Collins? No.
In light of his claims and her disturbing behavior,
who wouldn't begin to think that there was something the matter with her?
Because she questioned you?
No, because she wouldn't listen!
Because she insisted on being obstinate!
Because she tried to take matters into her own hand,
best left to qualified officers!
Because once civil disobedience starts...
Because she was fighting for the life of her son!
A boy who may have still been alive
while you were wasting valuable time denying you had done anything wrong!
And in the end
that's what happened, isn't it?
At some point, while all this was going on,
Walter Collins was brutally murdered,
along with as many as 19 other boys
at the Northcott Ranch in Wineville.
Is that correct, Captain?
Yes, it is.
It's a travesty.
No further questions.
Train number 14, now boarding on track...
So, after much effort, we were able to identify this boy,
who's been responsible for so much trouble lately,
as Arthur Hutchins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Between this, and the arrest of the man suspected of murdering
the real Walter Collins,
we've cleared up two of the biggest mysteries in the history of Los Angeles.
I hope you gentlemen of the press will give
as much space to the good things we do
as the mistakes that are made on rare occasions.
Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you
to the boy's real mother, Mrs. Janet Hutchins.
Arthur.
I hope he wasn't too much trouble for you.
Oh, no, not at all.
How about a photograph, fellas?
One more.
Mrs. Hutchins,
Mrs. Collins, the woman he was staying with, wanted him to have these.
They're the clothes she let him wear.
Well, thank you.
Isn't that nice, Arthur?
Tell the nice officer, "Thank you."
I don't want them. Give them to somebody else.
Precocious little fellow, isn't he?
It's not my fault. It's the police.
They said I was Walter Collins, not me! It wasn't my idea!
Not my idea! - Get...
Yeah. Go blame the police for your own mistakes.
We've seen a lot of that lately, haven't we?
Take care now, Arthur! Safe travels.
All right, fellas, that's it for today.
Sir, sir! What did the boy mean by that?
It was March 10th, and I came home from work,
and my nine-year-old son, Walter, was gone.
Captain Jones was acting on information he believed to be correct.
Walter Collins had a diastema, also known as a diastema.
That child was never in my classroom.
I can certainly attest to that.
We rely on our good friends in the police department
to point to us those people who exhibit behavior
which is socially unacceptable.
About four inches shorter than the last mark of Walter.
Well, some of these pictures show
what Sanford Clark told me,
that he did in fact help in the murder of these children.
Thank you, Detective.
Gentlemen of the jury,
I ask you to take a good look at these images.
They establish beyond any reasonable doubt
the circumstances and the nature of these heinous crimes.
I'm in here, Reverend.
When Walter was here, I used to walk by his room
when he was sleeping.
And even though I couldn't see him or hear him,
I could feel him.
That's why I don't think Walter's dead.
I can still feel him.
Mrs. Collins... - No.
I know what the police said.
But that place and the remains,
they couldn't be properly identified.
And maybe that kid made a mistake when he picked Walter's picture.
I understand you don't want to accept this.
What mother would?
But I think it's time for you to move on
and start over for yourself.
Your son would want you to move on.
Maybe.
Maybe he'd want me to keep looking for him.
Maybe he's somewhere waiting for me.
I believe he is waiting, ma'am.
He's waiting in that place where
we'll all go someday to be reunited with our loved ones.
And on that day, he'll know from front to back, end to end,
heart to soul, that you did everything you could, Mrs. Collins.
Everything.
We should go, ma'am.
One minute.
This meeting will now come to order.
This committee has now heard all of the testimony,
and, in light of the facts presented,
we recommend that the suspension of Captain Jones
be made permanent.
Order! Please. Please.
Mr. Foreman,
has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please rise?
Second, that steps be taken to investigate a change
in the prevailing laws and procedures by which a citizen
of this city can be subjected to incarceration
in the county's mental facilities.
You may read the verdict.
"We the jury find the defendant, Gordon Stewart Northcott,
"guilty on all counts of murder in the first degree."
Finally, restoration of public confidence in the police department
can only be achieved
by the removal of its chief of police,
and this committee so recommends.
This hearing is concluded.
Does the defendant wish to make a statement before judgment is passed?
I want to make it real clear
that I never once got a fair shake from you,
Your Honor,
or from this court.
The only one in here worth a good goddamn is her.
'Cause she's the only one who never badmouthed me to the press.
She's the only one who understands
what it is to be framed by the police
for something you didn't do. All right, that's enough.
And then to just be thrown in the hole,
to just rot and to fester and to be forgotten
and fade away, isn't that right? - Gordon!
Counsel! - Isn't it?
I never killed your boy, Mrs. Collins.
Counsel, that's enough! - I would never do that.
I would never hurt Walter.
Counsel, get control of your client
or I'll have him bound and gagged!
He's an angel.
Come on, Gordon. - Get off of me!
