Come See the Paradise Page #2

JACK:

Yeah, well that's why I feel so at home here, Gerry, because when

it comes to shoveling sh*t, you're full of it.

MARGE:

Shut up, the two of you!

GERRY:

Jesus. No wonder your f***ing wife left you.

JACK:

She left because she missed Ireland, Marge. She's happy there.

It was never gonna work out. You know that.

MARGE:

She left because you spoiled it for her. You lost your faith in

everything, Jack. You were so full of rage she got sick of it

and stopped dreaming, too.

JACK:

Maybe I shouldn't stay here.

MARGE:

No. Don't even think of it. We're glad to have you. Go talk to

Gerry. He means well.

SCENE 9

GERRY:

You shouldn't have come here, Jack. You're my brother and I want

to help you, but trouble sticks to you like sh*t to a blanket.

I'm a content kind of guy, you know? I'm sick of trouble.

JACK:

So am I. Honest to God, Gerry, all I want is a regular job.

GERRY:

You're a politician, Jack. A sweat shop lawyer and the Chicago

heavies have closed this town off to any outside union guys.

JACK:

I know. I know. Don't worry, I'll be gone tomorrow.

GERRY:

Where will you go?

JACK:

I don't know. San Francisco, maybe.

GERRY:

You don't want to do that. Maybe I can talk to some people for

you.

JACK:

No, Gerry, no.

GERRY:

You see this yard?

JACK:

It's a nice yard.

GERRY:

You should see it in the daytime. It's beautiful. Really

beautiful. I got geraniums, I got magnolias, I got sweet peas.

I got a fountain. Hey, I'm even thinkin' of putting a pool in

for the kids.

JACK:

A pool would be nice.

GERRY:

It's enough for me, Jack.

JACK:

It's enough for me, too, Gerry.

SCENE 10

PAPA K:

I bring in these Japanese films to play at my theater and they do

okay. Good films. Big Japanese stars. But young people today,

all they're interested in is tap dancing. Fred Gable and Jinji

Rogers.

FUJIOKA:

Fred Astaire.

NISHI-

KAWA:

Kawamura...We're here to talk about money, not tap dancing.

PAPA K:

I know. I'll pay. I always do.

NISHI-

KAWA:

Not soon enough, Hiroshi. Now, Mr. Fujioka here has offered to

settle your debts.

PAPA K:

Fujioka?

FUJIOKA:

Hiroshi...I've been thinking about remarrying.

PAPA K:

Good idea. Your wife has been dead long enough.

FUJIOKA:

I was thinking of your daughter.

PAPA K:

Which daughter? LILY?

FUJIOKA:

Yes, LILY. A beautiful girl.

CHARLIE:

Papa! Papa! Excuse me, Mr. Fujioka, Mr. Nishikawa. Papa, it's

Mr. Ogata!

PAPA K:

Did the projector break again?

CHARLIE:

No! No! Papa, he's killed himself! He's killed himself, Papa.

I just found him.

PAPA K:

You're right. I should be in tomatoes like you, Fujioka.

SCENE 11

JOYCE:

Can you imagine killing yourself?

DULCIE:

Do you have to? We're going to eat.

CHARLIE:

It's the only thing he could have done. Why do you have to keep

talking about it?

LILY:

Mr. Fujioka? But he's old and he's sleazy! Papa, are you

serious?

JOYCE:

Why did Mr. Ogata have to kill himself? Why didn't he just kill

her?

CHARLIE:

Because of honor.

DULCIE:

Why do you have to kill anyone? Why can't they just make up? Or

why didn't he just leave her?

MAMA K:

I knew his wife, Mrs. Fujioka. Nice woman. Died too young.

LILY, he'd make a good husband.

DULCIE:

Papa, you smoke too much!

LILY:

But he's horrible. He's ugly. And he has bad teeth, Mama.

He's...

DULCIE:

Sleazy!

CHARLIE:

He's rich. And Papa owes him money.

LILY:

But I don't know him.

PAPA K:

That's all right. All I knew of Mama was a picture.

CHARLIE:

Listen to Papa.

LILY:

You're not marrying anyone, I am!

DULCIE:

Oh, you like the idea!

