City for Conquest

- Hey, you. Keep moving.

- Which way, officer?

- I should worry which way, keep moving.

- But which way?

You figure that out for

yourself, just keep moving.

"Just keep moving." Hospitality

at the end of a nightstick.

In or out, come or go. Who cares? Nobody.

There's no welcome sign out in New York.

You get off a freight train and the railroad

bulls slap you around just for the exercise.

Every day, the big parade

comes in, shaking their fists...

...but nobody gives them a welcome.

All you get is a stop signal at every corner.

Hey, daffy, didn't I just

tell you to keep moving?

Officer, I'm city-struck.

This is my breakfast,

talking up to the big town.

Look at it. Seven million people,

fighting, biting, clawing away...

...to get one foot on a ladder

that'll take them to a penthouse.

Yes, siree. They come by the

thousands, every which way.

By water, by wheel, by foot,

by ferry, by tunnel, by tube.

Over, across and under the river.

They come like locusts,

from all over the nation.

From every nation on the

globe. Seven million people.

New York is like a snake.

Strike the head in Queens and

the tail waves in Staten Island.

Rattle a milk can in the Bronx and

a corpse turns over in Brooklyn.

Seven million people, divided

by a river and joined by bridges.

Go from the subway to the

sky in 10 seconds flat.

Make a million. Make a

penny. That's New York.

And I know this town, brother.

Because I got clothes on my back.

But before I turn you

in, you better get moving.

I heard you, officer,

and I wanna keep moving.

- I still can't figure out which way.

- You better figure out which way...

...or I'll give you a

taste of this. Now, go on.

You coming with me?

Hey. Just a minute, young fella.

- I didn't do nothing.

- Well, we'll discuss that later.

- What's your name?

- Googi, Googi Sabatini.

Well, Googi, you mustn't steal bread.

You can steal boats, you can snitch

nickels or shake down trousers...

...but you mustn't steal bread.

But I'm hungry.

Who isn't in this town?

Come on, give it to me.

Hand it over. Come on, come on. Hurry up.

And remember, Googi, if you must steal

bread in New York, don't get caught.

Only one cent, two cent, three cent.

What a town. Right out of

the asphalt flower's grove.

That's Peggy, Danny's girl.

- And who's Danny?

- That's me.

Attaboy, Danny.

Use your right, Danny! Hit him in the discus!

- Don't get so excited, son. He'll win.

- You're doggone right, he'll win.

- Attaboy, Danny!

- Scram!

The winner.

Danny, I now dub you

knight of the Round Table.

King Arthur was no braver

in defense of his fair lady.

Sure, I'm taking Peggy's part and

I always will because she's my girl.

- Peggy couldn't have a better protector.

- You said it.

- You hurting much, Peggy?

- No, it's nothing. Thanks, Danny.

- You know what, Peggy?

- Yes, Danny?

- You dance good.

- You fight good.

Come on, Danny, let's

finish this game. Hurry up.

Eddie, your brother wants you to come

on over. We're gonna play Kick the Can.

- Tell Danny I can't. I gotta practice.

- You give me a pain.

Every time we need you,

why, you gotta practice.

Well, I can't give it

up. I'm teaching myself.

You know, someday I'm gonna get a piano.

Heck, a piano!

Yes, siree, brother. The air

of New York smells of ambition.

Blessed is he who goes after what he wants.

Every man climbs over the backs of

the others, swinging his spiked club.

Fighting, dancing, playing away.

Up from the gutters, into the sun.

And yet, if you look close,

there's love in the city.

And there's hope in the city too.

The pavements may be hard

and the tenements high...

...but that won't stop these children.

Googi may steal his way through life.

Peggy, well, you've seen her dance. Her

nimble feet will carry her to the heights.

And Danny will fight his way

through with his bare fists.

- Lay off those peanuts.

- They're good for your nerves.

- They're bad for the figure.

- I never worried about me figure. Want one?

Get through with that bag,

Danny. Callahan's here.

- That Kid Callahan?

- Yeah. Up from the West Side.

Just knocked out Tony Mazzini. Remember Tony?

- When he busted his thumb on your head?

- Tony was tough. This guy must be good.

Yeah. You could be good

too, only you don't wanna.

Hey, look out there, will you?

- Hi, Kid. You sure gave Tony the flatiron.

- He was a pushover. He ain't seen nothing.

- Hey, Kid, when's your next settle?

- Don't ask me.

- Just sit tight, boys. Leave it to Goldie.

- Hurry up. Get through with the bag.

- I'll be through when you're dressed.

- You'll be through when I'm dressed?

You're through right now. Scram.

You big lug. You think you own the joint?

Danny could knock your

block off with one hand.

- Beat it, dope, beat it.

- Keep your mitts off him.

A wise, guy, huh?

- What's the big idea, you jerk?

- He started it. He slapped him with the bag.

Let me at that guy. Let

me at him. Let me at him.

Break it up. This ain't the

ring. What's eating you guys?

Listen, jerk. The next time I see

you, you're gonna wish you hadn't.

Save it for the ring, Kid.

Look, Goldie, cool off that

buzz saw of yours, will you?

Say, Kenny, stick around.

I wanna talk to you.

Don't worry, Pinky. We'll be there.

Listen, Samson. It's a chance in a million.

A main prelim, and you ain't taking...

Skip it, Pinky. You're wasting your time.

I come down here for a little exercise

and you try to pull me into a fight.

Danny, 100 bucks. A hundred.

And I can handle your corner.

Better handle that truck back to the garage.

- Look, Danny...

- Stop hopping me up, you ringworm.

Danny, you can knock most of

these guys around here cold.

- Why would I do that?

- A hundred bucks, Danny.

Lemonade, chocolate! Five cents! Five cents!

Get out of here. Get out of

here. Get out of here. Five cents!

Going into the third round, Primo

Carnera, world's heavyweight champion...

... and challenger Maxie Baer.

California jabs with his left. One, two.

Now a right hook. Carnera

staggers. He's going down.

- Looks like it's in the bag for Maxie.

- That's the cold packs for that big baloney.

His share of the gate tonight is

estimated at a minimum of $ 100,000 cash.

You hear that, Danny, $

100,000. That's for one fight.

What are you crying about now?

I won't be a truck driver's assistant forever.

I got ambitions. I'm gonna be somebody.

Baer stabs two to the jaw,

a hard right to the heart.

Carnera tries to hold on,

a desperately groggy champ.

I got four bits bet and I'm gonna collect.

He's my boy. I don't care

what you think of him.

He's all right, and I still have

3-1 to bet on Jess Willard to win.

Hey, Danny, there's Peggy.

- Hello, Peg.

- Hello, Danny.

I'll walk you over, huh?

- Don't you want to listen?

- I heard enough.

- Where you been, dancing again?

- Learned a lot of new steps today.

You'll wear yourself out if

you keep dancing without supper.

- I'd much rather dance than eat any day.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes