The Professionals (TV Series)

Klansmen (1977)

Lewis Collins: Bodie

Photos 

Quotes 

• [Zadie has had a burning cross put in his garden at his home and has been attacked by men dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes after his intervention at the Culver's place earlier when the black couple were being evicted. CI5 are handling the investigation: Cowley is briefing Bodie and Doyle on what he wants them to do] 

  George Cowley : I don't like it! I hate it! I revile it!

  Doyle : It's still police business, Sir.

  George Cowley : Not any more. I'm making it *our* business, *my* business.

  Bodie : That's over-reacting a bit, isn't it? I mean after all, all they did was plant a cross in a spade's garden.

  George Cowley : Bodie, you're taller than me, you're bigger. But if you ever use that word again in this office, you'll find out that you're not tougher. All right, so I'm over-reacting, but I've seen and fought prejudice of one kind or another all my life, and I intend to keep on fighting it. Yes, I'm over-reacting, all right, but by God, somebody's got to! Me, you, all of us. Any questions, Bodie?

  Bodie : No, Sir.

  George Cowley : They lit a torch last night, a small one. But fire spreads, fast! That's why this is a CI5 job, we're the firefighters. Now get to it and stamp it out!

• [a black man called Arty was pushed off the roof of his flat by the same people, wearing Ku Klux Klan robes, who put the burning cross in Zadie's garden and beat him up. Bodie goes looking for Arty's business partner, a kid called Tommy who worked with Arty, and eventually finds him. Tommy is hanging around with some black men doing a spot of gambling in the room below the abandoned water tower. Bodie tries to question Tommy, but the kid elbows Bodie in the stomach and legs it. Before Bodie can go after Tommy, the group of black men who were with Tommy stab Bodie once in the back and then in the stomach. Bodie radios for help. The scene changes to an ambulance, screaming into the grounds of the local hospital. Inside the hospital Doyle is walking alongside a nurse and a hospital porter who's pushing the stretcher that Bodie's on along a corridor. There are tears in Doyle's eyes] 

  Doyle : Oh, Bodie, you half-Irish son of a bitch, what do you want to go and do that for?

  Bodie : Ray.

  Doyle : What?

  Bodie : Tell Cowley a couple of spades did this. Two big black spades.