The Fabulous Baker Boys Page #9

CUT TO:

INT. LLOYD'S OFFICE

Jack and Frank, once again in the office of the

supercilious Lloyd, waiting as he prepares their

cash envelope.

LLOYD:

Yes, sir. That's quite a girl you boys latched

onto. She a local?

FRANK:

Born and bred.

LLOYD:

Lucky for you. Well, there you go, guys.

Don't spend it all in one place.

Oh ... you want to count it, Jack?

FRANK:

We trust you, Lloyd. You know

that.

Frank takes the envelope and begins to leave.

LLOYD:

Say, Frankie. Since I've got you here...

How's next week look for you guys?

Frank glances at Jack, giving it to him.

Jack's eyes go cold.

JACK:

We'll call you.

As Lloyd's face drops, Jack and Frank step into the

hallway and begin to walk slowly away, playing it cool,

then glance at one another and begin to walk faster

because they're about to burst out laughing.

FOLLOWING SHOT:

By the time they reach the lobby, they are laughing,

tripping across the carpet, out the front entrance and

onto the sidewalk, where their voices explode in the

night air and they begin to do a weird boyish waltz

together, laughing giddily, until they see - standing

under an awning, lighting a cigarette - Susie, watching

them with raised eyebrows. Jack and Frank, frozen in a

clumsy embrace, quickly disengage and begin clearing

their throats and squaring their cuffs. Susie exhales

a plume of smoke, studies them a moment,

then smiles slightly.

SUSIE:

Night, Bakers.

As she turns away, Jack glances up, watching her

trim shadow disappear down the street.

EXT. CITY

Gray and cold. The streets swept with rain.

And once again the tentative piano:

"JINGLE BELLS, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

Oh what fun it is to ride ...

Oh what fun it is to ride ... Oh what fun..."

INT. VETERINARY CLINIC

Jack and Eddie are sitting in the waiting room:

small and dirty and packed with pet owners and

their animals.

After a moment, a WOMAN with a clipboard appears.

WOMAN:

Barker.

(no takers)

Jock Barker?

JACK:

(realizing it's him)

Baker. Jack Baker.

WOMAN:

Right. Bring him back.

JACK:

Come on, Ed.

Jack and Eddie follow the Woman down a corridor.

WOMAN:

You should've brought a leash, Mr. Barker.

The doctor doesn't like to be bitten.

JACK:

He doesn't bite.

WOMAN:

They never do, Mr. Barker.

JACK:

Baker.

WOMAN:

Right. In there.

The Woman points Jack and Eddie into a small room.

There is an examining table, a sink, and on the wall,

a chart detailing the various breeds of dogs and cats.

Jack glances around the room, then comes back to Eddie,

who's staring up at him.

JACK:

You shoulda brushed, pal.

Just then, a MAN in a white coat breezes in.

DR. BEASLEY (MAN)

Ah, labradorus retreiverus. Good fellows.

Quiet, but able to appreciate a good joke.

Dr. Beasley pats Eddie on the side, then turns to Jack.

DR. BEASLEY

Beasley.

JACK:

Baker.

DR. BEASLEY

What's our friend's problem?

JACK:

Teeth.

DR. BEASLEY

What's wrong with them?

JACK:

They're falling out.

DR. BEASLEY

Uh-oh. That's not good. Let's

get him up here.

Jack lifts Eddie up onto the table and Dr. Beasley opens

Eddie's mouth for a look. It doesn't take long.

DR. BEASLEY

They gotta go.

JACK:

(a take)

How many?

DR. BEASLEY

Five's my guess. Maybe more.

Won't know till I get in there.

(consulting his clipboard)

Leave him now and you can pick

him up in the morning.

JACK:

Isn't there something you can

give him? A pill or something?

DR. BEASLEY

Decay unfortunately doesn't limit itself to

the denture, Mr. Baker. It spreads into his chest.

Then the heart goes. We wouldn't want that,

would we?

JACK:

How will he eat?

DR. BEASLEY

Start him out on cottage cheese.

If you've got him on kibble, just soak it a

few minutes. Go down like pudding

through a hot pipe.

JACK:

No bones?

DR. BEASLEY

No bones.

Jack looks at Eddie.

JACK:

What do you do to him?

DR. BEASLEY

Don't worry, Mr. Baker. We'll knock him out.

He won't feel a thing.

JACK:

I think maybe I'll bring him back

next week ...

DR. BEASLEY

The sooner we do this the better,

Mr. Baker.

EXT. STREET

Jack steps out onto the rainy street alone.

He glances back at the vet's with second thought,

then moves slowly off.

INT. JACK'S APARTMENT

Jack enters with a small grocery bag and opens the

refrigerator. A carton of cream, a few eggs --

there's not much there. He takes a small container of

cottage cheese from the grocery bag and places it on an

empty shelf. As he closes the refrigerator door, he

glances around the apartment. It is very still, very

quiet. He looks up at the ceiling absently, then walks

over to the window and looks out. There is a mug of

coffee there on the sill. He takes it and holds it in

both hands for a moment, then places it back on the sill.

He sits at the piano and runs his fingers lightly over

the ivory, not making a sound, then places his hands on

the keys and begins to play. "Jingle Bells."

INT. CORNER DINER

In the front window, room has been made among the

photographs for one of Susie. Inside, Jack, Frank

and Susie sit at a table, surrounded by empty coffee

cups and cigarettes. Frank has several slips of paper

before him with names and dates.

FRANK:

The twenty-third ... Yeah, here it is. We got the

Carlton or the Plaza. Four day turns.

What do you think, Jack?

Jack is staring out the window.

FRANK:

(continuing)

Jack, you with us?

SUSIE:

The Carlton's a dump. No cover. No minimum.

And they water their drinks.

It's strictly for the Fuller brush crowd.

Susie, as she says this, is pouring sugar into her Coke.

FRANK:

(watching)

I guess it's,the Plaza then.

That brings us to the twenty-seventh.

We got the Avedon for three or the Park

downtown for two.

SUSIE:

We take the Avedon, right? Simple.

Frank rubs his chin and looks at Jack. Jack shakes

his head.

SUSIE:

(continuing)

The Park? It's only two nights.

Why throw away a night?

JACK:

Because Blackie Carson books the Park and

whenever we've needed a gig he's come through.

SUSIE:

Oh.

(lifting her glass)

Well, for Blackie then.

FRANK:

By the way, I got a messsage

yesterday from some guy looking for

New Year's action. Resort, upstate.

SUSIE:

(likes "resort')

Hey.

JACK:

Sounds like a booking agent

looking to book an easy fee.

FRANK:

That's what I figure. Probably have us in

a bed-and-breakfast playing to the owls.

SUSIE:

Maybe it's legit.

FRANK:

Maybe. I'll call him.

JACK:

Make it collect.

FRANK:

(shuffling his slips)

That's it except for the first.

We got the Sheraton, the Ambassador, or the

Holiday Inn on Sixtieth. All three-day turns.

Frank looks at Jack.

JACK:

Draw.

Susie shrugs.

SUSIE:

How'd you guys used to decide what

gig to take?

Jack and Frank exchange a glance.

FRANK:

Uh, well ... we flipped a coin.

SUSIE:

So find a dime. Let's get out

of here.

EXT. DINER

Jack and Frank step out-of the diner and turn their

collars up against the chill.

Frank pulls on a pair of gloves.

FRANK:

Jesus, it's gonna be mean this year.

Where're your gloves?

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