Sweet And Lowdown Page #2

I let you shoot my gun at some rats.

Shootin' rats at the dump

is not my idea of a good time.

Why not?

We brought sandwiches.

And sittin' at the railroads watchin'

trains, that's pretty strange too.

See? That's what I mean.

What I like to do, what you like to do,

ain't the same thing.

That's not it, Emmet.

It's that you keep

your feelings locked up...

and you can't feel nothin'

for anybody else.

You say that

like it's a bad thing.

Some terrible things happen

to people in love. I know. I've seen it.

I enjoy the company of women.

I love 'em.

It's just that

I don't need 'em.

I guess, you know, that's the way it is

when you're a true artist.

It doesn't mean

we can't fool around.

Oh, right.

Or shoot rats or watch trains.

I never met anybody that

keeps their feelings so locked up.

I let my feelin's

come out in my music.

Maybe if you let your feelings out in

real life, your music would be better.

Don't talk.

Emmet met Hattie in New Jersey.

The band was playing a resort hotel.

On a day off, Emmet...

and his drummer,

Bill Shields...

were doing their

version of charm.

They were trying to pick up girls

on the boardwalk.

This place is heaven on earth.

Cotton candy, eight o'clock.

Watch me work.

Mary! Right?

Why don't you drop dead, jerk?

I thought you were someone I knew.

Sometimes I hit with a... Mary!

Martina. Mary Ann.

Marge. Kate?

Excuse me, miss.

I'm a photography buff myself.

I was thinkin' maybe we could

get my friend to take a picture of us.

Wait a minute. Time out.

- Do you see this?

- Oh, yeah.

Did you see? She looked

right at me. She smiled.

- That was a smile.

- And she was lookin' right at me.

Which one you want?

The little one

with the silly hat.

She's more my size.

I'll flip you.

- I saw her first!

- All right!

You want the little one?

Take the little one.

I'll take the redhead.

What difference does it make?

They're gettin' away. There's

nothin' wrong with the little one.

The redhead's got

nice legs and a nice chest.

- I'll take the redhead.

- The little one is cute.

She has a nice face and those Cupid-bow

lips I like, but I'll take the redhead.

- You wanted the little one.

- I changed my mind.

I'll flip you.

- Call.

- Tails.

- I got the little one.

- We agree.

- Now they gotta agree.

- Come on.

I'm telling you, you're gonna

get on the Ferris wheel this time.

Remember when you tried to go on?

Last year we tried to get you up there.

- Excuse me.

- You were scared.

Hi. You ladies from around here?

Yeah, we work right near here.

I'm Billy Shields.

I'm a musician.

He's with my quintet.

I'm Emmet Ray.

The Emmet Ray Hot Quintet.

We're at the Lakeside Ballroom.

It's our day off, so we were thinking

maybe you could show us the sights.

- You wanna go watch some trains?

- What?

He's kidding.

Let's go for a drink.

Ask him. I liked you instantly.

I'm bein' honest.

We flipped, he won, I got you.

I'm Gracie MacRae.

Billy Shields.

And if I may say, you have the most

beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen.

This is my friend Hattie.

Hattie, I'm Emmet Ray.

I've got the quintet.

You like jazz music, baby?

How about we take

a boat ride, huh?

Well, sure.

We'd love to.

- We'll ride around the lake.

- Great.

What's your name?

Don't be shy, darlin'.

Hattie don't talk.

She's mute.

Wanna go take a boat ride?

Don't overthrow it.

Throw it down.

That was a good try.

Try it one more time.

That was all right.

Good try.

Thanks for stickin' me

with the dummy.

- Stop whining. You wanted her.

- Then I changed my mind.

She seems like a nice girl.

How could she seem like anything?

She doesn't talk.

This is my one day off.

I want a talkin' girl.

- I think she's a bit of a half-wit.

- What do you mean?

Gracie says

she's not all there in the head.

Well, that's great.

A man like me, got ideas.

Try to have

a good time today, huh?

You girls wanna

go for a walk on the pier?

You hungry?

Is that a yes or a no?

Yeah, me too.

What? Huh?

I can't read that. It's like a Chinaman.

What do you want?

Do you know how to write?

Did you go to school?

What is that?

Is that a yes or a no?

You're a hard-luck case.

You an orphan?

You don't know?

Oh, this is great.

This is great.

I get a goddamn mute

orphan half-wit.

I get all the winners. Were you

always like this, born like this?

Or did somebody drop you

on your head, or what?

Gracie's hungry.

Let's go get some clams or somethin'.

Can we switch for a while?

No. What's the matter with you?

I was amazing the second

I picked up the instrument.

It's just in me someplace,

like a gift of God.

They said I'd have been great,

whatever instrument I chose.

But on guitar,

nobody can touch me.

Except this gypsy in France.

But mostly, I'm untouchable.

They want me to record.

They do, but I don't know.

Once you record,

everybody can copy your stuff.

They steal your ideas.

Why do I wanna make something beautiful

just to have some jerk copy it?

You wanna come hear

the show sometime? My guest?

- Both of you.

- Yeah.

You'd appreciate it. You would.

You'll see.

I possess a great talent.

You might be mute,

but you're not deaf, right?

And you don't have to be bright.

Music's for everybody.

The smart or the dumb.

- How'd you lose your voice?

- She don't know.

It was somethin' when she

was a kid, like a high fever.

She doesn't remember.

- Is she...

- Yeah, but she's a good laundress.

I've shot guys.

That's right.

Well, I had to.

You know, it was them or me.

I could tell you stories.

What do you say we go

to the dump, shoot some rats?

What?

Yeah, it'll be a ball.

Emmet, please.

Not now, huh?

Well, it's my car, and I say we're

stoppin' at the dump for ten minutes.

- Uh, squeeze.

- You call this fun?

Don't jerk. Just squeeze.

Line it up to your sights.

He's gonna get away.

Line it up in the sights.

- Come on! It's cold!

- In a minute.

- Just do what I'm tellin' you to do!

- Leave her alone already!

There's nothin' to it.

Did you see that?

I got him!

- You call this civil?

- What are you doin'?

- No more cheese for this little fella.

- No, don't pick it up.

These guys are diseased.

You gotta put it down.

Did you know that rats

attack poor kids in their cribs?

- I thought you'd enjoy this.

- Are you crazy?

So, what do you think?

- You wanna come up to my room...

- Do you think we could go out...

- hear me play my guitar?

- Alone sometime?

Good. Come on.

Come on in.

That's my guitar.

I'll play it for you soon.

Like a drink?

You know...

I know we don't

know each other...

and we just met, but...

I had a wonderful evening.

I don't need a genius

to have a good time.

You know, I'm a fast worker.

You're not puttin' up

much resistance.

Lot of girls do...

on a first date.

Hold on. Hold it.

Time out.

Just I'm gettin'

a little razzled with your pace.

You like me?

Just expected more of a fight.

This is... It's like

shootin' fish in a barrel.

Rate this script:4.0 / 4 votes