You Can't Win (2026)

[bunniefuu]

[screaming]

[screaming]

[yelling]

[screaming]

[groans, yelling]

[Chinese]

[Chinese]

[Chinese]

[Chinese]

[muttering]

[coughs]

What for this?

Medicine.

What for medicine?

Make you sleep.

What for sleep?

What for sleeping?

I think maybe steal your money?

[Chinese]

How come

you need money?

I come your store,

I look and I see.

Luc zhe...

Luc zhe...

No. No no no...

No no no, no luc zhe.

No luc zhe. Him no good.

Me good man.

Me have plenty China friend.

Good friends.

[Chinese]

Chew Chee.

Chew Chee?

Him good friend.

I help him.

I have a China letter

in my, in my pocket. See?

Check my pockets.

In this pocket.

My pocket.

China letter.

[reads - Chinese]

Chew Chee!

Letter say...

...you good man.

What for you good man?

What for, huh?

There comes a feeling

of helplessness...

When the prison gates

swallow you up.

Cut you off from the sunshine,

from the flowers of the world.

That feeling soon wears away...

If you got the guts.

Mother's dead?

What is dead?

A man can get ahead by honest

work, John.

You know that, don't you?

So you come to see about

a job, huh?

It's about time

you thought of that.

Instead of laying around,reading

eating up your father's money.

You know when I was your age...

I had four jobs.

At the same time.

And you can too

if you got the gizzard.

Have you got the gizzard?

Yes, sir.

Do you know what a front is?

No sir.

You're the front.

You see that door over there?

Yes, sir.

Never go in there.

You stand here.

In case someone wants a cigar.

And you look out that window.

And if you see anything q*eer

or you see a new copper

on the beat, I want you

to knock...

...right here on this wall,

like so.

[knocks 4 times]

[knocks 4 times]

Better check for dogs.

Hey. I want you to go out front,

look at the sidewalk. Then

go back to the front door.

All right?

We have a mutual friend,

Mrs. Alexander?

She speaks very highly of you.

The name's Older,

Fremont Older.

I'm the editor for the San

Francisco Call.

Maybe we could help each other.

If the bulls catch us

you let me do the talking. Okay.

I'll tell em'

who we are, where we're going.

You just listen.

You never tell 'em your

real name.

Just clam up kid, tell 'em

you're not comfortable

saying anything unless you

got a lawyer, right?

Now they might slug you,

but don't talk.

That's your only salvation.

Damn, I wish that stool pigeon

moon weren't so bright.

[groans]

I want to come in.

I'm ready.

No. Prowlers they, uh,

work better alone.

Okay?

Less confusion.

[g*nsh*t]

Smiler...

Where are you going, son?

I'm going to see my father.

Let go of me! Let go of me!

[massive door closing]

Did you make a statement?

Did you tell them

you two were making the house?

I didn't say anything.

Well that's good.

You do the right thing

you got a family...

and you do the wrong thing

you're alone.

You understand me, kid?

Think so?

Now Smiler,

He was your friend, wasn't he?

He had what you call... quality.

He had character.

He had...

see...

he did wrong things,

but he did them

in the right way,

at the right time.

And any friend of Smiler's...

Is a friend to the Johnsons.

You heard of the Johnson family?

Oh, well,

the Johnsons are everywhere,

right they're on a road,

wherever ye go...

they'll take care of ye.

I think you might want to stick

with the Johnsons.

I think you might find a home

with the Johnsons.

You understand?

[screaming]

Please.

You're going to tell me

all about that robbery

young man?

-Oh...

[screams]

[footsteps]

[train whistle]

These are the names

and addresses of

about 50 people

that carry burglary insurance.

Tells us where they live,

tells us they have valuables,

tells us they are careless.

It also tells us

in a showdown, they will give up

their valuables

without a murmur.

I want to know about

dogs, kids, servants,

sick people.

But don't ask a question

in the neighborhood.

You never scrape acquaintance

with the nurse girl

to ask questions.

All you got to do is walk by

and look.

Sanc, I don't know how

to thank you.

Get yourself a newspaper,

get a book,

read where you can get a good

look at the house

and its occupants.

Look at the porches especially,

hmm?

It's a good time of the year

for a supper sneak.

It's dark when they're dining.

[baby cries]

[faint piano music]

[woman singing]

[baby cries]

[piano music, woman singing]

[clock chimes]

[family eats dinner, laughter]

Come and sit down.

(woman's voice)

John?

(woman's voice)

What's the matter?

(woman's voice)

[train rolling)]

Buy anything you like.

(Sanc)

Of course you want clothes

(Sanc)

that won't detain

the eye for a second.

(Sanc)

Expensive as you like.

(Sanc)

But neutral.

(Sanc)

Be positive in yourself.

(Sanc)

But no positive clothes.

(Sanc)

Understand?

(Sanc)

[footsteps]

[glass breaks]

[faint conversation]

If I'm grabbed with this stuff,

I'll rot in jail

before I put a finger on you.

And if you get grabbed

and you try to get a light jolt

by turning me in.

You're wrong.

I'll throw it all in the river

and you rot in jail.

Are we square?

Yes, ma'am.

We're square.

Feel free to enjoy the house.

(Mary)

Oh! Come here, come here.

(Sanc)

[woman giggling]

Have fun kid.

(Sanc)

No no no.

(Mary)

I'm not done with him yet.

Okay? Don't drag him in there.

We've got some time.

Tiger milk.

To Smiler.

(Mary)

Want you

to get us a couple of g*ns.

38's.

All right.

No off caliber,

no strange makes.

I want the same kind

that everybody else has.

No problem.

I'll go to the hardware store.

Kid.

These aren't the good old days

when any maniac would rush

into a hardware store with money

and then k*ll a man

a block away.

Well then I'll go to

the hock shop.

The hock shop man...

The hock shop man not only

notes the the number

off every g*n but

usually puts a mark on it

for future reference.

The hock shop man is the

hangman's handmaiden.

Where should I go then?

You go to Chinatown.

Chinese are safe to do

any kind of business

with buying or selling.

Chinese do not talk.

And the g*ns come from

such devious routes,

the numbers long

since lost.

Tell 'em your a yeggman.

George!

I got somebody that wants to

say hello.

You remember me?

Yeah.

I remember you, young fella.

Grown some.

(George)

You gathered any wisdom?

(George)

I like to think so.

(Jack)

Well,

First, you might be doing

a lot of legwork.

You're going to be going to

get me some supplies.

You're going to be going

to get me some rail tables

You're going to get me some

guide books-

Dynamite?

No. That's later.

Gonna talk about that.

I'm going to need you to survey

some spots for me.

No problem.

And one very important thing...

It's probably

the most important.

The getaway.

No spot is fat enough to take

unless... you got the

getaway in place.

You learned a little something?

I've been paying attention.

That's good.

Don't let it go to your head.

Now, ye might be a good snapper

up of small things.

Tapper of tills...

But... dynamite.

And when I'm thrashing

out the soup

you're not careful,

we're both dead.

[dogs bark]

I am extracting...

(George)

the expl*sive oil

(George)

of nitroglycerin...

(George)

from this here

(George)

stick of dynamite.

(George)

Fairly simple procedure.

Home recipe.

But it's a dangerous procedure.

You know, I was an apprentice

for a village blacksmith

when I was your age.

Worked for starvation wages so

I could learn about

safes and locks.

And, of course,

when I joined the army

I certainly learned about

the disruptive force

of the powder.

See the thing is, if you

if you drop a stick of dynamite,

it won't blow.

But if you drop this,

it'll blow.

Yeah, that's how I got

this bum foot

you know. Lost my toes.

Look out.

Jesus, George...

Oh, look at this.

Look at this it's stickers.

Stickers...

Peddle these at 60, 80%.

And it'll never be traced.

The government

stands the loss for these.

Yes, yes, yes

I'm strong for the government.

Do you mind if I ask

you a few questions

Mr. Black?

I'm familiar with your charges,

and I'm curious

if you feel you are

in the wrong?

You knew

you were breaking the law,

and yet for years

you kept on doing it. Why?

So all the years of punishment

have not persuaded you

to change your ways?

Has it not been harsh enough?

They got you good.

(Jack)

Beat you up real good.

(Jack)

Why don't you,umm...

(Jack)

take the bench?

(Jack)

Bench.

(Jack)

You don't speak any English?

(Jack)

Sleep.

Sleep.

(Jack)

Here, let me...

