Born to Be Blue Page #2

- It is'?

- Mm-hmm.

- Were you-

can I wipe this thing?

- What, I got food on my face?

- Beauty mark.

No, you're prettier

without it.

Come on; let's go out,

have some laughs.

- You don't strike me

as funny.

- I'm funny.

What's heavier,

a full moon or half moon?

A full moon,

because it's lighter.

- Not so good.

- That's not funny?

- No.

- I have better material.

Top-shelf stuff.

- Azuka.

- What's that mean?

- It's my last name.

It's African,

and it means "past glory."

[upbeat music]

- I Belle ami, belle ami I

I Come over here by me I

II:

- No.

- You're not following through.

Now just-all right,

all right, all right.

Just lay it out there.

Okay, well, that's

another goose egg for you.

- Come on!

You are really competitive.

- I guess they didn't teach you

about bowling

back there at acting school?

- Very funny.

I was supposed

to be an academic, actually,

like my parents

and my brothers.

- But then what happened?

- Oh, i fell in love

with musicals on Broadway.

I studied jazz.

- Did you?

What instrument?

- Piano, voice.

- I've never been

with a woman

who knew anything at all

about music.

- So what did Elaine

like to do?

- Elaine?

Mostly, she liked to f***. Yeah.

She liked to f***,

and I liked f***in' her.

What? What?

- I don't know.

Your songs are so romantic.

But I guess you never

wrote them, right?

- Mm-mm.

One time, we did it

seven times in two hours.

What do you think about that?

- Sounds like

you f*** too fast.

- Uh, I do better

when I'm high.

- So you're really a junkie?

Huh?

- I got some habits.

- So what, your parents didn't

love you enough or something?

- No, it's nobody's fault.

- So why are you

such a f***-up, then?

Huh?

- You want to know?

You want to know the truth?

- Yeah,

I want to know the truth.

- It makes me happy.

I love to get high.

- Well, at least you're honest.

- What about you, huh?

Why are you such a f***-up?

- I'm not a f***-up.

- Oh, yeah, you are.

Yeah, you're an actress,

aren't you?

- All actresses

are f***-ups?

- Yeah, well..

What is they say

about Hollywood?

They'll pay you 2 grand

for a kiss

and 2 bucks for your soul.

You know who said that?

- No.

- Marilyn Monroe.

- Closing time, folks.

- We sing.

You know that song?

I I've never been in love I

I Before I

I Now all at once I

I It's you I

You know that, right?

I It's you I

I Forever more I

I I've never I

I Been in love I

I Before I

I I thought my heart I

I Was safe I

I I thought I- I

Why don't you come back with me

to my place and we can sing?

- That's not a good idea.

Listen, I know all about you.

- What do you know?

- I know you're trouble.

- Trouble's good for you.

[jazz music]

- That's why your playing

touches people.

- Mm-hmm.

- It's like what Chekhov said

when his patients

were fevering

on what kind of food

they liked to eat:

"Something sour."

And my dad read me

all the philosophers

before I was a teenager,

but Chekhov?

He thought that the feelings

that we experience

when we're in love

are our normal state,

that being in love

shows a person

who he should really be.

I love-

- Remember me, Chettie'?

F*** him up!

- Oh, Chet!

Chet!

- Come here!

You forget

what you owe us, Chet?

F***ing junkie.

' [groans]

- [gasps]

- Come here.

- Stop it!

[grunting]

- Help! Stop!

- No more jazz, motherf***er!

[laughs]

- Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Help!

Help!

[gentle instrumental music]

II:

- He's got severe trauma

to the neck...

possible fracture

of the cheek.

He's lost all his front teeth.

- Chet, it's Jane.

You look like sh*t.

You're gonna be okay.

- You know What

an embouchure is?

Like a piano player

not having any hands.

28 eight years

of practice, gone.

You'll never play again.

- And from the Hollywood,

a dramatic U-turn.

The studio is now shelving

the Chet Baker movie,

which was meant to launch

the recently paroled

jazz legends comeback.

- They haven't called me.

They can't shelve the movie

that quickly.

- That was no stranger.

That was Chefs dealer.

Do you think

the studio's gonna have

anything to do with this?

Just wake up.

- Okay, wait,

somebody must be able to help.

I mean, somehow-

- How many people have called?

How many people

have come to visit?

We're all here.

This is everybody.

And I'm leaving.

I've looked after you

for 13 years, Chet.

But I'm-I'm done.

- This is such a mess.

- How long have you known him?

- Five weeks.

. Okay"

Get clean, Chet.

- [sighs]

[waves crashing]

[gentle instrumental music]

II:

' [groans]

- I spoke to your

parole officer,

who says you'll be starting

methadone treatment,

so unfortunately I can't

prescribe any pain medication.

Just hang in there.

And avoid any stress

to your mouth, okay?

[blowing trumpet]

[audience applauding]

[whistles and applause]

- How'd we do? Good?

- You were brilliant, Chettie.

Sensational!

- It was pretty f***ing good.

Where's Elaine, huh?

- Amazing!

Ah, Elaine,

did you hear that? Huh?

- Come on.

Miles asked to see you.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

Chettie, Miles!

- Go on.

- Uh, Chetjust Wanted to

say hi before your set, Miles.

- This is Elaine.

- How you doing?

- Hi.

- You dig the show?

- It was nice. Yeah.

A lot of pretty faces.

It was, um, sweet...

like candy.

Must be real hard posing

for all these pretty pictures.

- I'm just trying

to sell records, right'?

- Right.

Let me tell you something.

I never trust a cat...

let loot or love

affect his art.

You think them silly

white girls out there

understand a lick about jazz'?

- He's number one

in the polls, Miles.

- [laughs]

Is this your great white hope,

sweetheart?

Standing right here?

Is this it?

You want some advice, Baker?

Go back home to the beach, man.

This ain't the place for you.

Come back

when you've lived a little.

[breathes deeply]

[exhales]

[jazzy bass music]

II:

[violin music]

- Hello, fear.

- Hello, fear.

- Hello, death.

- Hello, death.

- F*** you.

- F*** you.

[lively jazz music]

II:

II:

[music slows]

[violin music]

[slowing jazz music]

II:

[footsteps approaching]

[door opens]

- Hey, Chet. You home?

You left the door open.

I didn't get the job,

so don't ask.

What did you do?

Oh, oh.

Oh, what did you do?

Come on, Chet.

Wake up. Wake up.

Come on, Chet.

[sobs]

Come on. Come on.

[banging]

- Why did you wake me up?

- [breathing heavily]

Hey, hey.

What?

- So you're gonna kill yourself

because you can't

play trumpet anymore?

- Yes.

- Am I supposed

to feel sorry for you?

Play something else.

Sing.

- Maybe we haven't

been introduced.

My name is Chet Baker.

I'm one of the greatest trumpet

players of my generation.

One of the best jazz

improvisationalists.

- So it's trumpet or nothing?

- Yes.

- So maybe I should

kill myself too,

because I don't look

like Vivien Leigh.

- You should find one thing

and be better at it.

- No, that's easy

for you to say,

the one blessed

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