Trapeze Page #5

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Ready?

Hear them? That's for you.

- Shall I go again?

- You know Mike.

Better stick to what we rehearsed.

- Nice style, the boy.

- Not bad.

The last time I saw Mike work was the

night he fell. Good to see him back again.

Gee, Mike, that was great.

Just like old times.

Hey, that ain't in the act.

- You shouldn't have done that.

- It was worth it. Listen to them.

Just one photograph, please.

Quite still.

Is this how you spell Orsini?

Tomorrow we sign a contract.

All three. I count on your loyalty.

Hey, Mr. North. Look here, remember me?

Sure I remember you.

Madison Square Garden.

America has everything so big,

you must be short of dwarfs.

Dwarf acts are well liked in America.

Times change,

but you're a born professional.

- That's what I like.

- Certainly.

Professionals can always come back,

like Mike Ribble.

Mr. John! I was hoping

you'd be here tonight.

Well, you look in good shape, boy.

Fine, fine. Tell me,

how did you like the boy?

I was watching the girl after I found out

I wasn't gonna see a triple.

You would have if the act

wasn't overcrowded.

Knowing you, Mike,

how did she ever get there?

Tino! Come here. I want you

to meet someone. Mr. John Ringling North.

- A pleasure, Mr. North.

- Hello, Tino.

- Mike says you've got a triple in you.

- We'd like to show it to you.

Show me in the next three weeks,

and I'll take it to New York.

Ribble and Orsini. I've kept that contract

on ice a long time for you, Mike.

Hello, Monsieur North.

Comment allez-vous?

I didn't hear my name mentioned.

Can you do a triple?

Can you?

Tino, the parade's starting!

- I'll be right back. Lola...

- Oh, don't touch me now. Don't touch me!

I'll talk to Mike. I'm sure we can

work out something. Lola, please...

Go with Mike to New York.

That's what you want.

- Lola...

- Parade!

Lola...

I'll talk to Mike.

It doesn't matter what anyone says

to Mike. Can't you see?

He's jealous.

He knows I... I love you.

The fortune-teller was right.

Lola...

Oh, Tino.

He saw it from the start.

Right from the start he saw

he might lose the only life he has.

The life you give him.

It frightens me to think

what he could do to us, Tino.

You are the flier.

You make the act.

You must make the decisions.

- Goodbye, Mr. John.

- Parade!

- Where's Tino?

- I don't know. I didn't see him.

Tino! Tino!

Where is that boy?

Tino! Tino!

Tino!

Tino! Lola!

Tino! Lola!

Ribble! Get your chariot out of the way.

Take it out of the parade, Mike. When you

get your act together, join in at the rear.

Everybody in position!

Hurry up. Hurry up.

Back. Back.

Two by two. Right and left.

All the acts together, right and left.

Try 'em anytime.

Take 'em home for the weekend.

I think you should.

I'm sorry about the horse, Rosa.

- Mike is trying to sell me on the snakes.

- She'd be great with a snake act.

What about our act? Why are you

so anxious to get rid of Lola?

- It's easy to get rid of Lola.

- Look, Mike...

- I've decided...

- Ribble and Orsini.

- We teamed up right here.

- What...

Or Orsini and Ribble. However you put it,

it's the same. Till she came along.

- She didn't change anything for me.

- You?

She's not interested in you, me

or the act. Just Lola, that's all.

The more you give, the more she'll want.

She's ruined acts before.

- You can't even begin to see her clearly!

- I can see you, though.

I see you forgetting to check the rigging,

missing parades.

Next, you'll duck practice. You'll think

of her in the middle of a triple and lose it.

I think about her all the time.

Just like I think about the triple.

Tino, listen to me. You're

the only man living who can get the triple.

But her, Tino. Anybody can get her. Can't

you understand? Anybody can get her!

Shut up!

I'll work with you, Mike. I'll work

for the triple until my hands burn off.

But you force me to choose

and I'll leave you.

I want Lola most of all, because I love her.

And she loves me.

Mike, you can't keep that boy

locked to the trapeze.

Let him dream a little.

- There goes the triple.

- He'll come back to it.

- Give him time.

- It's too late. You heard him.

Oh, how blind can you be?

It is not Tino she wants to fly to. It is you.

- What did you say?

- It is not Tino she loves.

It is you.

How do you know?

Mike, haven't I been

through the whole trick myself?

Shouldn't I know?

- I hope you're right, Rosa.

- I know I'm right.

Because if you are,

you've just given me the triple.

- Three eight.

- I checked it.

My passport says three foot

seven and a half. Now three eight?

Maybe the tape is short.

Bouglione saves money on everything.

I can't understand it. None of my family

is over three foot six. It embarrassed me.

- Now three foot eight?

- Bend at the knees. No one will know.

- Good morning.

- Mademoiselle.

For five days a contract has been on

my desk. Nobody comes to sign it. Why?

You should speak to Mike Ribble.

You suppose I did not see him

with Ringling North?

Then speak to Tino.

I am very unimportant.

Do not play games with me. I put you in

the act. I count on you to keep it for me.

I owe you nothing. Someday I send you

a postcard from New York.

Mike takes you to New York?

You have a lot to learn about him.

So? I think he has already learned much

about me, and now we get on very well.

For an ambitious girl you surprise me.

Tino is the act. Tino is your meal ticket.

Without Tino you have nothing.

Remember that.

I will not forget, monsieur.

Otto, I think maybe

you'd better catch the boy.

Mike and I, we are friends.

I wait until his leg drops off.

- Had enough, Mike?

- North's due any day, Tino.

We've got to show him that triple.

Now, let's give it another try.

Tino, has Mike said

any more about New York?

No, but he said he's got

a new trick for you.

Are you gonna show me a triple or not?

Sorry, Mike. Next swing.

Your timing's way off.

Your mind's not on your work.

Take the day off. Figure out what you

did wrong. Tomorrow we make it perfect.

Come on, we'll work on a new trick.

- What we try?

- A pirouette back to the bar.

You are joking.

I am not ready for a pirouette.

Why not? You wanna be a flier, don't you?

A bird's nest across and a pirouette back.

All right.

Hup!

Mike, be fair. Let them alone.

- You brought it up.

- Mike...

Mind your business.

All night long, you hardly talked.

Is something wrong?

There's nothing wrong. I talked.

We talked a lot about the act.

When we're together,

I want to talk about you.

Oh, Lola, I don't wanna t...

It's getting late.

It's so good to be alone with you.

Just the two of us.

Three shows today,

three shows tomorrow. I am tired.

You must be tired too.

We work hard.

- Suddenly you're so tired.

- Oh, don't be angry, Tino.

Let things happen in their own time.

When could there be a better time?

Lola, we're in love with each other.

Oh, not now, Tino. Please.

Please, you must let me go.

Good night now.

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