Pennies from Heaven Page #4

Where have you been?

I gotta change.

Gotta be good.

Arthur....

Put your arms around me, Joan.

Oh, God, please put your arms around me.

Excuse me.

Yes?

How much is a glass of lemonade?

It's been so long since I sold one,

I don't know.

-For you, 2 cents.

-Yes, I'll have a glass of lemonade.

Please.

You sure you came

to the right place, sweetie?

Have a drop of gin in that, honey.

-Pardon?

-A nice drink for a lady, gin and lemonade.

-Leave her alone, Tom.

-I'm only offering to pay for it, ain't I?

The one's on the house, honey.

Just drink it down and go home

like a good little girl.

It tastes like poison.

Then don't have another.

Some girls it doesn't suit.

Never know what you like till you try it.

That's true.

What do you want to do to me?

-You must be kidding.

-Then can you lend me 5 dollars?

-Lend you? You are kidding.

-No. I'll give it to you back.

We'll think about it.

There's no hurry, right?

No.

Caught a little short?

Sort of.

Yes.

That's nothing to be ashamed of, baby.

Not nowadays.

What's your name?

Lulu.

That's a very nice name.

I don't like it.

It makes me sound cheap.

Nobody would ever say that, Lulu.

Hey, come here. Come here.

Now, look at that big,

fat whore over there.

That's what I call cheap.

Who are you looking at?

You okay?

-I feel a little sick.

-Here, take a chair.

How much you had to eat today?

Nothing.

A girl who looks like you

shouldn't go hungry.

You're very nice looking, Lulu.

Thank you.

What'd you come in this place for?

Did you think some guy's gonna give you

a fin just like that, for nothing?

-No.

-Nowadays?

That's almost a week's pay for some girls.

-Yes.

-I mean, you gotta give something back...

...in return, don't you?

-Yes.

-I mean--

Yes!

I know how you feel.

-Do you?

-I can imagine.

I'm not such a bad guy

when you come right down to it.

Are you married?

Yes, I thought you were.

Been around, haven't you?

I've had dozens.

So, what's all the fuss about?

It's no fuss...

...baby.

Yeah.

Get me another.

You're not a tease, are you?

A tease?

Because I'll cut your face.

I'd like another drink.

Please?

Certainly, darling.

-Same again?

-Yes, please.

Oh, Arthur.

Joan.

Joan?

Nobody's buying, Joan.

Nobody.

I made a mistake.

I lost all--

Hi, sweetie.

-Want a nice time?

-No, I like feeling miserable.

Just around the corner, honey.

Show you a real good time.

-Come on, baby.

-All right. All right.

All right.

Okay.

Eileen.

My God, what are you doing here?

Arthur.

Oh, Arthur,

you are such a bastard.

Put yourself in my shoes, Eileen.

Oh, I have.

And I know I can't rely on you, Arthur.

-Not for anything.

-That's right, blame it all on me.

-Oh, Arthur--

-I know, I know.

I can hear myself say things sometimes.

God, I'm a washout.

What about the baby?

What's happened?

It's been gotten rid of.

This guy paid to get rid of it.

He bought me clothes...

...and now he says I owe him $200,

and if I don't get it--

God, why is it so--?

Why can't the world--?

Because that's the way it is.

But I want to live in a world

where the songs come true.

There must be someplace

where them songs are for real.

"Happy Days Are Here Again."

Is that it, Arthur?

-Where the hell is this place?

-It's right here.

-Phonograph records.

-Hundreds and hundreds.

Any dance tune you can name.

Any good dance tune. I'll tell you--

Dance tunes don't help, Arthur.

What am I gonna do?

Can't you go back home?

No.

I was already dead there.

This way feels like dying,

but I can see everything...

...feel everything.

Do you understand?

Did you--?

Did you like doing it...

...for money?

It wasn't as bad

as I thought it was gonna be.

My God, you're something.

We're the same sort, you and me.

-We ought to stick together.

-But I can't rely on you, Arthur.

-Listen to me.

-I am, I am. Very carefully.

I'll tell you, I'm choking to death.

I should have hung on to you,

no matter what.

I wanted my own record store.

I know, I know. It's enough

to make a goddamn cat laugh.

Arthur, you'll never be satisfied.

-Not somebody like you.

-Don't say that.

You're like the children in my class.

But you're still sweet on me, ain't you?

You still want me.

Huh, Eileen?

Tell the truth.

Yes, I do.

And I'll go anywhere with you

or do anything with you.

I've burned all my bridges, Arthur.

I'm not going home, not walking the street,

and I'll be damned if I go hungry.

Lulu I am, Lulu I stay.

So, what are we gonna do?

The trouble is, I'm hard up.

I can always pick up some money.

-Now I know how.

-I haven't got my car anymore.

We'll get another one, one day.

What?

Just go?

Just go and leave everything?

Just like that?

Just like that.

All right.

Then let's get out of here, shall we?

Yeah!

Wait! Hang on a minute.

-What are you doing?

-"Yabba Dabba Honeymoon" !

"Me and My Shadow" !

-"Dancing With My Shadow" !

-What are you doing?!

-"On the Sunny Side of the Street" !

-What are you doing?!

"Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" !

-"Pennies From Heaven" !

-Wait! Not that one! Not that one!

-Not that one!

-Get off me! Get off.

-What's that?

-Don't--

-He's dead, isn't he? Murdered.

-Nothing like that.

Please listen. Your husband left his store

at close of business...

...went to a bar in the neighborhood.

He was later seen by a reliable witness

to return to his store.

Was somebody with him?

He was with a young lady.

Well, when I say "lady...."

Go on.

We've been piecing things together,

Mrs. Parker...

...and I'm sorry,

but this woman was a prostitute.

-You mean, she went there to--?

-Yes, ma'am.

He was like that?

How do you mean?

I mean, was he disturbed

in any way about anything?

Was he odd, restless, nuts?

Has he done something?

Is that why you took his shoe?

Please think.

Was he acting strange in any way?

He made me...

...wear lipstick.

So?

No.

On the--

On the...

-...points of my bosom.

-Oh, well.

Well, that's....

And...

...he asked me if I would....

No, no, no, Mrs. Parker.

Please, please go on.

If I would stop wearing

a certain garment...

...a certain...

...item of underwear.

Was this an upper...

...or a lower garment?

A lower.

What?

Lower.

Mrs. Parker...

...about six weeks ago,

can you think back...

...your husband traveled back to Chicago

along Illinois Route 1.

He--

Oh, that must have been the night....

I remember it now.

He said, "I gotta change.

I gotta be good."

He's gotta be good, huh?

The hell.

Cut his thing off.

I want them to cut his thing off

and bury it.

-I'm sick of being poor.

-Hey, I'll find something soon.

-Maybe tomorrow, huh?

-Yeah...

-...maybe.

-Jesus Christ, Eileen...

...you're beginning

to sound like my wife.

I'm not surprised, poor woman.

What is it about women?

Do your mothers teach it to you or what?

I hardly ever knew my mother, poor soul.

She worked her fingers to the bone,

and for what?

Life with a stove and a washtub and--

Oh, what's the use?

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