Strike Up the Band Page #5

But there are a lot more important things

in life than going to the fairs with people.

Sure, sure, sure, there are.

I'd better get going. I just thought

I'd drop in and explain it to you.

- I knew that you'd understand.

- Oh, sure, I understand.

You can always count on me, Jimmy.

Just the same

as you could your own cousin.

Yeah, and I appreciate it, too.

Well, well, so long.

So long, pal.

Mary, where can I find

a copy of Romeo and Juliet?

Back there with the rest

of the Shakespeare, on the last shelf.

Thanks.

Where's Antony and Cleopatra?

Right back there,

leaning on Romeo and Juliet.

Mary, have you ever heard of a book

called Indian Love Lyrics?

- Yes.

- Well, I want to read it.

Well, it's all yours.

It's over there in the poetry section.

I beg your pardon, miss.

I wonder if you could help me find a book.

- What is it?

- The Decline And Fall of The Roman Empire.

Thanks, brother.

It's right over there in the History section.

Thank you.

All the big professors state

That everything should have a mate

Birds and bees and flowers and trees

All have romantic tendencies

So far I have missed the he

That fate decreed was meant for me

I'm just living in a lull

And I'll confess it's mighty dull

Romeo had Juliet

And Louis Xvl had Antoinette

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

Pelleas had Melisande

And Isabella had Ferdinand

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

Welch Grape Juice has Irene Rich

Minneapolis has Saint Paul

Abercrombie has his Fitch

But here I am crying

And sitting and sighing

With no one at all

Hans had Gretel by his side

And Dr. Jekyll had Mr. Hyde

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

- Closing time?

- How did you guess?

- Aren't they wonderful?

- Who?

- Antony and Cleo...

- Yes, yes.

Romeo! Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

Scram, Juliet.

Lancelot had fair Elaine

And Mr. Lunt has Ms. Lynn Fontanne

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

Frederic Chopin had George Sand

And Alexander had his Ragtime Band

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

Barbasol has Singin' Sam

Metro-Goldwyn has Mayer

Mary has her little lamb

But here I am hoping and mumbling

And moping with no one to care

Gobs have sweethearts on the wharves

And even Snow White

Had seven dwarves

But I ain't got nobody

And nobody's got me

Nobody

Nobody's got me

All right, buy your tickets for the midway.

We have 52 attractions on the inside.

- There you are. Two. Thank you very much.

- Please, two.

Two more, sir. There you are.

- We have Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy.

- Two, please.

- Two? Yes, sir. There you are, sir.

- Change out of $5, please.

Five dollars? That's the biggest bill

I've seen here this afternoon.

- There's one, two, three, four.

- Thank you.

Changing the 5.

As I said before, we have a...

He was coming down the street

in a hurry when I told him...

...we had to see Mr. Mollison

and he just turns to me and says:

"You'll have to take over.

I've got business this afternoon."

Lmportant business,

the guy's gone stark, raving mad.

Nothing's gonna keep us

from getting the band to Chicago.

- We'll see Mr. Mollison.

- That won't do any good.

Jimmy's the one who can tell him

the show we're gonna put on.

If we could only get him away

from that fair.

- I'll get him away.

- You'll get him away. When everything...

I can get him to leave the fair.

- You can get him to leave the fair?

- How, Willie, how?

He'd have to, if he ran out of money,

wouldn't he?

All right, folks. Come on, now.

Who's next?

- You got to do better than that.

- Missed me again.

That curve's not working at all.

Oh, yeah? Give me six more,

and keep track of them.

Thattaboy, Jimmy. You can hit him.

- Hold my coat, Willie.

- Sure.

All right, folks! All right, come on, son.

Do better than you did last time.

Oh, no, you missed it again. Try it again.

Oh, no. You've got to come

much closer than that.

You're too far away.

- Would you like hold this for a second?

- Oh, sure.

Son, I got a mosquito in my back yard

hits harder than that.

How much do I owe you?

- A dollar and a quarter.

- Soon as I get my wallet.

- Where's my wallet?

- Are you kidding?

Now, I'm gonna get that wallet routine.

Honest, mister,

I had it right here in my pocket.

- Willie! Where's Willie?

- He was here a minute ago.

- Hey, Willie!

- We know how to handle guys like you!

Hey, wait a minute.

Wait a minute, mister.

I got the money!

Jimmy Connors?

Jimmy! Jimmy, where are you?

Here. Here! Here I am!

Get me out of here!

- Come on in, start pitching.

- Give him room, boss.

Look out. Hey, don't do that!

Oh, look out!

Hey, Jimmy. The Elks Club

is gonna give us a tryout.

They are? When?

Tomorrow, right after school!

Oh, boy. That's wonderful.

- Hello.

- Hello.

Can I see you for a minute?

All right.

Are you very mad?

Yes, I'm pretty mad.

Well, I don't blame you.

I'm sorry, Mary.

Are you very sorry?

Yeah.

She didn't hit you on the head, did she?

It wasn't a she, it was a...

...accident.

But look, Phil told me how great you were

with Mr. Mollison and the Elks Committee.

Well, we had to do it today.

You weren't here.

No, I wasn't here.

I was supposed to take you to the fair,

but I don't do that.

I take $5 that I saved up to buy music with

and I throw it away like I was a millionaire.

I want a great band.

I want them to be a success

more than anything...

...and I go rolling off like a rubber tire

just when they need me.

Why do I do things like that?

Because you're stubborn, that's why. Just

because you got a pair of long pants on...

...you think you know everything. You don't

have to go around doing things like that.

- Why don't you tell me when l...

- Me?

You're gonna have to figure out

your own problems.

You can't carry somebody around

for the rest of your life...

...to keep telling you

when you're off the track.

- Can you?

- No, I can't do anything like that.

It's just that, I thought

maybe you and me could work...

...in a closer cooperation

with each other, that's all.

You mean, sort of like a pal?

No, it's a little more than just a pal.

Well, what I mean is that...

Well, Mary, couldn't you

be my girl without...

- Without us getting silly about it?

- Oh, you're...

You're gonna have to work out

your own personal problems.

I've got more important things

to think about.

You don't wanna be my girl?

Look, from now on,

we're business partners.

And whatever work we do together

is for the success of the band.

But let's keep very impersonal

about the whole thing.

Sure. Sure, if that's the way

you want it, Mary.

- Well, then, we gotta move fast.

- Yeah.

Remember the day we were up in the attic

looking at those old clothes?

The high silk toppers and long dresses

and puffed sleeves?

You thought it would be a good idea

to use them in a show.

We talked to my dad, and he told us

about the old melodramas?

Oh, yeah, and he told us

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