Belle of the Nineties Page #4

- Yeah.

Now believe me, Ace, the Kid is good.

Why, he's been knocking over

everything that come along.

- I've seen a lot of fighters in my time...

- And I've heard a lot of talk.

You mind having your boy

go a couple of rounds with Joe Savage?

No! I'd love it.

- Joe.

- Hey, Tiger.

ACE:
Now don't go easy with him,

give him all you've got.

It's all right with me if you get him

with the first punch. Go on.

TIGER:
Hi, Mr. La Mont.

ACE:
Hello, Tiger.

ACE:
I'd like to have a little talk with you.

Come over here.

I like the way you handle yourself,

you got class.

Thanks.

I'll see you in the dressing room

in just a moment.

I think I found a fighter

who can beat the champ.

And I think I found the answer

to something else, too.

Now that Ruby Carter has

all those diamonds Claybourne gave her...

- she is very hard to handle.

- You're right, boss.

See you later.

That's great, and bet plenty on me,

you'll double your money.

- You only got two weeks to train.

- I'm in shape, I could fight him tomorrow.

You're not talking about money, are you?

If you're talking money, talk to me.

I'll settle that part with you later, Kirby.

I wanna have a talk with the Tiger.

All right.

I hope you appreciate what I'm doing for you.

I sure do, Mr. La Mont.

Maybe someday I'll be able to do

something for you.

I'm coming to that.

You know, Kid, it takes a lot of money

to stage a championship match.

Yeah, I know.

And I had plenty

when I signed the champ, but...

- well, women are my weakness.

- You, too?

To tell you the truth, Kid,

I sunk practically all I had on a woman.

That's bad.

She's got something on me,

you know how that is, she makes me pay.

That's worse.

And I have showered her

with diamonds and jewels galore.

But she's the type of woman

that can't play fair.

- That's tough, Mr. La Mont.

- Tough? Why, it's terrible.

If I could get some of the jewels back,

why, it would be a cinch to put on the fight.

- I was thinking if you would...

- [Knowingly] Oh.

- You want the title, don't you?

- Yeah. But she ain't got it.

There'll be nothing to it.

I'll have everything arranged.

- Who is she?

- You don't need to know that.

I'll be driving her along the lake tonight,

and all you have to do is...

This is quite the thing to do,

drive along the lake like this.

ACE:
You and I should make a habit of it.

RUBY:
One bad habit is good as another.

I didn't know you liked diamonds so well

or I'd have draped you with them.

RUBY:
Why didn't you?

ACE:
You haven't encouraged me very much.

ACE:
Besides I hesitated because...

RUBY:
The man that hesitates is last.

I haven't given up hopes yet.

RUBY:
I thought you took me out here

to talk business.

ACE:
On a night like this I prefer to talk...

RUBY:
But I'd told you...

TIGER:
Stick them up!

TIGER:
Give me the rocks.

ACE:
Now see here.

TIGER:
Shut up! Come on, hurry it up.

Give me them bracelets.

TIGER:
Come on, give me them. Hurry up.

And the thing off your neck, too.

Come on, don't stall me.

TIGER:
All right,

now get going and don't stop.

This is an outrage. No one can do a thing

like this to Ace La Mont and get away with it.

I'll get that fellow

if have to scour the country for him.

Say, it's funny he didn't take your ring.

Yes.

[Lively instrumental music]

- I didn't know she was in town, did you?

- No, I didn't.

See here, you're not gonna fall for her

all over again, are you?

- Lf you are, maybe we better not go in.

- Don't worry about me.

Come on, Ace is expecting me.

Coming, bunny boy?

Yeah, sure.

- Where is the party for the fighters?

- Right in there.

- Ace there?

- No, he's upstairs.

Thanks.

[Slow instrumental music]

ACE:
Nice work, Kid.

Just as smooth and easy.

TIGER:
I hope it stays that way.

Jails are draughty this time of the year.

Don't worry. No one would have known you

in a million years.

I hardly recognised you myself.

TIGER:
Swell stuff, Ace.

I'll put it away and we'll join the party.

[Band playing lively song]

[Singing] Folks, I've just come down

Down from Memphis town

That's where people smile

smile at you all the while

Hospitality

They were good to me

I couldn't spend a dime

I had the grandest time

I went out dancing

with a Tennessee dear

They had a fellow there named Handy

with a band you should hear

While the white folks gently swayed

All those darkies played

real harmony

I never will forget the tune

that they call the Memphis blues

Oh, those blues

They've got a fiddler up there

who always slickens his hair

And, boy, he sure do pull some bow

And when the big bassoon

seconds to the trombone's croon

Oh, yeah

No one can make it

like that piano man

They got a hot cornet

that you could never forget

Oh, play it, boy

When the drum goes wild

Mother, come and get your child

[Drum solo]

I brought them here 'cause

I couldn't bear to lose

those Memphis blues

There's too much fuss

being made over this woman.

Don't think you're fooling me.

You're in love with her.

ACE:
That again?

Yes, I was good enough for you

till she came here.

You're working here and getting paid.

If you're dissatisfied, get out.

- Ace, you can't do this to me.

- You're getting to be a nuisance.

[Band playing lively music]

TIGER:
Hello, Ruby.

I didn't expect to meet you in this town.

- No?

- No.

I didn't think I'd ever see you again.

You don't mean to tell me

you actually missed me.

More than that.

I can't get you out of my mind, Ruby.

- I think about you all the time.

- Oh, yeah?

Did you ever give me a second thought?

Do you suppose I could forget

a guy as good as you?

- You mean that?

- Of course.

BUNNY BOY:
Why don't you join the party?

They got wine, they got whiskey, they got...

Who's your friend?

- You don't know him?

- No.

You don't know her?

I'm glad you mentioned it,

I was gonna tell you about that.

You were gonna tell me about it, huh?

I'll be back in a minute, Ruby.

BUNNY BOY:
Look, it was a joke.

TIGER:
A joke?

BUNNY BOY:
Me and Kirby...

TIGER:
You and Kirby fixed it, eh?

[Thwack]

- Hi.

- I'll be right over with you, boys.

There's lots of things I would like

to talk over with you, Ruby.

- But there's not much privacy here.

- You're right.

You might have known you could trust me.

Ruby, you don't realise

what you've done to me.

Been so long since I was alone with you,

since I had you in my arms.

Said you had a lot to tell me.

I'm waiting to hear it.

- What's the matter, Ruby?

- What've you been doing lately?

Yeah, I forgot to tell you.

I'm gonna fight the champ.

I just put over the deal with Ace.

- I've been doing all right lately.

- Well?

RUBY:
You've been doing all right?

TIGER:
Yep.

TIGER:
I'm on my way to the top.

TIGER:
What I want to know is

if I made the grade with you.

What do you think?

Honey, I'm not feeling sentimental.

What's wrong, Ruby? You have changed.

I can't figure you out.

- You will.

- Is there some other guy?

No.

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