Scarlet Street Page #5

You don't love me,

or you'd understand what I mean.

- No?

- No.

No?

Well...maybe.

Working late tonight, Mr. Cross?

I'm about through, Ben,

you can let me out in a minute.

Yes, sir.

I just caught you in time!

Cash this for me, will you, Chris?

It's personal.

Yes, yes...Yes, of course, JJ.

- Here you are, JJ.

- Thank you, Chris.

Good night.

Good night, JJ.

- Hello, Nick.

- Hi.

What do you got?

The fellow who paints those gets

Hey! What's the matter with you, Nick?

Where'd you pick them up...

over in Washington Square?

The Village long-hairs are

peddling junk like that...

for the price of the canvas.

These weren't painted by

any Village long-hair!

That's my pawnshop, isn't it?

And that snake is strictly from the Bronx.

This fellow lives in Brooklyn.

He's famous!

- Yeah, what's his name?

- Well, I...

Look, Nick, I've brought you stuff before

and you never asked for any name on it.

That was jewelry! Bring me some more

of that and we can do business, Johnny.

Take this junk back to Washington Square

where you got it!

I can see you've got an eye for art!

That's one of my best.

Take a look at these...

I didn't know you were a painter.

I'm not.

- Are they any good?

- Well...

they've got something.

A certain peculiar...

something. But no perspective.

- Is that important?

- I should say it is!

Look at my paintings.

Where did you buy them?

I didn't buy them,

I want to sell them.

You want me to sell them on commission?

- How much do you think they're worth?

- I always start everything at 25.

Then...you know, it's a hard

business selling pictures.

People don't buy art nowadays!

No appreciation, no taste, no perception...

No perspective, huh?

Let me have your name and address.

I'll come back later...So long.

- Hello, Johnny.

- Hiya, Tiny.

Where'd you get that?

Off Nick.

What about my ring?

- You know how much a good diamond costs?

- I gave you 900 dollars.

Will you pipe down?

You've been telling me what a dope

the old guy is...

Maybe you're the dope.

He told you his paintings

are worth a lot of money...

- Did you check up on his story?

- What's wrong with it?

They're worth just 25 bucks apiece!

That's what's wrong with it.

You're crazy!

- If I weren't a gentleman...

- Well don't get sore!

Well then don't tell me I'm crazy!

I tell you the old boy's a phony.

His money isn't phony, is it?

He could borrow dough, or

have it stashed away...

- Or even steal it.

- Chris steal?

Jeepers, Johnny, he's not the type.

He wouldn't have nerve enough to steal!

Well he didn't get it from his pictures.

He may be dumb, but not about art.

The day he took me to the museum he explained

to me how everything was done.

You should have heard him. People stood

around and listened.

- What museum?

- The Metropolitan.

Yipe! They've got pictures there

worth a million bucks.

Where you going?

I'm going to make a money

out of you, Lazy Legs.

You can't take his pictures

to the museum!

Who says I can't?

You know who bought them?

Janeway. Damon Janeway!

- Don't you know who Mr. Janeway is?

- No.

He's an art critic!

The best authority in New York

on Modern Art.

He took one look and bought them both.

I couldn't even give him my pictures.

Not for nothing!

He wants to get hold of you.

He told me to telephone him.

You wait here, eh?

No, no...

Sorry...

For cat's sake, what's so funny?

You are, Smarty-Pants!

You're the Mr. Fix-It who was gonna

make a monkey

out of poor dopey little Kitty...

So you gave away two pictures

for a couple of dimes...

- and now you can't collect the dimes.

- Oh dry up!

- Jeepers!

- Now what?

- What am I gonna tell Chris?

- He won't find out.

The heck he won't!

That Janeway's a crtic...

he writes for the newspaper.

Golly, you got us in a spot.

I told you not to do it!

You're just nervous!

The old guy that sold them

doesn't know me from Adam.

Give me that drink, I can use it.

- Chris?

- No, he's got a key.

Well go ahead, see who it is.

Hurry up!

I beg your pardon, but...

we're looking for a man,

and I'm afraid we don't know his name.

And I'm afraid I can't help you.

I'm sorry...

Look!

There!

These are his.

Oh, there he is!

Why did you run away from me like that?

Here, 50 dollars less 20 percent.

I don't know what you're talking about!

But the pictures you brought me!

Perhaps we'd better introduce ourselves:

My name is Janeway.

- This is Mr. Dellarowe.

- How do you do?

What is it you want?

We'd like to find out

who painted the pictures.

- You don't know?

- Of course they don't know!

That's what we're here for.

Look, if you're a friend of the painter,

you'll put Mr. Dellarowe in touch with him.

Why'd you buy those pictures if you

didn't know who painted them?

- Because they're good.

- Who painted them?

No, Johnny, no!

Oh don't be so modest, Miss March.

Now you see? You got me in bad.

She made me promise not to tell.

That's why I made out like I didn't know.

She's funny about her painting.

Never lets anyone see it.

Doesn't even put her name

on her pictures!

So I observed.

You're an extraordinary artist, Miss March.

- Oh, no.

- See?

She can't stand for anybody

to talk about her.

She got the idea her pictures

weren't any good.

That's why I took those two to you...

to give her confidence...

I knew they were good.

Now I'll take that money.

I never would have guessed it was a woman.

Nor I...You're work is

very strong, Miss March.

- May we see some more of it?

- Sure...go ahead!

- Look in her studio.

- Thank you.

You're crazy to try a thing like this!

For cat's sake, I thought they were cops!

I know what I'm doing...

they don't know from nothing.

I can't fool that crtic!

You always wanted to be an actress...

Now's your chance.

You've been around the old boy

long enough to pick up his lingo...

Feed Janeway some of that...I'll get

him in here alone with you.

No, no...wait!

How long has she been painting?

Ever since she was a kid, Mr. Janeway.

- Never went to art school, did she?

- No, she just picked it up...

I guess I'm the only one who's

been encouraging her, kind of...

Helping her along...as a friend...

You know, just a friend.

- I didn't get your name.

- Prince.

Say Mr. Janeway...she's kind of upset.

Maybe you'd go in and talk to her?

Be glad to.

Well, Mr. Dellarowe?

I wonder if Miss March would

let me have all of these?

Well that depends...

What's in it for her?

Prices will have to be built up,

Mr. Prince, but...

I can usually tell whether a canvas

has been painted by a man or woman...

But you fooled me completely, Miss March.

Your work is not only original,

but has a masculine force.

How long does it take you

to paint a picture?

Sometimes a day...sometimes a year.

- You can't tell, it has to grow.

- Of course.

It's a matter of feeling, you know

how feeling grows? It's like...

Like falling in love, I guess.

That's a very good description.

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