Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Page #5

Turns the hot light off and the cool one on.

All of a sudden, there's peace.

You're a real alcoholic!

That is the truth.

Yes, sir, I am an alcoholic.

So, if you'll just excuse me.

- No, I won't!

- I'm waiting for that click...

...and I don't get it unless I'm alone!

I'm not talking. When it's quiet!

You'll hear plenty of that in the grave.

Right now we're going to talk.

This talk is like all the others.

It gets nowhere and it's painful!

- Let it be painful.

- I can crawl and hop if I have to.

If you aren't careful, you'll crawl out

this family and be drinking on skid row.

Yeah, that will come too.

No. Now that I'm straightened out,

I'm going to straighten you out.

Sit down!

It's no use. We talk in circles.

We have nothing to say to each other!

- Where are you going?

- To get another bottle.

No, you're not, you drunken whelp!

- Why are you shouting? I can't stand it!

- Get out of here!

Leave us alone! Why do you drink?

You had better know why you drink

or give it up!

Give me my crutch.

Why do you drink?

I stepped on that foot and now I'm in pain.

Good!

At least you're not too numb...

...with liquor to feel pain.

- Why do you drink?

- Give me my crutch.

- Tell me first.

- No, give me a drink first.

- First you've got to tell me!

- All right! Disgust!

- Disgust with what?

- You strike a hard bargain.

- Boy, do you want liquor that bad?

- Yes, sir, I want liquor that bad.

What are you disgusted with?

Mendacity! Do you know what that is?

It's lies and liars!

Who's been lying to you? Maggie?

No, not one lie or one person.

The whole thing.

- You got a headache?

- No, I'm trying...

Trying to concentrate, but you can't

because your brain is soaked with liquor.

Wet brain!

Mendacity!

What do you know about mendacity?

I could write a book on it.

- It's your sister calling from Memphis.

- To hell with her!

Get out of there!

Go on. Close the door after you.

Mendacity!

Look at the lies I've got to put up with.

Pretenses, hypocrisy!

Pretending like I care for Big Mama.

I haven't tolerated her in 40 years.

Church! It bores me, but I go.

All those swindling lodges, social clubs,

and money-grabbing auxiliaries...

...that's got me on their number one

sucker list.

Boy, I've lived with mendacity.

Why can't you live with it?

You've got to. There's nothing to live with

but mendacity. Is there?

Yes, sir, you can live with this.

That's not living.

- That's dodging away from life.

- I want to dodge away from it.

Then why not kill yourself?

Because I like to drink.

I can't talk to you!

I'm sorry.

Do you expect me to turn over

28,000 acres of the richest land...

...this side of the Nile to a drunk fool?

No, sir.

I like you, son, but why should I subsidize

worthless behavior?

Give it to Gooper and Mae.

I can't stand Gooper and Mae

and those five screaming monkeys.

I don't have to turn it over to any of you!

To this day, I ain't made no will.

Now I don't have to, the pressure's off.

I can wait and see

if you pull yourself together or not.

That's right.

- I'm not kidding.

- No, sir, I know you're not kidding.

You don't care?

No, sir, I don't care.

Tell Lacey to drive me to the station.

- Now wait a minute!

- Or I'll drive myself.

I'm going home tonight. Now!

- This is your home.

- Is it? Since when?

Let's not leave it like this.

Like all them other talks we've had.

We always seem to talk around things.

Seem to leave things unsaid and unspoken.

- Now we've got to talk straight.

- It's too late for talk.

Why?

What are you disgusted about?

Because you can't play football anymore?

Because you lost your job?

I'll get it back for you!

What? Sit in a glass box

watching games that I can't play?

Describing what I can't do

while others do it?

Filling my Coke with bourbon so I can

stand it? You'll get that back for me?

I think you're passing the buck.

Do you know many drinking men?

I've known a good number.

Could any of them they tell you

why they drank?

You're passing the buck?

You're passing the buck

to things like disgust and mendacity.

If you've got to use that kind of language...

...it's 90 proof bull and I ain't buying any!

You started drinking with your friend

Skipper's death. Ain't that the truth?

What are you suggesting?

Nothing. But...

But what?

Say your mind.

Say it!

- Why are you so excited?

- Go ahead, say it!

Why are you shouting like that?

Skipper and I were friends, understand?

Gooper said that Skipper was...

Skipper is the only thing

that I've got left to believe in!

And you drag it through the gutter!

- Just a minute!

- You make it shameful and filthy!

Give me your hand.

I don't want your hand.

To hell with all lies and liars!

Didn't you ever look up to anybody?

Anybody at all in your whole life?

Didn't you ever believe in anything,

anybody?

No, sir, I guess you didn't.

Nothing and nobody

except Big Daddy himself.

You and Skipper played football together.

Made a few touchdowns.

Does that make him God Almighty?

I could depend on him.

- On the football field!

- Anytime, anywhere, anyplace!

- Are you sure of that?

- Yes.

Bull!

Why did your big strong man fall apart?

Why did Skipper crack up?

All right.

You're asking for it,

we're going to have that talk.

That straight, true talk.

It's too late to stop now.

Can you say it without a drink?

I haven't heard that mechanical click yet.

You need a lot of crutches, don't you?

Clicks. Whisky.

What else do you need?

Skipper?

- He was a crutch for you too, wasn't he?

- Yes, sir.

I could lean on him, in school and out of it.

How did Maggie take

this great and true friendship?

Ask her.

I'm asking you.

If you want to know why Skipper

cracked up, ask Maggie the cat.

What did she do?

Chase him out of the window

of that Chicago hotel?

Did that little bitty girl shove

your big hero out all by herself?

Why?

What went on

between Skipper and Maggie?

Ask her.

Maggie, come here.

Can I be of assistance, Big Daddy?

Trixie's ready to play the piano for you!

Go ahead, play.

What was going on

between you and Skipper?

Well, you see, Big Daddy...

Well?

Come on, Maggie!

You wanted to talk truth upstairs.

Go ahead!

Big Daddy wants to know. Tell him!

Skipper didn't like me.

Why didn't Skipper like you?

- You know he was against our marriage.

- Why?

- Because it meant less freedom for you.

- Freedom to do what?

Freedom to run from town to town.

Planes, trains, always running!

- Football practice, dirty stories...

- Nobody forced you to come along with us!

I didn't expect to spend my honeymoon

in the locker room with the boys.

Since when did a man's smell

ever injure your sensitive feelings?

Football, baby!

The idea of football smelled.

Especially the notions

of a professional team.

He didn't need any team of his own.

He could've gotten a spot

on any pro team in the country.

You organized your own team

on account of Skipper.

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