Expresso Bongo Page #5

He's opening a new place tonight

at the Tom-Tom.

Give yourself an outing.

- Oi. All right.

- Do you good.

As you leave,

kindly switch on Aida, please.

With pleasure, Mr Mayer.

- The kid's great, isn't he, Leon?

- Yeah.

I get all my genuine Italian

peasant-style cups and saucers broke.

- Oh, two free cups, Leon.

- You've already had six free cups!

- From now on, you pay!

- We're doing great business, boy.

It's a free cappuccino

to each new customer, isn't it, Leon?

What's so new about you?

I got a great idea for a great picture.

Kakky, Kakky, the coffee's free,

you don't have to give

a performance for it.

Not at the theatre, Johnny,

to see your girl televisionised?

Sure. Um, it's tonight, isn't it?

Personally, I would never

compromise myself

by making pictures for television.

I'll be back.

Hey, Johnny! Hey, Johnny, wait a minute!

Why them and not me?

Why can't I get my Tom-Tom on Television?

Strip, and I'll guarantee you a spot.

Stop it! Stop it!

From now on,

all free coffee must be paid for!

Here, what's the programme?

Television strip with mother?

It's a documentary for Cosmorama.

What, a documentary at the Intime?

What'll they think of next?

You can value the stocks,

but don't touch

Though the stocks are in frocks,

you don't touch

You can't walk in the Dorchester,

Savoy or the Ritz

And open up the showcases

to handle the bits

Which means until you own

the goods, don't touch the exhibits

- What's cooking, flower drum girl?

- I am. Phew, it's hot in here!

Well, it looks as if

the completely un-unique,

unfabulous, unsensational

Maisie King is finding fame.

- The lot look queer in clothes.

- Is Gilbert Harding here?

Who's he?

Why, you ignorant little lotus blossom.

You can't have Cosmorama

without Gilbert... Ah!

Good evening, Mr Harley.

I'm the press man for this joint.

Don't go asking me for too many plugs.

You're what the corporation

- doesn't like about plugs.

- Who's asking?

I just wanted to say

what a great idea it was

for a serious, well-informed

documentary mob like yours

to take a look at the way

these wonderful teenage kids live.

All right, cut film.

Well, that's extremely kind of you.

- Simon.

- Uh, Maisie King! Maisie!

Come over here

and meet a real personality.

You know, my friend and I

are some of your greatest fans.

Well, Miss King,

that was most interesting.

It had an authentic quality

of gay delinquency.

Oh, it looks much better

in the real costume.

What did you think of my voice?

What I admire most about these kids

is their energy,

their vitality, their life!

You know, straight after the show,

do you know what

this little lady's gonna be doing?

What?

She'll be rocking like mad

with the other kids down at the Tom-Tom.

- She will?

- Oh, and where's that now?

Well, it's a sort of

contemporary youth centre

on the other side of Compton Street.

Come on, kid, dress! Let's get with it!

See you down there, chum.

Well, Simon, we may as well wrap this up

and get over to that Tom-Tom place,

see if we can get some candid stuff.

What's all this Tom-Tom routine?

This is our day, Maisie.

I should've had faith.

I should have realised that

luck can be so undiscriminating,

it could even happen to me.

You know, if I get a plug in Cosmorama,

we may well be in profit.

I could get advanced course singing

lessons for as little as half a guinea!

- Get moving!

- Hey!

"In profit", I love those words!

Come on, kid. I want you all to come

down to the Tom-Tom with me.

Why do I want to go there for? I'm tired.

Yes, I wanna go to bed.

Can't you keep your mind off work?

Now, come on, now. Be my guests!

All the expresso you can drink!

Make a night of it! Live it up.

Come on, now, get ready! Come on.

How long have we gotta stay

in this nuthouse for juveniles?

This is a recreation centre.

Go in and recreate.

I'll be down in a minute, doll.

- Where are you going?

- Come on, kids, I'm waiting for someone.

Will you balance the budget

with all this secrecy?

Look, Maisie, when I'm doing business,

don't waste my time with economics.

Oh, you handle business so businesslike!

Oh, do me a favour, Maisie.

Evening, Mr Mayer.

Is the ulcer doing well tonight?

I already feel

a small centre of irritation.

What? Television for an expresso opening?

- What else?

- How short of material can they get?

It's the boy, Mr Mayer. He's mustard.

Just mustard.

Mustard schmustard!

Public places degenerated so far,

I'm finding great difficulty

in getting down to it.

How low can you sink?

Just a little lower, Mr Mayer.

It's down in the cellar.

Well, here we are

in a typical expresso coffee bar.

In this rather synthetically exotic decor,

the teenagers relax

after their working day.

That is if you can call it relaxation.

Of course, you and I might prefer

the quiet atmosphere

of an old English pub.

But these youngsters get their kicks,

as they put it, under plastic palm trees,

where they sit to hatch and plot

their teenage rebellion.

Let's see what they think about it.

You, sir, what do you think about it?

- Why me?

- Oh, thank you.

- Have a cappuccino, Mr Mayer.

- Yes, please, flat.

Uh, one flat, Leon.

This is my friend.

Miss King, Mr Mayer, Garrick Records.

- How are you?

- How do you do, Ms King?

Chat him up.

Look, look, look what these devils

do to my paint.

Just see what it does to your business.

I always say

this is the best part of the day for me,

just sitting peacefully, sipping cafe.

At least coffee will keep me awake.

As a matter of interest,

Mr Mayer, how do you sleep?

- What do I want to sleep for?

- Please yourself.

Awake, I can count sheep going

into the record shops buying my discs.

Oh, don't you love this character?

I'll be right back. Make conversation.

- Come on, Bongo baby. You're on.

- I just did it.

Well, do it again. Just hog that camera.

Wherever that camera goes,

let it find you.

Right. Three, four...

Of course, Mr Mayer,

I wouldn't say my voice is quite

ready for opera just yet, but...

Perhaps, you'd be kind enough to stop

chatting Mr Mayer

and listen to this brilliant boy.

My heart was so heavy

With longing for you

My arms were so lonely

Lonesome and blue

Alone in my sorrow

I heard a voice cry

A voice in the wilderness

A voice from the sky

Have faith in your darling

The voice seemed to say

Be true to her memory

She'll come back one day

And though there was no one,

nobody to see

A voice in the wilderness

Brought comfort to me

We had a quarrel, I was unkind

Why did you leave me?

Love made me blind

My darling, forgive me

I yearn for your touch

Have pity, come back now

I need you so much

Believe me and you'll hear it

The voice from above

A voice in the wilderness

The voice of true love

- What do you think about him?

- Good evening, miss.

But don't you think

the boy's got something, Mr Mayer?

Something, he's got.

What it is, I don't want to know.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes