Strike Up the Band

James Connors,

you are not Cab Calloway.

We are trying to play

"The National Emblem."

Not "My Heart Belongs to Daddy."

Yes, ma'am.

Well, I guess that's all we can do

for tonight.

I think you'd better go home.

Rehearsal's dismissed.

Turn your music in to Willie.

Willie. Here, Willie.

You know, Jimmy, I'm getting to hate

these rehearsals. The same thing...

...every time.

- Yeah.

Would you like to stick around

and play records?

I'd like to, but last time we did,

I didn't get home until 12.

My dad was pretty burned up.

We could knock out a couple

and get home early.

- That's what you said last time.

- We were just practicing.

But my folks think

I practice better at home.

Anyway, Annie's waiting for me.

- Oh, you're dead.

- Yeah. Good night.

Booper, like to try

a little classical swing?

Can't do it. My family's out of sympathy

with these night sessions you been having.

- See you tomorrow, Jimmy.

- So long, Boop.

Is that you, Jimmy?

Yes, Mom.

What time is it, dear?

Gosh, Mom, I don't know.

It must be close to 11.

Good night, son.

Good night, Mom.

- How was I doing?

- Swell.

Say, I'm glad you're here, Mary.

I wanna talk to you.

- Okay.

- Well...

You know, I don't go around

steaming people up.

Oh, no, of course not.

Remember once I told you that someday

we might have our own dance orchestra?

- Yes.

- Well, the dog is barking.

- What do you mean?

- I've been thinking it over in my mind.

A fellow doesn't wanna play

with a broken-down brass band anymore.

You know, the same:

He gets tired of that.

Instead of the school having a band

play a concert once a year...

...why, we could have our own

great modern dance orchestra.

We've got everything right here.

We've got the brass, the piano,

the reeds and you and...

- Me?

- Sure. You could handle all the vocals.

Oh, that sounds wonderful, Jimmy.

It is. We could make

our own arrangements...

...and specialties

and play for all the dances.

We could put Riverwood High School

on the map.

Now, all we gotta do

is to get the school behind us.

Do you think we could sell the idea

to Mr. Judd?

- Mr. Judd, the principal?

- Yeah.

I thought the last time you saw him...

Well, I don't think

he'd hold my past against me.

This is something big.

Will you go down to see him with me?

- Maybe tonight?

- Sure, I'll go.

- It's a date.

- All right.

- Be right there, Jimmy.

- All right, Mary.

I won't be gone long.

- Hello.

- Hello, Mrs. Holden.

I told mother about the band.

She thinks it's wonderful.

- You do?

- Of course. I think it's splendid.

Doesn't your mother think so too?

Yes, ma'am. She thinks it's great.

Well, I guess we'd better be going.

Good night, Mother.

Good night, Mrs. Holden.

- Good luck with Mr. Judd.

- Thanks.

That was a fib,

what you said about your mother.

- Yeah.

- Why'd you say it?

- I don't know.

- You didn't even tell your mother.

- No.

- Why?

Well, I guess I'm afraid to.

Afraid to tell your mother?

Mary, it isn't as easy as you think.

It's not just telling her that we're gonna

have a band, lot of fun, lot of laughs.

You see, I've gotta tell her...

I've gotta tell her that this is it, music.

It's my future. It's the thing I want most.

- Maybe she'd understand.

- No, I don't think she would.

She wants me to be a doctor like Dad.

But, Mary, look at me.

Do I look like a doctor?

- No, I guess you don't.

- No, of course I don't.

But ever since I can remember,

she's always talked to me about it.

Well, I've agreed with her because it...

I saw that it made her happy.

But now I can't even do that.

Well, Jimmy, are you sure

you wanna be a drummer?

Mary, I was never more sure

of anything in my life.

You've got to be really sure.

Why don't you wait and see...

...what Mr. Judd says

about you organizing this school band?

If he says it's all right, and the first

school dance is a big success...

...and you know that that's what

you wanna do, go to her and tell her.

She'll understand.

Because she'd realize

that your ambition is strong and sincere.

Oh, mothers are like that, Jimmy.

Gee, I never thought of it

that way before.

But you're right, Mary, and I'll do it.

Oh, you know, you're so wonderful.

It's a great comfort to have somebody

you can tell your troubles to.

You're always wonderful

about putting me on the track.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

You know, you're gonna make

some man a fine wife.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

And, well, I'm gonna envy the guy

that gets you too.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

And, Mary, I'll never forget

what a great pal you've been to me.

- Yeah?

- Yeah!

Straight from the shoulder, a real pal.

- Reminds me of a song.

- What song?

"Oh! What A Pal Was Mary."

Yeah!

Yeah.

Jimmy, the band

has been a big disappointment.

- Are the boys losing interest?

- No, sir, not in the music.

There are awfully fine musicians

in that outfit.

They're just not interested

in the stuff they're playing.

When you start playing anything,

you've gotta be hopping inside.

Oh, it's wonderful for parades

and Memorial Day...

...but people don't wanna sit around

and listen to that stuff anymore.

Jimmy, I've been giving it a lot

of thought lately, and I'm glad you told me.

The band has cost the school

a lot of money.

Maybe we better disorganize it

and call the whole thing off.

We're already enough in debt.

Mr. Judd, you just give me 60 seconds

of your time...

...and I'll brush that burden

off your shoulders.

Go ahead, Jimmy. It would be a pleasure.

Well, I've been talking to the fellows

and we'd like to organize...

...our own dance band.

- Dance orchestra?

Certainly. Instead of a brass band,

we'd like to have a modern dance orchestra.

Let us go ahead and form this band and give

a high school dance instead of the concert.

And I'll guarantee you that within one night,

we'll wipe out that debt.

I know it. I've been thinking it over

for a long time.

If we don't bring in as many people

at the dance as at the concerts...

...in the past 10 years,

we'll forget about the whole thing.

Just a minute. You're going to organize

a dance orchestra, ready to play...

Not only are we gonna have

a great dance orchestra...

...but we're also gonna have

a great singer too.

Oh, I see.

- You're going to arrange the whole thing?

- Yes, sir.

Publicity, selling tickets...

...paying off the debt of the band.

The whole thing, all in three weeks?

- In a breeze.

- In a breeze?

You've taken on a pretty large order,

Jimmy. I don't believe you can do it.

Oh, he can do it.

I know he can do it, Mr. Judd.

I'm sure I can do it, if you'll only

give me the chance, Mr. Judd.

All right. I'll buy the first ticket.

Oh, thanks, Mr. Judd.

Mary, the principal shook hands with me.

We certainly slipped it to him all right.

- We certainly did.

- There's a great old guy.

- He's a great old guy.

- Vision. That's what he's got.

There's a man that can see

over the transom.

- Yes sir, he's gonna go places.

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