42nd Street Page #6

I say she can swing it.

How can you lose?

You gotta try her.

- Who is she?

- Sawyer.

Yes, Peggy Sawyer.

She can dance rings around Brock.

Your show's half dancing.

She'd kill them.

Nobody ever heard of her.

She's a raw kid from the chorus.

Listen, I've been waiting years

for a chance like this...

... and if I give it up to someone else,

believe me, she's gotta be good.

- Send her in.

- Do you mean it?

Yes, send her in.

Mac!

- Oh, Mac!

- Here.

- Andy!

- Yes, sir.

- Get Sawyer.

- Yes, sir.

- The boss wants to see you.

- Who, me?

Not your brother. Come on.

- Lorraine, will you hold that?

- Go ahead.

Well, here she is.

Experience?

Just this show, Mr. Marsh.

You know the songs and dances?

Can you play the lead tonight?

The lead?

Sure, you can.

Don't let him scare you.

I'll give you a chance

because I've got to.

Andy, send Jerry in.

I'll have a live leading lady

or a dead chorus girl.

Get out of here. I don't want

anybody in for the next five hours.

- Good luck, honey.

- Come on, you.

Pick it up right after the number.

There's your cue. Speak.

Jim, they didn't tell me you were here.

It was grand of you to come.

No, it's impossible. Impossible.

You're greeting the man you love.

Your entrance speech!

Make it mean something.

Put feeling into it!

Listen, like this:

"Jim, they didn't tell me

you were here.

It was grand of you to come."

Let me hear it.

Jim, they didn't tell me you were here.

It was grand of you to come.

No, it won't do.

Look, have you ever been in love?

Did you ever have a man hold you

in his arms and kiss you?

Now you're in the spirit of the thing.

You love this man.

Now, give it all you've got.

Let me hear it.

Jim, they didn't tell me you were here.

It was grand of you to come.

That's better.

Let me hear it from the beginning.

Go over there

and make your entrance again.

All right.

Jim, they didn't tell me you were here.

It was grand of you to come.

I can't! I can't...

Look here.

You can't, but you will.

Please, Mr. Marsh.

You want this chance or don't you?

All right. Let's try it again.

All right, it's fair, only fair.

Come in.

Only an hour before the curtain.

Okay, Jerry, that's all.

You let me down, Sawyer, and I'll...

Come on, lie down and relax.

The wardrobe woman will have to

come in to fit your costumes.

But rest all you can, because

you're definitely going on tonight.

Julian, how about it?

All right, the show goes on.

Wardrobe, everybody.

Everybody, makeup.

- Oh, Billy.

- Hello.

I brought some coffee.

You can use a little, huh?

Oh, Billy, I'm so excited,

I think maybe I'm dreaming.

Oh, no, you're awake, all right.

Don't worry about that.

Billy, what's going to happen to me?

You'll be a hit. You'll be the

biggest thing that ever hit Broadway.

Oh, I hope so.

Say, I know so.

And I'm for you too. You know that.

Even if...

Even if what?

Oh, honey.

I've been for you ever since the day

you walked in on me in my BVDs.

I wanted to tell you, ever since

I first saw you, how I feel about you.

I don't know how to say it.

But you know what I mean, don't you?

I guess it does sound kind of

funny at that, the way I say it.

But the lines are new for me,

at least off-stage.

Well, I guess maybe I can read

between the lines, Billy...

...but I wanna hear you say some more.

It was grand of you to come.

- They told me I'd find you here.

- Miss Brock!

You can't talk to her, nobody can.

It's Marsh's orders.

I wanna see her alone.

I know, but...

It's all right, Billy.

So you're going to take my place.

I'm sorry, Miss Brock.

You're nervous, aren't you?

Well, don't be.

The customers out there

want to like you.

Always remember that, kid.

I've learned it from experience.

And you've got so much to give them:

Youth and beauty and freshness.

Do you know your lines?

And your songs?

And your dance routine?

You're a cinch.

But it's tough on you, Miss Brock.

Come here.

Peggy, isn't it?

You know, Peggy, when I started

for the theater tonight...

...I wanted to tear your hair out.

And then I started thinking.

Well, after all, I've had my chance.

And now it's your turn.

I've had enough.

For five years it's kept me away from

the only thing I ever wanted.

And a funny thing...

... a broken ankle was the thing

that made me find it out.

You know, Peggy, most anyone can have

success with the proper breaks.

As for me...

...I'll take Pat and vaudeville...

...or whatever goes with him.

We're being married tomorrow.

I'm so glad.

Come in.

You've gotta hurry, miss.

Come right in, boys. Right over here.

Overture, places, girls!

I think it looks very nice now.

Do I look all right?

You look adorable.

Now, go out there and be so swell

that you'll make me hate you.

Thanks.

Remember, girls, I want

a straight line all the way through.

Marguerite, you're first.

Give me a big smile.

Get ready. All right, curtain.

Come on, all right. Get Sawyer.

When she comes out, I don't want

any of you to say a word to her.

Here she comes.

All right, break up.

Pay no attention to her.

Sawyer, you listen to me,

and you listen hard.

200 people, 200 jobs...

... $200,000, five weeks of grind,

blood and sweat depend upon you.

The lives of these people

who've worked with you.

You've got to go on

and give and give and give.

They've got to like you, understand?

You can't fall down, because...

...your future, my future

and all we have is staked on you.

Now I'm through.

Keep your feet on the ground,

your head on your shoulders...

... and go out. Sawyer,

you're going out a youngster...

...but you've got to come back a star.

- There she is.

- There's your cue.

Good luck, honey.

Well, honey, we couldn't lose them,

and least of all, Jimmy.

Why, Jim, they didn't tell me

you were here.

It was grand of you to come.

All aboard the Niagara Limited!

Come on, let's go!

That's your light change.

All right, snap into it. Hurry up, kids.

Get going. Take it away!

Break this up. Come here.

You got by, but you're not through yet.

The toughest part's coming.

Don't be a flash in the pan.

There isn't an actor here who doesn't

know what you're going through.

Now you gotta rest. Rest and relax.

Save it, because you're gonna need it.

I've been watching you

for a couple weeks.

If you're nice to the right people,

you'll get along.

- You know these routines?

- Quiet, please.

Mike, dim those first three borders,

will you? Hurry up.

Places, everybody, for the finale.

She's a hit, Abner. She's a hit!

Who's a hit?

Peggy Sawyer.

Did you do as I told you?

No, I didn't.

But I'll take her right out.

Come on, Fifi.

Well, hurry.

Directors make me sick. Take Marsh.

Name all over the program,

gets all the credit.

If it wasn't for Sawyer,

he wouldn't have a show.

She'll have Broadway

in her pocket in a week.

- You're right.

- Marsh will say he discovered her.

Some guys get all the breaks.

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