Portrait of a Stripper (1979) - full transcript
The touching portrayal of a young mother (and dance student) who travels to California after the death of her husband. In order to pay the bills she takes up burlesque dancing. To her ...
(CAMERA CLICKING)
(INAUDIBLE)
You're going to work today?
-What?
-You're going to work again
today?
You ask me that every day!
I'm not telling.
What do you think? I'm just
gonna ask you every day.
You ask me that every day,
and every day
I give you the same answer.
Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Oh!
-You been studying?
-Have I been studying?
Yes, I've been studying.
So hard.
-I've been studying so hard...
-How hard? How hard?
Oh, every day.
For hours and hours and hours.
Really, I swear.
-Fine? Okay, do me.
-Okay.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Get upstairs! Now!
You'll be late.
Go on, go on, go on!
School! Get going!
"Name the differences
in market value,
assessed value,
"insurance value
and liquidation value."
-I haven't read that part yet.
-Sounds important.
And I thought selling
an estate was gonna be fun.
Boy, was I wrong!
All you got to know about
mainly is, like, points and
escrow and stuff like that.
Oh, is that all?
I am not ready
to take this exam.
You'll be fine.
Besides, real estate's
better work.
Working in a nightclub
is lousy work.
You're never home.
So, now I have to be
a real estate agent
in sensible shoes.
There's good money
in real estate.
There's good money in dancing.
Here's one for ya.
Two definitions
of valued designations.
Um...
Oh, Mark,
will you give me a break?
I promise I will study and
I'll try to pass this exam.
But just don't forget,
it's only in case
my career goes sour.
I mean, I think I need
to be a dancer, remember?
You gotta get down on your
agent. Tell her you want
more jobs in the day time.
Jill got me a dance interview
today.
But if I get it,
it's night work again.
At least what I have now
is steady work
and it's good money.
Come on, come on.
Bus time, let's go. Hurry up.
Put that book down.
Let's go.
Mark...
I'm sorry I'm not like
every other mother.
That's not
what I'm talking about.
(SIGHS) I know.
I know I'm not home enough.
That's what I'm talking about.
Oh, Mark, I love you!
I promise it won't be
like this all the time,
okay?
Hope not.
It won't.
Here...
Milk or juice. No soda.
And give me
the bubblegum.
-What bubblegum?
-I know you got it.
Give it to me right now.
And don't give Ruthie
a tough time tonight.
And, please get some sleep.
A little sleep tonight.
-Okay. Definitely maybe.
-Oh...
So long, Mom.
Have a good day.
I love you!
(CLICKING)
(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
WOMAN: Good. Good.
Do some stretching,
we're gonna do an adagio next.
What's the problem, Susie?
Oh...
My arabesque
still seems a little shaky.
Oh, I think you're being
too hard on yourself.
Just keep working.
You're doing very well.
Okay?
Oh, um...
I have a favor to ask of you.
Uh...
I have a really important
audition today and... Oh!
I was wondering if I could
leave a little early.
-All right, you can go.
You're done.
-Thank you.
All right, children, let's go.
All right.
-Susie...
-What?
The audition's
been called off.
-(SIGHS) Oh!
-Too bad, huh?
I thought you said there were
a lot of jobs for dancers
in this town.
There'll be other auditions.
Yeah, call for six
and 60 show up.
Could I borrow a dime?
What!
You know all the tricks,
don't you?
Your job pays well,
doesn't it?
Yeah. I'm just trying
to find something else,
you know.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-Lori...
WOMAN: Good morning.
-Hi. Hi, Jill.
It's Susie Hanson.
-Hi, Susie.
Um, anything today?
Not so far.
Call me later, though.
Okay, well,
you know I'm up for grabs,
I'll... I'll do anything.
I'll be a bowler
or a ballerina. (LAUGHS)
Just make sure
to keep in touch.
-I have a lot of calls now.
-Thanks.
-Okay?
-Okay.
-Bye.
-Bye.
(SIGHS IN DISAPPOINTMENT)
Temple, Benjamin.
Watch that back, Sandra.
Head up.
-Hey! Mr. Parkins!
-Hey, Ruthie, how's school?
Oh. Okay.
Hey, you gotta give me
another joke.
All right. Real quick one.
Why does an elephant
have wrinkles?
I don't know.
Why does an elephant
have wrinkles?
You ever tried to iron one?
Come on.
-(LAUGHING)
-I don't. Susie!
-Oh, hi. Perfect timing.
-Come on, we're late.
-Come on, babe.
-Okay. Listen, um...
This check is for
Mr. Andretti, it's the rent.
He'll be by this evening
to get it.
Uh, food's in the fridge.
And Mark should be home
by 4:00.
-Okay, you got it.
-Great.
Susie, if we're late
one more time,
neither one of us
will ever get a paycheck.
Okay, okay!
Now don't forget Mr. Andretti.
And please see that
Mark gets just a little sleep.
A little.
-Okay, you got it.
Don't worry. (LAUGHS)
-Bye.
PARKINS: I don't know, Susie.
You and your money problems.
Nobody said you had
to live at the beach!
Oh, yeah.
With Mark's allergies,
we gotta live at the beach.
He needs fresh air.
Then you're spending
all that extra money
for Mark's fancy schooling.
I know. I know.
It does add up.
Why don't you put Mark
in public school?
Until things ease up.
You have to cut down
somewhere along the line.
You have to
put some money aside
for a rainy day.
Ah, come on.
I heard it never rains
in Southern California.
Yeah, that's what
some people say,
but I know differently.
What's the matter, sir?
Did the waitress say something
you didn't like, huh?
I mean, the show's gonna start
in five minutes.
I'll see you later
in the week, right?
Hi, hi, come on in.
We've got a first-time-ever
afternoon show.
Watch your step.
Gentlemen, good you're playing
this afternoon. We're gonna be
so bad tonight.
-I got a beautiful spot
for you right over here.
-Smile for the camera.
Right over here.
Perfect view of the action.
Back there.
Oh, sure, absolutely.
Come on, right back here.
Beautiful table. Can't miss
anything up on the...
Oh, yes, exactly.
That's always
where I sit myself.
How about a drink?
Vodka on the rocks.
You got it. Show's gonna start
in a few minutes.
You sit back, enjoy yourself.
(DRUMROLL)
(APPLAUSE)
Welcome!
Welcome to the wonderful,
fabulous Club Versailles.
The only and one last
stronghold left
of all burlesque
in all of Southern California.
-(CROWD WHOOPING)
-Young lady,
-I see you've been
at the beach.
-Yeah.
-And a lobster bit
one of my toes.
-Really? Which one?
I don't know.
I can't tell one lobster
from the other.
(LAUGHING)
All right, all right,
all right.
Without any further ado,
-or without any further
a-don't...
-(DRUMROLL)
Let me introduce
our opening act.
The voluptuous,
the vivacious,
Veronica!
-(CROWD APPLAUDING
AND WHISTLING)
-(SULTRY MUSIC PLAYING)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
(CAMERA CLICKING)
(CAMERA CLICKING)
-(SONG ENDS)
-(APPLAUDING)
Terrific, terrific, terrific!
Oh, what a girl!
What a girl!
You should see my girl.
I went to pick her up
the other night,
and she came down the stairs
snapping and barking
at automobile tires.
-(CROWD LAUGHING)
-She insisted that I take
the top down on my car.
It wasn't even a convertible!
Now, let me introduce
the next dancing artist,
the lovely, the delectable,
Donna!
-(APPLAUSE)
-(CARIBBEAN MUSIC PLAYING)
-(DIAL TONE BEEPING)
-I must drop half my salary
at this payphone!
I swear, Ruthie must have
been born with a telephone
in her ear!
Don't panic,
just call 'em later.
Well, he was telling me
the teacher's down on him
and he kept falling asleep
in class.
Well, there's nothing wrong
with that. I slept all the way
through high school.
-Oh, look at you now.
-Oh! (LAUGHING)
How is the little fellow?
Oh, I think he's fine. I hope.
It's just, with me working
at nights, I don't get to
see him much.
And then he waits up
for me and he doesn't get
much sleep. Ugh!
Well, If you really wanna
see him more, why don't you
invite him to the club?
I mean, I think he'd like it.
I wanna see more of him,
I don't want him to see
more of me.
Oh, come on, I mean,
making him think
you work at an elegant
nightclub is better?
-(GRUNTS)
-Absolutely.
Well, if I remember correctly,
mothers lying to their
little kids isn't good.
It warps their personality.
Well, I was hoping
to get a job dancing,
so I wouldn't have to tell him
anything at all.
Oh, come on! Level with him,
you know. You're not doing
anything wrong.
(DIAL TONE BEEPING)
You're talking about a kid
whose big dream is to have
his mom sell real estate!
-Real estate?
-(SIGHS)
I used to know a guy
who worked in real estate
who sold cemetery plots.
(GIRLS MOCKING)
Susie, I caught you
out front, you were terrific!
Yeah? Great!
-But...
-Oh, "but". With you
there's always a "but".
What do you think
I'm here for, girl?
I am here to teach you ladies
to go bumping the night.
And, Susie, you still bump
when you should grind.
I'm working on it.
I swear I am.
And, another thing,
and this goes for all of you,
you guys, you've gotta work
on top of the beat.
It'll help you work big.
-And one, and two...
-(CHEERING)
Oh, man!
Burlesque is the art
of exaggeration.
And for the 100th time,
pick out somebody
in the audience
and make eye contact!
-I did!
-And when you do,
let him have it all.
Virginia Ding-dong-bell
taught me that.
Didn't you say how you knew
everyone in burlesque?
And everybody knew us.
When I was working as
Crystal Fever,
-the boys used to be lined up
around the block.
-I bet.
-I was very big in Toledo.
-(LAUGHING)
I was big all out the Midwest.
-Sally, you was big, huh?
-Yeah, in the rear!
(LAUGHING)
That's better than you
anywhere.
Listen, if I put my mind to it
and ate
nothing but cottage cheese
for a couple of weeks,
-I could still knock them
out of their socks!
-PARKINS: My girl...
Have you been thinking
about going back?
Oh, I was really tickled
when Mel called me
to help out with you kids.
-But I am so happy
in Detroit...
-On a chicken farm?
Listen, those chickens
do not treat you wrong
like some guys I know.
-Chickens!
-What, what, what?
-Get on stage!
-Chickens! Chickens!
What do they do,
henhouse?
What do they do?
What do they do?
(WHOOPING)
And don't lay any eggs! Oh!
-(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
-(APPLAUSE)
"Does not meet our needs
at the present time."
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
It's open.
-Say, hey, Frankie!
-Hey, Randy!
What have you got for me?
I'm married to this broad
for three years,
she never ceases to amaze me.
-The idiot she goes with.
-Yeah.
You're too much.
What was that? Uh, $300?
$400, Randy.
$200 now, $200 when I get
the rest of the photos.
How did you get these shots?
Looks like you were
in there with them.
Goodbye, Randy.
Later.
(DOOR CLOSING)
(PHONE RINGING)
-Hello.
-Mr. Sterling?
Yeah, this is Sterling.
This is Frank Andrews.
Oh!
I expected to hear from you
several days ago.
Yeah, well, this work
takes time.
Well, what did you find out?
She's living in an apartment
in Venice.
Just she and her kid.
The kid is enrolled in
some sort of a special school
for very smart children.
Oh, yeah.
My grandson's a smart one.
And, unfortunately for you,
Mr. Sterling,
she seems to lead
a very clean personal life.
It took you two weeks
and $800 to find that out?
Well, I have found something,
Mr. Sterling.
Your daughter-in-law
is a stripper.
Come again?
She dances burlesque.
Four times a night
at a strip club.
I want photographs, Frank.
Well, I'm arranging for that.
I've also wired her place
for sound.
Good.
I knew I could count on you.
I'm gonna challenge her
for custody of the child,
Frank.
Well, you know
I'll do what I can,
but she's a dancer,
Mr. Sterling,
not a hooker.
Find me proof
she's morally unfit.
-I'll make it
worth your while.
-Yeah.
I'll call you later.
Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen.
And that concludes our show
for this evening.
Now, please...
Oh, that's nice, Charlie,
thanks. Can I have
some glasses, please?
PARKINS: ...in the afternoon,
so, please drop by and see us.
Goodnight, Charlie.
PARKINS: Nice.
Nice crowd, great show.
We must have 30 or 40 people
here tonight.
Still didn't learn
how to count, did you, Harry?
There were 22.
You know, if we keep this up,
we're gonna be packing them in
every night.
Pretty soon, all those
customers who have been
going to the porno houses
and all the topless joints,
they're gonna be
coming back here.
-Harry, you were always
a dreamer, you know that?
-Hmm.
Did you see the way
Sally was working
the girls tonight?
Harry, what difference
does it make?
We took in $257 tonight.
-257 bucks, that's not bad.
(LAUGHS)
-"Not bad."
It doesn't even help me
pay the band.
Well, don't pay the band
right away. They can wait.
They've waited before.
Harry, let me
tell you something.
You and Sally had a wonderful
idea, we were gonna have
an afternoon show here,
we tried it out,
it didn't work.
What do you mean
it didn't work?
You didn't give it a chance.
I don't have time
to give it a chance, Harry.
This place is eating me alive.
(INDISTINCT LAUGHTER
AND CONVERSATION)
Okay, let's get serious,
troops.
We gotta do this boogie right.
I can't believe
what I look like now.
Okay, the sooner we get it,
the sooner we get out of here.
Line, right, right.
And, a-one, a-two, a-three...
But Sally came all the way
from Detroit.
You said she's gonna work
with the girls, right?
-A-one, a-two...
-(PARKINS ARGUING LOUDLY)
MEL: Harry, I...
PARKINS: You don't want
the girls to hear.
-Why don't you tell them!
-Oh, Harry, you're making
a scene.
Don't walk away from me.
Don't walk away from me, you!
I want an explanation!
-I wanted to tell the...
-Tell the girls what, Mel?
Yeah, yeah.
Tell the girls what, Mel?
Go on, tell the girls!
Tell them that
you sold the club
to these guys from Chicago.
-Mel! When?
-Last night.
I mean, what am I gonna do
otherwise? I've gotta
shut the doors for good.
Mel, you promised us a chance
to make this show work.
I came all the way here
from Detroit to work with
these girls!
-I know you did, Sally...
-Who'd you sell the club to,
huh?
-The Lollipop chain.
-Ugh!
But they promised me
nothing's gonna change.
Oh, "nothing's gonna change."
Mel, you weren't born
yesterday.
You know what those girls
have to do in those clubs!
Only thing worse
than those clubs
are carnival strippers.
Now that is the pits!
Please try to understand me,
will you, Sally?
I mean,
I can't even pay the rent
on this place anymore!
Nobody cares about a clean act
like at the Versailles.
-Your jokes are going over
like lead balloons.
-The jokes are...
And nobody cares
about dancers.
They wanna see bodies...
Bodies, Mel?
We show them bodies. You know
they don't wanna see bodies.
-They wanna see...
-But I can't fight it anymore!
Mel, you said we would
never have to work strong.
The club's not mine.
How about these guys
from Chicago?
Are they gonna keep us all on?
They promised they're gonna
take a good look
at everybody.
(LAUGHS) Yeah,
they'll take a good look.
I'm leaving.
Sally, no,
please don't do that.
No, stick around.
Now, maybe the new owners,
they'll like the new show.
Yeah, and maybe it'll snow
in July.
That's not fair, Sally.
What else could I do?
It's times like this
that a girl could use
a little champagne, you know.
Everybody, please, come on.
It's on the house.
Right, lasted
the really big spenders.
Sally, I wasn't trying
to sell you out.
-SUSIE: What are we gonna do?
-I don't know.
Maybe it'll all work out.
Look, I'm gonna
call you later.
Um, I gotta get home to Mark.
-Bye, bye.
-Uh, Susie?
Later.
(SIGHS)
Ruthie.
Ruthie? It's time to go.
-Everything okay?
-Yeah. It went great.
-Ah... Thanks. Okay.
-Yeah.
-Good night. (LAUGHS)
-You were awake?
-Well, sort of awake.
-It's a good thing
you live downstairs.
-Bye, bye. Good night.
-Good night.
-Hi, Mom.
-Hi.
Well, at least you got
some sleep.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Ah, just stuff at work.
Anything I can help with?
No.
No. The fact that you noticed
is enough.
I'm here. I've got all night.
(LAUGHS) Oh, no, you don't.
It's time to go to bed.
Come on.
It's bedtime. Let's go.
Give me a kiss. Come on.
Come on.
Good night.
MARK: Hi, Mom.
SUSIE: Hi.
Well, at least you got
some sleep.
MARK: What's wrong?
SUSIE: Um, nothing.
Just stuff at work.
MARK: Anything
I can help with?
SUSIE: No.
The fact that you noticed
is enough.
MARK: I'm here.
I got all night.
SUSIE: (CHUCKLES)
No, you don't.
It's time to go to bed.
Come on.
-Good night, Mom.
-Good night.
Okay, let's take it
from the top.
Let's have everyone
and then we'll do it
in two groups.
And if I select,
you give your name over
on the left.
All right. Places.
One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four,
five, six.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Okay, first group.
From the top.
A little brighter, Arthur.
One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four.
(CLAPPING) One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven. One!
Good. Have you stay. You stay.
Rest, thank you.
Group number two.
(CLAPPING) All right, come on.
That was good tempo. Again.
-One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven. One!
Okay. Have you stay. You stay.
The rest, thank you.
All right, all those selected,
let's take it
from the top again.
(CLAPPING) Come on.
And, one, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four.
Three, four. (CLAPPING)
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
(TV ANNOUNCER
TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
-(MARK COUGHING)
-Hey.
Hey, Mark, do me a favor
and get a glass of water,
all right?
Already had some.
Well, then, get a cough drop,
all right?
We don't have any.
Well, check your mom's room.
All right, let's see
what the new club
has to offer.
-Oh, look at this,
look at this.
-God!
They don't believe
in wasting time.
They just go ahead
and change the sign.
Oh, the Lollipop club!
No! I'm not going.
I'm not going!
-Just a little bit, come on.
-No, I can't do it.
We'll bowl them over,
let's go. Come on, come on.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
-(WHISTLING)
-PARKINS: Look at the size
of that ramp!
Wow! They must be loaded!
(CHEERING)
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Will you lighten up?
Come on.
We talked about this
in the car. Come on.
Listen, you go get dressed.
I'll try and find
the new boss.
(CHEERING AND WHOOPING)
-Boo! (LAUGHS)
-(EXHALES)
-This is so strange.
-Yeah. It's not my style.
Just so you should know,
I quit. I really quit.
They don't need me around
here anymore. I just stayed
to say goodbye to you.
Oh...
Promise I'll work again.
Yeah. And eat lots of chicken.
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
-(EXHALES)
-Welcome to the combat zone.
-It's so weird out there.
-There's more surprises.
-What do you mean?
-You better hurry up
the change.
They're walking in here
without checking.
Those creeps think
they own the joint.
-They do! (LAUGHS)
-I'm not kidding. Come on.
-Hurry up!
-What's the matter?
-Okay, you'll see.
-What are you doing?
Girls, uh, girls...
And that's Jackie, and...
Uh, this is Susie,
the youngest
of our little angels.
This is Mr. Vector.
He's your new boss.
You're a little
on the skinny side,
but I guess you'll do.
Susie's a great dancer.
I mean, she picks up
the classic routines fast.
Yeah...
Girls, uh, it's aloha time.
-Jackie.
-Mel. (LAUGHS)
-I'm gonna miss
your smiling face.
-Oh...
You take care of yourself.
-(SIGHS)
-Oh, Susie.
This is for your boy.
Gee!
Oh...
Now, I'm really sorry
that things didn't work out.
-But you remember,
we gave it a hell of a time?
-We sure did.
Where are you headed, Melski?
Oh, I'm going to Miami
by way of Vegas.
Why don't you just skip Vegas
and hold on to the money
they gave you?
-I'm going a couple of days
this time.
-That's all it takes.
(LAUGHS) What a jerk!
(EXHALES)
I think Mel's
kind of a nice guy.
Yeah, he might be.
The trouble is nice guys
finish last in this business.
Who finishes first,
Mr. Vector?
I do.
(SCOFFS)
Hey, Susie.
Come on, look at you.
You wear this relic
to this Star-House Ballroom?
-(SCOFFS) Wait a minute...
-What is that,
like a confirmation costume?
Come on, eighty-six that.
I'll take care of it for you.
Jackie, take a walk.
Go get acquainted
with the customers.
-(DOOR CLOSING)
-Excuse me.
Hey, now, there's gonna be
a lot of changes, all right?
Whoa, sugar, whoa, whoa, whoa!
You know something,
you were terrific out there.
You were a knock out.
But you're not done.
Yeah, hey!
I'm not kidding.
Remember I told you,
first on the stage,
and you go out there
and you meet the customers.
-All right? Okay.
-Okay.
Go on, go on.
You see? Lot of change, eh?
I thought we had
a really great show,
Mr. Vector.
Mr. Vector? Hey, come on.
Call me Steve, all right?
-Steve.
-Nice. Nice.
So, you think you...
Think you had a good show,
huh?
Come on, you got some
old geezer out there telling
tired elephant jokes.
You got some pretty girls,
but that's kids' stuff,
you know.
High school time.
I'm gonna be looking for
something a little different.
Come here.
Come here, come on!
-(DOOR OPENING)
-(CROWD CHEERING LOUDLY)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
Look.
That's Wendy.
That's Bonnie.
(LAUGHS) And that's Tracy.
Those three really know
the score. (LAUGHS)
Hey, you can do that.
(CROWD CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
Here.
You get dressed, all right?
I'll give you
a little privacy.
All right?
Then you go out there.
It's gonna be okay.
I promise you.
Susie...
Knock 'em out, hmm?
(CHEERING AND WHOOPING)
-Listen...
-(GASPS)
No, no. Go back!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Excuse me. Take it easy.
Have a drink on me. John.
Now, you listen.
I didn't like you
when I first met you,
and I like you even less now.
You watch your step
real close, kiddo.
Or you're gonna find yourself
bouncing down those front
stairs on an empty wallet.
(SNIFFLING)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
Let go of me!
-PARKINS: Hey! Susie! Susie!
-What...
I tried to stop him,
but he slipped
right out of my hand.
Here, take my coat.
Hey, tubbo, what the hell
is going on here?
Oh, Mr. Vector, uh, Susie,
she felt a little faint,
so she thought she'd better
get some night air.
In the middle of her act
she wants night air?
No, no, no, she said
she'd be back in time
for the next act.
Oh, boy, you've got
some club in there.
It's really hopping.
-That is one wacky broad!
-Yeah.
-All right, let's go.
-All right.
-Let's go!
-Yeah, all right.
Mark. Oh, Mark...
Oh... Oh, Mark!
Mark... Mark!
(PANTING) Mark?
Mark!
Mark! Mark!
(SOBBING)
(MARK COUGHING)
Mark...
Stay where you are.
Mark.
About the club...
About my job...
-I was gonna tell you.
-I don't believe you.
I was! Really!
I wouldn't lie to you.
You lied about the club.
I lied to you.
And I'm sorry.
You never lied to me before.
At least
I don't think you did.
I never lied to you before.
And I never will again.
Sure.
How did you get down here?
Mark, if I find out
that you were hitchhiking...
If I find...
-(TIRES SCREECHING)
-Mark!
Mark!
(COUGHING)
That was a really
stupid thing to do!
You could've
gotten yourself hurt!
Yeah, like you care!
Will you stop! Stop.
Look at yourself.
You make me sick!
I said that's enough.
That is enough,
I want you to stop.
How can you work
in a place like that?
It's so crummy!
Because we need the money!
Because I wanna keep
the apartment at the beach!
Because your school
is expensive!
Hey, I didn't ask
for that apartment
or no private school!
I want you to make something
special of your life!
Like you have?
Mark. Mark!
Mark, come back here!
(SIGHS)
(MARK CRYING)
(COUGHING)
Mom, would just please
leave me alone? Please?
(SNIFFLING)
I wanna go home.
I guess I don't care
if you dance at the club.
But, Mom, you didn't mean
to lie to me, did you?
Oh...
I love you.
Oh, Mark was so upset
last night.
I'm gonna quit.
How much did you pay
for these groceries?
-$58.
-Then you can't afford it.
I know I can't afford to,
but how am I going to...
Susie, you're alone.
You've got a kid.
That's a big responsibility.
You have no other choice.
Hell, you can always quit!
Just string Vector along.
-(SIGHS)
-And keep your back
to the wall. Come on.
Oh, well...
At least you'll be there.
No, no, I won't.
Vector gave me
my walking papers last night.
You're kidding!
No, I just don't fit
his image.
He thinks I would be
better off as a doorman
at Disneyland.
(PHONE RINGING)
-Yeah?
-Frank.
It's Walt Sterling,
I've been trying to reach you.
Oh, yeah, I'm sorry,
Mr. Sterling, I had some
prints in the soup.
Look, Frank, these photographs
you sent me are no good.
There's nothing compromising
in them.
I can't make my case
with these.
-Frank!
-Huh? What?
I can't make my case
with this stuff!
