I'm Not Rappaport (1996) - full transcript

We know of the abuses.
How could we not know?

We have been fold of the
indignities. How could we not hear?

Six dollar salaries.

Our men carrying their
own machines to work.

Cheated on piecework.

Our girls given $4
and $3 a week...

because they are
called "learners,"

when all there is for them to
learn about are screaming foremen.

Stinking toilets that
overrun the workroom.

Winters without heat.

Being charged for
the electricity they use,



the needles they sew with,
the very chairs they sit in.

Here, here in what in
only a few weeks will be...

the tenth year of
the 20th century,

we have seen our
small strikes smashed,

our brave girls
battered by the goons...

and our own New York policemen.

Yes, a general strike
hangs in the air here tonight...

like the smoke from
the flames within you,

the anger within you all.

Yes, the proper response
to these outrages...

is to be outraged.

And yet we say,

"Wait."

And yet we urge caution.



We are a new
union, not yet strong,

not strong enough for victory.

Our own Mr. Gompers,

he has just pleaded with
you to use deliberation,

to know that strikes are
a method of last resort.

Excuse me, miss, but you're
not listed on this program.

And in an event like
this, we must proceed...

It is Clara Lemlich, beaten by the
goons of Leiserson. Let her speak!

She is just today
from the hospital.

Uh, miss, unfortunately
in a program this length...

Let Clara Lemlich speak!

Tell them, Clara. Yes/

Hear me!

What is she saying?

Please. "I am a working girl."

"I wanna use striking against
the intolerable conditions."

I am tired of listening
to all these speakers.

Jetzt!

Jetzt!

All right, all right!

Will you, all of you...

Will you take the
old Hebrew oath?

If I turn traitor...

If I turn traitor...

to the cause I now pledge,

may this hand wither...

from the arm [ raise.

Ladies and gentlemen,

a general strike...

has now been called.

Strike! Strike!

Strike.

Strike.

Strike.

Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!

When do we want it? Right now!

What do we want? Contract!

We're fired up!
Can't take no more!

We're fired up!
Can't take no more!

- We're fired up!
- Can't take no more!

Strike. Strike!

A thousand voices,
perhaps even more.

That Clara, she
had fire in her mouth.

Me, I would settle
for a few teeth.

Madam?

Tell me, madam...

"July Carbonelle."

A beautiful name. Thank you.

Tell me, why aren't you out
there marching with your friends,

with your comrades, demanding
your rights, July Carbonelle?

Surest way to get
fired is why, "comrade."

Also, they say they gonna
call Immigration on me,

even though they know I'm legal.

The bosses, the bosses. Their
tactics haven't changed in a century.

Frighten the foreign-born and
exploit the immigrant. Reign by terror.

And the answer to
all of this? Organize.

All of you. A "roll-out."

Listen to me now.
Grab your walkers.

Grab your canes.
Roll those wheels.

Join the workers outside.

Show your support!

Samuel Gompers. I remember him.

He's dead.

- Yes, but there's a chance...
- So is Communism.

And Clara Lemlich
too. She was cute.

I remember her. But you?

Who the hell are you?

What do we want? Contract!

When do we want it? Right now!

Strike! Strike!

♪♪

Don't tell me no 121.

How you figure
you gonna fool me?

Don't you got no shame, you...

Ol' Bull,

Crazy Ol' Bull.

We got hot water
to do here, baby.

We got people gettin' up here.

Okay, don't make promises,

just hot water.

Oh, yeah: 123, 124.

Yeah. Hold it right there.

Hold it right there, baby!

Mr. Carter, sir, I've... Hey!

What the... Where the hell you
come from, Mohammed? It is I coming.

Man, you always jumpin' out
from somewhere. I was merely...

Why don't wear one of
them white bandannas,

like the day man, so I can see you
comin'? But I am the day man, sir.

Right, right, right.

And I'm wearing a white
bandanna. Right again.

That boy's had a
rough night. Ah, yes.

My machine also.

No longer young, and
somewhat troubled.

"Somewhat troubled"?

I think we're looking at
cardiac arrest here, baby.

Mm-hmm.

- Yeah, what? What?
- This lady has a question for you, sir.

Yeah, I answered
it already, twice.

Obviously not to
her satisfaction.

And now certainly not to mine.

How come, mister, please,

this same ground sirloin,
extra lean, a pound only,

is last week $3.45,

is this week $5.20, how?

I told you, take it
or leave it, ma'am.

All right, hold it.

- What the hell is this?
- This is for our records.

Can you lean a little closer to
him, madam, hold up the product?

Good. Good. Together.

The exploiter and the victim.

Watch for yourself, sir,
in this Sunday's edition...

of the Daily News, the
"Shame of New York" series.

Featuring, of course,
my organization, UCPA,

United Consumers
Protection Agency,

formed by mandate of the
Mayor's Advisory Council...

on Consumer Affairs.

Let me have that product, madam.

That obviously is in
need of a correction.

"Three dollars and twenty cents,

"based on current
market standards.

Approved, UCPA."

You may take that to the checkout
counter, madam, and good luck to ya.

Uh, sir? Maybe you
could help me. Yes? Yes.

Nine fifty for these lamb chops.

Now, is that correct?

No. That is neither
correct nor just.

I thought so.

Seven twenty. When you can
only afford meat once a week,

or perhaps once every two
weeks, you've gotta be very careful.

Excuse me. I'm concerned
about this. Yes, you're correct.

I'm concerned about this. Harry!

You're concerned about this chicken?
You should be. Come out here, quick.

You should be concerned
about this chicken. Harry? Harry?

Two dollars and forty-five
cents. Just a moment, son.

Gelber. Hello.

This is the manager of the
Gristedes at 77th and Madison.

Is this the United Consumers
Protection Agency?

What? Sorry. I can't hear you.

I said, "Is this the United
Consumers Protection Agency?"

For this honeydew,
$3.75. What's your fee?

Acceptable. Acceptable.

This is mint sauce. I'd love to have that
with my lamb chops, but I can't afford that.

Yeah, we could
make it a little less.

Yes, it's me again. This
time it's turkey. Turkey?

Field Representative Bartley?

Would you put him on, please?

First I would like to know by what authority
you people... I'd like to speak to him.

Okay, okay. But then
get right back on with me.

Bartley!

None! I want none of those
changed items going through.

Hello. Bartley speaking.

That's it. That
was the last call.

No more. You're
on your own, Dad.

Yes? Well, if you insist, Chief.

Thank you.

Emergency at D'Agostino's,
83rd and Lexington.

I'm wanted there immediately.

You're doing a fine
thing. Fine thing.

A fine thing. Information?

Yeah, I'd like the number for the Mayor's
Advisory Council on Consumer Affairs.

Consumers!

Consumers!

Protest...

before you yourselves
are consumed!

Put down your shopping
bags, abandon your carts...

and pursue the
prices you deserve.

If not here, then where
else but elsewhere?

He's right. The man is a saint!

Spark wire's loose
on one of the cylinders.

That's throwing a charge into
the engine block. That's the ticket.

Cylinder three.

That's my call.

Once again.

Once again, my dear friend, you
have brought life to my vehicle.

Carter? Carter, is that you?

I'm Peter Danforth.

Yeah, from the
Tenants Committee.

Nice meeting you! Got to run!

Carter, it's urgent
we talk soon!

I got it on the top
of my "Urgent" list!

Top of your list.
Good, good. Right.

Get you a taxi?

Oh, no, no, no.
I, uh... I-I run.

I mean, I-I don't run
to work. I walk to work.

I run... I run at work.

I mean, not while I'm
working, but I... I run...

I take a break, and then I
run when I'm at work. Right.

Well, gotta run.

♪♪

Good morning, Louis.
Good morning, Midge.

♪♪

Oye, viejo.

Don't forget to
be there. Got it.

7:00, you know?

A las "sieto." Si, a las siete.

♪♪

♪♪

How's business, Jake?
A little slow, Doctor.

A lot of people
usin' paper cups.

Paper cups all over the place.

One more, Mr. Gunther.
Come on. Oh, yes.

Very nice.

And... almost done.

There.

Bang, bang, bad guy, bad guy!

Bang, bang, bad guy, bad guy!

All right, Lone
Ranger. I got you now!

Howdy. Irwin. Irwin.

Yeah, those shares of Allied Chemical,
they've been weighin' on my mind.

Come on. We're late.
Why don't we dump 'em?

Yeah, you know...
One more, Mr. Gunther.

Bang, bang!

♪♪

♪♪

Okay, where was 1?

Where the hell was I?

What were we talking
about yesterday?

I was just about to make a very
important point when we were interrupted.

What were we talking about?

We wasn't talkin'. You
was talkin'. I wasn't talkin'.

Okay, so what was I saying?

I wasn't listening either.

You were doin' the whole thing by
yourself. Why weren't you listening?

'Cause you're a goddamn liar. I'm
not listenin' to you anymore, mister.

Three days now, I
ain't been listenin'.

Interrupted? You
wasn't interrupted.

I got up and walked off.

Stop pretending to read.
You can't see anything.

Hey, why don't you go and sit with them
old dudes in front of the welfare hotel?

Them old butter-brains, why
don't you go and mess with them?

'Cause I ain't talkin' to you no more,
mister. Puttin' you on notice of that.

Y-You may as well be talkin' to that
tree over there. That's a lamppost.

Sittin' here a whole week, and
not a word of truth outta you.

Shuckin' me every which
way, till the sun go down.

I demand an explanation of that
last statement. Also a translation.

Okay, wiseass!

For example, are you or are you
not an escaped Cuban terrorist?

I am not. Okay. And your
name is not Hernando?

Absolutely not. So it's a lie!

It's a cover story. My line of
work, they give you a cover story.

Are you saying... I'm saying...
And that's all I'm saying...

Is that in my line of
work, my particular field,

you gotta have a cover story.

Honey-bun, are you
ea yin' you're a spy?

I'm saying my name is Hernando,

and I'm an escaped
Cuban terrorist.

What kinda weirdo,
bullshit cover...

You don't think I said that to
them? That's what I said to them.

I said to them, "A
former Lithuanian citizen,

80-something years old,
is now a Cuban Hernando?"

"That's right. Tough luck,
sweetheart," they said.

"Yours not to reason why..."

That's the way they talk.

Of course you don't believe
it. You think I believe it?

Such dopes. But it's a living.

Why would they pick an old...
Do I know this? You tell me.

A year ago, I'm standing
on line at the Medicaid.

A fella comes up to me...
Boom. I'm an undercover.

Lord. Who knows why
they do these things.

Maybe they got something there. They figure,
an old man like me, nobody'll pay attention.

I could wander through the world
like a ghost, maybe pick up a few tidbits.

Yeah? Who knows what
they got goin' on over there.

I mean, you know, all right. I grant
you they screwed up on the cover story.

But listen, a thousand
bingos every month...

is added to my
Social Security check.

One thousand bananas a month,

you don't ask fancy questions.

Best not. Best not.

So you ever pick up
any information for 'em?

Are you kiddin'?

Sitting on a bench all day...

with a man who can't tell...

a tree from a lamppost?

Not a shred.

The fact is,

I think they got me
in what they call...

deep cover.

They keep ya in this
deep cover for years.

Like five, maybe 10
years, they keep you there,

till you're just like this regular
person in the neighborhood.

Then, boom! They pick
you out for the big one.

Considering my age
and general health,

I don't think they're
too bright over there.

Okay, snack time.

Deep cover.

Yeah, I-I heard
about that. Here.

We have a tuna
fish salad sandwich...

with lettuce and tomatoes
on whole-wheat toast.

Farm-fresh deli.

Yeah, that's a very,
very good s-store there.

Take half. Thank you.

Take this right here.
Ahh. Thank you, sir.

Sure. Thank you, indeed.

Comes a certain time in the day,

there's nothing like a fresh
tuna fish salad sandwich.

Uh-huh.

Mmm.

Oh, yeah. It's crisp.

Mmm. Mmm.

Mmm.

Mmm. Mmm.

Bullshit. Bullshit.

Lord, you have done it to
me again. You done it again.

I promised myself I wouldn't
let ya, and ya done it again.

Deep cover. Cuban
terrorist. Nice.

Bingo! You've done it again!

It was nice. Nice long
story, lasted a long time.

That's it. That is it! No more
conversing. Conversing is over.

Please calm yourself. Now
move away. Away with you, boy.

I was trying to have
fun. This is my spot.

I got here first. I didn't mean
for you to take me serious...

Get off my spot
before I lay you out!

Where's it say your
spot? Show me.

Show me the plaque. Where
does it say that? It says right here.

You read them hands?
Study them hands, boy.

Them hands were Golden Gloves...

in the summer of 19 and 28.

This is my spot.

Been my spot six months
now, my good and peaceful spot,

till you show up one week ago...

playin' three-card
monte with my head.

I want you gone, boy.

I'm givin' you
three to make dust.

I'm comin' out on
the count of three.

One! Wait. A brief discussion.

The sound of the
bell, I'm comin' out.

Now, you won't
hear it, but I will. Two!

How are you gonna hit
me if you can't see me?

I just keep punchin' till
I hear crunchin'. Three!

This is an embarrassing
demonstration. Comin' at ya.

Comin' at you,
boy. Comin' at you.

Sir, you have a
depressing personality...

and a terrible attitude.
Prepare yourself.

Prepare yourself!

Oh, shit.

Mister?

Mister?

Mister?

Oh, shit.

Don't move. Don't move.

All right. Could be
you broke something.

! know. Never fall
down. Never fall down!

Oh, it's nothing. I fall
down every morning.

I get up, I have a cup of coffee,
I fall down. That's the system.

Two years old, you
stand up, and then, boom!

Seventy years later,
you fall down again.

Okay, first thing, can
you lift your head?

Good. Good. That's good.

All right, put it down.
Put it down slowly.

Easy does it. All
right. That's very good.

Okay. Good sign.

Now we're feeling for
breaks. Feeling the hips now.

If you like this, we're engaged.

Don't worry. Everybody breaks.

Me, I got a hip like a
teacup. Twice last year.

You know, I was also
dead once for a while.

Six minutes.

They're doing a bypass, a coronary
bypass on me. Everything stops.

They have to jump-start
me like a Chevrolet.

Six minutes dead,
the doctor said.

You know what it's like?

What? Boring.

All right, can you
move your arms at all?

Try to m-move your arms.

Make like that boxer. Show
me that Golden Gloves.

Yes. Very good. Very
good. That's good.

That's a good sign. That's good
news. Put them down slowly.

All right. Boys, he's all right.

Thank you. Go fight
the forces of evil.

All right.

Now, from experience,

just lie there five minutes
and relax before getting up.

Best thing for
relaxing ls Jokes.

Willy Howard, you heard
of him? Genius, an artist.

Years ago he had this routine...
That was another lie, wasn't it?

What? 'Bout you bein' dead.

No. No, it's a fact,
an absolute fact.

Man, you ain't even
friendly with the truth.

Your goddamn lies put
me on the canvas here.

Not lies. Alterations.

I make certain alterations.
Sometimes the truth don't fit.

I take in a little here, I let out a
little there, till it fits. The truth?

The truth is going to the
back door of the Plaza Hotel...

every morning for
yesterday's club rolls.

I tell them it's for the
pigeons. I'm the pigeon.

Six minutes dead is true, a
fact. And that's my last fact.

This morning I'm talking to
the counterman at Farm Fresh.

I tell him I'm an American
Indian, an Iroquois.

He listens.

Pretty soon I'm remembering
the days on the plains,

the broken treaties, my
grandpa fighting the cavalry.

Not important, he's convinced.

I am. And I love it.

This morning I'm an American
Indian, this afternoon a spy.

I was one person for
80-something years.

Why not a hundred
for the next five?

Them club rolls.

How early do you think a person
ought to get there to get them rolls?

Rolls? Rolls? You
missed the whole point.

The point? I got the point.

The point is, you are crazy!

Point is, you ain't never
seein' your marbles again!

Oh, how fortunate,

an expert on mental health.

Crazy, you say? Listen to me.

Listen to a trained
observer. You are a wreck.

Is this who you wanna be?

Is this what you had in
mind for old, this guy here,

sitting and staring, once in a
while for a thrill falling down?

No, you gotta shake things up,
fella. You gotta make things happen.

You tellin' me how
to live? You tellin' me?

Mister, you talkin' to the
superintendent in charge,

321 Central Park West,

42 years, July.

Near 15 years past retirement.

How you think I'm
still super there?

I ain't mentioned
a raise in 15 years.

And they ain't, neither.

Three years ago, moved to the
night shift outta the public eye.

Daytime? A bunch of Arab
supers, come and gone.

But not Midge.

Mister, you lookin' at the
wise, old invisible man.

No, I'm lookin' at a dead man.

Fifteen years, no raise?
That's a dead person.

That's a ghost.
What do you know?

What does a ghost know?

People see me. They see me.

I make them see me!

You fool. You crazy old fool!

They don't see you. They don't
want to look at your old face.

Mine neither. I
just help 'em out.

Don't you get it, baby? Both of
us ghosts, only you ain't noticed.

We old, and not rich,

and done the
sin of leavin' slow.

You go with it,
or you break, boy.

Traitor in the
ranks! Mr. Carter/

People like you give
"old" a bad name.

Ah, good. There you are, Carter.

Midge Carter. Here I am.

No, no, here. Up
here on the bridge.

It's Danforth. Pete
Danforth, 12-H.

Pete Danforth.
Right. Right, yeah.

They-They told me
you might be in this area.

Our meeting, remember?

Our meeting.
Right. Right. Right.

Yeah, well, how 'bout...

How 'bout right over there, as soon
as I finish my run, at that gazebo there?

Gazebo. Right. Right.

Yeah, that, uh, charming
structure by the pond there.

Dr Charming structure.

You got it. Right.
I'll be right with ya.

It's just three more miles. I'll be
right with ya. I'm looking forward to it.

Looking forward to the meeting.

Had it on my schedule.

The man. I been duckin' him.

He found me. Who is he?

Pete Danforth. President
of the tenants committee.

Place has gone co-op. He says
they got a lot of reorganizin' to do.

Says he wants to see me private.

The problem is, it's gettin'
around the buildin' that...

I'm sorta nearsighted.

Nearsighted? Helen
Keller was nearsighted.

♪♪

Cataracts in both eyes?

Yeah.

How many times removed?

Left, twice; right, once.
But they come back.

That's what they do.
They're dependable.

How bad is the glaucoma?

Pills and drops keep it
down. Except nighttime.

Nighttime's like tr yin' to close
your lid over a basketball. No lie.

No lie.

You get color or
black-and-white?

Mostly blue. Blue shadows, like.

Weird thing is, all my
dreams are in full color.

See everything real sharp and
clear, like when I was young.

Then I wake up,

and it's real life that
looks like a dream.

Exactly. The same
with me, exactly.

I hadn't thought
about it till this minute.

Carter, we're connected.

You know why? Because
we both got vision.

Who needs sight when we got
vision? Yes, we're connected.

Even with your
cowardly personality...

and your chickenshit
attitude, we are connected.

Our meeting with Danforth will go
well, I'm convinced. "Our" meeting?

I've decided to handle
this Danforth matter for you.

The capitalist fat cats.

Don't worry. I eat
them for lunch.

Hold on, boy. I never
asked... Don't thank me.

I ask for nothing in
return, only to see justice.

Don't thank me. Thank Karl
Marx. Thank Lenin. Thank Gorky...

Don't need none of you guys.

But mostly thank Ben Gold.

Ben Gold, who
organized the fur workers...

and gave us a heart,
a center and a voice.

What a voice! You
thought it was yours.

I'm at his side
when we win. Hey.

A 10% wage increase...

and the first 40-hour
week in the city!

We win! Where is he?
Where's that Danforth?

Bring him to me! Bring
me that fascist four-flusher!

- Oh, my God.
- All right, the Soviet Union.

Throw it up to me.
Everybody does.

I promise you, Carter,
they lost me long ago.

Finished. I gave up on them.

But I never gave
up on the ideas:

the triumph of the proletariat,
a workers' democracy.

The ideas are still fine and
beautiful. The ideas go on!

They're better than the
people who had them.

Ben. They hit him with the
Taft-Hartley, and the fire goes out.

The voice... The
voice still goes on.

The conflict goes on like
the turning of the stars.

And we will crush
Danforth before supper time.

Okay, okay.

Danforth come, I don't want
you to speak. Not a word.

Don't even want you
here. You got that?

You open your face once,

I know this junkie, for $50
will nail you permanent.

Am I comin' through
clear? I have no choice.

I am obligated to get you off
your knees and into the sunlight.

No, you ain't. I'm lettin' you
out of that obligation right now.

Look, baby, it's okay.

I got it all figured out,
exactly what to say to him.

I just got to hang in till
I get my Christmas tips.

They just gotta keep me four more
months... Christmas? Compromises?

How do you think we
lost Poland? Poland?

Stalin sits at Yalta with a
twinkle in his eye. Who knew?

Stalin? Danforth has no right
to dismiss you before your time.

Man, I am 81.

After we finish with him, tomorrow we
go after the rest of his kangaroo court.

Why, Lord?

Why are you doing this to me?

Lord, I ask you for help,

and you send me a
weird, commie, blind man!

Who is this Lord you're
talking to? W-What are you do...

Oh, boy, I see I got a
lotta work to do here. Okay.

The man's comin' soon.

Time for the man to
come, time for you to go.

All right, Carter. Please calm
yourself! Come on, come on.

Carter, you're
hysterical! Calm yourself!

All right, you'll handle
Danforth. I'll permit it.

You mean it? Of course.

But first you must control and
calm yourself. Calm myself. Yeah.

Here. This will do the trick.

Here is some government grass:

official, legal dope
from Uncle Sam.

Doctor prescribes,
government pays.

Two ounces a month
for the glaucoma.

Dilates the capillaries,

relieves the
pressure... everywhere.

Here.

I'll light it.

Here. All rolled, ready
to go. Medicaid is paying.

Better not. Makes me foolish sometimes,
and this is no time to get foolish.

Not foolish, happy.

I guarantee you'll
laugh at the 6:00 news.

Even your children
will become amusing.

Here. Take a hit. Danforth
will be a piece of cake.

One puff, the man is a Danish.

You swear not to open your
mouth when the man's come,

not to open it
once, I'll take a puff.

Agreed.

Direct from the White House.

That's it. Hold it
in. Hold it! Hold it in.

I know. I was smokin' dope while
you was eatin' matzo balls, baby.

♪♪

Fair.

Just fair.

Man said, three miles.

Sure is takin' it slow.

Maybe he dropped dead.

Young fella like him?

Yeah, the young ones.

They're the first ones. Boom!

They're running,
they're smiling... Boom!

You should be here
in the evening. What?

They drop like flies.
Boom, boom, boom!

You mean, they drop when...

You see over there, that
steep rise in the joggers' path?

Yeah. Uh-huh.

I call it the
Runners' Graveyard.

"The Runners' Grave..."

Let's go over there and
watch them drop. Boom!

Boom, boom, boom!

I saw a fat guy
drop the other day.

He musta weighed
about 275 pounds.

He fell down, the
whole earth shook.

The earth... Boom, boom!
Like you couldn't believe it.

I thought it was an
earthquake. Boom!

Howdy.

Well, now, Johnson & Johnson
holdin' 118. It sounds fine to me.

Those darlin' mutual funds,
how're they performin', partner?

Hmm? Hmm.

Dow Jones, how they lookin'?

Sounds fine to me. Mighty fine.

How's my AT&T? Hmm. Hmm.

And how's my Baby Bells doin'?

Yes, sir. Yeah, you go ahead.

No. Okay.

♪♪

You know that guy on
the bench over there...

♪♪

Standard & Poor, how're
they lookin' at close, pal?

Standard & Poor, doing all right.
Lookin' to close up a quarter and a half.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. We got GM up
at 129112, and they're comin' down.

Well, then, we best be dumpin' our
Johnson & Johnson, and right fast, friend.

- All shares?
- All shares, and right fast.

Standard: Johnson &
Johnson, sell all shares.

Poor: mutual funds,
dump my mutual.

The bell has rung,
boys. No new business.

The bell has rung. No
new business. Bell has rung.

What are you gettin' in?

Whole mess of diamonds
tossed on a piece of glass.

That would be the
pond in the sunlight.

♪♪

Now we have a pretty girl.

How you know?

Because of the glow.

When I could see, all
pretty girls had a glow.

Now what's left is the
glow. That's how you can tell.

Stopped smokin'
dope when I turned 70.

That girl just went
from very pretty...

to beautiful.

Scared of goin' foolish.

My old man went foolish
five years before he died.

Didn't know his own
name. Sad to see.

♪♪

Sure hope I ain't the only
one hearin' that music.

Now she's Hannah Pearlman. Who?

Hannah Pearlman
worked as a finisher,

stitching linings in
yachting caps for Shiffman's.

Shiffman's Chapeaux,

West Broadway, 1927.

♪♪

No, ain't her.

I'll tell you who you got there.

That's Ella Mae Tilden.

Ella Mae, best wife I ever had.

Number three. Five, all told.

Very shy, shier even than me.

She used to sit on the
stoop in the early evening.

Fine, fine face, like
an artist would paint.

Ludlow Street, 418.

I passed that stoop
a million times.

I couldn't say, "Hello."

She would sit in
the early evening,

with her hands hidden,

like so, from the funny... funny
fingers that she had from the stitching.

Ella Mae give me
John, John give me Billy,

and Billy give me these teeth.

Fut the teeth in,
smiled... and left Ella Mae.

Smile needed a new hat.

Hat made me walk a new way,

which was out. But
she was married.

Went to work so her greenhorn
husband could go through law school,

become an American somebody.

Comes June, her
husband graduates.

Suddenly finds out
he's an attorney...

with a Yiddish-speaking wife
who finishes yachting caps.

Boom, he leaves her for a
smooth-fingered Yankee Doodle...

that he met at law school.

Four months later,
Hannah "took the gas,"

a popular expression
at that time...

for putting your
head in an oven.

Poor Ella Mae or yin',

me hearin' my new
mouth say, "Good-bye."

She was near 70 then,

but when my mind moves to her,

she's fresh-peach prime.

Ella Mae, best wife I ever had.

September, a month
before she took the gas,

I see Hannah in the
Grand Street Library.

I'm at the main table with
the Free Voice of Labor.

I look up. There's
Hannah Pearlman.

She's got her head buried in a
grammar book for a 10-year-old.

She looks up. She
knows me. She smiles.

My heart goes
directly... into my ears.

Bang, bang, bang. I'm deaf.

I don't speak.

I'm in the house of
words, and I can't speak.

I didn't speak.

I didn't speak!

There's dope that
makes ya laugh,

and dope that makes ya cry.

I think this here's
cryin' dope. Stop it!

Stop nostalgia! I hate it.

The dread disease of old people.

It kills more of us
than heart failure.

When was the last time
you made love to a woman?

Listen to him. More nostalgia.

My poor shmeckle.
Talk of nostalgia.

It comes up once a
year, like Groundhog Day.

Last time was July 10, 1981.

- Was your wife still alive?
- I certainly hope so.

You see, the last time for
me, I-I-I was bein' unfaithful.

Goddamn my fickle soul.

Cheated on 'em all.

Daisy. I was 76.

Still had somethin' on
the side, somethin' new.

Carter, this is the most courageous
thing I ever heard about you.

No courage to it. It's a curse.

No, you were right.
You dared, and you did.

I yearned and
regretted. I envy you.

You were always what I have Just
recently become. A dirty old man.

Romanticist.

A man of hope.

You listen to me. I was
dead once, so I know things.

It's not the sex.
It's the romance.

Now finally I know this.

Shmeckle is out of business,
still the romance remains.

The adventure, that's
all there ever was.

The body came
along for the ride.

Do you understand me, Carter?

I'm thinkin' about it.

Because, frankly,

right now I'm in love
with this girl over here.

Well.

Got to admit, so am I.

Son of a gun.

First time I ever been in
love with a white woman.

The first time?
Why the first time?

Just happened that way.

All the others were
black? The rest were black?

Listen, you ran around
with a wild commie crowd.

Where I come from,
you're stuck with your own.

Being a black man, I... What?

A black man. What?

A black man.

Wait a minute. Stop. Excuse me.

My God, you're right.

You are a black man.

You devil. You
thought that I was...

You devil!

I am, by God!

My God, you are a black man!

Stop, stop!

By God, you are a black man!

Oh, stop!

I am going to die... right here!

I'm gonna drop dead right here.

Wait a minute, Carter.
Hold it. Wait a minute.

Is it... Is it this funny?

Definitely, this is funny!

This is absolutely funny!

I can't tell you!

How do you like this?

One joint. Look at him.

♪ I'm Alabamy bound ♪

♪ There'll be no
heebie-jeebies hangin' 'round ♪

♪ Just give the meanest
ticket man on earth ♪

♪ All I'm worth ♪

♪ To put my tootsies
in an upper berth ♪

♪ You hear that choo-choo sound ♪
♪ Woo-woo ♪

♪ I know that soon I'm gonna
cover ground ♪ Oh, yeah!

♪ And then I'll holler
so the world will know ♪

♪ Here I go ♪

♪ I'm Alabamy bound ♪

♪ Just hear that choo-choo sound ♪
♪ Woo-woo ♪

♪ I know that soon I'm
gonna cover ground ♪

♪ And then I'll holler so the
world will know here I go ♪

♪ Woo-woo ♪
♪ So the world will know ♪

♪ Here I go ♪

♪ So the world will know ♪

♪ Here I go ♪

,

♪ We're Alabamy bound ♪♪

Yea!

I think that woman
is crazy about us.

Of course. Got
anymore of that dope?

Now, listen, Carter, we're gonna
do the "Willy Howard routine."

Now, you are the straight man,
Carter, and I'm Willy Howard.

Whatever I say, you say, "I'm
not Rappaport". You got that?

Yeah, I got it. Yeah. Okay.

Stand there.

Now picture we just
met. I'm not Rappaport.

No, no, not yet. Not yet.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Okay?

Hello, Rappaport.

I'm not Rappaport.

Rappaport, what happened to
you? You used to be a short, fat guy.

Now, you're a tall, skinny
guy. I'm not Rappaport.

Rappaport, you used to be a young guy with
a beard. Now you're old with a moustache.

What happened to
you? I'm not Rappaport.

Rappaport, what happened to
you? You used to dress up nice.

Now you got old, dirty
clothes. I am not Rappaport.

And you changed your name too!

And you changed
your name too. Lord.

You changed your
name too. Boy, that's a...

There you are, Carter.

Carter! Oh, shit, he's here.

Couldn't find you.

Ah, excellent. He's here.

I gotta shape up. Look, are
you my friend, baby? Of course.

Then, friend, sit over there.

And don't open your mouth.
Not a word, mister. Please.

You call me when you need
me? Soon as I need you. Please.

Okay. Over there. Over there.

Okay.

Remember, I'm ready.

I know that.

Beautiful day like today, you
must've lost track. Hey, man.

I don't think we've ever been
formally introduced. I'm Pete Danforth.

Hi, Pete. They call
me Midge. Hi, Midge.

Glad we decided to meet in the park. It's a
chance for me to stay outside after my run.

The truth is, I hate running.
Being immortal takes too much time.

"Midge" for midget.

Third wife give me that name.

Near three-quarter inches taller
than me so she called me "Midge."

Name stuck with me 50 years.

I tell you one thing, it is good to be
reminded what a great park this is.

It's a goddamn oasis in
the middle of the jungle.

Next two wives was normal-size
women. Don't make much sense.

Still stuck with the
name of "Midge."

I mean, look at this
wonderful... house...

full of old boats.

What do they call this place,
Midge? They call it the old boathouse.

Damn right.

♪♪

Dad?

Dad?

Those were the
days, weren't they?

I mean, look aft this. And
this place. And the lake.

I mean, even in the rain I
just... I just love this park.

And luckily... luckily my teaching schedule
gives me two free afternoons a semester.

A chance to really use
the park. It's been years.

Oh, I teach Communication Arts
over at the Manhattan Institute on 60th.

There's no air in the place.

What kind of arts?
Ah, communication.

Communication of all kinds...
Personal, interpersonal and public.

You teach talkin'?
More or less, yes.

So you must know we about at the
end of the chitchat section now, right?

Right. Right.

The problem that we've
got here... Here, have a seat.

Uh, the problem we've got here
hadn't come to my attention sooner...

simply because you, personally,
hadn't come to my attention.

Frankly, I've been living there for
three years. I've never run into you.

Mostly down in the boiler
room. Don't get many drop-ins.

Of course. Keep movin', boy.

You're on a roll now. Yes, well.

Um, as you know, 321 is
going co-op in November.

We'll be closing on
that in November.

We've got Brachman and Rader as our managing
agent. I think they're doing an excellent job.

And as president of the tenants'
committee, I'm pretty much dependent...

Well, the whole committee
is really... on their advice.

We've basically got to place our faith in
the recommendations of the managing agency.

And they're recommending
you dump me?

Midge, we've got some real problems about
your remaining with the building staff.

Ain't that the same
as dumpin' me?

Well, it's not for eight
weeks. It's not till November.

But, yes, we will
have to let you go.

Now, there are various benefits.
There's the union pension plan.

There's six weeks'
severance pay.

Now that's a check for six
weeks' salary the day you go.

That's... Midge, I'm sorry.

God, I hate this. I...

How 'bout I hate it first,
then you get your turn?

Time, Midge.

Time is the only
villain here. Man.

Man, we're all fighting it.

Jesus. Have you seen
me run? It's a joke.

I can't do the things I
did a few years ago either.

Hey, don't sweat it, son.

You see, Brachman and Rader,
all due respects, full of shit.

The fact is, you need me. You got
an old Erie City boiler down there.

Things about that weird machine no
living man knows except Midge Carter.

Take me till Christmas. Christmas, yeah.
Train a new man how to handle that devil.

Midge, we're
replacing the Erie City.

We're installing a fully
automatic Rockmill 500.

It requires no maintenance.

You see, the Rockmill is just one of many
steps in an extensive modernization plan...

Well, now you're gonna need me.

Pipes and wires, and 40 years of
temporary stuff. That's what you got there.

With no blueprint to show you
where it is. And I got it all in my head.

I know what's behind every wall,
every stretch of tar. So, here's the deal.

My place in the basement, I
stay on there for free like I been.

You get all my consulting free,
no salary. Beauty deal for you.

Midge, your unit in the basement is being placed
on the co-op market as a garden apartment.

Please understand, we've had a highly
qualified team of building engineers...

Forget it! They've
done this survey.

I'm not interested in the job, no
other job. I'm withdrawing my offer.

- No, Midge, please listen.
- All this time I've been living in a garden apartment.

Wish I'd have known sooner. I'd
have had a whole lot of more parties.

I'm sorry. The problem is...

The problem is you giving me "bad guy news"
trying to look like a good guy doing it.

You're right. You're right,
Midge. You're dead right.

I have handled this whole thing
badly... just stupidly, stupidly.

Oh, I'm sorry, this... this
whole thi... Oh, this is terrible.

Don't worry about it,
Pete. You'll get through it.

No, no, Midge, wait, please.

I'm gonna get you... 10 weeks'
severance, Midge. Forget six.

A check for 10 weeks' salary the day you
go. I'm gonna hand it to you personally.

And if that committee doesn't like
it, well then, just... to hell with them.

I'm just gonna shove it
through. It's the least I can do.

Ten weeks' severance, Midge. Now how does that
sound to you? Well, better than six, I guess.

- Wait, wait...
- It's a promise, Midge. Gonna shove it down their throats.

I'm sure I'm gonna have no trouble
with that committee. Unacceptable!

We find that unacceptable.

Mr. Danforth. Mr. Danforth,
I'll speak frankly.

You are in a lot of trouble, sir. Ben
Reissman; Reissman, Rothman, Rifkin and Grady.

Forgive me for not
announcing myself sooner,

but I couldn't resist
listening to you bury yourself.

My firm represents Mr. Carter
over there, but more to the point.

We act as legal advisers to the
HURTSFOE unit of Mr. Carter's union.

HURTSFOE... I refer to the
Human Rights Strike Force,

who, I'm sorry to tell you, you'll be
hearing a lot from in the next few weeks.

Personally, I think their
methods are a bit too extreme,

but I report and advise.

That's all I can do. The ball
is rolling here, Mr. Danforth.

Go away.

Mr. Carter keeps
telling us to go away,

but as he knows we are an
automatic function of his union...

for the protection of all
members. I have no choice.

The man wants to give me
10 weeks' severance. A joke!

The man is a jokester.

Look, Reissman...
Yes, speak to me.

I'm not sure I understand the
situation. Of course not. How could you?

Here, sit down. I'll explain
it to you. I'll educate you.

Sit down. The
situation is simple.

We don't accept 10 weeks' severance.
We don't accept 20 weeks' severance.

What we accept is that you retain
Mr. Carter in the capacity of adviser...

during your reconstruction period,
which I assume will take a year, maybe two,

at which point, we'll talk
further. I don't know this man.

I don't know him.

Of course not. Mr. Carter is more
familiar with Riftkin and Grady,

the gentler
gentlemen of our firm.

It was thought best to bring
the "Cobra" in on this one.

It's an affectionate term for me
at the office. Look, Reissman.

Yes, speak to me. I don't
know what your game is, fella,

and I don't know your organization, but I
do know Local 32 of the Service Employ...

And do they know that you
are planning to fire Mr. Carter?

Not yet, but...

And do you know that there is no mandatory
retirement age in Mr. Carter's union?

Do you know further that
this gives Mr. Carter the right...

to call an arbitration hearing where
he can defend his competence?

And that you have to get a minimum
of four tenants to testify against him?

Find them. I would love
to see this, Mr. Danforth.

Four tenants who
wanna be responsible...

Publicly responsible
for putting this old man...

out of his home and
profession of 42 years.

A man who was voted
"Super Of The Year"...

by the New York Post in 1968.

A man who fought
in World War Ill.

A man who served with the now
legendary Black Battalion of Bastogne...

during the Battle of the Bulge.

And are you aware that for as long
as you insist on pursuing this matter,

for as long as this hearing lasts, that
you can make no contract with Local 327

And that without a union contract,
there can be no co-op sales...

No building corporation!

Time, my friend, will
be your villain now!

I'm talking months, cookie.

I'm talking litigation, appeals,

the full weight and guile...

of Rothman, Rifkin,
Grady and the Cobra.

I'm... Speak to me.

I'm, frankly, a
little thrown by this.

I knew about the right
to arbitration, Midge.

I never thought you'd want to put
yourself through something... He wants!

Meanwhile, HURTSFOE goes
after you tomorrow anyway.

- They'll make an example of you. You're perfect for them!
- What have I done?

Sir, you have hit every human
rights' nerve there is. I'm talking old.

I'm talking black. I'm talking
racial imbalance. Racial imbalance?

The man was walking into walls
for God's sake. He's an easy 80.

There is nothing, sir, I
promise you, easy about 80.

Damn it, why am I
bothering to warn you?

You'll see it all tomorrow. Time
to let HURTSFOE out of its cage.

I find it hard to believe I
would be held responsible...

You will believe tomorrow when you
see those pickets in front of your school!

What's the name of that
place? The Manhattan Institute.

Then those demonstrators in
front of your apartment building,

the name Danforth will
become an adjective, sir.

A new word for the persecution of the
old and disabled, the black and the blind.

Now, wait a minute!
Do it, Danforth! Do it!

Fire him! It's your
one shot at immortality.

Yes, I'm sorry, Carter. I wanna
see HURTSFOE in action again.

Those crazy wildcats.
Those mad, inspired men.

I wanna hear those
words alive again and pure:

"Strike for humane existence.
Strike for universal justice.

- "Strike! Strike! Strike! Strike!"
- Strike!

"Strike! Strike..."
Hold on. Wait a minute!

Now this whole goddamn mess
has just gotten out of hand here!

Now, look, Reissman,

believe me, this was never
my own personal thing.

I represent a committee...

I'm sorry. The spotlight
falls on you because it must,

because you are so
extraordinarily ordinary,

because there are
so many of you now.

You collect old furniture, old cars, old
pictures, everything old but old people.

Bad souvenirs,
they talk too much.

Even quiet, they
tell you too much.

They look like the future,
and you don't wanna know.

Hey, mister, don't you know...

one day you too will
join this weird tribe?

Yes, Mr. Chairman,
you will get old.

And if you're frightened
now, you'll be terrified then.

The problem is not that life
is short, but that it's very long.

So you better have a policy.

Here, look at us.

Here we are. We're
the coming attractions.

And if you're afraid of
it, you'll be afraid of us.

You'll wanna hide us or make us
hide from you. You're dangerous.

Don't you understand?

The old people, they're the
survivors. They know something.

They haven't just stayed
late to ruin your party.

What you'd like is for Carter to be
nice and cute and quiet and go away.

But he won't do
that. I won't let him.

Tell him he's slow
or stupid, okay.

But tell him he's
unnecessary, and that's a sin!

That is a sin against life!

That is abortion
at the other end!

Ben, I'm glad you shared these
thoughts with me. I'd never really...

I'm through
communicating with you.

Carter, I'm communicating
only with you now.

What shall we do with
him? I leave it up to you.

I think we ought
to give him a break.

Ben, I-I-I'm sure I can persuade the members
of the committee to reevaluate Midge's...

Are you saying you don't care
what happens to the cause?

You just wanna keep your job,
Midge, and forget the cause?

Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
Keep the job, forget the cause.

Guys, I think it's essential
that we avoid any extreme...

Are you asking the
Cobra not to strike?

Don't want the
Cobra to strike, no.

Mr. Danforth, my client has
instructed me to save your ass.

Quickly, the bomb is ticking.

Jog home to your phone now.
Call the members of your committee.

Don't persuade. Don't
explain. Just announce.

Tell them there's a
job for Mr. Carter...

Guide, counselor,
superintendent emeritus...

That has a nice sound to it.

Meanwhile, speak to no one. Your
union, your managing agent, no one.

HURTSFOE gets wind of
this, we're all in trouble. Here.

When you're finished,
call that number...

before 10:00 tomorrow if
you wanna stop HURTSFOE.

Park East Real Estate? Yes. Yes.
That's HURTSFOE's advisory group.

Speak only to the lady on
the card, Mrs. Clara Gelber.

Tell her to reach Bartley at
the HURTSFOE office. Bartley.

Bartley will know what to
do. Good-bye and good luck.

Midge, Ben,

I just want you to know that...

this has been a very important
conversation for me for many reasons.

A lot of primary thoughts.
Excellent. Good-bye.

An important exchange of ideas. A sudden
awareness of certain generational values...

I warn you, sir, one more word
and I will make a citizen's arrest...

for crimes against the language.

Go now! It's true. I sometimes
just don't know how to talk...

Go!

Go to the phone! Let me
see those sneakers, Flash.

♪♪

Never.

We ain't never
gettin' away with this.

Truth is I always did wanna be a lawyer,
but years ago there was so many choices.

Black Battalion of Bastogne?

We ain't never getting away with
this. They're gonna catch on to us.

It's only a matter of time before they find
out you ain't no lawyer, ain't no HURTSFOE.

You're better off than you were 20
minutes ago? You still got your job?

What's wrong with you? Why
aren't you awed by this triumph?

Was playin' that boy just right
before you opened your mouth.

Even had him goin' for extra
severance. He catch on now, I lose it all.

What did I do to
deserve you, Reissman?

Reissman is the name of my surgeon.
They trained his hands to take my wallet.

Hernando, then,
okay? I'm not him either.

Then who the hell are you? If you
ain't Hernando, Reissman, Rappaport...

Just now I was Ben Gold.
I was Ben Gold for a while.

You use who you need for the
occasion. What are you doing?

Oh. Oh. I'm late
for an appointment.

- What?
- I got special transportation home.

I got to get going.

Uh, I happen to be
free to accompany you.

No. No! You leave me alone/

This is personal.
Extra personal.

Personal, right.

Okay. See ya
tomorrow at our spot.

!/ mean your spot.

Make further plans!

♪♪

♪♪

♪

Oh, muchachos. How is
my little cavemens today?

You down with that,
boys, huh? Good.

Oye, viejo, you're late today!

Got the other old
mens waiting, you know.

Various location. Evil in
the park, devil in the dark.

It's not nice to keep the
viejos waiting. Eh, cabron?

Who's this?

The gentleman, who?

Huh?

Disgraceful, Carter.

Dostoyevski in his wildest
dreams couldn't figure out...

Get away! A scenario like this.

I must talk to our punk
here. Not our punk, my punk.

You run your mouth on this kid,
he finish you and finish me too.

Leave him go. Hey,
where you live, mister?

First, I'll tell you
where I work.

I work at the 19th Precinct.

Danforth. Captain
Dan... Danforth.

Where you live?
Special Projects.

I live nearby, but
that's... Where you live?

Uh, I'm not far from here. I'll walk
you home, you know. I'll protect you.

From who? Mostly
me. Cost you three is all.

I don't need any help. Cost
you four. Just went up to four.

Now, I used to
walk home only him.

Then I see this lady in the park
here. A dog walker, you know.

She got five, six dogs at
a time. Give me an idea.

Now I got six... waiting various
location. You make seven.

It's a wonderful idea, right?

Wonderful idea,
right? [ Groaning I

Right, right. Right. Right.

Okay, boys, we got
gentlemen waiting.

Convoy movin' out.
Heading to the crib, viejos.

Hey, I meant both my
boys. Hey, Captain, sir.

Ain't you gonna
come join the pack?

Okay. Nice and slow.
Heading to the crib, viejos.

Come on.

Mister, please.

Move, mister!

Stop! Somos compradres.
Somos iguales.

I know you. I know
you 'cause I am you.

Sixty five years ago I was you.

Italian kids, Irish kids,
Russian... We all stole.

Always the city lives by Darwin.
Everybody's on somebody's menu.

Trouble is you got the wrong supper here,
kid. You're noshing on your own down here.

The trouble's at the top...

The fat cats, the big boys,

the string-pullers, the top.

We're down here with you, kid.

We stick together or we're
finished! It's the only chance we got.

Five. Just went up to five.

Your boca just cost you a buck.
Okay, that's five in advance, you know.

No, we mustn't do this.

I have here $22. I'd be very
happy to share it with you.

Very gladly share it with you,
but not like this, not us. Great.

Gimme the 22. The mouth, I'm
telling you, is costing you, you know.

I'm very disappointed.

Give it to him!

No! I have limited
funds. I can't do this.

Hey, mister, please.
Give it to him!

No knives. No,
no. Not between us.

Not between us!

Better school your
friend to the rule, cabron!

Why you don't listen, old man?

I told you you're gonna get your
ass kicked. Why you don't listen?

Mister?

Hey, come on.

Hey, mister?

Come on now. Wake up.

Wake up, mister.

Help!

Help! Over here!

Help!

Look what we got here!

Help! Help!

Look what we got here! Help!

Somebody! Anybody, help!

Look what we got here!

He-elp!

He-elp!

Look what we got here!

Help!

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪ When you're blue and you
don't know where to go to ♪

♪ Why don't you go
where fashion sits ♪

♪ Putin' on the ritz ♪

♪ Dressed up like a
million-dollar trouper ♪

♪ Tryin' mighty hard to
sound like Gary Cooper ♪

♪ Super duper ♪

♪ Puttin' on the ritz ♪

♪♪

♪ Putin' on the ritz ♪

♪♪

♪ Puttin' on the ritz ♪♪

Well, we got our
punk on the run now.

We got him where
we want him now.

Bing! On the arm!
I got him! Boom.

Boom, boom, boom!

Tell me something, Rocky.
You gonna sit here on this bench?

'Cause if you are, I gotta
move to another spot.

I'm sure you were just about
to inquire about my health.

Only a slight sprain.

No breaks. No dislocations.

I have a gift for falling
down. I'm an expert at it.

You moving, or am I
moving? Answer me.

I guarantee you he will
not return today. Okay.

He's lookin' for the easy money. He doesn't
want any trouble. Okay, I am leavin'.

Carter, wait. Wait a minute. I
can't see your face too good,

but what I can see got
"cemetery" written all over it.

So long for good, baby. Listen, a
friendship like ours is a very rare thing.

Ain't no friendship.

Never been no friendship. I don't
even know your goddamn name.

Yesterday you helped
a fallen comrade.

You was out cold, mister. I
waited for the ambulance to come.

Done my duty like I
would for any lame dog.

Said to myself, "That ain't
gonna be me lying there."

Look. You see this item?

That boy run off
and left his weapon.

Now he's coming back here today to get it for
sure, and I come here to give it back to him.

Stay on that boy's
good side. Okay.

Now, I'm waiting over here...

so he see that you and me is no longer
associated, which we ain't, got that?

So, the cossack
leaves his sword,

and you return it. You bet.

You've had a taste of revolution and you
will not be able to return to subjugation...

to living in an
occupied country.

Just watch me, Captain.

No, you must not pay this punk for
your existence to live in your own land!

Nap time. Surrender to the
oppressors and you are no one!

Aaah!

Hello? Sure, sleep. Sleep
like any bum in the park.

- Excuse me.
- A napper. A napper and a groveler!

Excuse me! I hate to interrupt you
when you're driving somebody crazy.

Why do I waste my time with you?

My God, what
happened? It's all right.

Are you all right? Yes, fine,
perfect. Thank you. Don't worry.

Stitches this time.
No, a scratch.

Dad, your hip! Sprain.

Another fight, right? You got
into another fight, didn't you?

A young boy of Latin origin,
victim of society... Mugger.

You fought with a mugger. Of course.
Of course. It was the next step. My God.

We were talking. We
reached an impasse.

That's it! No more! I can't
let this happen anymore.

I let it go. I've been irresponsible.
You have to be watched.

Stop this. You're frightening
me. Oh, I'm frightening you?

I live in terror the phone will
ring... the police, the hospital.

My God, it was quiet for a
month, but I should have known.

Yesterday the supermarket, this
morning this guy Danforth calls me.

You're on the loose
again. He called.

Oh, he called all right. "Tell HURTSFOE
that the Carter matter is settled.

I reached the committee.
Reissman said to call."

Jesus! HURTSFOE again.

HURTSFOE's on the march
again. I take it you're Reissman.

That was yesterday.
And tomorrow who?

And tomorrow what?
More stitches? No, that's it.

You covered, didn't you? And
now no more. Last con. Over.

There's gotta be a
new arrangement, Dad.

Searched this damn
park for two hours.

What happened? You're not giving
speeches at Bethesda Fountain anymore?

What for? So you can find me there,
shut me up, embarrass me? You!

You're embarrassed? Yesterday, I
come back to my office after lunch,

they tell me my parole
officer was looking for me.

Necessary retaliation. It's important
for you to know what it feels like...

to be watched, pursued, guarded.

You coming to the fountain once a week
to stop me from talking, that's not so bad.

It's the test questions. "You
remember what you did yesterday, Dad?

What'd you have for
lunch today, Dad "?"

One wrong answer, you wrap me in
a deck chair and mail me to Florida.

Two mistakes, you put me
in a home for the forgettable.

My greatest fear is that one
morning soon I will wake up silly.

The time will take my brain. You will
take me, put me in a place, a home.

Worse than that, your house...
Siberia in Great Neck. Dad.

I don't answer the door
when you come, that's why.

I look through the hole in the
door and I wait for you to go away.

You don't understand. I care.

Someone has to
watch out for you!

Jack doesn't care or Ben or Carol.
They don't even speak to you anymore.

Good. God bless them.

Lovely children.
Lovely, distant children.

This isn't fair. I
don't deserve this.

Care? Care for what? The passions
are gone. The ideals have evaporated.

Stop. I remember
when you believed...

that the world did not
belong 10 the highest bidder.

The old song, stop. That, of course,
was before Park East Real Estate.

Before you gave up Marx and
Lenin for Bergdorf and Goodman.

Jesus. At least get a new set of
words. Will you look at yourself?

Queen of the condominiums.
Betrayer of your namesake.

You gave me the
name. I had no choice.

Clara Lemlich, who stood for
something and stood up for it!

Ah, you're rollin'
now. Cooper Union,

November 1909.

You're only five. I'm only five.

The shirtwaist makers are there.

She asks for a strike.
All cry, "Second!"

Chairman Feigenbaum
demands the Hebrew oath.

Three thousand hands are raised.

"If I turn traitor to the
cause I now pledge...

may this hand wither
from the arm I raise."

Silence in the hall.

- And Feigenbaum shouts...
- And Feigenbaum shouts,

"A general strike
has been called!"

♪♪

Thirty-five years, six
months and two days later...

the fate of the Reich is sealed.

Hitler's mad dream ends,

and the next morning
you are born...

with a triumphant scream
at Kings County Hospital.

I say to your mother, "Ethel",

sounds to me like Clara Lemlich.

That is the name...

and that is the passion
you were born with.

And only a few years later you've
turned into my own personal K.G.B.

Go to hell! I can't.
You'll follow me.

Clara. Clara! It's not
a name. It's a curse!

The cause. The goddamn cause!

Everyone else got a two-wheeler when they
turned 10. I got Das Kapital in paperback.

Fights at school.
Kids avoiding me.

No one on the block to play
with. No one. Alone again.

This isn't fair. Later on you believed
in your own things and I loved you for it.

You quit the Party,
I respected you.

Civil rights, anti-war, you spoke,
you marched, you demonstrated.

Arrested twice. That was you.
Nobody made you do it. You loved it.

Yes, I loved it. You changed.

I just noticed that
the world didn't.

Ahh. First it was me, then it was the
world. At least you know who to blame.

Ten years, what have you
done? What have I done?

I got married, had two
children and lived a life.

I got smarter and fought in battles I
figured I could win. That's what I've done.

Lovely.

And now, at last, everybody on
the block plays with you, don't they?

My enemies, I don't forget. I cherish
them like my friends, so I know what to do.

And what's that? What
the hell do you do?

Lead raids on lamb
chops at Gristedes.

Oh, God, it's all so easy
for you, I almost envy you.

You always know what side to
be on because you fight old wars.

Old, old wars.

The battle is over,
comrade, didn't you notice?

Nothing happened.
Nothing changed.

Even the Russians gave up. You're
the only one left, Dad. And the masses.

Have you checked out your beloved masses
lately? They still don't give a crap.

Are you listening? Are you
listening to me? I'm listening.

Not much has changed. So
what? Don't you think I know this?

The proper response to the outrages
is still to be outraged. To be outraged!

Forgive me, Father. I'm not
on the barricades anymore.

I haven't been imprisoned for
10 years! I'm obviously worthless.

If you were talking to me in jail
right now, you'd be overjoyed!

Not overjoyed. Pleased, maybe.

Why the hell am I laughing?

Hello, Rappaport.

I can't do that right now.

Hello, Rappaport.
Dad, we have to...

Hello, Rappaport. Dad, we...

Hello. Rappaport.

I'm not Rappaport.

Rappaport, you used
to be a tall, skinny girl.

Now you're a short, fat girl.
What happened to you, Rappaport?

I'm not Rappaport. Rappaport.

You used to be a short,
fat girl with a moustache.

Now you're a tall, skinny girl with
a beard. What happened to you?

I'm not Rappaport.

And you changed your name too?

[ Nat I Look aft this.

A whole new generation
loves this joke.

Pop, I have to do
something about you.

Pop... No, you don't.

- At least I'm "Pop" again. Who was "Dad"?
- You'll get killed.

The next time, you'll get
killed. I dream about it.

- In general, you need better dreams.
- I want you off the street.

I want you out of the park. I
want you safe. I'm determined.

I have an appointment.

Okay. We have three
possibilities, three solutions.

You'll have to
accept one of 'em.

First: There's living
with me in Great Neck.

You'll have your
own room... Rejected!

Second: Ricky found
a place, not far from us,

Maple Hills Senior Residence.

I checked it out.
It's the best of them.

Really attractive grounds, Pop.
This open, sunny recreation area...

Rejected.

Okay. Okay. We have
one more possibility.

I'm not crazy about it, but
I'm willing to try it for a month.

You leave yourself available to visits by
me or some member of the family once a week.

You don't wander the streets.
You don't hang out in the park.

You go every
afternoon to this place:

Big Apple Senior Center.

I was there this morning,
Pop. This is a great place.

Hot lunch at noon, a
full afternoon of activities.

"At 1:00, Dr. Gerald Spritzer
will offer a slide presentation;

"informative program
on home health services.

"Refreshments will be served. 200,
beginner's bridge with Rose Hagler.

315, arts and crafts corner
supervised by Ginger Freedman."

All right, let's see now.
We got three possibilities.

We got, uh, exile in Great Neck,

Devil's Island...

and kindergarten.

All rejected. And now if you'll
excuse me, I'm a very busy person.

All right, here it is. I'm
taking legal action, Pop.

I'm going to court.

I saw a lawyer a month ago after
the D'Agostino uprising. I'm prepared.

Article 78 of the
Mental Hygiene Law,

Judicial Declaration
of Incompetency.

According to the lawyer, I have
more than enough evidence to prove...

that you are both mentally and physically
incapable of managing yourself or your affairs.

I look at that gash...

You can hardly see.

And with that walker,
you're a sitting duck.

I don't want you hurt.
I don't want you dead.

Please don't force
me to go to court.

If you fight me, you'll lose.

If you run away, I'll find you.

I'm prepared to let
you hate me for this.

- You're not kiddin'.
- I'm not.

♪♪

Clara, I've got
something to tell you.

I put it in my papers, a
letter for you when I died,

so you would've known then.

Your mother and I was not the liveliest
association, but there was a great fondness.

Whatever I tell you
now, you must know that.

August, 1939, the day
of the Hitler/Stalin pact,

a passionate gathering at
the Young Workers' Club.

I meet Ethel, your mother.

Soon, my heart is
hers. We're married.

Five years later you're born. Then during
the next 10 years those other people.

Everything's fine. All is well.

Then... October, 1956...

October the 3rd.

Tell me. What is it?

I met a girl. I fell in love.

It happens, Pop.
You're only human...

I mean, I fell in love, Clara, for the
first and only time in my life. Boom.

What happened?
Where did you meet her?

It was the Grand Street Library,
second floor reading room.

I'm at the main
table. I look up.

I see this lovely girl,
Hannah... Hannah Pearlman.

She's reading a grammar book.
She looks up. She smiles at me.

I can't speak.

She goes back to her
book. She has a sad look.

Someone alone. I see
a girl, troubled, lonely.

I can't speak.

Pretty soon she rises to leave.

Someone should speak to her.

I speak.

I speak,

and for hours my words come out,

and for hours and days after that
in her little room on Ludlow Street.

It was the most perfect time.
She tells me I've saved her life.

I saved her from
killing herself.

Just in time. Just in
time. She didn't die, Clara.

She did not die.

Well, I'm married to Ethel.
Nothing can come of it.

Four months, it's over.
She goes to live in Israel.

Six months later, a
letter. There's a child.

My God.

A girl.

Then every year or
two after that, a letter.

Time goes by. I think often of
Ludlow Street and the library.

And then silence.
No more letters.

Never another one.

Three months ago I get a
message at the Socialist Club...

"Sergeant Pearlman
will be here at 5:00."

