March 29, 2022 • 22 mins
Fred goes live on the air with Tony, knowing that with one wrong word... the gun goes off.
Starring: Jon Hamm, Joe Perrino, Dylan Baker, Carla Gugino and Becky Ann Baker
Directed by: Shawn Christensen
Written by: CD Carpenter
Starring: Jon Hamm, Joe Perrino, Dylan Baker, Carla Gugino and Becky Ann Baker
Directed by: Shawn Christensen
Written by: CD Carpenter
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
American Hostage is an Amazon Original andCriminal Content production. This podcast is based
on a true story of a hostagecrisis that took place in Indianapolis in nineteen
seventy seven. Listener Discretion is advisedEpisode five the interview. Hey, Fred,
(00:39):
look at me. It's almost time, so I need to listen up.
There are a few more things youneed to know. What Hey you
okay? Sure you're good? Yeah, yeah, Roy, I'm fine.
I'm sorry. I was just thinking. No, that's okay. Look,
I need you to listen. Okay, sure, sure. What you were
doing earlier was great. All right, keep humanizing you humanized Dick. Everything
(01:00):
feel tangible. It was great.Okay. Yeah, but if you get
a chance, I want you toset up a trade. The trade.
Yeah, you're gonna tell him thatwill give him something if he gives us
something. Well, he's not gonnagive Dick up that easily. No,
no, no, we don't startwith Dick. We don't start with Dick.
Okay, We're going to take hisplan apart, piece by piece.
We offer him something small for somethingsmall in return, like tell him that
(01:26):
we'll get him a cheeseburger if hedisconnects the bomb, right, or tell
him he can have a pizza.If he dismantles the dead man's line and
gives us the shotgun, right,you start small, We chip away at
him. Okay, I can dothat. Now I need to talk to
you about what happens if he doesshoot Dick. Oh well, well we
(01:46):
kill the broadcast and drop the No. No, no, no, no,
you can't do that. You can'thold on, hold on there.
What do you mean we can't dothat. We're not keeping him on the
air. If he shoots Dick,Jim, you can cut the broadcast,
but you can't cut off the phone. Christ. Statistically, if a person
dies in a hostage situation, thelikelihood of more violent shoots up I nearly
seventy five. If Tony kills Dickand we can't get him to disconnect the
(02:07):
bomb, he might sit off thewhole building and you're gonna lose the cops
that are outside. All right,all right, so it's imperative you keep
him on the phone and you calmhim down. Shit, you just had
to call him back, didn't you. Okay, all right, now,
just don't stress him out. No, look, I'm fine, I'm fine.
Good, Look, I'm gonna belistening in all right, I'll be
right there. Once he picks thatphone up and the interview he starts going,
(02:30):
here is one and only Tether introducinga third party. He's only going
to remind him that he's being watchedfrom every angle, and we need him
to forget about that. We needhim think that you have all the answers?
Can you do that? Fred?Yeah, I can do it.
Okay, what time is it?I'm gonna stand till Okay, Roy,
(02:51):
how many people have you talked down? You're gonna do great? Fred.
I'm gonna go grab a cup ofcoffee. I'll be right back. What
do you bet this is Roy's firstday of work? Huh? You uh?
(03:13):
What are you doing after this?Oh? Yeah? I uh?
You know I got a question aboutif door vacation days roll over year to
year. You know I heard yours? Do It's good? You got any
recommendations? Sure? Women love France? Hmmm, So who would get my
(03:36):
slot while I'm going Gary? Ofcourse? People love Gary? Fred.
I gotta give the people what theywant. You know, Tony thinks for
friends, you're gonna send him afterme? Well, maybe considerate. Okay,
(03:58):
let's get scone all right. I'mgonna leave you guys to it.
I'll be listening in my office.All right, Good luck, Fred,
Thank you, Jim. You're ready? Fred? Okay, Hey, shut
(04:29):
up my phone. That's my interview. Hey, Tony, Tony, we've
got a little more we have totalk about. So if it's later,
I gotta talk to Fred. Hello, Fred, Sup? Fred you there.
I'm here, Tony. Fred.She will never believe it. They
said, yes, they're gonna getme five million dollars. Fred. I
(04:54):
can't believe it. I deserve everypenny, but I can't believe it.
Well, Tony, I'm happy thatit's all working out for you. Yeah,
they got to bring me the check. Still, that I know just
as good as anybody. Nothing's gooduntil the check's in your hand. You've
ever seen five million dollars? Friend? No, no, no, Tony,
I can't say I have. Whatdo you make being a celebrity at
(05:15):
all? Oh? Well, I'mI'm not a I'm not a celebrity,
Tony. I'm just a I'm justa news bullshit. You're the most important
man on radio. What do youmake a year? And I don't don't
don't be modest well about about eighteenthousand, eighteen thousand a year. That's
(05:36):
not gonna do. Fred. I'mgoing to give you some of this five
million dollars pal because I respect you, man, and I know I've been
wrenching your wheel. Thank you.Tony. How is how is Dick?
Dick? How are you doing?Okay? Fred? He's doing okay?
Fred? Well that's good, that'sthat's that's good. Uh. Uh so,
(06:00):
Tony, since uh, you know, since you got that deal worked
out, maybe uh maybe you canuh maybe you can can trade us something.
What does that mean? Fred?You know, since you're you're getting
you're five million? Do do youdo you think you could take the gun
off, Dick? Maybe toss itout the window or something. What are
(06:24):
you talking about um as a showof uh good faith? No, they
never said anything about that. Inever agreed to anything like that. Well
no, no, no, Iknow, it's just a it's just an
idea, you know from me.Uh or if if you want a cheeseburger,
(06:46):
uh we can, we can,we can get you a cheeseburger and
you can give us the gun.I don't know what the fuck you're talking
about. Man. Uh well,well, well that's all right, Tony,
that's okay. Um, Look,it's um it's almost noon. So
what's what's going to happen is you'llyou'll hear the jingle and then I'll do
(07:09):
the intro for our talk. Okay, Fred, are you all right?
Man? Look yeah, I'm aI'm a little nervous, Tony. I
get nervous before every broadcast. SoI'm also going to give our listeners a
little warning about potential language. Tony, do you do you think you can
watch yourself? Sure? Kid?All right? Then, all right,
(07:33):
here we go. Good afternoon.I'm Fred Heckman with w IBC. Yesterday
afternoon, I received a call froman operator at the Indiana Bell Telephone Company.
She said mister Tony Curtsis had beentrying to get into the newsroom,
(07:56):
and he went, oh hello Tony. Oh you're just fine, Tony,
but you you go ahead and finish. I want you to do it right
for you, okay, as wellas you can already tell. We are
currently on the line with mister Curtzisand he has a lot he wants to
say. We'd like to take thisopportunity to warn our listeners about any potentially
(08:16):
offensive language, as Tony will bethe first to admit he can sometimes speak
in an uncouth manner. So,Tony, if I'm going to be on,
I'm I'm sorry, mister Ayman.I thought you were finished. Oh
boy, that's okay, Tony,Why don't you Why don't you tell us
where you're calling from? I'm currentlysitting in my apartment in Crestwood Village.
It's easy to find because every fuckingpolice cruiser in the city is currently parked
(08:39):
outside. Oh yes, and Tonywent in and fucked it up, didn't
I Tony jim gentile reminder. Weare out to three hundred and thirty thousand
people here. Yeah, I amseeing the mistake of that man every time
the guy swears that cost us tenthousand dollars. So what are we going
to do? I'm not hearing anySo why you've taken Richard Hall hostage?
(09:05):
And if you have any intention ofreleasing mister Hall back to his family,
Fred, let me ask you something. Do you take pride in your work?
Yes? I do, Tony.Would you do anything else for a
job? No? I can't say. I what Tony? Now, you've
got a family, Fred, Iknow that because we've talked about it.
(09:26):
I know you have kids and awife, and I know you love them
very much. Yes, yes,sir, And if you didn't have them,
you pour yourself into your work everysingle day. Am I right?
Well, I'd say you're right,because for some men, work is all
we have. For some men,we don't feel American without work. We
don't have an identity without work.Now let me ask you something else,
(09:50):
Fred, Do you come from money? No, sir, I do not.
I can't form you, goddamn scraps. Fred. I came crawling at
it a dirt and maybe any bloodyand bruised, and I started based father
race here. I stayed that waveuntil the day he died. I broke
the bones for my work a supertwelve times a week, and I've jumped
from job to job to job andhaving had anything in my fight. Tony
(10:13):
Kurtzis had been screaming into the voidfor years before the world noticed him,
before I heard him. And thatdoesn't mean I should have let you speak.
When I was coming up, thenews came once a day, maybe
twice. We'd either buy it onthe corner or it would land on our
doorstep. Then it came over theradio waves and now on television, propaganda
(10:35):
in your living room, wedged betweencommercials for toilet paper and painkillers. Nowadays,
something needs to happen every hour,every minute where they tune out.
America is fast becoming a country ofprepackaged content, the TV dinner generation.
I was going to build my lifewith that one hundred and thirty grand,
and they took it away like itwas nothing. Okay, Tony, Now
(10:56):
we want to get the story straight. So you were wanting to deve up
some land. I've been an angryman for forty four years. Nobody has
had the adversity that I've had.But in spite of that, and without
arrogance, and without putting friends down, and without being egotistical, I am
the strongest man mentally that I know. The average guy who would have gone
through this would have already had aheart attack into our stroke. These guys
are lucky they're doing with me,because some nervous Norman would have already shot
(11:20):
him. I think everybody can appreciatethat you've been steady through all of this,
Tony, You're goddamn right now.I want you to ask me why
I did this. Ask me whatpossesses a man to tie a shotgun around
viccalls Nick and walk him through hisown shit in front of the entire world.
(11:41):
Ask me, what would possess aman to do such a thing,
Tony, righteousness, vengeance, becauseI was fed a myth at the moment
of my birth, a myth thatsaid, the American dream is yours if
you can fight for it. Well, I've fought for every goddamn second of
my life and I had it.I had to dream in my hands,
(12:03):
and the system took it away,the system that says you can't be one
of us. You were born tosuffer, and that's how you'll die.
And I'm not taking it anymore.I want to have a calm and rational
discussion with you about all of that. No, you're interrupt don't interrupt me.
Friends, Now, I like youand you're my best friend, but
don't you interrupt me. This countrywas milt by poor men. We thought
(12:24):
it's wars we put up in citiesand each my fucking inch. We fought
against the oppression of the ira class. And every time we get a fucking
centimeter of freedom, it came byway of dragging these rich assles. Kicking
his streaming across the line of congress. Now tell me I'm wrong. Friend,
You tell me I'm wrong. Ican't. I grew up hard,
just like you did. And Iknow the value of a hard day's work.
(12:45):
And I know you're angry, ButI've just never known an anger so
great that it could cost someone else'slife. That's because you never had to
take it away from you, Fred, If you had you taken away from
you, you would know, Youwould know this anger. Now we should
have a little dignity in our conversationhere. We should leave my wife out
of it. You're right, I'msorry about that, Fred, and I
(13:07):
hope you're globally. Wife is listening, so I can apologize to her too.
Thank you, Tony. Now,how can we get this all settled?
It is settled. I'm walking outof this a freeman at five million
dollars richer. They're giving me immunityand they're giving me five million dollars.
And don't call it a reward,because it isn't a reward. It's a
(13:30):
justice. It's a goddamn justice,and that's the only word for it.
So you'll let mister Hall go.Once you get the check, once I
get the chick, Once I getthe chick, it'll make an apology,
a public apology, and about whathe did to me, And then I
(13:50):
could look for mercy in my heart. But it's will hidden. Fred.
I couldn't find it right now ifI tried, and I don't want to
try. Fred, do you understandwhat I'm saying? I do I understand?
Oh no, Fred, do youunderstand? Because if you understood,
you want him just as much asI do. I hate to mention the
obvious here, but this guy's fingeris wrapped around trigger. I can't say
(14:11):
I would do what you're doing.Oh my gosh. I want you to
open up the phone lines right now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Tony.
I don't think I understood that lastI said. I want you to
open up the phone lines. I'mgonna show you what I'm talking about.
I want people to call in andto tell you that they see what I'm
doing, that they see what Iunderstand. Well, Tony, we're not
set up to take calls at theSwear to god, Fred, you are
(14:35):
hitching to hear that gunshot, aren'tyou. Aren't you? You want them
dead just as much as I do. You have to to tell me no,
look, I don't want him dead, Tony. That's not the number.
The phone line blesses motherfucker's brains allover the receiver. So are you
hear he's goddamn thoughts, Tony?Do you think I'm gonna ask again if
(14:58):
you would like to call it tothe station. Our number is five five
zero six three nine, Tony.We'll need to take a short break here
to get these calls wired up,and then the machine we use needs to
uh, you know, we've gotto wake it up. Wake it up
(15:18):
a machine. Yeah, well,it's not it's not easy to get everything
connected down here. We've got oldequipment and we didn't know you'd want people
to call in. That's fine,you do what you have to serve.
But if it isn't ready in fiveminutes, everyone's going to feel like they're
listening to the fourth of July.All right, all right, stay on
the line there, Tony. I'mnot going anywhere. We'll be back in
(15:43):
the moment right after this station breakclose about what I say? Right?
(16:07):
What do we do? We can'thave people calling in, Roy, you
tell me what to say to thisman, because I'm out of idea.
What the hell was that Fred,we can't take I'm getting sick of everyone
saying what we can't do without tellingme what I should do. What am
I supposed to say? He's gota goddamn gun in someone's face. Allow
third parties to call in, anddidn't rec himend third parties. The lunatic
with the shotgun recommended the third parties? And what does he mean when he
(16:30):
keeps saying you're giving him five milliondollars? I don't know it's not from
us. Well, who's making thatdeal? Why am I finding out about
it right now? Call Bob farI can't go into these things blind anymore.
I need help. Phones are lightingAmerica wants to talk to the crazy
man? Who could have seen thatcoming? Why don't we lie? Say
the magic machine friend was talking aboutdoesn't orc? Because Gary Wilcox was reporting
(16:52):
this morning and he took a callon the air from Chief Gallagher. We
know that Tony's been listening to thebroadcast, so he'll know we're lyne.
Can we fake the lines being open? How do we do that? When
you go back into the interview.We'll just have people in here in the
newsroom pretend to be callers and they'lltalk to him. No, No,
he knows all the reporters voices.He's an active listener of the station.
Okay, we'll use cops. That, we'll use cops. They've had every
(17:15):
cop in the city on rotation athis door for the past thirty hours.
We don't know who he's already docked, and we don't have time to screen
these calls. Right, we couldscreen in between. Just tell each caller
they can ask one question, andwhile Tony's answering, we scream the other's
weight. Roy, you've got totell us what to do. I shouldn't
have gotten to this point. Roy, You've got to tell us what to
(17:37):
do. If you open those phonelines, you're out in the wild West.
I can't account for who calls in, what they'll say, and just
how he'll react. Well, ifwe don't open the lines, does he
shoot Dick? Yes, then weopen the line. Hold on so o.
No, there's no other option.We know he shoots Dick if we
keep him closed. We know oneh right age of Peterson. You can't
(18:00):
know anything one hundred percent. Okay, but the odds are better with them
open, they're better. Yes,Yes, okay, fine, um,
okay, look anything we could doto minimize the risk we do. So,
what's your name, Sally Kilmer?Sally, you get two people who
can trust to help screen the calls. You're gonna get five people on the
(18:21):
queue, one after the other,and have them ready to go while we're
talking to one on the broadcast.I want the others drilled. All right.
I want cops talking every person weput on the air before we put
them on the air. Got it? Okay, Fred, we're taking five
calls total. You get them tocompromise on five calls, one question each.
I think you could do that.I can try. What do we
have for time? About one minuteleft? All right, let's move Come
(18:45):
on, all right, Fred,five calls, I got ITIBC. Tony
you still there, I'm still here, mister Hickman. All right, I'm
gonna take us back to broadcast ina second. Tony. We've got time
for five callers and they'll be allowedto ask one question each. Well,
(19:10):
we've got all the time in theworld, Fred, Everyone who wants we
should be able to call in.Yeah. Well, it's more of an
expense thing for us, Tony.You see, it's expensive for us to
hold on all these calls. Andthen broadcast now paid for whatever expenses there
are. I'm getting five million dollarsafter all, Tony, we've got.
It's just going to be best forus to give you five callers. Now.
(19:30):
I think that's fair, and Ihope you'll think on our friendship and
see that that's fair. You soundtired, Fred, I am, Tony.
I'm pretty tired. Five callers willbe fine, sir. Thank you,
Tony, Yes, sir? Areyou ready to go back into broadcast?
(19:51):
Yes, sir, all right,I'll Dallas in next time on American
Hostage. I told you they wouldget it to people to get it for
you're on the air. I'd liketo take the place of mister Hall.
You want to do what they've gotorders to go in asapack. You can't
(20:15):
blow up an entire fucking building,Sally. If you need somebody, you
can take me. Who the hellare you saved the crisis, the closest
thing we've had the progress in twodays, and we're gonna have swap looks
at all? You are you talkto me? Tony? Are you there?
(20:38):
American Hostage is an Amazon original andCriminal Content production written by C.
D. Carpenter, directed by SeanChristiansen, produced by Adam Vollerich and Brendan
Hubbard. Executive produced by John Hamm, Sean Christiansen and Gabriel Mason, starring
(20:59):
John Am, Joe Perino, DylanBaker, and Becky Ann Baker, with
additional performances by Christina Brucado, SeanChristiansen, Michael Dreyer. Sound designed by
Brandon Jones, composed by Darren Morsey, Editing by Thomas Beach, Sean Christiansen
and Adam Voolridge. Recording and engineeringby Dave Williams, Mixing, mastering and
(21:23):
additional editing by Nick Messidi. Idreads by Natalie Prass for Amazon Music.
Executive producers are Morgan Jones and DaveEaston. Senior producer is Eliza Mills.
Special thanks to Jacob Braunstein, PhilSanchez, Chris Davis, Jack Parker,
(21:45):
Marcellino, v Elpondo, Stephanie Walkney, Blad Norman Vanessa Rebert, Sam Petherbridge,
Cale Bittner, Alice Zoe, TrevorMcNeil, i, Jacobsen, Rich
Sherman Marshall, Louie w IBC,Wish TV, and Creative Artists Agency,
American Hostage is an Amazon Original andCriminal Content production. This podcast is based
on a true story of a hostagecrisis that took place in Indianapolis in nineteen
seventy seven. Listener Discretion is advisedEpisode five the interview. Hey, Fred,
(00:39):
look at me. It's almost time, so I need to listen up.
There are a few more things youneed to know. What Hey you
okay? Sure you're good? Yeah, yeah, Roy, I'm fine.
I'm sorry. I was just thinking. No, that's okay. Look,
I need you to listen. Okay, sure, sure. What you were
doing earlier was great. All right, keep humanizing you humanized Dick. Everything
(01:00):
feel tangible. It was great.Okay. Yeah, but if you get
a chance, I want you toset up a trade. The trade.
Yeah, you're gonna tell him thatwill give him something if he gives us
something. Well, he's not gonnagive Dick up that easily. No,
no, no, we don't startwith Dick. We don't start with Dick.
Okay, We're going to take hisplan apart, piece by piece.
We offer him something small for somethingsmall in return, like tell him that
(01:26):
we'll get him a cheeseburger if hedisconnects the bomb, right, or tell
him he can have a pizza.If he dismantles the dead man's line and
gives us the shotgun, right,you start small, We chip away at
him. Okay, I can dothat. Now I need to talk to
you about what happens if he doesshoot Dick. Oh well, well we
(01:46):
kill the broadcast and drop the No. No, no, no, no,
you can't do that. You can'thold on, hold on there.
What do you mean we can't dothat. We're not keeping him on the
air. If he shoots Dick,Jim, you can cut the broadcast,
but you can't cut off the phone. Christ. Statistically, if a person
dies in a hostage situation, thelikelihood of more violent shoots up I nearly
seventy five. If Tony kills Dickand we can't get him to disconnect the
(02:07):
bomb, he might sit off thewhole building and you're gonna lose the cops
that are outside. All right,all right, so it's imperative you keep
him on the phone and you calmhim down. Shit, you just had
to call him back, didn't you. Okay, all right, now,
just don't stress him out. No, look, I'm fine, I'm fine.
Good, Look, I'm gonna belistening in all right, I'll be
right there. Once he picks thatphone up and the interview he starts going,
(02:30):
here is one and only Tether introducinga third party. He's only going
to remind him that he's being watchedfrom every angle, and we need him
to forget about that. We needhim think that you have all the answers?
Can you do that? Fred?Yeah, I can do it.
Okay, what time is it?I'm gonna stand till Okay, Roy,
(02:51):
how many people have you talked down? You're gonna do great? Fred.
I'm gonna go grab a cup ofcoffee. I'll be right back. What
do you bet this is Roy's firstday of work? Huh? You uh?
(03:13):
What are you doing after this?Oh? Yeah? I uh?
You know I got a question aboutif door vacation days roll over year to
year. You know I heard yours? Do It's good? You got any
recommendations? Sure? Women love France? Hmmm, So who would get my
(03:36):
slot while I'm going Gary? Ofcourse? People love Gary? Fred.
I gotta give the people what theywant. You know, Tony thinks for
friends, you're gonna send him afterme? Well, maybe considerate. Okay,
(03:58):
let's get scone all right. I'mgonna leave you guys to it.
I'll be listening in my office.All right, Good luck, Fred,
Thank you, Jim. You're ready? Fred? Okay, Hey, shut
(04:29):
up my phone. That's my interview. Hey, Tony, Tony, we've
got a little more we have totalk about. So if it's later,
I gotta talk to Fred. Hello, Fred, Sup? Fred you there.
I'm here, Tony. Fred.She will never believe it. They
said, yes, they're gonna getme five million dollars. Fred. I
(04:54):
can't believe it. I deserve everypenny, but I can't believe it.
Well, Tony, I'm happy thatit's all working out for you. Yeah,
they got to bring me the check. Still, that I know just
as good as anybody. Nothing's gooduntil the check's in your hand. You've
ever seen five million dollars? Friend? No, no, no, Tony,
I can't say I have. Whatdo you make being a celebrity at
(05:15):
all? Oh? Well, I'mI'm not a I'm not a celebrity,
Tony. I'm just a I'm justa news bullshit. You're the most important
man on radio. What do youmake a year? And I don't don't
don't be modest well about about eighteenthousand, eighteen thousand a year. That's
(05:36):
not gonna do. Fred. I'mgoing to give you some of this five
million dollars pal because I respect you, man, and I know I've been
wrenching your wheel. Thank you.Tony. How is how is Dick?
