The Five Pennies Page #8

on the way out, only on the way back.

He would go...

But you know who was

the champ of all? Joe Whiffenbeck.

He used to cry like he was laughing

and laugh like he was crying.

He used to go...

You cry when you laugh, too, don't you?

Well, Joe Whiffenbeck...

where have you been all this time?

Come on, baby.

We better give Daddy a hug.

Just roll over very easily. That's a girl.

How about putting me down for some

extra overtime? I'll take all I can get.

You trying to stop the war in Europe

all by yourself?

I got a couple of wars. So long.

Brown, John A.

- Dorothy? Look what I got.

- Give it to me.

Yeah, well, I will in just a minute.

Come on. You want it?

Come on, baby. Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come and get it.

Come and get it. Come and get it.

There you go.

That's a good girl. Come on.

- That's good.

- Come on. That's wonderful.

Hold it. Hold it.

Drawbridge.

Here we go. Here.

Oh, no, that's a railroad.

It's a steamship, honey.

Now, come on. Try it again.

There she blows, men! Man

the lifeboats! Steady the rudder, boys.

Look to the harpoons. Ahoy!

If you put some whiskey with that soda,

I'll do it all afternoon with you, okay?

Stand up, stand up

Stand up and tell us your name

your name

Stand up, stand up

Stand up and tell us your name

My name is Dorothy Nichols,

and I'm 14 years old...

and I'm having a very happy birthday.

And, Richard Wilson,

you've had four sandwiches...

and you're only getting

half a piece of cake.

Human vacuum cleaner.

- Make a wish, and blow out the candles.

- Okay.

It's too bad you kids were so hungry

you couldn't wait...

for Dorothy's father

to get home from work.

We can wait. Just bake another cake.

Hey, let's put on some records.

- That's a good idea.

- Then we can all dance.

I'm sorry.

That's all right.

You kids go ahead and dance.

I'll put on the records.

Daddy's very fussy about them.

Oh, one of those.

He probably blows his top...

if you play anything

but Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair.

You'd be surprised.

You know, Mr. Nichols started

the original Five Pennies.

What's Five Pennies?

Am I getting that old?

Is he hip enough to have some Benny

Goodman or Jimmy Dorsey here?

All of them. Jimmy and Benny

used to work in his band.

Mama, don't put it on too thick.

Benny Goodman and Jimmy Dorsey?

Well, don't you remember?

Jimmy Dorsey used to bring you candy

and peanuts.

Was that the same Jimmy Dorsey?

Well, how did he get so famous?

Stopped working for peanuts.

You know who else

worked for your father?

Tommy Dorsey

and Charlie Teagarden...

and Glenn Miller and Gene Krupa...

And Ludwig von Beethoven.

Their names are on the labels.

I'll go find some records

and show them to you.

Really? How about some punch

or cookies or anything?

Dorothy, honestly,

don't you really remember?

Well, I remember he had a band,

and he was pretty good, but...

Well, if he was that good,

why did he quit?

Well, I guess

you wouldn't believe that, either.

- Come on. Let's get a little jive, huh?

- Yeah, man.

That sounds like Artie Shaw's band,

and he used to play for Mr. Nichols, too.

If your father

was such a hotshot bandleader...

how come he's working

with my old man down at the shipyard?

Oh, I don't know.

You know, my mother's 34 years old.

I think she's getting senile.

Don't worry.

They'll find a drug or something.

They better hurry.

How about a big hand

for Glenn Miller and the boys...

for coming down to give us this show?

And here's Glenn himself.

Thank you. Thanks, fellows.

Now we'd like to do a real oldie...

one of the jazz classics

from the good old days...

that I used to play

when I was first trombone...

with Red Nichols

and the famous Five Pennies: Indiana.

Hey, Ernie. Where you going?

I gotta get home.

It's my daughter's birthday.

- Ain't you gonna stay for the music?

- I've heard it.

- Hello.

- Hi, Daddy.

- Happy birthday.

- Thank you.

- Where did you find those old records?

- In the closet.

I thought I asked you

to throw all of these out.

I'm glad you didn't.

Some of them are pretty funny.

Yeah, hilarious.

Say, Mr. Nichols, was that really you

playing that old trumpet?

The instrument you're referring to

is known as a cornet.

Cornet.

They still got a few of them left

at the Smithsonian Institute...

right next to the dinosaurs.

Saving a place for me, too.

I'm sure that was Dad playing.

I can remember. And he was good.

He played just like Harry James.

Harry James plays something like me,

only not enough.

- All right.

- We believe you.

There was Bix, and there was Louis,

and there was me...

and that was it.

- You and Bix and Louis.

- That's right.

- I'll remember.

- Just do that, will you, son?

Mr. Nichols, my father

used to listen to you all the time...

and he told me all about you.

- Yeah, well, that's something.

- He said that you were smart...

to get out of the business

before the parade passed you by.

I have got a message for your father...

except you're not old enough

to deliver it.

Dad, would you like to lie down

and take a rest?

No, I'm fine.

I wouldn't like anything of the sort.

Wish I had a horn here.

I'd show you kids something.

Will this do?

This is one of my old horns.

Where did you find it?

Tony sent it a long time ago.

He thought some member of the family

ought to start playing.

He did, huh?

I've got some homework to do.

See you tomorrow, Dorothy.

Nice party.

Don't you want to stay just a little while?

Well, you don't have to go now, do you?

Is he always like this?

Idiotville, USA,

and The Brown Derby is the capital.

You promised for our anniversary

you'd take me anywhere I wanted to go.

Yeah, I know.

- It's a long time since we ever went out.

- Right.

- Look. Isn't that Bob Hope?

- No, he can't afford to eat here, either.

- Let's sit where all the movie stars are.

- What about under the table?

If you knew how I hated to go

to these places...

- Got a table for three, please?

- What's the name, please?

Nichols.

- Loring "Nobody" Nichols.

- I'm sorry. There's a half-an-hour wait.

Could I try another name?

I'm sorry. You have to wait

just like everybody else. I'm sorry.

Hey, Red. Paisan, can it be you?

It's like out of the blue.

- Hello, Tony.

- What is this?

You don't see a guy

for six or seven years...

and that's the best you can do?

"Hello, Tony."

- Not even a handshake?

- Hello, Tony.

- Now that's what I call a handshake.

- Hello, Mr. Valani.

Dorothy.

Listen, come on, and sit at my table.

- Wonderful.

- It's all right, Lou.

You know I'm handling bands now

for the Morris office?

They pick up all the checks,

and I spend all my time eating.

- That's fine.

- You know, it's just like a miracle.

I don't hear from you for years...

and then, just today, I was talking

to a couple of the big boys about you.

What this music business

needs right now is another Red Nichols.

If they can't find a hole in the head.

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