Under the Law: The Ripoff

Year Published: 1973

Creator: National Education Institute n cooperation with National District Attorneys Association

Complete Record: The purpose of the film is to depict shoplifting behavior and its effect on individuals and the community. To illustrate that even though a person may be reluctant or unwilling to participate in a crime, if he does not get “involved,” he will be subject to legal penalties. To illustrate the possible tragic consequences of a display of force, even with an unloaded gun. To show how petty crime can become a felony. To illustrate teenage sentencing goals under a typical family court judge. ______________________________ The lead-in scenes to the start of The Ripoff is a montage of various crimes committed or about to be committed: Helicopter circling; car driving along a pier and garbage being tossed from window; Black American in a suit hitting a White man; body being tossed from car in mountain area; [titling begins here so it is over images] two policemen CU then LS as they run to their squad car and drive off; body being pushed out of building on gurney; car almost hitting Black American; woman shoplifting near freezers in grocery store; LS convenience store person trying to nab youth shoplifters; court scene; CU car hitting bicycle so just see side of car and wheel; fast series of shots of people noticing possible crimes or clues. Two young men exit a VW van. One youth looks scruffier than the other. They walk into convenience or grocery store. Woman seen pushing cart down aisle towards camera. Boys enter the aisle after her. Woman seen walking to freezer section. She takes some butter out of the unit and puts it in her cart. Surreptitiously she takes a second package of butter and CU puts it in her bag. In LS woman pushes cart down aisle away from camera. Scruffier young man LS enters aisle after woman. MS he takes something from a plastic and puts it in his pocket. Narrator says: Nearly $2 million dollars of stuff is shoplifted each year, and consumer pays for it in higher prices. Other young man is seen at magazine stand. He picks up a magazine and goes to pay for it. The boys exit the market MS towards camera. The shoplifter offers the other boy a chocolate. The non-shoplifter asks him where he got it. The shoplifter says he took it. A conversation ensues about how the magazine could have been shoplifted. The shoplifter talks about how shoplifting happens all the time. He even heard of a motorcycle being lifted piece by piece. Young men get back into VW. The conversation continues, MS through the front window shield. The shoplifter says that half of what he owns he ripped off. LS as VW pulls away from curb and goes into traffic away from the camera. Narrator says that sophisticated technology helps apprehend shoplifters. There is a line between petty shoplifting and theft. VW pulls up to curb. Boys have conversation CU about lifting a pair of sunglasses. The non-shoplifter is the good guy, and he is incredulous. Scruffier of the two takes a pistol out of his jacket pocket. He tries to get the other to join him in lifting the sun glasses. The non-lifter refuses. Then the scruffier of the two says: “What’s the matter? You scared?” “What would you do?” appears on screen. Shop owner and customer do an exchange over the counter. Boys enter. MS of boys through some shelves of sports stuff. The straight arrow says he would like to by some arrows. A conversation ensures about archery. IN PROGRESS