The Fabulous Baker Boys Page #4

INT. CAR

Frank and Jack are parked in front of Jack's building.

Whispers of steam snake from the

mancovers in the street.

JACK:

I made her nervous.

FRANK:

What do you mean?

JACK:

Her hands. Like that.

Jack holds out a trembling hand.

FRANK:

Nah. Medication.

Jack looks over at Frank. He nods.

FRANK:

(continuing)

Couple years, now.

(taps his heart)

Keeps the beat steady. Nothing serious.

Jack considers this a moment, then gets out of the car.

FRANK:

She was glad to see you.

INT. JACK'S APARTMENT

Jack lets himself into his apartment and stops.

Across the room, curled up on the couch, is a little girl.

Jack takes the girl gently in his arms and carries her to

the bedroom. As he folds a blanket under her chin,

he pauses. The girl's face is calm, peaceful.

EXT. STREET - DAWN

The next morning. Early.

The sun is peeking sleepily between the buildings and

beginning to drip out onto the street. Suddenly,

RINGING OUT over the rooftops, is "JINGLE BELLS"

-- not the entire song, just the first two bars,

over and over.

IHT. JACK'S APARTMENT - DAY

Jack, on the couch, his arm draped over a slumbering

Eddie, opens his eyes. Across the room,

seated at the piano, is NINA, the little girl.

She stops playing and turns.

NINA:

Morning. You want coffee? I made coffee.

Jack looks into the sleepy face of Eddie and sits up.

He nods to the coffee. Nina goes to the kitchen.

NINA:

(continuing)

I did the dishes last night. You're missing a cup.

Jack rubs his head, then gets up and walks to the window.

NINA:

(continuing)

Did you break a cup, Jack?

JACK:

Eddie did.

Nina looks at Eddie, sleeping on the couch,

then brings Jack his coffee with both hands.

NINA:

I practiced the piano last night. Two hours.

I think I'm ready for 'Jingle all the way.'

Jack nods. Suddenly, the sound of HEAVY FOOTSTEPS is heard.

Jack and Nina glance up at the ceiling.

NINA:

(continuing)

Guess they're up.

JACK:

Sounds big. What's he do?

NINA:

Process server.

Ma said it's like a lawyer only the hours

are more regular. All I know's he came to take

the TV one afternoon and ended up staying for

dinner. And breakfast.

JACK:

What happened to the donut king?

NINA:

Married.

Upstairs, a DOOR SLAMS and HEAVY FEET ECHO in the

stairwell. Nina peers out the window.

NINA:

No breakfast. Maybe they had a fight.

TWO DEEP THUMPS sound on the ceiling.

NINA:

(continuing)

Well, gotta go. Teach me later?

Jack nods.

Nina kisses him on the cheek and exits.

Jack walks over to the couch and gives Eddie a nudge.

JACK:

Hey.

INT. LUAU LOUNGE

Though the plastic palms and grass-skirted waitresses

of the Luau Lounge make the Fabulous Baker Boys' presence

seem a bit incongruous, Jack and Frank hold nothing back,

giving "McCarthur Park" the full treatment.

Unfortunately, the audience in the Luau Lounge wouldn't

fill a Hawaiian haystack and their applause

is less than volcanic.

FRANK:

Uh, thank you. That concludes our show for this

evening. Jack and I only hope you enjoyed

yourselves as much as we did.

As the guests wander out, clutching their roomkeys,

a freckle-faced BELLHOP comes up.

BELLHOP:

Mr. Baker.

FRANK:

(tired)

Yeah, Jimmy.

JIMMY (BELLHOP)

Mr. Simpson asked to see you.

FRANK:

All right, tell him I'll be right there.

As Jimmy exits, Frank stands and points at Jack.

FRANK:

(continuing)

Tomorrow we close with the 'Aquarius Suite.'

INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR

Frank pauses before a door marked "HOTEL MANAGER."

It's half-open. Inside, CHARLIE SIMPSON,

a heavy man in a shiny suit,

is throwing darts in the general direction of a

dartboard. He's not very good. Frank knocks.

CHARLIE:

Frankie.

FRANK:

You wanted to see me, Charlie?

ANOTHER ANGLE:

CHARLIE:

Yeah, come on in.

FRANK:

Little slow tonight.

CHARLIE:

(waving it off)

Mondays.

Charlie takes an envelope from his desk and hands it

to Frank.

FRANK:

What's this?

CHARLIE:

Your pay.

FRANK:

Now? Why not tomorrow? After the show.

CHARLIE:

Take it now.

FRANK:

(confused)

What about tomorrow?

CHARLIE:

We don't need you, Frankie.

For a moment, Frank just stands there.

FRANK:

I've got the grands for two nights,

Charlie. You can't just --

CHARLIE:

It's all there. Both nights.

Frank looks at the envelope in his hands.

FRANK:

What're you saying, Charlie?

CHARLIE:

Look, Frankie. You and Jack been

playing here, a long time.

FRANK:

Twelve years.

CHARLIE:

Right, twelve years. Couple times

a month.

FRANK:

So?

CHARLIE:

So maybe it's time we took a vacation from

each other.

FRANK:

Vacation? Christ, Charlie, it's a Monday night.

You said so yourself.

CHARLIE:

It wasn't half full out there tonight, Frankie.

I got six waiters standing in back listening

to baseball. I gotta move the liquor.

To move the liquor, I gotta fill the tables.

It's a matter of economics. Me, I love you.

I love both you guys, you know that.

You're class. But people today.

They don't know class if it walks up and

grabs 'em by the balls.

INT. HOTEL LOBBY

Jack rises as Frank passes through the lobby with

the cardboard stand-up.

JACK:

What's with Charlie?

FRANK:

Nothing. Everything's great.

Terrific.

INT. FRANK'S HOUSE

With the stand-up under his arm,

Frank enters and closes the door quietly.

A light is glowing in the kitchen.

The rest of the house is dark, quiet. In the kitchen,

he checks the message pad by the phone. Nothing.

On the table, a plate of cold chicken is waiting for him.

Next to it is a stack of bills with a note attached:

"Frank. Please."

Frank sighs and leans the stand-up against the wall.

The photo of Jack is peeling off the cardboard.

Finding a stack of glossies in a drawer,

Frank removes the old Jack from the stand-up and

replaces it with a new one.

As he presses the photograph in place,

his eyes drift to the one of himself.

It was taken a long time ago.

INT. JACK'S APARTMENT

Jack places a record on the turntable and sits at the

piano by the window. As the needle hits the spinning

disc, a sharp, snappy BASS LINE REVERBERATES throughout

the apartment. Jack takes a drink, then joins in with

the record, playing along. His concentration is intense,

so much so that, a moment later, when the PHONE RINGS,

he seems not to hear it. Finally, he picks it up.

JACK:

Yeah?

FRANK (V.0.)

It's me.

JACK:

Frank?

FRANK (V.0.)

Yeah. Listen ... come out to the

house tomorrow, will ya?

JACK:

I've had enough family for one

month, Frank.

FRANK (V.0.)

It's not family. It's business.

JACK:

So talk to me tomorrow. After

the gig.

FRANK (V.0.)

We don't get a gig.

JACK:

What're you talking about?

FRANK (V.0.)

Something came up. Don't worry,

Charlie stayed true. Both nights.

I'll give you your share tomorrow.

At the house.

Silence.

FRANK (V.0)

(continuing)

So you'll come out, right?

JACK:

Yeah, okay.

Jack listens to the PHONE HISSING in the dark,

then the CONNECTION goes DEAD.

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