The Girl Can't Help It Page #4

---

- [Chuckles]

Be reasonable, Fats.

She isn't interested in a career.

You just said so yourself.

If a girl's gonna make it big

in show business...

she's got to be

vitally interested in it.

Vitally, huh?

- Hey, Mousie?

- Yeah, boss?

- Turn 'em loose.

- At night, boss?

- You can't see.

- Turn 'em loose.!

It don't matter if

she ain't vitally interested.

You just make her into a big star

like you did with, uh-

What's her name?

Uh- Uh, Julie London.

You remember her, don't you?

- You know me. Vague on names.

- Well, I'll help you remember.

Julie went for you.

All the singin' she wanted...

was lullabies in a tract house.

But you were an eager agent.

You pushed her into a career she didn't want.

Personally, I think you made a mistake.

She was a good-lookin' dame.

But the point is, she's a big record name now.

So where's the "vitally interested"?

- Shooting a little low, aren't you, Fats?

- Just conversation.

The point bein' you did it with Julie...

and I like the way

you started with Jerri...

now that I understand

that nightclub crawl.

You're a live wire, Miller.

A real live wire.

Okay, let 'em loose, Mousie!

And you wanna stay a live wire.

## [SoftJazz]

Turn that thing off, will ya?

- What's the matter, pal? Don't you like that song?

- ## [Julie London Singing]

No. I don't like it.

I'll tell you why.

'Cause every time she sings it,

I see her all over the place.

Most of my customers

see little green men.

I see her.

Everywhere I look, I see her.

Right now, you wanna bet she's

sittin' on the stool right next to me?

Hey, Julie-

Julie?

Julie?

She's gone.

- Georgie.

- Georgie?

But you said Julie, pal.

No. It's Georgie.

Georgiana.

##[Man Singing]

[Horn Honks]

##[Continues]

We need a room.

To rehearse in.

Studio "B," second floor.

Five bucks an hour.

All right, now. Let's get to work.

We've got a lot to do. Understand?

- You'll have no trouble with me, Mr. Miller.

- Fine.

You vocalize a while.

I'll find your range.

Then we can have arrangements

made in your key. Ready?

- I'm ready.

- ##[Continues]

- I'm ready, except-

- Except what?

Except-

Well, what happened, Mr. Miller?

- What do you mean?

- You're so different today.

We're here to work, Jerri.

That's what I mean. Today I'm Jerri,

and before it was Georgiana.

- What did you two talk about?

- Nothing.

Mostly about the mortuary

he had in his living room.

You talked about something else too.

I saw your face when he was shooting.

- Nothing, Jerri. Now, let's-

- Call me Georgie. Please.

I thought we were friends.

I had fun with you, and I thought

you were having fun with me too.

I have no friends here except Mousie,

and- and he's afraid of-

You're afraid of him too. That's what's

the matter. Why? What did he say?

He didn't say. I did.

I told him I wanted out of our deal.

You're not interested

in show business.

I didn't want to be part of making you

anything you didn't want to be.

That was nice of you

to think of me.

Well, whatever it was, it didn't work.

Okay. You ready?

- He got tough, didn't he?

- Look.

I don't want Fats to have to buy

another carpet on account of me.

You're going to beJerriJordan,

girl singer, darling of the jukeboxes...

whether you want to be,

or whether I want you to be.

Let's get to work.

All right.

Let's get to work, Mr. Miller.

Just try the scales.

Now try do.

[Tone Wavering]

# Do #

Try re.

[Tone Wavering]

# Re #

Better try mi.

##[Piano]

[Tone Wavering]

# Mi #

You can't sing.

I know I can't.

Have you ever heard anything so awful?

- Never. Never. [Laughing]

- [Laughing]

Now he'll have to let you go.

- And you don't have to be in show business.

- [Squealing Laughter]

That's the straight of it.

Jerri just can't sing.

Do you understand, Fats?

She can't sing.

She just doesn't have a voice.

I stink, Mr. Murdock.

You don't stink.

I do so stink.

I'm telling you I stink, stink, stink!

You don't stink!

But somethin' smells around here.

She's got no voice, huh?

Well, I don't see nothin' wrong with

her voice when she talks. Talk, Jerri!

Stink, stink, stink, Mr. Murdock!

There. What's wrong with that voice?

She talks good.

Listen, Miller.

She's gonna be a singer like I want her to.

She's gonna be comin' out

of every jukebox I put a dime in...

and I got lots of dimes

for puttin' in!

Her speaking voice has nothing to do

with her singing voice.

I'm telling you she can't sing!

Just listen.

- Ready, Jerri?

- I'm ready, Mr. Miller.

Hold it.

Watch out for flying glass.

- Just sing the mi.

- Yes, Mr. Miller.

[Tone Wavering]

#Mi #

[Car Horns Honking]

Miss Jordan! Miss Jordan!

Miss Jordan, hurry!

- Why? What's the matter, Hilda?

- Hurry up inside.

- He's on the phone, and he's

yelling something awful.

- No!

- Hello.

- [Audience Cheering On TV]

- [Shouts] Where ya been?

- Why, we walked home. Why? What's the matter?

Turn on Channel 2!

That's the matter!

- What does he want?

- I don't know.

- [Cheering On TV]

- Okay. It's on, Mr. Murdock.

Now, you and Miller watch.

Watch it good. You understand?

Mm-hmm. Watch it good.

Yes, Mr. Murdock.

And don't hang up. I'll talk to you

as soon as he finishes his next number.

- [Cheering Continues]

- We have to watch the television.

Quiet, please, folks.

He'll be back in just a moment.

Believe me. He'll be back in just a moment.

This is Peter Potter. I've never let you down.

- He'll be back in just a moment.

- Who is it?

I don't know.

- [Man On TV] And now we pause

for station identification.

- Fats.

- Yeah?

- It's me. Miller.

Watch the television!

[Cheering On TV]

And now, folks, just like I promised you,

here he is back again, Eddie Cochran...

one of America's top

rock and rollers.

- Eddie.

- ## [Rockabilly]

## [Singing]

[Shrieks, Cackles]

[Applause]

I don't understand.

Why does he want us to watch him?

I can give you the dialogue.

[Imitating Murdock]

Okay, soJerri can't sing.

Well, that guy ain't got

a trained voice either...

and he's one of the top record stars

in the country.

Why? Because he has a new sound.

SoJerri has a new sound.

You cut a record

with her tomorrow.

You're kidding, Mr. Miller.

Am I?

Listen.

- Yes, Fats.

- Okay.

SoJerri can't sing.

Well, that guy ain't got

a trained voice either...

and he's one of

the top record stars in the country.

Why? 'Cause he's got a new sound.

SoJerri's got a new sound.

You cut a record with her tomorrow.

- Okay, Fats.

- And listen.

You come over here

the first thing in the mornin'.

I got just the song

I wantJerri to sing.

Okay, Fats.

I had me a lot of leisure

when I was in the pokey.

So, to kill time, I started writin' songs

for the annual Christmas show.

Of course, I ain't no Hammerstein

or Irving Berlin or nothin'.

This here was the first one I wrote.

Ah.

"No Lights on the Christmas Tree, Mother.

They're Using the Electric Chair Tonight."

- I used to get a lot of laughs with that one.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes