One Good Turn Page #2

Ruth and Eddie exit out the Stage Door. A crowd of young women

push past Ruth to get to Eddie and surround him, chattering

excitedly. Agents Jim and Saul arrive from the opposite direction

from the girls and stare at the scene.

Eddie signs autographs and chats with his adoring fans while a

bemused Ruth shakes her head and walks away.

SAUL:

Can you beat it? Six months ago that guy

was a bust!

JIM:

And now he's a natural.

SAUL:

Yeah, a natural imitation of Ruth Eton.

She taught him everything. And such a

matinee idol! Mm!

The crowd disperses and Eddie greets Jim and Saul with handshakes.

EDDIE:

Hello, Saul!

SAUL:

Hello, Eddie!

EDDIE:

Hello, Jim!

JIM:

Hello, Eddie! Oh, say, Eddie. If we're not

breaking into your social life ...

SAUL:

Hey, listen, Eddie, we've got to talk to

you. It's important.

EDDIE:

Yeah?

SAUL:

Shienfeld is putting on his new Ritz Revue

and we got a swell offer for you. You've

been in vaudeville long enough.

EDDIE:

Say, I'd like to be with that outfit.

Think we ought to take it?

SAUL:

It ain't a "we" proposition, Eddie. They

want you.

EDDIE:

They don't want Ruth?

SAUL:

Pre-zactly!

EDDIE:

Well, what'll I do with her?

SAUL:

Say, why should you worry about her? She

can take care of herself. She don't do

anything anymore in the act anyway.

EDDIE:

Well, she's got to live.

JIM:

Oh, don't worry. Ruth can play the small

time just as long as she likes.

EDDIE:

(almost persuaded)

Well, I guess that could be arranged.

SAUL:

Say, why should you worry? You've got your

own troubles. You know how this business

is. Today, you're upstairs. And tomorrow

-- who knows? -- you're in the cellar,

ain't you?

EDDIE:

(convinced)

Well, I guess you're right. You know, I've

always wanted to be with that--

The three men start talking simultaneously as they walk off.

FADE OUT:

TITLE (to a fast instrumental version of "If I Could Be With You"):

Ruth learned that on Broadway the

billing was over when the cooing

stopped.

FADE IN:

INT. APARTMENT - DAY

Ruth opens the doors to her kitchen and turns to see a framed

photo of Eddie on a table beside her chair in the living room. She

sits in the chair, picks up the photo, stares at it a moment, sets

it down, then turns away sadly, burying her head in her shoulder.

Ruth's roommate MARGE enters, carrying packages.

MARGE:

Hello, Ruth.

RUTH:

(tries to get a grip)

Hello, Marge.

Marge puts the packages in the kitchen and returns to the living

to discard her purse, hat and coat. Marge is a low-paid, wise-

cracking chorus girl, always on the lookout for a man or a buck.

MARGE:

Well, here I am -- all tired out. I've

been from five-and-ten cent store to

five-and-ten cent store. Just couldn't

find a fur coat to fit me.

RUTH:

(laughs)

Gee, I wish I had your disposition. What

are all the bundles?

MARGE:

(pulls out a card table)

Rations, dearie, rations. It looks like a

hard winter -- we might as well eat while

we can.

Throughout the following, Marge sets up the table next to Ruth,

covers it with a tablecloth, brings cups, food, a chair, etc.

RUTH:

Fix something for yourself. I'm not

hungry.

MARGE:

Oh, I've brought some swell corned beef.

(off Eddie's photo)

I thought it'd be a change from that

ham o' yours.

RUTH:

(takes photo and stares at it)

Aw, Eddie was all right until success went

to his head.

MARGE:

Yeah, it went to the place where it had

the most room.

RUTH:

Somehow I - I just can't work without him.

Ruth puts the photo back.

MARGE:

Aw, come on, brace up! Come on, show me

the chinaware, will ya?

RUTH:

(faint grin, head down)

Aw, I'll get over it, I guess.

MARGE:

Sure. Love 'em, tease 'em, and give 'em

the ozone.

RUTH:

That's all right when you're playing with

numbers. But when you've just got one

who's ... been everything to you.

MARGE:

Say, you sound like a page out of "True

Confessions"!

RUTH:

Well, I feel worse. And think how hard I

worked with him. That's gratitude.

MARGE:

Yeah, when you first knew him, he couldn't

carry a tune if it had a handle.

RUTH:

And this is the thanks I get for it.

MARGE:

Oh, you'll get over it. I've had more

knocks in this racket than a crosstown

bus. And I been in this game since the

Big Dipper was just a drinking cup.

RUTH:

(chuckles)

It's the woman who pays.

Marge brings a coffee pot to the table and sits.

MARGE:

Well, why don't you stop paying and do

some playing? Say, you know, you've passed

up more offers this week -- and for what?

RUTH:

Well, I just can't get him out of my mind.

MARGE:

Oh, that ungrateful double-crosser... Say,

do you know if you were drowning, he'd

turn a hose on you.

RUTH:

Well, I'm not drowning yet.

MARGE:

Yeah. With those eyes and that shape,

you'll always be able to stand up.

RUTH:

Maybe it would be better if I tried to

forget him.

MARGE:

Better? You're speaking mildly.

RUTH:

Will you help me?

MARGE:

Will I help you? Can Lindbergh fly?

Marge forks some corned beef onto a plate for Ruth.

MARGE:

Come on, eat some of this.

RUTH:

Mmmm. It does smell good.

Ruth moves closer to the table, puts a napkin in her lap, sugars

her tea, etc.

MARGE:

Listen, after you've huddled up with this

corned beef, you'll have a better outlook

on life. And after we finish, we'll put on

some powder and go gunning for big game.

RUTH:

(laughs)

I believe you will help me to forget him

after all.

MARGE:

Forget him? Say, you'll forget that that

ivory-tickler ever existed.

Ruth sips her tea thoughtfully as we

FADE OUT:

INSERT (to a sad instrumental version of "If I Could Be With You"):

A newspaper article. The headlines read:

Eddie Farrell, Revue Star

Suddenly Loses Voice

Broadway Playboy

Stricken At Party

The article, next to a photo of Eddie, reads:

Eddie Farrell, famous tenor who had

been touring the Inter-Mountain

Circuit and other well-known

vaudeville circuits, was suddenly

stricken at a theatrical party

given by Florenz Shufield.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TRAIN COMPARTMENT - DAY

[We know we're on a train because we hear TRAIN SOUND EFFECTS and

a porter enters after the first line and wanders around in the

background.]

Four men, all faceless show-biz types, sit around while one of

them deals out four hands of playing cards atop some suitcases.

The FIRST MAN reads a newspaper which presumably contains the

above article.

FIRST MAN:

Well, there's the guy that got just what

was coming to him.

SECOND MAN:

It's the old story. Wine, women, and

sauerkraut.

THIRD MAN:

In other words, the boy went the way of

all fish.

FIRST MAN:

This paper said it started with a case of

laryngitis.

THIRD MAN:

Well, that ham would drink anything.

FOURTH MAN:

(dealing the cards)

Eddie's no ham. You can cure a ham.

SECOND MAN:

And what a terrible deal he gave that

Eton girl.

FIRST MAN:

I should say so. She taught him everything

he knew. Nothing but a stooge piano player

till she straightened him out.

The men begin to play. The game is bridge:

FOURTH MAN:

Pass.

THIRD MAN:

One club.

FIRST MAN:

One no-trump.

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