Monkey on My Back Page #2

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Lollipops, honey. Big, green lollipops.

Next time l'll give you odds, Big.

What if he hadn't hit, Barney?

What if you had lost?

So the next time

there'd be icing on the cake.

What are you doing here?

l thought you were gonna

pick me up at the club.

l'm getting to be the number one baby-sitter

on the North Side.

-Here, let me put her to bed.

-No, l'll take her.

This is Chicago's own station of music,,,

presenting two hours

of the latest recordings,,,

for your listening pleasure,

What's this?

A little caviar, a little chicken, lax

a little champagne. Nothing but the best.

Sit down. l serve well, too.

Why the celebration?

Big day. Two winners at Hialeah.

And l'm gonna get married.

-Just like that?

-Just like that.

You're serious, aren't you?

Why do you think l've been hanging

around so often?

-Barney, wait.

-Who wants to wait?

Who wants a girl? l want a wife.

-lt's not that simple.

-What's complicated about it?

All you gotta do is say yes,

we'll go downtown, get a license--

-l'm afraid.

-Of what?

-l've never told you about Noreen's father.

-Who cares? l never asked.

He left me before Noreen was born.

l'm all she's got.

-l'm not like you. l can't afford to gamble.

-But who's asking you to?

Don't you see?

Everything you do is a gamble.

lt's the way you're made.

lf we get married, it won't be you,

it won't be me, it'll be us.

And l can't afford to gamble.

Honey, everything's a gamble.

It's like l told you.

l'm on top 'cause l play for the big stakes.

ln my life, you're the biggest.

So don't try to say no.

lt won't do you no good.

Barney, l love you.

Please give me more time.

You said you loved me.

That's all l heard. Nothing else.

Now you keep this, honey.

-Before long, you're gonna wear it.

-l hope so.

Let's drink to that.

How much l hope so.

That's gonna be my last one for a while.

l start training tomorrow.

-Another fight?

-Yeah.

You gotta get time off

and come to New York.

This'll be a good one.

-Nice guy. Henry Armstrong.

-l'll be there.

Good luck to that, too, Barney.

That's no way to wish me luck. Come here.

for 14 rounds

this has been a tremendous battle,

armstrong seems as powerful now

as he did at the opening gong,

and this'll go down in the books

as a sensational upset,,,

unless Ross can come up

with that one big punch,,,

to put the challenger away,

Come on, Barney!

He can't go on much longer.

Why don't they stop it?

Kill him, Barney!

Better not take his mouthpiece out.

His head will cave in.

This is one of the greatest displays

of raw courage ever seen in the ring,

But it's almost impossible to believe,,,

that Barney Ross remained on his feet

after taking such inhuman punishment,

lt's one round to go,

and the big question here tonight is,,

will Barney Ross still be in there

on his feet at the finish?

The cuts are bad, Sam.

How about it, Barney? Let me do it now.

Sam. You throw in that towel...

we're through.

Thirteen years we've been together.

Would l ask you to do anything wrong?

l'm trying to save you from taking the count.

l'm not gonna be knocked out by a towel.

Get the right up, Barney. The right.

armstrong has Ross

up against the ropes now,

His famous, million-dollar legs

have always carried him out ofdanger,,,

but obey his will no longer,

You're pretty lucky, Barney.

No bones broken.

But you're gonna have to watch that left eye.

l wanna see you in my office tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Different from other nights, huh?

No mob around, whooping it up.

You need those guys

like you need a hole in the head.

They turn their backs on their own mothers.

Don't knock them, Art.

They know when a guy is through.

My legs are gone.

And they're what kept me on top.

Why even think about it?

A good night's sleep, maybe tomorrow--

A good night's sleep

won't change my mind, Sam.

l'm quitting. l'm a champ, or l'm nothing.

And you can't be a champ without legs.

l'm quitting. This is my last fight.

Mama.

lt's all right, Mama. Nothing's busted.

Hiya, Cathy.

Jeez, you look like a million bucks.

-Aren't you gonna kiss me?

-With this face?

-l was so proud of you.

-Was you?

So proud.

Do you really mean this was your last fight?

You never wanted me to be a fighter.

It's about time l listened to her.

Do me a favor. Take her back to the hotel.

l gotta take a Turkish bath.

We'll be waiting for you.

Come on, Mrs. Ross.

Barney. We'll have a nice breakfast for you.

All the things you like..

cream cheese, lax, bagels.

Bagel. Mama....

No bagels, Mrs. Ross.

My poor Barney. Losing he's not used to.

l'm glad.

l'm glad it happened.

Don't hate me, Mrs. Ross. l'm not heartless.

But maybe now

Barney and l will have a chance.

Maybe he'll turn his back on that whole life.

l better get in the shower.

At least that's on the house.

You got nothing to worry about.

Your end of the purse is better than $40,OOO.

-You mean Big Ralph's end of the purse.

-You owe all that?

You can't win all the time.

Don't worry, kid. You can have my share.

Sure, kid. Anything we got.

Thanks, fellows. But no.

You can finance me to the Turkish bath.

-Hey, soldier. Call it.

-Heads.

You win. Nick, this round's on me.

-Barney, it came up tails.

-Sure. Have fun.

Drink up, boys. Have fun.

Honey, how you doing? Doing all right?

You want a sandwich? Some more coffee?

You owe me 10,OOO doughnuts

to go with the coffee l've already had.

-Okay to cash this, boss?

-Whose is it?

That soldier sitting over there.

Yeah, sure.

For $10

l guess we can keep our boys happy.

You know, if a smart guy had this place,

he could open his own bank.

We're doing all right, Sam. Ain't we, honey?

-Are we?

-Are we? Even Big Ralph's happy.

And with him backing the joint,

that takes plenty.

-You sent for me?

-Yeah. l got some info, Lew.

Pencil, Sam. Lady Teazle,

in the fifth at Arlington tomorrow.

$1,500. Right on the schnozzola.

Why don't you bet him to place?

All your horses been coming in second.

l don't bet seconds. l bet winners.

You want a piece of my action, Sam?

No, thanks, Barney. l'm like you.

l don't know anything about horses.

l'll just have another one.

Charlie! Bourbon and soda for Mr. Pian

and $1,500 for me.

Get it out of the register. There's the marker.

Make it two bourbons, mine straight.

-Cathy, you--

-Why not?

-Everything's on the house, isn't it?

-Yeah, sure.

Go on, beat it.

Charlie will give you the dough.

l know it's none of my business.

But l always do like you tell me.

Big Ralph's gonna get sore.

-Big Ralph. What's it to Big Ralph?

-What's it to Big....

He's only backing you in this joint

so he can get back the money you owe him.

Don't worry, Big Ralph's sublimely happy.

Barney just told me so.

Cathy! Come on, Lew.

All right. l'll take care of it.

-Cathy, what's gotten into you?

-Not a thing.

l just don't like losing

any more than you do.

Losing? What are you getting at?

Nothing you'd understand.

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