Lullaby of Broadway Page #6

- Melinda.

- Come in.

- Hi.

- Hello.

What does a fella have to do

to make you smile?

As soon as we finish rehearsing,

l'd like to have a talk with you.

Is something wrong?

Just remember, whatever happens,

l'll stick with you.

- How about a statement?

- You deny the allegations?

- How did you meet?

- Did he give you a bracelet?

- Is Mr. Hubbell still in town?

- What?

- Haven't you seen this?

- His wife's gonna sue for divorce.

- Here, read the story.

- Let me read one of these papers.

- Didn't he give you a charge account?

- Ls it true you call him Cuddles?

Mr. Hubbell is a gentleman,

and l respect him as l would my father.

- That's all there is to it.

- All right, boys. All right. All right.

Miss Howard has no statement to make.

If you'll be good sports and wait a minute,

we both may give you one. Deal?

- Okay, Tom.

- Lt's a deal.

- Come on out, have a smoke.

- L need a cigarette.

Don't worry, sweetheart.

Everything's gonna be all right.

By tomorrow, they'll forget it.

And as for your mother,

l'm sure she'll understand.

- L hope so.

- L know so.

She'll be just as forgiving as l am.

Forgiving?

What you've done is over.

We're never gonna mention it again.

- What do you mean by that remark?

- The past is over.

We've got the future to look forward to.

What past are you talking about?

L love you, darling.

L want you to marry me.

You left out four words, didn't you?

- What words?

- "ln spite of everything."

You didn't say them,

but you meant them.

- Oh, now, look, Melinda-

- Look, nothing.

L suppose l should be grateful to you for

offering to make an honest girl of me...

but l'm not grateful.

I'm just disgusted.

Get out of here.

L never wanna see you again.

- Melinda, please.

- Get out of here.

Miss Howard.

- Please, won't you let me alone?

- I'm not gonna bother you.

Just give me an exclusive

on the story.

L have nothing more to say.

Okay, Miss Howard,

l was only trying to...

Hey, wait a minute.

Are you and Jessica Howard related?

She happens to be my mother.

Jessica Howard of the Three O'Clock Club?

- The Three O'Clock Club? What's that?

- Lt's a clip joint down in Greenwich Village.

You mind if l take this?

We don't have a picture of your mother

without a glass in her hand.

Listen, lady, either come in or get out.

You can't stand here.

And now for the local news.

Melinda Howard, pretty actress

named as co-respondent...

in the divorce suit against millionaire

Adolph Hubbell, has disappeared.

A citywide search has failed

to reveal her whereabouts.

Mr. Hubbell.

Listen, Adolph, what are we going to do

about the show?

If your wife's divorce suit

chased our star out of town...

l'm coming up there

and break her arm in three places.

Upstairs, downstairs and in the basement.

Don't forget, we got an attic.

She's probably hiding somewhere,

alone and hungry.

It's tough starving to death, isn't it?

It all depends on how much

you like food.

- Hello.

- Hello, Lefty.

Melinda!

Lefty, will you do something for me?

We've hunted high and low for you.

Your mother's in town.

She's been in town all along.

At the Three O'Clock Club.

L don't have to have a brick house

fall on me.

L know she doesn't care anything

about seeing me.

Wait, you've got the wrong angle.

Your mother's had a lot of hard luck.

She didn't want you to know

she was singing in a joint.

Do you think that would've made

any difference?

Is that the best excuse she can offer

for not seeing me?

Well, there were other fluid reasons.

Lefty, l wanna go home on the Queen

Victoria, and it sails this afternoon.

Now, l've reserved my ticket.

Would you come down and pay for it?

I'll send the money back to you

when l get home.

What about the show? Lt opens tonight.

They haven't got anybody to replace you.

Do you think l could face people

after all that's happened?

Will you come and help me

with my ticket, or won't you?

Okay, if that's the way you want it.

Who am l to fight you.

In the hands of a woman,

l'm so much putty.

Everything's all set. You got a nice cabin

several feet from the rail.

- Here's a bottle of seasick pills.

- Thanks, l'll probably need them.

Lefty takes them when he goes

to a newsreel theater.

- Why?

- He gets seasick...

when he sees the fleet come in.

Come on. Here we are.

Go in and see how you like it.

- Mother.

- That's what it says on the birth certificate.

L guess that's the only way

you could tell.

Melinda...

don't make it tougher than it is.

But l thought you didn't wanna see me.

You've got it all wrong.

L didn't want you to see me.

Why? Just because you had tough luck?

That's when l should've been

with you.

L know it now, dear.

If we'd been together,

all this wouldn't have happened.

You've seen the newspapers?

- Do you believe it?

- Of course not.

But you mustn't run away.

Or other people will think it's true.

But l can't stay after all those

terrible things they've said about me.

Look, darling, don't make

the same mistake l did.

All my life l was running away,

trying to hide from unpleasant things.

And look at all the unhappiness

it's caused.

- But what about the Hubbells?

- Mrs. Hubbell knows the truth now.

Thanks to Lefty.

The little man's had a busy day.

L still can't go back.

There's another reason.

Tom?

L never wanna see him again.

He's evil-minded.

He's conceited, condescen-

- How do you know about him?

- Lefty told me.

- You love Tom, don't you?

- Oh, yes.

Look, it's tough for me

to talk like a mother.

L need a couple of more rehearsals.

But if you love that boy...

don't lose him.

He'll never look at me now.

Not after what l've said to him.

He'll look at you.

And remember this, sweetheart:

From here in, it's you and me together.

Mother.

Can't you wait a few minutes?

The passengers who have this room

are onboard.

How long do you expect to use this room

for $5?

Let's get down to the theater.

L hate peace and comfort. You still got the

2 bucks you were saving for a rainy day?

- Yeah. Why?

- Well, break it out, it's pouring.

- Come on, Melinda.

- Oh, Mother, my bag.

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