5:00, Sergeant
Pearlman at the door.

It's a girl. In Israel,

women, everybody, gotta
serve in the army for two years.

Well, Sergeant Pearlman...

Yes?

Sergeant Pearlman
is my daughter.

Her face like her mother's.

A fine, fine face, like a
painting. She herself is an artist.

She's come to this country to go to
the Art Students' League and to find me.

Well, the point is, Clara, that she's
decided to live with me, to take care of me.

That's why I'm telling
you all this so you'll know.

In December, we...
We're going to Israel.

This is where I
will end my days.

So you see, Clara, you
have nothing to worry about.

This is...

This is a lot for me
to take in all at once.

A lot of information.

It's not easy, but it's
better you know now.

I wanna meet her. You shall.

When? Two days, Friday,
at the Socialist Club.

In the dining room. Friday.

Lunchtime. I'll
bring sandwiches.

Good.

She'll take care of
you. That's the point.

Israel.

Clara, don't be
upset. It's for the best.

Well... at last you got a
daughter who's a soldier.

Sit down. Where're you goin'?

My train, you know,
"The Siberian Express."

They run every half an hour. Sit down
a minute. I gotta go. See you Friday.

Talk to me. Wait a
minute. Wait a minute/

Hey, Rappaport! Hello, Rappaport.
You used to be a tall, skinny guy!

Now you're a short, fat guy!

Hey, Rappaport!
Hello, Rappaport!

♪♪

Hello, Rappaport.

I'm not Rappaport.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

You made it up.

You made it all up.

Of course.

Conned your own
kid. Go back to sleep.

That's a sin/ I did it
to save a life: mine.

You're not a nice guy. I'm ashamed
I even sung a song with you!

You don't understand Nursing
homes were dancing in her head.

Desperate measures
were required.

You! You would go
toddling off to Maple Hills.

I wouldn't hustle my
own child to save my ass!

Well, I don't know her anymore.
She's become unfamiliar.

You won't get away
with it. Come Friday...

Come Friday, I'll be in Jersey
City, in Hong Kong, in Seattle.

Seattle! Shit, man, you
can't even get downtown.

Well, I'll be gone somewhere. When
she comes to the club, I'll be gone.

And what... what will she do? Sit there
waiting for you thinking you're dead?

What kind of a man are you?

Smart talk, fancy notions...

You don't give a damn!

♪♪A letter. I'll leave a
letter for her at the club.

I'll write her a letter explaining
the necessity... Uh-oh.

♪♪

There he is. The boy's back.
Come to get his knife like I told you.

Good-bye, baby.
Movin' on out now.

Not J.C. Too big for J.C.

Mornin', ma'am.

You got that little
house just right.

That's a fine piece of
work, 1'd say. It's thicker.

Ma'am? The
accent... it's thicker.

It's still the weirdest damn sound
I ever heard out of a Jersey boy.

Pure accident of
birth, Miss Laurie.

My soul's in Montana,
where the air is better.

How'd you find me?

Natural born hunter,
ma'am, especially rabbits.

See, the thing is, Cowboy,
I was just gonna call.

I been lookin' for
you, Miss Laurie.

A week, two at the most. I
swear, you would've heard from...

Hold it now! Hold it now!

Hold it! Hold it!
Bad business here.

Bad. Now, of course, if
our money's on its way to us,

then, please, ignore our
slaps, won't you, ma'am?

Trusted you, gal. I believed
in ya. Treated ya special.

Fronted you 2,000...
Everybody know'd it...

2,000 for goods worth
six, and bye-bye, Laurie.

Damn town.

Damn town.

No friends in this damn town.

Just folks doin' ya, folks snortin'
up their honor left and right.

Why? Why'd I ever
come to this city?

What has happened to this city?

Ain't no rules left, no code.

Nothin' left for
a fella to live by.

The city's full of
dirty little rabbits.

Park's full of junkies...

Unreliable,
dishonorable junkies.

You got to take me serious.

You don't take me serious, I don't
get my money, you don't get older.

My cash, tomorrow
night, 10:00, the ranch.

I need more time. That's
not enough time. I can't...

Hold it! Hold it!

You mustn't say
"can't," Miss Laurie.

Don't say that. You're
the little engine that can.

I believe in you.

We just had a
misunderstanding, that's all.

I thought you was honest, and
you thought I was the Avon lady.

We got that
straightened out, right?

Yes.

Good.

My cash, tomorrow night.

And don't you try and hide
from me, you little rabbit.

Don't do that. That
would be a mistake.

Damn town.

Damn town's turning
us all to shit, isn't it?

♪♪

♪♪

You all right, miss?

Great. Just great.

Fellas. How you doin', fellas?

Take that.

I'll get these for ya.

Goddamn! These is us?

These ls... These is us/

These are very
good, miss, very good.

That boy, is he a
dealer or a shark?

Dealer.

But he gave me credit.

Can you get the
money to pay him?

Uh-huh. Well, from what I heard,

you best get out of
town, miss, fast and far.

And I was just gettin' it together,
mister, you know, straightenin' out.

Riverdale rehab, they
got a really good program.

And art school, I started.

Art school. Out of
town, miss, fast and far.

Where would I go? How would
I live? I don't know where to go.

And he'll find me. Guys
like him always find you.

She's right.

Other measures are called for.

Tell me, miss, two
days from now, Friday.

What're you doing
for lunch on Friday?

Friday?

Looks like Friday
I'll be in the hospital.

Or dead, maybe.

Or dead.

No. No, you won't be in the
hospital, I promise you that.

And you will not die.

You will not die.

♪ Old Dan and I with
throats burnt dry ♪

♪ And souls that cry ♪

♪ For water ♪
♪ Water, water ♪

♪ Cool ♪
♪ Water ♪

♪ Clear ♪
♪ Water ♪

♪ Water ♪
♪ Water ♪

♪ Keep a movin', Dan
Don't you listen to him, Dan ♪

♪ He's a devil, not a man and
he spreads the burnin' sand ♪

♪ With water ♪

♪ Dan, can you see
that big green tree ♪

♪ Where the water's runnin' free ♪
Evenin', friend.

Just pull up to that cactus over
there. Leave the keys in the car.

Mosey off and rest
easy. I'm not here to park.

Uh-huh. I'm here for
some Cowboy's barbecue.

What you want, chicken
or beef? Chicken... please.

Slaw and fries? Just slaw.

♪ Cool water ♪

♪ Water ♪

♪ But with the dawn
I'll wake and yawn ♪

♪ And carry on ♪

♪ To water, water ♪♪
Howdy.

Yeah, I'll leave
the corral open.

You expecting company, Cowboy?

♪♪

Hey, Kamir, you want to
put this partition down for us?

Sorry.

Thank you. You're
welcome, Mr. Carter.

Time, please.

Ten to 10:00. Good.

Say my name
again. I got it. I got it.

Say the name. Donatto.

The whole name. Anthony Donatto.

Better known as?
Tony the Cane, okay?

Tony the Cane Donatto.
Good, okay. Your name?

Your name?

Kansas City Jack.

Missouri Jack! Missouri Jack!

You see, it's lucky I asked.

Kansas City Jack, Missouri Jack.
What the hell difference does it make?

He's not gonna ask me my name.

It could come up. In these
matters, details are important.

Details is the whole
game, believe me.

I ask you to look
at the record, sir.

J.C. did not return
yesterday, as I predicted.

He did not come back
today. Okay, so far...

And your job? Has anyone
over there mentioned firing you...

since I dealt with Danforth?

Make a left turn over here.

Of course.

A most curious place.

A most excellent circumstance.

We are in the vicinity
of a McDonald's cafe,

and I, being exceedingly
fond of McNuggets of chicken,

shall wait there
until I return for you.

It is my hope your meeting
produces an excellent result.

Oh, yes.

You should introduce
yourself to him. Use the name.

No, sir. No, sir!

Do what I said
I'd do, and that's it.

Don't even like to do that much.

Dicey deal here,
to say the least.

He comes here,
you go over to him.

You say, "Excuse me, sir.
My boss wants to see you."

You send him over to me,
and you're done, finished.

Yes, you bet.
That's it. I split.

Go home and hear
about it on the TV.

I still don't see why you
need me. Details, details!

Gives him the feeling I
have a staff, an organization.

It fills in the picture.
Details are crucial.

I know my business.
What time is it?

Never mind. He's here.

♪♪

Okay, now, Carter.

Carter, now!

I can't get the door
open. Yes, you can!

Get out of here!
Get out of here.

Excuse me. My boss
wants to see you.

Excuse me, mister. My
boss wants to see you.

Where'd you come from? That car.

My boss over there,
he wants to see you.

Your boss?

Uh, yeah. Uh, I'm on his staff.

He wants to see you.

Who the hell are you?

Me? Oh, I'm nobody.
I'm on his staff.

What do you want me
for? Who the hell are you?

I'm Missouri Jack.

Missouri Jack?

That sounds familiar.
Hey, did you...

No, no, no. You don't
know me. I'm nobody.

Nobody. Yeah,
definitely. Nobody at all.

But him, over there,
he's somebody,

and he wants to see you.

I'm busy. He's the boss.

Donatto. Tony Donatto.

Well, tell him to
come over here.

Hey, boss, he wants
you to come over here.

Well, okay, then.
Guess I'll be on my way.

Yeah, got to be getting
along. Nice meetin' ya.

Pleasure talkin' to ya.

Hey, Tom Mix!

You, Roy Rogers, over here!

What the hell you want?

I want not to shout. Come here.

Laurie Douglas, $2,000.

What?

You know the name, you
know the sum. Here, we talk.

What about Laurie Douglas?

Look, if that junkie bimbo
thinks that she can...

That junkie bimbo
ls my daughter!

Sit.

She got a father, huh?

I thought things like
her just accumulated.

Not that kind of father.
Another kind of father.

I have many
daughters, many sons.

In my family, there are
many children. I am Donatto.

I never heard of no Donatto.

Oh, on your level, probably not.

You new boys, you don't know.

I fill you in. My family,
we work out of Phoenix.

We take commands from
Nazzaro, Los Angeles.

Capetti, New Orleans.

Capetti, New Orleans.

Jack, Jack, he don't know...

He don't know
Capeftti, New Orleans.

Capetti will be
amused. I am not.

Capetti, many years
ago, he gives us our name.

I talk of the good
days now, the old days.

He calls us, me and
Jack, the travel agents.

This is because we arrange
for trips to the place of no return.

You understand? Come
on. Let's get to it, pal.

I got some bucks...
Please, please, don't do that.

This upsets me.

We will speak of your
problem now, the girl Laurie.

I am not pleased with her.

A two grand marker for drugs,
she brings shame on my family.

She says she is
slapped, threatened.

I am unhappy with this. It is
not for you to deal with her.

She is of my family.

Forget the girl.
You never met her.

Forget her, Cowboy, or you
yourself become a memory.

Are you tr yin' to tell me that
two old guys like you are going...

Of course not. We don't
touch people like you.

We have people who
touch people like you.

I pick up a phone,
you disappear.

I make a call, they
find you floating.

Yes, we are old
now, the travel agents.

Many years since
we did our own work.

1964, our last active year.

Jack, in '64, how
many floating, Jack?

He don't remember either.

I think if we count
Bazzini, it's 14.

Don't sound right, hoss. Somethin'
don't ring right in my ear here.

Don't you understand?

Me and Missouri, we fly here
personally last night from Phoenix...

to speak to you.

If you just come from Phoenix, what
was you doin' in the park yesterday?

What're you talkin' about?
And the day before that.

I seen you there
two days runnin'.

No, you mistaken.

Huh. Well, you had...

You had this with you yesterday.

I never saw that
before in my life.

I got an antenna that
picks up all channels, dad.

Helps me not to wake up dead.

All right. I advise you
to call your people.

Game's over. Stop it.

I'll call them now! Please, don't
continue. I'm gettin' depressed.

You're makin' a
serious... Come on! Stop it!

I hate bein' played
foolish. I just hate it!

First she cons me, and she
gets two old creeps to front for her.

I don't like it!

This city's gone rotten. Shills like
you, the Big Apple's just rottin' away.

It makes my heart
hurt. Makes me feel bad.

Who are you, man, huh?

What's the deal? Where's she at?

[, uh, a note was left with
my attorney this morning.

If I do not return by 11:00
tonight, they will send people here.

Here. Here's his
card right here.

You're out of aces, friend.
Where's she at? Where's she hidin'?

I am not at liberty
to divulge. I must...

You wanna get out?
Come on. Let's get out.

Come on. Come on.

Come on. Come on out.

Come on. Come on.

Come on.

I run a street business.

I'm lookin' bad. The girl's makin'
me look like shit on the street.

And folks laughin' at me.

You gotta take me seriously now.

You gotta tell me
where she's at.

Time to reveal my
true identity. Let me...

Introduce myself. Oh,
you're in harm's way, dad.

You're in harm's way now.

You gotta tell me!
Come on! Tell me!

I'm gonna rock you
till the words come out.

I'm gonna rock you,
rock you, rock you!

Rock you, rock you!

Rock you, rock you! Leave
him be. Leave him be now!

Well, now. Leave the man
be, else I'll call the cops.

Mr. Nobody. Lots of cops.

Precinct, one block.

Cop cars up and down.
Right here! Right here!

In that case, you don't move,
huh? You stay right there.

No, hey, no! I'm askin'
you not to move, little man.

Hey, hey, buddy, I'm
askin' you to stop...

Well, now, what do we got here?

We got a crazy old
man with a knife.

Oh.

Take it easy, hoss.

Get... Get on away from here!

Go on! Get! Take it easy.

You get close enough, I
swear, boy, I will stick you!

Take it easy. Take it easy,
now, mister, take it easy.

Hey, doesn't
anybody give a shit?

There is a man
with a knife here!

Oh, I just love New York!

This is my kind of town!

Get! You get! This
one's yours, Missouri.

No, no, Carter, no!

This round's yours. Move it!

Take it easy. Carter,
don't follow him!

Get, Cowboy-man!

You remove yourself,
boy, or I'll do it for you.

You mess with me, I'll
peel you like an apple.

Sliced cowboy comin'
up. Cowboy salad to go.

♪♪

Don't say a word.

I was only... Not
a word, please.

I was only going to say that
quite frankly, I've missed you.

Okay, okay. Now you've said it.

I would also like to
express my delight...

in your safe return
from the hospital.

I only regret that you didn't allow
me into your room to visit you.

Ain't lettin' you in there.

You tell 'em you a doctor,
start loppin' off pieces of my foot.

I had 29 beautiful days
and nights without you.

Quite right. I don't blame you.

Told 'em don't let him
in whatever he says.

He tell you he's
head of the hospital,

he tell you he invented
Novocain, you don't let him in!

I certainly don't blame you.

The fact is, I don't
do that anymore.

Yeah, I'll bet. It's true.

Since the cowboy, an episode
during which, may I say,

you behaved magnificently.

Not since General Custer
has there been such behavior.

Since that time, I've
been only myself.

That Friday, Clara comes
lunchtime to the Socialist Club.

I tell her the truth.

There are tears in her eyes.
I decide to tell her the truth.

I must say that I was
helped in this decision...

by the fact that the girl,
Laurie, did not show up.

I should have covered another
story, but my heart wasn't in it.

My mouth, a dangerous mouth,

makes you Missouri Jack
and almost gets you killed,

makes an Israeli family and
breaks my daughter's heart.

Ah! I've retired my mouth.

Well, long as we talkin'
mouth damage, boy,

lawyer for the tenants' committee
found out there was no HURTSFOE,

so I'm out of my job now.

Movin' me and the Erie
City out in four weeks.

No extra severance, either.

Danforth come to the
hospital to tell me personal.

Bring me a basket of fruit.

So, instead of my
Christmas cash,

I got six fancy pears
wrapped in silver paper.

I deeply regret... Besides
which, look what you did to Laurie.

How you expect her to show up?

You promised you was
gonna help her with the cowboy.

Now she's in more
trouble than ever.

Besides which,

there ain't one good...

Ain't one good hip
left on this bench.

And as long as we keepin' score,

what happened to J.C.?

Tell me the truth.
J.C.'s back, ain't he?

Yes.

He charges $6.00 now.

It seems to me you
pretty much come up...

O for five in the
whole series here.

Please, I assure you, my
wounds require no further salt.

Another thing!

I ain't no General Custer!

From what I hear, the General
got wiped out. Well, not this baby.

If it wasn't for
a lucky left jab,

I near blew that cowboy away!

Huh. You see this?

Small piece of that
cowboy, that's what it is.

His jacket at least.

I near took a big slice out of
that boy before he dropped me.

You know what I
seen in the hospital...

every night in front of my bed?

That cowboy's eyes.

Them scared eyes.
Them big chicken eyes!

When my weapon come out,

that-that was one
surprised, froze solid,

near shitless cowboy.

Dude didn't know what happened.

Dude figured he
had me on the ropes.

Out come my weapon,
he turn to stone.

Lord, even eyes like
mine, I could see his eyes.

They got that big
lookin' at me, yeah.

He seen me, all right.

He seen me.

Be a while before he mess
with this alley cat again.

There must be a way a man
could frame a thing like that.

Yeah.

♪♪

Hmm, unfortunately,
I must leave now.

Best news I heard all day.

I'm expected at the
senior center at noon.

The day begins at noon there.

I must be prompt.
Clara checks up.

Also weekends in Great Neck.

I'm seldom in the park anymore.

News gettin' better and better.

The hospital said
you just got out.

I came today on the
chance of seeing you.

I felt I owed you an
apology, also the truth.

My name is Nat Mo yer.

This is my actual name.

I was a few years with the fur
workers union, that was true,

but when Ben Gold lost
power, they let me go.

I was then for 41 years a waiter at
Deitz's Dairy Restaurant on Houston Street.

That's all. A waiter.

I was retired at age 73.

They said they would
have kept me longer,

except for the fact that I talked
too much, annoyed the customers.

I presently reside,
and have for some time,

at the Amsterdam Hotel
where my main occupation...

is learning more things about
tuna fish than God ever intended.

In other words, whatever
was said previously,

I was and am now, no one.

No one at all.
This is the truth.

Good-bye and good
luck to you and your knife.

Better get goin' to the center.

At 7200, guest speaker...

Jerome Cooper will lecture
on timely issues for the aging.

Refreshments will be served
to anyone who's alive at the end.

Shit. Man, you still
can't tell the truth.

That was the truth.

Tell me the truth, damn it!

I told you the
truth. That was it.

That's what I was. That's all.

You wasn't a waiter.
What was you really?

I was a waiter.

No, you wasn't just a waiter.

You was more than that.
Tell me the truth, damn it!

I was a waiter. That's it.

Except, of course,
for a brief time...

in the motion picture industry.

You mean the movies?

You call it the movies.

We call it the motion
picture industry.

What kind of job you have there?

A job? What I did,
you couldn't call a job.

You see, I was briefly a mogul.

A mogul?

Yeah, I heard of that.

Ain't that some kind
of rabbi or somethin'?

In a manner of speaking, yes.
A sort of motion picture rabbi.

One who leads, instructs,
inspires, that's a mogul.

You see, it's the early 50's.

Blacklisting, red
scare... Terror reigns.

The industry is frozen.
No one can make a move.

Colleague against colleague,
brother against brother.

I had written a few
articles for the papers.

Some theories on the subject.

Suddenly, they call for me.

They fly me out there.
Boom, I'm a mogul.

The industry needs
answers. What should I do?

What did you do?

Well, that's a long story.

That's a long and
complicated story.

You see, there
was an outfit called...

the House Un-American
Activities Committee.

These were a bunch of evil
men posing as good guys.

They were in the House
of Representatives mostly.

And what they were trying to do
was scare the entire population...

into thinking the
way they thought.

And since they were
a bunch of bad guys,

they were thinking bad thoughts.

You follow me?

So, now you get a
bunch of good guys...

♪♪