Sleep.

[train whistle]

Chugga chugga chugga chugga

chugga chugga

chugga chugga

chugga- choo choo.

Choo choo... All aboard.

(Jack)

Chew Chee .

chugga chugga chugga

chugga chugga chugga chugga

chugga chugga chugga

chugga chugga chugga chugga

Choo choooooo!

[chinese]

Fo che? Fo che?

Fo che.

(Chew Chee)

[screaming outside cell]

Luc zhe.

Pig f*ck.

Pig?

No, no.

(Jack)

Family.

What is family?

Family?

Ga tae.

Ga tae.

Chew Chee...

Your family.

(Jack)

Ga tae.

(Jack)

Hop on down, you two.

(guard)

Next.

Next two.

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nshots]

My lines had been cast...

(Jack)

tho I had cast them myself,

(Jack)

amongst crooked people.

(Jack)

I had not spent one hour

(Jack)

in the presence

of an honest person.

(Jack)

Citizens were to be robbed.

(Jack)

Police were to be avoided.

(Jack)

Hated.

(Jack)

Thieves

(Jack)

were to be cultivated

and protected.

(Jack)

This was the atmosphere

(Jack)

I breathed.

(Jack)

If you live with wolves,

(Jack)

you will learn to howl.

(Jack)

I'm too hungry... i'm too hungry

(woman's voice)

You okay?

Get away from me.

All right, well...

what are you doing down there?

You alright?

You okay.

Hey, hey!

[screaming]

What are you doing?

Come on.

(crying)

Are you hungry?

Want some food?

I'm too hungry...

I'm too hungry to even

k*ll myself.

What's your name?

(woman)

Pick one.

Any one will do.

That's what I usually say.

What do you say?

I just say something

new every time.

What is it this time?

Annie.

Jack.

Stay with me, Jack.

It makes sense.

We both lead complicated lives.

Normal men and women

walking on the streets

don't understand us.

Every morning,

(Sanc)

I want you to go into a good

hotel and pay for the room

for the night. Register

from out of town.

When you get the key,

go back to your own room

and make a duplicate of it.

Mark the duplicate

so you can identify it and plant

somewhere.

Most of the best places

are using the spring locks now

you can't do anything

without a key.

In the afternoon

you go back to the hotel,

tell the clerk

you've been called out of town,

and ask for your money back.

Usually he'll give it to you.

In a week

you'll have the keys

to half a dozen

transient rooms

in the best hotels,

and maybe

we can get some real money.

Evenings are your own affair.

Gentlemen.

Detective.

Is this your room?

Yes it is, of course.

Where are you from?

Spokane, Washington.

Got in this morning, 9:15.

You did...

What's your name?

Charlie Rice.

James. Brown.

What do you do for a living?

I'm a butcher.

[punches]

Sanctimonius!

(Jack)

[detective screaming]

Sanctimonius!

Sanctimonious.

Sanc, wait- Sanc!

(Jack)

[g*nsh*t]

I got something soft for you.

(man's voice)

You can't go wrong.

(man's voice)

Storekeeper here in Chinatown

(man's voice)

sold her this hop.

(man's voice)

He sleeps on top of it.

(man's voice)

Chloroform him.

(woman's voice)

That's easy.

(woman's voice)

I'll get you the chloroform.

(woman's voice)

All you gotta do is

(man's voice)

go in there and get it.

(man's voice)

[screaming]

[screaming]

What for you good man?

What for, huh...?

I come here

to steal your money. I-

I try

No can do.

You catch me.

Look at me.

Look at me.

You good man...

Or bad man?

Maybe me

good man, maybe me bad man.

I don't know...

Oh. Oh...

[cleaver chops]

[Chinese]

[Chinese]

[Chinese]

You go.

[Chinese]

You go!

My letter?

-No letter.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

[train sounds]

Don't you know that hop heads

(George)

will rave about every place

in the world being so sweet

(George)

and so beautiful

and so wonderful and easy...

(George)

and rosy...

(George)

soon as they get a few of those

pills and then about

(George)

everything's so beautiful. You

stay away from them kid.

(George)

I lied to you...

(Jack)

when, umm...

(Jack)

when I told you

my father was dead.

(Jack)

You know, the last thing

he said to me?

Well, Jack...

You'll be what you'll be.