Now get down.
Gordon Stewart Northcott,
it is the judgment of this court
that you be conveyed to San Quentin Prison,
where you'll be held in solitary confinement for a period of two years,
until October 2, 1930.
On that date, you will be hanged by the neck until dead.
May God have mercy on your soul.
Is it all right if I have a 10-minute break?
Of course.
You know,
one of these days you might actually consider taking
one of these 10-minute breaks.
It might be good for you.
We'll see.
This is Christine Collins.
I called yesterday.
I was wondering if you had a chance to look through the files
and see if there was a match to my son, Walter Collins.
I see.
Well, if it's all right with you,
I'll call back in a month. Thank you very much.
Mrs. Collins. - I was just...
Yes, I know.
In fact, that's why I wanted to see you.
It's about Walter. We had a...
Well, we received a very strange telegram.
From who?
Gordon Northcott.
He's asked to see you.
Why?
He said he knows you're still looking for your son,
and before he dies...
He says he lied when he testified that he didn't kill Walter.
Christine, he's willing to finally admit that he did it.
He says if you come up to see him in person,
then he'll tell you the truth, to your face
so that you can get on with your life
and have some peace.
As you know, he's set to be executed
the day after tomorrow at San Quentin,
so you don't have a lot of time.
It took me most of the morning to make all the arrangements.
Turns out, you're the first woman in 30 years
the state has allowed to visit a serial killer
on the eve of his execution.
You'll be all right, ma'am?
Yes. - We're right at the door.
Twenty minutes.
Don't suppose you got a cigarette?
Mr. Northcott, you asked me to come here.
You said that if I did,
you would tell me the truth about my son.
Yeah.
You're right. I did say that.
But see, the thing is,
I didn't really think that you would come.
And now.
And now... And now what?
I just didn't expect that you'd...
I don't wanna see you.
You don't wanna see me?
No. See, I can't do this.
I don't wanna talk to you. I can't talk to you right now,
not with what they're gonna be doing to me tomorrow.
It's one thing, Mrs. Collins, to send a telegram,
that is really easy.
But when it's here, right now, in person, you know,
I just, I can't...
I can't tell you what you want to hear, Mrs. Collins.
And why not?
Because I don't want to go to hell with a lie on my lips.
See, I did my penance,
and I asked God to forgive me and he did, so far as I know.
And I have been really good ever since.
But if I lie now, if I commit any sins right now,
I'm out of time here,
and I won't be forgiven again.
And I'll tell you one thing, I am not going to hell.
I'm not...
Mr. Northcott, you asked me to come here.
Mr. Northcott, please look at me.
Did you kill my son?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Yes, you do. Yes, you do. - Hmm.
Did you kill my son?
I told you, I don't wanna talk to you right now.
Did you kill my son?
- Hmm.
Did you kill my son? - I don't know.
You don't know? You don't remember?
Did you kill my son? - Oh, no.
Answer me! You answer me! You answer me!
I don't know their names. - Did you kill my son? Yes...
You better get off of me.
Or what? - Hmm.
Did you kill my son? - I don't know.
Did you kill...
Did you kill my son?
You know his name! - Oh, I don't. No.
You know his name! You called him an angel!
No. - You know his name!
No, I don't know his name. - Did you kill my son?
They cried for their parents to come and get them and then I...
Did you kill my son? Did you kill my son?
Answer me! - Or what?
Answer me!
What are you gonna do? You gonna hurt me?
I hope you go to hell.
Did you kill my son? - Guard! Hey, guard!
Did you kill my son?
- Ma'am, please.
Come on. - I hope you go to hell!
I hope you go to hell! I hope you go to hell!
I'm sorry, ma'am.
Did you kill my son?
"Gordon Stewart Northcott,
"you have been convicted of murder,
"the penalty for which is death by hanging.
"There have been no stays or reprieves,
"therefore the execution will go forward
"as stipulated under the laws of the State of California."
Do you have any last words?
No.
Nothing.
I kept clean after I confessed, Reverend,
just like I said I would.
Will it...
Will it hurt?
Please, please, not so fast.
Please, don't make me walk so fast!
Please, don't make me!
No, I don't wanna.
No! Thirteen steps.
Thirteen steps.
But I didn't touch them all, you bastards.
I didn't touch them all. I didn't touch them all.
Please!
A prayer! Please!
God!
Please! Somebody here, please,
say a prayer for me!
No, God. No!
No! No!
Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright
Round yon Virgin
Mother and child
We're having a party tonight
at my place for the Academy show.
You want to come? - No, I have a million things to do.
Oh, come on, please. Please!
You girls blew the phone lines out from here to Baltimore.
Someone's gotta fix them.
Go, have a good night. I have the radio.
Okay.
You sure?
I'm sure. I'm sure. Have a good night.
Good night. - Good night.
Listen, I really...
