Lady Be Good Page #2

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- I do.

- Sit down, please.

Will you tell the court your occupation

or profession?

I'm a dancer.

You've appeared

in Broadway productions?

I have.

How long have you known

Mr. And Mrs. Crane?

Over three years. Ever since they started

writing songs together.

- Before they were married?

- Yes, sir.

They wrote the score for a show I was in,

and we became very close friends.

In fact, I think Dixie

is my very best friend.

What was the relationship between

Miss Donegan and Mr. Crane at that time?

Well, I'm not sure.

But in your opinion they seemed suited

to one another?

I thought the match

was made in heaven.

- But it didn't work out that way?

- No, sir.

I'm afraid they still make most

of the matches in Sweden.

Miss Marsh, please confine yourself

to less philosophical statements.

I'm sorry.

What I mean is, it was a flop.

In what way?

- Well...

- To sum it up definitely, Miss Marsh...

...what would say was the basic trouble

between Mr. And Mrs. Crane?

Why...

Why, I'd say Eddie went Park Avenue.

Park Avenue?

Can you explain in a little more detail

just what you mean by that?

Well, for example,

there was the night the show closed.

It had run for a year...

...and Dixie and Eddie were giving a big

party for the cast and all their friends.

Only it turned out to be mostly

for his friends, his new ones.

Park Avenue was clustered around Eddie

like flies around honey.

Every phony in the phony 400.

On the other side of the room,

Dixie and I were sitting...

...and I couldn't help noticing

she was depressed.

I think everybody felt the room

was split up into two camps.

The friends who knew him when,

and those that knew him if.

Among his real friends

were Max Milton, his publisher.

He'd handled every song

the kids had written...

...and was kind of a godfather

to both of them.

And Red Willet, the song plugger.

He'd gone up with Eddie and so he put in

a special plug for all his tunes.

And with us was one of the most popular

radio singers in the country...

...Buddy Crawford.

We'd all known Buddy

when he was just starting out...

...and we'd watched his struggles

along with our own.

But he was on top now, and was always

singing every Crane and Donegan tune...

...he could get hold of.

Maybe we're wrong, Red.

Maybe he belongs

with these hammerheads, after all.

It isn't that bad, Marilyn.

He's just a big kid.

He's found a new sand pile to play in.

Yeah, and a golden bucket.

Can they spare it?

I guess it's perfectly natural.

Eddie come up the hard way.

When I plugged his first number 10 years

ago, he didn't have a cot to sleep in.

You can't blame him

if he wants to eat caviar...

...and go to Lady Triple Chin's

house parties.

I'm thinking of Dixie.

It's tough on her.

It's like the gag: You don't run

after a streetcar once you've caught it.

- Marilyn, you look wonderful.

- Oh, thanks, Buddy.

Red, stand up a minute, will you?

Turn around.

Thank you.

Oh, I get it,

you two want me to be alone.

That's the general idea.

Where's your girl?

There she is, over there.

Cute kid, isn't she?

Yeah. What's her name?

- Lull.

- Lull?

Lull doesn't seem to be

having a very good time.

Aw, she's happy. She's eating.

Oh, a pickle for Lull. Thank you.

Hi, Lull.

Having a lot of fun?

You know, you're gonna ruin your appetite

if you don't stop eating between bites.

- Simply fabulous.

- Out of the world.

- Wonderful.

- I'm glad you like it because I love to play.

Oh, Eddie, it's been simply divine.

The whole evening.

- I'm absolutely shattered I have to go.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

But you will join us this weekend?

At the Lattisons'.

You want me to come

and bring my piano?

- Don't be silly.

- Eddie, how fantastic.

- We want you for yourself.

- That's kind of you.

I still have never been able to get

one of these things in a taxi.

- Maybe I can stay for just one more.

- Oh, good.

- Oh, please.

- Yes, come on. Just one more, huh?

Say, Dixie, wasn't it a swell party?

Everybody said they couldn't have had

a better time.

Did you meet that real live countess?

You mean the lady

with the slight mustache?

Yeah.

And that society columnist?

Oh, yes.

You should have heard him rave

about your tune.

Yeah?

He asked me

what we're gonna do next...

...and I told him an idea of

that number we talked about last.

Oh, I don't think that's so hot.

Oh, everybody loves a love song

in spring.

I'm sure we can get it.

Look, Eddie, I dare you.

- Lets go in and run it over right now?

- Now?

We've always worked any hour

of the day or night.

Oh, no, honey. I don't feel like it.

I'm not in the mood.

Tomorrow then?

Well, maybe. We'll see.

No, I just remembered.

I'm going down to the Sound

to see the Marions' new boat.

They certainly liked our party.

I got a thrill out of looking around

that room tonight.

You know something? I'll bet we had

150 million bucks right in that living room.

Uh-huh.

Did you see all the invitations we got?

Twenty, I'll bet you.

- Did my blue suit go to the cleaners?

- Yes.

- When do I get my laundry?

- Tomorrow at 10:00.

Do you know if those brown shoes

were picked up?

The bootmaker

will have them here Friday.

We've ordered your favorite lobster and

the butler's reordered the wine you like.

Anything else, Eddie?

What's the matter?

I didn't know

you were that tired tonight.

There are a lot of things I'm tired of.

What did you mean by that?

Eddie...

...let's shake hands and call it quits.

Quits?

You see, this whole business

is your idea of fun, it isn't mine.

I think you could have

a better time alone.

I wanna work. I'm a worker.

I can't stand this routine

of bouncing red balloons in the air.

But it's your idea

of a merry-go-round, darling.

So you ride on it.

Oh, I get it.

My balloons, my merry-go-round.

As if you weren't having

a good time yourself.

If that isn't a typical feminine attitude,

always making the man the heavy.

Oh, let's not fight about it, Eddie.

It really only dawned on me tonight.

Maybe I ought to have my freedom.

Legally.

Well...

...you know I'd never stand in the way

of what you wanna do.

That's white of you, Eddie.

As long as we don't see things

the same way, what's the use of going on?

No use.

No use at all.

And we won't.

That's the whole story, as I pieced it

together from my own impressions...

...and the things Dixie told me.

As Red said, I'm afraid Eddie figured

he'd caught the streetcar...

...and didn't have to run anymore.

Hm.

Well, thank you, Miss Marsh.

That will be all.

Are there any other witnesses?

No, sir. My case rests.

Is the defendant represented in court?

No. Since there's no question

of support or property settlement...

...the case is not contested.

All right.

Well, from the evidence

we've heard today...

...we seem to have a regrettable instance

of a young man...

...who wasn't able to handle

his own success.

Even made it intolerable

for this young woman to live with him.

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