Oh, yeah, well,
Mr. Sterling, I think...
I think we're in luck.
The, uh...
The club where she works
has changed owners,
and they have this new policy.
It's a real dump now.
The girls have to dance nude.
They're totally naked.
I think I'll be able
to get the photographs
we need tonight.
Frank, I'm beginning
to be weary of your eternal
promises of something hot.
It's been three weeks.
You still haven't sent me
anything I can use!
I'm disappointed, Frank.
You came highly recommended.
Did you hear me?
I'm very disappointed!
Yes, I heard you.
I'm a photographer.
I'm not a house detective.
Oh, you're getting paid.
Get me what I want.
(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
I hate the fact that
you're talking to that man.
Don't worry.
Frank will get me what I need.
Well, don't fight Susie
for Mark.
Why don't you
just call her and try
and reach an understanding?
She won't talk to me.
She didn't even
leave a forwarding address
when she took off.
Well, can you blame her?
One evening she tells us
she's thinking of moving,
and the very next day
you're at your lawyer's,
making threats to Susan.
-I want custody of the boy.
-Oh!
Susan is a good mother
to Mark.
No Judge in his right mind
would give you custody.
Yeah, well,
let's just wait and see
what Frank comes up with.
What, nude pictures of her?
Do you think
anybody really cares?
Regret the day she ever came
into this family.
So, I rather imagine,
does she.
Hey, whose side are you on?
Well, there are no sides!
Remember, Susan was very good
for our Billy.
(GRUNTING) I always felt
she was partly responsible
for that accident.
Susan is the reason
Billy stayed alive
as long as he did!
He was
hell-bound to destruction
long before he married her.
I...
I thank the good Lord
every day that
he didn't take Susan and Mark
with him.
I'll never forgive myself.
Or you for failing him.
Well, it's a mistake
we're not gonna make
with Mark.
Don't you see that, Edith?
That's why I want him
here with us.
To care for him.
Away from Susan's influence.
Oh, Walt...
You are...
You are forcing our grandson
to make a choice.
A very big choice.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
What do you mean
taking off like that
last night?
Don't pull that again, ever.
I'm sorry.
Look, I like you.
-Work with me.
-(SIGHS)
A few days.
I'll take you out of here.
I'll set you up.
You and the kid.
It won't happen again.
All right.
-You're on next.
You all set?
-Right.
Okay.
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING
CONTINUES)
(APPLAUDING AND WHISTLING)
You were great.
You were beautiful.
A little more smile next time.
Now, I want you to meet
a friend of mine. All right?
Roy?
I quit!
(INDISTINCT
RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT)
-Hey, watch it!
-Ow!
Ow! (SNIFFLING)
Here.
-Thanks. Stupid litter box!
-Yeah.
Guess I must have looked
pretty dumb out there.
You were looking pretty good
there for a minute.
180s are my big problem.
Yeah.
You know, you ought to wear
a helmet and pads,
so you wouldn't get cut up.
-Next time.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Can you make it
to the water over there?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
-All right. Sure.
-(WINCING) Ouch!
-You live around here?
-No.
What do you do, anyway?
I'm a photographer.
Say, can we borrow your water
a minute?
-Let me see that.
-Ah...
You know, we just studied
photography in school.
And now we're moving
to solar energy.
Solar energy, huh? Thank you.
-Do you like it?
-Oh, yeah.
The trouble with
solar energy is
that, uh, the sun doesn't
always shine, you know.
That's why
every solar energy system
has to have a back-up system,
a conventional system,
what the engineers call
"redundant".
-Not to mention expensive.
-Mmm-hmm.
Did you go to college?
Yeah. North-Western.
What did you study?
Photography?
No, no, that came later.
Uh... Engineering, mostly.
Uh, math.
Astrophysics.
-Oh, you like space stuff?
-Yeah.
Yeah, that's what I wanna do.
But, also, like, oceanography
and solar energy.
So much to do,
but so little time
to do it in.
Yeah, I could do it all.
Oh, kid...
You okay?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
Hang on to those ideas,
you know, they're great.
The world is really full
of great things.
You mean, like photography?
Like photography.
Thanks a lot.
-So long.
-See you.
Uh, what's your name, anyway?
Frank.
-So long, Frank.
-(CAR HONKING)
Oh, hey, Mom!
Come on, I want you
to meet my Mom.
-Oh, no, I've to...
-Come on!
Okay.
Hey!
Hey, neat, Mom,
you're home early.
What happened to your leg?
Come over here.
-Oh, nothing.
-Ah, let me see,
let me see.
Frank, this is my mom.
Mom, that's Frank.
You'll like her.
Susie Hanson.
Frank Andrews.
This is okay.
Yeah, Frank cleaned it out
for me.
-Oh.
-Man, it hurt like...
(LAUGHS) Well, thank you
very much, we appreciate it.
How'd the interview go?
Great. Listen to this.
I'm up for a part
as a dancing raisin.
-A dancing...
-(LAUGHS) A dancing raisin.
Guess I, uh, better be off.
Well, thanks, again.
It was really terrific of you.
-It's okay. Glad to help.
-So long, Frank.
Maybe we'll see each other
again sometime.
Yeah, sometime. Bye.
MARK: I like him,
he's a nice guy.
SUSIE: Yeah, he seems to be.
MAN: Who's next? Um...
Susie Hanson. Okay.
Hi, Susie, how are you?
(LAUGHING)
-Nice to see you.
Look, I'm Frank, the director.
-Hello.
Uh, Steve. Steve.
Look, I'm auditioning here.
Sorry, girls.
Girls, one minute.
-Hi. Look, uh, this is
a cereal commercial, right?
-Right.
You are a raisin
popping out of a box.
-You dance around a little boy
eating cereal.
-Right.
Right, you are succulent.
(LAUGHS) Yeah.
You are ripe.
Give me some music, huh?
Let's see what you can do.
Okay.
Steve, dance along,
dance along.
-Girls, you can dance along
if you want. Okay.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
Uh-huh, now kick the legs.
Beautiful. Think raisins!
Perfect! Ah, perfect!
(WHOOPING)
Absolutely. Huh? Huh?
Okay, okay, cut it.
Thanks a million!
-Wow! Really nice.
We'll be in touch.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-We'll be in touch.
-Thank you.
You probably heard me
tell the other girl,
"a cereal commercial".
(WOMEN TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
-Um...
-Hello.
-Hi, uh...
-Frank Andrews.
-Right! Mark's friend.
-Right.
Oh. (LAUGHS)
-This is my friend Lori.
This is, um, Frank Andrews.
-Hi.
-How do you do?
-Fine.
-Oh, that's some camera!
-Yeah, I'm a photographer.
-Professional?
-Yeah, yeah.
Oh. Well, I gotta be going on.
Get his number. Bye, Susie.
-Oh, bye.
-Bye.
(STUTTERING) Say,
I'm just in the neighborhood,
taking some pictures,
you know, people and...
It's very hot,
and I'm in the mood
for a tall cool one,
and I wondered if you'd
like to have a drink.
Um...
Oh, I really shouldn't.
Mark is coming home from
school, and I gotta get home.
I know a great place,
it's just, you know,
just a couple of blocks...
-Oh, yeah?
-Yeah, very close.
Okay, sure.
Here. I think it's...
-Hi.
-Hi.
Would you like...
What would you like?
-Uh, just coffee.
-Coffee and a beer. We're
kind of in a hurry, okay?
So, Mark was telling me
that you went to North-Western
and, um...
Uh, you were into astrophysics
and stuff like that.
-Yeah.
-How did you get to be
a photographer?
I don't know.
I've always wanted to be one.
I drifted into it, you know,
like most people do.
Postponed it for a while.
-Do you mind if I smoke?
-Oh, no. No, no.
Um, is it hard to be
a photographer?
Well...
-It's not hard to photograph.
-Uh-huh.
I love photography.
It's what you have to do to
support your artistic habit,
you know. All those odd jobs.
Thank you.
Yep. I know about
stuff like that. (LAUGHS)
You know, I've always
wanted to be a dancer.
But I've had to take
all kinds of crazy jobs,
you know,
to pay for my lessons
and I was, um...
-Let's see,
I was a bank teller.
-Mmm-hmm.
I worked in a supermarket.
That was boring.
I worked in a gift store.
In fact, the only time
I wasn't dancing
and taking lessons
was when I was married
and had Mark.
But when my husband died,
I, um...
(STUTTERING) My husband died
in a car crash.
Anyway, when he died, I, uh,
I decided I was gonna get back
to my career seriously.
So, I got a job
dancing in a stock company.
That was my best job,
it was great.
I have been really going on
and on about myself!
Oh, I'm so sorry!
-It's okay.
-No! I asked you about you.
Oh, dear, let's see.
I really do wanna know
about you.
-I'm Mr. Boring.
-Oh, no.
Listen, I'm really interested
in what you do. Um...
What kind of pictures
do you like to take?
-I like to take, uh,
pictures of people, you know.
-Uh-huh.
As they are in their work.
Is it, uh,
difficult to support yourself
taking those kind of pictures?
(LAUGHS) It's impossible.
There aren't very many good,
you know, photography
magazines, and those that do
publish that kind of work
are...
They have their own favorite,
you know,
in-house photographers.
-Hmm, yeah.
-I got a stack of rejections
like that.
Oh, well.
The world doesn't understand
us struggling artistes.
Yes, they do. They just
don't want to pay us.
(LAUGHS) That, too.
-Um, I need...
-Uh...
-Oh.
-I'm sorry.
-Oh, no, I was just gonna ask
what time it was.
-Oh. It's, uh...
Yeah. I gotta go.
Mark's gonna be home
from school any minute.
Um...
Could I ask a favor of you?
Uh...
Do you think you could
take a picture of me
that I could use for
my commercial composite sheet?
Sure. Oh, not now! No, no, no.
-Oh, why not?
The light is terrific.
-Oh...
-Hmm? Wait a minute.
-Wait a second. Wait, wait.
Um, how much do you charge,
first of all?
Dinner, tomorrow night.
-(CAMERA CLICKING)
-I can't. I can't. I can't.
(LAUGHS)
Lunch.
-Okay.
-Okay?
-But, now? Wait a second.
(EXHALES)
-That's all right.
-Ah, this feels so weird!
Okay. How's that?
-(CAMERA CLICKING)
-(LAUGHS)
-Great.
I need a lot of
smiling pictures
for commercials, you know.
-You've got plenty of smiles.
-(LAUGHS) Okay, how's this?
Ah, good.
Now let's see what you got.
They're no good!
Is that an aesthetic judgment?
Well, they don't
show anything.
What I need is totally nude
shots, you know, with men.
Well, you know what I want.
(SIGHS)
What about the tapes?
Well, this is the best one.
(WAILING)
Something wrong
with that tape?
I'm surprised at you,
Mr. Sterling,
that's a whale singing.
(WAILING CONTINUES)
MARK: See, Mom?
That's the way whales
communicate with each other.
Each one of these songs
has a different meaning.
There are even songs
of distress.
If a baby whale is in danger,
the mother will warn her
by singing a certain song.
SUSIE: Whales are
a lot like people.
MARK: People should be
more like whales.
See, like,
whales don't pollute.
They don't kill
for the pleasure
or for the game.
(WAILING CONTINUES)
Well, just what
am I supposed to do with that?
(TURNS RECORDING OFF)
I've listened to
hours of tape, Mr. Sterling,
there's nothing there.
You've been leading me on,
Frank.
Telling me there's something
where there's nothing!
I sent you pictures
of her stripping.
Stripping?
You call that stripping? That?
Well, what about this?
Stripping?
That's what she does!
-Oh, catch her with a guy.
-She doesn't have a guy!
Fix it!
I don't fix photographs!
You want that kind of work,
you do it yourself!
Or get somebody else to do it.
Not this boy.
I intend to do just that.
-I'll send you my final bill.
-Don't bother!
I don't like
being made a fool of.
I won't pay it.
(DOOR CLOSING)
-SUSIE: Frank? Is that you?
-Yeah.
Oh, good, come on in.
Uh, I'll just be a second.
Hi.
Hi.
-(SOFTLY) Wow!
-(GIGGLING)
I'm ready.
Just one second.
Here. For you.
Oh!
(SIGHS)
This is incredible.
Just yesterday,
I was telling Mark
how much I wanted this book.
-How did I know, right?
-Yeah!
Uh... (CLEARING THROAT)
Well, I just figured
that all good dancers
like to read about the ballet.
You must be clairvoyant.
Uh, no, no.
I just have great intuition.
Uh, where would you
like to eat?
-I don't care.
-Um... Uh...
Is that place on the pier
any good?
Oh, yeah, it's fine.
-Shall we?
-Yeah. Okay.
-Come on...
-I can't.
Ey, Susie!
(LAUGHING) Hi! Hi!
-How are you?
-I'm okay. Uh...
Frank Andrews,
this is Harry Parkins.
-Hello, Frank Andrews.
How are you?
-Frank. Yeah. How are you?
-Good. Good.
-Hey, any luck?
No, they're not biting.
No. Did Jill get you any work?
-No, no, I'm still
drawing unemployment.
-Oh...
There's not too many calls
for a top banana.
Or a second banana.
As a matter of fact,
all the bananas are split.
(LAUGHING)
Still pretty good, huh?
Listen,
I gotta get out of here.
My worms are drying up.
-Give me a call, will you?
-(LAUGHING)
-Nice meeting you, Frank.
-Bye.
-Hey, you didn't bring
your camera today!
-Hmm...
I thought photographers are
never without their cameras.
Mmm, like a dancer
without her feet.
Yeah. Okay.
-Show me the step,
come on, come on.
-No, I can't...
Come on! Just a little. Okay.
BOTH: One, two...
Okay, move your hips
a little bit, come on.
This is silly.
(LAUGHING)
I think you look good.
You know, I can show you
lots of different kinds
of dancing.
Ballet, jazz...
I can even show you
how to do some exotic dancing.
-No, no, stop.
-Yeah. Yeah.
I've been an exotic dancer.
An ecdysiast, as in stripper.
Yep. (LAUGHING)
But, that was out
of my dark past.
I don't do it anymore.
I didn't like it.
Mark wasn't crazy about it
either.
Anyway, now you know.
Show me the other steps.
-Yeah? You game?
-Yeah.
-Wow! Okay.
-Okay. Hold my purse.
Okay, this is a real easy one.
Okay, watch.
-One, two... (LAUGHS)
One, two...
-I'm not gonna do that!
-Come on!
Just try, come on.
-Hold my purse.
Okay, okay.
Put your fingers down,
one, two...
-Oh, this is a public pier...
-Come on, do it.
One... (LAUGHING)
No, I can't...
Susie, you know this business.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-It's "hurry up and wait".
-Look, stick around, you'll
probably get a call back.
-(SIGHS)
Okay. (EXHALES)
Nothing yet, huh?
No, but Jill says
I should stick around,
maybe I'll get a call back.
-I'll wait with you.
-Okay. How about you?
No, nothing in show business.
I got this call for a guide
at this toy factory.
And?
-I couldn't fit
into the uniform.
-(BOTH LAUGHING)
Aw...
(SIGHS)
(PHONE RINGING)
Susie...
I don't wanna poke into
your business, but, uh...
Why you dating guys
at the club?
I never did!
-That guy I saw you with
at the pier...
-Yeah?
-You didn't meet him
at the club?
-No.
Mark met him at the beach.
Seems like a nice enough
kind of guy.
Ever since I saw you
with that guy,
it's been bugging me.
"Where'd I see his face?"
Last night it dawned on me.
That guy had been hanging out
at the club.
Are you sure about that?
Susie, I don't forget faces.
I thought you should know.
-JILL: Susie...
-Glad you told me.
You can go home.
No call back, sorry.
Hey, Frank, there's my mom!
Come on!
Hey, Mom!
Hey, look what Frank got me.
He got me the earphones
I needed.
He even knew I needed
a new battery pack.
Come on,
we've been trying them out.
SUSIE: Okay,
we'll be right there.
You know...
There's something
I just don't understand.
You seem to know exactly
what Mark and I want.
I mean, just the right
ballet book,
headphones
and a new battery pack...
I don't get it.
Well, just a couple of
lucky guesses.
How come you didn't tell me
you were at
the Club Versailles?
-I tried to the other day.
-But you didn't.
No, I didn't.
The other day at the pier...
I go into this whole,
long story about how
I've been an exotic dancer.
And you don't say anything!
You knew all the time!
What were you doing
at the club?
Taking photographs.
Why?
I was hired to take
photographs of you.
Hired?
Why?
(STUTTERING) What for? By who?
Walt Sterling.
Why?
He wants custody of Mark.
Custody of Mark!
Well, what did you give him?
Some photographs,
and some tapes.
Tapes?
How did you get tapes?
I tapped your phone.
You are disgusting!
Well, it's too bad
you wasted your time.
Because I am
one hell of a good mother.
I know, that's what
I told Sterling.
Oh, really? Is that
what you told Sterling?
I don't ever wanna talk to you
ever again!
You leave me alone!
-Mom, look what I've got!
-Come with me. Come home. Now!
What's the matter with Mom?
-Go with your mother. Go on.
-Come on, now!
Wait, Mom.
Will you tell me
where we're going, at least?
I'm not sure. I don't know.
I like it here.
I like it here, too. (SIGHS)
I don't mean
just the apartment.
I mean all of this.
California, the beach...
I do, too.
I'll miss the beach.
So will I.
Mom, look.
-What?
-Look!
You listen to me, don't move.
Stay here, I'll be right back.
(DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING)
What are you doing?
I want you to leave
Mark and me alone.
Now, there's no reason
to get upset, Susan.
No reason?
You've had someone
spying on me.
You bugged my apartment.
What gives you the right?
-You're leaving that boy alone
and going off to...
-Mark...
Mark was with a sitter!
And there was nothing
wrong with the Versailles
before it was sold.
Susan, that's no way
to raise a child.
There is nothing wrong
with my child! He's fine!
He's healthy, he's happy,
he's just fine!
Now, look, why can't you be
reasonable, Susan?
Edith and I have the means
to raise that boy
the way he should be.
-(SCOFFS)
-Now, look, let me take Mark
back to Oregon.
See, then, you're free to live
however you want.
Pursue your career.
See, Mark will always be
just a couple of hours away.
Just like that you expect me
to walk away from my child
and hand him over to you
for safekeeping.
I can give him the things
he needs.
Susan, I love the boy.
That doesn't give you
the right to try and
take him away from me!
Mark is very precious to me.
And I will never leave him,
ever!
I'm warning you, Susan,
I'll fight you for him.
And I'll fight you right back!
And here's another thing,
you call off that creep.
He quit.
Well, don't bother
to hire another one.
You scared me.
You scared me real good.
You threatened me, too.
But I'm not scared any more.
There is nothing in my life
I'm ashamed of.
Well?
You want to stay at the beach?
We are staying at the beach.
Come on, let's go. Unpack.
What are you waiting for?
What did he say?
He wanted to take you away.
I told him, "no!"
-Take me away, where?
Back to Oregon?
-Oregon.
He wanted us both
to go back to Oregon.
I told him we are staying here
together, and I told him
to leave us alone.
-Think he will?
-Oh, he better!
Mom, why is Grandpa
doing all this?
Because he wants you with him.
This whole thing stinks.
I don't wanna go
to one of you.
I love you both.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-(SIGHS)
-Hello? Oh!
-Susie, it's Jill.
-Hi, Jill.
-You got it!
You got the raisin commercial!
-I did? Oh! That's great!
-Yeah! You gotta be there
in half an hour.
-Oh, now? In half an hour?
-Yeah, can you make it?
I'll be there.
No, I'll be there.
I'll be there.
Wait a minute,
let me get a pen.
Okay, hold on, hold on.
-Go. Yeah. Yeah.
-On the corner of Western
and Olive, gray building.
-Yeah, I know where that is.
-Studio B.
Oh, it's great!
I almost dropped the phone.
Okay.
-Bye. I'll see you later.
-Good luck.
I got the raisin commercial!
I got it, isn't that great?
Let's go. We have to go
right now. Come on, come on.
-"We"?
-Yeah. Oh!
I don't know
what your grandfather
has planned.
We're gonna stick together.
Now, just leave it, it's okay.
Come on.
-Oh, you mean like
diving buddies?
-(LAUGHS)
(INDISTINCT)
-Right there?
-That's good.
-MAN 1: Quiet everybody.
And, rolling camera.
-MAN 2: Speed.
-MAN 3: Production 39,
take 43.
-Okay, now, Susie, remember,
-you're the raisin
all America can love.
-Yes.
Got it? Do it. Roll by.
(JINGLE PLAYING)
* Meet Rosie, the raisin
* She's the pick
of the raisin land
* Meet Rosie, the raisin
* Come on and join
in the raisin band
* For breakfast
and for luncheon
* Or just a little
healthy munchin'
* There's a good reason
for sunshine
* But there's a lot of good
reasons for raisins *
DIRECTOR: Okay, cut! Print it!
-(LAUGHS) Oh, thanks.
-Amazing! Nice, nice, nice.
-Thanks.
-Great work.
-Uh, what'd you think? Huh?
-Well, I am so...
-Well?
-I liked you better
as a stripper.
SUSIE: Look, I don't want you
hanging around here anymore,
is that clear?
Yes.
I have these photographs.
Great, I want them.
I want all the photographs.
-I'll bring them over.
-Oh, no. I'm gonna
come to you. Hold on.
What's your address?
-1357, Austin.
-Mmm-hmm.
-It's in Culver City.
-Okay, um...
-I can be there
in about an hour.
-(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
Mom, he was only
doing his job.
That's a lowlife job.
Mom, when you're broke,
you can't choose your job.
We were just another
assignment to him, Mom.
Look, Mark,
I don't trust anything
about that man.
When he did get to know you,
he liked you. And he quit.
I don't like being made
a fool of.
-He tricked you, right?
-Yeah.
-He lied to you, huh?
-(SCOFFS) He lied to me
about everything!
Well, you tricked me,
you lied to me,
you made a fool of me.
Mark, that is
entirely different.
I forgave you.
You just don't understand.
Now, come on, I wanna drop you
at Harry's. Let's go. Come on.
Hurry up.
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
Are these all of them?
Yes.
(SIGHS) Can I believe you?
Yes.
Those are the pictures,
the negatives, tapes,
everything.
I did it for the money.
You know how that is.
I...
I want all of these, too.
How can you do this?
This stuff when you do such
good work.
Well...
I don't know
how to explain it.
I've made so many mistakes
in my life... (SCOFFS)
Blown so many chances.
I'm...
I couldn't go through
with this.
I'm trying to turn
things around, you know.
Well...
You're the only one
that can do it.
Okay. Thank you.
(HUMMING SOFTLY)
-Hello?
-Hi, Abby, it's Susie.
-Hi.
-Uh, listen, send Mark home,
lunch is ready, okay?
But he's not here.
What do you mean
he's not there? I sent him
over a half-an-hour ago.
Well, he hasn't shown up.
-You mean he never got there?
-No, I haven't seen him
at all.
I'll look outside and see
if I can find him.
(STUTTERING)
Um, I'll call you back.
(PHONE RINGING)
-Mark?
-No, it's Frank.
What are you calling for?
What do you want?
Susie, I wanna talk this out.
Look, I can't talk now.
Mark is missing.
Do you know anything
about this?
No, of course not.
What do you mean "missing"?
I can't talk!
Freddy, have you seen Mark?
Will you go up there
and look for me?
-Susie?
-What are you doing here?
I wanna help you.
He hasn't turned up?
No, I...
He's been gone over an hour.
I can't find him anywhere.
Have you covered
that end of the beach?
-Well, yeah, I've been down...
-Settle down, settle down.
Cover that end of the beach,
down to the third
lifeguard box.
I'll cover this end and
I'll meet you by the swings
in an hour, okay?
(INAUDIBLE)
Susie, here.
It's getting cold.
Let's try the pier again,
okay?
What you did, hiring Frank,
I think that was wrong.
Please try and understand,
Mark, I hired Frank
to find you
because I thought it was
the only way I could get you
back with me again.
My mother will fix it
so that I never see you again.
She'll do that.
She's afraid of you.
She's afraid that
you'll change her life
so that...
(SIGHS) She doesn't want
to live in your big house.
You can live nearby.
No, she wants to live in LA.
To dance.
And I wanna live with her.
Look at it my way.
See, when your mother
took you away,
I got mad.
All I could think was
I wanted you back with me,
no matter what the price.
I still think you'd be
better off living with me.
No, Grandpa.
I belong with my mom.
(SIGHS) Oh, boy, I've done
a terrible thing in all this.
I'm afraid I may have
ruined things forever.
Lost you, just like
I once lost your father.
SUSIE: Mark, let's go.
Susan?
I'm going back to Oregon
tonight.
I won't bother you anymore.
Mom, can we go visit
Grandma and Grandpa sometime?
For Christmas for a few days?
Please.
Please?
Edith and I would like
that visit very much, Susan.
Is everything okay?
I think so.
I'm glad.
Could I see you again?
Mom, could you at least
think about it?
Yeah.
(INAUDIBLE)
You're going to work today?
-What?
-You're going to work again
today?
