Baby the Rain Must Fall Page #2

Mr. And Mrs. Tillman, I'd like you

to meet my wife and my little girl.

- How do you do?

- How are you?

I'll have to take the day off,

find them someplace to live.

I'll make it up tomorrow,

if that's all right.

All right.

- May I see you a minute, Henry?

- Yes, ma'am.

Excuse me.

- Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Thomas.

- Sir.

Does Miss Kate know you've got

a wife and a child?

- No, ma'am.

- Why didn't you tell her?

I didn't say anything

when we first got married...

...because I wasn't sure

how she would take it.

Then after I got sent to prison,

I didn't say anything...

...because I wasn't sure my wife would

forgive me for being sent to the pen.

I wrote to her and I begged her

to take me back, and she didn't reply.

Then she just showed up right here,

without any warning whatsoever.

I told Miss Kate I'd give you work and

help you straighten out, and I want to.

But it's very hard

if you're gonna have secrets.

I don't have any secrets from you.

Not anymore. I swear to you.

I hope so.

Well, I guess we'd better get going.

Well, there's my Cadillac car.

We'll see you all.

- Bye, y'all.

- Bye.

I'll get that.

- Thank you, Mr. Slim.

- That's all right.

Won't Miss Kate be surprised.

She's a funny woman,

Miss Kate Dawson.

To meet her and to talk with her, you'd

think she was the gentlest soul alive.

Never raised her voice

above a whisper.

Well, maybe she was

most of the time.

But the way she beat

that Thomas boy...

She beat him till

all the neighbors complained.

She said she had to whip him.

She had to break his spirit.

Not open yet.

- Mama, can I get out of the car?

- Sure, honey.

She know about me being

in the penitentiary?

Oh, no. No.

Listen, Georgette, I want

to thank you for all you've done.

All the hard work,

taking care of the baby...

...paying that lawyer the money to get

my parole. I'll make it up to you.

I know you will.

Anyway, the time's gone by,

and we're together again.

Sometimes I didn't think

it ever would.

Everybody's trying to talk me into going

to San Antonio, Nashville or Hollywood.

Try and sell my songs

to a recording company.

- Oh, now wouldn't that be nice.

- Yeah.

That's another reason I didn't

want you to come for a while.

I was trying to get as much money

as I could ahead...

...and then go to Tennessee or

California and try and sell my songs.

I still think you should go. I don't want

us to stop you from doing anything.

Yeah, well, that's a lot easier

said than done.

It costs money. Of course,

the way things are right now...

...I get my room and board

at Mrs. Tillman's free, plus my salary.

And now, of course, gonna have

to worry about our food and our rent.

I'm sorry, I...

I guess I shouldn't have

just come on this way.

But I wrote to you saying if I didn't

hear any different, I'd just come on.

I didn't, so naturally...

It'll all work out.

Oh, I'm sure it will.

Yes, ma'am.

Margaret Rose.

I know that when we left Tyler

I told you...

...I hoped I'd never have to

go to work again and leave you.

But... Well, your daddy's written

some beautiful songs.

If he can get to Nashville or Hollywood

to sell them, it might make him famous.

I was wondering if you'd take it too

hard if I went back to work for a while.

Helped him earn the money

to get to California.

I haven't said anything to him about it,

till I talked to you first.

- How long you going to work?

- Not too long.

- How long?

- A month. Two months.

I won't do it at all if I can't find some

nice lady to stay with you while I work.

All right.

Tell me about when you met Daddy.

Oh, honey, you've heard that story

a hundred million times.

Please?

All right.

It was a Saturday back

in my hometown of Lovelady...

...and he was riding through town

with a bunch of boys.

And one of the boys knew

the girl I was with...

...so they stopped the car,

and we were introduced.

And then the next night,

I went to a dance...

...and there he was.

He was singing with a string band.

He asked me to dance,

so I said I would.

And we'd dance a while,

and then he'd sing a while.

It was love at first sight, I guess.

He had a girl called Sis Roberts.

She was just crazy about him.

Her papa offered to set him up in a

grocery store to get him to marry her.

They say Sis took to her bed and cried

for a week when she heard I had him.

Bet she's still crying too.

I was just telling the baby

about how we met.

She loves to hear about it.

I like to hear about it too.

And here's the dance posters.

Kind of good-looking there, ain't I?

Margaret Rose, come look.

Isn't that something?

Hey, Georgette...

...remember that?

Why, sure.

Why, that looks as good as it did

when you had it back in Lovelady.

Henry, she wants to know if you'd play

and sing something for her.

- Sure, I will.

- See?

Okay, now, everybody sit down.

- Well, how'd you like that?

- Just fine.

- How'd you like it?

- Oh, just fine.

Henry, Margaret Rose and I

have been talking it over...

...and I've decided I'm gonna get

a job at a drive-in here...

...and help you get the money

to go to California.

- No, I don't think so.

- But I want to.

I don't think so, Georgette.

Henry, I want to do it.

After all, it'd help us too if you went

to Hollywood and was a big success.

- Wouldn't it, honey?

- Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

And I appreciate that.

And I'm gonna be a success.

You'll see. People are gonna hear

about Henry Thomas.

I know that. I knew that

the first time I heard you sing.

Honey...

...this is a song I wrote

for you and your mama.

This is the song that's

gonna make me famous.

Someday, after it's recorded

and I'm rich...

...maybe I'll be a big movie star

like Elvis Presley...

...and you, me and your mama,

we're gonna live in Hollywood...

...and we're gonna go to all

the opening of my pictures...

...in a big white Cadillac car.

We're not gonna

have a care in this world.

Just writing songs

and singing songs...

...and making moving pictures.

Mama's crying.

Hush, Margaret Rose. I'm happy.

I'm just crying because I'm so happy.

Why are you so happy?

Oh, well, because everybody's

been so good to us...

...and your daddy's home.

Henry, what's the matter?

I dreamt I was back in the pen.

They told me I could leave...

...but I'd have to let myself out.

Every time I got that door

halfway open...

...it'd slam shut in my face.

Them guards...

...all laughing at me...

...and I was cursing back at them.

I'm just gonna go check on the baby.

Hello, Slim.

What are you doing here so late?

Well, I'm just about done.

I'm not going to answer it.

Miss Kate Dawson.

She's been calling me night and day

ever since Henry's come home...

...complaining to me about what

he's been doing and not doing...

...as if I was responsible

for her having him.

Someone ought to go over there

and talk to her. She's all stirred up...

...threatening to call the sheriff...

...get him to take Henry back

to the penitentiary.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes