Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Page #8

Mama, let's be fair.

Ever since Big Daddy's health

started failing...

...Gooper's worked like a fool

to keep this place up.

Gooper won't admit it.

He never thought of it as a duty.

Big Daddy don't know what he owns.

The point is I won't see this place ruined

by a drunken ex-football hero.

Shut up about my husband!

You shut up!

He has no right to slander...

I can discuss my brother

with my family members...

...which don't include you!

Why not go up and drink with Brick?

If the hero hadn't passed out already.

He may have to pass up

the Sugar Bowl this year.

Or was it the Rose Bowl

he made his run in?

It was the punch bowl, honey.

The cut-glass punch bowl.

I always get that boy's bowls mixed up.

I have never seen such malice

toward a brother.

What about his malice toward Gooper?

He can't even stand being

in the same room with me.

Can I help you, Mr. Brick?

No, thank you, Lacey.

- Where's my father?

- He's in the cellar.

And he's alone.

And he's...

Thank you, Lacey.

- It's a deliberate campaign to ruin Brick.

- He don't need help.

For the most disgusting,

sordid reasons on earth.

Avarice.

Avarice and greed!

No, Margaret.

Don't cry.

That takes the cake!

Who are the tears for?

Brick?

Big Daddy?

Or for yourself?

Are you crying 'cause you're childless?

You know why she's got no kids?

Ask her big, beautiful husband.

You just won't let me do this

the nice way, will you?

You always said I never loved Big Daddy.

How would you know?

How would he know?

Did he ever let anyone love him?

It was always Brick.

From the day he was born...

...he was always partial to Brick. Why?

Big Daddy wanted me to become a lawyer.

I did.

He said get married. I did.

He said have kids. I did.

He said live in Memphis. I did.

Whatever he said to do, I did.

I don't give a damn

whether Big Daddy likes me...

...or did or never did...

...or will or will never.

I've appealed for common decency

and fair play.

Now I'm telling you!

I intend to protect my interests.

I'm not a corporation lawyer for nothing.

Go get my briefcase out of our bedroom.

It was...

It was the Cotton Bowl, Sister Woman.

Pa?

- Give me your hand.

- I don't want your hand!

No.

It's my pain.

That makes it my business.

I thought you went and hid yourself.

What do you want?

I came to apologize.

What for, telling me the truth?

- There must a dozen reasons.

- Save them.

I hate apologies. Especially for the truth.

Whatever you did, don't apologize.

Just don't do it again.

If you didn't do it, start doing it.

Start by getting me a cigar

out of that coat.

- You think you ought to...

- Get me the cigar, boy!

It's wet from rain.

You're all wet yourself.

It's a lousy joke, but it's true.

Modern science!

Get me that...

...that robe.

- There's a bottle in that desk.

- I don't want a drink.

I do.

I want a drink.

I've got a million clicks in my guts.

Knives sharpening themselves.

You know about clicks, don't you?

So you bought me a birthday present, huh?

No, Maggie bought it.

- She's got good taste that girl.

- In some things, yes...

...but not in men.

Nice soft material.

This is my soft birthday.

Not my gold or silver.

This is my soft birthday.

Here's to my...

...last birthday.

Aren't you drinking to that?

Clickety-click.

You know what I'm going to do

before I die?

I'm going to open up all these boxes.

Will you look at this stuff?

Bought most of it...

...when I took your mother to Europe

on that tour.

Never had such a lousy time in my life.

That Europe is nothing

but a great big auction.

Bunch of old worn-out places.

It's just a big fire sale.

Big Mama went wild in it.

She just bought and bought.

She was lucky I'm a rich man.

Yes, it sure is lucky.

Got any idea what I'm worth? Ask Gooper.

He knows to the penny

unless I miss my guess.

Close on $10 million in cash

and blue-chip stocks...

...besides some 28,000 acres

of the richest land...

...this side of the Valley Nile.

That is pretty rich to be.

There's one thing you can't buy

in a Europe fire sale...

...or any other market on earth.

That's your life.

You can't buy back your life

when it's finished.

No, sir. Nobody can do that.

Feeling sorry for me or you?

For you, Papa.

That's good,

because you're going to miss me.

Why did you let Ma buy all this stuff?

The human animal is a beast

that eventually has to die.

If he's got money, he buys and he buys.

The reason why he buys everything he can,

is because...

...of a crazy hope that one of the things

he buys will be life everlasting...

...which it never can be.

I've suddenly noticed you don't call me

Big Daddy anymore.

If you needed a Big Daddy,

why didn't you come to me?

If you wanted someone to lean on, why

Skipper? Why not me? I'm your father.

You should've come to your kinfolk.

Those who love you.

You don't know what love means.

To you it's another four-letter word.

You've got a short memory.

- What did you want that I didn't buy?

- You can't buy love!

You bought $1 million worth of junk!

Does it love you?

Who do you think I bought it for?

It's yours, the place, the money!

I don't want things!

We drew this up...

- We drew this up with the advice...

- Get out of the way.

- Get out of my way.

- We're settling this first.

- I don't want to see it.

- It's a sort of a plan. A preliminary.

Waste!

Worthless!

Worthless!

Don't, son.

Please don't cry.

That's funny.

I never saw you cry before.

Did you ever cry as a kid?

Can't you understand?

I never wanted your place or money.

I don't want to own anything!

All I wanted was a father, not a boss!

I wanted you to love me.

I did and I do.

Not me and not Gooper,

and not even Mama.

That's a lie.

I loved her. I gave her...

Things, Papa, you gave her things.

A house, a trip to Europe, all this junk.

Some jewelry.

You gave her things, not love.

I gave her an empire.

I've seen you out there on your empire...

...with the men who run it for you.

You don't know their names...

...or if they've kids or are happy.

You've never looked into their faces.

What are faces? You don't build an empire

by remembering faces.

Next week,

I'll start building that textile plant.

I'll not only grow my own cotton,

I'll weave it and market it.

I'll tell you...

...in a year or two from now...

The men who build empires die,

and empires die too.

No, it won't.

That's why I've got you and Gooper.

Look at Gooper.

Look at what he's become.

Is that what you wanted him to be?

Look at me.

You were right. I am a 30-year-old kid.

And pretty soon I'll be a 50-year-old kid.

I don't know what to believe in.

What's the good of living?

There's got to be some purpose in life,

some meaning.

Look at me, for the sake of God,

before it's too late!

For once, look at me as I really am.

Look at me!

I'm a failure. I'm a drunk.

On my own in the open market,

I'm not worth the price of a decent burial.

- All of you blame me for everything, huh?

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