San Francisco Page #3

- Now, come on. Get going.

- Yes. Thank you, Mr. Norton. Thank you.

I'd like to meet that girl.

- Waiter.

- Yes, Mr. Burley?

See if Miss Blake will meet

a respectful admirer.

Yes, sir.

I haven't had her

working the boxes yet, Burley.

I'm glad of that.

One never knows

where one's going to find talent.

No. No, one never does, does one?

Yes, and I quote from Plautus.

Yeah. You took the words

right out of my mouth.

Mr. Burley?

It's very gracious of you

to allow us this privilege, Miss Blake.

- Thank you.

- May I present Signor Baldini?

- How do you do, signor?

- Good evening, my dear.

- Won't you sit down?

- Thank you.

Waiter, a bottle of Cordon Rouge '94.

You bet, sir. And the usual for you?

Yes. A little water.

Hearing a voice like yours

in the variety theater...

has been for me a great experience.

Thank you, signor.

But you might have heard me

under more favorable circumstances.

I sat in the outer office of the Tivoli

for six days once.

Really?

- So you want to sing in opera?

- That's why I came to San Francisco.

- You have the training, too, huh?

- Yes, with the best teacher in Denver.

I led the Bach Choral Society,

I won first prize at the Schubert Festival...

and I've done, Violetta, Marguerite...

Puccini's Mimi, and Tosca. I love Puccini.

Did you ever hear of Puccini, Norton?

Yeah. Didn't he run a joint

down on Dupont Street?

There's no law against an opera singer

being slender and young and beautiful.

What do you think

about giving Miss Blake an audition?

Yes, by all means.

Say, that's darn sweet of you, Burley...

to take an interest in the little lady,

and you, too, signor...

but, unfortunately,

she's under a two-year contract.

- To whom?

- To me.

- Two years?

- Yes.

But I'll have her notify you

the minute it runs out.

But surely you wouldn't let that

stand in her way to sing in the Tivoli.

Why? She's doing all right here.

- I'm sorry, Miss Blake.

- Mr. Norton's quite right.

After all, Paradise is just as important

to him...

as the Tivoli is to you.

What would happen to the Tivoli...

if its artists were allowed to walk out

anytime they pleased?

You are a very loyal girl, Miss Blake.

No, I'm very grateful to Mr. Norton.

Well, I'll be going.

We don't have much time

between numbers.

Thank you, signor.

This has been the happiest night

of my life.

Goodnight. Thank you.

- Bye.

- I haven't given up yet about the Tivoli.

- You don't know Mr. Norton.

- You don't know me.

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye.

Just a minute. I want to see you.

Who told you to sing

that highbrow number?

No one.

Well, now that you've made

your impression, don't do it again.

Blackie doesn't like it.

Wait a minute.

Friend of mine runs a joint

around on Kearney Street.

I want you to hurry around there,

tear off a little number for him.

All right. Where is it?

St. Anne's Mission, just around the corner.

- St. Anne's?

- Yes. Ask for Father Mullin.

I guess you'd know all the hokey-pokey

they sing in those traps.

Well, come on, get going. You've got

a number to do back here at 10:30.

- We won't need that now.

- Thank you.

Burley, you don't want me

to run for supervisor, eh?

You know as well as I

it's not practical to rebuild the Coast.

No? Why not?

The Coast is picturesque.

People come down here slumming.

They don't want to feel

like they're in a spotless town.

- Yes, but that isn't your real reason.

- That's one of them.

But the main one is

you don't want to spend your dough...

to make your property down here safe.

If I did what you wanted me to,

to my property...

it would be a calamity for the Coast.

- How do you figure that?

- In the first place...

the Burley Estate has got to make

certain interest on its investment.

I'd have to raise rents.

Why, you boys couldn't live.

You'd have to charge 10 cents

for a glass of beer.

You know, I don't get him, Mr. Baldini.

He tosses a fortune every year

into the Tivoli Opera House.

But that's not business.

That's for San Francisco.

- Yeah, the Coast is San Francisco, too.

- That's why I wouldn't change it.

Well, Burley, these little mugs down here

are my people.

And I'm gonna see

that they get a square deal.

So I'm not pulling out of this fight.

I don't want to fight you, Norton,

but you're asking for it.

I'm not ducking anything.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Good night, sir.

- You're wanted on the phone, boss.

- Okay.

Hello.

Oh, hello, Tim.

I've finished the service,

so why don't you come on over?

What for?

For the organ recital

and to hear the young lady sing.

She'll be coming back here

to sing the things I like.

All right, have it your own way.

I was just sort of hoping

you'd make my evening complete.

If I had you here now, I'd hug you

and then I'd knock your block off.

I guess I don't have to tell you again

how I feel about the organ.

- Forget it.

- All right, Blackie. Goodbye.

- Oh, Father, that was simply marvelous.

- And that little boy, wasn't he sweet?

It's pretty late now.

Can you get home all right?

- Yes, thank you.

- Thank you, Father.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Hey, Mike.

- Yes, Father?

- Got any money?

- Sure, Father. Me wife's got a job.

- Good night, Father.

- Good night.

- Good night, Father.

- Good night.

- Good night, Father Mullin.

- It was very nice of you...

to leave your work

and come to our rescue.

It made me feel good being here.

You're not the girl

whose father was a preacher, are you?

Well, yes. How do you know?

Blackie told me.

Come in here, won't you?

I'd like to talk to you.

- Oh, but I'm afraid I'll be late.

- That's all right. I'll fix it with Blackie.

- Will you join me in a cup of coffee?

- Yes. I'd like to. Thank you.

I make good coffee.

How are you making out at The Paradise?

- Well, I've only just started.

- I see. Sit down there, won't you?

- Thank you.

- How do you like Blackie?

I'm afraid of him.

And he's someone to be afraid of.

He's as unscrupulous with women

as he is ruthless with men.

But why did he send me down here?

I don't understand him.

- You don't, huh?

- No.

What's the matter?

You probably understand Blackie...

a whole lot better

than he understands you.

You see, I don't think Blackie ever knew

your type of woman before.

But there's nothing to be afraid of,

unless you're afraid of yourself.

Are you?

No.

No, I guess I'm a little dazed.

You see, I've been in San Francisco

for over six weeks...

and nothing ever happened.

And then, within the last 24 hours,

the whole world's gone topsy-turvy.

Makes me feel like running home.

Well, if you are afraid,

you'd better run home.

How about it?

- I'm going to stay.

- That's right.

You're in probably the wickedest,

most corrupt...

most godless city in America.

Sometimes it frightens me.

I wonder what the end is going to be.

But nothing can harm you

if you don't allow it to...

because nothing in the world,

no one in the world, is all bad.

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