Sweet Bird of Youth Page #6

Might be even terminal.

So you'd better leave quick. Tonight.

- See the doc don't miss his train.

- Yes, sir.

- Happy Easter, Fly.

- Thank you, sir.

- Happy Easter.

- Thank you, governor.

- Shall I ring her, say you're coming up?

- No.

Lucy?

Lucy?

Hiya, honey.

I'll be with you in a second.

How can you watch two TVs,

chop your toenails...

...stuff yourself with chocolates

all at the same time?

I already seen the movie.

Shut that damn thing off.

I said, shut it...!

My, my, my.

Ain't we in a mood.

Guess what I got for you,

for an Easter present.

I went all the way

to New Orleans for it.

Close your eyes, lover.

This is a mighty exciting surprise.

Don't look.

Like?

Is that for me?

Well, I surely don't intend to give it

to anybody else.

Oh, feast your tired old eyes,

daddy doll.

I sure do hope that this brings out

the beast in you.

Happy Easter, sugar.

For me?

You'll spoil me yet, honey.

Oh, why, it's lovely.

It's a lovely Easter egg.

Am I supposed to eat it?

Open the top.

It sure takes a powerful kind of rooster

to lay this kind of egg.

Oh, darling, you shouldn't have.

Why not? You deserve

everything you get.

Oh, I'm so nervous.

Like it, sugar baby?

It's absolutely divine.

It's heavenly.

That's better. Now...

...you go downstairs to the

ladies' room of the cocktail lounge...

...and you write on the toilet mirror

with this same lipstick:

"Miss Lucy is available to any punk's

got $5 and can cut the mustard."

You know, I don't very much

like my Easter surprise.

Hello? Operator, did you get

the Finley residence yet?

Aunt Nonnie?

Well, can you talk now?

Well, can I see you, then?

Well, I can... Where?

Well, how soon?

All right. I'll meet you there.

Aunt Nonnie, whatever it is

that happened, I can explain.

And listen...

...I got it made.

No, I really got it made.

All right.

Princess?

Princess?

Pure, hard gold, all right.

Yeah. Well, I'm glad

you're appreciative...

...but, you know, I'm going out pretty

soon and my credit is kind of shaky.

I would like to smoke, please.

No, no. Just one of the ordinary

cigarettes that only give you cancer.

What are those lovely bells?

Why, madam, it is Easter Sunday.

How fitting. I feel absolutely reborn.

Yes. The world and I are on

very good terms this morning.

Yeah, well, we made a little bargain

last night, remember?

Oh, yes.

Well, I will live up to my end

of the bargain...

...after I have put on my face.

The face I face the world with, baby.

Will you open the curtains, please?

There something out there

you're afraid of?

Oh, no, ma'am. The thing I want most

in the world is out there.

This town belonged to me once.

And will again.

Were you born here?

- On the wrong side of the tracks, but...

- Well, most of us were, baby.

You know, the set that I ran with

was a snob set.

You know, they had family,

big names, big money.

- All I had was...

- Beauty.

Say it. What you had was beauty.

I had it, and I say it with pride.

Yeah.

Well, the others were born satisfied.

Well, I had to get something better.

And I did.

I got it.

While my friends were

doing the conventional things...

...like flunking out

of state university...

...I appeared in the biggest stage hit

on Broadway.

I had my picture on the cover of

LIFE magazine.

And, at the same time...

...I was employing my other talent,

lovemaking.

That may be the only talent

you were ever truly meant for.

I've wallowed in a social register

of New York...

...with discreet wives

in the millionaire set...

...and debutante daughters

in the horsy set.

Did they foot the bills too?

Yeah. But I always gave them

much more than I took.

To older women, I gave back a feeling

of excitement and youth.

To sad, lost women...

...a merciful display of affection

and temporary hope.

Eccentrics?

Understanding, tolerance.

You must have been quite

a successful enterprise.

- Oh, I was going places.

- Where?

Successville.

My name was appearing in columns...

...I was promised this part

in a big Broadway play...

...Hollywood was nibbling.

I was getting to be somebody.

Then it was time for me

to come home for my girl...

...take her away with me,

like I promised.

And when I came home, oh, man.

This town just buzzed

with excitement.

Chance.

She never asked about the others.

Well, she didn 't have to.

Of course, she knew that nothing I did

or was done to...

... could ever cancel out our love,

the pleasure we gave each other.

You know, the big difference

between people...

...is not between rich and poor

or good and evil.

The biggest of all differences

between people...

...is between those that have had

pleasure in love and those that haven't.

We interrupt this program to bring you

a bulletin from Washington.

It was officially announced

that United States ground forces...

... entered the Korean War today.

President Truman termed

the intervention a police action.

And I am positive there's no finer,

no braver, no more patriotic man...

...to lead our Dixie Regiment

than our own hometown boy...

...Chance Wayne.

Congratulations.

All I could think was,

"This stops everything."

Just when things were going great...

...the end. Period. Even if I was lucky,

I'd have to start all over again.

You and a few million others.

Their jobs would be waiting for them,

but my trade was youth.

And war either makes you age fast

or die fast.

Imagine, a whole lifetime...

...full of hopes and dreams

and ambitions...

...being wiped out

by a 2-ounce accident like a bullet.

A bullet shot off

into space by anybody.

And my head and that bullet

at the same place at the same time.

Only, it wasn't a bullet that got me,

it was my nerves.

A month in a hospital,

a medical discharge.

And when I came home that time,

there was no parties, no banners...

...no picture in the newspaper.

- So you ran away again.

- Yeah.

And I finally made it to Hollywood.

And failed again.

That time.

But not this time.

Princess. Now, I've got a few things

to iron out right now.

But tonight you give this big

press conference, see?

You know, to tell the world about this

new discovery you signed up.

The last thing I want is publicity.

I know, but this will prove that

young talent is your real interest in life.

Which it certainly is not.

My real, my only, interest in life is me,

Alexandra Del Lago.

Besides, a movie starring

our special talent...

...would be banned in all 50 states,

censored worldwide.

Princess, I am taking your car.

- Well, when will I see you?

- Wait here.

I don't like waiting for anybody.

Baby.

Morning, Miss Finley.

What is it, sergeant?

Nothing, miss.

Just sort of spying?

No, ma'am. Just sort of

watching over you.

Easter must be a very dangerous time.

Guess so, miss.

- The ladies ready for church?

- Miss Nonnie's already gone, sir.

- She took a taxi.

- I see.

- She get any calls this morning?

- The phone rang.

She talked to somebody.

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