You ask me that every day!
I'm not telling.
What do you think? I'm just
gonna ask you every day.
You ask me that every day,
and every day
I give you the same answer.
Yes. Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Oh!
-You been studying?
-Have I been studying?
Yes, I've been studying.
So hard.
-I've been studying so hard...
-How hard? How hard?
Oh, every day.
For hours and hours and hours.
Really, I swear.
-Fine? Okay, do me.
-Okay.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Get upstairs! Now!
You'll be late.
Go on, go on, go on!
School! Get going!
"Name the differences
in market value,
assessed value,
"insurance value
and liquidation value."
-I haven't read that part yet.
-Sounds important.
And I thought selling
an estate was gonna be fun.
Boy, was I wrong!
All you got to know about
mainly is, like, points and
escrow and stuff like that.
Oh, is that all?
I am not ready
to take this exam.
You'll be fine.
Besides, real estate's
better work.
Working in a nightclub
is lousy work.
You're never home.
So, now I have to be
a real estate agent
in sensible shoes.
There's good money
in real estate.
There's good money in dancing.
Here's one for ya.
Two definitions
of valued designations.
Um...
Oh, Mark,
will you give me a break?
I promise I will study and
I'll try to pass this exam.
But just don't forget,
it's only in case
my career goes sour.
I mean, I think I need
to be a dancer, remember?
You gotta get down on your
agent. Tell her you want
more jobs in the day time.
Jill got me a dance interview
today.
But if I get it,
it's night work again.
At least what I have now
is steady work
and it's good money.
Come on, come on.
Bus time, let's go. Hurry up.
Put that book down.
Let's go.
Mark...
I'm sorry I'm not like
every other mother.
That's not
what I'm talking about.
(SIGHS) I know.
I know I'm not home enough.
That's what I'm talking about.
Oh, Mark, I love you!
I promise it won't be
like this all the time,
okay?
Hope not.
It won't.
Here...
Milk or juice. No soda.
And give me
the bubblegum.
-What bubblegum?
-I know you got it.
Give it to me right now.
And don't give Ruthie
a tough time tonight.
And, please get some sleep.
A little sleep tonight.
-Okay. Definitely maybe.
-Oh...
So long, Mom.
Have a good day.
I love you!
(CLICKING)
(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC PLAYING)
WOMAN: Good. Good.
Do some stretching,
we're gonna do an adagio next.
What's the problem, Susie?
Oh...
My arabesque
still seems a little shaky.
Oh, I think you're being
too hard on yourself.
Just keep working.
You're doing very well.
Okay?
Oh, um...
I have a favor to ask of you.
Uh...
I have a really important
audition today and... Oh!
I was wondering if I could
leave a little early.
-All right, you can go.
You're done.
-Thank you.
All right, children, let's go.
All right.
-Susie...
-What?
The audition's
been called off.
-(SIGHS) Oh!
-Too bad, huh?
I thought you said there were
a lot of jobs for dancers
in this town.
There'll be other auditions.
Yeah, call for six
and 60 show up.
Could I borrow a dime?
What!
You know all the tricks,
don't you?
Your job pays well,
doesn't it?
Yeah. I'm just trying
to find something else,
you know.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-Lori...
WOMAN: Good morning.
-Hi. Hi, Jill.
It's Susie Hanson.
-Hi, Susie.
Um, anything today?
Not so far.
Call me later, though.
Okay, well,
you know I'm up for grabs,
I'll... I'll do anything.
I'll be a bowler
or a ballerina. (LAUGHS)
Just make sure
to keep in touch.
-I have a lot of calls now.
-Thanks.
-Okay?
-Okay.
-Bye.
-Bye.
(SIGHS IN DISAPPOINTMENT)
Temple, Benjamin.
Watch that back, Sandra.
Head up.
-Hey! Mr. Parkins!
-Hey, Ruthie, how's school?
Oh. Okay.
Hey, you gotta give me
another joke.
All right. Real quick one.
Why does an elephant
have wrinkles?
I don't know.
Why does an elephant
have wrinkles?
You ever tried to iron one?
Come on.
-(LAUGHING)
-I don't. Susie!
-Oh, hi. Perfect timing.
-Come on, we're late.
-Come on, babe.
-Okay. Listen, um...
This check is for
Mr. Andretti, it's the rent.
He'll be by this evening
to get it.
Uh, food's in the fridge.
And Mark should be home
by 4:00.
-Okay, you got it.
-Great.
Susie, if we're late
one more time,
neither one of us
will ever get a paycheck.
Okay, okay!
Now don't forget Mr. Andretti.
And please see that
Mark gets just a little sleep.
A little.
-Okay, you got it.
Don't worry. (LAUGHS)
-Bye.
PARKINS: I don't know, Susie.
You and your money problems.
Nobody said you had
to live at the beach!
Oh, yeah.
With Mark's allergies,
we gotta live at the beach.
He needs fresh air.
Then you're spending
all that extra money
for Mark's fancy schooling.
I know. I know.
It does add up.
Why don't you put Mark
in public school?
Until things ease up.
You have to cut down
somewhere along the line.
You have to
put some money aside
for a rainy day.
Ah, come on.
I heard it never rains
in Southern California.
Yeah, that's what
some people say,
but I know differently.
What's the matter, sir?
Did the waitress say something
you didn't like, huh?
I mean, the show's gonna start
in five minutes.
I'll see you later
in the week, right?
Hi, hi, come on in.
We've got a first-time-ever
afternoon show.
Watch your step.
Gentlemen, good you're playing
this afternoon. We're gonna be
so bad tonight.
-I got a beautiful spot
for you right over here.
-Smile for the camera.
Right over here.
Perfect view of the action.
Back there.
Oh, sure, absolutely.
Come on, right back here.
Beautiful table. Can't miss
anything up on the...
Oh, yes, exactly.
That's always
where I sit myself.
How about a drink?
Vodka on the rocks.
You got it. Show's gonna start
in a few minutes.
You sit back, enjoy yourself.
(DRUMROLL)
(APPLAUSE)
Welcome!
Welcome to the wonderful,
fabulous Club Versailles.
The only and one last
stronghold left
of all burlesque
in all of Southern California.
-(CROWD WHOOPING)
-Young lady,
-I see you've been
at the beach.
-Yeah.
-And a lobster bit
one of my toes.
-Really? Which one?
I don't know.
I can't tell one lobster
from the other.
(LAUGHING)
All right, all right,
all right.
Without any further ado,
-or without any further
a-don't...
-(DRUMROLL)
Let me introduce
our opening act.
The voluptuous,
the vivacious,
Veronica!
-(CROWD APPLAUDING
AND WHISTLING)
-(SULTRY MUSIC PLAYING)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
(CAMERA CLICKING)
(CAMERA CLICKING)
-(SONG ENDS)
-(APPLAUDING)
Terrific, terrific, terrific!
Oh, what a girl!
What a girl!
You should see my girl.
I went to pick her up
the other night,
and she came down the stairs
snapping and barking
at automobile tires.
-(CROWD LAUGHING)
-She insisted that I take
the top down on my car.
It wasn't even a convertible!
Now, let me introduce
the next dancing artist,
the lovely, the delectable,
Donna!
-(APPLAUSE)
-(CARIBBEAN MUSIC PLAYING)
-(DIAL TONE BEEPING)
-I must drop half my salary
at this payphone!
I swear, Ruthie must have
been born with a telephone
in her ear!
Don't panic,
just call 'em later.
Well, he was telling me
the teacher's down on him
and he kept falling asleep
in class.
Well, there's nothing wrong
with that. I slept all the way
through high school.
-Oh, look at you now.
-Oh! (LAUGHING)
How is the little fellow?
Oh, I think he's fine. I hope.
It's just, with me working
at nights, I don't get to
see him much.
And then he waits up
for me and he doesn't get
much sleep. Ugh!
Well, If you really wanna
see him more, why don't you
invite him to the club?
I mean, I think he'd like it.
I wanna see more of him,
I don't want him to see
more of me.
Oh, come on, I mean,
making him think
you work at an elegant
nightclub is better?
-(GRUNTS)
-Absolutely.
Well, if I remember correctly,
mothers lying to their
little kids isn't good.
It warps their personality.
Well, I was hoping
to get a job dancing,
so I wouldn't have to tell him
anything at all.
Oh, come on! Level with him,
you know. You're not doing
anything wrong.
(DIAL TONE BEEPING)
You're talking about a kid
whose big dream is to have
his mom sell real estate!
-Real estate?
-(SIGHS)
I used to know a guy
who worked in real estate
who sold cemetery plots.
(GIRLS MOCKING)
Susie, I caught you
out front, you were terrific!
Yeah? Great!
-But...
-Oh, "but". With you
there's always a "but".
What do you think
I'm here for, girl?
I am here to teach you ladies
to go bumping the night.
And, Susie, you still bump
when you should grind.
I'm working on it.
I swear I am.
And, another thing,
and this goes for all of you,
you guys, you've gotta work
on top of the beat.
It'll help you work big.
-And one, and two...
-(CHEERING)
Oh, man!
Burlesque is the art
of exaggeration.
And for the 100th time,
pick out somebody
in the audience
and make eye contact!
-I did!
-And when you do,
let him have it all.
Virginia Ding-dong-bell
taught me that.
Didn't you say how you knew
everyone in burlesque?
And everybody knew us.
When I was working as
Crystal Fever,
-the boys used to be lined up
around the block.
-I bet.
-I was very big in Toledo.
-(LAUGHING)
I was big all out the Midwest.
-Sally, you was big, huh?
-Yeah, in the rear!
(LAUGHING)
That's better than you
anywhere.
Listen, if I put my mind to it
and ate
nothing but cottage cheese
for a couple of weeks,
-I could still knock them
out of their socks!
-PARKINS: My girl...
Have you been thinking
about going back?
Oh, I was really tickled
when Mel called me
to help out with you kids.
-But I am so happy
in Detroit...
-On a chicken farm?
Listen, those chickens
do not treat you wrong
like some guys I know.
-Chickens!
-What, what, what?
-Get on stage!
-Chickens! Chickens!
What do they do,
henhouse?
What do they do?
What do they do?
(WHOOPING)
And don't lay any eggs! Oh!
-(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
-(APPLAUSE)
"Does not meet our needs
at the present time."
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
It's open.
-Say, hey, Frankie!
-Hey, Randy!
What have you got for me?
I'm married to this broad
for three years,
she never ceases to amaze me.
-The idiot she goes with.
-Yeah.
You're too much.
What was that? Uh, $300?
$400, Randy.
$200 now, $200 when I get
the rest of the photos.
How did you get these shots?
Looks like you were
in there with them.
Goodbye, Randy.
Later.
(DOOR CLOSING)
(PHONE RINGING)
-Hello.
-Mr. Sterling?
Yeah, this is Sterling.
This is Frank Andrews.
Oh!
I expected to hear from you
several days ago.
Yeah, well, this work
takes time.
Well, what did you find out?
She's living in an apartment
in Venice.
Just she and her kid.
The kid is enrolled in
some sort of a special school
for very smart children.
Oh, yeah.
My grandson's a smart one.
And, unfortunately for you,
Mr. Sterling,
she seems to lead
a very clean personal life.
It took you two weeks
and $800 to find that out?
Well, I have found something,
Mr. Sterling.
Your daughter-in-law
is a stripper.
Come again?
She dances burlesque.
Four times a night
at a strip club.
I want photographs, Frank.
Well, I'm arranging for that.
I've also wired her place
for sound.
Good.
I knew I could count on you.
I'm gonna challenge her
for custody of the child,
Frank.
Well, you know
I'll do what I can,
but she's a dancer,
Mr. Sterling,
not a hooker.
Find me proof
she's morally unfit.
-I'll make it
worth your while.
-Yeah.
I'll call you later.
Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen.
And that concludes our show
for this evening.
Now, please...
Oh, that's nice, Charlie,
thanks. Can I have
some glasses, please?
PARKINS: ...in the afternoon,
so, please drop by and see us.
Goodnight, Charlie.
PARKINS: Nice.
Nice crowd, great show.
We must have 30 or 40 people
here tonight.
Still didn't learn
how to count, did you, Harry?
There were 22.
You know, if we keep this up,
we're gonna be packing them in
every night.
Pretty soon, all those
customers who have been
going to the porno houses
and all the topless joints,
they're gonna be
coming back here.
-Harry, you were always
a dreamer, you know that?
-Hmm.
Did you see the way
Sally was working
the girls tonight?
Harry, what difference
does it make?
We took in $257 tonight.
-257 bucks, that's not bad.
(LAUGHS)
-"Not bad."
It doesn't even help me
pay the band.
Well, don't pay the band
right away. They can wait.
They've waited before.
