Bessie Page #8

---

needs some time.

Ma:

"Of the artists who have

communicated the blues

to the more sophisticated

Negro and white public"--

What the hell does he know

about being sophisticated?

"I think Ethel Waters

is the best.

In fact, to my mind,

Miss Waters is superior

to any other woman

stage singer of her race."

( chuckles )

"Superior."

See how they love

to instigate? Set us up

against each other?

Them's graveyard words.

Don't worry, honey.

No decent colored folk

even read that

silly magazine.

It ain't for us anyhow.

"N*gger Heaven."

( scoffs )

I'm thinking of writing

my own book.

"Cracker Hell."

If Vechten

is the n*gger expert,

then I'm damn sure

the cracker authority.

Come on, Ma.

It hurts too much to laugh.

Yankee blacks

cut you up.

Yankee whites trying

to cut you down.

Hmm.

J.G. took Junior.

And he's trying to...

- And he's...

- Shh.

You just take care

of you right now.

Get your head right.

Things never

turn out straight.

Well, you can't hit

a straight lick

with a crooked stick,

and you're about

as crooked as they come.

( chattering )

Oh!

Now, this right here,

this used to be my favorite.

See how it'd been

drawn up three sizes?

You grew three sizes.

Just like you

outgrowed your life.

It was like you had

a hole in your stomach,

or maybe even a worm,

and you weren't

gonna stop till you ate up

everything around ya.

You got to fill that hole

yourself, sweetheart.

Nothing or nobody else

will fill it.

Yeah.

( chuckles )

Uh-huh, yeah.

Yeah.

They still fit.

Now...

You done heard the rest.

And I'm gonna

show you the best.

Ma gonna show ya

her black bottom.

Don't you see the dance

They call your big

black bottom

It'll put you

in a trance

Ha

All the boys

in the neighborhood

They say my black bottom

is really good

Come on, let me show you,

do the big black bottom

I want to learn that dance

Come on, Bess.

Come on. Get up.

Early in the morning,

'bout the break of day

Grandpa told my grandma,

I heard him say

Come on and let me see

your big black bottom

I want to learn

that dance, oh

All right now, Ma!

Come on now, honey.

You gettin' kind of

rough there, Ma.

Ah, too strong,

too strong!

Oh, baby, too strong.

Oh, I love you, baby.

I love you, too, Ma.

Rent shake this Saturday.

Rent shake this Saturday.

Bring what you can.

- ( crowd chattering )

- ( music playing )

( women scatting )

Man:

Why I'm a ladies man

About the sweetest

in the land

( singing continues )

- Here you go.

- Hey, that's right, Gilbert.

Don't be stingy now.

Hey, y'all, help yourself

to the kitchen, now.

Cooked up some good food.

- ( chattering )

- ( singing continues )

Still got 'em

coming, too. Come on!

Hey, can I use this kitchen

for a second, child,

if you don't mind?

Come on right back

and do as you please.

( coins clinking )

And how are you

gonna have a rent shake

without a bootlegger?

You ain't my bootlegger,

remember?

...pretty papa

Falling on my knees

I ask,

if you ain't got nobody

Kind daddy,

take me please

You wanna know

how to really make

some money nowadays?

Now--

Now, I'm serious, now.

This is only

for grown folks, now.

If you plan on going to church

this morning, stop me now.

Play the damn record.

( music playing )

Woman:

I got a man I love

I got a man I like

Every time I f***

them mens

I give em'

the doggone claps...

Oh. Oh, my Lord.

She's so nasty!

Mm-hmm.

But that's the kind

of p*ssy that--

Oh, unh-uh,

that is too much.

Unh-uh, she is

just too rough.

These party records

going much further nowadays.

Mm-mm,

I can't go that far.

Well, you could always

dust something off,

do one of your

old numbers, you know?

Rough cock, suck my cock

You can tuck my cock--

I ain't gonna suck, tuck,

or nothing else to nobody.

We can get close

to it, though.

See, that's what I'm--

that's the spirit.

His frankfurters are,

oh, so sweet

How I like his

sausage meat

I can't do without

my kitchen man

Oh, how that boy

can open clam

No one else

can touch my ham

I can't do without

my kitchen man

( music playing )

Gin with no ice, right?

You know,

when I saw your name on

the sign out front,

I thought it had to be

some sort of mistake

or an imposter.

I-- I can't believe

it's you.

It is such an honor

to meet you, Miss Smith.

Alhambra Ballroom,

7th Avenue, 126th Street,

Harlem, New York, 1927?

I stand by it.

You changed my life.

That was six years ago,

sugar.

Change doesn't last

that long.

Oh, but it does.

I'm sorry.

I'm John Hammond,

by the way.

Bessie, I wanna produce

your comeback tour.

And this is only

the beginning. You see,

I'm putting together

a concert, right,

from spirituals to swing.

Nothing but

the best musicians.

We've got Benny Goodman,

Fletcher Henderson,

a young girl named

Billie Holiday.

- She loves you so much--

- Hey, slow down, now.

Sorry, I get excited.

Gonna build a new venue

specially for it

called the Cafe Society.

The first integrated

nightclub.

No color lines,

no balconies.

Everyone under one roof

just swingin'.

You're dreaming, John.

Will you dream it

with me?

Sing some of

that old stuff?

I'm going in a different

direction now.

You know, trying on

some new shoes.

Okay, well,

whatever you're thinking,

I just wanna be

a part of it.

We'll see.

Give me a call?

Throw me a line?

Just wanna be

a part of it, Bessie.

Laugh, frown, laugh

Bessie:

Okay, this one is good,

with the dancer girl.

Now, see, I like

this one here.

- Look at this little smile.

- ( Richard laughing )

Hammond:

Calvin, how are you?

Nice to see you.

This is Bessie Smith,

who I was telling you about.

We got everything

you might need.

Not those old weights

and pulleys.

( whispers )

Get tea.

- Nothing but the best.

- I see you got all

the parts.

You got Buck Washington,

Chu Berry,

and this is

Benny Goodman.

Such an honor.

Well, well.

I didn't know

where you wanted to start,

so I put together

every song you ever wrote

and then some.

( chuckling )

( music playing )

It's a long, old road

But I'm gonna find

the end

It's a long, old road

But I'm gonna find

the end

And when I get there

I'm gonna shake hands

with a friend

Weeping and crying

Tears falling

on the ground

Weeping and crying

Tears falling

on the ground

When I got to the end

I was so worried down

It's a long, old road

But I'm gonna find

the end...

I do wanna know.

Know what?

What's over

that next hill,

round the next corner.

Well, you can't

go back.

But you can stop.

- ( laughs )

- No, I can't stop.

Well, let's go.

Well, let's go.

( music playing )

25 cents? Ha!

No, no.

I wouldn't pay 25 cents

to go in nowhere!

'Cause listen here...

Up in Harlem

every Saturday night

When the highbrows

get together

It's just too tight

They all congregate

at an all-night strut

And what they do is

tut, tut, tut

Oh, Hannah Brown

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