Dick? How are you doing?Okay? Fred? He's doing okay?
Fred? Well that's good, that'sthat's that's good. Uh. Uh so,
(06:00):
Tony, since uh, you know, since you got that deal worked
out, maybe uh maybe you canuh maybe you can can trade us something.
What does that mean? Fred?You know, since you're you're getting
you're five million? Do do youdo you think you could take the gun
off, Dick? Maybe toss itout the window or something. What are
(06:24):
you talking about um as a showof uh good faith? No, they
never said anything about that. Inever agreed to anything like that. Well
no, no, no, Iknow, it's just a it's just an
idea, you know from me.Uh or if if you want a cheeseburger,
(06:46):
uh we can, we can,we can get you a cheeseburger and
you can give us the gun.I don't know what the fuck you're talking
about. Man. Uh well,well, well that's all right, Tony,
that's okay. Um, Look,it's um it's almost noon. So
what's what's going to happen is you'llyou'll hear the jingle and then I'll do
(07:09):
the intro for our talk. Okay, Fred, are you all right?
Man? Look yeah, I'm aI'm a little nervous, Tony. I
get nervous before every broadcast. SoI'm also going to give our listeners a
little warning about potential language. Tony, do you do you think you can
watch yourself? Sure? Kid?All right? Then, all right,
(07:33):
here we go. Good afternoon.I'm Fred Heckman with w IBC. Yesterday
afternoon, I received a call froman operator at the Indiana Bell Telephone Company.
She said mister Tony Curtsis had beentrying to get into the newsroom,
(07:56):
and he went, oh hello Tony. Oh you're just fine, Tony,
but you you go ahead and finish. I want you to do it right
for you, okay, as wellas you can already tell. We are
currently on the line with mister Curtzisand he has a lot he wants to
say. We'd like to take thisopportunity to warn our listeners about any potentially
(08:16):
offensive language, as Tony will bethe first to admit he can sometimes speak
in an uncouth manner. So,Tony, if I'm going to be on,
I'm I'm sorry, mister Ayman.I thought you were finished. Oh
boy, that's okay, Tony,Why don't you Why don't you tell us
where you're calling from? I'm currentlysitting in my apartment in Crestwood Village.
It's easy to find because every fuckingpolice cruiser in the city is currently parked
(08:39):
outside. Oh yes, and Tonywent in and fucked it up, didn't
I Tony jim gentile reminder. Weare out to three hundred and thirty thousand
people here. Yeah, I amseeing the mistake of that man every time
the guy swears that cost us tenthousand dollars. So what are we going
to do? I'm not hearing anySo why you've taken Richard Hall hostage?
(09:05):
And if you have any intention ofreleasing mister Hall back to his family,
Fred, let me ask you something. Do you take pride in your work?
Yes? I do, Tony.Would you do anything else for a
job? No? I can't say. I what Tony? Now, you've
got a family, Fred, Iknow that because we've talked about it.
(09:26):
I know you have kids and awife, and I know you love them
very much. Yes, yes,sir, And if you didn't have them,
you pour yourself into your work everysingle day. Am I right?
Well, I'd say you're right,because for some men, work is all
we have. For some men,we don't feel American without work. We
don't have an identity without work.Now let me ask you something else,
(09:50):
Fred, Do you come from money? No, sir, I do not.
I can't form you, goddamn scraps. Fred. I came crawling at
it a dirt and maybe any bloodyand bruised, and I started based father
race here. I stayed that waveuntil the day he died. I broke
the bones for my work a supertwelve times a week, and I've jumped
from job to job to job andhaving had anything in my fight. Tony
(10:13):
Kurtzis had been screaming into the voidfor years before the world noticed him,
before I heard him. And thatdoesn't mean I should have let you speak.
When I was coming up, thenews came once a day, maybe
twice. We'd either buy it onthe corner or it would land on our
doorstep. Then it came over theradio waves and now on television, propaganda
(10:35):
in your living room, wedged betweencommercials for toilet paper and painkillers. Nowadays,
something needs to happen every hour,every minute where they tune out.
America is fast becoming a country ofprepackaged content, the TV dinner generation.
I was going to build my lifewith that one hundred and thirty grand,
and they took it away like itwas nothing. Okay, Tony, Now
(10:56):
we want to get the story straight. So you were wanting to deve up
some land. I've been an angryman for forty four years. Nobody has
had the adversity that I've had.But in spite of that, and without
arrogance, and without putting friends down, and without being egotistical, I am
the strongest man mentally that I know. The average guy who would have gone
through this would have already had aheart attack into our stroke. These guys
are lucky they're doing with me,because some nervous Norman would have already shot
(11:20):
him. I think everybody can appreciatethat you've been steady through all of this,
Tony, You're goddamn right now.I want you to ask me why
I did this. Ask me whatpossesses a man to tie a shotgun around
viccalls Nick and walk him through hisown shit in front of the entire world.