And I can't help or

hinder you.

It seems like the right thing

to say.

[train whistle]

[men yelling, talking]

Son of a b*tch.

(man's voice)

...right and tight...

(man's voice)

The stool pigeon is the

coming race.

(man's voice)

aahhh... you, g*y cats,

dingbats,

you wangs...

[yells]

Jungle buzzards.

All whipped

beyond resistance

by the mysterious... and

irresistible

craving for alky-hol.

Yeah,

What do you say about

that there?

What you say about it?

(George)

Jamaican ginger fiend...

(George)

Drink yourself purple...

(George)

die under the sidewalk.

[bottle breaks

[yelling]

[screaming]

...who the f*ck is that?

(man yelling)

[drilling sounds]

Easy.

Here kid...

take this head of cabbage while

I get the horses.

Right there...

(George)

[horse whinnies]

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

Ours is a crooked business.

(Sanc)

We must not allow ourselves

(Sanc)

to think crooked.

(Sanc)

We must think straight.

(Sanc)

Clearly,

(Sanc)

logically.

(Sanc)

Or we are lost, kid.

(Sanc)

Of course we will lose anyway

(Sanc)

sooner or later.

(Sanc)

Let's not hasten the day

(Sanc)

with loose and careless

thinking.

(Sanc)

Do you have any family?

(Jack)

I mean, people.

(Jack)

There's only ghosts

in my head.

(Jack)

[man snoring]

[snoring stops]

Go back to sleep.

My mother died before

(Jack)

I got very well

acquainted with her.

(Jack)

I don't remember being shocked

(Jack)

or pained when she was buried.

(Jack)

Saw my father crying.

(Jack)

And I tried to cry.

(Jack)

Because it was expected of me.

(Jack)

What was your dad like?

(woman's voice)

Silent.

A little boy without a mother

is a fit problem

for any father's mind.

My father was a...

thoughtful man.

There is no substitute

for a home and for a mother.

Why are you here?

(Jack)

I can't sleep.

(woman's voice)

That's not what I meant.

I mean, here.

Why are you working here?

Men we meet here

don't lie to us or deceive us

like they do out on the world.

They just...

come in

and look us over

like the butcher used

to look at fat hogs in the fall.

We know what they come for.

They know, we know. So...

there's no lying and deception

and promising a job.

[knocking on door]

[bang on door]

[bang on door]

[bang on door]

They took the payroll...

(man yelling)

Who is it?

They took the payroll, you're

money's gone.

(man yelling)

Sir, we want you to explain

your presence here.

(man's voice)

Your business,

(man's voice)

who you are.

(man's voice)

What do you do for a living?

(man's voice)

Where are you from?

(man's voice)

Is this the man?

Is this him?

Jeb!

Go get some rope.

You give me the money.

And you can go free.

[Jack growls]

Draw a map.

50-50.

[paper crumpling]

[Jack spits]

[Jack spits]

It seems to me...

(Older)

that in order to address

(Older)

the corrupt individual.

(Older)

We must first

(Older)

study ourselves.

(Older)

[whip crack]

And learn more about the evil

(Older)

that is within us

(Older)

before we set out after

the other fellow.

(Older)

[whip crack]

[whip crack]

[whip crack]

Do you... have any red licorice?

This aint no candy store.

-No?

-No.

I got no money.

(screaming)

You stay the f*ck down.

Where's the g*dd*mn morphine?

Alright now hear you go...

Don't you move!

If you could tell others

(Older)

what you've been through,

what you've endured,

(Older)

that would help me...

(Older)

open eyes and affect reform.

(Older)

I'm an old friend of Judge Dunn.

(Older)

I have many friends

in the district

(Older)

attorney's office.

(Older)

Perhaps I could help you by

(Older)

getting your sentence reduced.

(Older)

Have you ever written down

(Older)

any of your thoughts?

(Older)

I would be interested

(Older)

in reading your views.

(Older)

And I don't think

(Older)

I'd be the only one.

(Older)

And I have no illusions

(Older)

that if I were to help you,

that you wouldn't let me down.

(Older)

I've helped hundreds of people

(Older)

and all but 1 or 2 have

failed me.

(Older)

Good day, Mr. Black

(Older)

Goodnight Jack.

(man's voice)

Jack.

