Going My Way Page #5

How many of you here know

Three Blind Mice?

BOY 2:
I know it.

O'MALLEY:
One, two. Any more?

- Come on, you all know it.

- Everybody knows it?

- Sure.

- Fine.

O'MALLEY:
What's the matter with him?

TONY:
Herman? He's pouting.

Hey, Herman!

- He's got a good bass voice. You want him?

- Certainly, Tony.

You've got him, Father.

Now, let's see,

we got to divide this up someway.

Hey, Herman, wait a minute.

- The Father wants to see you.

- I don't wanna see the Father...

TONY:
Keep quiet, will you, please?

Don't hit me on the head.

You make me dopey!

You are dopey. Now keep quiet. Come here.

- Look, he wants a bass singer.

- I ain't a bass singer!

- You are a bass singer.

- Why am I a bass singer?

- That burns me up!

- My head!

- [Whispering] He wants a bass singer.

- I don't know how to sing...

Will you go down? Now, keep quiet, okay?

TONY:
Let's go.

HERMAN:
Okay.

[Boys singing] Three blind mice

See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife

Who cut off their tails

With a carving knife

Did you ever see such a sight in your life

As three blind mice

Three blind mice

See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife

Who cut off their tails

With a carving knife

Did you ever see such a sight in your life

As three blind mice

MRS. CARMODY:
It's no business of mine,

but sometimes...

the things you do in haste

are the things we most regret.

Think it over a while. Then if you really feel

you must see the Bishop...

That I do.

But the boys are better off here

than running the streets.

- I'm sure that was Father O'Malley's idea.

- I'm a tolerant man, Mrs. Carmody.

But there are some things

that get under my skin...

and Three Blind Mice is one of them.

But he's young, Father.

I'll admit, maybe a wee bit impulsive.

But I know he means well.

After all, it was the Bishop himself

did put him here.

And the Bishop himself

will put him someplace else.

I'm going to ask

to have Father O'Malley transferred.

FITZGIBBON:
Don't worry.

It's not a bad report I'll be making.

I'll just tell the Bishop

that this young man and I differ.

We don't see eye to eye.

I'd be happier

if he were sent some other place.

It's a long, hard road you've come, Father.

Forty-five years, and most of the time

carrying other people's burdens.

The time has come

when you should rest on your oars.

Take things a mite easier. Enjoy your life.

Let somebody else carry the load for you.

Sure, and Father O'Malley's got

a strong pair of shoulders.

[Boys singing] Three blind mice

See how they run!

They all ran after the farmer's wife

See what I mean?

No, I've got to see the Bishop.

O'MALLEY:
We got our sections.

I'll give each section a note.

O'MALLEY:
Then we'll put them together

and have a chord.

Take this section first. Here's your note.

[Vocalising]

Got that? Let me hear it now.

[One boy harmonizing]

I thought we had singers here.

Let's hear everybody in this section.

Big, now, let me hear it.

[Boys vocalising]

O'MALLEY:
That's good.

Second section, here's your note.

[Vocalising]

You got that? Let me hear it.

[Boys vocalising]

We got a cruller in there somewhere?

Who is that? You?

O'MALLEY:
What's your name?

ELMER:
Elmer.

Elmer, your voice is changing, isn't it?

ELMER:
I guess so, Father.

Have to drop you down a bracket.

Get here in the third section.

Elmer is a switch hitter, it seems.

Let me hear that second section again.

[Boys vocalising]

That's great.

Now the third section. Here's your note.

Got that?

[Boys vocalising]

Elmer, you sing like

you're made for this section.

Now we're gonna drop way down

in the basement. Watch. It's tricky.

Everybody take a toehold.

[Vocalising]

That's your note. Let me hear it.

[Boys vocalising]

O'MALLEY:
There's a pink one somewhere.

TONY:
That wasn't me.

What did you sing?

[Tony's voice cracks]

[All laughing]

[O'Malley clears throat]

Sit down, Tony. Okay.

Everybody together now.

You got your notes?

We hit them all together

and we got a nice chord. Ready?

Everybody take a deep breath now.

Let's hear it.

[All vocalising in harmony]

O'MALLEY:
You got chord number one,

chord number two, chord number three.

O'MALLEY:
Put those chords together

and we can sing a song.

I'll hold up the fingers, they'll be

your signals. Watch the signals.

Make out I'm the catcher.

I'm giving you the signals. One, two, three.

Ready? Here's your note now.

[O'Malley singing note]

[O'Malley Singing] Silent night

[Boys humming]

Holy night

All is calm

All is bright

Round yon Virgin Mother and Child

Holy Infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace

Sleep in heavenly peace

That's fine, boys. Thanks very much.

Want to call it a day? There's still

enough light outside for some baseball.

BOY 3:
Let's sing some more.

BOY 4:
Yeah, let's go ahead.

BOY 5:
Yeah, come on!

BOY 6:
Let's sing some more.

[All agreeing]

[Solemn instrumental music]

- You saw the Bishop, Father?

- Yeah.

Would you ask Father O'Malley

if he'd mind stepping into me study?

[Solemn instrumental music continues]

O'MALLEY:
You wanted to see me, Father?

FITZGIBBON:
Yes, so I did.

Sit down.

Father O'Malley, I've been to see the Bishop.

Oh, you have?

And I want to be frank with you.

I must admit that my purpose

in going to see the Bishop...

was to have you transferred.

I'm sorry you don't like me, Father.

I don't dislike anyone.

It's just that I disagree with you.

What did the Bishop say?

After a little talk, he congratulated me...

on me 45 years at St. Dominic's.

He has a remarkable memory.

He said it was a monument...

to the fact that I had built it.

Coming from the Bishop,

that's certainly a fine compliment.

Then I told him

I had come to talk about you.

That seemed to disturb him.

Then he started telling me

about what a fine young man you are.

Capable, progressive,

how much confidence he had in you.

He even told me that...

he had a nice talk with you

before you reported to me.

Of course, he didn't tell me

what you two talked about.

He didn't have to.

I could see it in the good man's eyes.

When you get to my age,

you can do that, you know. Oh, yes.

Then, after a little more telling me

how progressive you were...

he asked me why I'd come.

And knowing what was on his mind

and to save him the embarrassment...

of having to tell me...

The Bishop.

The Bishop wouldn't hurt anyone.

I put him at his ease.

"Bishop," I said...

"the very thing that's on your mind

is on mine.

"It's the very thing

I've come to see you about.

"I want you to put young Father O'Malley...

"in charge of St. Dominic's."

The Bishop seemed much relieved.

He congratulated me on my ability to see...

so clearly at my age...

on my ability to face the inevitable.

Then what happened?

[Sniffs]

That was all.

O'MALLEY:
Father, why can't we go along

just as we have been?

No. You're in charge now.

Sit down.

No, Father.

Sit down. I'll familiarise you with...

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