(11:41):
Ask me, what would possess aman to do such a thing,
Tony, righteousness, vengeance, becauseI was fed a myth at the moment
of my birth, a myth thatsaid, the American dream is yours if
you can fight for it. Well, I've fought for every goddamn second of
my life and I had it.I had to dream in my hands,
(12:03):
and the system took it away,the system that says you can't be one
of us. You were born tosuffer, and that's how you'll die.
And I'm not taking it anymore.I want to have a calm and rational
discussion with you about all of that. No, you're interrupt don't interrupt me.
Friends, Now, I like youand you're my best friend, but
don't you interrupt me. This countrywas milt by poor men. We thought
(12:24):
it's wars we put up in citiesand each my fucking inch. We fought
against the oppression of the ira class. And every time we get a fucking
centimeter of freedom, it came byway of dragging these rich assles. Kicking
his streaming across the line of congress. Now tell me I'm wrong. Friend,
You tell me I'm wrong. Ican't. I grew up hard,
just like you did. And Iknow the value of a hard day's work.
(12:45):
And I know you're angry, ButI've just never known an anger so
great that it could cost someone else'slife. That's because you never had to
take it away from you, Fred, If you had you taken away from
you, you would know, Youwould know this anger. Now we should
have a little dignity in our conversationhere. We should leave my wife out
of it. You're right, I'msorry about that, Fred, and I
(13:07):
hope you're globally. Wife is listening, so I can apologize to her too.
Thank you, Tony. Now,how can we get this all settled?
It is settled. I'm walking outof this a freeman at five million
dollars richer. They're giving me immunityand they're giving me five million dollars.
And don't call it a reward,because it isn't a reward. It's a
(13:30):
justice. It's a goddamn justice,and that's the only word for it.
So you'll let mister Hall go.Once you get the check, once I
get the chick, Once I getthe chick, it'll make an apology,
a public apology, and about whathe did to me, And then I
(13:50):
could look for mercy in my heart. But it's will hidden. Fred.
I couldn't find it right now ifI tried, and I don't want to
try. Fred, do you understandwhat I'm saying? I do I understand?
Oh no, Fred, do youunderstand? Because if you understood,
you want him just as much asI do. I hate to mention the
obvious here, but this guy's fingeris wrapped around trigger. I can't say
(14:11):
I would do what you're doing.Oh my gosh. I want you to
open up the phone lines right now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Tony.
I don't think I understood that lastI said. I want you to
open up the phone lines. I'mgonna show you what I'm talking about.
I want people to call in andto tell you that they see what I'm
doing, that they see what Iunderstand. Well, Tony, we're not
set up to take calls at theSwear to god, Fred, you are
(14:35):
hitching to hear that gunshot, aren'tyou. Aren't you? You want them
dead just as much as I do. You have to to tell me no,
look, I don't want him dead, Tony. That's not the number.
The phone line blesses motherfucker's brains allover the receiver. So are you
hear he's goddamn thoughts, Tony?Do you think I'm gonna ask again if
(14:58):
you would like to call it tothe station. Our number is five five
zero six three nine, Tony.We'll need to take a short break here
to get these calls wired up,and then the machine we use needs to
uh, you know, we've gotto wake it up. Wake it up
(15:18):
a machine. Yeah, well,it's not it's not easy to get everything
connected down here. We've got oldequipment and we didn't know you'd want people
to call in. That's fine,you do what you have to serve.
But if it isn't ready in fiveminutes, everyone's going to feel like they're
listening to the fourth of July.All right, all right, stay on
the line there, Tony. I'mnot going anywhere. We'll be back in
(15:43):
the moment right after this station breakclose about what I say? Right?
(16:07):
What do we do? We can'thave people calling in, Roy, you
tell me what to say to thisman, because I'm out of idea.
What the hell was that Fred,we can't take I'm getting sick of everyone
saying what we can't do without tellingme what I should do. What am
I supposed to say? He's gota goddamn gun in someone's face. Allow
third parties to call in, anddidn't rec himend third parties. The lunatic
with the shotgun recommended the third parties? And what does he mean when he
(16:30):
keeps saying you're giving him five milliondollars? I don't know it's not from
us. Well, who's making thatdeal? Why am I finding out about
it right now? Call Bob farI can't go into these things blind anymore.
I need help. Phones are lightingAmerica wants to talk to the crazy
man? Who could have seen thatcoming? Why don't we lie? Say
the magic machine friend was talking aboutdoesn't orc? Because Gary Wilcox was reporting
(16:52):
this morning and he took a callon the air from Chief Gallagher. We
know that Tony's been listening to thebroadcast, so he'll know we're lyne.
Can we fake the lines being open? How do we do that? When
you go back into the interview.We'll just have people in here in the
newsroom pretend to be callers and they'lltalk to him. No, No,
he knows all the reporters voices.He's an active listener of the station.
Okay, we'll use cops. That, we'll use cops. They've had every
(17:15):
cop in the city on rotation athis door for the past thirty hours.
We don't know who he's already docked, and we don't have time to screen
these calls. Right, we couldscreen in between. Just tell each caller
they can ask one question, andwhile Tony's answering, we scream the other's
weight. Roy, you've got totell us what to do. I shouldn't
have gotten to this point. Roy, You've got to tell us what to
(17:37):
do. If you open those phonelines, you're out in the wild West.
I can't account for who calls in, what they'll say, and just
how he'll react. Well, ifwe don't open the lines, does he
shoot Dick? Yes, then weopen the line. Hold on so o.
No, there's no other option.We know he shoots Dick if we
keep him closed. We know oneh right age of Peterson. You can't
(18:00):
know anything one hundred percent. Okay, but the odds are better with them
open, they're better. Yes,Yes, okay, fine, um,
okay, look anything we could doto minimize the risk we do. So,
what's your name, Sally Kilmer?Sally, you get two people who
can trust to help screen the calls. You're gonna get five people on the
(18:21):
queue, one after the other,and have them ready to go while we're
talking to one on the broadcast.I want the others drilled. All right.
I want cops talking every person weput on the air before we put
them on the air. Got it? Okay, Fred, we're taking five
calls total. You get them tocompromise on five calls, one question each.
I think you could do that.I can try. What do we
have for time? About one minuteleft? All right, let's move Come
(18:45):
on, all right, Fred,five calls, I got ITIBC. Tony
you still there, I'm still here, mister Hickman. All right, I'm
gonna take us back to broadcast ina second. Tony. We've got time
for five callers and they'll be allowedto ask one question each. Well,
(19:10):
we've got all the time in theworld, Fred, Everyone who wants we
should be able to call in.Yeah. Well, it's more of an
expense thing for us, Tony.You see, it's expensive for us to
hold on all these calls. Andthen broadcast now paid for whatever expenses there
are. I'm getting five million dollarsafter all, Tony, we've got.
It's just going to be best forus to give you five callers. Now.
(19:30):
I think that's fair, and Ihope you'll think on our friendship and
see that that's fair. You soundtired, Fred, I am, Tony.
I'm pretty tired. Five callers willbe fine, sir. Thank you,
Tony, Yes, sir? Areyou ready to go back into broadcast?
(19:51):
Yes, sir, all right,I'll Dallas in next time on American
Hostage. I told you they wouldget it to people to get it for
you're on the air. I'd liketo take the place of mister Hall.
You want to do what they've gotorders to go in asapack. You can't
(20:15):
blow up an entire fucking building,Sally. If you need somebody, you
can take me. Who the hellare you saved the crisis, the closest
thing we've had the progress in twodays, and we're gonna have swap looks
at all? You are you talkto me? Tony? Are you there?
(20:38):
American Hostage is an Amazon original andCriminal Content production written by C.
D. Carpenter, directed by SeanChristiansen, produced by Adam Vollerich and Brendan
Hubbard. Executive produced by John Hamm, Sean Christiansen and Gabriel Mason, starring
(20:59):
John Am, Joe Perino, DylanBaker, and Becky Ann Baker, with
additional performances by Christina Brucado, SeanChristiansen, Michael Dreyer. Sound designed by
Brandon Jones, composed by Darren Morsey, Editing by Thomas Beach, Sean Christiansen
and Adam Voolridge. Recording and engineeringby Dave Williams, Mixing, mastering and
(21:23):
additional editing by Nick Messidi. Idreads by Natalie Prass for Amazon Music.
Executive producers are Morgan Jones and DaveEaston. Senior producer is Eliza Mills.
Special thanks to Jacob Braunstein, PhilSanchez, Chris Davis, Jack Parker,
(21:45):
Marcellino, v Elpondo, Stephanie Walkney, Blad Norman Vanessa Rebert, Sam Petherbridge,
Cale Bittner, Alice Zoe, TrevorMcNeil, i, Jacobsen, Rich
Sherman Marshall, Louie w IBC,Wish TV, and Creative Artists Agency,
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