Rhythm on the River Page #6

---

What do you mean?

If Miss Lane's willing,

we're gonna form a partnership.

Suits me.

If we can write hits for

you, we oughta be able to

write hits for ourselves.

She never wrote a hit

in her life.

Don't give me that.

I know what she's got.

That stuff belongs to me.

I paid for it.

Okay, but from now on--

All right!

From now on, do as you please.

And good luck to you, Bob,

because you'll need it.

Out-of-work songwriters

are a dime a dozen.

I've got a list in there

as long as your arm.

Say, Mr. Courtney,

we didn't think that we

oughta pull out of here...

without telling you how

grateful we are for the

opportunity you've given us,

even though you did

turn out to be a rat.

Well, thanks.

But let me give you

a little friendly warning.

Cherry Lane's a clever girl.

If she stays with me,

she may get somewhere.

I may even let her

collaborate with me later.

But if she goes with you

and she fails and you fail,

the smashing of her career

will be on your head.

I'll risk that.

Yes, of course you'll risk it.

But what about her?

Where do you think

your tunes will be

without my name on them,

without my prestige

to back them up?

I simply want you two to know

exactly what you're doing.

We know what we're doing,

Mr. Courtney.

It's nice to know who

really did write the music

I fell in love with.

And I'll take a chance

on him.

Oh, oh, oh.

Starbuck!

Mr. Courtney,

anytime you want me,

Just holler.

d d [ Piano ]

d Soon the yucca blooms

will grow d

d And the desert winds

will blow d

d Then Old Paint and me

will go d

d We'll be there d

d In the garden

there's a gal d

d That I'm hoping

to corral d

d When the moon

comes over d

d Madison Square d

d There's a clink

of cowboy feet d

d Pounding

Fifty-Second Street d

d And the scent

of fresh mesquite d

d Fills the air d

d And the gal

I long to see d

d Sits in box 1 23 d

d When the moon

comes over d

d Madison Square d

dAnd I know

dIf I can win

Frst prize

d There'll be such

a tender look d

d In her eyes d

d Then the yucca blooms

can grow

dAnd the desert winds

can blow

d And Old Paint

can even go d

d You know where d

d There'll be no more

beans and pork d

d Because the gal

owns half New York d

d Yip-yip

let the moon come over d

d Madison Square d

One more.

d Soon the yucca blooms

will grow d

[ Phone Ringing ]

d And the desert winds

will blow d

d Then Old Paint and me

will go d

Hello. Oh, hello, Eddie.

d We'll be there d

Eddie, did I write the music?

Am I a composer?

d In the garden d

I'm just

a poor publisher.

I know what numbers

are gonna make a success.

What are you

stopping for?

d When the moon comes over d

I've been in the music business

for 20 years.

d Madison Square d

I pulled myself up

from nowhere.

I'm not bothering you, am I?

d And the scent

of fresh d

Would you mind going on?

I lost my place.

I'm listening.

Go ahead.

d Ah, she'll be there d

I know, but when

you stand bawling me out...

because they cancelled

your second week in Moline--

d Oh, because d

d The gal I longs

to see d

Yeah. All right.

d Sits in box 1 23 d

All we have now

is a funeral march.

Yeah.

That's right, Eddie.

Come on.

All right. Good-bye.

Hey, where are you going?

You can't demonstrate

a song here. This is

like fun in a foundry.

I've heard every word.

You have?

How does it go?

There'll be no more beans

and pork, 'cause the gal

owns half of New York.

Let the moon come over

Madison Square.

That's right.

How'd you like it?

I think it's wonderful...

but I can't use it.

Oh... you can't, huh?

Why not?

For the simple reason

I'll be sent to Sing Sing

where you belong.

Why don't you earn

an honest living?

What are you talking about?

Boys, who'd

the music sound like?

There's no doubt.

It's Oliver Courtney.

What was the tune he had

a little while ago?

Wait a minute.

d d [ Humming ]

Yeah, that's it.

Couple of months ago.

That's right.

Courtney never wrote

a song like that.

Wait a minute, lady.

Don't argue with me.

You want it straight?

Yes.

I don't like

half-baked imitations.

Okay.

Oh, ah...

thanks for listening.

Nice listening too.

d I'll take a chance

on him d

[ Phone Ringing ]

Telephone.

d[ Humming ]

[ Ringing Continues ]

Starbuck, telephone!

[ Ringing ]

Stop muttering.

Why don't you articulate?

d d [ Humming ]

Very irritating book.

Hello?

Just a moment.

It's Goodrich.

I'm out, out, out!

I'm sorry, Mr. Goodrich,

Mr. Courtney is--

d d [ Humming ]

d I'll take a chance

on him d

He says there's no use

saying you're out

'cause he can hear the piano.

That infernal invention,

the telephone!

Give it to me.

Hello, Charlie!

How are you?

What?

What?

No, Charlie, I'm not

trying to avoid you.

Why should I?

Listen to me, Charlie.

This tune of yours is touched

with a funeral march.

This show goes into

rehearsal Monday,

rain or shine.

Let me talk to him.

Just a minute.

Millie wants

to talk to you.

Listen, Mr. Courtney.

You oughta be ashamed

of yourself...

treating an artist

in this fashion.

Millie--

Millie, don't believe

everything that

Charlie tells you.

I have an offer to do

a picture...

and unless I see

some music soon,

I'm going to take it!

Listen to me, Millie.

Listen to me, Millie.

Listen-- Oh!

Listen, Oliver.

I have a hundred thousand

tied up in this production.

And if Millie walks out,

I'm going to sue you

for every cent of it!

What did he say?

He says if I don't produce

more music, he'll sue me.

Is there anything else at

the bottom of that trunk?

Nothing but the old master's

pencil and some very

clean manuscript paper.

Ah. I wonder where Summers

and that girl got to.

I thought you'd be wondering,

so I took the trouble

of calling Nobody's Inn.

What did they say?

Nobody's in.

Oh, what's the use?

I just got myself caught

between the switches.

It's what I get

for trying to be a phony.

Now I can't get back

into character.

You're not a phony.

It's Courtney

who's a phony.

You can't expect the publishers

to know you've been writing

his stuff for the last year.

What are we gonna do?

Learn to have patience.

Keep swingin'!

Now, come on, smile.

Give 'em the teeth like

they do in the pictures.

Like that?

And what happens?

Uh-huh.

You just wait and see.

We can't help being a success.

I thought I was the coach

around here with pep talks.

You taken over

my franchise?

That's what

a partner's for.

We can't both be up

at the same time.

That's why it takes two

to ride a seesaw, you know.

That's a very sound

observation.

I'm beginning to like

this partnership angle.

I was thinking,

if we get a break,

maybe you

and I could--

No, you can't do it

that way.

It's gotta be that way.

No, you can't.

Hello, chumps.

Hi, boys.

We're not breaking

up anything, are we?

We've got an idea.

If you two wanna sell

those songs,

I think you should try

a new angle.

We think.

Yeah, we think.

New angle

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes