Girls of the White Orchid (1983) - full transcript
In Los Angeles, the naive and lonely burger waitress and aspirant singer Carol Heath finds an advertisement in the newspaper with a job opportunity in Tokyo. She has a meeting with the agents, the American Cavanaugh and the Japanese Shiro ; she signs the contract in English and Japanese and travels to Japan to work at the White Orchid night-club. She shares a hotel room with a dancer and sooner she discovers the scheme of prostitution in the club that belongs to Yakuza. Alone, without money and her passport, she is protected by Shiro, but pressed by the managers Madame Mori and her husband Hatanaka to be receptive to client's proposals. Meanwhile her former boyfriend returns to LA and seeks her out.
- How's it going?
- Hey.
- It's good, isn't it?
Has he offered to take
you to Paris with him yet?
- Not even to Bangkok.
- He just doesn't seen
you on stage yet, Marilyn.
- Are you kidding?
I'm always on stage.
- It's the first thing I liked about you.
- Maybe the second.
- Please don't do that.
Keep your hands to yourself.
Just keep your hands
to yourself, all right?
Please let go of me.
I don't want you.
Stop it.
Get your hands, stop it!
I want you to stop it.
Get away from me!
- Lisa, what's happened?
What's the matter?
- You know exactly what's the matter.
- He's perfectly attractive.
- I don't care!
- Let's not discuss it in front
of the whole world, please.
- I'll be back.
Just one minute.
- Look, I didn't come here
to be somebody's geisha girl.
- Maybe you
don't like Japanese men.
- No!
I'm just not gonna sleep with some guy
I only met 15 minutes ago.
- You're supposed to please my customer.
That is your job.
- You go to hell!
- Come on Lisa, calm down.
You won't be able to sing.
- I can't go back up there again.
- Just to sing, all right?
- No, I wanna go home!
I don't mean the hotel.
I wanna go back to North Carolina.
- This is very professional.
- Shiro!
- Will you explain it to her?
- The problem is she understands.
- You go on 11.
You're gonna be late.
Lisa, stay out his way tonight.
- Okay.
- Babe.
- What am I gonna do?
- Don't worry, I'll
think of something later.
Okay, come on, gotta go on.
Come on.
All right?
- Okay.
- Goodnight, Carl.
Excuse me, darlings.
Halloween everyday.
- I don't know where they all come from.
- See you tomorrow, Carol.
- Yeah, I hope so.
- Say hello to Fred for me.
- I will.
- There she is!
The usual?
- Yes, thanks.
- Maybe this week.
- That's what I keep telling myself.
- Here you go.
Hi there, honey.
- Hey, mamacita!
Who do you think?
- Tonight's
the night sweetheart.
Enjoy the party goodness.
- Good afternoon.
- Nebraska driver's license.
Social security number 067-44-0810.
- You live around here, miss?
- Yeah, I live right here.
- Sorry to detain you, miss.
In this neighborhood, you how it is.
- Yeah, sure.
Hi, Mrs. Powers.
- Hi.
Cop stopped again.
- Yup, I keep disappointing them.
- I keep disappointing them.
- What are you doing out here?
Shouldn't you be inside?
- There was nothing on TV
so I just thought I'd watch the road.
- All right, watching out for me?
- Got nobody else to worry about now
so you don't mind, do you, Carol?
- I like it.
See you later, okay?
Hello, Fred.
How are you doing?
Have a big day?
Miss me?
Okay Fred, I'm gonna play you something.
But I'm not finished so
don't be too critical, okay?
You be nice.
♪ Lost in the night ♪
♪ I thought I heard your voice ♪
♪ Asking me why ♪
♪ I ♪
♪ Asking me why ♪
♪ I walked away ♪
♪ With all that we have ♪
♪ Why did I leave home ♪
♪ Tomorrow I'll reel ♪
♪ Another lovely day ♪
♪ As we chased our separate dreams ♪
♪ The memories of our love ♪
♪ Will help me through the night ♪
♪ And into morning days ♪
♪ I chased my separate dream ♪
♪ Finding my own way ♪
Hello.
Hello, who's is it?
Hello?
Hello.
Hello?
- Not yet.
- The sea air will improve her spirits.
- She just needs a
little longer to adjust.
- She'll adjust in Osaka, Shiro.
You worry too much.
It's is a bad business
to damage our own goods.
- Will she be all right?
- She'll be fine.
- Thank you.
How is it going?
- This time, it's not so bad.
They're all talking business or something.
- Yeah?
Listen, Lisa, be careful
going back to the hotel tonight.
Things just seem a little bit
squirrelly tonight, you know?
Why don't you take a cab?
- But we're going together, aren't we?
The den mother told me
I gotta stick around
and dance tonight.
They got a late group coming in
and Shiro's taking me to a party.
I'll call you later.
Okay?
- Okay.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- That was a great party.
Did you have fun?
- Still going to States today?
- Someone you want me to say hello to?
- Not really.
- Too bad.
- Hey, why don't you take me with you?
I could show you around.
- I know my way around.
Besides, you seem to
be adjusting to Tokyo.
Hey, cheer up.
You have your own room now.
- What?
- Lisa's been transferred.
To Osaka.
Come on, I'll drive you home.
- I wonder, Carol, we put
this ad in several days ago.
Why to wait so long to answer?
- You're done hiring?
- Did I say that?
- No.
Well, I had some other
interviews that I've been set on.
- You have an agent?
- Well, no.
I'm changing.
I'm in the process of changing agents.
That's not true.
- I know.
- I was just hoping something
would come through right
here, Mr. Cavanaugh.
- Like recording contract?
- Well.
You got to hope.
- Mr. Yoshida represents GTV.
Which books some of the finest
entertainers in the Orient.
- How do you do, Mr. Yoshida?
- If you're selected,
it's a two-month contract
with options, 400 a week.
And Japanese recording
facilities are excellent.
Not surprisingly.
So you got to chance to
see the mysterious Orient
and bring back some decent tapes.
Plus a little professional experience.
- Don't tell me anymore.
I want it too bad, too bad.
- So, you've been out from
home for about six months.
- Family all back
there rooting for you too?
- Well, it's only my mom,
and she travels a lot.
Well, truth is we haven't
really spoken about three years.
She took off, changed her name.
Just kinda disappeared.
- One more thing.
I'd like to take a nice Polaroid, okay?
Have a nice big smile.
All right, we'll play the tape
and we'll get back to you.
- All right, I hope you like it.
- Thanks for coming in.
- Thank you.
Nice meeting you both.
Bye.
- Wanna hear the tape, Shiro?
- What for?
She's blonde, she's sweet,
she's perfect for us.
- Speaking Japanese.
I'm gonna miss you.
Mrs. Powers is gonna
take care of you, okay?
Give mommy a kiss.
Just how many sets I do for a night?
- Well, the Japanese like
people work hard as they do
so I would think it's
probably three sets a night,
maybe a little more in the weekends.
- Well, I love to sing.
- Just sign right there,
that's the same contract in Japanese.
- I guess that's everything.
- Are you swimming there?
- What?
My ticket.
- The contract stipulates
around trip ticket.
That at this point, you
only get a ticket to Tokyo.
GTV has had itself stung a couple of times
by girls who went over,
party for the weekend,
and then flew home
without telling anybody.
- Well, I'm not gonna be any trouble.
- I knew you wouldn't
make a issue out of it.
- Carol.
- Konnichiwa, Toshido-san.
- Good afternoon, Ms. Heath.
How's your flight?
- You speak English?
- UCLA, class of '80.
- But at the interview...
- I just don't like to say no.
I have to all tell the girls
who don't make it, you know.
By the way, you can call me Shiro.
- Okay.
I read in the guidebooks
that's it's a custom in Japan
to bring a small gift.
I didn't think you'll pick
me up yourself, though.
- Thank you.
Can I open it?
- Whatever is the custom.
It's a money clip.
- It's beautiful.
You're too much.
You really are.
- I'm glad.
I didn't know, I, well, good.
Domo arigato, I guess.
- Take care.
- Okay.
♪ When he shines his light on you ♪
♪ There's nothing in
this world you can't do ♪
♪ So hold up your soul into his light ♪
♪ And everything will be all right ♪
Yeah, hold the phone.
You're Carol.
- That's right.
Suzanne?
- Yeah, come on in.
- You speak Japanese?
- Enough to get by, that's all.
- Shiro speaks English.
- No, no.
- No tip?
- Domo arigato.
It's your first trip to the Far East?
- I've been here several times now.
I've been here three times to be exact.
I'm gonna start you off right.
Let's order a bottle of champagne.
- My treat.
- I like you already.
Room 211.
Charge one to Carol.
Carol, what's your last name?
- Heath.
- Carol Heath.
Domo arigato.
I cleared out half the closet
and some drawers for you.
- I didn't bring that much stuff.
I won't need that much space.
So, do you sing or dance?
- Do I which?
I do a little of both.
A little everything.
Aren't you tired?
- No, I'm too excited.
This is my first real job in the business.
You know, I mean, I sang
in all the school musicals
and I won a talent
contest once for singing.
But this is the first time
I'm getting paid for it
so I feel like my career
is finally getting launched, you know.
- No question about it.
- Whooo!
- Well, looks like this is it.
See you later.
- Good luck, man.
Take care of yourself.
- So long, guys.
- Take it easy.
- Good luck.
- This contract is
perfectly clear, my dear.
- Well, when I left home,
Arnold Cavanaugh said I would
be doing three sets a night.
- And who is Arnold Cavanaugh?
- He's your representative in America.
I mean if I'm only doing, you know,
a couple of songs a night,
I'm not sure how valuable I'll be.
- I'll talk to Shiro.
I bet you know Japan is
a very old civilization.
It's much older than either of ours.
My father's Indonesian,
my mother was English.
- Well, there are lot of traditions
I don't understand yet but...
- The Japanese man holds women
on a special relationship.
His wife and family are very important.
This a family oriented society.
But that is only one part of his life.
He doesn't come here
only to see the shows.
He wants to be treated well here.
Courteously.
- Well, I'm not gonna be
rude to anybody, Madame Mori.
- No, you're clever.
You understand.
Now, hurry along.
You only have half an hour
before you break the hearts of Tokyo.
- I like it.
You're Carol?
- Yeah.
It's not exactly me but I kinda like it.
Are you Marilyn?
- Marilyn Henderson.
You're a singer, right?
- I'm a dancer.
Of course, it's not exactly ballet but.
You met our den mother yet?
- Madame Mori?
The Japanese men comes for respects.
- She said courtesy to me.
- Don't let her get you down.
She's really no different
from your Reno pit boss.
- You're a dancer in Reno?
- When I got lucky.
Or a cocktail waitress
or blackjack dealer.
Of course, the past couple
of years been a little slow.
- I'm a burger waitress.
Used to be.
- A burger waitress?
- That's really cute.
- Are you sure I look okay?
- They'll be climbing the tables.
Of course, that could be a problem too.
♪ Sometimes I stare into space ♪
♪ Tears all over my face ♪
♪ Can't explain it ♪
♪ Never felt like this before ♪
♪ Lost and found, be amazed ♪
♪ Don't know what to do ♪
♪ My head's in a haze ♪
♪ Burning in my heart ♪
♪ Can't keep from crying ♪
♪ It's tearing me apart ♪
♪ Yeah yeah ♪
♪ Yeah yeah ♪
♪ Could it be the devil in me ♪
♪ Or is this the way
love's supposed to be ♪
♪ Heat wave ♪
♪ Heat wave ♪
- Great voice.
- Really?
They're good players.
- That was great, baby!
- Thanks, aren't they great?
- So are you.
- You play the musicians well.
Always get what you pay for.
Now, would you like a drink?
Calm down?
- Thank you.
That would be nice.
My throat is so dry.
- A gentleman has invited you.
A retired major.
Very distinguished.
You impressed him.
- He looks like he's had
enough to drink already.
- This is a bar, Carol.
That is what we sell.
Now go.
- Thank you, I don't speak Japanese.
- Do you like martini?
I like martini.
- No thank you.
Not for me.
- You are very beautiful.
- I hate to be forward, Don,
but shouldn't you be on a base somewhere?
- I'm out.
- On leave?
- For good.
- Dear.
- Well, it finally got through to me
that Carol's more important so here I am
and she's somewhere else.
- If only you'd call first.
- Well, I was afraid she's
gonna tell me not to come.
- Well, I know she wrote to you
about going to Japan
because she told me so.
- When?
- What?
- When?
- Just before she left on Monday.
Four days ago.
The letter's probably arriving
at the base right now.
You should talk to her
friend at the restaurant.
Este, no, Esther, Esther.
- What restaurant?
- Where they work.
You know, at Corina's.
Down on the corner.
Run around the corner.
- I haven't heard from her yet.
It's only been a week.
- I didn't know she was
working as a waitress.
- So?
- Well, I just heard about
all these interviews.
- Carol was doing pretty well
just to get the interviews.
It takes a while to break in.
I'm still trying.
I'm an actress.
- So this was her big break?
- Absolutely.
- Did she talk about me much?
- She really missed you.
- She never told me that.
- How come you didn't write back more?
- Well, I thought she was
doing so well and I wasn't.
What was I gonna write about?
I screwed up.
I should've come out her with her.
Listen, do you know the
names of these people
who sent her to Japan
and they probably had an address
for her I could write her.
- There was some ad.
I don't remember.
Carol just said she'd be singing in Tokyo.
- No, please don't touch me.
Really, you understand?
No!
- If you want to wait to the room, okay.
I told the waitress.
- What?
No.
We don't need a room.
No room.
- Okay.
- No, don't touch me!
No, do you understand?
- I have been here too long.
- Yeah, get this.
- She made a mistake.
- No!
- She made a mistake!
- No mistakes!
- You're just too sexy.
You can't blame him.
He got carried away.
- Shiro, just because I'm sexy on stage
doesn't mean I'm a hooker.
- No, of course not.
Look, you know about the
custom of the geisha.
- No.
I mean yes, I know the
word but I don't know.
No.
- You have a lot to learn, Carol.
- I don't care.
What I already know that
I don't want strange men
pawing me when I'm off-stage!
- You're a very attractive woman.
Why shouldn't they want you?
It's flattering!
- No, it's not.
- All right, Carol, calm down.
- All the girls?
Everyone?
You too?
- If the guy is attractive and
if he treats me nice, okay.
Haven't you ever given in to a guy
just because it was too hard to fight?
- No, I've only had one boyfriend.
I was gonna marry him
but he wanted to be Air Force pilot.
I didn't feel like traveling around
from base to base my whole life.
I wouldn't have had a home,
I wouldn't have had a career.
I wanted to be a singer.
- Well, they won't really
start to lean on you
for about another week.
It'll give you time to get adjusted.
- I can't.
- That's what I said
when I first got here.
- What if you kept saying no?
- Yeah, well, one of the girls tried that.
She was my roommate.
She's not with us anymore.
Shiro told me she got
transferred to Osaka.
But who would know?
We've got clubs in Osaka and
it's set same all over Asia.
Just never heard from her again.
- Am I gonna see you
everyday until I get a letter?
- I'm just tired of waiting.
I came at her to ask her to get married
and I just wanna do it.
I don't want her to go out
and find someone else in the meantime.
So I decided I'm gonna go
over there and get her myself.
What's another couple of thousand miles?
- You got the money for that?
- Well, I've saved up my service pay
and I could sell my car.
I'm fine.
I just need to find that
ad that she answered.
- It had to be in one of the trades.
- What's a trade?
- A trade paper?
- Hey buddy, this isn't a public library.
I mean you buy one of those
and get out of here, okay?
- You didn't find it, did you?
- No.
- Nothing else is missing
except your passport?
- What do I do?
- Go to the American Embassy
like the rest of you us did.
- What?
- I'm sorry, I should've warned you.
Every girl in the club
has had a passport lifted.
You go to the American Embassy,
you fill out a few forms
then by the time your
passport comes through,
the contract has already expired.
Just another hole to have over you.
- I don't believe this.
I can't believe this.
- Remember my roommate?
Lisa, the one I told you about?
- Well, I found out the
name of the club in Osaka
and I go over there.
They said they never heard of her.
Carol, I think she just disappeared.
- I'm calling the embassy.
- Closed Sundays.
- All right, then we'll go tomorrow.
You can tell them about Lisa.
- I don't think the American Embassy
is gonna get too worked up
over a missing party girl.
Yeah, that's what polite people call us.
- Hi, Carol.
- Shiro!
Can I talk to you for a sec?
I'm not gonna do it.
- Do what?
- You know what I'm talking about.
Look, I work real hard up here.
But I'm not gonna do
what the other girls do.
- Who's been talking to you?
- Nobody's been talking to me.
- Marilyn's a gossip.
She knows a lot of the
girls date after work.
- During work.
- She does it herself.
She has for years.
In Reno too in Vegas, then Tahoe.
She tell you that?
No, I didn't think so.
Carol, this is what's goes on
in clubs all over the world.
Ask Inga, ask Suzanne,
ask any of the girls.
- Yeah, well maybe they
didn't just come here to sing.
I did.
- Carol, nobody's gonna make
you date if you don't want to.
Now, Marilyn wants to.
But she needs an excuse so she
doesn't feel like a bad girl.
I can't understand what
is wrong with bad girls.
They're more interesting.
- I like the way you call it dating.
- That's not why I hired you though.
I liked your singing,
I love you performing.
Everyone does.
You just have to sing.
Anything else is up to you.
- And the club didn't steal my passport?
And I don't have to date?
- Only if you wanna be
rich and successful.
Isn't that what we all want?
Have a good show.
♪ Look at me now ♪
♪ I hold my hand up high ♪
♪ They sing a word ♪
♪ That I can't ♪
♪ But I'm on my way ♪
♪ And thought it may be hard ♪
♪ When I arrive ♪
♪ I know you got me there ♪
♪ As we chase our separate dreams ♪
♪ The memories of our love ♪
♪ Will help me through the night ♪
♪ And into front of day ♪
♪ I chased my separate dreams ♪
♪ Finding my own way ♪
- Great.
- Good.
I'm glad that you could join us.
You're not too tired?
- No, no, I love performing.
- Madame Mori said
that I would not be disappointed.
You have a sweet voice as she said.
- Thank you.
- I'm sure that my good friend Shiro
must've told you about
our production facility.
- I don't think he mentioned
any studio in particular
but I have trouble
remembering Japanese names.
- Well, you have to
learn to speak Japanese
the way you learn French.
From a lover.
So, I was very impressed
by your performance.
I'm sincere.
I think that I might able to give you
some recording work while you are here.
- Take your hand off my knee please.
- Careful.
- I've always worked for I've got.
- Well, I am easy work.
- Not for me.
I don't sell.
- Carol, Carol.
- You, blondie.
- What?
- Toshiro no wife now.
Just me.
- You don't touch me.
- You must learn.
You're here for one reason.
That is to please my costumers.
And just singing to them is not enough.
- Shiro said...
- Shiro is not the boss!
He plays the boss.
He's not the boss, okay?
- You can let me out of my contract.
You don't have to pay me.
I'll go home.
Get somebody else.
- First, you obey like the others.
Then you can go home.
Seven weeks can be short
or very long, girly.
Do not go around me to Shiro again.
- Does the one in Japanese
say the same thing as the one in English?
Like about the round trip
plane ticket and the salary?
- It's much more vague in the details
but that's not unusual for the Japanese.
Part of the charm, I suppose.
However, more important
than either of these
is your missing passport.
Well, an American passport's
worth a lot on the black market.
- You think I sold my own passport?
- I'm just saying you should've
taken better care of it.
May I ask what your professional
entertainer experience was
prior to signing this contract?
- I wanna go home.
I wanna get out of here.
- You don't have the air fare.
Why won't you call home?
- I thought the embassy
could loan me the money for the ticket.
- We can't.
Nobody'd ever buy a
round trip ticket again.
I'm sure you can understand that.
- Look, they're trying
to make me a prostitute.
And one of the other girls disappeared
when she said she wouldn't
go along with them.
And she's an American too.
And you're saying to me
that you can't do anything?
- We're not policemen.
- Then what are you here for?
- I have to call the Japanese police.
That's their jurisdiction, not ours.
I wish I could help you girls.
- Fine.
- I thought we gave all that up.
- Guys, for you to understand,
the price is up to $2,000 US dollars each.
As you say,
buy low, sell high.
Hiroshi.
- I'm less satisfied with them, Oyabun.
You said you'd allow me to
use reason instead of force.
Hiroshi wants to interfere.
- Is that my decision?
- I wasn't making a
decision for you, Oyabun.
- I misunderstood?
- I would never be that forward.
- This organization is
not yours yet, Shiro.
It is mine, until I say otherwise.
Do not get so impatient.
I will support your methods a while longer
as a test of your judgment.
But Hiroshi will be watching on my behalf.
- If you like
it, you can have it.
- No.
- No place
to spend a dinner hour
eating sandwiches.
- No, I just, I didn't feel going out.
- Relax.
How about I buy a bottle of
champagne this time, kiddo?
- You'd have to,
I can only spend for beer.
- Broke?
- No, I got $21.
On payday, I'm gonna start saving.
- The way you're going about,
you're gonna fade away
and grow old in this town.
I've made three trips
and 30,000 every time.
- Dollars?
- I don't count in yen.
- That's a lot of money.
- You can hire a hell of a publicity agent
with when you get home.
You can buy discovery, kiddo.
You don't have to hang
around waiting for it.
You can make yourself a star.
You just gotta help
yourself out a little bit.
Thousand of miles away from home.
Who's gonna know the difference?
Who's even gonna care?
- Nobody.
- Mr. Cavanaugh?
- That's right.
- I'm Don Potter.
- That means something to me?
- Yeah, well I left my
name on your service
about a dozen times.
- Well, you know answering services.
- And a note on your door.
- Didn't see it.
And today's not the day.
Hey, hey, what are you, an actor?
'Cause don't play a tough
scene with me, all right?
Brando is always gonna do it better.
- I'm looking for a
girl named Carol Heath.
You sent her to Japan three weeks ago.
- Never heard of her.
There are lot of agents in town, Dan.
- Don.
- Don.
- Then maybe you should check your files.
- Hey pal, I send 50
girls a year to Japan.
I haven't got time to
look up your honey's name.
- All you have to do is open that file
and see if the contract is there.
If it's not, I'll apologize
and get out of here.
But I'm gonna stand here
and make trouble for you
until I know one way or the other.
- All right.
In this.
Lucky you.
Carol Heath.
Yeah.
Yeah, she went to Tokyo.
And you're right, three weeks ago today.
She did very well for herself.
- What was the name of the club?
- Top club, first-class.
- What was the name of it?
- That's confidential information.
Why don't you wait for her to write?
- You're not the kind of agent
that can book names for some top club.
No, I'm not naive as Carol
so you might as well cut shuck and jive
and tell me the name of the place!
- Did you go to the police?
- That's my next stop as soon
I have something to tell them.
Now, since your honesty and openness
prove you weren't involved...
- That's good, that's nice.
She working at the White Orchid.
- This is the first week
of the initial two months contract, Carol.
- How much is this worth?
- Now, what does it say?
- 11,500.
- $50.
- $50?
But in the contract, I was
suppose to be making $400 a week.
- Well, yes.
But we had to deduct the
bills from your hotel.
They're attached, you see.
- $100 for champagne?
- Must been a very good one.
- No, it was cheap Californian.
- That makes it imported.
- Well, they have
overcharged for everything.
- You're just not used to the prices yet.
Japan is notorious for its cost of living.
Every time I go to London,
everything seems cheap in comparison.
- Well, how am I supposed
to get by on $50 a week?
- I don't know, you could
move to a cheaper hotel.
Or you could supplement your salary.
- Do you take a part of that too?
- Not at all.
The customer pays a surcharge
for our arranging services.
But you get to keep all of what you earn.
And there is a certain price structure.
We don't allow gouging.
- Consumer protection.
- Exactly.
- You're disgusting.
- No.
Merely practical.
- Well, it's much cheaper here
and you don't have to
worry about room service
running up your bills.
- Is that the bathroom for all the rooms?
- No, it's better than
outside in the yard.
There are simpler hotels than this.
- Shiro.
Shiro, could you please get
me the rest of my ticket
and my passport home?
- Look, I'm already helping
you as much as I can.
Why don't you help me?
Would it be so hard for you
to find a boyfriend or two
among the customers?
Haven't you been attracted to any of them?
- You know what was the
real job when you hired me.
It wasn't singing.
It was never signing.
- It was partly singing.
- What did you think?
Did you think I was just gonna go along?
- I thought you'd see the
opportunities here, yeah.
Who else was gonna give you a singing job?
You had any?
You got a lot of offers?
You wanted to be a headliner, this is how.
- I don't want it that way.
- There's no such animal as
success with our terms, Carol.
You gotta compromise.
You gotta bend with it a little.
- I won't.
- Yes, you will.
- I liked you.
You got me into this.
- I made a mistake but I can't fix it now.
- Why?
I trusted you!
P-O-T-T-E-R.
Don Potter.
- Don Potter?
- Yes.
- I'm sorry I
have no Evan Don Potter
listed on the master record.
- Well, maybe he's been discharged.
Would you have a record of that?
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
- Are you gonna sing my
favorite song for me tonight?
- Of course, Inga.
- Great.
- Still letting you hold down?
- If all of us refused.
- If all of us refused.
This is the Yakuza, the mob.
The Samurai Mafia, you know.
- No more talking!
You talk too much.
- She's just helping me with my makeup.
- The Japanese woman know
the virtue of silent.
Learn it.
You told Shiro you are so special,
so different on the other girls.
If you are not singing, you
will spend your time here.
My wife will come when it is time to sing.
- I mean what do you want from me, Carol?
You want me to take care of you?
Everybody wants me to take care of them.
I've got enough problems
taking care of myself.
- No, I don't want that.
- Nobody got us into this.
You wanna be a singer, I wanna dance.
If we're making it in the United States,
we wouldn't be here.
- True, but you're really
good dancer, Marilyn.
- Good isn't good enough.
- Yeah, well I don't see why you think
you have to sell yourself short.
- How about survival?
I'm going to live to see the next year?
I might even quit these things someday.
Besides, being a big fish in
a small pond is not so bad.
- You're better than that.
- These are your fans, Marilyn.
They've been waiting three
days just to see you dance.
- Well, I'll dance for them
but I'm not gonna party with them.
- They will pay extra.
- Forget it.
Hey, what do you think you're doing?
You're hurting me!
Cut it off!
- Marilyn has become disobedient.
- Have you reasoned with her?
- Yes, but she has learned bad habits
from her friend, Carol.
- Shiro was wrong about those two.
Perhaps, if we separate them.
The redhead is older
and not worth as much.
Send her to Osaka.
- No, please!
Please, don't anything!
Why are you doing this?
Stop it.
No!
No!
No!
- But I was embarrassed
in front of a subordinate, Oyabun.
- That was your fault.
- If you'd only told me.
- I was not convinced you
would choose correctly.
Shiro,
When would you have given the
order to send her to Osaka?
Shiro, the use of force
is a necessary evil.
But it is still necessary maybe
less often than I was young.
The organization goes
back to the 17th century.
It cannot change completely
in one generation.
Maybe not even two.
Do you accept that?
- I'm an optimist, Oyabun.
- That is
the first night your friend
did not come to work?
- Yes, but I knew there
was something wrong
the night before.
When they sent the rest of
us home, they captured her.
- Then what did you do?
- I went to the hotel which
she was staying this morning
and they told me that she had checked out
and gone back to United States.
- Why do you think
anyone here would kidnap
or harm your friend?
- Because she had refused.
- Refused what?
- To prostitute herself.
- Prostitution is illegal in Japan.
- Well, it's illegal in
the United States too
but that hasn't stopped it.
- We enforce our rules very strictly.
- You do?
- Yes.
- Then why haven't you done
anything about the Wild Orchid?
- What about the Wild Orchid?
- It's a whorehouse.
- You are very sure?
- I work there.
- As a prostitute?
- No, as a singer.
I sing.
- And your friend dance?
- Yeah.
- If we would investigate
it, would you testify?
- Yes.
Sure.
- So I called the Wild Orchid
and they never heard
of Carol or Cavanaugh.
- I wish I could tell you
not to worry but I won't.
Last year, there must've been 300 girls
recruited by guys like Cavanaugh.
LA, San Francisco, pick a city.
By the way, most of them knew the score.
- Carol was a singer.
She's just a kid.
- Yeah, well, she's kinda
to worry about the most.
A young girl in a new city, out of bucks,
trying to break in to show business.
- And what happens?
- Well, most of them get home.
Somebody sends a plane ticket.
When they give in to the pressure.
Psychological, physical,
enforcements by the Yakuza,
the Japanese Mafia.
Prostitution, drugs, gun-running.
Nice guys.
- Why do you let this happen?
- Japan is 5,000 miles away.
Our jurisdiction ends at the city line.
- Thanks.
- Get in, hurry.
Get in.
Hurry, please.
Keep it quiet.
Get in, get in.
Quiet!
Everyone now, sit down.
I said sit down.
- Please.
I have to talk to you, please.
But I was the one who told the police.
- Who did you report it to?
- I don't know.
I forgot the name.
- We can look it up.
- But they made a report.
- Why were you in that room if as you say
you were not waiting for a customer?
- The manager put me in that room
because I wouldn't go to bed.
- And what
were you supposed to do
at the club?
- I have a contract to sing.
You understand?
- But you do not have an entertainer visa.
You came on a visitor visa,
which mean you have been violating
our immigration laws if you sing.
- But the agent got me the visa.
Okay, okay.
What if I apply for
entertainer's visa now?
- Not to work in a night
club like the White Orchid.
A visa would never be issued.
- Is there any kind of bail?
- Not on immigration charge.
No.
I am sorry.
- Tonight, you dance a new club.
Make good money.
♪ I heat up, I can't cool down ♪
♪ You got me spinnin' ♪
♪ 'Round and 'round ♪
♪ 'Round and 'round and 'round it goes ♪
♪ Where it stops nobody knows ♪
♪ Every time you call my name ♪
♪ I heat up like a burnin' flame ♪
♪ Burnin' flame full of desire ♪
♪ Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ You make me hot, you make me sigh ♪
♪ You make me laugh, you make me cry ♪
♪ Keep me burnin' for your love ♪
♪ With the touch of a velvet glove ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ I feel the magic in your caress ♪
♪ I feel magic when I touch your dress ♪
♪ Silk and satin, leather and lace ♪
♪ Black panties with an angel's face ♪
♪ I can see magic in your eyes ♪
♪ I hear the magic in your sighs ♪
- Now, if you run, we're gonna beat you!
♪ I hear those words that you always say ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ Every time you call my name ♪
♪ I heat up like a burnin' flame ♪
♪ Burnin' flame full of desire ♪
♪ Kiss me baby, let the fire ♪
- Carol Heath-san, come with me.
Come with me, please.
All the charges had been dropped.
- I'm pleased we could
keep you out of prison.
- And I'm grateful to you
for that, Mr. Hatanaka.
- I know we may rely on
your appreciation now.
- You don't understand.
- Americans overrate understanding.
- You should've left me in jail.
- You go back to work in the club tonight,
and you obey your superiors
and you'll fulfill the contract
for its term and whatever
way they instructed.
Is that clear?
- You're just a pimp.
I don't work for pimps.
- Shiro!
Do not do this for her.
- I didn't interfere
with Marilyn and Marilyn died!
- Of her own choice.
Now, do you wish to withdraw
from the organization?
- I won't go along this time.
- You're disobedient.
You have shamed me in front of that!
You are my son.
My son!
You behave like it.
I'll allow you this decision.
- Hai, Oyabun.
- With loyalty, no more defiance?
All right then.
As she has a contract to sing,
I expect her to honor that at least.
- She'll sing.
I guarantee it.
- With your honor?
- With my life.
- What nice manner.
You are looking for the manager?
What can I do for you?
- I'm looking for a friend
of mine, Carol Heath.
I understand that she's performing here
but no one here seems
to have heard about her.
- We always try to
protect our entertainer.
You must've come across as a crazy fan.
Maybe you are.
- I've come to take her home.
- Boyfriend?
- Look, is she working here tonight?
- No, she's not.
She's working in one of my other clubs.
The Blue Garden in the Pacific.
- Thanks.
- The drink's on the house.
- Carol?
Carol?
- No, I'm Lisa.
I'd like you to buy me a drink, okay?
- Is Carol working tonight?
- Carol?
A lot of girls use different names.
Maybe she changed her name.
- No, she's a singer.
- No, not here.
There's just dancers.
And drinkers, and parties.
Lots and lots of parties.
Why don't we go some place
a little more quiet, okay?
- No, not tonight.
- Come on.
Nice gentleman like yourself.
- No.
- Come on.
Come on.
- I'd like to use the telephone.
Do you understand, telephone?
- Telephone?
- Yes, is that all right with you?
- I do you a favor?
- Yes.
- Then you do me favor.
- I don't wanna use the telephone.
- Maybe you will want something else.
You do favor first, get credit.
- No!
- Look, you work here.
You must've talked to her.
- Sure, all the girls talk back and forth.
We were never that close, Carol and me.
- You know where she's staying?
- Why would I?
- Where did you see her last?
- Please, you're
not the cops, you know.
I don't have to talk to you.
- Come on, I'll buy you a drink.
- Look, I'm
sorry if your girlfriend
wasn't waiting for you with open arms.
- One of your fans is asking for you.
Would you mind, Suzanne?
- Sure, thanks.
- My husband is more
manageable than the hostesses.
- More than you too?
- Yes.
He's backstage.
Mr. Potter, my husband, Mr. Mori.
- Look, I'm sick and tired
of all this run around.
Why don't you just tell me where Carol is?
- She quit.
She didn't tell us where she went.
- I don't believe that
and I don't believe you.
I was stuck here already once, pal.
And it's not gonna happen twice.
- Don't make any
trouble, I will call the police!
- Yeah, well you can call anyone you want.
You call the kamikazes for all I care.
I'm finding Carol and that's your hide.
- Go!
- Suzanne.
- What are you doing here?
- I know you can help me.
- No, you don't know that.
Well, you're wrong anyway, I can't.
- Are you that afraid of them?
- Yes.
- Now wait a minute, wait a minute.
What's happened to Carol?
- I'd forget about Carol just now.
You seem to have a problem yourself.
- Carol?
Carol.
- Okay, here's a passport,
airplane tickets, money.
Take her home.
- Shiro.
- Go on, get outta here!
- Shiro!
- Shiro.
- Planes to America.
- Gate two, that way.
- That way?
- Hai.
- Thank you.
- Have a good flight.
- Hey.
- It's good, isn't it?
Has he offered to take
you to Paris with him yet?
- Not even to Bangkok.
- He just doesn't seen
you on stage yet, Marilyn.
- Are you kidding?
I'm always on stage.
- It's the first thing I liked about you.
- Maybe the second.
- Please don't do that.
Keep your hands to yourself.
Just keep your hands
to yourself, all right?
Please let go of me.
I don't want you.
Stop it.
Get your hands, stop it!
I want you to stop it.
Get away from me!
- Lisa, what's happened?
What's the matter?
- You know exactly what's the matter.
- He's perfectly attractive.
- I don't care!
- Let's not discuss it in front
of the whole world, please.
- I'll be back.
Just one minute.
- Look, I didn't come here
to be somebody's geisha girl.
- Maybe you
don't like Japanese men.
- No!
I'm just not gonna sleep with some guy
I only met 15 minutes ago.
- You're supposed to please my customer.
That is your job.
- You go to hell!
- Come on Lisa, calm down.
You won't be able to sing.
- I can't go back up there again.
- Just to sing, all right?
- No, I wanna go home!
I don't mean the hotel.
I wanna go back to North Carolina.
- This is very professional.
- Shiro!
- Will you explain it to her?
- The problem is she understands.
- You go on 11.
You're gonna be late.
Lisa, stay out his way tonight.
- Okay.
- Babe.
- What am I gonna do?
- Don't worry, I'll
think of something later.
Okay, come on, gotta go on.
Come on.
All right?
- Okay.
- Goodnight, Carl.
Excuse me, darlings.
Halloween everyday.
- I don't know where they all come from.
- See you tomorrow, Carol.
- Yeah, I hope so.
- Say hello to Fred for me.
- I will.
- There she is!
The usual?
- Yes, thanks.
- Maybe this week.
- That's what I keep telling myself.
- Here you go.
Hi there, honey.
- Hey, mamacita!
Who do you think?
- Tonight's
the night sweetheart.
Enjoy the party goodness.
- Good afternoon.
- Nebraska driver's license.
Social security number 067-44-0810.
- You live around here, miss?
- Yeah, I live right here.
- Sorry to detain you, miss.
In this neighborhood, you how it is.
- Yeah, sure.
Hi, Mrs. Powers.
- Hi.
Cop stopped again.
- Yup, I keep disappointing them.
- I keep disappointing them.
- What are you doing out here?
Shouldn't you be inside?
- There was nothing on TV
so I just thought I'd watch the road.
- All right, watching out for me?
- Got nobody else to worry about now
so you don't mind, do you, Carol?
- I like it.
See you later, okay?
Hello, Fred.
How are you doing?
Have a big day?
Miss me?
Okay Fred, I'm gonna play you something.
But I'm not finished so
don't be too critical, okay?
You be nice.
♪ Lost in the night ♪
♪ I thought I heard your voice ♪
♪ Asking me why ♪
♪ I ♪
♪ Asking me why ♪
♪ I walked away ♪
♪ With all that we have ♪
♪ Why did I leave home ♪
♪ Tomorrow I'll reel ♪
♪ Another lovely day ♪
♪ As we chased our separate dreams ♪
♪ The memories of our love ♪
♪ Will help me through the night ♪
♪ And into morning days ♪
♪ I chased my separate dream ♪
♪ Finding my own way ♪
Hello.
Hello, who's is it?
Hello?
Hello.
Hello?
- Not yet.
- The sea air will improve her spirits.
- She just needs a
little longer to adjust.
- She'll adjust in Osaka, Shiro.
You worry too much.
It's is a bad business
to damage our own goods.
- Will she be all right?
- She'll be fine.
- Thank you.
How is it going?
- This time, it's not so bad.
They're all talking business or something.
- Yeah?
Listen, Lisa, be careful
going back to the hotel tonight.
Things just seem a little bit
squirrelly tonight, you know?
Why don't you take a cab?
- But we're going together, aren't we?
The den mother told me
I gotta stick around
and dance tonight.
They got a late group coming in
and Shiro's taking me to a party.
I'll call you later.
Okay?
- Okay.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- That was a great party.
Did you have fun?
- Still going to States today?
- Someone you want me to say hello to?
- Not really.
- Too bad.
- Hey, why don't you take me with you?
I could show you around.
- I know my way around.
Besides, you seem to
be adjusting to Tokyo.
Hey, cheer up.
You have your own room now.
- What?
- Lisa's been transferred.
To Osaka.
Come on, I'll drive you home.
- I wonder, Carol, we put
this ad in several days ago.
Why to wait so long to answer?
- You're done hiring?
- Did I say that?
- No.
Well, I had some other
interviews that I've been set on.
- You have an agent?
- Well, no.
I'm changing.
I'm in the process of changing agents.
That's not true.
- I know.
- I was just hoping something
would come through right
here, Mr. Cavanaugh.
- Like recording contract?
- Well.
You got to hope.
- Mr. Yoshida represents GTV.
Which books some of the finest
entertainers in the Orient.
- How do you do, Mr. Yoshida?
- If you're selected,
it's a two-month contract
with options, 400 a week.
And Japanese recording
facilities are excellent.
Not surprisingly.
So you got to chance to
see the mysterious Orient
and bring back some decent tapes.
Plus a little professional experience.
- Don't tell me anymore.
I want it too bad, too bad.
- So, you've been out from
home for about six months.
- Family all back
there rooting for you too?
- Well, it's only my mom,
and she travels a lot.
Well, truth is we haven't
really spoken about three years.
She took off, changed her name.
Just kinda disappeared.
- One more thing.
I'd like to take a nice Polaroid, okay?
Have a nice big smile.
All right, we'll play the tape
and we'll get back to you.
- All right, I hope you like it.
- Thanks for coming in.
- Thank you.
Nice meeting you both.
Bye.
- Wanna hear the tape, Shiro?
- What for?
She's blonde, she's sweet,
she's perfect for us.
- Speaking Japanese.
I'm gonna miss you.
Mrs. Powers is gonna
take care of you, okay?
Give mommy a kiss.
Just how many sets I do for a night?
- Well, the Japanese like
people work hard as they do
so I would think it's
probably three sets a night,
maybe a little more in the weekends.
- Well, I love to sing.
- Just sign right there,
that's the same contract in Japanese.
- I guess that's everything.
- Are you swimming there?
- What?
My ticket.
- The contract stipulates
around trip ticket.
That at this point, you
only get a ticket to Tokyo.
GTV has had itself stung a couple of times
by girls who went over,
party for the weekend,
and then flew home
without telling anybody.
- Well, I'm not gonna be any trouble.
- I knew you wouldn't
make a issue out of it.
- Carol.
- Konnichiwa, Toshido-san.
- Good afternoon, Ms. Heath.
How's your flight?
- You speak English?
- UCLA, class of '80.
- But at the interview...
- I just don't like to say no.
I have to all tell the girls
who don't make it, you know.
By the way, you can call me Shiro.
- Okay.
I read in the guidebooks
that's it's a custom in Japan
to bring a small gift.
I didn't think you'll pick
me up yourself, though.
- Thank you.
Can I open it?
- Whatever is the custom.
It's a money clip.
- It's beautiful.
You're too much.
You really are.
- I'm glad.
I didn't know, I, well, good.
Domo arigato, I guess.
- Take care.
- Okay.
♪ When he shines his light on you ♪
♪ There's nothing in
this world you can't do ♪
♪ So hold up your soul into his light ♪
♪ And everything will be all right ♪
Yeah, hold the phone.
You're Carol.
- That's right.
Suzanne?
- Yeah, come on in.
- You speak Japanese?
- Enough to get by, that's all.
- Shiro speaks English.
- No, no.
- No tip?
- Domo arigato.
It's your first trip to the Far East?
- I've been here several times now.
I've been here three times to be exact.
I'm gonna start you off right.
Let's order a bottle of champagne.
- My treat.
- I like you already.
Room 211.
Charge one to Carol.
Carol, what's your last name?
- Heath.
- Carol Heath.
Domo arigato.
I cleared out half the closet
and some drawers for you.
- I didn't bring that much stuff.
I won't need that much space.
So, do you sing or dance?
- Do I which?
I do a little of both.
A little everything.
Aren't you tired?
- No, I'm too excited.
This is my first real job in the business.
You know, I mean, I sang
in all the school musicals
and I won a talent
contest once for singing.
But this is the first time
I'm getting paid for it
so I feel like my career
is finally getting launched, you know.
- No question about it.
- Whooo!
- Well, looks like this is it.
See you later.
- Good luck, man.
Take care of yourself.
- So long, guys.
- Take it easy.
- Good luck.
- This contract is
perfectly clear, my dear.
- Well, when I left home,
Arnold Cavanaugh said I would
be doing three sets a night.
- And who is Arnold Cavanaugh?
- He's your representative in America.
I mean if I'm only doing, you know,
a couple of songs a night,
I'm not sure how valuable I'll be.
- I'll talk to Shiro.
I bet you know Japan is
a very old civilization.
It's much older than either of ours.
My father's Indonesian,
my mother was English.
- Well, there are lot of traditions
I don't understand yet but...
- The Japanese man holds women
on a special relationship.
His wife and family are very important.
This a family oriented society.
But that is only one part of his life.
He doesn't come here
only to see the shows.
He wants to be treated well here.
Courteously.
- Well, I'm not gonna be
rude to anybody, Madame Mori.
- No, you're clever.
You understand.
Now, hurry along.
You only have half an hour
before you break the hearts of Tokyo.
- I like it.
You're Carol?
- Yeah.
It's not exactly me but I kinda like it.
Are you Marilyn?
- Marilyn Henderson.
You're a singer, right?
- I'm a dancer.
Of course, it's not exactly ballet but.
You met our den mother yet?
- Madame Mori?
The Japanese men comes for respects.
- She said courtesy to me.
- Don't let her get you down.
She's really no different
from your Reno pit boss.
- You're a dancer in Reno?
- When I got lucky.
Or a cocktail waitress
or blackjack dealer.
Of course, the past couple
of years been a little slow.
- I'm a burger waitress.
Used to be.
- A burger waitress?
- That's really cute.
- Are you sure I look okay?
- They'll be climbing the tables.
Of course, that could be a problem too.
♪ Sometimes I stare into space ♪
♪ Tears all over my face ♪
♪ Can't explain it ♪
♪ Never felt like this before ♪
♪ Lost and found, be amazed ♪
♪ Don't know what to do ♪
♪ My head's in a haze ♪
♪ Burning in my heart ♪
♪ Can't keep from crying ♪
♪ It's tearing me apart ♪
♪ Yeah yeah ♪
♪ Yeah yeah ♪
♪ Could it be the devil in me ♪
♪ Or is this the way
love's supposed to be ♪
♪ Heat wave ♪
♪ Heat wave ♪
- Great voice.
- Really?
They're good players.
- That was great, baby!
- Thanks, aren't they great?
- So are you.
- You play the musicians well.
Always get what you pay for.
Now, would you like a drink?
Calm down?
- Thank you.
That would be nice.
My throat is so dry.
- A gentleman has invited you.
A retired major.
Very distinguished.
You impressed him.
- He looks like he's had
enough to drink already.
- This is a bar, Carol.
That is what we sell.
Now go.
- Thank you, I don't speak Japanese.
- Do you like martini?
I like martini.
- No thank you.
Not for me.
- You are very beautiful.
- I hate to be forward, Don,
but shouldn't you be on a base somewhere?
- I'm out.
- On leave?
- For good.
- Dear.
- Well, it finally got through to me
that Carol's more important so here I am
and she's somewhere else.
- If only you'd call first.
- Well, I was afraid she's
gonna tell me not to come.
- Well, I know she wrote to you
about going to Japan
because she told me so.
- When?
- What?
- When?
- Just before she left on Monday.
Four days ago.
The letter's probably arriving
at the base right now.
You should talk to her
friend at the restaurant.
Este, no, Esther, Esther.
- What restaurant?
- Where they work.
You know, at Corina's.
Down on the corner.
Run around the corner.
- I haven't heard from her yet.
It's only been a week.
- I didn't know she was
working as a waitress.
- So?
- Well, I just heard about
all these interviews.
- Carol was doing pretty well
just to get the interviews.
It takes a while to break in.
I'm still trying.
I'm an actress.
- So this was her big break?
- Absolutely.
- Did she talk about me much?
- She really missed you.
- She never told me that.
- How come you didn't write back more?
- Well, I thought she was
doing so well and I wasn't.
What was I gonna write about?
I screwed up.
I should've come out her with her.
Listen, do you know the
names of these people
who sent her to Japan
and they probably had an address
for her I could write her.
- There was some ad.
I don't remember.
Carol just said she'd be singing in Tokyo.
- No, please don't touch me.
Really, you understand?
No!
- If you want to wait to the room, okay.
I told the waitress.
- What?
No.
We don't need a room.
No room.
- Okay.
- No, don't touch me!
No, do you understand?
- I have been here too long.
- Yeah, get this.
- She made a mistake.
- No!
- She made a mistake!
- No mistakes!
- You're just too sexy.
You can't blame him.
He got carried away.
- Shiro, just because I'm sexy on stage
doesn't mean I'm a hooker.
- No, of course not.
Look, you know about the
custom of the geisha.
- No.
I mean yes, I know the
word but I don't know.
No.
- You have a lot to learn, Carol.
- I don't care.
What I already know that
I don't want strange men
pawing me when I'm off-stage!
- You're a very attractive woman.
Why shouldn't they want you?
It's flattering!
- No, it's not.
- All right, Carol, calm down.
- All the girls?
Everyone?
You too?
- If the guy is attractive and
if he treats me nice, okay.
Haven't you ever given in to a guy
just because it was too hard to fight?
- No, I've only had one boyfriend.
I was gonna marry him
but he wanted to be Air Force pilot.
I didn't feel like traveling around
from base to base my whole life.
I wouldn't have had a home,
I wouldn't have had a career.
I wanted to be a singer.
- Well, they won't really
start to lean on you
for about another week.
It'll give you time to get adjusted.
- I can't.
- That's what I said
when I first got here.
- What if you kept saying no?
- Yeah, well, one of the girls tried that.
She was my roommate.
She's not with us anymore.
Shiro told me she got
transferred to Osaka.
But who would know?
We've got clubs in Osaka and
it's set same all over Asia.
Just never heard from her again.
- Am I gonna see you
everyday until I get a letter?
- I'm just tired of waiting.
I came at her to ask her to get married
and I just wanna do it.
I don't want her to go out
and find someone else in the meantime.
So I decided I'm gonna go
over there and get her myself.
What's another couple of thousand miles?
- You got the money for that?
- Well, I've saved up my service pay
and I could sell my car.
I'm fine.
I just need to find that
ad that she answered.
- It had to be in one of the trades.
- What's a trade?
- A trade paper?
- Hey buddy, this isn't a public library.
I mean you buy one of those
and get out of here, okay?
- You didn't find it, did you?
- No.
- Nothing else is missing
except your passport?
- What do I do?
- Go to the American Embassy
like the rest of you us did.
- What?
- I'm sorry, I should've warned you.
Every girl in the club
has had a passport lifted.
You go to the American Embassy,
you fill out a few forms
then by the time your
passport comes through,
the contract has already expired.
Just another hole to have over you.
- I don't believe this.
I can't believe this.
- Remember my roommate?
Lisa, the one I told you about?
- Well, I found out the
name of the club in Osaka
and I go over there.
They said they never heard of her.
Carol, I think she just disappeared.
- I'm calling the embassy.
- Closed Sundays.
- All right, then we'll go tomorrow.
You can tell them about Lisa.
- I don't think the American Embassy
is gonna get too worked up
over a missing party girl.
Yeah, that's what polite people call us.
- Hi, Carol.
- Shiro!
Can I talk to you for a sec?
I'm not gonna do it.
- Do what?
- You know what I'm talking about.
Look, I work real hard up here.
But I'm not gonna do
what the other girls do.
- Who's been talking to you?
- Nobody's been talking to me.
- Marilyn's a gossip.
She knows a lot of the
girls date after work.
- During work.
- She does it herself.
She has for years.
In Reno too in Vegas, then Tahoe.
She tell you that?
No, I didn't think so.
Carol, this is what's goes on
in clubs all over the world.
Ask Inga, ask Suzanne,
ask any of the girls.
- Yeah, well maybe they
didn't just come here to sing.
I did.
- Carol, nobody's gonna make
you date if you don't want to.
Now, Marilyn wants to.
But she needs an excuse so she
doesn't feel like a bad girl.
I can't understand what
is wrong with bad girls.
They're more interesting.
- I like the way you call it dating.
- That's not why I hired you though.
I liked your singing,
I love you performing.
Everyone does.
You just have to sing.
Anything else is up to you.
- And the club didn't steal my passport?
And I don't have to date?
- Only if you wanna be
rich and successful.
Isn't that what we all want?
Have a good show.
♪ Look at me now ♪
♪ I hold my hand up high ♪
♪ They sing a word ♪
♪ That I can't ♪
♪ But I'm on my way ♪
♪ And thought it may be hard ♪
♪ When I arrive ♪
♪ I know you got me there ♪
♪ As we chase our separate dreams ♪
♪ The memories of our love ♪
♪ Will help me through the night ♪
♪ And into front of day ♪
♪ I chased my separate dreams ♪
♪ Finding my own way ♪
- Great.
- Good.
I'm glad that you could join us.
You're not too tired?
- No, no, I love performing.
- Madame Mori said
that I would not be disappointed.
You have a sweet voice as she said.
- Thank you.
- I'm sure that my good friend Shiro
must've told you about
our production facility.
- I don't think he mentioned
any studio in particular
but I have trouble
remembering Japanese names.
- Well, you have to
learn to speak Japanese
the way you learn French.
From a lover.
So, I was very impressed
by your performance.
I'm sincere.
I think that I might able to give you
some recording work while you are here.
- Take your hand off my knee please.
- Careful.
- I've always worked for I've got.
- Well, I am easy work.
- Not for me.
I don't sell.
- Carol, Carol.
- You, blondie.
- What?
- Toshiro no wife now.
Just me.
- You don't touch me.
- You must learn.
You're here for one reason.
That is to please my costumers.
And just singing to them is not enough.
- Shiro said...
- Shiro is not the boss!
He plays the boss.
He's not the boss, okay?
- You can let me out of my contract.
You don't have to pay me.
I'll go home.
Get somebody else.
- First, you obey like the others.
Then you can go home.
Seven weeks can be short
or very long, girly.
Do not go around me to Shiro again.
- Does the one in Japanese
say the same thing as the one in English?
Like about the round trip
plane ticket and the salary?
- It's much more vague in the details
but that's not unusual for the Japanese.
Part of the charm, I suppose.
However, more important
than either of these
is your missing passport.
Well, an American passport's
worth a lot on the black market.
- You think I sold my own passport?
- I'm just saying you should've
taken better care of it.
May I ask what your professional
entertainer experience was
prior to signing this contract?
- I wanna go home.
I wanna get out of here.
- You don't have the air fare.
Why won't you call home?
- I thought the embassy
could loan me the money for the ticket.
- We can't.
Nobody'd ever buy a
round trip ticket again.
I'm sure you can understand that.
- Look, they're trying
to make me a prostitute.
And one of the other girls disappeared
when she said she wouldn't
go along with them.
And she's an American too.
And you're saying to me
that you can't do anything?
- We're not policemen.
- Then what are you here for?
- I have to call the Japanese police.
That's their jurisdiction, not ours.
I wish I could help you girls.
- Fine.
- I thought we gave all that up.
- Guys, for you to understand,
the price is up to $2,000 US dollars each.
As you say,
buy low, sell high.
Hiroshi.
- I'm less satisfied with them, Oyabun.
You said you'd allow me to
use reason instead of force.
Hiroshi wants to interfere.
- Is that my decision?
- I wasn't making a
decision for you, Oyabun.
- I misunderstood?
- I would never be that forward.
- This organization is
not yours yet, Shiro.
It is mine, until I say otherwise.
Do not get so impatient.
I will support your methods a while longer
as a test of your judgment.
But Hiroshi will be watching on my behalf.
- If you like
it, you can have it.
- No.
- No place
to spend a dinner hour
eating sandwiches.
- No, I just, I didn't feel going out.
- Relax.
How about I buy a bottle of
champagne this time, kiddo?
- You'd have to,
I can only spend for beer.
- Broke?
- No, I got $21.
On payday, I'm gonna start saving.
- The way you're going about,
you're gonna fade away
and grow old in this town.
I've made three trips
and 30,000 every time.
- Dollars?
- I don't count in yen.
- That's a lot of money.
- You can hire a hell of a publicity agent
with when you get home.
You can buy discovery, kiddo.
You don't have to hang
around waiting for it.
You can make yourself a star.
You just gotta help
yourself out a little bit.
Thousand of miles away from home.
Who's gonna know the difference?
Who's even gonna care?
- Nobody.
- Mr. Cavanaugh?
- That's right.
- I'm Don Potter.
- That means something to me?
- Yeah, well I left my
name on your service
about a dozen times.
- Well, you know answering services.
- And a note on your door.
- Didn't see it.
And today's not the day.
Hey, hey, what are you, an actor?
'Cause don't play a tough
scene with me, all right?
Brando is always gonna do it better.
- I'm looking for a
girl named Carol Heath.
You sent her to Japan three weeks ago.
- Never heard of her.
There are lot of agents in town, Dan.
- Don.
- Don.
- Then maybe you should check your files.
- Hey pal, I send 50
girls a year to Japan.
I haven't got time to
look up your honey's name.
- All you have to do is open that file
and see if the contract is there.
If it's not, I'll apologize
and get out of here.
But I'm gonna stand here
and make trouble for you
until I know one way or the other.
- All right.
In this.
Lucky you.
Carol Heath.
Yeah.
Yeah, she went to Tokyo.
And you're right, three weeks ago today.
She did very well for herself.
- What was the name of the club?
- Top club, first-class.
- What was the name of it?
- That's confidential information.
Why don't you wait for her to write?
- You're not the kind of agent
that can book names for some top club.
No, I'm not naive as Carol
so you might as well cut shuck and jive
and tell me the name of the place!
- Did you go to the police?
- That's my next stop as soon
I have something to tell them.
Now, since your honesty and openness
prove you weren't involved...
- That's good, that's nice.
She working at the White Orchid.
- This is the first week
of the initial two months contract, Carol.
- How much is this worth?
- Now, what does it say?
- 11,500.
- $50.
- $50?
But in the contract, I was
suppose to be making $400 a week.
- Well, yes.
But we had to deduct the
bills from your hotel.
They're attached, you see.
- $100 for champagne?
- Must been a very good one.
- No, it was cheap Californian.
- That makes it imported.
- Well, they have
overcharged for everything.
- You're just not used to the prices yet.
Japan is notorious for its cost of living.
Every time I go to London,
everything seems cheap in comparison.
- Well, how am I supposed
to get by on $50 a week?
- I don't know, you could
move to a cheaper hotel.
Or you could supplement your salary.
- Do you take a part of that too?
- Not at all.
The customer pays a surcharge
for our arranging services.
But you get to keep all of what you earn.
And there is a certain price structure.
We don't allow gouging.
- Consumer protection.
- Exactly.
- You're disgusting.
- No.
Merely practical.
- Well, it's much cheaper here
and you don't have to
worry about room service
running up your bills.
- Is that the bathroom for all the rooms?
- No, it's better than
outside in the yard.
There are simpler hotels than this.
- Shiro.
Shiro, could you please get
me the rest of my ticket
and my passport home?
- Look, I'm already helping
you as much as I can.
Why don't you help me?
Would it be so hard for you
to find a boyfriend or two
among the customers?
Haven't you been attracted to any of them?
- You know what was the
real job when you hired me.
It wasn't singing.
It was never signing.
- It was partly singing.
- What did you think?
Did you think I was just gonna go along?
- I thought you'd see the
opportunities here, yeah.
Who else was gonna give you a singing job?
You had any?
You got a lot of offers?
You wanted to be a headliner, this is how.
- I don't want it that way.
- There's no such animal as
success with our terms, Carol.
You gotta compromise.
You gotta bend with it a little.
- I won't.
- Yes, you will.
- I liked you.
You got me into this.
- I made a mistake but I can't fix it now.
- Why?
I trusted you!
P-O-T-T-E-R.
Don Potter.
- Don Potter?
- Yes.
- I'm sorry I
have no Evan Don Potter
listed on the master record.
- Well, maybe he's been discharged.
Would you have a record of that?
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
- Are you gonna sing my
favorite song for me tonight?
- Of course, Inga.
- Great.
- Still letting you hold down?
- If all of us refused.
- If all of us refused.
This is the Yakuza, the mob.
The Samurai Mafia, you know.
- No more talking!
You talk too much.
- She's just helping me with my makeup.
- The Japanese woman know
the virtue of silent.
Learn it.
You told Shiro you are so special,
so different on the other girls.
If you are not singing, you
will spend your time here.
My wife will come when it is time to sing.
- I mean what do you want from me, Carol?
You want me to take care of you?
Everybody wants me to take care of them.
I've got enough problems
taking care of myself.
- No, I don't want that.
- Nobody got us into this.
You wanna be a singer, I wanna dance.
If we're making it in the United States,
we wouldn't be here.
- True, but you're really
good dancer, Marilyn.
- Good isn't good enough.
- Yeah, well I don't see why you think
you have to sell yourself short.
- How about survival?
I'm going to live to see the next year?
I might even quit these things someday.
Besides, being a big fish in
a small pond is not so bad.
- You're better than that.
- These are your fans, Marilyn.
They've been waiting three
days just to see you dance.
- Well, I'll dance for them
but I'm not gonna party with them.
- They will pay extra.
- Forget it.
Hey, what do you think you're doing?
You're hurting me!
Cut it off!
- Marilyn has become disobedient.
- Have you reasoned with her?
- Yes, but she has learned bad habits
from her friend, Carol.
- Shiro was wrong about those two.
Perhaps, if we separate them.
The redhead is older
and not worth as much.
Send her to Osaka.
- No, please!
Please, don't anything!
Why are you doing this?
Stop it.
No!
No!
No!
- But I was embarrassed
in front of a subordinate, Oyabun.
- That was your fault.
- If you'd only told me.
- I was not convinced you
would choose correctly.
Shiro,
When would you have given the
order to send her to Osaka?
Shiro, the use of force
is a necessary evil.
But it is still necessary maybe
less often than I was young.
The organization goes
back to the 17th century.
It cannot change completely
in one generation.
Maybe not even two.
Do you accept that?
- I'm an optimist, Oyabun.
- That is
the first night your friend
did not come to work?
- Yes, but I knew there
was something wrong
the night before.
When they sent the rest of
us home, they captured her.
- Then what did you do?
- I went to the hotel which
she was staying this morning
and they told me that she had checked out
and gone back to United States.
- Why do you think
anyone here would kidnap
or harm your friend?
- Because she had refused.
- Refused what?
- To prostitute herself.
- Prostitution is illegal in Japan.
- Well, it's illegal in
the United States too
but that hasn't stopped it.
- We enforce our rules very strictly.
- You do?
- Yes.
- Then why haven't you done
anything about the Wild Orchid?
- What about the Wild Orchid?
- It's a whorehouse.
- You are very sure?
- I work there.
- As a prostitute?
- No, as a singer.
I sing.
- And your friend dance?
- Yeah.
- If we would investigate
it, would you testify?
- Yes.
Sure.
- So I called the Wild Orchid
and they never heard
of Carol or Cavanaugh.
- I wish I could tell you
not to worry but I won't.
Last year, there must've been 300 girls
recruited by guys like Cavanaugh.
LA, San Francisco, pick a city.
By the way, most of them knew the score.
- Carol was a singer.
She's just a kid.
- Yeah, well, she's kinda
to worry about the most.
A young girl in a new city, out of bucks,
trying to break in to show business.
- And what happens?
- Well, most of them get home.
Somebody sends a plane ticket.
When they give in to the pressure.
Psychological, physical,
enforcements by the Yakuza,
the Japanese Mafia.
Prostitution, drugs, gun-running.
Nice guys.
- Why do you let this happen?
- Japan is 5,000 miles away.
Our jurisdiction ends at the city line.
- Thanks.
- Get in, hurry.
Get in.
Hurry, please.
Keep it quiet.
Get in, get in.
Quiet!
Everyone now, sit down.
I said sit down.
- Please.
I have to talk to you, please.
But I was the one who told the police.
- Who did you report it to?
- I don't know.
I forgot the name.
- We can look it up.
- But they made a report.
- Why were you in that room if as you say
you were not waiting for a customer?
- The manager put me in that room
because I wouldn't go to bed.
- And what
were you supposed to do
at the club?
- I have a contract to sing.
You understand?
- But you do not have an entertainer visa.
You came on a visitor visa,
which mean you have been violating
our immigration laws if you sing.
- But the agent got me the visa.
Okay, okay.
What if I apply for
entertainer's visa now?
- Not to work in a night
club like the White Orchid.
A visa would never be issued.
- Is there any kind of bail?
- Not on immigration charge.
No.
I am sorry.
- Tonight, you dance a new club.
Make good money.
♪ I heat up, I can't cool down ♪
♪ You got me spinnin' ♪
♪ 'Round and 'round ♪
♪ 'Round and 'round and 'round it goes ♪
♪ Where it stops nobody knows ♪
♪ Every time you call my name ♪
♪ I heat up like a burnin' flame ♪
♪ Burnin' flame full of desire ♪
♪ Kiss me baby, let the fire get higher ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ You make me hot, you make me sigh ♪
♪ You make me laugh, you make me cry ♪
♪ Keep me burnin' for your love ♪
♪ With the touch of a velvet glove ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ I feel the magic in your caress ♪
♪ I feel magic when I touch your dress ♪
♪ Silk and satin, leather and lace ♪
♪ Black panties with an angel's face ♪
♪ I can see magic in your eyes ♪
♪ I hear the magic in your sighs ♪
- Now, if you run, we're gonna beat you!
♪ I hear those words that you always say ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ I want to reach out and grab ya ♪
♪ Abra-abra-cadabra ♪
♪ Abracadabra ♪
♪ Every time you call my name ♪
♪ I heat up like a burnin' flame ♪
♪ Burnin' flame full of desire ♪
♪ Kiss me baby, let the fire ♪
- Carol Heath-san, come with me.
Come with me, please.
All the charges had been dropped.
- I'm pleased we could
keep you out of prison.
- And I'm grateful to you
for that, Mr. Hatanaka.
- I know we may rely on
your appreciation now.
- You don't understand.
- Americans overrate understanding.
- You should've left me in jail.
- You go back to work in the club tonight,
and you obey your superiors
and you'll fulfill the contract
for its term and whatever
way they instructed.
Is that clear?
- You're just a pimp.
I don't work for pimps.
- Shiro!
Do not do this for her.
- I didn't interfere
with Marilyn and Marilyn died!
- Of her own choice.
Now, do you wish to withdraw
from the organization?
- I won't go along this time.
- You're disobedient.
You have shamed me in front of that!
You are my son.
My son!
You behave like it.
I'll allow you this decision.
- Hai, Oyabun.
- With loyalty, no more defiance?
All right then.
As she has a contract to sing,
I expect her to honor that at least.
- She'll sing.
I guarantee it.
- With your honor?
- With my life.
- What nice manner.
You are looking for the manager?
What can I do for you?
- I'm looking for a friend
of mine, Carol Heath.
I understand that she's performing here
but no one here seems
to have heard about her.
- We always try to
protect our entertainer.
You must've come across as a crazy fan.
Maybe you are.
- I've come to take her home.
- Boyfriend?
- Look, is she working here tonight?
- No, she's not.
She's working in one of my other clubs.
The Blue Garden in the Pacific.
- Thanks.
- The drink's on the house.
- Carol?
Carol?
- No, I'm Lisa.
I'd like you to buy me a drink, okay?
- Is Carol working tonight?
- Carol?
A lot of girls use different names.
Maybe she changed her name.
- No, she's a singer.
- No, not here.
There's just dancers.
And drinkers, and parties.
Lots and lots of parties.
Why don't we go some place
a little more quiet, okay?
- No, not tonight.
- Come on.
Nice gentleman like yourself.
- No.
- Come on.
Come on.
- I'd like to use the telephone.
Do you understand, telephone?
- Telephone?
- Yes, is that all right with you?
- I do you a favor?
- Yes.
- Then you do me favor.
- I don't wanna use the telephone.
- Maybe you will want something else.
You do favor first, get credit.
- No!
- Look, you work here.
You must've talked to her.
- Sure, all the girls talk back and forth.
We were never that close, Carol and me.
- You know where she's staying?
- Why would I?
- Where did you see her last?
- Please, you're
not the cops, you know.
I don't have to talk to you.
- Come on, I'll buy you a drink.
- Look, I'm
sorry if your girlfriend
wasn't waiting for you with open arms.
- One of your fans is asking for you.
Would you mind, Suzanne?
- Sure, thanks.
- My husband is more
manageable than the hostesses.
- More than you too?
- Yes.
He's backstage.
Mr. Potter, my husband, Mr. Mori.
- Look, I'm sick and tired
of all this run around.
Why don't you just tell me where Carol is?
- She quit.
She didn't tell us where she went.
- I don't believe that
and I don't believe you.
I was stuck here already once, pal.
And it's not gonna happen twice.
- Don't make any
trouble, I will call the police!
- Yeah, well you can call anyone you want.
You call the kamikazes for all I care.
I'm finding Carol and that's your hide.
- Go!
- Suzanne.
- What are you doing here?
- I know you can help me.
- No, you don't know that.
Well, you're wrong anyway, I can't.
- Are you that afraid of them?
- Yes.
- Now wait a minute, wait a minute.
What's happened to Carol?
- I'd forget about Carol just now.
You seem to have a problem yourself.
- Carol?
Carol.
- Okay, here's a passport,
airplane tickets, money.
Take her home.
- Shiro.
- Go on, get outta here!
- Shiro!
- Shiro.
- Planes to America.
- Gate two, that way.
- That way?
- Hai.
- Thank you.
- Have a good flight.