Torch Singer Page #4

Sure.

Thanks.

Mike, what happened?

Well, I was just

a plain fool, that's all.

You see, I had to leave

for China in a hurry.

Instead of marrying

her then and there

and taking her with me,

I went alone.

Then, when I did write, asking

her to join me, I got no reply.

My letters were returned. No

such person known living there.

You know, I'd give anything

if I could find her.

I'll try again, old man.

Mr. Cummings sent

these letters over.

All right, Dolly,

that's swell. Thanks.

Read them out.

Sugar, looks to me like

you've gotten to be famous.

You bet your life.

Known from coast to coast

as "Everybody's Auntie!"

"My dear Aunt Jenny.

"My nephew and I are crazy

about you on the radio.

"Your voice comes over

like a million dollars.

"I would dearly love

to meet you sometime.

"Hopefully, Uncle Edgar. "

"Dear Aunt Jenny.

I am a little girl.

"I am five years old.

"I like you, Aunt Jenny. You

sing pretty, too, Aunt Jenny.

"Well, goodbye,

Aunt Jenny. Sally. "

That one's kind

of sweet, ain't it?

Let me see.

"Dear Aunt Jenny... "

That's enough.

Never mind. Never mind.

Hello.

Hello.

I'm looking for

a little girl named Sally.

My name is Sally.

What's your name?

My name's Aunt Jenny.

Did you get my letter,

Aunt Jenny?

Yes, darling.

I used to have a little girl

once whose name was Sally.

Was she black

like me, Aunt Jenny?

Darling, it was so long ago,

Aunt Jenny wouldn't remember.

Guess what I've got here.

Candy.

That's right.

Would you like some?

Aunt Jenny, that's swell.

Aunt Jenny,

will you tell me a story?

Yes, darling.

You bet I will.

Now, let's see.

Once upon a time...

Keep the party clean,

whatever you do.

Mimi! Hello!

Boy, are we having fun!

Listen, kids, listen.

I've got to broadcast,

and I'm so darned tired now.

Be nice and

clear out, would you?

Come on,

don't be like that.

We want to stay!

Yeah, we want to stay.

All right, then stay.

I don't want to

seem inhospitable,

but as long as you're here

there'll be no broadcast.

Well!

Let's go down to 22. We've been

put out of better places than this.

That's a very good idea.

Come on, everyone.

Hello, Tony!

Hi, Tony!

Say, you'd better be careful.

We just got thrown out.

What's happened?

What's the matter?

Come on, kids. Say, how

does she get that way?

Where's Mimi?

When they get famous,

they all get that way.

Never mind, forget it. We'll have

a lot of fun before the day is over.

Hello, Tony.

What's the matter, dear?

I had a shock

this afternoon, Tony.

One of those

letters you sent over

was from a little

girl named Sally.

Well, what about it?

That was the

name of my kid.

All of a sudden you remember

you're a mother.

Well, strange as

it may seem to you,

I've never forgotten it.

I gave her up four years

ago completely and forever.

Those were the conditions.

I've lived up to them.

But now I've got to

do something about it.

Tony, I didn't

realize it at first,

but every time

I broadcast, maybe...

Maybe I'm talking

to my own kid.

That letter today signed

Sally, don't you see?

I'm sorry, Mimi dear.

If you're suggesting

using the radio

as a means of

finding your child,

it can't be done.

It's out of the question.

Well, what do you mean?

Don't you understand?

You're a torch singer.

I'll give it up. Carlotti can

find someone else to take my place.

I'll tell him tonight.

Even if you give it up,

you're still Mimi Benton.

I'm sorry, dear.

I hate to be so

blunt about it,

but business is business.

You understand that, Mimi?

I see.

All right, Miss Benton.

That's what I am?

Just a voice.

All right, Tony,

a contract's a contract.

I'll never do anything

to embarrass you,

but I'm going

to find my kid.

And now I have

a surprise for you.

I don't know of anything that little

girls and boys love so much as a birthday,

so Aunt Jenny has plans

for a birthday club.

Right here

on the table beside me

there's a great big hat

filled with hundreds of names.

I'm going to

close my eyes tight,

and I'm going to draw the name

for our first birthday club.

Just a moment now.

Here we are.

And what name do you suppose

Aunt Jenny has drawn?

Sally!

I want all the little

girls named Sally

to write in and tell

me their birthdays.

That's very important,

and don't forget

your addresses,

because you're

going to get a doll.

Aunt Jenny's going to have

a special doll made,

just the loveliest

doll you ever saw.

And now, my darlings, I'm

going to sing you a little song

that I used to know

a long time ago.

Don't be a crybaby

You've nothing to lose

But the boogeyman will get you

Hey, Mickey,

let's go out and play.

Starting to sing the blues

Don't be a crybaby

Whatever may be

'Cause I never will desert you

Nothing's going to hurt you

You can depend on me

You can depend on me

You can have me

But you must be mine alone

Give me liberty

or give me love

You've been kind of strange

Why the sudden change?

Do you want somebody new?

I'd be glad to share

All of your grief and care

Sally!

But never will

I ever share you

I'll be all your own, dear

Yours to have and hold

and call your own, dear

You can have me if you want me

But you must be mine alone

Give me liberty

or give me love

Mimi Benton!

Give me liberty or love

Where you going?

Where do you think?

Come in.

Well, look who's here!

I hear you've been away.

The trip must have done you

a world of good.

You look simply swell.

Sally.

So you remember the name!

Do tell me about China.

It's a beautiful country,

I hear.

Is it so, or is it so and so?

What's happened

to Sally Trent?

Sally Trent?

Let me think.

Please stop acting.

You know I loved you.

Oh, no!

I can't believe that Michael

Gardner, Boston's gift to China,

could ever have loved that

shabby little chorus girl.

Well, I'll tell you

what happened to her.

While you were touring China,

she went through hell!

It's a nice place.

You must go there someday.

It's all right, Mike.

I got along without you then, and

I can get along without you now.

Darling, listen to me.

I love you a thousand times

more than I ever did before.

Does that mean

anything to you?

Yes, indeed!

There's nothing this world needs

so much as love, love, more love!

What do we talk about now?

I want to hear

about you, Sally.

Aren't you nice?

There isn't anything a woman likes

as well as talking about herself,

especially when

there's so much to tell.

Let me see, now.

Oh, yes,

I changed my name.

I got sick of being Sally Trent,

so I switched to Mimi Benton.

It's a nice name,

don't you think?

And then... Oh, yes,

I almost forgot to tell you.

I had a baby, not that

you'd be interested.

Yes, I had your child

in a charity ward!

I kept her with me

until things got so bad

I was afraid what

might happen to her.

Well, why didn't

you go to my family?

I thought of that, too.

Miss Agatha Alden of Beacon

Hill wasn't interested.

So I took her back where we

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