Babes on Broadway Page #7

and feature billing.

All right, Marelli. Yes, I know you tried.

Thank you.

Don't see why he wouldn't let us

have it for one night.

We'd fix it up and everything.

The Duchess? No, no, Tommy.

That's completely out of the question.

Poor Thornton.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

Look, you don't happen

to know of an act...

...a good group that could be spotted

a couple of times in Mr. Reed's show?

- Sure, I do.

- Who? Where?

- Right here. The Three Balls of Fire.

- No, no, Tommy, I need a big act.

Twelve, 15 people, and a singer.

What about our group and Penny?

How about the act we did yesterday?

- It stopped traffic. You said so yourself.

- I wonder...

No, no, no. Thornton wouldn't...

I don't know why not, though.

Look, could you get that wonderful girl?

What's her name?

- Penny. Penny Morris?

- Yes, could you get her?

Your gang from the drugstore.

Get them together and rehearse.

Do the number tomorrow afternoon at

a matinee exactly as you did it last night.

You mean that? You mean?

You mean it? We're gonna...?!

Yes, for Mr. Reed's show tomorrow

in Philadelphia.

Tomorrow. Sure, why not?

All right. Get them all together.

Be here in my office at 5:00.

We're taking the 6:00 train for Philadelphia,

and may heaven have mercy on my soul.

Six o'clock, 5:
00.

We'll be here. Okay!

All aboard for Philadelphia!

Don't move! Stay where you are!

Stop me if I sound crazy...

...but tonight, you, me, and all the kids from

the drugstore are leaving on the train...

...and tomorrow in Philadelphia,

we open in Thornton Reed's new show!

You think I'm crazy, but I'm not.

We're going tonight.

No luck, eh? Hallelujah.

Truth will out, talent will tell!

- Now, wait...?

- I can see it now.

Tommy Williams, Penny Morris,

the Balls of Fire in lights as big as coconuts!

Success! Success, in three easy lessons.

Now what do you think of Williams?

- I think Williams is still Williams.

- What?!

You're going to Philadelphia?

Without me, because...

Without you? Penny, are you crazy?

This is it. What are you talking about?

The same thing.

Those little kids we promised...

That was before.

Thornton Reed, he's in trouble.

If we can save this show,

we can land our own ticket.

What about Hammy, Ray,

all the kids at the drugstore?

They waited all their lives

for a shot like this.

But Reed's got a million dollars.

And you and I and Hammy and Ray

can hang on till we get another chance.

- But, gosh, those little kids...

- No.

Oh, Tommy, don't you see?

It's not the two weeks in the country

that's gonna cure them.

It's giving a kid something

he's dreamed about...

...so maybe he won't feel like

there's nothing left to go on for later.

Gosh, I wanna go to Philadelphia

just as much as you do.

But if I did it, it would be just like stealing

their stockings off the Christmas tree.

I can't do that. I just can't, that's all.

You don't get the point at all.

I'm talking about the lives and careers

of 15 people. Artists.

I'm talking about Tommy Williams

and Penny Morris, the performers.

That has nothing to do with kids

getting to the country.

Let's get to be stars first

and then we can...

Never mind, don't bother.

You haven't heard anything I've said.

- Don't make me do anything I regret...

- Go on! Go to Philadelphia!

I hope you stop the show!

Well, all right, then.

I'll get it fixed!

Mr. Williams! Mr. Williams! Mr. Williams,

I've been looking for you all morning...

- I'm sorry, I'm awfully busy.

- Please, it's awfully important.

Everybody's waiting in the auditorium.

Well, all right, hurry up,

I've got an appointment.

Thanks a lot. It'll only take a minute.

Hey, what's this all about?

- What do you want?

- Come on.

- Look, here he comes! Here he comes!

- Here he comes!

- Yeah.

- Come on!

Well, Mr. Williams,

all the kids and myself...

...we had a meeting

of the executive committee...

...and we were talking about how you

gave up a big Broadway show...

...to do all this for us

and we weren't doing anything for you.

Well, that's not right.

There's been a lot of talk around this place

about getting us to the country.

But nobody ever did anything about it

except you.

You just walked right in

and didn't listen to anybody.

And now we're going.

After all the promises, we're really going.

Well, well, we just wanna say thank you.

But with 50 kids to do it,

it would take an awful long time.

We know you're a busy man.

So we all chipped in and

bought you a present, and here it is.

You shouldn't have.

You shouldn't have done this, because I...

Don't you like it?

Sure, sure I like it.

It's swell. In fact, it's one of

the nicest presents I've ever seen.

You shouldn't have spent the money

on me, though.

But I'm glad you did,

because every time I look at this watch...

...I'm gonna see every one of your faces...

...and gonna remember

what a swell gang you are.

Honest, you'll never know

what it means to me.

All I can say is that

I haven't even started to earn it.

But I will.

And after it's all over with

and all through...

...I hope that you'll be glad

that you gave it to me.

And you don't have to worry

about the country...

...because you're not only going,

but you're gonna go first class too.

Penny. Penny.

- Hello, Mr. Stone.

- How do you do?

Oh, excuse me. Is Penny here?

- I think she's up on the roof.

- Oh, thanks.

Penny...

You better hurry.

You're gonna miss that train.

I just have one more speech to make

and I have to make it.

You don't have to listen

if you don't want to.

Go ahead, I'm listening.

All my life, I've been rehearsing myself

to be a big man...

...and it's taken me just five minutes

to find out that I'm only a heel.

Bunch of little kids chip in

their nickels and dimes...

...to buy me a $5 watch

marked down to 3.50. There it is.

And I'm so ashamed at myself

that it took a bunch of 6-year-olds...

...to make me realize that there's more to

life than just a song, a dance and an encore.

And that there's more to people than just

sitting out front, being an audience.

Well, it's half past 1

and that's the end of my speech.

Oh, Tommy, that's a wonderful speech.

And life begins at half past 1.

Penny, I've got a couple of words

I wanna say to you...

...just this time, sitting down.

Only a couple?

Well, really three.

Well, go ahead and say them

and get them over with.

Oh, I could say "I love you"

just like all the rest of them.

That's still good, you know.

But it wouldn't tell you

what I really mean.

I'll settle for it.

Oh, no, you're not gonna talk me

out of my love scene.

Were you ever in a rainstorm...

...and you felt like you were the only person

in the world that wasn't getting wet?

Did you ever look up

and see a full moon and...

...well, it only looked like

a half a moon to you...

...because you were

looking at it all alone?

Penny, did you ever find someone and...

...and all of a sudden, you felt like

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