The Rockford Files (TV Series)

Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken (1975)

Stuart Margolin: Angel Martin

Photos 

Quotes 

• Angel Martin : [kibitzing during a chess game between Jim and Rocky using jailhouse chess lingo]  This here game's over, man. Well you've got to move your boss, or Rocky's gonna lay a subpoena on him. Then his torpedo, he's gonna smoke your old lady, and all your heavies'll be doing time. 'Cept for maybe your mouthpiece, and Rocky's sheriff's got him put in the corner. You've got nothing left but punks and junkies. You're through, Jimmy.

• [last lines] 

  Jim Rockford : Hey, Angel, what about my car? I want my car!

  Angel Martin : We're gonna find it any day now, Jimmy!

• Angel Martin : [Angel enters the squad room, trying to avoid meeting Sgt. Becker]  Jimmy, Jimmy, come here.

  [motions for Rockford to come over to him] 

  Jim Rockford : Angel, where have you been?

  Angel Martin : Jimmy, can I talk to you for a second? I know you're mad at me. I know this thing can be explained, I swear.

  Jim Rockford : Where's my car?

  Angel Martin : Your car? It's fine. There's no need to report it stolen, Jimmy. I filled it up with gas, I even got it washed.

  [Angel looks at Becker and waves to him] 

  Angel Martin : Hi Captain!

  Dennis Becker : You've got jailbird written all over you. Where'd you do time, sport?

  Angel Martin : Time? Time...

  [he reaches into his pocket for his watch] 

  Angel Martin : It's five o'clock.

  [He reaches for Rockford] 

  Angel Martin : C'mon let's go.

  [Becker gets up and walks over to Angel] 

  Angel Martin : San Quentin. Four years, but I got out in three for good behavior. I even sang in the choir, didn't I, Jimmy?

  Dennis Becker : Who's this guy?

  Jim Rockford : Oh, uh,

  [points to each in turn] 

  Jim Rockford : Angel Martin, Dennis Becker.

  Dennis Becker : Angel Martin... you're in the known associates file.

  Angel Martin : Right, right, probably with Jimmy, we were both in at San Quentin, together.

  [laughing] 

  Angel Martin : I guess you could say we both owned a 'piece of the rock.'

• Jim Rockford : [after Angel has been grilled by Becker, Jim's hustled quickly out of the police station. Jim knows Angel has some sort of hustle going on but doesn't know what it is. Jim just wants his car back - which the 2 goons had taken when they went to chase after Angel. Angel and Jim are now standing across from the police station]  Angel, where is my car?

  Angel Martin : [Trying to sound reassuring, but vague]  It's in the L.A. area.

  Jim Rockford : Angel!

  Angel Martin : Listen, Jimmy. You was about to make a giant mistake in there. You were going to tell that flat-foot to go looking for your car, and I couldn't let you do that. For your own good, I couldn't.

  Jim Rockford : Why?

  Angel Martin : [Angel looks nervously around]  Because there's $30,000 cash hidden in the left front door panel.

  Jim Rockford : [At a momentary loss for words]  Where'd it come from?

  Angel Martin : I put it there. Listen, Jimmy, I can't tell you how bad this police station's affecting me. I'm getting a bad case of the Fifth Amendment. Now let's get out of here and I'll tell it so much better. A whole lot better!

  [Angel darts to the truck's passenger door, as Jim - mouths 'thirty thousand' - walks towards the driver's side] 

• Angel Martin : [Angel's riding with Jim - in Rocky's truck - explaining what happened to Jim's car, and he tells him about Tom Little - a former con they knew inside, who contacted Angel]  Anyway, I told him 'I'm your man', you know, but, I said, 'can't be anything illegal', and he said he's going straight - just like me, so we shook on it, went in the men's room, and he gave me 30 G's in a brown paper bag.

• Chester Sierra : [Angel's just told Chester Sierra the story about the money]  You want me to believe this?

  Angel Martin : Well, I know that...

  [Chester - holding his palm up - cuts Angel off] 

  Chester Sierra : I've been very patient with you guys. Hmm? I brought you over here, I invited you to dinner, so we can sit down and discuss everything, and instead of a little honor and decency

  [begins to yell] 

  Chester Sierra : , you feed me an ice cream sandwich!

