Manhattan Melodrama Page #5

- Thanks, Blackie, I knew you'd say that.

- Why shouldn't I say that?

We've been pals all of our lives.

Well, Eleanor and I were good pals, too,

but...

Hey, everything is just hotsy-totsy.

Say, look, I got a date uptown.

I gotta beat it. Give my best to Eleanor.

Say, wait a minute, kid.

I'm much obliged to you

for returning my overcoat.

A little round about,

the police found it in room 14 B

at the Uptown Hotel

where Manny Arnold was killed.

Your overcoat?

What are you talking about?

Come on, Blackie, you never could kid me.

That's the coat

I loaned Eleanor last election night,

and it's the coat the murderer left

behind him after killing Manny Arnold.

I wouldn't kid you, mister.

Maybe the nasty old murderer

did leave that coat,

but that isn't your coat.

Blackie.

Hey, wait a minute.

I wanna find out something.

- Spud.

- Yeah? Yeah?

Look, slug, how come you didn't return

Jim's coat like I told you to weeks ago?

- Well, to tell you the truth, I kind of forgot.

- You kind of forgot.

Yeah, well, your kind of forgetting

kind of got me into a lot of trouble.

Now suppose you kind of get on the phone

and kind of tell the butler to jump in a cab

and bring that coat down here right away.

It's in the closet.

- Okay, boss.

- Beat it.

You know,

I'm really working wonders with Spud.

I got him where he eats with a fork now.

- What's the gag?

- Gag? There's no gag.

Your coat'll be here any minute now.

Blackie, let's face the facts.

Manny Arnold owed you a lot of money.

You quarreled with him election night

when he wouldn't pay up.

- You threatened him.

- I threatened him?

Sure I threatened him,

so did everybody else.

That's the only way you could get

your dough out of that chiseler.

- I got mine. Why should I wanna kill him?

- I don't know, unless you didn't get yours.

And I know what you think of welshers.

Blackie, I'm not interested in anything

but the fact

that Manny Arnold was murdered

- and I've got to find the murderer.

- I know you have.

And if anybody can do it,

you're the man that will.

Now look,

don't you think I've got more sense

than to try to pull anything,

knowing you the way I do?

I hope so.

We're in a tough spot now.

My job means

fighting you and your crowd.

And Blackie, I'm going to fight.

I never saw the day

I was big enough to lick you.

I've got too many guys in my gang.

You're going to find yourself getting away

with less and less, kid,

and it's going to be my fault.

We had one or two crooked inspectors.

Well, they're gone now.

No more paid cops,

no more quashed indictments,

no more handpicked juries, all gone.

I'm going to clean out every rotten spot

I can find in this city.

And, Blackie,

I don't wanna find you in one of them.

- And if you do?

- What do you think?

You're gonna give me everything

I got coming to me.

You're gonna nail me every time

I step out of line and sock me to the limit.

- You said it.

- And cockeyed as it all sounds,

I'll be proud of you.

What'd you think of that?

Well, how about the Manny Arnold killing?

All right, I'll bite. What about it?

I may have to get

an indictment against you.

Are you still harping on that coat?

I tell you, Jim, that isn't your coat.

Now, if you're not satisfied

when it gets here,

you know I'll always be around

when you want me.

Yes, I know that.

Well, I gotta beat it.

- Goodbye, old timer.

- So long, kid.

- I'll be seeing you.

- Right.

- Pardon me.

- Pardon me.

Do you want these

homicide squad reports?

No. Not now, thanks.

This just came for you.

How do you think this fits me?

Why, all right, I guess.

I couldn't tell for sure.

What, another one?

Looks like it, doesn't it?

Where did this come from?

How does that fit?

Why, just about the same.

Just the same, huh?

Well, don't get them mixed up,

because this is my coat.

Yeah, the jury just went out.

Hey, am I late.

Did Miss Adams...

Yes, she did unpack my stuff.

- Is Blackie Gallagher here?

- Blackie Gallagher?

Yes, he's going with me to the church.

He should have been here an hour ago.

- Get him on the phone, will you, please?

- Yes, sir.

Mr. Wade.

I'm sorry, Miss Adams, I'm afraid

I'm going to be late for my own wedding.

You're not really going

to have Blackie Gallagher there?

Why, he'd better be there.

He's going to be my best man.

- I'm sorry.

- Why, what's on your mind?

Oh, but you shouldn't, you can't.

Everybody knows

what Blackie Gallagher is.

- Think of what the papers will say.

- The papers?

Well, most of the papers were against

me at the election, but I was elected.

But this is different. This can hurt you.

Remember what happened

to that district attorney in Chicago

just for having his picture taken

with some gangsters at dinner.

And now right on top

of the Manny Arnold case.

Well, what about the Manny Arnold case?

Some people know you had

Blackie Gallagher down here.

They think he killed Manny Arnold,

that you let him go just out of friendship.

What people think doesn't matter to me.

I do what I think is right.

As district attorney, I am convinced

that Blackie had nothing to do with it.

He's my friend.

He's going to be best man at my...

Come in.

I tried to get Gallagher on the phone,

but he doesn't answer.

- This just came for you.

- That's all, Miss Adams.

I'm sorry I opened it.

I thought it might be office business.

Tell Miss Adams she can rest easy,

because Blackie Gallagher seems to

feel the same way she does about it.

Yes, sir.

Well, my dear...

Father, will you and Eleanor wait right

over there while I tend to the bags?

Keep an eye out for Blackie. Porter!

It was sweet of you, Father, to come all

the way down from Sing Sing to marry us.

You won't get in any trouble

marrying non-Catholics, will you?

Not at all. Besides, didn't I fish Jim

out of the East River once?

I should have some rights, huh?

About Blackie,

you know I use to be in love with Blackie.

Yes, I know.

But there's only Jim in my life now

and from now on.

You believe that, don't you?

Completely but...

What did you want

to tell me about Blackie?

Blackie loves you, Father.

I've heard him say it many times.

He needs you.

He needs you more than any of us.

I want you to help him before it's too late.

You know you fished Blackie

out of the East River, too.

From now on,

your principle trouble is Jim.

I will take care of Blackie,

but I will make no promises.

Didn't Blackie promise to come down

and see you both off?

Yes, but he's always late.

Father, I'd rather not see Blackie just now.

Will you see him and say goodbye for us?

All right, all set. Bye-bye, Father.

Thanks once again.

Come on, dear. Let's get going.

Goodbye, Father.

It must be nice in jail with you there.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye. Good luck to you both.

Say goodbye to Blackie.

- Will your wife need a stretcher?

- I don't know.

I'll have to let you know when I get a wife.

I was in a hurry.

- Thanks for the ambulance ride.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes