Manhattan Melodrama Page #4

I don't mean that. I mean us, you and I.

Did you ever figure

where we might wind up?

Say, Jim must have had

a terrific effect on you.

Terrific.

Terrific.

I saw so much I want and haven't got.

Security, consideration,

a shelter, Blackie,

someplace to get in out of the rain.

I only tasted them tonight,

but I saw enough to know I want that

more than anything else in this world.

Say, what are you trying to do,

make an honest man out of me?

Why not? It's been done.

People in love get married all the time.

- You love me, don't you?

- Sure. Sure I do, but...

And I love you, dear.

Blackie, let's live like human beings.

Let's quit running around

like a pack of wolves.

Why won't you let me have what I want?

My own home, my own kids...

You're talking a lot of hooey

right out of nice clean storybooks.

There's nothing you really want

that you haven't got.

This other stuff, marriage,

a nice little home

with roses around the door,

you're not the type.

- Blackie...

- Now, wait a minute. Let me talk.

You got a big load of Jim tonight,

probably did you a lot of good

outside of these silly notions.

But get this, Jim's as much

out of your class as he is out of mine.

I used to get ideas, too, listening to Jim,

ideas about being something.

But I forgot them

because they're not my stuff.

And you forget yours, too,

because whether you know it or not,

two weeks of being a sweet little wife

and waiting for hubby to come home

and having babies while you're waiting,

you'd go crazy.

All right.

Goodbye, Blackie.

What is this? Don't be silly.

I'm not being silly.

I was once, but I'm all right now.

Now I know what I want.

I know where I'm going.

Blackie, up to a minute ago,

I loved you very dearly.

You were all that mattered to me.

But right now I can't even remember

having been in love with you.

Wait a minute now, baby.

No, that won't ever work again, either.

Blackie, I got some ideas of my own now.

They may be old and discarded

like oil lamps or horse cars,

but they're mine and I'm stuck with them.

I know it's the very latest style

to be cynical and callous

about stupid things

like marriage and home and babies,

but maybe I don't like the very latest style.

Maybe I want to wear last year's hat.

I give it all back to you, Blackie,

including the yacht.

I want you to have that yacht.

Goodbye, Blackie.

Yeah, hello?

Is Eleanor there?

Who? Blackie?

Hello, Blackie. This is Tootsie.

I saw Eleanor at the Cotton Club tonight

and thought I'd call up

to find out what's what.

Now, now, now, I know all about that.

Everything is just fine.

You're not on the loose, are you, Blackie?

Sure, sure, I'm always on the loose.

Yeah, yeah, I got it, yes.

Georgia 4-1111. Yeah. Sure, sure, I will.

Yeah, yeah. All right, all right, goodbye.

Eleanor.

Well, this is wonderful

after all these months.

Where's Blackie, inside?

I haven't seen Blackie,

to be exact, since election night.

I didn't know.

Well, you having fun?

Well, as much fun

as an extra girl can have.

I'm a spare,

in case some of the others give up.

It sounds fascinating.

I'm about to join a very formal party

as 13th guest,

or maybe I'm not.

Mr. Wade, you can't mean that...

Have you left anything at your table

that you have to go back for?

I'm fully equipped.

Let's go.

Come in.

- Hello, fellows.

- Hello.

So that's why

you birds got me up here, eh?

I thought it was for a stud game.

We're through playing with you, Manny.

You owe everybody here dough,

big dough.

And we're gonna collect.

- Well, what if I haven't got it to pay you?

- You've got it.

You won 40 grand on the Harry Greb fight,

you've been cleaning up in the market,

and you've got a piece of

four big speakeasies.

You got it, Manny.

And we're gonna collect,

one way or the other.

You hear those?

When they stop blowing,

it's going to be a new year in the world

for everybody except you.

You can't scare me.

I'll pay you guys

when I get good and ready.

All right, boys.

You too, Spud.

- But, boss, you promised me...

Beat it!

The whistles have stopped, Manny.

A couple of months ago,

I might have felt sorry for you

and let you crawl out,

but a lot of things have happened to me

since then,

and I don't feel the same

about you anymore.

You can't do it, you can't.

Not in cold blood, Blackie.

You better cross yourself, Manny,

and make it double,

because this is once

you doubled-crossed yourself.

Wait a minute, Blackie, wait a minute.

I'll give it to you. I'll pay you off.

Look, what's that behind you?

- Where's your overcoat?

- Huh, coat?

Yes, yes, your coat.

You were wearing a coat, weren't you?

Gee, boss, I left it back there in the room.

I'll go get it.

No, no, don't be silly.

The cops are there by now.

- Look, can they identify that as yours?

- I only wish they could.

- It was Jim's coat.

- What? Jim?

Why you stupid...

I told you to return that coat weeks ago.

I know it,

I ought to have my head examined.

Why didn't you just leave

my name and address?

We gotta figure out something.

Gee, it was a swell coat, too.

I was only wearing it till mine was ready.

Your what was ready?

My overcoat, I wanted one just like Jim's,

but I couldn't figure out where he got it.

There was no marks or labels in it,

so I had my tailor make one exactly like it.

Mine will be ready

first thing in the morning.

Say, look, you had Jim's coat

copied exactly by your tailor?

Yeah.

Palsy, I think everything

is gonna be all right.

Just as the cops said, not a mark on it.

Not even a dealer's, jobber's

or a manufacturer's number.

Doesn't give us a thing.

What about the hotel people,

don't they know who registered

for the room?

No. The name was a phony, of course,

and I had the clerk downtown,

he went over half the pictures

in the gallery and couldn't pick anybody,

or else he didn't want to.

The same with the bellboy.

If he knows anything, he isn't saying.

It's a tough one, chief,

as bad as the Rothstein case.

It's kind of rotten for you,

taking one like this your first day,

and your chair isn't even warm.

- Is Blackie Gallagher out there?

- Yes, sir.

Say, you don't think

he knows anything about it do you?

- Show him in, will you please?

- Yes, sir.

Well, here we are.

It's been months, as usual.

Sit down.

You're headman of the city now.

Next you're going to be headman

of the state, and then...

Skip it, kid, skip it.

I didn't get you down here to hear again

how good I am.

Pardon my enthusiasm.

What's on your mind?

Well, first of all,

I wanted to tell you about Eleanor.

What about Eleanor?

- We're thinking of getting married.

- What, married?

Yes, you know, man and wife,

it's an old custom.

Any reason why we shouldn't?

No, no, I can't think of any...

It just surprised me, that's all.

I never figured Eleanor...

Say, she couldn't make a better choice,

and she's a swell gal,

and I hope you both click.

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