The Man with the Golden Arm Page #5

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He's been tryin' to find me

all week long. Here I was

ready to forget the whole thing.

Gee, if you hadn't opened your

mouth I wouldn't have called him.

I'm sure you would.

I've got an audition

with a big band. Me on TV.

Practice a lot Frankie.

Practice, I'll beat those heads to a

shred. Only I gotta' find a place, where.

Zosh can't stand the noise.

Molly? You suppose maybe

I could put the drums in your place?

And sorta' drop in once in a while?

Why not? Molly, why not?

Oh, Johnny wouldn't understand.

So what could he do?

It ain't a question

what he could do, Frankie.

A fella' like Johnny

can't do much about anything.

It's a question of what it does to him.

I'm all he has in the world.

I don't want to hurt him.

Molly, for crying out loud.

Oh, you don't know,

Frankie, a fella' like him.

Sometimes when we're alone...

What does he do, cry?

He's a lush, Molly.

He's a hundred per cent habitual drunk.

Look, everybody's an habitual

somethin'. With him it's liquor is all.

Please, Molly. Molly-O.

It ain't just that Frankie.

I don't want it to start

with each other again.

Look what you said about us

not being good, it was the truth.

Even before you went away,

I tried to...

It just doesn't add up.

Never did, it never can.

Give it a chance.

I told you it would one day.

All my life has been one day.

On and on, and on.

I got drums I'm headed for a good job.

Is that so on and on and on.

I make some money, make Zosh well.

What's so on and on about that?

Don't shut me out Molly, I'm tryin'.

Did you want to see me?

No.

What do you mean, no?

Vi. Here, what we owe.

Frankie, Vi says can she trust me.

Tell her Frankie what

an honest hustler I am.

Frankie, I guess maybe

you could drop in once in a while.

Thanks, Molly-O.

(Sound of Traffic noises )

(Sound of Rumba band

playing on the radio)

How's that?

Real nice.

You should have heard what

I did with Perdido a little while ago.

Good, huh? I hope

the neighbours liked it too.

I'm very big with the neighbours.

They keep banging on the pipes to let

me know how much they appreciate it.

I won't let it go

to my head though.

Well keep playing drums at five am;

you'll see what goes to your head.

You slip me a smile,

I might give you my autograph.

You won't have to fight your way

through the bobby-soxers to get to me.

I bet those bobby-soxers

go for you, at that.

Ah.

You tired?

But in a very nice way.

I've been feelin' good all night.

I joined the Musicians Union today.

Schwiefka loan you the money?

Him.

Who did?

Nobody. I'm gonna' hock the drums.

Oh, Frankie. No.

I got it figured out pretty good.

When I get a job I'll take an

advance, I'll get the drums out again.

Meantime I'll use a practice pad.

You should have asked Schwiefka.

Haven't even seen him.

You didn't go the work?

I've been practicing here all night.

I quit the game Molly.

It wouldn't have hurt you

to wait a coupla' days Frank.

I wanted to quit.

I'm quitting a couple of things.

Is it bad?

Not too bad.

You shouldn't have started again.

Who knows why

I started in the first place?

I guess in the beginning

it grew on me for kicks.

Louie gave me my first shot for nothin'.

I thought I could take it or leave it alone.

So I took it and I took again and again.

One day Louie wasn't around.

I nearly went crazy till I found him.

Oh, I was sick.

I was so sick.

You can't be that sick and live.

That's why I knew I was hooked.

There was a forty-pound

monkey on my back.

The only way to get along with a load

like that is to keep leaning on a fix.

(Molly starts sobbing)

Don't.

Don't.

I'm one of the lucky ones Molly.

I kicked it and I'm not too far hooked

to kick it again. I've had my last fix.

I mean it, Molly.

Tell me somethin. '

You think those bobby-soxers

will really go for me?

You can be such a ham.

Yeah maybe I'll get Sparrow

a job with the orchestra.

Or when I can put enough

money together I can get Zosh

into a real good hospital,

so she can walk and dance again.

And then maybe.

(Loud knocking on door)

Who is it?

Schwiefka, open up.

Just a minute.

Alright, alright where is he?

Good morning Mrs. Machine.

Frankie?

- Frankie where is he?

- What is it? What did he do?

What did he do? You know what he did.

He quit. No notice, no nothin'.

He sends word by that misfit that he's

through. I had to take the slot myself.

Where is he?

Oh, he wasn't at the game?

Would we be looking for him all over, if

he was at the game? He eats my bread,

six years he eats my bread. He gets

put away I sent you money regular.

He gets out, I give him his job back.

- Shut-up.

- What do you mean, shut-up?

Shut-up. Do you think it was easy

talkin' fellas' like Williams and Markette

up to a two-bit game like yours, huh?

Louie, Louie I.

- I sold them on Frankie.

- Why are we getting' excited?

They're fat in the pocket

and hungry for action.

We finally get a chance to score big,

and you lose the dealer.

Look Louie, I swear, I swear

when Markette and Williams come

the dealer will be there.

Or a player just as good.

There ain't none as good.

Why didn't you offer him more money?

- A piece of the play.

- From your end or mine?

What's the difference who's end?

Do you expect me to stand here

and argue about pennies?

Your end.

Look, I'm a musician.

Well how does it feel?

Well, it feels like. You'd better hang on

to my arm or I'll go up like a balloon.

I'm a musician. Hmm Hmm.

Where are we going?

I don't know, but

I want to buy you somethin'

Oh, no.

I gotta' spend some money or I'll bust.

How about one of those in green?

Frankie.

Maybe a colour TV set.

Go on.

Would you look at this production?

And only for cookin'.

Now who would want a thing like that?

Boy, it's goofy, huh?

It's pretty, huh?

I wonder what he does for a living?

Him?

Well, must make a nice dollar.

Look the way he dresses her.

- A kitchen like that.

- I notice he don't help her none though.

I bet he didn't even marry the girl.

Look at that she ain't even

wearing a ring on her finger.

She takes it off

when she cooks, maybe.

And he's tired after a hard day's work.

Alright, so let him sit there, but at least

he could talk to her once in a while.

He doesn't have to sit there with

his nose buried in a magazine.

I would talk to her.

What would you say?

Oh, I'd say how you been?

How did it go today? What's for supper?

Steak. Steak's for supper

and everything went fine today.

Steak? Good. Now how about

you and me stepping out tonight,

after we eat?

Why don't we just stay home?

Turn on some music?

Yeah. I like that better. We'll just

stay home and turn on some music.

I wish it was Monday, already.

Hi Zosh.

Oh, where you been? Schwiefka

was here and said you quit him.

- Where you been?

- Look.

- Why did you quit him?

- I got a try out on Monday.

And if the bandleader

likes the way I play, I'm hired.

Frankie. Go tell Schwiefka

you was foolin', you'll deal.

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