Bessie Page #5

---

Oh--

Ahem--

( snorts )

( retches )

I got a man I love

Why he had

to leave me?

I got a man I love

Smart as he can be...

( clears throat )

Dear Miss Smith,

while we appreciate your

downhome sound,

we do not feel

that it is a fit

for Black Swan Records.

We have chosen

to record instead

a young lady who

we unanimously agree

has a more

compatible sound

and is a bright,

shining example

of the Harlem Renaissance

and an uplift to the race.

We hope you can appreciate

the difficulty

of our decision

and the choices

that must be made

in the name of progress.

We remain admirers

of your work

and hope that you will

keep us in mind

for your

future recordings.

Jack:

You let her go in there

and make a damn fool

- out of herself.

- Pour me another glass

of this corn.

- Ain't nobody crying.

- It was a good meeting, man.

Hey, baby, look here.

Never again.

Damn fools don't know nothing

about no talent.

I'm gonna get you

a real record deal!

I said I don't wanna

hear no more about it.

What the hell you know

about anything?

We've been in

this business

- before you were wiping

your own ass.

- Look it here.

It's about damn time she started

taking advice from a n*gger

that don't wear no

stage makeup!

Listen--

Give me some more

of this!

Give me some more

of all this stuff!

It'll pass.

...a couple of them

myself, too.

Are you sure?

( chattering )

( laughs )

Jack:
Hey, Bessie.

This here Mr. Walker--

want to meet you.

The hell you bring

him here for?

You remember him.

Brought him by a couple

of your shows.

He wants to talk

to you about a record deal.

- A real recording contract.

- Miss Smith,

I'd like to record

you for Columbia Records

for our new

Race Records division.

What is a Race Record?

The one where they put

a coon on the front?

What? Um, no, ma'am.

We at Columbia are taking

a different approach.

I'm not interested

in your Race Records.

And I'm not interested

in wasting my time singing

no store-bought blues.

But we want your sound.

We want

the Bessie Smith sound.

And it would be

your face on the ad,

- nothing like those

other records.

- I already sell out

every show from

Philly to Chicago.

Ain't nobody doing it

like I'm doing it.

You'd attract

a broader audience.

I've been doing

just fine without 'em.

I can offer you

50 dollars a side.

No royalties, of course.

( scoffs )

Don't play with me now.

J.G.

Now, you want

what's in my jacket

or in my pocket?

( scoffs )

I already know

what's in your pocket.

Maybe you do,

maybe you don't.

Now, what do you want?

This or this?

I want another velvet box.

Marry me.

You ou can't be

putting me upon no shelf.

I ain't no

henpecked man, either.

Take the chance on me.

Come here, girl.

Now, what's in

that other pocket?

Oh. ( chuckles )

Uh, just

a recording contract

from Columbia Records.

125 a side.

That's double

what that man said.

That's 'cause I'm fighting

for you now, baby.

Well, maybe we should

tell Clarence.

Uh-uh. This here is

me and you now.

Man:

All set. Let 'em know.

Man #2:

Let's hope she knows

what she's doing.

Man #3:

They tell me she does.

Take a listen.

This always takes...

Everything all right,

Bessie?

Yeah, as soon as y'all

move this thing

out the way,

I'm ready to go.

Well, no, that's

the recording apparatus.

- I know it's bigger

than what--

- It's crowding me.

( stammering )

Well, we need it to--

- I don't need it.

- Look, Bess, you got to--

Hey, hey.

I'll help her.

What's wrong?

It's gonna be just like

the last time.

- No, it's not.

- It ain't gonna go, J.G.

It ain't gonna go, J.G.

I know it.

I know how they do it.

They act like they're your pal,

and then it all comes loose.

You can't make

no silk purse out

of no sow's ear

- just like Viola

always said--

- Damn Viola.

You hear me? Damn her.

Damn Black Swan.

Damn these crackers

in here.

Let's just go home.

Okay, we're going.

We're going now.

Right now.

But sing one song,

honey.

The way you like it.

Don't sing it for me,

them, nobody.

You sing it

for yourself.

Now what you say?

Mr. Walker:

Okay, here we go, Bessie.

Mr. Gee, if you could just

step away from the cone--

He's staying right here.

Um, okay.

( music playing )

Gee, but it's hard

to love someone

When that someone

don't love you

I'm so disgusted,

heartbroken, too

I've got those

downhearted blues

Once I was crazy

'bout a man

Who mistreated me

all the time

The next man I get

Has got to promise me

to be mine

All mine

Trouble, trouble

I've had it all my days

Trouble, trouble

I've had it all my days

It seems that trouble's

I love you. You're mine.

Going to follow me

to my grave

I ain't never loved but

Three mens in my life

I ain't never loved but

Three mens in my life

My father, my brother

The man that

wrecked my life

I got the world in a jug

The stopper's in my hand

Recording:

I got the world

in a jug

The stopper's

in my hand...

Man:
Put that

on top of that box.

Hey.

Seems I done traced

the lightning back

to her source.

Man:

Hey, boss. One more.

What's your name?

Ain't too smart

to give out names

in my business.

Just call me

your bootlegger.

And what do I call you?

You don't know who I am?

Oh, I know

who you are.

But what do you want me

to call you?

Oh, yes. Yeah!

What the f***

is your name?

- Richard.

- Tell me your name.

Richard, baby!

My name is Richard.

Jack:

Come on, baby.

Mm-hmm.

Right here.

( chuckles )

Look good, huh?

- ( both chuckle )

- Bessie:
Yeah!

Well, why is your

name on it?

Why is my name on it?

'Cause somebody somewhere

right now putting

a record on

listening to you.

You're making money

while you sleep.

Ain't had to sing

a word this morning.

It is fine.

- A whole train.

- Clarence:
It was my idea.

Told you six months ago

we should get a train.

Look here,

we're saving money now.

Ain't never have

to go through another

third-rate backdoor again.

That's what I told you!

Yeah, well, some are talkers

and some are doers.

And, baby, I'm a doer.

And I done done it.

"Jack Gee presents."

Jack Gee presents

the most demonstrating,

syncopating, electrifying

woman in the world.

( Jack laughs )

My girl.

- ( music playing )

- ( chattering )

- ( cheering )

- Bessie:
How y'all

feeling tonight?

Yeah!

Come on, now. Yeah!

( chuckles )

Give a little bit.

Oh, this reminds me

of church.

What? I think we might

have to preach

them blues tonight.

- Yeah!

- ( engines whirring )

Man:
Here, n*gger,

n*gger, n*gger, n*gger!

- Man #2:
N*gger!

- Man #3:
Hurry!

Man #4:

N*gger, n*gger,

n*gger n*gger!

Give it here,

give it here.

Come on, go around the side.

Go around the side.

Come on, let's move it.

- Man:
Bring it down!

- We gotta get out of here.

- ( hollering )

- Man:
The Klan is here.

The Ku Klux Klan is here!

- ( crowd chattering )

- ( men hollering )

- It's gonna be

all right.

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