The Public Eye (1992) - full transcript

foodval.com - stop by if you're interested in the nutritional composition of food
---
Everybody stand back, please.

Third floor!

You scared me.

Ah, Jesus, Bernzy.

We weren't six blocks from
here when it come over the radio.

I killed him to get the picture.

You didn't touch him, did you?

What do you think, I'm stupid?

Huh, my competition.

Who'd this guy work for, Bernzy?

Farinelli, I think. He ain't
lookin' his best tonight, is he?



Do you mind?
You're castin' a shadow.

Hey, kid, put the hat
in there. His hat!

Stick it in. People like
to see the dead guy's hat.

Thanks, boys.

All right, Cobb.
Move it along.

No! No more pictures.
Come on, move it along.

Shit!

Get back! Come on!

Bernzy, clear outta here.

I heard this guy's walking around with
a meat cleaver stickin' out of his head!

Get the hell out. Keep an eye
on him. One shot. One shot.

Throw a sheet over him.
Thanks a lot. Thank you.

Excuse me.

Let 'em through!
Let 'em through!



You better uncover him now, son.

Christ. Christ...

Wait a second.

This is a new low
for you, Bernzy.

Flatter me all you want,
Jack. It's still 20 bucks.

You got a release on that guy?
Got a spirit medium on staff?

You checked with the hospital?
He never made it to Bellevue.

Thank god I was able
to administer his last rites.

Thank you. Pleasure
doin' business with you.

That's not very polite.

I know how it is.
I work nights myself.

Professional interest, see.

"Tomorrow he sails."
That's the caption.

How much you got on you?

My wife wouldn't like it.

Honey, you're not married,
and you don't have a girl.

I saw how you were
lookin' at those two.

Your socks don't even match.

Car 92, in front of 171...

And I still don't see
why we need rationing.

We've got to divide among
our civilian population...

What we have left after
feeding our fighting men.

And that means there'll be
a little less for some of us,

but a fair share for all...

Rineman publishing.
Hold, please.

Leon Bernstein. Is it
a pickup or a delivery?

I have an appointment.
Oh.

Just a minute. There's a
mister Bernstein for you.

Mr. Bernstein?
Hi.

My father'll see you today. I
have a doctor's appointment.

Okay.
Good-bye.

Mr. Bernstein.

Rineman publishing.

Now, does one call you
Mr. Bernstein or Mr. Bernzini?

Or is it just Bernzini?

Well, I was born Leon Bernstein,
but the girls up at worldwide...

That's the photo agency...
they call me the great Bernzini...

On account of they said I'm a magician
the way I get every place so fast.

That's marvelous. I know my son spoke
to you quite optimistically about this.

That's why I wanted
to speak to you...

Rather than tossing it
into the mail.

From a technical point of
view, this is fine work.

It's simply that we don't
publish books of this type.

Please, Mr. Rineman, everybody
knows that Rineman and sons...

Publishes more photograph
books than anybody else.

Well, sir, we publish books
of photography.

And to my mind,
this is instead...

A most admirable
picture book about New York.

No, you're wrong.
If I may explain.

No, I know exactly
what you mean. Still lifes.

Naked women gettin' out
of tubs. Fruit on a plate.

"It's a photo,
let's pretend it's a painting."

Let's face it,
Mr. Rineman,

you've printed enough of those
books already. Everybody did.

No, Mr. Rineman.
This is the book.

Come on, let's show those guys.

May I say you're not being fair
to the photographers we publish.

Yeah, right. Course, I'd like to see
'em try to get a shot like this one here.

Where the fire truck is in front of ya
and behind ya you have a burning building.

So you have light comin' at ya
from every which way.

And you have these
two poor women here,

watchin' their whole life
go up in smoke.

Now I'd like to see one of 'em
try to get a shot like that.

Well, sir, what I see here...

Is a batch of pictures
that's too...

Sensational...
Too vulgar, frankly,

to justify printing a book
of fine photography.

Just so I know.

What's too vulgar in this shot?

Is it, um, the fire truck or these
two women? Since you have talent...

I'd like to suggest that you apply
it to subject matter that's more...

No, I heard this advice before.

Please listen, Mr. Bernstein.

The men who do what you do don't usually
feel the need to rationalize like you,

much less be celebrated for it.

Yeah. Nobody does
what I do. Nobody.

Tell your son I won't
hold this against him...

When I have my big retrospective

at the museum of modern art.

You're having a showing
at the modern?

Yes, I am.

When?
Someday.

Hey, Bernzy, you just missed
Eleanor Roosevelt...

French-kissing Harpo Marx.

I'll catch 'em on the
inside. That'll be the day.

Behind the ropes,
"Bern-stine."

It's "stein."

Good evenin',
Mr. Armstrong.

Kitchen door.

And check the camera.
Thank you, my good man.

♪ Take my hand
and we'll be together ♪

Excuse me.

Just the camera, please.

Take good care of that.

♪ Then we'll go up to the pad
and turn the lights down low ♪

♪ I'll tell you many things
to let you know ♪

♪ How much I dig ya when
ya whisper sweet nothings ♪

♪ Ooh-whee, baby

♪ how you dazzle me let's
stay crazy and be happy ♪

♪ Let's stay together
all the time ♪

♪ The way you hold me tight ♪

♪ Makes me wish the sun
would never shine ♪

Do you have a reservation,
sir? No, but I can see you do.

♪ So, baby, now you know
my story of love... ♪

Oh, Mr. Bernstein.

Oh!

♪ Blow, John, go, John
Sam, John ♪

♪ Wail, John

Thanks for coming,
Mr. Bernstein. Uh, Bernzy.

Bernzy.
This way.

Publicity men from
the war department.

They want to shoot a newsreel
in here for war bonds.

Scotch all right?

There's never been
a camera inside.

Lou always said,
"that way it's like heaven.

"They're dying
to see it."

Oh, thanks.
Please.

I'm still in shock.

If I'd have snuck into this place,
I'd probably feel more comfortable.

Me too. Half the people down there
feel more sure they belong than I do.

I need to ask you a favor.

You need a favor from me?

Lou told me you know
everybody in New York.

I mean, all the crooks and all the cops,
is that true?

Mm.

He said you never take sides because
all you care about is taking pictures.

Taking sides might
get in the way.

I guess you read about Lou's
brother contesting the will.

If Lou wanted to leave cafe
society to a rug salesman,

he'd have left it to him.

What's he sell,
toupees or carpets?

It's hard to know.

People say some
lousy things about me.

Uh, "she's a coldhearted girl who married
and buried an old man." You heard that?

You should hear
what they say about me.

Did you ever take
a picture of this man?

Ringside table on the right.
The man in the pink suit.

Never saw him before.
No?

I'll take a stab in the dark and say
he ain't exactly society league, though.

Yeah. I guess I dragged
you up here for nothing.

What's he doin' exactly?

He says he was
my husband's partner.

He says Lou owed him money
and now he's my partner.

"Offered as collateral in
exchange for services rendered?"

He didn't need money and he
didn't keep secrets from me.

How would you know?
Hmm?

I mean, if they were secrets.

You know how it is...

When you're intimate
with someone.

Yeah. Right.

I know Lou sold
bootleg in the old days.

So did everybody in
the nightclub business.

But Lou was a reputable
businessman. Is this his signature?

He's here every night...

Not ten feet from the
mirror or Walter Winchell.

Couldn't you just, um...

Throw him out?
I'd love to.

But he says he'll go to my brother-in-law,
help him prove Lou's will is invalid.

Is it?
No.

But I'm his second wife. There
aren't any women in this business.

We both know what people say
about me. I can't take the chance.

I could find out who he
is for you. Could you?

Won't be hard for me.

I'd like to pay you
something. No.

I insist.
No, it's okay.

Well, Danny downstairs suggested
I come in through the kitchen.

Fredo, could you watch the door for
a few minutes? Send Danny up to me.

Yes, Mrs. Levitz.

Why don't you stay and have dinner? Oh,
no, that's all right.

It's not that big a favor.
Okay if I take this?

Of course.

Thanks.

With all due respect,
Mrs. Levitz,

you can't have somebody
like that inside the club.

You don't see these animals
on the street like I do.

They call them shutterbugs
'cause they're insects.

They're vermin, scavengers.
They've got no morality.

I know.

He fancies he's different, of course,
which makes him the worst of the lot.

I hear him talkin' to people
sometimes, important people.

Botherin' 'em.
Publishers, editors.

He's botherin' you about that,
isn't he? About his book?

I don't know anything about it.

In fact, I asked him
to do me a favor.

I see.

Well, may I ask why?

Well, Lou always
said he was tenacious.

The most persistent,
the most annoying.

Danny, I know you know the social
standing of everybody down there

better than anyone.

Mr. Levitz taught me well.

But the next time
Mr. Bernstein comes,

we'll let him in the front door.

Whatever you say, ma'am.

Okay, clear the way.
Just one shot, huh?

Drop the hat, huh?
Put on a smile, huh?

Bernzy, there's two guys
called Portofino with records,

but not that age or
description. No record.

Not in New York, pal.
Hmph.

I'm gonna go over there
and take his picture.

I don't think he wants it took.

What are you talkin' about?

Everybody loves to have
their picture took. Everybody!

How ya doin', kid?
Kiss off.

Can you write? Sign here.
Yeah. Where?

You ever heard of
the great Bernzini? No.

I shot Dutch Schultz,
legs diamond.

None of those guys
ever hid their faces.

I just said, kiss off.

All right.
Have it your own way.

I get everybody while
they're alive or after.

I'll let you in on a secret.
Nobody looks better after.

You're that freak that drives
around in that sedan at night.

That's me. In your line of work,
I'm known as the photographer to the stars.

I heard of you.
Them other creeps around?

They're in the corner,
smoking. One shot.

Come on, real fast.
Nobody'll even know.

Come on,
let me immortalize ya. Back up a little.

Thanks, kid.
Kiss off.

Agh. God.

Precinct.

Homicide, please.

Homicide, Conklin.
Conklin, Bernzy.

What's up? Well,
I was sorta paying this social call,

to this guy, uh,
his name is Emilio Portofino.

Yeah?
Well, he's been murdered.

I'm lookin' at him now.

Stay where you are.
I wanna go get my camera.

You don't see this a lot.

Stay put. We'll be
there in five minutes.

All right, the address is 115...

