It Happened on 5th Avenue Page #10

Season #Winter

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Wait till you get to be my age.

What...?

What are you planning

on doing now. Jim?

Nothing. What is there to do?

In the morning. I've gotta get down to the

barracks and tell the gang the deal is off.

I'd rather take a beating than do that.

Mind if I go along with you?

If you like.

I don't see how you can help any.

[PEOPLE CHATTERING]

JIM:

Wait a minute. fellows. Wait a minute.

Now. I probably like O'Connor

a lot less than any of you...

...but in this case.

he's perfectly within his rights.

He owns half the town.

Why should he grab this property?

We'll buy it from him.

I'm afraid that's impossible.

I know it's a tough break. fellows.

but there's no use beefing about it.

We tried and we failed.

[CHATTERING CONTINUES]

Would you mind standing aside?

I asked you to stand aside. young man.

Say please.

May I ask

what are all you men doing here?

We've been holding a meeting.

FARROW:
Union Square is for that purpose.

Take your soapbox down there.

This is private property.

See that this property is cleared

and no trespassing signs erected.

And those barracks.

Get those people out at once.

They're wives and kids

of some of the men.

Give them a chance.

They have no place to go.

I can't help that.

Now. gentlemen. we want action.

I want all those barracks torn down...

...and construction started

as soon as possible.

Who is that little creep?

Say. maybe it's O'Connor.

Yeah.

Could be.

O'Connor. huh?

Hey. it's O'Connor.

Hey. fellows. it's O'Connor.

[CLAMORING]

Who did that?

I'll have you run off this property.

I'll have you arrested.

MAN:

Well. let's have it.

You know who I am? Who are you?

Police.

Police! Police!

O'CONNOR:

Give me that.

[MAN SINGING IN SPANISH]

[APPLAUSE]

[TABLE THUMPING]

It's got a game leg.

What is this. a pinball machine?

Sugar?

Swell number.

I wonder if the musicians

will know it down in Bolivia?

- You're really going?

- Sure.

Twelve thousand a year is too much dough

to pass up when you haven't got a job...

...or a place to live.

Well. I guess I don't know

the combination.

You must have decided in an awful hurry.

The Army taught us

to do things in a hurry.

Didn't the Army teach you to fight

harder when the going got tough?

Of course.

In the Army you're fighting with guns.

In this fight. the bullets are greenbacks.

And O'Connor has all the ammunition.

Look. Trudy.

I'll only be gone a year or so.

That's a long time.

Well. maybe you better not wait.

Maybe I shouldn't.

If you run short. I'll send you some cash

so you won't have to borrow any clothes.

Don't worry. I'll get plenty of clothes.

From that guy with the champagne?

Listen. you'd better stay away

from that wolf.

At least a wolf doesn't run away

from you like a rabbit.

You guys scram. Check out.

I said check out.

Check out?

Ah. Checkoutsky. Russian.

Oh. Ha. Hey!

[PLAYING UPBEAT TUNE]

Jim. all that stands between you

and the top of the ladder is-

SINGER [SINGING]:

Ahhhh

You can't climb with an anchor

around your neck.

- So you think I'm an anchor?

- I didn't say that.

You did and you can go straight

to Bolivia and stay there.

Do you hear me? Stay there!

Jim's leaving.

Leaving?

Well. maybe it's all for the best.

Where's he going?

To Bolivia for some company.

Wheeler Construction. that's it.

Oh. darling. if you really love Jim.

you marry him and go with him.

I can't. They only want single men.

Well. that's strange.

Well. in fact. it's ridiculous.

Wheeler Construction.

Single men only.

If I remember correctly.

your father owns that company.

Dad. do you mean to say

that you deliberately planned to-?

MARY:

Of all the contemptible-

- All right. Mary.

- Ugh.

We'll forget about Bolivia.

Michael J. O'Connor.

you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

If you want to marry Jim.

it's all right with me.

I'll give him a job here.

What kind of a job?

Doing something. I don't know.

but it'll be a job...

...nice office. secretary.

good salary. all the trimmings.

Dad. can't you understand?

He wants to stand on his own two feet.

Jim has ability. whether you think so or not

and I'd rather he go anywhere...

...than be one of your army

of high-salaried yes men.

[DOOR SLAMS]

I'll be leaving tomorrow. Michael.

And when I leave.

Trudy will be going with me.

So you'll have this whole house

all to yourself again.

I hope you'll be very happy in it.

Did you say something?

No.

Where is everybody?

I don't know. I guess they're all down

in the dumps the same as I am.

You know. I don't think

I'll be coming back here next winter.

Why? What's wrong with this place?

Since Jim and the boys

lost their property...

...all the laughter and happiness is gone.

This place seems like a morgue.

You know. I think I'll try

the Guggenhoff mansion next season.

The Guggenhoff mansion?

Oh. that place doesn't compare with this.

Everybody knows that the

Guggenhoff place has bad plumbing...

...and besides.

they don't have air conditioning...

...and that's something to be considered.

Mike. a house. any house.

is only what its occupants make it.

No. this place doesn't seem the same.

I think I'll get a cup of coffee.

Hello. Jim.

Would you care for a cup of coffee?

No. thanks.

I...

- I hear you're leaving.

- Yep.

Going down

to see Wheeler Construction today.

Jim. you don't want to go to Bolivia.

Why not?

You tried to sell me that deal once.

What changed your mind?

Well. I thought perhaps

that if you had a talk with Mr. O'Connor...

...you wouldn't have to go to Bolivia.

Talk with him? How are you gonna talk

with him if you can't even see him?

Well. I have a friend who works

in the O'Connor building.

Charlie's his name. Charlie Graham.

He and I used to ride the rods together.

He's head janitor there now

and believe it or not...

...O'Connor and Charlie

are like two peas in a pod.

I hope you won't mind. Jim...

...but I asked Charlie to ask Mr. O'Connor

for an appointment for you.

- And guess what.

- I'm guessing.

Charlie just phoned me and said...

...that Mr. O'Connor

would see you in one hour.

Mike. are you feeling all right?

Mike. you're having hallucinations again.

No. no. no. Not this time.

No. I know what I'm saying.

Don't pass up this chance. Jim.

Better go now.

Okay. Mike. We'll give it a try.

It won't be the first office

I've been thrown out of. And. Mike...

...if anything happens. we'll cut you in.

- How do you do? I-

- Good morning. gentlemen.

Mr. O'Connor's expecting you.

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