1934 was a tough year. But in one bar in the South Bronx, a few notable barflies (James Cromwell, Joe Pantoliano among others) have hatched a plan where they can come up with a few extra bucks. They take out a life insurance policy on Mr. Malloy – a drunk who has been trying to do himself in for a while now. The only problem is that he can’t seem to do it. They figure they can help, and enrich themselves in the process.
After a couple of weeks, he’s gone through dozens of bottles of booze and they’re no closer to getting their money. So they get creative. They give him kerosene. They take him for a walk in the freezing weather and bury him in the snow. Still he keeps coming back. When that doesn’t work they walk him on the bridge and toss him in the water. That’s when they get caught by a police officer.
They don’t see it, but Mr. Malloy comes back to the bar to get a final drink. By then, they’ve been sentenced to death for their part in the scheme. In a scene out of The Twilight Zone, a shadowy figure asks the new management for a drink, and his hand clasps the shot glass and freezes it, sending up a chill smoke. He leans forward and we see Mr. Malloy. It’s actually not bad.