LILY:

I do not! I hate the idea!

MAMA K:

Just meet with him, for Papa's sake.

CHARLIE:

For all our sakes. We could do with the money. And we need a

new projectionist.

MAMA K:

Do as your Papa says. What harm can it do?

PAPA K:

You'll meet him.

LILY:

But Mama, he's older than Papa!

PAPA K:

You'll meet him and that's that!

SCENE 12

MOTHER:

Have you ever been to Japan?

LILY:

No. No, I haven't.

MOTHER:

Where does your father come from?

LILY:

Wakayama, quite near to Osaka.

MOTHER:

Ah, is that so? We have a brother who lives in Osaka.

FUJIOKA:

You prefer we speak English?

LILY:

It's okay. I should prefer...I'm sorry. My Japanese isn't very

good.

FUJIOKA:

My mother doesn't speak English, so...I want you to know...I make

you a good husband...I give you a good life...I have a good

business and ah...I want you to know...I can...

LILY:

I'm sorry?

FUJIOKA:

I give you pretty babies.

SCENE 13

CHARLIE:

We have five shows a day, six if the film is short, and it pays

twenty dollars a week.

JACK:

Seven days a week?

CHARLIE:

Oh yes.

JACK:

Good union hours.

CHARLIE:

It's a Japanese custom. People expect it. And it's for one

month. My cousin in Portland is coming to work here then.

JACK:

Sounds good to me.

CHARLIE:

First show is eleven o'clock.

JACK:

Eleven o'clock, huh?

CHARLIE:

Mm hm.

JACK:

The last guy sleep here?

CHARLIE:

Yeah, he uh, liked to take nap in between shows.

JACK:

What happened to him?

CHARLIE:

He died.

JACK:

Overwork, probably.

CHARLIE:

He committed suicide. He was disgraced.

JACK:

What did he do? Miss a changeover?

CHARLIE:

The projectors are very old, so you have to treat them like a

woman.

JACK:

With love?

CHARLIE:

No, with patience.

SCENE 14Jack sings a Japanese song.

SCENE 15

CHARLIE:

What did you say to her?

JACK:

I don't know. It's in the third reel of the movie...Hey, who was

that?

CHARLIE:

No one worth knowing.

JACK:

Are you kidding?

CHARLIE:

She's not your type.

JACK:

Oh, she's your girlfriend or something.

CHARLIE:

Oh, no, no, no, no. Just a girl.

JACK:

Just a girl! She's beautiful.

CHARLIE:

She's my sister.

JACK:

Wait a minute. You told me that your sister had a face like a

plate of steamed dumplings.

CHARLIE:

You should see her without makeup.

JACK:

You said that she was four foot tall and squat.

CHARLIE:

I've got a lot of sisters.

JACK:

We're asking her to lunch.

CHARLIE:

No, no, no. Listen. She's Japanese, Jack. We'll find you a

nice American girl.

JACK:

Uh, hi. I'm uh, Jack. I work with your brother Charlie. Are

you Dulcie?

CHARLIE:

Lily. Dulcie's my other sister.

JACK:

Hi, Lily.

LILY:

Hello.

JACK:

Uh, we were just wondering if maybe you would join us for lunch?

CHARLIE:

He was wondering.

LILY:

What?

CHARLIE:

Don't come with us...(TO JACK): Look, I'm in a hurry. She's

busy. Let's go.

LILY:

I can have lunch. (TO MR. MATSUI): Can I take my lunch now, Mr.

Matsui?

MATSUI:

Sure. Go ahead.

LILY:

Thank you. (TO JACK): I can.

JACK:

Oh, great.

CHARLIE:

Great.

FUMIKO:

Don't do anything I wouldn't do.

LILY:

Fumiko, you have a big mouth.

SCENE 16

JACK:

So, what are we ordering here, huh?

LILY:

Can you read that?

JACK:

Oh, yeah. My Japanese is getting better everyday.

LILY:

It's in Chinese. It might help you if you turn the menu up the

other way.

JACK:

Maybe you oughta order then.

CHARLIE:

Don't forget we're going to that game tonight.

JACK:

Oh, yeah Lily, you gonna go with us?

CHARLIE:

No. She hates baseball.

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