Sweet Bird of Youth Page #10

with dreams like yours.

I remember their eyes,

I remember their voices...

...I remember their smiles,

I remember their bodies.

But their names, their names have gone.

They're just nameless bodies.

Well, you remind me

of one in particular.

What was his name? Franz something.

Franz, Franz...

- Albertzart. Yes, Franz Albertzart.

- Are you through? Have you finished?

I saw Franz a few years

later in Monte Carlo.

He was with a woman of 70,

and his eyes were older than hers.

But she held him.

She led him by an invisible chain

through a string of hotels...

...and casinos and bars

like a blind, obedient lap dog.

Chance Wayne is Franz Albertzart.

Oh, no. Look, I'm not Franz anybody.

Princess, I'm your next leading man.

Princess, now, look, you've gotta

open the right doors for me.

I know you're gonna do this for me.

I have been knocking on those doors

of success till my insides are bloody.

That's how I've been knocking

on those doors, with my bare insides.

You will open only one door:

The door to my car as my chauffeur.

You will wake me in the morning...

...as my butler or my lover,

depending on what I want.

In a few years, you will be through

with your good looks...

...and I will be through with you.

And that is the truth.

Can you face the truth?

Are you ready to be my chauffeur?

My next Franz Albertzart?

Oh, don't you know I would die first?

I would. I would rather die first.

And here he is.

May the good Lord protect him.

Our Tom.

I am here to answer charges against

my good name and character.

Thirty years ago,

the voice of God told me...

...to save this sweet land

from pollution.

Well, I am here on the same

sacred mission tonight.

To save us from outsiders

who wanna corrupt our way of life.

Boss Finley!

Hey, Boss Finley!

What way of life you talking about?

You mean the way your daughter...

The way your virtuous Miss Heavenly

had a secret operation...

...at the hands of Dr. Scudder?

- What are you waiting for?

An illegal operation,

performed in your hospital.

Aided and abetted by you.

- And forced on her without her consent.

- That is a dirty, black lie!

- Did God tell you how to rob us blind?

- Show yourself!

- Listen to me, folks!

- How to use your office for gain?

- Listen to me!

- Come on, get him out of here!

I have dedicated my life to God,

home and country.

My life is an open book.

Listen to me, folks!

Folks, listen to me!

Chance, we're leaving.

Right now. Together.

Murderer! Baby killer!

I'm going to send a boy

up for my luggage.

You had better come down

with my luggage.

- I am not part of your luggage.

- Chance.

Whatever I am,

I am not part of your luggage.

All right. You know what's going

to happen to you if you stay.

Goodbye.

Chance.

Chance, dear, I... Well, it's...

- You forget something, princess?

- Well, yes. Yes, I did.

- These, maybe?

- Oh, yes.

Of course, last night

they were worthless...

...but now, after my comeback...

...you know,

they're worth a small jackpot.

- In cash.

- On the house.

Chance. Please, let me help you.

- Goodbye, lover.

- At least let me take you away.

- And good luck.

- I'll wait for you in the car.

Princess, each of us has his own

private hell to go to.

- Find your sister.

- Take it easy, Pa.

She'll run off with that punk.

- No, he's gone. Checked out.

- That won't stop her.

Will you let me handle this?

Mr. Finley.

How would you

answer the charges...?

I am shocked, shocked,

to find our state overrun...

...by backstabbing Bolsheviki

and Red rabble-rousers.

Get the governor on the phone.

Are you aware it was the Finley Youth

Club hoodlums that started that riot?

What riot?

I'm only aware that decent Americans

were defending freedom of speech...

...which I have yet

to receive the benefit of.

Oh, Miss Finley,

would you care to make a statement?

- Miss Finley?

- Hasn't enough been said already?

Sure, Aunt Nonnie, folks will think

we got something to hide.

Sugar? Heavenly, baby.

Precious, your papa's talking to you.

You came here

of your own free will...

...and I hereby give you just as much

freedom to speak your piece, right now.

Take me home, Papa.

Good night, folks. Good night, you-all.

Heavenly!

Heavenly!

Mr. Chance, it's me, Charles.

Don't stay here, Mr. Chance. Don't!

Don't stay here.

Please, Mr. Chance,

don't stay here now.

Heavenly!

Well, lookie here.

Thought you'd be halfway to California

by now with that tramp actress of yours.

Heavenly!

Don't you ever speak the name

of my sister again.

Heavenly...

Heavenly!

- Don't you know?

- Kill him.

No. Just gonna take away

lover-boy's meal ticket.

Put him down there.

Chance?

Chance.

Bring him over here.

Look at yourself.

No woman will ever again

pay to love that.

- Chance?

- Go in the house.

Hello? Yes, ma'am, just a moment.

Pa, phone. Governor calling.

- Chance?

- Hello, governor. How's the family?

- Fine, fine.

- Night, Aunt Nonnie.

Oh, baby, what did we do to you?

Don't cry.

Don't cry, baby. It's all right.

It's all right.

What you heard was lies. Just lies.

The press will be here in a moment.

I want you here with me

to answer questions.

He sure busted up that dream of mine.

We're leaving.

We're leaving here right now.

My daughter will be here

to answer any and all questions.

Heavenly! Get in the house!

Go.

Papa, I'm never coming

into that house again.

Wait. Hold it, governor.

I'll call you back.

Come back here!

Come back!

- Nonnie, she can't leave here. Not now.

- Why?

- Me. What about me?

- You? You can go straight to hell.

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