Step Lively Page #9

I don't feel so good.

Must have been that fish

we had for dinner.

You know,

the food in this hotel is terrible.

- Awful.

- Yeah.

I can't imagine a shrewd manipulator

like Fiske...

...putting his money into show business.

Give me a sound, staple business

like a hotel anytime.

- Hey, Gordon.

- What's the matter?

Why aren't you

getting that show started?

Wagner sent word

that we should come up here right away.

- I smell a crisis, and it don't smell good.

- And you were wrong about Glenn.

- What about Glenn?

- He didn't show up.

Oh, this is awful.

The understudy, is he ready?

- He's got laryngitis.

- And his brother's been drafted.

What's that got to do with laryngitis?

Never mind, I'll sing the songs.

Get down there and get that show started.

- What about Wagner?

- I'll sing to Wagner too, now, hurry up.

- Ahhh.

- Hello, Mr. Wagner.

Ah. There you are.

- We were just speaking of you, sir.

- All here, well, that's fine.

- Miller?

- Yes, sir?

You knew that check was no good.

That's why you were so anxious

to open a show.

- The check came back?

- I'll see you in jail, all of you.

I'll put you in every jail in

the 48 states including Alaska.

- Mr. Wagner, don't you think that's too

far? Shut up, you upholstered bellboy.

- You keep out of this.

- The audience is in the theater.

- And the actors in dressing room.

Scenery on stage.

I'll have the sheriff take every bit of scenery

off the stage in full view of the audience.

You'll make me

the laughing stock of Broadway.

You made me the laughing stock

of the hotel business.

- Where's the telephone?

- It's right out there.

- Give me that phone. Give me the police.

- Please don't.

That show will not open

in my theater.

The men won't take the scenery

tonight. Why don't you leave it there?

If the show's a flop,

I'll give you back the theater and hotel.

Take your foot off that phone.

Pay the bill,

or the curtain does not open tonight.

You don't wanna send that girl

to the poorhouse.

- Why not? I'll go to the poorhouse.

- It wouldn't look bad on you.

You wanna know something?

You've got a heart of steel.

These people who've worked and slaved

to put this show on...

...and you come in with one phone call

over a measly little...

Nothing you can say will have effect

on me. That curtain will not go up.

- Give me the police.

No, Wagner.

What kind of operators do we have...

...that can't get the police?

- Female.

- What do you mean the lines are busy?

- There's lots of stealing going on.

- What's that?

Sounds like a horse.

But we don't allow horses in the hotel.

- Suffering cow, it's Russell.

- Oh, Glenn.

What happened? Did he faint?

Faint? No, he took poison.

- A suicide.

- Suicide?

No, no, not in this hotel.

Glenn, darling, why did you do it?

The board of directors

will never forgive me.

He drank the whole bottle I bought

to kill the rats.

- Why didn't you stop him?

- You said never interfere with guests.

- Can't let him stay here.

- Get him in the bed.

He stained the rug.

- Call the house doctor.

- He resigned.

- Well, you're a doctor.

- I was, but I gave it up, it made me sick.

- Do something.

- Get compresses, hot and cold.

- Good, you get the hot, I'll get the cold.

- Nice going, Glenzie boy, nice going.

- He didn't drink that?

- Are you kidding?

He poured it in the bottle.

He's doing it for us.

How's the show?

Just keep groaning.

Five minutes, we'll have that curtain up.

- Uh-oh.

Here there are.

- Call an ambulance

- No, we can't afford adverse publicity.

And I can't afford a suicide

my opening night.

- Wagner, you drove him to this act.

- I had nothing to do with it.

Yes, you did, and now you can't even face

your own conscience.

- Look at that poor boy lying there.

How's he doing?

Only thing keeping him alive

is his will power.

This is your all fault. He's turning blue.

Never mind what color he is, do something.

Don't let him die.

No, he owes us money.

How I could've used

that golden voice in 35 minutes.

- Boys, the antidote, get milk, get eggs.

- Yes.

- Get a stomach pump.

- No, get ipecac.

It's an emetic, hurry.

You get that show started right away,

and let me know how it's going.

- How are you gonna get out?

- Never mind.

I'll get down there somehow.

- Did you get it?

- Stomach pump, milk, eggs and ipecac.

I can't hold this show up longer.

That audience will walk out.

You strike up the band...

...I'll have Christine and the boss

down in five minutes.

Flash the orchestra, Joe.

All right, places, places. Come on.

Why must there be an opening song?

Why are they brassy

Loud and longer than a play

That starts at dawn and runs all day?

Why must there be routines like this?

You know the kind

That start you hissing in your seat

Just like a valve escaping heat

Why must there be those

Great big Amazon gals?

Those come-out-

Dressed-with-really-nothing-on gals

They sing, but you don't hear a word

You smile although you know it's murder

Still you yell

Bravo! It was swell

When you'd rather blast them

Lambaste them with language quite strong

Why must there be

An opening song?

Mr. Wagner, I forgive you.

Oh, you poor boy. Where is the ipecac?

- Mr. Gribble.

Yes?

- I forgive you too.

- Thank you.

Here comes Harry now.

How's the show going?

- Curtain up, the audience love the number.

- Great.

- What took you?

- Couldn't say ipecac.

- Your medicine.

- Water and glass.

- You get the water, I'll get the glass.

- All right.

- Was that really ipecac?

- Sure.

What? That's like taking poison.

Glenn, you only take a bit.

Just a spoonful won't hurt you.

What do you think? Curtain's up,

audience is loving the show.

- You and Christine are due in minutes.

- Don't worry.

- Son, here we are.

- Wait.

We're going out

and try and find a doctor.

I'm gonna leave this boy in your care.

Don't take your eyes off him.

If anything should happen,

his blood is on your head.

- I had nothing to do with...

- Always denying, never admitting the truth.

- Where's Miller?

- Where's Miller?

- Where's Miller?

- Where's Miller?

- Where's Miller?

- There.

In the days of witches

They used to trail 'em

And when they caught them

How they used to whale 'em

That's how it used to be

In Salem, Mass. Alas!

They'd trail 'em

They'd whale 'em

That's how it used to be

In Salem, Mass. Alas!

But today, the witches have got a racket

They wear a turban and a jeweled jacket

And pretty soon they're

With the upper bracket clan, yeah, man

A racket

A jacket

They're in there

With the upper bracket clan, yeah, man

Talented fortune tellers

No longer hide in cellars

No doubt you've met the lady

With the crystal ball.

But now I want to introduce

The queen of them all

If you've got a beau

And if you'd like to know

If your beau's going to propose

Ask the madam

The madam knows

If you're in despair

You've tried and don't know where

To get a pair of nylon hose

Ask the madam

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes