Bullets Over Broadway Page #12

I don't understand--

What are we doin' here?

I thought we were goin' to see Nick.

Yeah, we are.

Nick's got a surprise for ya.

- Nick's got a surprise for me?

- Yeah, come on.

Come with me. You're gonna really like

it. This cost Nick a lot of dough to--

- To do this for you. Come on.

- I don't-- I don't like this.

I don't like this, Cheech.

I can't understand why Nick has

a surprise for me in a warehouse.

He's not treatin' me

like a lady.

-He's got a moonlight cruise.

-A moonlight cruise? I don't understand.

- Just walk right over there.

Go ahead. He's over there.

- I don't--

- Just walk over there. Olive!

- Nickie?

- What?

- I think you should know this.

You're a horrible actress.

[ Screaming ]

- [ Water Splashing ]

- Everyone's in love

- Up a lazy river

- Thank God I don't have to hear

that voice anymore.

Up a lazy river

-[ Chattering ]

-[ David ] October 25. We open tomorrow.

Olive did not show up

for the run-through today.

We tried calling her,

but there was no answer.

It's possible her understudy might

have to do tomorrow's show.

- Listen to this.

The whole thing's comin' to life.

- Yeah.

- Maybe Olive's got stage fright.

Maybe she won't show.

- Not Olive.

That dame doesn't have

a nerve in her body.

I don't think her spinal cord

touches her brain.

- Oh, God. Listen to this.

- Yeah.

It's wonderful. Where's Cheech?

He'd know where she is.

- He didn't come around.

- Look, I'm in love with the understudy.

- [ Chuckling ]

- It's so natural. It's--

- Julian?

- Yeah?

- Did you hear about Olive?

- Oh, what now?

She got bumped off.

- What?

- Out at the docks.

A gangland hit.

- [ Door Slamming ]

- I wanna talk to you.

- Me?

- Yeah, you.

Hey, Joe.

Get lost for a while.

How could you?

How could you!

- Nobody's gonna ruin my play.

- Oh-- Your play?

- That's the second time

you called it your play.

- All right, our play.

- Didn't it cut you up inside

to hear her say it? Huh?

- We would've survived it!

Survived it? ls that what you want? When

we had a great thing, a thing of beauty?

But, Cheech! To...

[ Whispering ] ...kill her!

- She was a tramp.

- It's a free country.

- Then leave me alone.

- No, I will not leave you alone.

Didn't anybody ever teach you that

it's morally wrong, that it's a sin to--

Who am I talking to?

Jesus Christ!

- The part works better

with the understudy.

- That's not the point.

Let me see if I can explain this

to you in a way you'll understand.

Let's say she was ruining

the play-- which she was not.

She was diminishing it.

- She was ruining it.

- Let's say she was ruining the play.

- Does that mean

that she deserves to die?

- There was no way to fire her.

- What kind of inhuman monster are you?

- I think you'd better leave.

I don't think I will.

I think I'd better stay.

- You should be thanking me.

We're both in this together.

- No, we're not.

I didn't want her dead. See?

You understand what I'm saying?

I'm not in anything.

- You choose her over the show?

- Of course I do! Yes!

You think it's right some

tootsie walks in and messes up

a beautiful thing like this?

- I wanted a great play

as much as you did.

- No, not as much.

- But you don't kill for it!

- Yeah? Who says?

My father used to listen to the opera.

He loved the opera. But if a guy stunk--

- What, he killed him?

- One time, in Palermo.

I'm an artist too, not great

like you, but you know what?

First I'm a human being.

- I'm a decent, moral human being.

- What are you doin' with

Helen Sinclair then?

- What has that got to do

with it? How did you know?

- Everybody in town knows.

Except maybe your girlfriend.

Who you think you're foolin'?

I might not be perfect, but you're

a killer! You're a degenerate animal!

You're a murderer! You b--

You belong in the electric chair!

Listen to me, you.

You listen to me.

Nobody, nobody is gonna

ruin my work, you hear me?

Nobody, huh?

I've fallen in love

with Helen Sinclair...

and I lied to you about it

the other day, which I'm sure

that you probably knew.

I want to let you know I didn't mean

for this to happen. It just happened.

I'm not surprised.

She is extraordinary.

- So are you. It's me

that's all screwed up.

- I have a confession to make.

You knew the whole time,

but you were too damn decent

to confront me while I was--

No, I've been seeing

Sheldon Flender.

- Pa-Pa-Pardon me?

- We've been having an affair.

- Did you say Sheldon Flender?

- Yes, he's been in love

with me for a long time.

Do you know his theory that art

is relational, that it requires two--

the artist

and the audience?

- He feels that way about sex too.

- About-- About sex?

Yes, between the two right people,

it can become an art form.

Are you saying that you and

Flender have raised intercourse

to the level of an art form?

Not just intercourse.

Foreplay too.

- My friend, the unproduced playwright?

- He's been after me a long time.

You never seem to want to get married,

and so, one night we went out,

had a few drinks...

and started discussing art

and literature and Freud and Nietzsche.

And in order to illustrate

a point on Greek etymology...

I noticed he'd

unbuttoned his fly--

No, no, no, no! Please, please!

I don't need to hear any more.

But he's a major talent. You've

said so yourself a million times.

With an intellect that big, you tend

to create your own moral universe.

[ Knocking ]

- I just wanted to wish you good luck.

- Oh, darling.

You look pale.

No, no, not to worry.

Soon this town will belong to you.

We're having dinner Sunday night

with Gene O'Neill.

He's heard that your writing

is morbid and depressing.

He's dying to meet you.

- Oh, here's that brush.

- I know you'll be terrific tonight.

Oh! They're your words.

I'm just a vessel.

You fill me.

And this? This is

just the beginning.

I've been discussing all kinds of new

ideas for vehicles for me with my agent.

There's a variety of women

I can play. As you get to know me...

you'll see there's no limit

to my range.

They say that I can

still play late twenties...

but I say no, no,

thirty tops.

We'll go to my house

in the Vineyard. It's quiet there.

You can write.

I'll bring you coffee.

Listen, you better go.

I-I-It's 15 minutes to curtain.

I still haven't done

my breathing exercises yet.

Y-Y-You-- Fate.

Fate has thrown us together.

Merde.

[ Gasps, Sighs ]

[ Gasps, Sighs ]

[ Dramatic Panting ]

Take him.

Take him!

Let him leave me bereft,

without a penny. Go ahead. Take him.

But don't think it'll last forever.

The same thing'll happen to you.

Sylvia, I don't know

why you're so unhappy.

- Why you're such

a deeply unhappy person...

- Oh, God!

- but I want you to know that--

- Because you're taking my husband...

my life, the very core

of my being, you stupid idiot!

- I didn't ever mean to hurt you. I--

- [ Footsteps ]

Oh, Edgar.

- I've just been speaking

with Dr. Philips.

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