Gold Diggers of 1933 Page #2

Phone all the girls.

Phone Fay and Ruth and Mary and Gwen.

Phone them all. Tell them to come

right up to the apartment.

- He hasn't cast yet, no.

- Hurry and don't lose him.

- They're coming up.

- Who?

Barney and Carol. Phone Fay.

Phone all the girls. We're all set.

No, you phone them.

I've got to dig up the old sex appeal.

The way I feel this morning

I'll need a steam shovel.

Half a mile, four, eight...

Step on it, Polly.

They ought to be here any minute now.

Almost ready.

Gosh, to think that we're going to have

real jobs again, earn money.

Yeah, and I've been

off the gold standard so long.

It's them.

- Come on in, Barney, and meet the girls.

- Hello, Mr. Hopkins.

- Howdy. Howdy.

- Hello, Mr. Hopkins.

I've seen that face before.

Well, if it isn't Barney.

Good old, smiling, big-hearted Barney.

- Barney, we hear you're putting on a show.

- Yes, I'm doing a show.

You sound more enthusiastic than usual.

Does that mean it's good?

You said it's good.

It's the finest thing I ever had.

Come on over here and sit down

and tell us all about it, Mr. Hopkins.

Well, I've figured it out

from every angle, kids.

And I can't see

how it'll run less than six months...

or gross less than half a million.

That's figuring on $30,000 a week.

At the Broadhurst we could do $40,000.

- We'll do $40,000 with this show.

- Gosh.

- I remember you.

- Do you?

You were in the chorus.

Someday you're coming out of the chorus.

- Thank you, Mr. Hopkins.

- Could you use me, too, Mr. Hopkins?

Sure, I'm going to use all the girls

I used before.

Carol, here, will be featured...

and Trixie as comic.

I got some ideas

for song numbers for you, honey...

that will drape them over their seats.

- Something new, different.

- What's the show about?

- It's all about the Depression.

- We won't have to rehearse that.

Now, it's my idea...

- Who's that playing?

- Some palooka songwriter.

I don't know that number, what is it?

It's his own. He composes music.

Shut the window

and let's get on with this.

Wait a minute.

That's not bad.

Ask the fellow to come on over.

Brad.

- Hello.

- Come on over, quick.

All right.

You know,

that number's got a great feel to it.

- The boy's got something.

- Yeah, a piano.

What's he done?

He hasn't had a chance to do anything yet,

Mr. Hopkins.

- But he has genius.

- Yeah?

Well, the show business

could stand a little genius.

Barney, what's the idea of wasting time

with a genius...

when there's hard-working girls like us

to worry about?

- What is it, honey?

- Come on, I want you to meet somebody.

This is Brad Roberts, Mr. Hopkins.

- Mr. Hopkins is our producer.

- Never mind that. Sit down and play.

- Play what?

- That number you were just playing.

- I know, but l...

- Don't be afraid, you're among friends.

- Go on, Brad.

- Well, all right.

I beg your pardon.

Say, what's this all about, anyway?

Go ahead and play.

Sing it if you got words.

All right. Here goes.

I've got to sing a torch song

For that's the way I feel

When I feel a thing

Then I can sing

It must be real

I couldn't sing a gay song

It wouldn't be sincere

I could never croon

A happy tune

Without a tear

I have my dreams, but one by one

They vanish in the sky

I try to smile and face the sun

But romance passes by

I've got to sing a torch song

To someone far apart

For the torch I bear

Is burning there

Right in

My heart

That's great. I like it.

- You got anything else?

- Yes, I have a couple of things.

- Well, play them. Play them.

- All right.

Hello, Mr. Hopkins.

Charming to see you again.

Sit down.

No, I don't like that, son. It's too dull.

What is this, a piano lesson?

Or are we going to hear about this show?

Say, have you got something with kind of

a march effect, march rhythm to it?

Yes, I have.

I have something about a forgotten man.

- But I don't have the words to it yet.

- Play it, play it.

I tell you,

I just got the idea for it last night.

I was down on Times Square,

watching those men in the breadline...

standing there in the rain,

waiting for coffee and doughnuts.

Men out of a job, around the soup kitchen.

Stop!

Go on.

That's it! That's what this show's about!

The Depression, men marching,

marching in the rain.

Doughnuts and crullers,

men marching, marching...

jobs, jobs, and in the background,

Carol, spirit of the Depression.

A blue song.

No, not a blue song, but a wailing.

And this gorgeous woman singing

this song that'll tear their hearts out.

The big parade. The big parade of tears.

That's it. Work on it.

- I'd like to do a specialty.

- Sit down. You'll do a blackout.

I'll cancel my contract

with Warren and Dubin. They're out.

I want you to write the music

for this show, and the lyrics.

- Can you write lyrics?

- You bet he can.

I've got it all figured out,

and I want your stuff, son. It's great.

- I definitely want it.

- Mr. Hopkins, you can have it...

on one condition.

Yeah?

If Miss Parker, Polly,

has a principal part in the show.

She's helped me a lot,

and she's really great herself.

You're telling me? I'm telling you.

And I'll tell you something else, too.

You got a swell voice

and a great personality.

You're different. You've got class.

I want you to sing in this show.

Thanks a lot, but that's impossible.

Now listen, you and Polly would make

a swell team, like the Astaires.

You'd be a knockout

for the mushy interest...

- I'm sorry, but it's impossible.

- But, Brad, why not?

I can't, honey, for a lot of reasons.

Let me get in on this. Isn't there

going to be any comedy in this show?

Plenty.

The gay side, the hard boiled side, the

cynical and funny side of the Depression.

I'll make them laugh at you

starving to death, honey.

- Be the funniest thing you ever did.

- Did you ever see me ride a pony?

- When do rehearsals begin, Barney?

- Rehearsals?

- When I get the money.

- Get the money?

Money?

That's always the way it is. I got the show,

I got the music, I got the cast...

I got the theater, all raring to go...

and it's the old, old story. Money.

- No money at all?

- Not even the old shoestring.

- But you said... You let us think that...

- What did I let you think?

I told you I had a great show, and I have.

But you said it was all set.

It is set. It's been set for six months.

Every time I get an angel to put up

the bankroll, something happens.

I had one yesterday.

Only today, he came to me

and said he and his wife...

who was suing him for divorce,

had become reconciled...

and she didn't want him fooling around

in the show business.

And here I am, holding the bag.

You've got your nerve, Barney.

What about these girls?

They've given up jobs

just because you said that...

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

Gee, it's tough enough

without you making mugs out of us.

- We counted on this, all of us.

- Wait a minute, kids.

I'm not going to let you down.

I've got other irons in the fire.

Two men are due here tomorrow

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