The Jolson Story Page #9

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When I'm finished, he's in the middle of one

and vice versa.

We'll never come out together.

Then somebody's got to quit for once

and wait for the other.

No waits, no delays

in the life of the Jolsons.

Just a matter of

putting your foot down once.

He'll know the right time, Steve.

He's happy, so am I.

And it's not nice to put your foot down.

Good night, my friend.

Remember those plans you had

for that house in the East?

I just happened to think of that

the other day.

Find a piece of land in the country

around here, in the Valley, for instance...

and get the thing built. You'd get

a big kick out of that, wouldn't you?

I don't know, Steve.

That was just a romantic idea I once had.

What's wrong with this house?

It's got marble, even.

Good night, Steve. I'm absolutely dead.

I agree with you, baby. No more contracts.

I've told Dick how you feel.

But this last one, this isn't just another one.

This is you and me in the same picture.

It's one thing I've had my heart set on.

When we've done it, we've done everything.

Then we blow this town,

do anything you want.

- The script is ready.

- It's good.

- You could shoot in a month.

- A hard month of dance rehearsals.

This will be fun.

Why don't you go away for a year

and do this when you come back?

That's no good. Say yes, Julie.

- You can say no, too. You're a citizen.

- Shut up, Steve.

The stars are gonna twinkle and shine

This evening about a quarter to nine

My loving arms

are gonna tenderly twine, tweet, tweet, twine

Around you, around a quarter to nine

I know I won't be late

'cause at half past eight

I'm gonna hurry there

I'll be waiting where the lane begins

Waiting for you on needles and pins

And then the world is gonna be mine

mine, all mine

This evening around a quarter to nine

Good evening.

- How was the picture?

- Wonderful.

- Henry, it was a mild sensation.

- I'm glad.

There's nobody here.

What do you know? A big Jolson preview

and no mob waiting at home?

- What do you suppose happened?

- It could be me.

- Could be you?

- I told Henry to tell any callers...

that we went straight from the theater

to Santa Barbara for the weekend.

- Suppose that did it?

- You're kidding.

Show you how it works. Listen.

Sorry, Mr. And Mrs. Jolson

left for Santa Barbara.

That's too bad.

Say we stopped by, will you?

- Good night, Henry.

- Good night.

- Simple.

- Sweetheart, that's cute.

Should have thought of it a long time ago.

- You don't really mind, do you, Al?

- Mind?

You see, tonight's a different night.

The last picture's finished.

We're free. Not a contract in the world.

- The governor sent the pardon.

- That's right.

I thought a quiet evening around the fire,

discussing plans for the future.

Look, sandwiches, coffee...

and we'll play some records

by a fella named Al Jolson, very talented.

That guy's washed up,

hasn't even got a picture contract.

- Have some coffee, Steve?

- Thanks, Julie, I will.

Honey, you sound like a gal

with a program all figured out.

First we shake this town for points east...

maybe farther east than that,

across the Atlantic, who knows?

Cream for you, Steve.

And when that's out of our system,

there's a little matter of building that house.

That I gotta see if I never see

another house in the world.

I kind of got a hankering to see it myself.

I'm glad to hear that,

because I can have it up in no time.

I know every room in the place.

I've even got it furnished.

Just one thing...

in our travels to find the right place

to put that house.

You don't mean the East, do you, baby?

That was the original idea. Why change it?

We've gotten used to this country here.

I like it.

I don't know, it feels more like home

than any place in the world...

and it doesn't matter too much to you,

does it, sweetheart?

No, not really. And if it does to you, Al.

Don't put it that way. There's nothing

special you want in the East, is there?

No, that's true. That settles it.

It's going to be here.

- Wonderful!

- And you keep quiet.

Only, Al, we could get out

in the country a little way, couldn't we?

- Sure, why not?

- Thanks.

That's all I wanted.

With no number on the house,

and some vicious dogs in the yard...

you can keep the callers

down to practically nothing.

It's Friday. What about train tickets

out of here, say, Sunday?

I can be ready tomorrow,

but Sunday will have to do.

What's the rush?

Let's give ourselves a little time.

Let's say a week or so.

What do we want with a week or so?

No kidding, a week would wrap up

everything fine for me.

- What have you got to wrap up?

- Not a thing.

He just thinks he has.

Nothing important at all.

Have a coffee, Al. It's great.

- Look, boys, is something cooking?

- No, there's nothing cooking.

It was just an idea, that's all.

A proposition about putting a company

together and making our own pictures...

Nothing definite, just talking about it.

Of course, in a week or so it could gel.

It might be a pretty exciting thing

to come back to. That's all it was.

Sorry, no gelling. First thing you know,

you've set a date to make a picture.

Then we'll have to travel with one eye

on the calendar or something just as bad:

Talking about a picture

all the time we're gone.

- Not a peep. Give you my word.

- Fine, darling.

But I know this is silly,

but it's gotten to be a sort of principle.

Once we do say

we're going to quit for a while...

- Who said we weren't?

- Then, whatever this proposition is...

it'll still be there

in three months or six months...

And just as hot, so why bother now?

Why don't you lay off, Al?

What a beating I'm taking here.

But look, honey, remember me?

This is Jolson.

I go with the principle every time,

but all I'm talking about is a couple of days.

When you want to spend them that way, Al,

that's where the principle is.

It isn't the days.

It doesn't have anything to do with time.

If you can't see that, Al,

I wouldn't know how to...

Holy smoke, this is a kid stunt, isn't it?

I'll be right back.

First time I ever saw Julie cry.

- Something wrong with me, I guess, Steve.

- Yeah, has been for a long time.

You're going to hate to stop work

and go away, aren't you?

It's going to be awfully tough, isn't it?

Not singing always is.

And here I am asking you to go away

without any plans...

without even any work to come back to.

Honest, it doesn't matter that much, baby.

You know how it is

when an old fire horse hears the bell.

I didn't say it was your fault.

That's not what I'm trying to say.

What we've got to discuss is you and me.

Please, Al, just listen hard for once,

will you?

You see, I'm like somebody

with one desperate chance left.

I couldn't go on this way if I wanted to.

That means you'd have to change.

You'd have to get off this merry-go-round

and quit for once, for a long time.

And I know you'd make promises

and try to keep them.

But I'd know how you felt.

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