Harry, let me
tell you something.
You and Sally had a wonderful
idea, we were gonna have
an afternoon show here,
we tried it out,
it didn't work.
What do you mean
it didn't work?
You didn't give it a chance.
I don't have time
to give it a chance, Harry.
This place is eating me alive.
(INDISTINCT LAUGHTER
AND CONVERSATION)
Okay, let's get serious,
troops.
We gotta do this boogie right.
I can't believe
what I look like now.
Okay, the sooner we get it,
the sooner we get out of here.
Line, right, right.
And, a-one, a-two, a-three...
But Sally came all the way
from Detroit.
You said she's gonna work
with the girls, right?
-A-one, a-two...
-(PARKINS ARGUING LOUDLY)
MEL: Harry, I...
PARKINS: You don't want
the girls to hear.
-Why don't you tell them!
-Oh, Harry, you're making
a scene.
Don't walk away from me.
Don't walk away from me, you!
I want an explanation!
-I wanted to tell the...
-Tell the girls what, Mel?
Yeah, yeah.
Tell the girls what, Mel?
Go on, tell the girls!
Tell them that
you sold the club
to these guys from Chicago.
-Mel! When?
-Last night.
I mean, what am I gonna do
otherwise? I've gotta
shut the doors for good.
Mel, you promised us a chance
to make this show work.
I came all the way here
from Detroit to work with
these girls!
-I know you did, Sally...
-Who'd you sell the club to,
huh?
-The Lollipop chain.
-Ugh!
But they promised me
nothing's gonna change.
Oh, "nothing's gonna change."
Mel, you weren't born
yesterday.
You know what those girls
have to do in those clubs!
Only thing worse
than those clubs
are carnival strippers.
Now that is the pits!
Please try to understand me,
will you, Sally?
I mean,
I can't even pay the rent
on this place anymore!
Nobody cares about a clean act
like at the Versailles.
-Your jokes are going over
like lead balloons.
-The jokes are...
And nobody cares
about dancers.
They wanna see bodies...
Bodies, Mel?
We show them bodies. You know
they don't wanna see bodies.
-They wanna see...
-But I can't fight it anymore!
Mel, you said we would
never have to work strong.
The club's not mine.
How about these guys
from Chicago?
Are they gonna keep us all on?
They promised they're gonna
take a good look
at everybody.
(LAUGHS) Yeah,
they'll take a good look.
I'm leaving.
Sally, no,
please don't do that.
No, stick around.
Now, maybe the new owners,
they'll like the new show.
Yeah, and maybe it'll snow
in July.
That's not fair, Sally.
What else could I do?
It's times like this
that a girl could use
a little champagne, you know.
Everybody, please, come on.
It's on the house.
Right, lasted
the really big spenders.
Sally, I wasn't trying
to sell you out.
-SUSIE: What are we gonna do?
-I don't know.
Maybe it'll all work out.
Look, I'm gonna
call you later.
Um, I gotta get home to Mark.
-Bye, bye.
-Uh, Susie?
Later.
(SIGHS)
Ruthie.
Ruthie? It's time to go.
-Everything okay?
-Yeah. It went great.
-Ah... Thanks. Okay.
-Yeah.
-Good night. (LAUGHS)
-You were awake?
-Well, sort of awake.
-It's a good thing
you live downstairs.
-Bye, bye. Good night.
-Good night.
-Hi, Mom.
-Hi.
Well, at least you got
some sleep.
What's wrong?
Nothing.
Ah, just stuff at work.
Anything I can help with?
No.
No. The fact that you noticed
is enough.
I'm here. I've got all night.
(LAUGHS) Oh, no, you don't.
It's time to go to bed.
Come on.
It's bedtime. Let's go.
Give me a kiss. Come on.
Come on.
Good night.
MARK: Hi, Mom.
SUSIE: Hi.
Well, at least you got
some sleep.
MARK: What's wrong?
SUSIE: Um, nothing.
Just stuff at work.
MARK: Anything
I can help with?
SUSIE: No.
The fact that you noticed
is enough.
MARK: I'm here.
I got all night.
SUSIE: (CHUCKLES)
No, you don't.
It's time to go to bed.
Come on.
-Good night, Mom.
-Good night.
Okay, let's take it
from the top.
Let's have everyone
and then we'll do it
in two groups.
And if I select,
you give your name over
on the left.
All right. Places.
One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four,
five, six.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Okay, first group.
From the top.
A little brighter, Arthur.
One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four.
(CLAPPING) One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven. One!
Good. Have you stay. You stay.
Rest, thank you.
Group number two.
(CLAPPING) All right, come on.
That was good tempo. Again.
-One, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
Five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven. One!
Okay. Have you stay. You stay.
The rest, thank you.
All right, all those selected,
let's take it
from the top again.
(CLAPPING) Come on.
And, one, two, three, four.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
-One, two, three, four.
Three, four. (CLAPPING)
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven.
(TV ANNOUNCER
TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
-(MARK COUGHING)
-Hey.
Hey, Mark, do me a favor
and get a glass of water,
all right?
Already had some.
Well, then, get a cough drop,
all right?
We don't have any.
Well, check your mom's room.
All right, let's see
what the new club
has to offer.
-Oh, look at this,
look at this.
-God!
They don't believe
in wasting time.
They just go ahead
and change the sign.
Oh, the Lollipop club!
No! I'm not going.
I'm not going!
-Just a little bit, come on.
-No, I can't do it.
We'll bowl them over,
let's go. Come on, come on.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
-(WHISTLING)
-PARKINS: Look at the size
of that ramp!
Wow! They must be loaded!
(CHEERING)
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Will you lighten up?
Come on.
We talked about this
in the car. Come on.
Listen, you go get dressed.
I'll try and find
the new boss.
(CHEERING AND WHOOPING)
-Boo! (LAUGHS)
-(EXHALES)
-This is so strange.
-Yeah. It's not my style.
Just so you should know,
I quit. I really quit.
They don't need me around
here anymore. I just stayed
to say goodbye to you.
Oh...
Promise I'll work again.
Yeah. And eat lots of chicken.
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
-(EXHALES)
-Welcome to the combat zone.
-It's so weird out there.
-There's more surprises.
-What do you mean?
-You better hurry up
the change.
They're walking in here
without checking.
Those creeps think
they own the joint.
-They do! (LAUGHS)
-I'm not kidding. Come on.
-Hurry up!
-What's the matter?
-Okay, you'll see.
-What are you doing?
Girls, uh, girls...
And that's Jackie, and...
Uh, this is Susie,
the youngest
of our little angels.
This is Mr. Vector.
He's your new boss.
You're a little
on the skinny side,
but I guess you'll do.
Susie's a great dancer.
I mean, she picks up
the classic routines fast.
Yeah...
Girls, uh, it's aloha time.
-Jackie.
-Mel. (LAUGHS)
-I'm gonna miss
your smiling face.
-Oh...
You take care of yourself.
-(SIGHS)
-Oh, Susie.
This is for your boy.
Gee!
Oh...
Now, I'm really sorry
that things didn't work out.
-But you remember,
we gave it a hell of a time?
-We sure did.
Where are you headed, Melski?
Oh, I'm going to Miami
by way of Vegas.
Why don't you just skip Vegas
and hold on to the money
they gave you?
-I'm going a couple of days
this time.
-That's all it takes.
(LAUGHS) What a jerk!
(EXHALES)
I think Mel's
kind of a nice guy.
Yeah, he might be.
The trouble is nice guys
finish last in this business.
Who finishes first,
Mr. Vector?
I do.
(SCOFFS)
Hey, Susie.
Come on, look at you.
You wear this relic
to this Star-House Ballroom?
-(SCOFFS) Wait a minute...
-What is that,
like a confirmation costume?
Come on, eighty-six that.
I'll take care of it for you.
Jackie, take a walk.
Go get acquainted
with the customers.
-(DOOR CLOSING)
-Excuse me.
Hey, now, there's gonna be
a lot of changes, all right?
Whoa, sugar, whoa, whoa, whoa!
You know something,
you were terrific out there.
You were a knock out.
But you're not done.
Yeah, hey!
I'm not kidding.
Remember I told you,
first on the stage,
and you go out there
and you meet the customers.
-All right? Okay.
-Okay.
Go on, go on.
You see? Lot of change, eh?
I thought we had
a really great show,
Mr. Vector.
Mr. Vector? Hey, come on.
Call me Steve, all right?
-Steve.
-Nice. Nice.
So, you think you...
Think you had a good show,
huh?
Come on, you got some
old geezer out there telling
tired elephant jokes.
You got some pretty girls,
but that's kids' stuff,
you know.
High school time.
I'm gonna be looking for
something a little different.
Come here.
Come here, come on!
-(DOOR OPENING)
-(CROWD CHEERING LOUDLY)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
Look.
That's Wendy.
That's Bonnie.
(LAUGHS) And that's Tracy.
Those three really know
the score. (LAUGHS)
Hey, you can do that.
(CROWD CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
Here.
You get dressed, all right?
I'll give you
a little privacy.
All right?
Then you go out there.
It's gonna be okay.
I promise you.
Susie...
Knock 'em out, hmm?
(CHEERING AND WHOOPING)
-Listen...
-(GASPS)
No, no. Go back!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Excuse me. Take it easy.
Have a drink on me. John.
Now, you listen.
I didn't like you
when I first met you,
and I like you even less now.
You watch your step
real close, kiddo.
Or you're gonna find yourself
bouncing down those front
stairs on an empty wallet.
(SNIFFLING)
(CROWD WHISTLING)
Let go of me!
-PARKINS: Hey! Susie! Susie!
-What...
I tried to stop him,
but he slipped
right out of my hand.
Here, take my coat.
Hey, tubbo, what the hell
is going on here?
Oh, Mr. Vector, uh, Susie,
she felt a little faint,
so she thought she'd better
get some night air.
In the middle of her act
she wants night air?
No, no, no, she said
she'd be back in time
for the next act.
Oh, boy, you've got
some club in there.
It's really hopping.
-That is one wacky broad!
-Yeah.
-All right, let's go.
-All right.
-Let's go!
-Yeah, all right.
Mark. Oh, Mark...
Oh... Oh, Mark!
Mark... Mark!
(PANTING) Mark?
Mark!
Mark! Mark!
(SOBBING)
(MARK COUGHING)
Mark...
Stay where you are.
Mark.
About the club...
About my job...
-I was gonna tell you.
-I don't believe you.
I was! Really!
I wouldn't lie to you.
You lied about the club.
I lied to you.
And I'm sorry.
You never lied to me before.
At least
I don't think you did.
I never lied to you before.
And I never will again.
Sure.
How did you get down here?
Mark, if I find out
that you were hitchhiking...
If I find...
-(TIRES SCREECHING)
-Mark!
Mark!
(COUGHING)
That was a really
stupid thing to do!
You could've
gotten yourself hurt!
Yeah, like you care!
Will you stop! Stop.
Look at yourself.
You make me sick!
I said that's enough.
That is enough,
I want you to stop.
How can you work
in a place like that?
It's so crummy!
Because we need the money!
Because I wanna keep
the apartment at the beach!
Because your school
is expensive!
Hey, I didn't ask
for that apartment
or no private school!
I want you to make something
special of your life!
Like you have?
Mark. Mark!
Mark, come back here!
(SIGHS)
(MARK CRYING)
(COUGHING)
Mom, would just please
leave me alone? Please?
(SNIFFLING)
I wanna go home.
I guess I don't care
if you dance at the club.
But, Mom, you didn't mean
to lie to me, did you?
Oh...
I love you.
Oh, Mark was so upset
last night.
I'm gonna quit.
How much did you pay
for these groceries?
-$58.
-Then you can't afford it.
I know I can't afford to,
but how am I going to...
Susie, you're alone.
You've got a kid.
That's a big responsibility.
You have no other choice.
Hell, you can always quit!
Just string Vector along.
-(SIGHS)
-And keep your back
to the wall. Come on.
Oh, well...
At least you'll be there.
No, no, I won't.
Vector gave me
my walking papers last night.
You're kidding!
No, I just don't fit
his image.
He thinks I would be
better off as a doorman
at Disneyland.
(PHONE RINGING)
-Yeah?
-Frank.
It's Walt Sterling,
I've been trying to reach you.
Oh, yeah, I'm sorry,
Mr. Sterling, I had some
prints in the soup.
Look, Frank, these photographs
you sent me are no good.
There's nothing compromising
in them.
I can't make my case
with these.
-Frank!
-Huh? What?
I can't make my case
with this stuff!
Oh, yeah, well,
Mr. Sterling, I think...
I think we're in luck.
The, uh...
The club where she works
has changed owners,
and they have this new policy.
It's a real dump now.
The girls have to dance nude.
They're totally naked.
I think I'll be able
to get the photographs
we need tonight.
Frank, I'm beginning
to be weary of your eternal
promises of something hot.
It's been three weeks.
You still haven't sent me
anything I can use!
I'm disappointed, Frank.
You came highly recommended.
Did you hear me?
I'm very disappointed!
Yes, I heard you.
I'm a photographer.
I'm not a house detective.
Oh, you're getting paid.
Get me what I want.
(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
I hate the fact that
you're talking to that man.
Don't worry.
Frank will get me what I need.
Well, don't fight Susie
for Mark.
Why don't you
just call her and try
and reach an understanding?
She won't talk to me.
She didn't even
leave a forwarding address
when she took off.
Well, can you blame her?
One evening she tells us
she's thinking of moving,
and the very next day
you're at your lawyer's,
making threats to Susan.
-I want custody of the boy.
-Oh!
Susan is a good mother
to Mark.
No Judge in his right mind
would give you custody.
Yeah, well,
let's just wait and see
what Frank comes up with.
What, nude pictures of her?
Do you think
anybody really cares?
Regret the day she ever came
into this family.
So, I rather imagine,
does she.
Hey, whose side are you on?
Well, there are no sides!
Remember, Susan was very good
for our Billy.
(GRUNTING) I always felt
she was partly responsible
for that accident.
Susan is the reason
Billy stayed alive
as long as he did!
He was
hell-bound to destruction
long before he married her.
I...
I thank the good Lord
every day that
he didn't take Susan and Mark
with him.
I'll never forgive myself.
Or you for failing him.
Well, it's a mistake
we're not gonna make
with Mark.
Don't you see that, Edith?
That's why I want him
here with us.
To care for him.
Away from Susan's influence.
Oh, Walt...
You are...
You are forcing our grandson
to make a choice.
A very big choice.
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)
What do you mean
taking off like that
last night?
Don't pull that again, ever.
I'm sorry.
Look, I like you.
-Work with me.
-(SIGHS)
A few days.
I'll take you out of here.
I'll set you up.
You and the kid.
It won't happen again.
All right.
-You're on next.
You all set?
-Right.
Okay.
(CHEERING AND WHISTLING
CONTINUES)
(APPLAUDING AND WHISTLING)
You were great.
You were beautiful.
A little more smile next time.
Now, I want you to meet
a friend of mine. All right?
Roy?
I quit!
(INDISTINCT
RADIO ANNOUNCEMENT)
-Hey, watch it!
-Ow!
Ow! (SNIFFLING)
Here.
-Thanks. Stupid litter box!
-Yeah.
Guess I must have looked
pretty dumb out there.
You were looking pretty good
there for a minute.
180s are my big problem.
Yeah.
You know, you ought to wear
a helmet and pads,
so you wouldn't get cut up.
-Next time.
-Mmm-hmm.
-Can you make it
to the water over there?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
-All right. Sure.
-(WINCING) Ouch!
-You live around here?
-No.
What do you do, anyway?
I'm a photographer.
Say, can we borrow your water
a minute?
-Let me see that.
-Ah...
You know, we just studied
photography in school.
And now we're moving
to solar energy.
Solar energy, huh? Thank you.
-Do you like it?
-Oh, yeah.
The trouble with
solar energy is
that, uh, the sun doesn't
always shine, you know.
That's why
every solar energy system
has to have a back-up system,
a conventional system,
what the engineers call
"redundant".
-Not to mention expensive.
-Mmm-hmm.
Did you go to college?
Yeah. North-Western.
What did you study?
Photography?
No, no, that came later.
Uh... Engineering, mostly.
Uh, math.
Astrophysics.
-Oh, you like space stuff?
-Yeah.
Yeah, that's what I wanna do.
But, also, like, oceanography
and solar energy.
So much to do,
but so little time
to do it in.
Yeah, I could do it all.
Oh, kid...
You okay?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
Hang on to those ideas,
you know, they're great.
The world is really full
of great things.
You mean, like photography?
Like photography.
Thanks a lot.
-So long.
-See you.
Uh, what's your name, anyway?
Frank.
-So long, Frank.
-(CAR HONKING)
Oh, hey, Mom!
Come on, I want you
to meet my Mom.
-Oh, no, I've to...
-Come on!
Okay.
Hey!
Hey, neat, Mom,
you're home early.
What happened to your leg?
Come over here.
-Oh, nothing.
-Ah, let me see,
let me see.
Frank, this is my mom.
Mom, that's Frank.
You'll like her.
Susie Hanson.
Frank Andrews.
This is okay.
Yeah, Frank cleaned it out
for me.
-Oh.
-Man, it hurt like...
(LAUGHS) Well, thank you
very much, we appreciate it.
How'd the interview go?
Great. Listen to this.
I'm up for a part
as a dancing raisin.
-A dancing...
-(LAUGHS) A dancing raisin.
Guess I, uh, better be off.
Well, thanks, again.
It was really terrific of you.
-It's okay. Glad to help.
-So long, Frank.
Maybe we'll see each other
again sometime.
Yeah, sometime. Bye.
MARK: I like him,
he's a nice guy.
SUSIE: Yeah, he seems to be.
MAN: Who's next? Um...
Susie Hanson. Okay.
Hi, Susie, how are you?
(LAUGHING)
-Nice to see you.
Look, I'm Frank, the director.
-Hello.
Uh, Steve. Steve.
Look, I'm auditioning here.
Sorry, girls.
Girls, one minute.
-Hi. Look, uh, this is
a cereal commercial, right?
-Right.
You are a raisin
popping out of a box.
-You dance around a little boy
eating cereal.
-Right.
Right, you are succulent.
(LAUGHS) Yeah.
You are ripe.
Give me some music, huh?
Let's see what you can do.
Okay.
Steve, dance along,
dance along.
-Girls, you can dance along
if you want. Okay.
-(PIANO PLAYING)
Uh-huh, now kick the legs.
Beautiful. Think raisins!
Perfect! Ah, perfect!
(WHOOPING)
Absolutely. Huh? Huh?
Okay, okay, cut it.
Thanks a million!
-Wow! Really nice.
We'll be in touch.
-Thank you. Thank you.
-We'll be in touch.
-Thank you.
You probably heard me
tell the other girl,
"a cereal commercial".
(WOMEN TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
-Um...
-Hello.
-Hi, uh...
-Frank Andrews.
-Right! Mark's friend.
-Right.
Oh. (LAUGHS)
-This is my friend Lori.
This is, um, Frank Andrews.
-Hi.
-How do you do?
-Fine.
-Oh, that's some camera!
-Yeah, I'm a photographer.
-Professional?
-Yeah, yeah.
Oh. Well, I gotta be going on.
Get his number. Bye, Susie.
-Oh, bye.
-Bye.
(STUTTERING) Say,
I'm just in the neighborhood,
taking some pictures,
you know, people and...
It's very hot,
and I'm in the mood
for a tall cool one,
and I wondered if you'd
like to have a drink.
Um...
Oh, I really shouldn't.
Mark is coming home from
school, and I gotta get home.
I know a great place,
it's just, you know,
just a couple of blocks...
-Oh, yeah?
-Yeah, very close.
Okay, sure.
Here. I think it's...
-Hi.
-Hi.
Would you like...
What would you like?
-Uh, just coffee.
-Coffee and a beer. We're
kind of in a hurry, okay?
So, Mark was telling me
that you went to North-Western
and, um...
Uh, you were into astrophysics
and stuff like that.
-Yeah.
-How did you get to be
a photographer?
I don't know.
I've always wanted to be one.
I drifted into it, you know,
like most people do.
Postponed it for a while.
-Do you mind if I smoke?
-Oh, no. No, no.
Um, is it hard to be
a photographer?
Well...
-It's not hard to photograph.
-Uh-huh.
I love photography.
It's what you have to do to
support your artistic habit,
you know. All those odd jobs.
Thank you.
Yep. I know about
stuff like that. (LAUGHS)
You know, I've always
wanted to be a dancer.
But I've had to take
all kinds of crazy jobs,
you know,
to pay for my lessons
and I was, um...
-Let's see,
I was a bank teller.
-Mmm-hmm.
I worked in a supermarket.
That was boring.
I worked in a gift store.
In fact, the only time
I wasn't dancing
and taking lessons
was when I was married
and had Mark.
But when my husband died,
I, um...
(STUTTERING) My husband died
in a car crash.
Anyway, when he died, I, uh,
I decided I was gonna get back
to my career seriously.
So, I got a job
dancing in a stock company.
That was my best job,
it was great.
I have been really going on
and on about myself!
Oh, I'm so sorry!
-It's okay.
-No! I asked you about you.
Oh, dear, let's see.
I really do wanna know
about you.
-I'm Mr. Boring.
-Oh, no.
Listen, I'm really interested
in what you do. Um...
What kind of pictures
do you like to take?
-I like to take, uh,
pictures of people, you know.
-Uh-huh.
As they are in their work.
Is it, uh,
difficult to support yourself
taking those kind of pictures?
(LAUGHS) It's impossible.
There aren't very many good,
you know, photography
magazines, and those that do
publish that kind of work
are...
They have their own favorite,
you know,
in-house photographers.
-Hmm, yeah.
-I got a stack of rejections
like that.
Oh, well.
The world doesn't understand
us struggling artistes.
Yes, they do. They just
don't want to pay us.
(LAUGHS) That, too.
-Um, I need...
-Uh...
-Oh.
-I'm sorry.
-Oh, no, I was just gonna ask
what time it was.
-Oh. It's, uh...
Yeah. I gotta go.
Mark's gonna be home
from school any minute.
Um...
Could I ask a favor of you?
Uh...
Do you think you could
take a picture of me
that I could use for
my commercial composite sheet?
Sure. Oh, not now! No, no, no.
-Oh, why not?
The light is terrific.
-Oh...
-Hmm? Wait a minute.
-Wait a second. Wait, wait.
Um, how much do you charge,
first of all?
Dinner, tomorrow night.
-(CAMERA CLICKING)
-I can't. I can't. I can't.
(LAUGHS)
Lunch.
-Okay.
-Okay?
-But, now? Wait a second.
(EXHALES)
-That's all right.
-Ah, this feels so weird!
Okay. How's that?
-(CAMERA CLICKING)
-(LAUGHS)
-Great.
I need a lot of
smiling pictures
for commercials, you know.
-You've got plenty of smiles.
-(LAUGHS) Okay, how's this?
Ah, good.
Now let's see what you got.
They're no good!
Is that an aesthetic judgment?
Well, they don't
show anything.
What I need is totally nude
shots, you know, with men.
Well, you know what I want.
(SIGHS)
What about the tapes?
Well, this is the best one.
(WAILING)
Something wrong
with that tape?
I'm surprised at you,
Mr. Sterling,
that's a whale singing.
(WAILING CONTINUES)
MARK: See, Mom?
That's the way whales
communicate with each other.
Each one of these songs
has a different meaning.
There are even songs
of distress.
If a baby whale is in danger,
the mother will warn her
by singing a certain song.
SUSIE: Whales are
a lot like people.
MARK: People should be
more like whales.
See, like,
whales don't pollute.
They don't kill
for the pleasure
or for the game.
(WAILING CONTINUES)
Well, just what
am I supposed to do with that?
(TURNS RECORDING OFF)
I've listened to
hours of tape, Mr. Sterling,
there's nothing there.
You've been leading me on,
Frank.
Telling me there's something
where there's nothing!
I sent you pictures
of her stripping.
Stripping?
You call that stripping? That?
Well, what about this?
Stripping?
That's what she does!
-Oh, catch her with a guy.
-She doesn't have a guy!
Fix it!
I don't fix photographs!
You want that kind of work,
you do it yourself!
Or get somebody else to do it.
Not this boy.
I intend to do just that.
-I'll send you my final bill.
-Don't bother!
I don't like
being made a fool of.
I won't pay it.
(DOOR CLOSING)
-SUSIE: Frank? Is that you?
-Yeah.
Oh, good, come on in.
Uh, I'll just be a second.
Hi.
Hi.
-(SOFTLY) Wow!
-(GIGGLING)
I'm ready.
Just one second.
Here. For you.
Oh!
(SIGHS)
This is incredible.
Just yesterday,
I was telling Mark
how much I wanted this book.
-How did I know, right?
-Yeah!
Uh... (CLEARING THROAT)
Well, I just figured
that all good dancers
like to read about the ballet.
You must be clairvoyant.
Uh, no, no.
I just have great intuition.
Uh, where would you
like to eat?
-I don't care.
-Um... Uh...
Is that place on the pier
any good?
Oh, yeah, it's fine.
-Shall we?
-Yeah. Okay.
-Come on...
-I can't.
Ey, Susie!
(LAUGHING) Hi! Hi!
-How are you?
-I'm okay. Uh...
Frank Andrews,
this is Harry Parkins.
-Hello, Frank Andrews.
How are you?
-Frank. Yeah. How are you?
-Good. Good.
-Hey, any luck?
No, they're not biting.
No. Did Jill get you any work?
-No, no, I'm still
drawing unemployment.
-Oh...
There's not too many calls
for a top banana.
Or a second banana.
As a matter of fact,
all the bananas are split.
(LAUGHING)
Still pretty good, huh?
Listen,
I gotta get out of here.
My worms are drying up.
-Give me a call, will you?
-(LAUGHING)
-Nice meeting you, Frank.
-Bye.
-Hey, you didn't bring
your camera today!
-Hmm...
I thought photographers are
never without their cameras.
Mmm, like a dancer
without her feet.
Yeah. Okay.
-Show me the step,
come on, come on.
-No, I can't...
Come on! Just a little. Okay.
BOTH: One, two...
Okay, move your hips
a little bit, come on.
This is silly.
(LAUGHING)
I think you look good.
You know, I can show you
lots of different kinds
of dancing.
Ballet, jazz...
I can even show you
how to do some exotic dancing.
-No, no, stop.
-Yeah. Yeah.
I've been an exotic dancer.
An ecdysiast, as in stripper.
Yep. (LAUGHING)
But, that was out
of my dark past.
I don't do it anymore.
I didn't like it.
Mark wasn't crazy about it
either.
Anyway, now you know.
Show me the other steps.
-Yeah? You game?
-Yeah.
-Wow! Okay.
-Okay. Hold my purse.
Okay, this is a real easy one.
Okay, watch.
-One, two... (LAUGHS)
One, two...
-I'm not gonna do that!
-Come on!
Just try, come on.
-Hold my purse.
Okay, okay.
Put your fingers down,
one, two...
-Oh, this is a public pier...
-Come on, do it.
One... (LAUGHING)
No, I can't...
Susie, you know this business.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-It's "hurry up and wait".
-Look, stick around, you'll
probably get a call back.
-(SIGHS)
Okay. (EXHALES)
Nothing yet, huh?
No, but Jill says
I should stick around,
maybe I'll get a call back.
-I'll wait with you.
-Okay. How about you?
No, nothing in show business.
I got this call for a guide
at this toy factory.
And?
-I couldn't fit
into the uniform.
-(BOTH LAUGHING)
Aw...
(SIGHS)
(PHONE RINGING)
Susie...
I don't wanna poke into
your business, but, uh...
Why you dating guys
at the club?
I never did!
-That guy I saw you with
at the pier...
-Yeah?
-You didn't meet him
at the club?
-No.
Mark met him at the beach.
Seems like a nice enough
kind of guy.
Ever since I saw you
with that guy,
it's been bugging me.
"Where'd I see his face?"
Last night it dawned on me.
That guy had been hanging out
at the club.
Are you sure about that?
Susie, I don't forget faces.
I thought you should know.
-JILL: Susie...
-Glad you told me.
You can go home.
No call back, sorry.
Hey, Frank, there's my mom!
Come on!
Hey, Mom!
Hey, look what Frank got me.
He got me the earphones
I needed.
He even knew I needed
a new battery pack.
Come on,
we've been trying them out.
SUSIE: Okay,
we'll be right there.
You know...
There's something
I just don't understand.
You seem to know exactly
what Mark and I want.
I mean, just the right
ballet book,
headphones
and a new battery pack...
I don't get it.
Well, just a couple of
lucky guesses.
How come you didn't tell me
you were at
the Club Versailles?
-I tried to the other day.
-But you didn't.
No, I didn't.
The other day at the pier...
I go into this whole,
long story about how
I've been an exotic dancer.
And you don't say anything!
You knew all the time!
What were you doing
at the club?
Taking photographs.
Why?
I was hired to take
photographs of you.
Hired?
Why?
(STUTTERING) What for? By who?
Walt Sterling.
Why?
He wants custody of Mark.
Custody of Mark!
Well, what did you give him?
Some photographs,
and some tapes.
Tapes?
How did you get tapes?
I tapped your phone.
You are disgusting!
Well, it's too bad
you wasted your time.
Because I am
one hell of a good mother.
I know, that's what
I told Sterling.
Oh, really? Is that
what you told Sterling?
I don't ever wanna talk to you
ever again!
You leave me alone!
-Mom, look what I've got!
-Come with me. Come home. Now!
What's the matter with Mom?
-Go with your mother. Go on.
-Come on, now!
Wait, Mom.
Will you tell me
where we're going, at least?
I'm not sure. I don't know.
I like it here.
I like it here, too. (SIGHS)
I don't mean
just the apartment.
I mean all of this.
California, the beach...
I do, too.
I'll miss the beach.
So will I.
Mom, look.
-What?
-Look!
You listen to me, don't move.
Stay here, I'll be right back.
(DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING)
What are you doing?
I want you to leave
Mark and me alone.
Now, there's no reason
to get upset, Susan.
No reason?
You've had someone
spying on me.
You bugged my apartment.
What gives you the right?
-You're leaving that boy alone
and going off to...
-Mark...
Mark was with a sitter!
And there was nothing
wrong with the Versailles
before it was sold.
Susan, that's no way
to raise a child.
There is nothing wrong
with my child! He's fine!
He's healthy, he's happy,
he's just fine!
Now, look, why can't you be
reasonable, Susan?
Edith and I have the means
to raise that boy
the way he should be.
-(SCOFFS)
-Now, look, let me take Mark
back to Oregon.
See, then, you're free to live
however you want.
Pursue your career.
See, Mark will always be
just a couple of hours away.
Just like that you expect me
to walk away from my child
and hand him over to you
for safekeeping.
I can give him the things
he needs.
Susan, I love the boy.
That doesn't give you
the right to try and
take him away from me!
Mark is very precious to me.
And I will never leave him,
ever!
I'm warning you, Susan,
I'll fight you for him.
And I'll fight you right back!
And here's another thing,
you call off that creep.
He quit.
Well, don't bother
to hire another one.
You scared me.
You scared me real good.
You threatened me, too.
But I'm not scared any more.
There is nothing in my life
I'm ashamed of.
Well?
You want to stay at the beach?
We are staying at the beach.
Come on, let's go. Unpack.
What are you waiting for?
What did he say?
He wanted to take you away.
I told him, "no!"
-Take me away, where?
Back to Oregon?
-Oregon.
He wanted us both
to go back to Oregon.
I told him we are staying here
together, and I told him
to leave us alone.
-Think he will?
-Oh, he better!
Mom, why is Grandpa
doing all this?
Because he wants you with him.
This whole thing stinks.
I don't wanna go
to one of you.
I love you both.
-(PHONE RINGING)
-(SIGHS)
-Hello? Oh!
-Susie, it's Jill.
-Hi, Jill.
-You got it!
You got the raisin commercial!
-I did? Oh! That's great!
-Yeah! You gotta be there
in half an hour.
-Oh, now? In half an hour?
-Yeah, can you make it?
I'll be there.
No, I'll be there.
I'll be there.
Wait a minute,
let me get a pen.
Okay, hold on, hold on.
-Go. Yeah. Yeah.
-On the corner of Western
and Olive, gray building.
-Yeah, I know where that is.
-Studio B.
Oh, it's great!
I almost dropped the phone.
Okay.
-Bye. I'll see you later.
-Good luck.
I got the raisin commercial!
I got it, isn't that great?
Let's go. We have to go
right now. Come on, come on.
-"We"?
-Yeah. Oh!
I don't know
what your grandfather
has planned.
We're gonna stick together.
Now, just leave it, it's okay.
Come on.
-Oh, you mean like
diving buddies?
-(LAUGHS)
(INDISTINCT)
-Right there?
-That's good.
-MAN 1: Quiet everybody.
And, rolling camera.
-MAN 2: Speed.
-MAN 3: Production 39,
take 43.
-Okay, now, Susie, remember,
-you're the raisin
all America can love.
-Yes.
Got it? Do it. Roll by.
(JINGLE PLAYING)
* Meet Rosie, the raisin
* She's the pick
of the raisin land
* Meet Rosie, the raisin
* Come on and join
in the raisin band
* For breakfast
and for luncheon
* Or just a little
healthy munchin'
* There's a good reason
for sunshine
* But there's a lot of good
reasons for raisins *
DIRECTOR: Okay, cut! Print it!
-(LAUGHS) Oh, thanks.
-Amazing! Nice, nice, nice.
-Thanks.
-Great work.
-Uh, what'd you think? Huh?
-Well, I am so...
-Well?
-I liked you better
as a stripper.
SUSIE: Look, I don't want you
hanging around here anymore,
is that clear?
Yes.
I have these photographs.
Great, I want them.
I want all the photographs.
-I'll bring them over.
-Oh, no. I'm gonna
come to you. Hold on.
What's your address?
-1357, Austin.
-Mmm-hmm.
-It's in Culver City.
-Okay, um...
-I can be there
in about an hour.
-(DIAL TONE HUMMING)
Mom, he was only
doing his job.
That's a lowlife job.
Mom, when you're broke,
you can't choose your job.
We were just another
assignment to him, Mom.
Look, Mark,
I don't trust anything
about that man.
When he did get to know you,
he liked you. And he quit.
I don't like being made
a fool of.
-He tricked you, right?
-Yeah.
-He lied to you, huh?
-(SCOFFS) He lied to me
about everything!
Well, you tricked me,
you lied to me,
you made a fool of me.
Mark, that is
entirely different.
I forgave you.
You just don't understand.
Now, come on, I wanna drop you
at Harry's. Let's go. Come on.
Hurry up.
(SIGHS DEEPLY)
Are these all of them?
Yes.
(SIGHS) Can I believe you?
Yes.
Those are the pictures,
the negatives, tapes,
everything.
I did it for the money.
You know how that is.
I...
I want all of these, too.
How can you do this?
This stuff when you do such
good work.
Well...
I don't know
how to explain it.
I've made so many mistakes
in my life... (SCOFFS)
Blown so many chances.
I'm...
I couldn't go through
with this.
I'm trying to turn
things around, you know.
Well...
You're the only one
that can do it.
Okay. Thank you.
(HUMMING SOFTLY)
-Hello?
-Hi, Abby, it's Susie.
-Hi.
-Uh, listen, send Mark home,
lunch is ready, okay?
But he's not here.
What do you mean
he's not there? I sent him
over a half-an-hour ago.
Well, he hasn't shown up.
-You mean he never got there?
-No, I haven't seen him
at all.
I'll look outside and see
if I can find him.
(STUTTERING)
Um, I'll call you back.
(PHONE RINGING)
-Mark?
-No, it's Frank.
What are you calling for?
What do you want?
Susie, I wanna talk this out.
Look, I can't talk now.
Mark is missing.
Do you know anything
about this?
No, of course not.
What do you mean "missing"?
I can't talk!
Freddy, have you seen Mark?
Will you go up there
and look for me?
-Susie?
-What are you doing here?
I wanna help you.
He hasn't turned up?
No, I...
He's been gone over an hour.
I can't find him anywhere.
Have you covered
that end of the beach?
-Well, yeah, I've been down...
-Settle down, settle down.
Cover that end of the beach,
down to the third
lifeguard box.
I'll cover this end and
I'll meet you by the swings
in an hour, okay?
(INAUDIBLE)
Susie, here.
It's getting cold.
Let's try the pier again,
okay?
What you did, hiring Frank,
I think that was wrong.
Please try and understand,
Mark, I hired Frank
to find you
because I thought it was
the only way I could get you
back with me again.
My mother will fix it
so that I never see you again.
She'll do that.
She's afraid of you.
She's afraid that
you'll change her life
so that...
(SIGHS) She doesn't want
to live in your big house.
You can live nearby.
No, she wants to live in LA.
To dance.
And I wanna live with her.
Look at it my way.
See, when your mother
took you away,
I got mad.
All I could think was
I wanted you back with me,
no matter what the price.
I still think you'd be
better off living with me.
No, Grandpa.
I belong with my mom.
(SIGHS) Oh, boy, I've done
a terrible thing in all this.
I'm afraid I may have
ruined things forever.
Lost you, just like
I once lost your father.
SUSIE: Mark, let's go.
Susan?
I'm going back to Oregon
tonight.
I won't bother you anymore.
Mom, can we go visit
Grandma and Grandpa sometime?
For Christmas for a few days?
Please.
Please?
Edith and I would like
that visit very much, Susan.
Is everything okay?
I think so.
I'm glad.
Could I see you again?
Mom, could you at least
think about it?
Yeah.