Lady Be Good Page #8

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The ring was a mistake, that's all.

A misunderstanding.

- Yeah?

- Oh, Eddie...

...I couldn't think of marrying him.

Well, then you're not sore at me?

I'm furious with you.

Oh, Dixie.

I guess you still love me, huh?

Oh, who else?

Marry me tonight.

- Oh, I shouldn't.

- I dare you.

- I shouldn't.

- I dare you.

Do you, Dixie Donegan, take this man

for your lawful wedded husband?

Answer, "I do. "

I do.

And do you, Edward Crane, take this

woman for your lawful wedded wife?

Yeah, I do.

Well, I certainly am Joe the Jerk.

I risk my life to carry out your plans,

the two characters get married...

...and what do I get?

You're too impulsive, Buddy.

And anyway, I'm a little worried

about your intentions.

- What do you mean? I did all right.

- That's just it.

You were either loving that scene with Dixie

or you're the greatest faker.

Oh, darling, that's what I love about you.

You're so doggone consistent.

Why consistent?

You get me to make a play for your

best friend against my best friend...

...and then you rule me out for holding.

But I love you, you're wonderful.

Well, you know,

I have some emotions of my own.

Even I could have been a bit jealous.

You are?

I guess I kind of fell for my own formula.

Why didn't you tell me when we were

with the guy with the Book?

- You didn't ask me.

- I didn't ask you.

And besides, you didn't have sense

to bring a license.

I didn't have sense enough...

Did you say license?

You big chump.

What are you thinking, Dixie?

I was just thinking

about the Hopkins show.

- Think what a chance that is for us.

- Yeah. Swell, isn't it?

Oh, it's more than swell, darling.

It's our wish fulfillment.

The one big chance we've waited for.

It's as if everything else of ours

was just building toward that.

Yeah, I know.

When do we start work on it, darling?

Oh, I don't know.

Soon as we get back, I guess.

I'm afraid I'll be too tired.

Couldn't you wait till tomorrow?

Tomorrow?

No, I mean, when we get back

from our honeymoon.

Honeymoon?

- Are you clowning?

- Certainly not.

I worked hard to win you back,

now can't we just play a while?

Oh, but Eddie, the show is so important.

I thought you felt that too.

Oh, it'll wait. We can knock that off

in a couple of weeks when we get back.

I was gonna surprise you. The Martins

are loaning us their place in Bermuda.

It's across the bay from Kiki Wendover.

She's asking the mob down for a month.

Think of the fun when I tell them

we're married.

They'll love you, Dixie.

What's the matter?

- Eddie.

- Yeah?

- I've just decided something.

- What?

We've got to go on working

just the way we were.

- What do you mean?

- This show has got to be our best effort.

- When it's a hit, we can go away and play.

- I don't see it that way.

- It's got to be that way. What's...

- What are you driving at?

- We're married, aren't we?

- Yes, finally.

But until we finish the Hopkins show,

I'm gonna keep right on living with Marilyn.

- What happened?

- Do you mean that?

- I do.

- You mean I gotta go on living alone?

- Until we...

- Well, I'm not.

And if you think I am,

you can get out of this car right here.

All right, Mr. Crane.

All out, kids. This is as far as we go.

- What's this all about?

- Don't ask me.

Go ahead, drive away if you dare.

And did he?

Yes.

- Well, how'd you get back to New York?

- Well, we:

I've always wanted to do that.

Well, proceed, Mrs. Crane.

The next day, when I got back,

Mr. Hopkins, the producer of the show...

...Eddie and I were supposed to write,

told me Eddie had quit.

Well, during this time, did the defendant

make any effort to see you?

None whatsoever.

- But...

- But what, Mrs. Crane?

I did see him once,

two weeks after we were married.

What was he doing?

Composing a symphony.

How did you find out all about this?

While the show was in rehearsal,

we needed a verse...

...for the big finale number in a hurry,

and I was stuck.

I didn't seem to get ideas the way

I used to.

I remembered a half-finished lyric

I'd left in our apartment...

...when Eddie and I were working together,

so I went up to get it.

- Dixie.

- Hello, Eddie.

- Hello.

- I hate to disturb you...

...but I'll have to look

for something I left here.

May I?

Why, sure. Sure, come on in.

Oh, uh...

Dixie, you remember Mrs. Wardley.

This is my... Uh...

- Miss Donegan.

- Yes, we've met.

Of course. How do you do?

Hello.

I didn't mean to make

a dramatic entrance.

I've just come to get a piece of paper

I left here a couple of hundred years ago...

...when I was working here.

That's quite all right.

Eddie's told me all about you.

Oh?

He has?

Well, Mrs. Wardley

is terribly interested in music.

Good music, that is.

So when I told her about the symphony

I'd always wanted to write...

...why, naturally...

- The what?

Well, I guess I never mentioned it to you.

- But I always felt that...

You see, Mrs. Crane...

...Eddie's never had a fair chance

to express himself.

Of course, he wrote some simply

divine little tunes, but...

With lyrics.

Yeah, with lyrics.

My wife wrote the lyrics.

Forgive me.

Of course, he did mention that.

The point is,

he wants to write something better.

That was just a step in his career.

- How was it you explained it to me?

- What?

About what you wanted to do,

you remember?

Oh.

Well, I just told Mrs. Wardley

that I was fed up writing popular songs.

Little jingles set to tunes.

Real music speaks a language

more eloquent than words.

Give me flutes, oboes, a string section.

- Carnegie Hall.

- And Carnegie Hall. I'll show them.

- Why, you're serious.

- Miss Donegan, you...

You keep out of this.

So you're gonna walk out on the show.

You're gonna let me down.

I thought we kissed that nonsense goodbye

two weeks ago in Connecticut.

You might have had

the common decency to let me know.

- Did I hear you say "common decency"?

- Symphony, eh?

I thought I'd heard everything.

- But, Miss Donegan...

- You keep quiet and sit down.

I came to get a lyric

and I'm not leaving without it.

- Get up.

- Leave her alone.

I wouldn't think of touching

a hair of that divine coiffure.

But my lyric is in this piano seat.

Words, get it? Words.

Yeah, well, the words I've got

I can't use in front of a lady.

Oh, and you will let me hear

your symphony, won't you?

When you hear it, it'll be at Carnegie Hall,

and it'll cost you $3.30.

When you hear this it'll be

at the Melody Box Theatre...

...and it'll cost you $5.50.

You can get it

From the blare of a trumpet

You can get it from the wail

Of a slide trombone

You can get it from the slap

Of a big string bass

Or the moan of a saxophone

And every time I hear a band

Start playing

Whether it be fast or sweet and low

From the very moment it starts beating

Everything about me starts repeating

Drums roll

Saxes moan

Trumpets blare

Fascinatin' rhythm

You got me on the go

Fascinatin' rhythm

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