  [Addressing his cohorts] 

  Chester Sierra : Drop these guys in the river, and make an example.

  [Menacingly] 

  Chester Sierra : I don't want *no one* else to think they can screw with me.

  Angel Martin : [Angel turns to Jimmy]  You did it, Jimmy!

  Jim Rockford : I did it? I never said a word!

  Chester Sierra : And after you've finished with them, I want to see Tom - right here, right now!

  Angel Martin : [Yelling]  Look; why kill us both?

  [pleads to Chester] 

  Angel Martin : Just kill one of us? That would be even better, see; you could do Jimmy, now, and I'd go around and I'd tell people, 'don't cheat Chester Sierra, and then, later on, if you want to scare more people, I'd be available for the engagement.

  Chester Sierra : Get them out of here.

• Jim Rockford : [Jim's driving with Angel, trying to figure out how to get himself - and Angel - out of this mess]  Now, look; if I go through with this, you gotta do everything I say, and I mean *everything* - no weaselling, no arguments, no *nothin* - *everything*

  Angel Martin : [Meekly]  That's a promise

  Jim Rockford : First time you balk, I am *through*.

  Angel Martin : Anything you want me to do, you just tell me.

  Jim Rockford : Can we get into the paper, late at night?

  Angel Martin : Yup, yup. It's not a problem.

  Jim Rockford : Well, then, it might work.

  Angel Martin : [Smiling]  You got a plan?

  Jim Rockford : [Jim nods his head, 'so-so']  Mmm, maybe.

  Angel Martin : What'd I do? You just tell me. You name it!

  Jim Rockford : Well, to make the plan work

  [pause] 

  Jim Rockford : ... you gotta die.

  Angel Martin : [Angel grabs Jim's arm, and looks terrified. Jim looks at Angel, and Angel, grabbing onto his sleeve]  I'm, I'm not balkin'. I'm not balkin', I... just give me a... minute

  [Angel looks down into space] 

  Angel Martin : to... get... used to it.

• Sid : [Angel's finished explaining the whole kerfuffle he's in - and has now got Jim involved in, as well. All of the sudden, two thugs show up - with guns - one on either side of Rocky's truck, and open the doors. The big 'head thug' bellows]  Out!

  Jim Rockford : There, you see?

  Angel Martin : Isn't my fault.

  Jim Rockford : Is too.

  Angel Martin : Is not.

  Jim Rockford : Is too.

  Sid : [Forcefully]  OUT!

• Jim Rockford : [Jim's just finished reading to Angel the fake obituary about Angel, which they plan to put in the morning paper. It mentions - amongst other 'upstanding' qualities; Angel's being an ex-con, grifter, con man, petty thief, known by the police, as well as where he served time, and dereliction of duties during the Korean war]  I think that sounds pretty real.

  Angel Martin : How would you feel, if your mother was to read that?

  [Angel's mother's dead] 

  Jim Rockford : [In a raised, annoyed voice]  Let's bury your mother, Angel, all right?

  Angel Martin : [Annoyed and mocking]  What are you? You can't change a line, Joseph Pulitzer?

• Jim Rockford : [Jim's reading the fake obituary for Angel they're both going to plant into the morning's paper]  All right, the headline is; 'small-time grifter slain'...

  Angel Martin : I don't like that!

  Jim Rockford : Tough.

  Angel Martin : 'Evelyn Martin - also known as 'Angel Martin', was found dead in his midtown apartment, late yesterday. The result of what police feel is a gang-land execution... '

  Angel Martin : Wait a minute; Jimmy? Let's not say 'execution', let's say something like, 'slipped in the tub, and was accidentally drowned', ''cos if you say 'execution', it's like I'm not popular, ''cos if it was like an accident, I'd like it better...

  Jim Rockford : It's stands!

• Angel Martin : I've been, you know, giving half what I make down at the paper to my mother. She hasn't been feeling well.

  Jim Rockford : Eh, it sounds to me like she's doing a little better.

  Angel Martin : What do you mean?

  Jim Rockford : She died when we were in prison.