Hammett Page #2

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[Coughing]

- You know who that

little punk reminds me of?

- Who?

- Remember blackie malcombs?

- Oh, my god! You're right!

- Wait, wait. I gotta mail this.

- Mail it later!

- Huh?

- Move it!

[Chattering]

[Engine starting]

- [Hammett coughing]

- You okay?

Yeah. If we lose each other,

meet me at cookie's.

- Is that a speak?

- Yeah. Ask anybody.

[Coughing continues]

[Chattering]

[Man yelling, indistinct]

[Firecrackers exploding]

[Explosions continue]

- I lost my manuscript!

- Come on!

For god's sake, let's go!

Let's get out of this mess!

What happened?

My manuscript!

[People screaming]

[Hammett] did you see where the

big guy went? The guy with the hat?

[Man speaking french]

[Baby crying]

Sailor, you see a big fella

come through here?

No, monsieur. I have not seen anyone

but very pretty young girls.

- Pretty ones. You like pretty girls?

- [Woman] mister, two bit for me?

No, thanks.

I'm trying to taper off.

My daughter work with me.

[Woman #2]

Mister! Mister!

Have you time?

Have you time?

Two dollar?

One dollar?

Jimmy!

[Woman]

Jimmy!

[Women giggle]

Jimmy! Jimmy!

[Woman]

Jimmy!

[Children chattering]

[Match striking]

Hello? Tom?

Samuel?

I see you're not particular

about the company you keep.

Well, them that works, eats.

Hello, o'mara.

Well, what brings you

down to the depths?

I'm down here with a friend of mine,

but he seems to have gotten lost.

What are you offering for him...

a nickel reward?

For you, o'mara,

i'll make it a dime.

- I would have taken the nickel, samuel.

- [Chuckles]

A little off your regular patch,

aren't you, hammett?

I didn't know you had

chinatown roped off.

I don't, but sometimes

i think it'd be a hell of an idea.

Sure you didn't see this friend

of mine, tom... a guy about 50 or so...

six foot, tan overcoat,

uh, with a velvet collar?

- Fancy.

- Certainly i haven't seen

the likes of him.

And what would your fancy friend

be doing down here?

- Looking for a chinese girl.

- Oh, ain't we all.

- Your friend a private cop?

- Maybe.

And maybe there'd be

a little, uh...

- could be. You never know.

- What do you think, tom?

Well, that's up to you,

lieutenant.

Who's the girl?

Her name's crystal ling.

Let me tell you something,

hammett.

I never heard of any chink girl

called crystal ling.

If you're half smart,

you never heard of her.

And if your fancy friend

with the velvet collar

is half as smart as you are...

which would make him

only one quarter smart...

he never heard of her either!

Well, that's a layoff speech

if i ever heard one.

Go home and type, hammett.

Samuel, that ain't bad advice.

- What's up?

- How ya doin'?

Say, uh, you're

dashiell hammett, aren't ya?

That's what

my birth certificate says.

- [Man shouting in chinese]

- I'm a big admirer of yours.

- I'm a writer too...

newspaper man... yeah.

- Oh, really?

Salt. Gary salt.

I really liked

dead yellow women.

I guess you're just following me

around in this alley

to get my autograph, right?

Well, no. Actually, uh...

well, the fact is the fella

who was with ya there...

- you mean jimmy ryan?

- Well, that's it, mr. Hammett.

- What do you want with him?

- I have something for him.

Oh, really?

That's interesting.

Well, he's probably over at cookie's.

Come on. I'll introduce ya.

Well, yeah.

Gee, thanks, mr. Hammett.

[Woman laughing]

Come on, salt!

I won't let him hurt ya.

- [Piano]

- [Chattering]

- [Man] hi, sam.

- Hello, mike.

I said,

"i don't wanna hear this crap."

[Woman]

Not just now.

[Man] instead, i said,

"let's have a drink."

- Hello, ellen.

- [Woman] how ya doin', sam?

- Oh, sorry.

- Excuse me.

- Hello, sam.

- How's tricks?

- Hey, you're kind of

late tonight, ain't ya?

- I guess.

I'm lookin' for a pal of mine...

camel hair coat, brown hat...

about six feet.

Nobody here tonight

except regulars.

- Thanks anyway.

- What'll it be, pal?

Nothing. Thanks.

- He isn't here.

- Don't worry. He'll be here.

Why don't you do yourself a favor

and tell me what you want him for?

Well, it has to do

with chinatown.

- [Man] my wife left me.

- I'm working on this story,

um... freelance.

It's a freelance job.

Well, like i say,

i've been workin' on this thing for...

for quite a while...

[bell ringing]

Excuse me.

Oh, sorry. I thought

you were a pal of mine...

i used to work with

in the circus.

- Good evening.

- All right.

- Hello, sid.

- How ya doin', sam?

That old geezer with the bow tie...

did you see where he went?

Not here.

[humming]

That's great cover, kid, the newspaper.

I really like that.

I knew a guy once used to

disguise himself as a fire hydrant.

Of course, he did have

a small problem with a dog.

Tell you what. I'm going home now

to get some shut-eye.

Why don't you just skip the shoeshine

and take a taxi?

There's a swell doorway across

from my place, and you can stand

there all night long.

- Bring a good book with ya.

- You better get

your picture took, creep.

Your mama won't know you

when i'm finished with you.

See you later, kid.

By the way,

your paper's upside down.

Luck's got nothing to do

with it, pop. Remember?

Hello, sam.

- Hello, mike. How's christa?

- Great.

We named the baby after you.

Samantha.

Swell.

Well, uh, drink up, sam.

Skip the gutter.

Ain't you gonna ask me

about your latest?

It just come in this mornin'.

- That sure is fine work, samuel.

- Glad you liked it, pop.

Sam, sam, sam.

Foley at winterland gave me it straight.

Put your money on mickey walker.

[Hammett]

That's a sucker bet, mike.

- [Mike]

They're layin'eight to five.

- Smart money's on paluaski.

- How much do you want?

- I'll go 50 on paluaski.

You got it, sam.

[Man]

Ah, you scratched.

[Man #2] all right.

Let's see what you can do.

[Crashing]

[Man] what are you trying to pull?

Nobody messes with me like that.

Nobody. You just made

your big mistake.

- I'm gonna fix you, sucker.

- [Hammett laughing]

[Woman] i said

we'll get them both something.

- How do you like to say,

"i told you so?"

- Try me.

- I lost my manuscript.

- I told you so.

What will you do now?

Write it over?

I'll write a better one.

Well, it's been a full evening anyway.

I misplaced jimmy ryan

somewhere along the way.

Maybe he's up

in your place.

Jimmy?

[Water gurgling]

[Ryan's voice] the agency and i

took you in off the street, hammett...

and taught you damn near

everything you know.

I taught you surveillance,

the fallback...

even how to lie.

It took me years

to learn that...

and i taught it to you for free.

And you take it and sell it

on the street in a cheap magazine.

[Children shouting]

[Typewriter keys clicking]

- [Knocking]

- Oh. Now what?

[Knocking continues]

[Sighs]

- What do you want, salt?

- Can i come in for a minute?

Salt, i've got a story

that was due day before yesterday...

so whatever you've got to say,

make it snappy.

The truth is,

i'm really not a writer.

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