Hello, Bernzy.

You're not gonna have any more
trouble with Portofino in your good seats.

Somebody killed him.
My god.

Anything you wanna tell me? Anything you
better tell me before the cops get here?

Uh, all I know about him
is what I told you.

If you're asking what I think
you are... I'm not asking you that.

It's obvious this guy
was done in by the mob.

The mob.

All right, look.
I'll be in touch with you.

Okay?
I gotta go now.

Yeah, okay.
Thanks.

Jesus.
Marshall, come on.

Graham, stay by the door.

What do you say, Conklin?

Mr. Chadwick,
this is Leon Bernstein.

Otherwise known
as the great Bernzini.

Bernzy, this is special agent...

Chadwick of the federal
bureau of investigation.

Nice to meet ya.

Hey, knock it off.

What was your business
with Portofino?

I told you. I just called
on him as a favor to a friend.

That's right. What'd you
say your friend's name was?

I didn't say. Listen,
what are you investigating exactly?

Mr. Bernstein,
detective Conklin tells us you know

many members
of the mob in New York.

I also know the cops
and washroom attendants.

It's the only way a good
photographer can stay in business.

I mean, a tabloid photographer,
not a Stieglitz or a Steichen.

Excuse me, Steinwitz or...

The second and third best
photographers in the country.

Don't mobsters sometimes say they won't
let anybody but you take their picture?

Mm. I bet you get to know a lot of
criminals in your line of work too.

Maybe not.

Was Portofino with the
mob? I don't know. Was he?

I'll ask the questions here. How did he
come to town and set himself up so fast?

Look, you know this guy
better than I do, obviously.

I called Conklin. The next thing I
know you already have the address.

Where'd Portofino get his money?

I don't know anything.

I see this guy once for five
seconds. The next time I see him,

which was tonight,
he ain't too chatty. I gotta go now.

I got a job.
You got a job?

Yes, I have a job.
I'm a free-lance photographer.

If I'm not on the street by midnight,
the whole world passes me by.

Tough way to make a living.

You hoped to get money
from Portofino, right?

What? You intended
to blackmail him.

This is a gag, right?

Mr. Bernstein, you came to this country
from Russia when you were six years old.

All right, that's it. I have my
sell meeting in a half an hour.

Where do you think you're goin'?

You know, you're tellin' me
more than I'm tellin' you.

I could see this guy got rich quick
doin' something you really didn't like.

When you bring up Russia,

I figure it's
something treasonous.

Mr. Bernstein... Mr. Bernstein,
I'm sorry we took you from work.

This is a time of war.

We know you'll keep your
conjectures about Portofino to yourself.

Fact is, we know
very little about him.

We were hoping you could fill us in. Yeah,
yeah, sure, okay.

Can I have my film plates? We can't
give them to you for a couple of days.

He's news tonight. In a few days,
I won't be able to sell them.

Check back with agent
Chadwick tomorrow morning.

He'll give you
the proper forms to fill in.

Don't do that.

Get in the car, please.

All right, all right. Come on!

What's up? You're Farinelli's boys,
right? Get in the car.

You're Tonio,
I know you. Just get in the car.

What's up?
Jesus, get in the car.

Let me get my camera.
Just get in the car!

Come on, Tonio,
let me get my camera. Get in the car.

Okay, I'm in the car. Can I
get my camera now, please?

I'm comin', I'm comin'.

What're you pushin' him
around for? We know this guy!

Sorry, Mr. Farinelli.
Have a seat, Bernzy.

Want a drink?
You got coffee?

You'll be up all night.
Ha, ha, ha.

Go to the corner.
Get him a cup of coffee.

You know Mikey and Sal?

Hiya, Bernzy.

Bernzy?

So you found the body of
this punk Portofino, right? Yeah.

What do you know about him?

Nothin' really.

Why'd you call the feds?
I didn't.

I called the cops
like I usually do.

They're the ones
who called the FBI.

Okay, Bernzy, so we're
misinformed. You didn't call the feds.

But I'd still like to know how
you knew Portofino. I didn't.

You didn't?
No.

I mean, I met him the other
night at the cafe society.

And he wanted somebody
to take his picture...

And he offered
a good buck for it.

You don't do commissions.

Two years ago my sister's
boy made communion.

I offered you plenty of money.

I don't do commissions,
but I got a good nose for news.

Talkin' to this kid, it smelled
like there might be somethin' in it.

That's it.
That's all.

Oh, that's all?
Yeah.

How dare you lie to me!

Okay, Bernzy.
Okay.

As it is, I gotta trust you.
You never crossed nobody.

You do nothin' but snap
pictures noon and night.

What is it with you anyway?

Dope fiends live better than
you. You're a fuckin' freak.

Yeah? Well, like the guy who
used to shovel elephant shit...

Said to the circus owner,
"what, give up show biz?"

Ha, ha, ha. Here,
here's for the camera.

Do me a favor. Don't go around
talkin' about this dead guy.

Uh, what's his name,
all right? Right.

Thank you, thank you.

I don't know, maybe he is.
He's gettin' in.

See anybody else?

Hey, Bernzy, how do you rate?

I don't understand.
The FBI? Think I do?

Look, I don't do favors for
people. You see what happens?

I walk in here. You give me a
drink. I start feelin' good about myself.

The next thing I know,
the FBI calls me a communist,

and some gangster
uses me to wax his floor with.

I'm sorry. Yeah,
like you didn't know that guy was mob.

You didn't either. Like there was
nobody else you could've asked.

I did ask.
Nobody knew him.

Why'd you ever ask me up here
in the first place?

Lou trusted you.
I told you he said that...

Lou thought I was like those
flies outside,

buzzin' around to take
a picture of Rita Hayworth.

That's not true. A little parasite,
preyin' on people's misery.

You're not the only one who
knows what people say about you.

It doesn't matter what they
say... Unless you believe them.

Why do you think I asked you?

I'd be so overwhelmed to be
invited into the inner sanctum,

that I would jump into the
street to do your dirty work.

You could've asked any of those
schmucks with cameras outside.

I can see you have
a high opinion of me.

You're not like those guys outside.
You believe in something. Your book.

How do you know about my book?

Lou told me. And when I knew I
needed someone I could trust...

I hope you're not just
sayin' this. Why should I?

I don't know.

This is the first time I heard that
Lou Levitz had an interest in my book.

Lou had every great artist from
Paris to Hollywood stopping in here.

He knew they were great
because they were rolling in it.

That's all he knew or ever
wanted to know about artists.

What do you know about them?

Nothing.

I knew a little
something once...

When I wanted to be one...

On the stage.

I still know enough
to know you're the real thing,

or you'd have given up long ago.

You see, I never was.

Having this place is the
closest I'll ever come to it.

I am sorry for all the trouble.

What's this? Pictures
I took in the club.

I see. When?

Thank you.

Well, it's not over just
because Portofino's dead.

Somebody else is gonna come into this
club and tell ya they're Lou's partner.

But why?

I think he was involved
in something really bad.

You don't know
what it is, do ya?

I could probably
find out what it is.

I could do that.
You don't have to.

Maybe I could show you
my book sometime.

I'd like that, Bernzy.

Bernzy, I didn't think any of my
real friends could get into this place.

Lonely at the top,
kiddo. Come on. Sit down for a minute.

All right,
half a minute. Don't be a pill.

How else you ever gonna sit here?
Hack makes good, huh, Bernzy?

I want you to meet Vera Hickson.
This is the great Bernzini.

The best shutterbug... you
seen my show? Don't worry.

It's on my calendar. "Brooklyn rhapsody,"
winter garden theater.

But you know I work
nights. It's a beautiful show.

I'm sure it is.
I know what you think.

Why should I go see

a bunch of Arty's old columns
dramatized when I already read 'em?

That's not true.
I never read 'em.

Hey, waiter, waiter!

Waiter!
Come on! Dyin' here.

Arty, I have to go.
I'm 57 years old.

Think she would have looked
at me six months ago, hmm?

Hmm. Arty.

Best shutterbug in New
York. Know what that means?

It means that your pictures
are catchin' bird shit...

At the bottom of the cage six
hours after the papers come out.

Just like my columns used to.

Hey, waiter. M...
Arty.

Please. No. Come
on. Will you lay off?

At least if you paint pictures,
you write books, they say,

"okay, so he didn't have a life.

"He didn't have any money,
he didn't even have a steady girl.

"Look what he painted,
look what he wrote."

She wouldn't have
pissed on me six months ago.

Excuse me.
Miss Hickson.

Aw, Vera, come on.
Vera!

Arty, you better
apologize to that lady.

Look who's giving me
advice on my love life.

Listen to somebody who really
knows. Nobody could love you.

No woman could love some shabby
little guy who sleeps in his clothes,

eats out of cans, cozies up to corpses
so much he begins to stink like one.

You should get a refund
from that charm school.

Bernzy, come on back.

Bernzy, I'm sorry.

Why don't you tell me what
the trouble is, Mrs. Levitz?

Why would such a lovely lady
rely on a man like that?

I know what I'm doing.
It isn't easy, is it?

Holdin' on to a place like this.

Who knows why they come
or when they'll stop.

That's enough. I know what I'm
doing. I hope you're not startin'...

To mistake him for
a real person, Mrs. Levitz.

As for this favor he's doin' ya,
don't count on it.

Know what a shutterbug does
when he finds an abandoned baby?

He jabs it with a diaper pin

because pictures of cryin'
babies are worth a dollar more.

Saturday evening post,
"brave men in blue."

Come on, you must have seen it.

Weren't you here earlier?
With Chadwick?

Yeah, that's when I spotted ya.

I said to myself, now
there's a heroic profile.

Then Chadwick told me
about that thing you did.

What,
the jumper? On the fire escape? Yeah, yeah.

I didn't even think
he knew about that.

Oh, he told me about how you
helped him talk the guy down.

He said what? Son-of-a-bitch
wasn't even here!

That's something how people try to
take credit when they didn't do anything.

All right, I'm gonna call this caption,
"the guardian."

You can't take a picture here.

One picture. Real fast.

Don't slouch. Sit up straight. Come on,
great big smile.

Smile! Whoops.

Now what's the problem?

You got a little somethin'
on your tooth.

Let me see.
I get it?

Nah, don't worry about it. It probably
won't show up in the magazine anyway.

Where you goin'?
I'll be right back.

You might want to freshen up,
comb your hair. It's up to you.

Come with me.

What is that, cologne?

What is this?

Call Chadwick and tell him Bernstein's
not leavin' until he gets his plates back.

He says anything about
your profile, shoot him.

Let me talk to him too.

I wanna tell him
about our photo session.

You don't mind, do you? You got
two minutes to leave the building.

Hey, Freddy,
you got any black gas?

What kind of gas?
Black gas.

Black... I don't know.
Black market gas?

Only gas we got here is Mobil.

Thanks.

Until next week then...

This is Red Skeleton saying
good-bye now. Thanks for listening!

Oh, Jesus.
His hat fell off.

Huh?
His hat fell off.

Put it back on for me. People like
to see the dead guy with his hat on.

Maybe I should pull
his dick out.

Maybe they'd like
to see a dead guy's dick.

Who'd this guy work for?

Spoleto.

Spoleto. Spoleto and
Farinelli all month long.

What are they fightin'
over? I don't know.

Look at this. Son-of-a-bitch had
six months worth of gas coupons.

Wish I could get
my hands on that many.

Take 'em.
You're kidding?

Wash 'em off.
They're like gold, ain't they?

He's got no use for 'em now.

Hey,
Bernzy. I want you to tell Kay who I am.

I'm sure she knows who you are.
She just got out of a car with ya.

Bernzy, tell her who I am.

Kay Levitz, Marc-Antony Spoleto.

Mr. Spoleto has the entire West
Side of Manhattan to himself.

Then it's lucky for us
we're on the east side.

That's no way to talk to your new partner,
Kay.

You tell her, Bernzy.

Come inside.
Bernzy gonna set her straight?

If he's thinkin' straight.
Why wouldn't he be?

Look at 'em over there.

It's like that movie with the
hunchback and sarsaparilla.

You mean Esmeralda.
Whatever.

What's uglier than somebody
stealin' from the fighting boys

to feather their own nest?

But Lou wouldn't have
done that. He did it.

No. He has two nephews in the service.
He never would have done anything...

Kay. Kay,
he did it.

You know how rich you could get if
you could control the gas coupons?

Listen, if there's
one thing I know,

people ain't human when
there's enough money involved.

I got pictures of guys
killed over 50 cents.

Now to somebody that was enough.

Jesus.
So that's it.

He, uh, hitched himself
to these hoods...

And now I'm stuck
with them for partners.

See, they don't have partners.

You'd be out.
I see.

Look how much we know
about these guys already.

All we gotta do is get
somethin' on 'em.

Like, uh,
maybe a picture. Of what?

I don't know. I just know there's always
a picture once you know where to look.

Why are you doing this, Bernzy?

All right, look,
I need to know...

Exactly what Spoleto said to
you and don't leave anything out.

Yeah, okay.

Uh, he said he wanted
to see the books.

When I refused he said,
"you'd better ask your boyfriend about me."

Your boyfriend?

He meant you.
Right.

He knew you'd been up to my
office. He seemed to know a lot.

I'm sure he's got at least one
waiter on the payroll by now.

Whichever one heard Portofino
ask you to take his picture.

What? I never even
talked to Portofino.

That's what he said.
I'm sure of it.

That was something I made
up when I was talkin' to Farinelli.

Christ almighty.
What?

One of Farinelli's boys is
sellin' information to Spoleto.

I'm gonna find out who it is.

166, Bernzy.

Put it on my bill.
Sure.

Gonna get some more shots
in a movie house?

Some place even darker,
I think. Will it work?

I don't know.
Can't say really.

What is it?

Must be them squirrels.

Come on.

So it's you, Sal.

Christ almighty.

Good evening,
Mr. Brown. Table seven, Fredo.

I'm afraid Mrs. Levitz
is at number seven.

Who's the gentleman?

I believe he's a poet who
recently escaped Mr. Hitler.

That's still no excuse, is it?

No, sir. Exactly, sir.

This is an incriminating picture
of the informer, Sal Minetto.

Do you have a safe
or something at home?

If I wind up dead, give the
picture to Frank Farinelli.

I'm givin' you the picture,

which guarantees I'm
not gonna wind up dead.

Wait.

Bernzy,
I don't... nothin's gonna happen.

That's just what I'm sayin'.

As long as you keep this
in a safe place.

Don't worry about it.
Come on, just take it.

My old man was in
this country 27 years.

It's like he never left Russia.

I'd say, "pa, for god's sake,

"you're in America now.
Do something.

"Read the funny papers,
go to a ball game,

"try to act
comfortable."

You need a drink.

That's how they all get
the impression they belong.

That's all it takes?
Give me a stiff one.

So,
is that it? Is that your book? Yeah.

Show it to me.
When? Now?

Yeah, please?
Come on.

Really?
Yeah.

All right.

Kay. Henry, how are you?

I'd like you to meet
Leon Bernstein.

Bernzy, this is
Henry Haddock, junior.

Mr. Bernstein.

I've got half
the MGM brass over there,

dying to meet you before they
catch their train to the coast.

Give me a minute. No,
no, they're about to go.

And I promised they would
get to meet our beautiful hostess.

It's okay.
Go ahead.

Excuse me.
Excuse me.

Where'd he go? I don't know,
Mrs. Levitz.

Did he leave his book
with you? He spared us that.

Give me the umbrella.
Give it to me!

Taxi!

Is Sal around?

Hold on.
I'll get him.

Sal,
there's someone here for you. Who is it?

I don't know. You
could've asked.

Yeah? Sal, I'm Bernzy,
the photographer.

I know who you are. I wanna
talk to you. Can I come in?

What about?

About Farinelli, your boss...

And Spoleto, your friend.

Come in.

Go in there.
In the kitchen.

Who sent you?

I have three more of these in
sealed envelopes with people I trust.

If anything happens to me,
they go right to Farinelli.

Ma, not now, huh?
Not now, huh?

What is this?
Well...

You comin' into my house
with this shit? We should talk...

You bother my mother? Get
the fuck out! Keep your hands off.

I'm going. I'm going. Get out.

Keep that picture.
That one's a gift!

Wait a minute.
Come here.

Come here.

Portofino's just
a punk in D.C.

He's frontin' for somebody who can
get the stamps from inside the APO.

OPA.
Huh?

OPA, Office of Price Administration.
Yeah, whatever.

But he can't unload 'em.
He knows nobody.

The heads of the five families
won't touch 'em because...

They're gettin' amnesty to work
with the Italian mobs against Mussolini.

Then he hears Lou Levitz
on some radio show.

You know, Lou Levitz: Onetime bootlegger,
Mr. New York.

He figures maybe an old-timer like
Levitz knows how to unload hot coupons.

So he goes to him,
and Levitz is interested.

He sees that maybe
there's millions in it,

and he's got a hot
young wife to support.

All he's gotta do is turn the stamps
over to Spoleto for a fat percentage.

She knew about this?

Who?
His wife.

No, I didn't say that.

Oh.

Did she?

I don't know.
How should I know?

Go ahead.
I'm sorry.

Then Levitz dies, okay?
Portofino's such an idiot,

he figures now he's free to go
sell the stamps to somebody else.

By this time he's met Farinelli,
so he goes to him.

Never mentions Spoleto. He
signed his own death warrant.

That's it, end of story.

Didn't they lose the source
when they killed Portofino?

What happened to his man
inside the OPA?

They tortured him. They
got the name of the source.

Who killed him?
I don't know.

Everybody was after this guy.

Ma, how many times
I gotta tell you?

Who killed him?

Farinelli.

Farinelli.

Let me see if
I got this straight now.

Your boss, Farinelli,

gets the name of the source
from Portofino and then kills him.

Spoleto, his rival,

doesn't get the name
until you tell him?

Isn't Farinelli gonna be a
little upset about that, Sal?

I don't know.

You don't know?
You're not stupid, Sal.

Hey, come on.

I printed that up a little darker,
more dramatic.

So what's Spoleto gonna do, huh?

Come on, huh?

Come on, all right?
I told you what I know.

You didn't tell me
what Spoleto's gonna do.

Just tell me what he's gonna do.

Come on, what's he gonna do?

He's gonna kill Farinelli.
Is that it?

No.

It's worse.
It's worse.

Spoleto's gonna wipe out
Farinelli's whole gang,

all my family.

And I'm gonna tell him
where and when.

Okay?

A massacre.

Hey, Sal.

I wanna know where and when too.

Why? What do you
wanna know for?

You wanna call the feds?
They just wanna cover this up.

What do you wanna know for?

I wanna take some pictures.

4-59 in progress at
53 west 8th street.

- Hello?
- Spoleto was just here.

Don't move.
I'll be right there.

What did he do?

He was here with
three men, thugs.

And he kept asking, "who's the...

"who's the source, Kay?
Who's the inside man?"

Sit down.
Did he hit you?

No, he says
that comes next time.

He knows the name.
Sal told him.

He wants to see if you know.
You're trouble if you know.

You don't know, right?

I don't even know what he's
talking about. I didn't mean that.

Um,

you know this guy?

Thatcher Gray.
He comes to the club.

He had cabinet jobs with
two republican administrations.

He's got an honorary post at
the office of price administration.

Is he my partner too?

My god. Don't worry about it.

They're all finished as soon
as I get the pictures.

Pictures of what?

To Hitler and his minions,

lines like these are
the shallow symbols of unity.

But with lines like these,

America shows
the Nazi aggressors...

The real meaning of unity.

As OPA official
Thatcher Gray reminds us:

Americans know
that to fight this menace

halfway around the globe...

Takes more than
the Valiant men...

And mighty machines of our
armed services. It takes gas.

Farinelli takes the boys out
to dinner every so often.

He's takin' us Friday night.
That's when he's hit.

Where?
What time?

Dinner's at 8:00. I get
up to take a leak at 8:15,

and that's when
Spoleto's men come in.

Where? I don't know
yet. We never do.

He always calls us around 6:30
the day of the dinner.

For safety.

It's usually some little
family place in little Italy.

Family?

Don't worry about it. He takes
the whole place over for the night.

As soon as you hear Friday,
even before Spoleto, call me.

Spoleto's lieutenant's gonna
be there when I get the call.

He'll leave right away.
Then I'll call you. Hey, Sal.

Don't let me down.

You oughta lock
your door, Bernzy.

Look, I, uh...

Came to apologize
about the other night.

Crazy thing is, I'm in love
with Vera... miss Hickson.

I kinda figured that.

You didn't by any chance... it was
addressed to me, it said, "to be opened,"

so I opened it. Yeah,
but in the event of my death.

Only I got kinda busy
and never got that far.

That's what I figured
after I read it.

Why are you doing this,
Bernzy? Why?

That's what I do, isn't it?

I mean, life as it happens.
That's my motto for 23 years.

This is death as it happens.

But that's the main thing
about life, isn't it?

I mean, half the shots I get...

Are of somebody
just before or just after.

For once I'll get it
during. You could stop it.

You could go to the cops.
You think that'd stop it?

It's war, Arty.
These guys ain't gonna lay off.

I thought you never took sides.

What are you gettin' at?

You're doing it for her!

You're nuts!
Am I?

Come on,
you're in love with her.

Here, Arty, here.
Here it is.

The whole history of New York,

right here with me in this dump.

And it ain't because
I ran around interferin',

hosin' down fires or tellin'
people to behave nice!

They pay people to do that.
Not me! I'm an artist.

I'm gonna let people do whatever
the hell they're gonna do...

'Cause it's the only way
I could do it right!

Wait a minute, stop it.

I may be the only guy who thinks
you are an artist and not an animal.

But even I'm not so sure
about this thing.

It's got a stink about it.
Look. Look.

I know how much it hurts to be
ignored, not even reviled.

But if you're doin' it for her,

you're riskin' your life for
nothing. For less than nothing.

You already have a picture
of Spoleto with Thatcher Gray.

Isn't that dynamite enough? No!

I need the event to capture
the public eye.

I gotta get the moment.
Don't bullshit me!

You wouldn't be in this thing so
deep if you could express, say,

three human emotions without a
camera plastered to your face!

Just because the drama critic of
the tribune calls you "insightful"...

Doesn't mean it's true.

A mansion on the West Side.
A place on the south shore.

She milked Levitz so dry,
he sold himself to a worm like Spoleto.

I wouldn't be surprised if she's
in on this thing from the very first!

Wait a minute!
You don't hit people, Bernzy.

We don't hit people, do we?
People like us.

'Night, Arty.
Thanks for the apology.

Hey,
wait up. I gotta talk to Kay.

It's not a good time.
Come back later.

What are you talkin' about? Mr. Bernstein,
I'm sorry.

Personally, I like you,
but you're not welcome here anymore.

What? Mrs. Levitz's orders.

There were too many complaints
from the customers the last time.

She feels real bad about it,

but she knows that
you'll understand.

Make sure she gets this.
I'll pick it up Saturday.

Here, put that
in Mrs. Levitz's office.

♪ If you've got a heart
and if you're kind ♪

♪ Then don't you bust apart
make up your mind ♪

You sent him away.

There was too much talk.

Last time I looked, it was
my signature on the checks.

It would never have gone this
far if Mr. Levitz was still alive.

Leave the uniform with Fredo.

I'm an institution in this
place. I know everybody...

Oh, you don't know anybody!

You know what they tip,
you know what you read,

but don't kid yourself
you know them...

Any more than I do.

Why are you giving this to me?

You shouldn't be here, Kay.

This isn't a place for you.

I've seen worse.

Didn't, uh, Danny tell you?

I just wanted you
to hold onto that, that's all.

'Til after the, uh...

'til after what?
Nothin'.

What are these pictures
you're going to take?

Why are you afraid to tell me?

Bernzy.

Spoleto's gonna wipe out
Farinelli's whole gang.

I'm gonna take pictures.

What happens
if they see you there?

I know what I'm doin'. Then
why did you give me the book?

They're not gonna
see me. Bernzy.

Why are you doing this?

Why?

It's what I do.

That's all.

That's all?

Yeah.

Ask me.

Don't make me ask you.

Danny seems to think you've
learned all about my business with Lou.

Is that true?

Danny seems to think Bernzy's
the one who found out about it.

Tell me how Bernzy
found out, Kay.

I need to know
how Bernzy found out.

You're a practical girl, Kay.

Do you really think a man like
Bernzy can protect you from me?

A little man with a camera
and a five-cent cigar. Stop it!

You don't know
the first thing about him.

Your loyalty's touching, Kay,

especially when you think of
everything you've got to lose.

I'll ask you again.

Do you really think
a man like Bernzy...

Can protect you from
a man like me?

Hello?
Hey!

How are you, Mr. Farinelli?
Okay, good.

Yeah, D'Angelo's cafe.

Sure, I know it.

Okay, yeah.
I'll see you later.

I guess you heard.

D'Angelo's.

You're feelin'
kinda rotten, huh?

You know it.

You'll get over it.

Salvatore!

Yeah, is Sal there?

Oh, god.
Oh, god.

He takes the place over.
He takes the place over.

- Adrica's.
- Yeah, I need a reservation for tonight.

- For how many?
- Ah.

Yeah, listen.
I need a reservation for tonight.

What time?

D'Angelo's.
D'Angelo's.

D'Angelo's cafe.

Yeah,
listen. I need a reservation for tonight.

- No, we are all booked. Private party.
- Oh, that's too bad.

Maybe tomorrow night.
You still the same address?

Si.
Thanks.

3-4, sergeant is en route
to 215th and Broadway.

Sergeant, you respond
on 623 west 204th?

Negative.

- Come on, get outta the way!
- Says who?

Looks like he took the fire escape. Anyway,
he ain't here.

No matter.
We'll get him later.

Bernstein got away.

We'll go ahead with
the hit as planned.

Is that really wise,
Mr. Spoleto?

He don't know where
it's gonna happen.

He don't know it's
D'Angelo's. We're home free.

Hey, listen.
How much they pay you here?

Two-fifty?
Three dollars a week? Huh?

Two months' pay.

Three months' pay. Don't
wanna haggle or anything, okay?

Psst! Hey!

Signore Farinelli. Come stai,
paesano? Come stai?

- Grazie.
- Prego.

I got some bad news
just before I left the house.

Si.
Grazie.

This time it's Salvatore.

Buona sera, signori.
Buon appetito!

Basta!

Hold it! Hey,
w-where ya goin'?

Bernzy!
Bernzy?

Come on, let's go.
My god, you did it.

Now, Arty.
Come on.

What if Spoleto finds ya?

He's finished the second
this hits the papers.

With any luck,
I'll be arrested first.

Jesus, Bernzy, you're bleeding!

Just get that to the mirror, the news,
the post, telegraph and life magazine.

I know the routine.

And this you'll need too.

It's that picture
of Thatcher Gray with Spoleto.

Come on.

Suspect's car has been located
at 401 west 81st street.

There he is.
Arty, you go on now.

I will.

Sorry,
Bernzy. Take it easy. He's bleeding.

Go ahead, Arthur.

You gonna be okay?
Yes, go ahead.

I said he's bleeding,
for Christ sake!

Arty, go now, huh?
Okay, okay.

Read him the statutes about
withholding evidence again.

I told ya.
I had no evidence.

You had a picture of
Thatcher Gray with Spoleto.

If you'd turned it over,
we'd have known who the inside man was.

That's your job.
I just take pictures.

You're outta your league
here, Bernstein.

The police may
take this lightly,

but I'll be goddamned if
the bureau's gonna allow...

Some picture peddler to create a government
scandal that hurts the war effort.

I didn't create
your damn scandal.

Just tell us where
the pictures are, Bernzy.

Nobody here is enjoying this.

I'm not so sure.

Put him in jail.

Sir, he's bleeding.
Put him in jail.

Hold on. Chief of police
is coming in.

Stay down.
Stay down.

According to the tribune,

you're gonna be lauded on
the floor of the senate tomorrow.

Senator Watkins is gonna
thank you officially...

For saving the lives
of American servicemen.

How'd you manage to get
the shot of yourself?

I do magic.

All right.
I have here...

An advance copy of Walter
Winchell's Sunday night broadcast.

Lead item: "Good evening,
Mr. and Mrs. America, et cetera, et cetera.

"Tonight, a tip of the hat
to Leon Bernstein,

"better known as
the great Bernzini.

"Many is the night your
reporter's seen Bernzy,

"the supposedly sorcerous shutterbug,
at Hanson's all-night drugstore.

"But Friday night, Bernzy proved
himself to be a great photographer,

"a great new yorker,
a great American.

"His first ever photos
of the mafia at war...

"Nipped in the bud one of the
foulest scandals in American history.

"Thank you, Bernzy,
for saving the lives of

"countless Americans
over there."

Get him to a hospital.

Bernzy?

Bernzy?

You okay?

You made a deal with Spoleto.

He signed back the club in exchange
for information about Sal and me.

Right?

He said he wouldn't hurt you.
That was part of it too.

You weren't even
supposed to find the place.

Bernzy... why'd you do it?

I just couldn't
take the chance...

Of losing the club.

It's like you and your pictures. You'd
do anything for your pictures, right?

When did you know?

The minute I heard about Sal.

Why didn't you ask me
not to take the pictures

if you knew you were
gonna make a damn deal?

Nothing was gonna stop you
from taking those pictures.

You'd be surprised what I
would have done for you.

Everything they say
about me is true, I guess.

If I loved Lou at all,
it was for what he could give me.

And everything they
say about you too,

that you'd run over your own
grandmother to get the right picture.

Still, this was different.

All this was different,
Bernzy. Wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

Don't hate me too much.

God bless you!

Bernzy!
Bernzy!

Kiss me! Kiss me! Bernzy,
meet my publisher,

the eminent Albert Gerard.
I've followed your work for years.

He says if I write
an intro for your book,

uh,
what's it called? Public eye.

With an Arthur Nabler
introduction for the public eye,

he can guarantee us
a double-sized first printing.

Hold it, everybody.
Smile. Time magazine.

Are you okay?
I don't like having my picture took.

Let's get him in the car.
Right over here.

Damn it, Bernzy, let it go.

You've been waiting
for this your whole life.

Whatever it took, it's worth it.

Let it go.
How do you do that?

I don't know. Maybe it'll make you
humble when our book gets published.

It's my book.
I'm writin' the introduction.

So, fine.

Come on, we'll go
to the stork club.

- How do you turn this damn thing off?
- You can't.

Isn't that the switch over here?

You can't turn it off.

2-11 in progress,
third and Broadway.