(man's voice)

Just show me some life,

(man's voice)

and then we'll go easy on you.

(man's voice)

Good boy.

(man's voice)

Don't do that.

(man's voice)

My name is Mrs.

(woman's voice)

Alexander.

(woman's voice)

I work for the Salvation Army.

(woman's voice)

I'm here passing out books

to inmates with longer

(woman's voice)

sentences.

(woman's voice)

Do you read?

Do you read?

Are you a ghost?

I'm a widow.

My husband was shot in

cold blood in a robbery...

for a broken watch.

The love I felt for my husband

was equal to the hatred

that I felt

for his murderers.

And my love for my husband

was infinite.

Things have been done to you.

Terrible things.

And they must have been

very painful.

And you

have the right to that pain.

But hate....

will destroy you.

I believe

that people who have been

brutalized

can be turned around

by kindness.

I have seen

miraculous transformations.

Take my advice, kid.

(George)

You got to be careful with

your g*n.

(George)

It's a good servant

(George)

but you don't want

to let it become your master.

(George)

Or it'll hang ye.

(George)

It'll hang ye.

(George)

Packed one for 30 years.

(George)

Every time I used it

(George)

I've been wrong.

(George)

Except maybe this last time.

(George)

This last time I was right.

(George)

Mary.

Oh, Mary.

Did you get my letter?

Poor George,

I thought you were in Pocatello.

You must be mistaken, mister.

I don't know you.

And you don't know me.

Mary-

You're mistaken.

My name is not Mary,

and I don't know you.

And I've never

been to Pocatello in my life.

Mary, just-

No.

Alright Miss.

I must be mistaken.

We've been too far apart

too long.

I'm sorry

that I wasn't there with you

when you were sick.

And you needed me.

But I guess it's good

you died

without knowing what I did

with my life.

[knocking on window]

I'm a hop fiend.

I have a 25 year habit.

If I can't kick it on my own

I'm going to take this p*stol...

And I'm going to sh**t myself.

I think you're just downhearted.

Downhearted?!

[clock chimes, ticks]

[radiator knocks]

[radiator knocks]

[radiator knocks]

[radiator knocks]

[radiator knocks]

[bangs head on wall]

[bangs head on wall]

You are a burglar.

(Jack)

You go to the kitchen window.

(Jack)

You go to perform

a very delicate operation,

(Jack)

taking a pane of glass

out piece by piece.

(Jack)

You reach your hand in,

(Jack)

you release the catch.

(Jack)

You raise the window

(Jack)

up slowly, noiselessly.

Inside you see bottles, boxes,

can opener, corkscrew,

toothbrush.

These items you remove

one at a time.

Place them outside,

below the window.

If you manage to get in

without disturbing the dishes

or the pans,

you open the kitchen door.

That's going to be your getaway

in case anything causes you

to hurry out of that house.

Now it's very dark in the house.

But you light no matches.

Nor do you use a flashlight.

Years of this work

has developed.

a... a cat like sense in you.

You can sense an object in

front of you without seeing it.

Without feeling it. You...

you feel your way

to the dining room.

Sit down on a chair.

You remove your shoes

one at a time,

place them in your back

pocket, heels up.

Because you're not staying

downstairs.

We're going upstairs

where the sleepers are...

where the valuables are.

Takes you about 25 minutes

to get up those stairs

and they creak.

You have to find solid places

to put your weight.

And you know the creaking won't

wake the sleeping people

but you don't know yet

whether or not they are asleep.

They should be lying awake

in bed

they'll know what

that creaking meant.

And then you might get shot.

But now you're at the bedroom

door.

It's latched,

but it's not locked.

That's good.

So you push the door open

an inch

and you can hear the

regular up and down

breathing of the healthy sleeper

So you wait there a long time,

maybe seven minutes,

with your hand on a doorknob.

You're just listening.

There are two sleepers in the

room, one of them is snoring,

and you

wish he would not snore.

Might wake up

the other person. Might wake up

himself.

Snorers do wake themselves.

[applause]

How do you feel?

The lawyers have been through it

they only need a few changes.

You're doing good.

You didn't let me down.

[phone rings]

Main library.

This is he.

[garbled voice]

I'm...

I'm sorry I can't do that.

...come right now.

(voice on phone)

I can't do that.

I'm sorry.