Florence Foster Jenkins Page #6

He told me so.

Oh.

- (plays notes)

- Oh.

Are you OK?

Well, it's just

the change in temperature, you know.

It can be very painful, so... Oh.

Do you know the Prelude in E minor?

Chopin?

Hmm.

Oh, gosh.

(plays opening notes)

- That one?

- Hmm.

That's it.

("Prelude" continues)

(laughter)

- Drink?

- Rather.

Let me just take your bags, madam.

And may I say

what lovely legs you have, madam.

(Florence) I am singing

Like a bird on the wing

Like a bird

- St Clair, come in here.

- Yeah, one moment.

- Like a bird

- St Clair!

(sings coloratura)

What?

Like a bird

(sings coloratura)

How did she get on the radio?

(Crooks)

That was Florence Foster Jenkins

singing "Like A Bird" by Cosm McMoon.

We're getting quite a few calls

on that one.

We have Ed calling

from the military hospital...

- How did Richard Crooks get...

- Ed, you're on the air.

(Ed) Mr Crooks, the guys here,

we all love that record.

I lost my left leg and half my face

at Guadalcanal,

but that dame's got me feeling happy

to be alive.

Could you play it again? And please

tell us where we could find her record.

(Crooks) I don't think it's for sale.

It's a private recording.

Oh, thank goodness you're here,

Mr Bayfield.

Things have been going crazy.

It's difficult when you're away.

Yes, I'm very sorry, Kitty.

Tell me this.

- How did Richard Crooks get the record?

- She gave it to him.

He's been playing it all weekend.

The phone's been ringing off the hook

with people wanting a copy.

Cole Porter called.

It put Madam Florence

into one of her excited moods.

I'll talk to her.

She's not here. She's at a meeting.

- With?

- Mr Totten.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

- A-ha.

- Ah, Mr Bayfield, how good to see you.

And you, Mr Totten.

Is Madam Florence here?

- She's in the hall.

- Ah. Thank you.

- You have a moment?

- Yes, in a jiffy.

Do I see a pair of rabbit ears?

- Oh, Whitey.

- Bunny.

How was the golf?

It was nice enough, thank you.

Good.

This is my favourite place

in the whole world.

Hm-hm.

And I'm going to sing here.

- Uh-huh?

- I've booked the hall.

For October 25th.

And I'm going to give

a thousand tickets away to the soldiers,

because we must support our boys.

Well... (clears throat)

I applaud your courage. And...

And no one would enjoy seeing you

triumph here more than I, obviously.

But this place is just...

it's so big, you know.

It's nearly a thousand,

three thousand people.

Well, Lily Pons's voice filled it.

She's just a little bird.

Yes, but she's a young woman

with a young woman's strength and...

and perfect technique,

and it's... it's...

- My technique isn't perfect?

- No, it is, it is, it is, but I...

I just think

this might be too much for you.

Well, if Mr Churchill

had adopted that attitude,

why, Herr Hitler would be standing

on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

howling like a Doberman as we speak.

You're not strong enough, Bunny.

What if it... kills you?

Oh, then I shall die happy.

Death has been my constant companion

for almost 50 years.

I've lived day to day never knowing

if my body, if it'll succumb and my...

my... my... my reason desert me.

But I've fought and I've fought

and I've fought.

And I'm still here.

And I'm going to sing here.

But have I not stood by you?

If you truly love me...

...you'll let me sing here.

It was a lovely weekend.

It was, it was, it was.

We must... We must do it again.

Yes, we must.

Darling, please don't look

so out of sorts.

Sorry.

- She might change her mind, you know.

- No, I very much doubt that.

Well, let's just try

and be happy tonight, eh?

- And I'm trying.

- Yes, you certainly are.

You see, I just feel

that if we had not gone away,

none of this would have ever happened.

It's completely my fault, so...

Hey, guys, you're not gonna

believe this. You gotta hear this.

- Play it, guys.

- Guys, wait till you hear this.

( piano intro to "Like a Bird")

( Florence sings "Like a Bird")

(all laugh)

(woman) Oh, my God!

It's Florence. They've got her record.

(woman imitates Florence singing)

- Scum.

- Darling, ignore them.

- I will not ignore them.

- This is our night out, St Clair.

So you think I should just sit here

and have a jolly drink with you

while human vermin

laughs at my wife?

Is that what you think?

You will sit down or, so help me God,

I will leave you. Do you understand?

Excuse me, excuse me.

You have absolutely no right to this.

- This is a private recording!

- That's our record!

It is not yours!

Take your filthy

philistine hands off me.

Give it to me or I will call the police.

Give it to me now.

You dropped your mouchoir,

Mr Fancy-Pants.

Beat it, you hefty old sap.

Kathleen! Wait!

I cannot play Carnegie Hall

with Madam Florence.

Maybe you could speak to Mr Totten,

tell him it's not such a great idea.

- Surely he'd understand.

- It's too late.

She's given a thousand tickets

to the War Veterans Association.

Well, I...

What did Kathleen say?

Kathleen...

...has left me.

Oh.

Jeez, I'm so sorry. That's awful.

Please, Cosm, will you do it?

Mr Bayfield, I am a serious pianist.

I have ambition. I...

Oh, you think that I didn't

have ambition? I was a good actor.

But I was never going to be

a great actor.

It was very, very hard

to admit that to myself.

But once I had, I felt free

from the tyranny of ambition.

I started to live.

Is ours not a happy world, Cosm?

Do we not have fun?

Please, Mr Bayfield.

You see, we have to help her because

without loyalty, there's nothing.

- We'll be murdered out there!

- You think that I'm not aware of that?

For 25 years, I have kept

the mockers and scoffers at bay.

I'm very well aware

of what they might do.

But Florence has been my life.

I love her and...

I think you love her too.

Hmm?

Singing at Carnegie Hall is her dream.

And I'm going to give it to her.

The only question now

is whether you will stand

by your patron and friend

in her hour of need,

or whether you will focus

on your ambition.

Please, Cosm.

Will you play for your friend?

OK.

Thank you.

Oh, golly. Oh, golly gosh.

Come on,

you're gonna play at Carnegie Hall.

- How many people can say that?

- Oh, boy, we're gonna die out there.

(man) Hey, Tallulah, up here!

It's Cole Porter. And Tallulah Bankhead.

Tallulah! Up here! We love you!

Miss Bankhead, Mr Porter.

What an honour.

- Hi.

- (man) Tallulah!

Don't let anyone in who's drunk.

- They're all drunk.

- Me included.

- (vocal exercises)

- From the diaphragm, Bunny.

And again, lower.

From the diaphragm, Bunny.

Ha. Blow the candles out. Ha!

- Ha!

- Hate the candles.

- Ha!

- I don't have... (coughs)

- Where is Cosm?

- He will be here.

- He's very, very, very late.

- Bunny, you must relax.

- What if he's dead?

- He has never been late.

- (knocking at door)

- Oh, here he is. Oh, my goodness me.

(Bayfield) Oh, Colonel.

(colonel) Could I speak

to Madam Florence for a moment?

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes