Farewell, My Lovely Page #2

I'm looking for anybody that knows

the place across the street...

Florians?

When it was a white joint?

There's a man, played in the band,

upstairs in room 210.

Is there an elevator around here?

- If it is, I ain't seen it.

- Thanks.

'The corridor gave me the willies.

'It was the kind of place

I've always dreaded I'd wind up in,

'alone and broke.'

Who is it?

My name is Philip Marlowe.

I'm a private investigator.

I'm not with the City,

the State or the Feds.

I'm not with any collection agency.

I'm looking for a...Florian. You

used to work for him, didn't you?

Come in.

Thank you.

- Please, sit down.

- Thanks.

The clerk tells me you used to have

a band across the street.

Yeah. Tommy Ray and the Sunrays.

I had a couple of records.

You ever hear 'em?

- What you play?

- Trumpet.

This, um...Florian,

did he have a first name?

Mike.

- Know where I can find him?

- He's dead.

Was he married?

Could be.

Know where she lives?

What's in it for you?

- A job.

- Who for?

A fellow's tryin' to find

a Velma Valento.

Remember her? She worked there too.

I didn't know they had names.

This, um...Mrs Florian

have a first name?

Jessie.

You...ah, don't know

where I could find her, huh?

Couple of bucks in it.

Well, if it comes back to you...

get in touch, eh?

You never know.

So long.

(Opens door)

Mister! Mister!

- Hey mister, my daddy wants you.

- What for?

- Are you a policeman?

- No. Are you?

- No. I'm a baseball player.

- A baseball player. Come 'ere.

'Tommy Ray said she was listed under

her maiden name, Jessie Halstead.

'Turned out she was living

in a dried-out brown house

'with a dried-out brown lawn.

'He told me a pint of bourbon

could be my best friend.

'I wondered if I should add it

to the expenses.'

(Dance-hall music)

(Buzzer)

Hello. Anybody home?

Mrs Florian?

Jessie Florian?

Tommy Ray says you are.

That a fact? You got a name?

Oh.

Marlowe.

I'm a, ah...private detective.

Can't be about Mike, he was put

in a coffin four years ago.

I feel like a fly out here.

Come on in.

I didn't have time

to get fixed up or nothin'.

(Music stops )

All the company I got.

At least it doesn't give you

an argument.

Yeah. (Sniffs )

Well, Philip Marlowe,

private investigator.

Come in.

Tommy Ray still living

across the street

with that n*gger he married

and that kid?

Yeah, same place.

Just about ruined him

in show business, marryin' a n*gger.

He come to Mike's funeral.

What d'you want to know?

I'm looking for a girl.

Velma. Velma Valento.

A hot day, huh? Funny, when I'm

thirsty it's all I can think about.

It just so happens I, ah...

Ooh! Careful mister.

Don't want to be dropping

anything this valuable.

Why don't you, ah...step out

and get us a couple of glasses?

- Take a load off your feet.

- Thanks.

Velma. You know,

I was in show business too.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

Did a...song and dance act.

That's how I met Mike.

I used to work for him.

He had a nice place

for entertainment.

I sure miss the business.

Anyway...

Jessie Harry.

That was my, ah... That was my name.

I was good.

Had an agent and everything.

Hmm.

Did you ever catch my act?

No, I don't believe I ever did.

(Starts humming)

# I'm blue all day Monday

# Thinkin' of you Sunday

(Hums again )

# That's one day when I'm with you

# It seems like I cried

all day Tuesday

# I died all day Wednesday

# Oh, my, how I long for you

(Sniffling)

# And then comes Thursday...#

I was good, honest I was.

I'm sure you were.

Better than Velma. Maybe not as

pretty, but I had a lot of pep.

It's funny,

she was the only tramp

ever worked for Mike

that he didn't use like a mattress.

Oh? How come?

I guess he was afraid. She had this

boyfriend, a half-crazy hooligan.

Built like a beer truck -

Moose Malloy. He's in the can.

Hmm...I get it.

He's out of the can

and he's lookin' for her, huh?

You, ah...wouldn't have any idea

where Velma is, would you?

But I can find out.

If I like a guy,

ceiling's the limit.

How about another drink?

Sure.

This stuff dies painless with me.

Don't know what hit it.

You wouldn't happen to have a

picture of her around, would you?

But Tommy Ray must have one.

He didn't even know her name.

Why would he say that?

What was the name

of that hotel again?

Crescent.

(Dials phone number)

Tommy Ray, please.

Tommy! Jessie Florian.

Oh, it's OK, it's OK. He's here.

'It took her nearly ten minutes

to convince Tommy Ray I was kosher.

'Then I went back to Ray's hotel

to get a picture of Velma

'that he'd held out on me.'

Andrew, got that picture?

'I figured there were plenty

of girls as cute as lace pants,

'who'd passed through Hollywood

in the last seven years.

'Most of them had taken those pants

off while tryin' to make it.

'A friend who ran a club gave me an

agent's name who knew most of them.

(Agent) Cute little redhead.

Song and dance gal.

I never forget a face.

Nice legs, too.

And generous with 'em.

But it's not a Velma.

It's a...

Linda! Linda...Gilbert.

What happened to her?

Did a couple of Busby Berkeley

pictures, then she went nuts.

But I really mean...ah, nuts.

Where is she?

Camarillo.

May I?

'Changing her name to Linda Gilbert

didn't help her make it,

'or keep her out of an asylum.

'When I saw her I knew why

she hadn't contacted Moose.

'She wasn't getting in touch

with anybody ever.

'I'd found Velma in only two days.

DiMaggio was doing pretty good too.

'He'd now hit in 33 straight games.

'Nine away from the consecutive

game hitting record.'

Hi, Mr Marlowe.

Kiss your five bucks goodbye,

Georgie.

Di Maggio's going all the way.

We'll see. He's got nine more games

to go. Each game gets tougher.

I know what pressure is, Mr Marlowe.

One time I won 19 straight.

So you better watch

how you spend that five bucks.

- What about this Hitler?

- What about him?

- He invaded Russia.

- So did Napoleon.

It's a lot easier

than hitting a 42 straight, right?

Read all about it.

Hitler invades Russia.

'I was thinking

I was out of work again,

'with my bank account

still under a duck,

'when I smelled my next client.'

You're Philip Marlowe,

private detective?

Check.

(Sniffs )

'He smelled great.'

Come on in.

You've been recommended to me

as someone who can be trusted

to say, ah...keep his mouth shut.

I'd like to discuss a matter.

My name's Lindsay Marriott.

Sit down.

Well, what's the problem?

It's a...very slight matter.

I'm meeting some men tonight

to pay them. I want someone with me.

Do you carry a gun?

- Sometimes.

- You won't need it.

I'd probably be better off going

alone...but I'm not much of a hero.

And I'll be carrying a...

large amount of money.

Yours?

No. I'm acting for a friend.

You want your hand holding?

I don't like your manner.

I get a lot of complaints

about that. Who recommended me?

I have to confess that...I picked

your name out of the phone book.

Well, why didn't you take

the Triple A Detective Agency?

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