Hello, Ben.
I'm meeting some friends at Musso and Frank's for dinner.
They're gonna pipe in the movie ceremonies into the restaurant.
Should be quite a night.
I'd love it if you'd come.
I just have so much work I should be doing.
Good night.
Ben?
I...
I put $2 down on It Happened One Night
to win Best Picture.
Seems I am the only person that thinks
it has a chance against Cleopatra.
But, if it wins, do you wanna celebrate tomorrow night at dinner?
It's a deal, Christine. See you.
If your movie wins, I'll call you.
I'll be here.
Hi. - Hi.
...The Thin Man, Cleopatra...
Overrated.
... and It Happened One Night.
Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert.
I rest my case.
May I have the envelope, please?
And the winner is It Happened One Night.
I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!
Dinner is on me.
Is this Christine Collins?
Yes, it is.
This is Mrs. Clay. Do you remember me?
Mrs. Clay, of course I remember you.
I just had to call you right off.
What is it? - The police just called.
They found a boy, Christine.
Where? - Lincoln Heights Precinct.
We're leaving right now.
I'll be right down.
Oh, here.
I wanted to go to him right off,
but they said it was important to talk to him alone first.
Are they sure? - They're sure.
But, more important, I'm sure.
It's my boy, all right.
It's David.
He's alive, Christine.
They found him up in Hesperia.
You were walking home from school,
and they told you they needed help finding a dog.
Yeah.
So, after you got in the truck, what happened next?
They drove me around for a long time,
then we ended up at this ranch.
Come on. Come on, Davy.
Davy! Come on. - Get off me.
Don't fight this much. Hey!
Were there other boys there?
Yeah. Five, I think.
It was a long time ago, though.
Hello, boys. This is Davy.
I know you'll make him feel... Hey!
No. No! Hey! Shut up!
Did you speak to them?
Yeah? You remember any of their names?
Yeah.
Two of them were brothers.
I think their last name was Winslow.
The oldest one was Jeffrey.
And Walter.
Walter?
Yeah. - Do you remember Walter's last name?
Collins.
Walter Collins.
Tell me something if you only remember some of the boys' names,
how come you remember his full name?
Because of what happened.
Walter and Jeffrey were talking.
Pull it. - They kept checking around
and they found a part of the coop where the wire was all messed up.
Be careful!
Hurry!
Maybe make enough room to get out of there and run.
When we get out, we split up,
go in different directions. Okay?
They can't catch all of us.
It'd make an awful lot of noise.
Be quiet. You got it?
And if it wasn't wide enough, then we'd be stuck.
Wait. Help! Help! Come on, hurry!
My foot's stuck! Hurry, help! Help me, please!
He's coming! He's...
My foot!
He's coming.
Hurry, run, run, run!
Hey! What the hell are you boys...
Oh! Mary, Mother of God! Hey! Hey! Hey!
You get back here! Hey! Hold it! Hey!
Hey!
Stop!
Check on the others!
Stop! Damn it!
Boys, I'm coming after you!
Damn it! Damn it!
Boys, I'll find you no matter where you are!
They're not in there! - Come on! Get in the car!
I'm gonna find you! Damn it! Damn it! Come on.
Shit! Get in the car, Sanford!
That was the last I saw of any of them.
So, you don't know if either of the other two were captured?
No.
All I know is,
if Walter hadn't come back for me
I don't think I ever would've gotten out of there.
Okay.
So, what happened after that?
I kept off the main roads,
until I saw a train stopped at a crossing and I jumped in.
Why didn't you tell anyone what had happened?
I was afraid.
I thought they'd come after me, or my folks.
So, I just didn't tell anybody.
I was on my own until I got a free meal from this lady, Miss Lansing.
Told her I was an orphan, on my own.
She said I could stay on.
And I did.
Every night,
I'd wake up thinking they were right outside my window.
And then I heard the police talking on the radio
about what happened at the ranch.
And I thought, "For sure I can't go back now."
Why?
Why not?
Since I didn't tell anybody what happened.
I was afraid they'd blame me for those kids being dead.
So I just stayed away.
What made you come forward now, after all this time?
Hmm? Why come forward now?
I really miss my mom.
I really miss my dad.
I just wanna go home.
Are you all right?
I love you.
I still can't believe it.
Five years, case closed, everyone thinks he's dead, and there he is.
Wouldn't be, if it wasn't for Walter.
Your son did a brave thing, Mrs. Collins.
You should be very proud of him.
I am.
You still think he's out there?
Why not?
Three boys made a run for it that night, Detective.
And if one got out,
then maybe either or both of the others did, too.
Maybe Walter's out there, having the same fears that he did.
Afraid to come home and identify himself,
or afraid he'll get into trouble.
But either way,
it gives me something I didn't have before tonight.
What's that?
Hope.
Subtitles by LeapinLar