La Dolce Vita Page #6

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write more often, son...

...and even come once in a while.

- You haven't been home in a long time.

- I know, but here...

- Hi, Marcello.

- Hi.

- She said hello.

- Yes.

- Is she an actress?

- What?

She wishes. She's a two-bit extra.

An actress!

Do you want a drink, Dad?

You want a gin-fizz?

What? A "gin-fritz"?

No, my beer is just fine.

Hell of a hustle here at night!

Is it like this every night?

- Yes.

- In our town, it's pretty sad at this hour.

- Are you well here? Have you adjusted?

- Well, yes. It's been a while now.

How's work going? Is it fruitful?

If you're a good journalist, it can be

pretty fruitful. I've been lucky.

- Now I know everyone, I can get around.

- Really?

I have a car, that one over there,

an apartment...

By the way...

...every time I called, some woman

answered the phone.

- Who's she?

- What?

I won't say anything,

you're a man now...

...just don't do anything foolish.

Having fun is fine, we're not saints...

...but marriage is something serious.

When someone lives with you...

No, no, Dad, I understand.

You spoke with the cleaning lady.

- Good evening. You finally found him.

- Yes, thanks.

- You've already met my father, right?

- Sure. We're friends.

Yes, he's the one who told me

to wait for you here.

Are you a photographer?

A photo reporter!

Interesting work.

Artistic work, in some ways.

Do you work with my son?

- Unfortunately, yes, I got gypped.

- That's a good one!

Do you have any idea

where the prince is?

I was about to bust him,

but he got away.

- I'm going to take a look around. Bye.

- Maybe you guys are busy.

- No, we're not, Dad.

- You can tell me if you have to go.

- There's work here too.

- Really?

You know, important people come here,

they make news, we take pictures...

- My paper is up there.

- I see.

Well, you just sit here, then?

Shall we go to the cinema?

No, I always go to the cinema.

At home, there's nothing else to do.

It doesn't matter. No, I'll leave you

alone now. You guys are young...

No, Dad, we don't have a thing to do.

Why, what can we do? I mean, just for

a couple of hours before going to bed.

There are only nightclubs at this hour.

By the way, a friend of mine

who was here told me...

...about a place that's not too bad.

Some sort of cabaret...

The Chit Chat... The Ca Ca...

The Cha Cha!

That's an old club.

- The Cha Cha, right!

- Do you want to go there?

I mean, just to take a look.

Since I'm not here that often.

- Paparazzo!

- Good. Invite your friend too.

- No, no, no. I'm paying here.

- No, Dad, come on... Okay.

- Antonio, come here.

- Waiter!

Paparazzo!

- Come on, let's go with my father!

- Where?

- Let's go!

- Hey, what about the prince?

Oh, I see. You pay everything

together here. That's okay.

Paparazzo, hurry, get in the car.

This way, Dad.

- Let's go!

- Where are we going?

- We're going to the Cha Cha Cha.

- Marcello, but...

- Take yours, then.

- I'll do the scoop myself.

Tell the editor-in-chief

I'll call him at home.

- Get busy, boys! Bye, Mariella.

- Paparazzo, see you at the morgue!

- Is this table okay, gentlemen?

- Nothing has changed.

It's just like I remember it.

Unbelievable.

- Were you here in 1922?

- No, I was in Turin.

- I've been here for a couple of years.

- Oh, good.

Would you like something

to drink, Dad?

Of course I want to drink!

- Do you want a whiskey?

- Yes.

Fine. Bring us three glasses

of whiskey, please.

- Sure. Which brand?

- Black & White.

Why don't we do a nice report for

the paper in here? It's like a cemetery.

She's beautiful.

She's got those long legs.

- What?

- He said she has long legs.

- Have you been to Paris?

- No.

I went there a couple of times.

Once, in a cabaret like this one,

there was a beautiful girl...

...she had long legs like that one.

She stripped, and once naked,

we discovered she was a guy!

- Do you have a father?

- Yes, I do.

He must be young, you're just a kid.

What does he do?

Nothing, he's a drifter. He does nothing

all day. He just gives my mother grief.

He sings, he whistles, he'd like to go

to the cinema but has no money.

- No, it's not true, Dad.

- Well, it could be.

Hey, Paparazzo. Isn't that Fanny?

- Lilly, look who's here.

- He's something!

I'm still waiting for the picture

in your paper. You jerk.

And you're just beautiful!

- What's her name?

- Fanny.

- You know her well?

- He sure does!

- She's French.

- Pleasant girl.

So she's French.

Liar.

Joker. Swindler.

How can you go out

with friends like him?

- He's my father.

- Yeah, sure!

- She doesn't believe it, Dad.

- No?

- Really?

- Yes.

- Good evening, miss.

- Good evening, sir.

- Good job.

- It's because I promised her a photo...

...but she's a nice girl.

- I don't doubt it.

- Shall we invite her to the table?

- Why not?

Let's invite her. In that case, boys,

let's order a bottle of champagne.

- What? An orange juice will be fine.

- No, champagne is fine.

- Champagne is okay, Dad.

- Let's order the best!

I know what I'm talking about.

I am a connoisseur.

I sold champagne to half of Italy!

Meanwhile, have a drop of whiskey.

Cheers to you.

- Cheers to you, Dad.

- Thanks.

- Good!

- Yes, it's good.

- Did you order the champagne?

- Of course.

Here. It comes with the waitress!

What more do you want?

- Fanny. No, don't bother.

- My pleasure.

I'm not saying hello to you.

You either.

- See how your son works? Nice job!

- I see, I see.

Send him back to his hometown!

- Tell me, you're not his father, are you?

- Sure, I am!

It's not possible.

You're too young!

Oh, please, miss,

let's not talk about age.

"Don't awaken desperate sorrow,

because my heart would suffer!"

I'll tell you, it's boredom that ages us.

I traveled a lot for business

as a young man.

When I was on the road,

I felt like a lion.

Even now, when I travel, I can keep up

with any of these young men...

...but at home, it's as though I were 80.

What are you doing? You can use

your abilities to open a bottle of Coke.

But I'll take care of the champagne.

Quiet. Look.

It's so beautiful.

It always makes me cry.

Yes, it makes me cry.

Miss, your champagne.

To your beautiful legs,

which I greatly admire. Cheers.

Good, very good.

But we have to drink another drop.

Yes, we do.

First I toasted to your beautiful legs...

...now we must toast...

I wasn't going to say

anything scandalous.

Your father is much funnier

than you are.

- Much, much funnier!

- Come on.

Oh, please, miss. Don't be silly.

I want to teach you a difficult game.

Let's see if you can do it as well.

Pay attention.

You put a coin on your forehead...

...and you make it fall

without touching your nose.

- But this is easy. A baby could do it.

- Want to try?

Let's take a coin

and put it on your forehead.

There. Let's see.

Let's see you do it.

- Wait, wait.

- I'm waiting.

Wait, perhaps...

You got me!

Now I tell you a joke...

...a nice little story.

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