Sweet Bird of Youth Page #3

Not a drinking man yourself?

- Oh, no, sir.

- Well, happy days.

Takes talent to whip up

something soothing like that.

Yeah...

...you sure got

all kinds of talent, laddie.

You like Heavenly, don't you?

- I love her.

- Sure you do. We both love her.

- Yes, sir.

- Wanna marry her?

- Yes, sir.

- That's the way. You're my kind of man.

You got ambition, ideas, youth. And the

good looks to go with them too. But...

...working in a cocktail bar.

Of course, I don't blame you.

It's not your fault.

A town like this got no

elbow room for a go-getter.

No opportunity for a man

who's going places.

Yeah, but Mr. Barnaby,

you know, sporting goods?

He promised me this job as a salesman

in promotional sales.

Small potatoes.

Let me tell you something, laddie.

This here is America.

Today you're nobody...

...tomorrow you're somebody.

But you got to think big, act big,

and you'll be big.

Now, I could set you up myself, but...

No, sir. I wouldn't want that.

That's the way.

You're my kind of man, laddie.

In this world,

there's only one payoff window.

Number one, the winner, success.

Now, that can be you.

But a man who's going places...

...he needs a place

where he can climb, bust out.

A place like New York. Now, this here

is the ticket that'll get you there.

Train leaves at 9:40 tonight.

This night.

I'm betting this $ 100 on you, laddie...

...that you come back to St. Cloud

number one, riding high on the hog.

Well, laddie.

But Heavenly, does she know?

She told me to wish you

luck and Godspeed.

Well, I know, but I wanna talk

to her, sir. We made a lot of plans.

I plumb forgot.

Heavenly and Aunt Nonnie left

for New Orleans this morning...

...taking a boat for Europe.

Don't you go forgetting her, now.

You keep in touch, laddie, you hear?

Mr. Wayne.

Mr. Wayne!

Long distance, Mr. Wayne.

They can't find Walter Winchell.

This is some secretary named Friday.

Hello?

Yeah. Well, this is...

Well, when will Mr. Winchell be in?

No. Well, I'm calling for

Alexandra Del Lago, who's...

Disappeared? Oh, no, ma'am.

She... She has been searching

America for new faces...

...and she has found them, and she has

signed them to a personal contract.

Yeah, well, see,

she's producing this film...

...called Youth.

Yeah.

Starring Chance Wayne...

...and Heavenly Finley.

Yeah. They're leaving

for Hollywood tomorrow.

Boy? Pencil. Please.

Well, the princess is unable to come

to the phone right now. She's out.

No, out for a walk.

Well, sure. Call any time tomorrow.

Thank you.

Operator? Say, would you

try the Finley residence again?

Good night, mayor.

Good night, Mrs. Norris.

Bye, mayor. I'll get it, Charles.

Hello.

Well, who's calling?

Now, listen to me,

you lousy son of a...

Boy, you just got a natural talent

for being mean and ornery.

You want me to

like this yellow-bellied...?

I'd be grateful if you'd think

for once.

What's to think about?

George told me lover-boy came back...

You already told me what George said.

But supposing Mr. Wayne

didn't just happen to come back.

Supposing he was sent for.

To smear his stink

over Heavenly and over me.

Isn't that a reason to go and...?

But supposing he is

just passing through.

- Well, which is it?

- That's what you're gonna go find out.

- Charles.

- Yes, sir?

- Where's Heavenly?

- She's down at the beach, sir.

Lay out a suit and shirt.

I'm going into town tonight.

- Yes, sir.

- Pa.

Get the lead out, boy.

Pa, you didn't mean what you said about

disowning the Finley Youth Clubs?

After what you did to the professor?

I've got to.

Burning books, Halloween masks.

You're just plain stupid, boy.

Least you could've worn white hoods

and burned a cross.

- The Klan would've been blamed.

- Oh, my.

You better stop laughing at nothing

or you'll end up in a nuthouse.

Without me you wouldn't have

won the election...

...and you're not gonna win this one.

- Bull.

- I got you more headlines...

...than the last campaign...

- You sure did.

Once for drunk driving and once for a

stag party cost me $5000 to hush it up.

Nonnie.

Hey, you.

Yeah, you.

What's Heavenly doing

down on the beach alone?

Just trying to be alone, I guess.

Sure you ain't arranged a meeting

between her and Mr. Wayne?

- No, Tom.

- But you did tell her he was back.

- Yes, Tom.

- Sister-in-law...

...you got a powerful lot to answer for.

You favored Chance Wayne...

...encouraged, aided and abetted

in his corruption of my baby.

That boy never could...

Could never knowingly harm her.

You're like your dead sister.

Gullible.

Hello, honey.

I don't like you out here all alone.

Why, Papa?

Afraid he might come along?

- Who might come along?

- Oh, Papa.

- I'm concerned, that's all. For you.

- That is very touching, Papa.

I'm only trying to save my baby

from being hurt ever again.

How? By insisting I marry

Dr. George Scudder?

And before him, a 50-year-old moneybags

you needed for your business?

Me? Sell my own flesh and blood?

More than once.

Remember the Texas oil tycoon?

And the Washington wheel?

All of them rich, all of them important.

Every one of them

had a powerful feeling for you.

There was a time when

you could've saved me, Papa...

...by letting me marry Chance,

when we were both young and clean.

If he loved you so much,

why'd he run off in the first place?

You told him he wasn't good enough.

You drove him away to compete

with all those big shots.

- The point is, he went.

- Yes, and he tried.

Oh, how he tried.

And when the right doors

wouldn't open...

...he went in the wrong ones.

Oh, don't let's fight, sugar.

Not you and me. Not when I need you.

For what, Papa? What are you

planning to use me for now?

Why, honey, ever since your angel mama

was took away from me...

...you and your brother are all I got

in the world to give my love to.

- That doesn't speak well for Miss Lucy.

- Who is Miss Lucy?

That certainly doesn't

speak well for her.

I ain't never heard of no Miss Lucy.

You never heard of the woman you keep

in a $50-a-day suite of rooms...

...at the Regal Palms Hotel?

That charges her clothes and

beauty treatments to your account?

And you say, "Who is Miss Lucy?"

Well, keep your love, Papa. Just give me

10 percent of the fortune you spend...

...on this woman you never heard of.

- You keep your mouth shut.

- You better tell that to Miss Lucy.

- You keep your mouth shut.

She doesn't speak

very well of you, Papa.

- She says you're not much of a lover.

- Who says Miss Lucy says that?

She wrote it with lipstick

in the ladies' room at the hotel bar.

Wrote what?

She wrote,

"Boss Finley can't cut the mustard."

That is a ridiculous lie.

Oh, Papa. I know

and everyone knows...

...that Miss Lucy was your mistress

long before Mama died.

I never harmed your mother,

as God is my judge.

Careful, Papa. Judgment Day

might be any day.

You listen to me, you ungrateful,

hypocritical slut.

Last week, in the state capital,

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