San Francisco Page #6

What's the matter, no sense of humor?

Oh, Blackie!

Hello, Tim.

I just came over to talk to you

about the campaign, kid.

Oh, well, look, Tim,

do you mind coming back a little later?

Sure. Sure.

By the way, Blackie, I just saw Mary.

Yeah. I put her in a cab.

She said to tell you goodbye...

and that she was taking you up on

your offer to let her out of that contract.

What? What's that?

Well, you said she could go, didn't you?

- Well, yes, but...

- She's gone to the Tivoli.

And I'm glad you did it, Blackie.

This was no place for her.

- Oh, you think not, eh?

- Of course not.

Neither did you, did you?

I guess you think she's better off

at the Tivoli...

under the management

of Jack Burley, huh?

She'll be safe with Burley, Blackie.

You see, she doesn't love him.

Hey, look, Tim.

You like chop suey, don't you?

- Chop... Sure.

- Come upstairs. We're gonna have some.

- Good evening, ladies.

- Oh, hello.

Good evening, and get out.

The child has a performance to give.

Oh, no, please.

We've got to thank him for all this.

Do let him stay.

- Alone, I suppose.

- That's right.

Come on, Louise.

In my day, the opera came first.

- My mother's out there tonight, Mary.

- Is she?

Yes, she came all the way back

from New York.

I guess she got tired of reading about you

in my letters.

Well, in a few hours, you'll be famous.

Before the whole town is at your feet,

I want to put in my bid.

I love you, Mary,

and I want you to marry me.

I've always wanted you,

from the moment I first set eyes on you...

but I didn't realize then how I wanted you.

- Well, I...

- Please don't try to answer me now.

I just wanted you to know how I felt.

Good luck, darling.

- How you do, Mr. Burley?

- Good evening.

- How do you do, Mr. Burley?

- Fine, thank you.

- How are you, Mr. Burley?

- Fine, thanks.

Thank you.

I'll be right with you, darling.

Want to take a look out front.

Hello, there, Mr. Burley.

- Hello, there.

- Jonathan.

- What a thrilling first night.

- I hope so.

Good evening, Mr. Burley.

- We can't wait to hear the new star.

- Good evening.

- Hello, Jack.

- Hello.

- Have you seen Signor Baldini?

- Not yet, sir.

- Hello, Jack. Big night, eh?

- I hope so, Senator.

- Hi.

- Good evening.

Hello, Norton.

- Good evening.

- Good evening.

- I didn't know you were a first-nighter.

- I am tonight. I came to close you up.

- You came to what?

- Close you up.

You got a girl appearing here

that's under contract to me.

No, you're wrong.

You abrogated that contract.

You gave her permission to leave.

Sure, sure, I gave her a choice,

and she said she'd stay with me.

So the contract stands.

Look. See that man over there?

The one with the big black mustache?

Well, that big, stupid-Iooking man

represents the law...

and he's got a piece of paper

in his pocket...

that's going to stop your prima donna...

right in the middle of her first cantata.

- Now, isn't that just awful?

- You wouldn't do that.

Well, I'm sorry, Burley,

but I thoughtlessly got the man started...

and I can't do a thing with him.

- Well, I guess I'll get my star.

- Wait a minute.

She doesn't go on till the second act.

What? Now that's not

very good showmanship.

We'll wait. I don't want to listen

to those others mugs.

Well, while you're waiting,

would you have a cigar?

Yeah, thanks.

Pardon me. I'll get them.

Excuse me. I want to speak to Mr. Baldini.

- Excuse me.

- Sure.

What is it?

Hello? Hello, Central. Fillmore, 2871.

Norton's outside with the Sheriff

to stop Mary Blake.

- Stop her?

- Yes. During the performance.

He can't do that.

Hello, is Mr. Davis there? Maybe he can.

Hello, Davis? This is Jack Burley.

I want you to hurry over

to the Tivoli Opera House...

with a restraining order

to hold up a process.

What's that? I don't care

if the office closed 10 hours ago. Find him.

But I've got to have it.

- But what is it?

- You go backstage. I'll see what I can do.

- Well, here you are, Norton.

- Oh, thanks.

Thank you.

- Have a peanut?

- No, thanks.

- Cameo here, huh?

- Yes.

I didn't think you knew that brand

down at The Paradise.

Yeah, that's right.

You know, you needn't have bothered

to call up Davis, Burley.

I could have told you that deputy of his

was away on a deep-sea fishing trip.

He's just crazy about fishing,

so I chartered him a boat.

How about you and I make a deal?

I'll give you $15,000 for that contract.

Well, I'd like to oblige you, Burley,

but, you see, the thing is out of my hands.

That process server is the meanest man

west of the Rocky Mountains.

He'd push his mother off a ferry boat

for half a dollar.

Yeah, he'd turn the air off

in a baby's incubator...

just to watch the little sucker squirm.

Well, Jim, what do you say?

The quicker I stop her,

the quicker we get home.

Remind me not to order any of these

for The Paradise.

Right.

That's kind of pretty, ain't it?

Yeah.

Sit down.

Hey, what's the idea?

I didn't come to this opera

to hear the opera.

Sit down.

Blackie, I think she's great.

Yeah, not bad.

Seems a kind of shame

to choke her off, huh?

Yeah.

He's gone around back.

It's all right.

There's nothing to worry about. Just him.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. Darling!

Wonderful!

- Blackie.

- Hello, kid.

- Madame Albani...

- Oh, I understand.

It looks like Burley's

getting a little careless...

putting things down on paper.

Yes. He's asked me to marry him.

No. On the level?

You know, you were all right tonight, kid.

- Did you really think so, Blackie?

- Yes.

Say, who am I to hold out

against these 3,000 mugs...

that went goofy over you?

See, I never caught

this opera racket up to now.

- How long has that been going on?

- Only about 150 years.

No fooling?

Well, it's all right.

You know, I was proud of you tonight.

- Is that all?

- AII?

- Don't you love me?

- Sure, sure.

Well, you haven't said so.

Well, I love you, kid.

Do you know, I never sprang that line

but once, 25 years ago.

Who was she?

Just a girl I knew. I haven't seen her lately.

She's up in San Quentin.

So I'm the second?

No, you're the first.

Will you marry me, Blackie?

Marry you?

Well, I'm a sucker.

If you ain't the most domestic woman...

Well, I suppose if that's the only thing

in the world would make you happy.

You know,

the gang always said I'd be a sucker.

Oh, Blackie.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Come in.

- Hello, Blackie. How are you, boy?

- Feeling pretty fit.

- Mary, you were great.

- Thank you.

I had to battle my way through

half of San Francisco to get here.

Father Tim, Blackie and I,

we're going to be married.

Yup. That's right.

The little girl harpooned me.

Well, I guess you know how I feel about it,

don't you, Mary?

So she harpooned you, huh?

A girl that any man in San Francisco

would give his right arm for...

but she had to harpoon you.

Blackie, I'm not going to wish you

the best of everything...

because you've got it already.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes