Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues 1972

Comedy

Drama

Runtime

88 mins

Language

English

Made by

Warner Bros. Pictures

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Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Peter, Robert F. Lyons, is a cocky Harvard law student who is tired of playing it safe, so his best friend and theater director John, John Lithgow, drags him into the drug world. Peter loves the rush of bending the rules and agrees to transport a suitcase full of pot from his suppliers to him, a risky gig that marks his full plunge into an underworld he never imagined. Inspired by the Rolling Stones’ song Sympathy for the Devil, he adopts the street name Lucifer, a bold badge that matches his newfound appetite for danger.

At the drug dealers’ hideout, Peter meets Susan, Barbara Hershey, and he falls for her hard, drawn to how she stands in stark contrast to his own prudish and uptight girlfriend Annie, Ellen Barber. Susan feels the same attraction, and she agrees to help by taking him to a train station to stash the dope in a locker, a plan that pushes them closer together even as the risk grows. They hit it off quickly, sharing a spark that strengthens Peter’s resolve to chase more time with her.

When they reach the station, they notice a military officer overseeing a funeral transport for what looks like a casket returning from the Vietnam War, a somber sight that chills their nerves and gives them pause. This stark reminder of life-and-death consequences prompts them to retreat and spend a night together at one of Susan’s musician friends’ place, a brief pause that deepens their bond and complicates Peter’s loyalties.

Peter then completes the initial job but soon asks John for another gig, eager to see Susan again and to test where their growing feelings might lead. The second mission goes sour in a brutal turn of events, as the girl is busted with forty bricks (or kilos) of marijuana by police sergeant Murphy, Charles Durning, a dirty cop who happens to be in bed with Cortez, a dangerous Cuban gangster. The betrayal from within the system adds a sharp edge to the danger surrounding everyone involved.

John wants his dope back and Peter wants to save Susan, so they concoct a risky plan that centers on a round metal casing full of red heroin—an object that everyone in the underworld desires and one that many are willing to kill for. As they thread this dangerous path, the story tightens with tension, testing loyalties and pushing each character toward decisions that could cost them everything.

Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Peter is pulled into the drug trade

Peter, a cocky Harvard Law student, is roped into the drug business by his best friend John. He agrees to transport a suitcase full of marijuana for the operation, chasing the thrill rather than caution. He also adopts the street name Lucifer, signaling his new persona.

Harvard Law School

Peter meets Susan at the hideout

At the drug dealers' hideout, Peter meets Susan, who stands in stark contrast to his uptight girlfriend Annie. They are drawn to each other, sharing an instant chemistry. Susan's warmth and independence intrigue him.

drug dealers’ hideout

Susan offers to help stash the drugs

Susan agrees to help by taking Peter to a train station to stash the dope in a locker. They ride the chemistry and mutual attraction as they venture toward a risky plan. The prospect of the stash creates a strong motive for continuing the job.

train station

A funeral procession unsettles them

Upon arriving at the station, they notice a military officer overseeing a funeral transport for a Vietnam War soldier. The solemn sight makes them reconsider their choices and fear consequences. The moment heightens the sense of danger around the drug operation.

train station

They spend the night elsewhere

The unsettling scene prompts them to abandon the plan for a time and spend a night together at a musician friend's place. The break allows their relationship to deepen, even as the drug deal continues in the background.

musician friend's place

Peter completes the first gig and seeks another

Peter finishes the initial drug transport and returns to John, eager for another assignment so he can see Susan again. The lure of the woman and the thrill of the job pull him deeper into the operation. The dynamic between Peter, John, and Susan grows more complicated.

John's operation base

The second gig goes bad; Susan is busted

The next job goes sour when police sergeant Murphy, a corrupt cop aligned with Cortez, catches Susan with forty bricks of marijuana. John wants his drugs back, while Peter wants to rescue Susan. The betrayal and danger escalate quickly.

city streets / police operation

A risky plan forms to recover the drugs and save Susan

With Susan in trouble, John and Peter devise a bold plan to recover the dope and secure Susan's safety. The scheme relies on calculated risk and shifting loyalties. It tests the limits of their friendship and their willingness to cross lines.

John's place / hidden planning area

A round metal casing of red heroin becomes the focal point

The plan centers on a round metal casing filled with red heroin, an object so valuable that everyone involved wants it badly enough to kill for it. Its presence drives the higher-stakes chase between criminals and law enforcement. The casing represents the danger that now grips all the main players.

planning room

The pursuit intensifies; old alliances fracture

As events unfold, rival factions close in on the casing, creating tense confrontations and shifting loyalties. The pursuit pulls Peter, Susan, John, and their adversaries toward a deadly confrontation. The balance of power tilts as trust erodes.

city / various locations

The plan collides with violence

The plan's risky execution leads to violent clashes as the various players try to claim the red heroin casing. Accusations, betrayals, and desperation amplify the danger for everyone involved. Peter must confront the consequences of his choices.

multiple locations

Uncertain fate; the story heads toward a deadly finale

With the casing as the focal point and lives on the line, the story builds toward a deadly showdown. The outcome hinges on who can secure the prize while keeping—or sacrificing—the people they care about. The summary hints at a grim, unresolved fate for the characters.

Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Characters

Explore all characters from Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Peter

A cocky Harvard law student who craves excitement and rebels against his square image. He enters the drug trade at John's urging, then grapples with loyalty, love, and the consequences of his actions.

💼 Ambition 💊 Criminal Impulse 💘 Romance

Susan

The opposite of Annie: confident, adventurous, and drawn to Peter. She agrees to help transport the drugs and becomes a focal point of risk and desire; she is ultimately apprehended, triggering a dangerous plan.

💘 Romance 💊 Risk 🧭 Agency

Annie

Peter's prudish, reserved girlfriend who embodies the safer path he could have chosen. Her relationship with Peter contrasts with his lure toward Susan.

💔 Heartbreak 🕊 Innocence

John

Peter's best friend and theater director who pushes him into the drug business, masking manipulation as opportunity.

🎭 Influence 🤝 Friend

Murphy

A police sergeant who is corrupt and in league with Cortez; he helps bust Susan and becomes a dangerous obstacle for the protagonists.

💥 Corruption 🕵 Police

Cortez

A dangerous Cuban gangster whose involvement with the stash raises the stakes and drives violent confrontations.

🧪 Villain 🗡 Gangster

Buzzy

A musician friend who hosts Peter and Susan and becomes part of the orbit around the drug-dealing scheme.

🎸 Music 🕊 Community

Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Settings

Learn where and when Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Time period

Late 1960s

Set against the backdrop of the late 1960s, the story is colored by anti-war sentiment and a rising drug culture. The Vietnam War looms over the characters, giving weight to the danger of their criminal activities. The era’s tension informs both the romance and the high-stakes crime plot.

Location

Berkeley, Cambridge (Harvard), Boston

The film traces a route from the counterculture hub of Berkeley to the dense urban landscape around Boston. Action unfolds across a drug hideout, a train station locker, and a tense scene at a funeral transport, anchoring the story in real places that define the era. The settings juxtapose college-town energy with street-level danger, shaping the characters’ choices.

🌆 Urban crossroads 🎓 Academic settings 🎭 Counterculture hub

Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Themes

Discover the main themes in Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

💊

Crime & Risk

A drug-trafficking scheme drags ordinary people into a dangerous underworld. The lure of quick money clashes with police, rivals, and violence as the plan spirals out of control. The narrative probes how ambition can push good people toward moral compromise.

💘

Romance & Obsession

Peter's infatuation with Susan drives the plot and complicates his safer relationship with Annie. Their chemistry fuels risk, while trust and loyalty are tested as danger closes in. Love becomes both a motivation and a peril.

🕵️

Corruption & Betrayal

Dirty cops and gangster connections entangle the protagonists, creating a web of deception. The police sergeant Murphy colludes with Cortez, complicating attempts to protect Susan and retrieve the stash. The story examines how institutions can be compromised from within.

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Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues (1972). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a restless America where the open road feels both like freedom and a winding battlefield, a daring two‑person convoy sets out from the historic streets of Boston toward the sun‑lit hills of Berkeley. The journey is framed by the stark contrast between East Coast academia and West Coast counterculture, a landscape that shifts from cramped city stations to endless highways dotted with whispering towns. Under the surface, the trip teeters on the edge of danger, hinted at by the presence of police stake‑outs and the looming threat of a hostile mob, turning an ordinary delivery into a pulse‑quickening chase.

At the heart of this odyssey is Peter, a freshly minted Harvard graduate who has grown restless with the safety of his intellectual world. His ambition and a craving for something beyond lecture halls drive him to take the helm of a risky cross‑country run. Alongside him is Susan, a confident and resourceful partner whose own motivations intersect with his, creating a compelling mix of attraction and shared purpose. Their chemistry crackles, each recognizing in the other a mirror for their own yearning to break free from the expectations that have long defined them.

The film’s tone balances the gritty realities of a high‑stakes smuggling route with moments of unexpected intimacy, as the pair navigates a world where law enforcement and outlaw elements blur together. The constant hum of the highway becomes a character itself, amplifying the tension between the lure of the open road and the shadows that trail it. As they traverse diverse terrains and encounter strangers who reflect the era’s restless spirit, the story swirls with a kinetic energy that keeps the audience guessing what lies around the next mile‑marker.

Through its restless pacing and an undercurrent of rebellious optimism, the narrative invites viewers to wonder how far two determined individuals will go when the path ahead is lined with both promise and peril, leaving the outcome tantalizingly out of reach.

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