To Please a Lady Page #5

- A hundred bucks a show.

I've been saving every dime.

I'm gonna drive with the big cars...

...and what you wrote about me

doesn't go with them.

So I'm warning you,

lay off of me in the future.

You're warning me?

You'd better listen to what I'm saying

or I'll knock that smile off your face.

Knock it off.

That's what I'd expect from you.

The guys you run around with

wouldn't do that?

It's time somebody

roughed you up a little.

I can handle you, baby.

You're just another dame to me.

Miss Forbes has been

trying to get hold of you all day.

- Has she?

- Where have you been?

- Is that Gregg?

- You'd better get in there fast.

I wanna talk to you.

Hello, Regina. Something bothering you?

Why did you put in

this blast about Brannan?

- You told me to do an item on him.

- I didn't say to write a book.

- It's just a paragraph.

- It's what's in it.

You sneer at him for being in a

thrill circus, how low can a guy get?

You ask if he's trying to break

his own neck to make up for Trenton.

That's cheap, Gregg. It hurts the column.

We crucified him once. There's no need

to run him into the ground.

Could there be something personal

in this?

Personal? Why, you...

I don't wanna talk to anybody.

I've only seen the man twice in my life.

Twice? Only once, surely, at Newark.

Where'd you see him again?

I meant twice at Newark,

before the race and after.

This is poor reporting.

He's not with Chitwood

and his daredevils anymore.

Where's he gone?

I don't know.

- How many times has this car run?

- Just once. Langhorne.

She finished sixth

on account of a faulty fuel pump.

Bumped out at Indianapolis

last day of qualifying.

Yeah, I know.

That's where I fell in love with her.

I saw your ad. That's why I'm here.

Well, she's a tubular frame,

torsion-bar suspension...

...Norden steering, Rudge hubs,

Conzi quick-change rear end.

And she's got all the latest gadgets.

She's my baby.

Did you ever see a prettier chassis?

No. If she could cook, I'd marry her.

This car was built for me.

Say, didn't you drive

at Indianapolis one time?

Twice. I drove a Miller.

I would like to have this car

for that 100-mile race at Greengrove.

- You could win with her.

- Yeah, that's what I think.

If I bought her, could I do my tuning

here? I've got no place of my own.

- Sure, you can sleep here if you like.

- Would you lend me a pit crew?

I'll do better than that.

I'll go myself. I love this car.

I want to see her win.

Well, I've got $ 7000, cash.

Well, the price is 10.

You take the 7 now and I'll pay

you the rest after Greengrove.

- Suppose you don't win?

- I'll win.

If I don't, you can take back the car

and keep the money I paid you.

I'll give you a fairer deal than that.

I remember your name now.

- Brannan, isn't it?

- That's right. Mike Brannan.

Well, you were driving midgets

for a while.

You got a lot of publicity too,

didn't you?

Yeah, I got some more today.

- I get around, don't I?

- So does that column of yours.

Would you like to hit me again?

- Would it do any good?

- No.

Did you lose something?

- What are you doing here?

- They told me you were walking the track.

- I mean in Illinois?

- I came to see tomorrow's race.

- You've no interest in racing.

- No, but my sponsor has.

- Who's he?

- Magnum Oil.

- Most of the cars are running on it.

- Well, I'm not.

- Look, about that crack in the column...

- Oh, save your breath.

- You're going to listen. L...

- Hold it.

Back up. Go on. Further back.

- I didn't write it.

- It was under your name.

- It got in without my seeing it.

- Further back. Hold it.

- I'll bet. Now, come this way.

- I don't get this.

Never mind. Just keep moving. Come on.

Well, yeah, but what are you doing?

Look at your heels sink in there.

Doesn't that tell you something?

- It tells me I'm ruining a good pair of shoes.

- Well, you can afford them.

Look at that soft spot

just where I'll be gunning into the turn.

That's what I'm doing,

looking for soft spots.

Figuring where the sun will be

and where the wind will hit me.

Well, this is okay.

I'll stay close to the rail. Give me

six feet and I can get through anywhere.

And without dynamite

on your bumper, huh?

If you've said all you came to say,

why don't you go?

- This is a mile track. I'm not halfway yet.

- Go ahead. I'm not stopping you.

If you wanna get in some guy's hair,

go find someone else.

Yeah, but I like being in yours.

- What's the matter?

- Lf you can spare me, I'll go back.

I broke a heel.

You'll ruin your socks.

Come here.

All the soft spots aren't on the track.

Well, you keep your mind

on the ones that are.

What are your chances tomorrow?

Skip tomorrow.

Where do you go after that?

- Springfield.

- Where after Springfield?

You're just trying to keep my mind

on the race, aren't you?

Well, after that,

it's the Indiana Fairgrounds...

...Milwaukee, Salem,

and the season closes at Syracuse.

That's when I break training.

Wanna make a date?

You figure everything, don't you?

Everything.

Goodbye.

The pace car is bringing them around

in the parade lap...

...coming through the turn,

for that 90-mile-an-hour start.

Eighteen of them all tuned up

and raring to go.

They're crowding the pace car.

These leadfoots can't wait.

And there they go.

Mashing down on those throttles,

it's a dogfight right from the gun.

Every man for himself

as they jockey that first turn.

There's Number 17 going up on the inside.

Mike Brannan pouring it on. He's moving up.

Chuck Leighton in Number 19 shaking

loose, going up with the front men.

And the battle for first place is really on.

They're jamming into the backstretch.

It's Leighton, Brannan, and number 54...

...setting the pace

and the rest howling after them.

They're still sorting themselves

out down the backstretch.

Going in the turn, it's Leighton taking

his Cannonball Special into the lead.

Coming through wide open,

grabbing inches where they can.

These boys ain't fooling.

They really mean it.

Making the fur fly from the start,

all of them buttoned down and barreling.

Chuck Leighton, Johnny Probeck in 54,

Brannan in 17, Duane Carter in 98.

Then it's 14, 22, 27

as they come past the grandstand.

But they're swapping places all the time.

Brannan's gained on Johnny Probeck.

He's taking 17 into second spot.

Nope, there's Bob Sweiker

coming up in number 14.

He's trying to go by Brannan

on the outside.

He can't quite make it.

He's falling away.

And it's Johnny Probeck going into

the lead with that new Walker Special.

Mike Brannan grabs second place,

not a half a length behind.

This is gonna be a high-speed brawl

all the way, folks.

Everybody's rolling. Anybody wants

to stay in front, he's gotta go.

Probeck's got the lead, but Brannan's

liable to move him over anytime.

He's got three red-hot chauffeurs

on his tail.

- They're jamming in there behind Brannan.

- He's pretty good.

- He's good if he can stay up there.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes