The Glenn Miller Story Page #5

Just for a minute.

Helen.

The truck all right?

Five and a quarter, cash on the barrel head.

Take it or leave it, boys.

Better than the others.

I guess we'll have to take it.

Kinda leaves us in a spot.

It's $900 to pay the boys in the band.

With my car? How much'll you give us?

- You're not gonna do it.

- I can sell my own car if I want to.

Four hundred. That makes

nine and a quarter for all three of 'em.

- This isn't your problem.

- Why isn't it? I wanna get paid off, too.

You got a deal. Just one condition.

I need the car long enough

to drive the boys to the station.

Yes, that can be arranged.

Fellas, pile in. I'll drive you to the station.

Thank you, Chummy.

- Hi, dear. How do you feel?

- Fine.

- You look much better.

- Good.

The doctor said if I behave myself,

I'll be up in a few days.

Good.

I've made up my mind

about something, young lady.

If I ever go on the road again,

you're gonna stay in that nice apartment

of ours on East 57th Street.

You just listen to me, Glenn Miller.

You enticed a little country girl

to run away and marry you

and now you're hooked with her.

And I'm not gonna let you go

gallivanting around the country without me.

You're hooked with

a no-good itinerant musician.

- I'm not complaining.

- I know. You never do.

But I know how you wanted kids.

I want to tell you something else

I've made up my mind about.

We're not gonna have just one child.

We're gonna have two!

We're gonna have a boy and a girl.

- Glenn, I can't.

- I know.

The doctor told me, but I mean it.

There'll be two kids meant for us.

Somewhere we're gonna find them.

I hope so.

Who sent these flowers?

- The boys in the band.

- Wasn't that nice?

They're sweet.

What's happened? Any dates?

No. No dates.

There's no band.

We had to sell the cars

and pay off the boys.

Chummy had to sell his Phaeton.

Isn't that a shame?

Poor Chummy really loved that car.

Glenn, you had a good band.

It was getting better all the time.

It wasn't your fault.

It's my fault all right!

I'm broke, I'm in debt,

I don't even have a job.

I told you before, you've gotten mixed up

with a no-good itinerant musician.

- And I love him.

- And I love you.

It's almost worth it.

It's the first time you've told me that

since the day we were married.

Come in.

- Mrs Miller?

- Yes.

I thought so. I can come in?

Well, yes, of course.

I brought you some flowers.

Oh. Well, thank you very much.

- They're all right?

- They're lovely.

I'm a bachelor, I got no wife

to tell me these things.

- Well, they're very pretty.

- Yeah.

I heard all about the band

and how you were sick.

Such a shame. I can sit down a minute?

Yes, please.

"Compliments of the State Ballroom."

- Is this a joke?

- I shoulda said so right away.

No, that's me. Si Schribman.

Si Schribman!

If I'd known who you were...

I know. Don Haynes said you wanted

to give me a piece of your mind.

That's why I came here.

Maybe we can exchange pieces of mind.

I'm not really such an ogre.

I didn't like cancelling you out.

But an old widow lady, 75,

she owns that ballroom.

If I don't have a band, I don't pay the rent.

If I don't pay the rent,

that old lady don't eat.

It's a bad situation.

If she would only die, God forbid,

then I could run it like I like.

- It finished us. You know that.

- Yeah.

- We had to break up the band.

- I know.

I heard the band. It was good.

Not great, mind you, but good, very good.

We were just getting started.

Well, now I don't know what we'll do.

Just don't you worry, young lady.

Get well, and don't worry about the band.

That's easy to say.

I believe in Glenn

and I believe what he's trying to do,

so naturally I worry.

I tell you, you send him over,

he should see me.

With my own money

that don't go to the widow,

- I sometimes invest in bands.

- Do you mean that?

Would I make myself

so much trouble if I didn't?

But there's a problem. I know Glenn.

He's down right now

and he won't accept help.

I don't think he'd risk

somebody else's money.

I never even met your husband

and I like him already.

You just leave it to me.

I'll cook up something.

Thank you very much for coming.

And I'm sorry I was so ungracious.

Who was ungracious? We got along fine

exchanging pieces of mind.

- Goodbye.

- Bye.

I know you don't want a band but I'm stuck.

But this Charley Firman sneaks a band

right out from under my nose.

- I don't have any men. No money.

- I'll give you the money. Here.

Five hundred. Six hundred. A thousand.

There. You got the money.

Now, go get the men.

I've tried all sorts of combinations.

I never found out what I was looking for.

If I start again, I've got to have

an entirely different kind of a band.

Different tunes.

I wanna try something radical.

Fine. Go get radical, but just get going!

I gotta have something in here

making a noise the kids can dance to.

OK.

- Let's have the five saxes right in there.

- Five saxes?

And the trombones over there.

And the four trumpets right behind them.

Four trombones and four trumpets!

When they play,

what's gonna hold the roof on?

Five saxes and a trumpet lead.

Maybe it's good and maybe it ain't,

but it's radical.

Let's try this.

Remember this is a ballad,

so take it nice and easy, don't bruise it.

Joe, you stand up so I can get a balance

between you and the saxophones.

All right, here we go.

One,

two.

(# Band plays ballad)

What's the matter?

- He cut his lip.

- Let's see.

Oh, no. You really split it open.

You better have it looked at.

- I'm sorry, Glenn.

- Go on, Joe. Take care of it.

Oh, no.

All right, take five, boys.

- Is it bad?

- He'll be out for weeks.

- You get more tough breaks...

- Just when you got a good sound.

It isn't what I want

but if we could've worked on it...

- You can't find another trumpet blower?

- Not with Joe's range.

All the arrangements have a trumpet lead?

He had to hurt his lip

the day before you open.

What are we gonna do?

Postpone the opening?

- Poor old widow lady.

- We're not gonna postpone anything.

We'll open tomorrow if I have to stay up

all night and rewrite the arrangement.

- You can't. It's impossible.

- Wait a minute!

Just a minute. I have an idea.

Willie Schwartz could play

those parts on clarinet. Why not?

You see? Clarinet lead. Why not?

Get me lots of manuscript paper.

Can I use your office?

Sure.

Clarinet lead. Why not?

And, Don, call Helen, tell her not to worry.

Tell her I'll be here all night.

Clarinet lead.

And I can harmonise it real tight,

all in the same octave.

Four saxes and a clarinet.

He better stay up all night.

(# Moonlight Serenade)

(# Clarinet solo)

He looks like he's got it, maybe.

Listen to those kids!

There's no maybe about it.

That's it, that's the sound.

(# Mellow music)

(Applause)

Thank you.

Here's a brand-new number by Jerry Gray.

I hope you like it as much as we do.

(# Upbeat tune)

I, uh, bought you a present for your birthday.

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