Phone Call from a Stranger Page #2

Did you get a long run in that show?

Lousy.

Died in six weeks.

What did you do then?

Not much of anything.

That's why I'm going back.

- You heard of success stories, haven't you?

- Mm-hmm.

Me, I'm different.

I'm a no-success story.

- Didn't you ever try for another show?

- Sure. All of them.

I even auditioned for Rodgers and Hammerstein

a couple of months ago.

For Mary Martin's part

in South Pacific.

- What did they say?

- "Thanks very much. "

I'm really surprised.

I thought you were very good.

I should've thought you'd be

a great success after that.

Thanks. Not after

the way I got started.

I may have thought I was a singer,

but after that show...

I was strictly a stripper,

and that's all.

Not that I got anything

against stripping.

But for the real dough,

you gotta be able to keep 'em on.

Take Dinah Shore, for instance.

She could sing in a Persian rug,

and it'd be all right.

Hey, we stopped.

We've reached the runway, I guess.

Besides, if you gotta

take 'em off when you sing...

there's just so far you can go.

Then, boom, the cops

are chasing you over the back fence.

Will you let me hold your hand?

Hey.

Hey, Doc...

the counselor's quite

a fast operator, huh?

Well?

Okay so far.

Do you go through life like this?

- Worrying, you mean?

- Worrying unnecessarily...

about things that you

can't do anything about.

Well, I don't know

how necessary it is...

but airplanes get a very high priority

on my worrying list.

You know, I doubt if there's anything

more consistently uncomfortable...

than a fine, modern

luxury airliner...

but the New York subway

scares me more.

There's one very important thing

you forget about the subway.

In case anything happens,

the most you can fall is up.

- You ever meet a stripper?

- No, never.

Well, I go to burlesque now and then,

you know, just to kinda keep up on the technique.

But I never thought I'd meet one socially.

Hey, you know, you never can tell.

I was reading in one of these movie

magazines the other day about the big star-

I forget her name, but you always

see her picture sitting beside a pool...

or in a bathing suit saying hello

to Santa Claus at Christmastime.

- You know.

- Yeah.

It turns out that she

teaches a Sunday school class.

You're wearing out

your nerves for nothing.

Why don't you try and relax

a little while? Aren't you sleepy?

Are you kiddin'?

Well, I'm afraid I am.

You don't mind if I take a nap, do you?

No. Go ahead.

You sleep. I'll watch.

Mr. Trask?

- Hmm?

- My name is Carr.

My stage name's Binky Gay, but my

real name is Carr- Mrs. Bianca Carr.

Mrs. Carr?

As long as we're spending the night together,

we might as well know each other's names.

- Yes?

- Salt Lake's closed in. We're going into Vega.

- When?

- Now.

Adjust your seat belts, please.

We're going to land

in a few minutes.

Are we gonna land at Salt Lake City?

Salt Lake Airport's closed in.

We're going to land at Vega...

until the weather

conditions improve.

# Oh, he flies through the air

with the greatest of ease #

# He's the daring young man

on the flying trapeze #

# His actions are graceful

The girls he does please #

# He's stolen

my true love away ##

Oh, brother. They just lost me.

From now on I walk.

- What's she look like?

- We can get out of here, all right-

anytime they say

we can get in there.

I'll tell Salt Lake.

How many more days

we gonna be here, Skipper?

- Not much longer.

- Don't do me any favors, chum.

Hey, you know what?

I just got an idea.

Here we never even heard

of each other four hours ago...

and now we're just like

a regular Four Musketeers-

talking together, chewing the fat.

Talking about our families and everything

just like we was old friends.

Well, that's the way it always is.

As soon as there's a little trouble,

everybody gets real friendly.

Start huddling together,

just like horses in a storm.

- What's this "Four Musketeers"? Inflation?

- Well, you know what I mean.

Don't you think it'd be

a nice idea to have a record of it?

Or maybe like a Last Man club.

We'll meet together the same day

every year until we're 180 years old.

Here's what I mean.

Here's my card.

Maybe it's not such a bad idea. We'll get

together someday and have a few laughs, huh?

Oh, wait a minute. Get this.

"Edmund Vincent Hoke. "

Hey, Vince, you hit a clinker

on the last one, didn't you?

Listen, mousy.

Anybody who calls herself Binky Gay...

enters such a discussion

under a distinct handicap.

What about you, Doc?

- Trasky?

- I'm afraid I haven't any permanent address just now.

Oh. How long you gonna be in L.A.?

- Well, I don't know yet.

- Okay, then you call us. We'll make you chairman.

What about you, Gypsy Rose Lee?

I'll have to tattoo it on somebody.

I don't happen to have a card with me.

Look. Now, here.

Here's one for each of us.

Just write out your name,

address and phone number.

- Oh, so that's it?

- What?

So much trouble for a number.

Why didn't you just ask me?

No, no, no.

It's nothing like that.

Unless, of course, you insist.

No, I'll fight it for a while.

Say, I've been telling

you guys I was married.

Would you like to see

how married I really am?

- Wow.

- Any complaints on that?

- Who are you, HarryJames?

- Uh, you think the boys are old enough to take it?

I don't know why not. They're in no more

danger of getting drafted than you are.

- Mrs. Hoke?

- It ain't her uncle.

- Congratulations.

- Show it to Trasky.

How'd an old crock like you ever

tie onto a dish of cream cheese like that?

I've got that certain ingredient, Miss Lee,

with a locked-in flavor.

Locked in is right.

Well, here you are...

but I think they're more liable

to call your house than mine.

Oh, deal me out of this one.

- Hey, you got a picture of Mrs. Fortness?

- Sorry.

You wanna play canasta or just sit here

and think about your wife?

David, don't go away.

Please don't.

- Ever see such a jerk?

- He's no Prince Charming.

Imagine him showing a picture

of his wife around like that.

If it's a matter of taste,

his is still better than hers, I should say.

- Have a drink?

- Oh, no, thank you.

Wanna make some money?

What do you mean?

- You're a lawyer, aren't you?

- Mm-hmm.

Well, this is a case. You don't mind

taking a case out in the rain, do you?

No. But don't you think it would be better

if we waited until we got to town?

No, I don't. I don't want to wait

another minute.

When we were bouncing around

up there, I got to thinking.

The kind of clear, simple,

uncomplicated thoughts...

you think when you know

that death isn't so far away after all.

That's when everything falls

into its proper perspective...

when you can see what's important

in your life and what's not.

- Know what I mean?

- Yes.

Yes, I think I do.

Well, then, if you're married

with a family...

you begin to see that there's

nothing else on the face of the Earth...

so important as their love

and respect.

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