Swing (2003) - full transcript
A struggling musician happens upon a nightclub that's frozen in time.
(upbeat drumming music)
(swing music)
♪ Deep rhythm captivates me ♪
♪ Hot rhythm stimulates me ♪
♪ Come on swing it boy ♪
♪ Swing it brother swing ♪
♪ Don't stop to diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it brother, swing ♪
♪ I'm raring to go ♪
♪ Ain't nobody gonna hold me down ♪
♪ Come on, now listen boy ♪
♪ Hurry up and send
me, let me go to town ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on swing it, boy ♪
♪ Swing it brother, swing ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish praddle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it brother swing ♪
(singers vocalizing)
(lively swing music)
- They're really good, aren't they?
(singers vocalizing)
Hello? Is anybody there?
I said they're really good, aren't they?
- Excuse me. I was lost in the music.
- You a musician or something?
- Mm-hmm, but not swing.
I know the band.
- I'm Tina.
- Anthony.
Great outfit.
- Thanks. I designed it.
- It's, it's really cool.
I mean, you look fantastic.
- Well, Anthony, do you swing
or do you just look the part?
- I guess I just look the part.
- You don't know what you're missing.
(upbeat drumming music)
♪ Deep rhythm captivates me ♪
♪ Hot rhythm stimulates me ♪
♪ Come on, swing it, boy ♪
♪ Swing it, brother, swing ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it, brother ♪
(opera music in background)
- What're you doin'?
- I'm stockin' stuff.
- I thought Pam was suppose
to do that. Where is she?
- I let her go early, she
had to take one of the kids
to the doctor.
- Doctor, yeah okay, well, you finish up
before you go anywhere.
- I, I can't, Dad, I got a gig tonight.
- Uh, Anthony, look, one of the
things assistant managers do
is take up the slack, so, uh.
- That's what I'm doing, Dad.
I'm taking up the slack.
- No, no, what you're doing
is whistling and you're writin'
chords in your notebook.
- (sighs) I'll keep stocking the stuff,
but I'm outta here at seven.
- [George] Yeah, yeah.
(Anthony sighs)
(stylus scraping)
(upbeat drumming music)
(swing music)
(Mrs. DeLuca crying out)
(Mrs. DeLuca breathing heavily)
- [Bill] For god's
sake, are you all right?
- Oh, Bill.
- Hm?
(Mrs. DeLuca groans)
- [Bill] Here, wait a minute.
- Oh no, uh, no.
Oh, I'm, I'm, I'm all right, dear.
- [Bill] You sure?
- I'm all right, dear.
- [Bill] Had nothing to
do with leaping in front...
- The one hurt thing is my pride.
- All right, oop, here we go.
You had a bad fall.
(Mrs. DeLuca cries out)
(both breathe heavily)
- Oh, goodness.
(sighs) I'll never get used to this.
- What do you mean the,
the, the nursing home?
- No, this body.
(sighs) My team said I could
still dance, but I can't.
Not with this body.
It's a prison. (sighs)
- I want you to stop talking like this.
- Whenever it happens, I
want you to make a promise.
- All right.
- Promise me one thing.
No, no, make that two.
Over there.
Over there, yeah.
- All right, all right.
Okay.
- Take them.
Cause those, those memories belong to you.
"Swing at Club Jimbo," "Live Swing."
- And the second thing.
- Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh.
- Take them, take that.
- All right. Yep.
- Yep.
- Ah, this is very sweet of you.
You, me, Freddie.
(knocking on table)
- Excuse me.
A little bird told me
that someone was up here,
swing dancing, and
that's all well and good,
but I warned you.
- Okay.
Quit the swing dancing.
I'd rather die first.
- You know what?
I can always have this turntable
taken out of your room.
- Oh, phooey.
- Nevermind, Grace. I'll
take care of that turntable.
You go on about your business.
- Me trust the two of you? (laughs)
Oh please, go take a nap.
- Hey.
- (laughs) What are you doing here?
- Happy anniversary.
- Ah. Mm.
I thought you forgot.
- There's no way I'm gonna forget that.
Come here, I got a
surprise for you. (laughs)
Okay, stop.
There it is.
- Oh. You never cease to amaze me.
(Anthony chuckles)
Come on.
- Ah. All my favorite things. (laughs)
- Wait, wait, wait. Before
we do that, tradition.
- Our quote of the year.
- That's right.
There you go.
What's it say?
- Who lives on love, lives on forever.
(both laugh)
- Mm-mm.
A toast.
- Toast.
- To another great year.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
(gentle music)
- Want me to take you back to your room?
- Oh no, not, not quite yet, dear. No.
Music's so lovely.
(gentle horns music)
Now where's that Freddie with my Rob Roy?
♪ Times lost in loving ♪
♪ Then what about today ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
♪ What about today ♪
- Yeah, I like that.
Much better.
- Yeah, much nicer.
Much better.
- Nice.
- [Anthony] Very good, guys.
- Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice.
- [Anthony] Let's take
a five minute break.
(telephone ringing)
(Valerie groans softly)
- Hello?
- Hey, Valerie, did I wake you?
- No, I had to wake up to
answer the phone anyway.
- Sorry.
Um, listen, I was just uh, you know,
wondering maybe I could uh, come over.
- No way, I'm in bed.
- [Anthony] That's the idea.
- Anthony, I have to
get up early for work.
- (sighs) You sure?
- Yes.
(Valerie sighs)
How long will it take you to get here?
- 10 minutes.
Hey guys.
Um, maybe we should just call it a night.
- What?
- Yeah.
- Where you going?
- I gotta talk to Valerie about something.
(Martha groans)
- Can I talk to Valerie about something?
- Oh, I don't want to talk
to Valerie about anything.
(insects buzzing)
- I'm ready to go.
- Oh, please.
You've been ready to go
ever since you came here.
- I miss,
I miss Freddie.
(sighs gently)
Wouldn't it be nice if we just,
all just...
(gentle music)
- If we all, yeah.
Yeah, it would be.
- You knew Mrs. DeLuca
a long time, didn't ya?
- Oh yeah. Long time.
Her, me, Freddie go back
to junior high days.
Oh, ah, Tina. Mrs. DeLuca's granddaughter.
- Mr. Verdi. Hi.
- Hi.
- By the way, the, the
pendant, the necklace.
- She gave it to me last month.
- Ah, bless her heart.
Just before she passed over.
♪ I once was lost ♪
♪ But now am found ♪
♪ Was blind ♪
- That's Mrs. DeLuca's granddaughter?
- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
- Listen, Uncle Bill, I'll
pick you up later, okay?
- Yeah. Don't be late.
- All right.
- These places aren't fun palaces.
(guitar strums gently)
(waves crashing)
- There was traffic, and
Martha showed up late
for rehearsals, and Valerie
called and it was just...
- Yeah, yeah. I understand.
- I ended up talking,
and you know.
- Well, listen, I just
wanna say this right now.
Just stop lying.
Don't ever lie to me again.
I don't mean to lecture you.
I don't mean to be harsh with ya.
If I didn't love ya, I wouldn't say this,
but I've been lied to so
many times throughout my life
and I don't want you to end
up a liar, do you understand?
Not just lie now, I'm
talking about any time.
Okay?
- Uh, I'm sorry, Uncle Bill, you're right.
- All right.
- Come on, we should get going.
I'll help you up. It's gettin' cold out.
- Well, you think it's cold out here, huh,
hell of a lot colder in there, okay?
- [Radio DJ] We're swinging, gang.
The best of swing here on
San Francisco's K-A-B-L.
You're listening to the
Chet Reynolds swing hour.
Hey gang, come on, swing with us tonight.
That's right, tonight, at San
Francisco's famous Club Jimbo,
with the hottest bands in town.
1800 Florida, that's right, 1800 Florida.
(distant swing music)
(swing music)
- Excuse me, sir.
You'll need a tie.
- Huh?
- You'll need a tie.
- Oh, I don't even own a tie. (chuckles)
- Of course.
Here you go.
- Thanks.
It's uh, it's very uh, retro.
- Retro?
- Yeah, you know, old? 40s, 50s.
- Age is not an issue here, sir.
- Well that's not what I meant. I was uh...
- Don't worry about it, sir.
It'll be $1 to get in.
- One?
- Yes. $1 to get in.
(Anthony chuckles)
- All right, $1.
- Thank you.
- You know, I've never seen
anything quite like this before.
- We are very exclusive.
Go shake a leg. Enjoy your time with us.
(bold drumming music)
(lively swing music)
- You're up. Name your poison.
- You know, fancy place
calls for fancy drink.
- Yeah.
- I'll take a fuzzy navel.
(bartender laughs)
- That's funny, fuzzy
navel. Yeah, that's good.
No, really, what do you want to drink?
- Um, fix me anything.
You definitely look like
you know what you're doing.
- Folks say my Manhattans are pretty good.
- I've never had one, but I'd love to try.
- Great.
(swing music)
- Hey uh, that woman over
there in the red dress.
(swing music)
She really knows how to dance.
- That too. (laughs)
It's a buck.
- A buck?
- A buck.
- You know, I don't know how you guys
get away with these price.
- Yeah, I know. And the boss
just raised 'em, go figure.
- There you go.
- Hey, thanks.
(cash register rings)
Thank you very much. (chuckles)
Who's your barber?
(swing music builds)
(audience cheering)
- So, can I join you?
- Sure.
- Great.
Do you like swing?
- Uh, I dunno how.
- You didn't answer my question.
- I love the music.
(chuckles) It's awesome.
- I could teach you.
- I'd feel like a fool in front of them.
- Nonsense, it's all about practice.
And practice yields
nothing but good results.
Come on.
(relaxed swing music)
(Anthony chuckles)
Come on.
(relaxed swing music)
Your palms are always up.
- Okay.
- And, we're gonna take
a step to the left.
Left touch.
- Left touch.
- Right touch.
- Right.
- [Both] Back.
- Forwards.
- Okay.
- Left touch.
- [Both] Right touch.
- Rock back.
Good.
Left. Don't go too far from me.
- Okay.
- Rock back.
- I feel like everyone's looking at me.
- No, it isn't everyone.
- Okay.
- Just me.
So, we were talking about you and me
and a little bit of dancing.
Just a few lessons, and who knows.
(swing music)
- Whoa. (chuckles)
(swing music)
What's your name?
- Christine.
- Christine?
- Yes.
- Thanks, Christine.
- Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Wait.
Come back here. The
lesson isn't finished yet.
I want you to leave here
just hooked on swing.
- Okay. (chuckles)
- Just feel that pressure between us,
that's how you're gonna maneuver me.
It's gonna be in this hand.
Just relax, you're all stiff.
Left, right, left, left.
You have a good sense of rhythm.
- Yeah, I like music. (chuckles)
(swing music)
(audience applauding)
- That's my cue.
So, shall we continue this uh...
- Tomorrow.
- Next week?
Same time, same place?
And wear your own tie.
- Ah.
- That'd be my job.
- No problem.
- You looked uh, very solid out there.
- It's that Christine.
Whoo, she's a great teacher.
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh yeah (chuckles), the tie.
That band, it's like some kinda
all-star band or something.
It's unbelievable.
I had a great time.
- That's why we're here.
- Ciao.
- Arrivederci.
(gentle music)
(Anthony sighs)
(gentle music)
(Anthony harmonizing)
(Anthony chuckles)
(Grace vocalizing)
♪ I got a man who's always late ♪
♪ Every time he makes a date ♪
♪ But I love him ♪
♪ Yes, I love him ♪
♪ I'm gonna walk up to his gate ♪
♪ See if I can't set him straight ♪
♪ 'Cause I want him ♪
♪ Oh yes, I want him ♪
♪ Well, is you is or
is you ain't my baby ♪
♪ The way you actin'
lately makes me doubt ♪
♪ Well, is you still my baby, baby, baby ♪
♪ Or has the flame in your
heart for me done gone out ♪
♪ Get lost ♪
♪ Well a man is a creature
who has always been strange ♪
♪ Just when you find one ♪
Ow!
♪ You go and find that he done changed ♪
♪ Well is you still my baby, baby ♪
♪ Or have you gone and
found somebody new. ♪
♪ Oh yes, mama's baby's
still my baby too ♪
Oh stop.
(audience applauding)
- Oh.
- Oh, I love you Josephine.
- Anthony, Anthony, it was
good of you to drop by again.
Incidentally on your way out, at the desk
is a big box of records that
Mrs. DeLuca wanted you to have.
It's swing, big band, and uh, jazz.
- Shouldn't you keep those, Uncle Bill?
- No, no. I want you to have 'em.
But take care of 'em because
they're rare, you know.
They, they're just
outta print a long time,
and be very careful with 'em.
- She really would want me to have 'em?
- Shoot, I would've said if...
- Wow.
- She didn't want you
to have 'em.
- I, I don't know what to say.
- You don't have to say anything.
- Two, three, four.
Wait, I gotta laugh.
(all laugh)
Okay, okay. Here we go.
Two, three, four.
- Let me, we're on let me.
- Okay, here we go.
- Okay, concentrate.
Where are ya?
- [Both] Two, three, four.
♪ Let me see you ♪
♪ Let me know ♪
♪ Let me feel you ♪
♪ Ooh, let it go ♪
- Like that. I like that.
- Nice. Lovely.
One, two, three, four.
♪ Let me feel ♪
- Hello?
- Feel.
- You guys ever been to a swing
club called uh, Club Jimbo?
- Well uh, I know of a Club Jumbo.
- I think that...
- And?
- Um, this place is unbelievable.
Has a great band, great swing music.
The dancers, they're all
dressed in vintage 1940s.
- Swing? Too hetero.
- I got a great teacher down there too.
She's teaching me to swing dance.
(Valerie chuckles)
(opera music in background)
- As part of the agenda tonight,
I've been looking at the calendar,
and I think we should finally set a date.
- Okay.
- Well, I was thinking that October 22nd
on the 11th year of our
anniversary of our first kiss.
(both chuckle)
- It's perfect.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah. (laughs)
I'll be finished with school
and I'll make all the preparations,
and you just have to show up.
- Done.
- (laughs) Well, that was easy.
I'm not hungry anymore.
- You don't like it?
- Dessert?
- Upstairs.
(gentle orchestral music)
(swing music)
(audience cheering)
(Anthony whistling)
Oh hello, Mrs. Wall.
You look like you're ready to go dancing.
- My son's taking me to Home Depot.
- Oh, that's great. That's great.
- I understand it's a great
place to meet single men
who are handy.
- Uncle Bill, are you ready to go?
- Yeah.
- Come on, let me help you up here.
(Bill groans)
- She's been here since she was 40.
- You know, I wish we
could spend some more time
like this together, but Dad,
he's got me working at
the store all the time.
- Boy, tell me. I wish he'd
say goodbye to that apron.
Well, let me tell you this,
you know, regardless of race,
color, creed, black,
white, yellow, red, brown,
we're all visitors.
We're just passing through. Okay?
So don't blow the visit.
- You what I have been doing lately?
- No.
- I've been learning how to swing dance.
- Oh yeah. (chuckles) Where?
- I found this really cool
place. It's called Club Jimbo.
- Club Jimbo, gosh I
remember that after the war,
down by those two big warehouses.
Why, you rascal.
I'll have to sneak down
there one of these days.
(cash register ringing)
- Uh.
- Hey, Dad.
- Where you been?
- Sorry about that, there
was just a lotta traffic.
- Well I don't want no traffic report.
I wanted you here an hour ago.
You're gonna work late tonight.
- [Anthony] (sighs) But Dad...
- No, no, no buts. No buts.
This is your real job,
kiddo. Store comes first.
- (sighs) I gotta be somewhere by 11.
- (laughs) What happens
if you're not there by 11?
You turn into a pumpkin?
(telephone ringing)
Go on, now, replace Pam.
Pam, he's here. Go home.
Fans will understand.
Believe me.
(relaxed jazz music)
(sparse half-hearted applause)
- Nice.
- Do you have any idea how hard it is
for just a drum and a
bass to play your music?
- My father...
- Oh, don't go there.
- Look, I'm sorry. It
won't happen again, guys.
- Not here, anyway.
- Let's give 'em a show.
- One, two.
(relaxed music)
♪ Let me see you ♪
♪ Let me know ♪
♪ Let me feel you ♪
♪ Ooh, let it go ♪
(distant swing music)
- Hey, how you doin'?
- I'm doing well, sir. Thank you.
- $1.
- Thank you.
- I love this place.
Hey, I got my own tie this time too.
- Very nice, very nice, sir.
Anthony, right?
- Yeah.
- Christine's been asking about you.
(Anthony chuckles)
- Oh, I got a friend
that's gonna be coming down
to meet me later.
Just show him where I'm at, okay?
- You told someone about the club?
- Yeah.
(audience applauding)
- Okay. Have a good time.
Christine's right over there.
- All right.
- What's your next assignment gonna be?
- I don't know. This is
my first one, you know.
So, I'm just really inexperienced
and I'm enjoying it.
What about you?
- I don't know.
I've done hundreds, but I gotta tell you,
this has gotta be my favorite.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Hey kid, how's it going?
- Hey.
- Hey, Anthony.
- Hi.
- I'm just catching up
with my buddies here.
This is Joe, Anthony.
He's the greatest trumpet
player you'll ever hear.
- Anthony.
Nice to meet ya kid.
- Joe.
- This is the band. The big
boss, the gang. (chuckles)
- [Anthony] Hey guys.
- Hi, how you doin', son?
- Good, good. Thanks.
- So, how's my star pupil?
- I've been practicing.
- Now, why doesn't that surprise me?
(both laugh)
Let's see.
- Check this out.
(feet shuffling)
- Wonderful.
Oh, it's great to see you smile, Anthony.
- Music, it makes me smile.
- [Christine] What is it about music?
- I'll tell you what it is.
It's playing in front of an audience,
and everyone's right
there in front of you and,
and you just connect all of a sudden.
- Anthony, I'm Freddie.
- [Anthony] Hey, Freddie.
- Hey, both of you.
- (chuckles) You got some cool threads.
- Hm.
- What vintage store do you go to?
- Vintage store?
- [Anthony] Yeah, uh, you know,
where do you buy your clothes?
- Well, Hale Brothers
on Market's always good.
- See ya.
- Hale Brothers.
Hey, see ya guys.
- First you show up
late to the gig tonight,
and then you gave me the wrong address.
I mean, what's going on?
- [Anthony] What are you talking about?
- 1800 Florida Street does not exist.
I saw your car.
- I was there.
- There was no there there, Anthony.
It's just a bunch of
boarded up warehouses.
Martha said I could crash here tonight.
So, buenas noches. (sighs)
(Anthony sighs)
- What is that smell?
- What?
- It's you.
- Oh. (laughs) It's my teacher.
- Reminds me of my grandmother.
- Hey, Christine's nowhere
near a grandmother.
(relaxing music)
(telephone rings)
(Valerie sighs)
- Hello?
- Valerie.
- (sighs) You have to stop doing this.
- Okay, okay.
Uh, listen.
This Saturday night, we're
gonna go swing dancing.
- Swing dancing?
You're kidding, right?
- We'll go to some vintage
store Saturday afternoon.
This guy told about this great
place called Hale Brothers.
- Hale Brothers? I think
they closed years ago.
- Well, we'll go to some
cool places on the Haight.
So I'll see you this Saturday, okay?
- Oh, sleep, I need to sleep.
- [Anthony] Love you.
- Same, same.
(hard rock music in headphones)
- Anthony?
What if a customer wants something?
- There's no one in the store, Dad.
- That's not the point.
- Come on Pop, you listen to
music in here all the time.
- I listen to real music, Anthony.
These guys are geniuses.
Sal, (speaking foreign language).
(opera music)
(Sal speaking foreign language)
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- Do we still have those display pins?
- Uh, middle desk drawer.
- Thanks.
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- This place looks interesting.
Oh, I like that one over there.
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- Excuse me. Do you guys have a bathroom?
- Yeah, it's through the
hall, second door on the left.
- I hope you found something you like.
- I did. (laughs)
- I'll bet that's perfect on you.
- Oh, I really like it.
- It'll look lovely.
- Thank you.
- Hm, there goes another
one of my favorites.
- Ha-ha.
Wow. Oh, how lovely.
- That's very lovely.
- Mm, no, it's too vintage.
(swing music)
♪ Jellyroll ♪
♪ Jellyroll's so hard to find ♪
♪ Ain't a bakery in town's got
a sweet jellyroll like mine ♪
♪ Jellyroll ♪
♪ My sweet potato pie ♪
♪ Ain't a chef around that
knows how to make you sigh ♪
♪ Now if you haven't any money ♪
♪ Try not to lose your mind ♪
- Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
- It's gonna be great.
You look totally hot.
Just, just follow me.
♪ Ain't no bakery in town's got
a sweet jellyroll like mine ♪
- They're all so good.
I don't know the first
thing about swing dancing.
- We used to go dancing all
the time, Val, remember?
- Yeah. (laughs)
Okay. Let's do it.
(swing music)
Oh!
- Are you okay?
- Yeah. (laughs)
- My necklace.
Thanks, I'd really hate to lose this.
- No problem.
(singer vocalizing)
- So who's that? She looks kinda familiar.
- Her name's Tina.
I met her at a funeral
I took Uncle Bill to.
I guess she likes swing.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- God.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Look, Tina obviously
knows what she's doing.
Why don't you go dance with her?
- (sighs) Valerie, I'm
here to dance with you.
- You know I didn't
wanna do this, Anthony.
Why don't we just go home and be alone?
Not all these people around.
- Val, come on.
- I don't think so.
(Valerie sighs)
Are you taking me home
or should I call a cab?
♪ Now if you have a lotta money ♪
♪ Try not to lose your mind ♪
♪ But if you haven't any jellyroll ♪
- Goodnight, Anthony.
- Ciao, ciao.
- Dad, I'm gonna take
off too, I'm wiped out.
- Are you on drugs, Anthony?
- What?
- You're just not here.
- Dad, I'm not on drugs. (sighs)
It's getting harder and
harder to pretend, Dad.
I've been trying to tell
you for a long time now
that groceries aren't gonna be my life.
But it's like, I feel like
you don't listen to me.
- Is this about music again?
'Cause, how many times
do I have to tell you
music is not a career.
- What do you know about being a musician?
- My father was a musician.
He drank himself to death.
My mom had to raise me and
my sister alone. Capeesh?
- Dad, I know the whole story by heart.
But I'm Anthony Verdi.
I'm not, I'm not your
father, Joe, and I'm not you.
- (sighs) This grocery business
has been so good to us.
It's security, security. Do
you understand, security?
Security.
- You and I disagree about
the meaning of security.
To you, it's financial security.
- Yes
- It's financial,
it's knowing where the
next buck's coming from.
It's, it's knowing that there's
gonna be food on the table.
And I can respect that Dad, I really can.
And I appreciate that you've always
taken care of me that way.
But to me, it's, it's
different. It's something else.
It's, it's about being grounded,
grounded in doing something I love, music.
I love music, Dad.
And I don't need a lotta
stuff, I just need music.
And I know if I give into that,
if I put my heart into that,
everything else will come.
- You love Valerie. Marry
Valerie, have a family.
You have something to hang on to.
- What if I don't get
married to Valerie, Dad?
- Did you find someone else?
That uh, the roommate of
yours, I thought she was uh...
- No, she's my friend.
You know what? She also
makes a living as a musician.
- I don't get your life at all.
- You don't need to, Dad. It's my life.
(gentle guitar music)
♪ Before there was yearning ♪
♪ Before there was you ♪
♪ Before I started learning ♪
♪ How lies become true ♪
♪ Time's lost and I feel the ♪
- What a cutie, too.
Wouldn't you know it, he's engaged.
- He is?
The good ones are always taken.
- You're not.
And I'm sure the perfect
one will find you,
when the time is right.
♪ Wasting ♪
♪ What about today ♪
♪ Where ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
(audience applauding)
- Thank you, Anthony, for finally coming.
- Josephine.
Okay, Josephine.
(laughs) Excuse us.
Hi, Bill.
- Grace, this is Anthony.
- Oh, take a nap.
Listen, Anthony, you are
one talented young man.
- Thanks.
- And I know what I'm
talking about here, okay?
Now, my brother, my little
brother, he owns this nightclub,
and I am going to tell
him how good you are.
So, you call him. Okay?
Josephine, put down that hammer.
- I can't tell whether
she's a nurse or a patient.
Oh, by the way uh, before
you go down to the store,
I shouldn't point, but
Tina, Tina's over there.
Take a look over there, yeah.
She'd certainly like to see ya,
and I would hope that
you would like to see her
before you go down there
and put that apron on.
(Anthony sighs)
Hm?
- Yeah, definitely.
I should get going.
Tina.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Are you following me
around or something?
- I think you're following me.
(gentle music)
- Ah, that means I'm gonna have to uh,
change all the paperwork,
you know, checks, stationary.
Yes, I think, Verdi and
Son. How's that sound?
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Hm-mm.
- Hello, Pete. Uh, this is Anthony Verdi.
I know your sister, Grace,
through my Uncle Bill
at the nursing home.
- Grace told me I'd hear from you.
So, I hear you got a band.
- Well, I was just wondering
if I could drop off a CD
and some material.
- How 'bout Friday night?
- Yeah, I could come by Friday night.
- Oh, no, no, no. I mean for a gig.
- A gig?
- Yeah. My regular Friday night
canceled, so tell you what.
Eight to 11, 300 bucks. What do you say?
- 300 bucks, eight to 11.
- Friday night.
(Anthony chuckles)
- Verdi and Son, big sign
out in front of the store.
Okay, bye.
(George speaking foreign language)
(swing music)
- Five, six, seven, eight.
Rock back, one, two,
one, two, three, four.
Kick and dip me.
- Now, dip you.
Okay.
- Now, bring me in, like this.
Now, take me out.
- Okay.
- Bring me in.
- Like that?
- Tuh, tuh.
- (laughs) That was cool.
You just go, tuh, tuh.
Like that?
- That's it.
- That's cool.
- You're learning so fast.
(swing music swells)
- [Anthony] Let's go get a drink.
- Yes.
- Come on.
(Christine sighs)
- I hope our time together
has been helpful to you.
- More than I can say.
- There's more to me than meets the eye.
- I wanna get to know that part too.
I've never met anyone like you before.
- I don't imagine you have.
- Does the age thing bother you?
- Age means nothing.
- Freddie.
- Christine, got a moment?
- [Christine] Yes.
- Oh, you know what?
Hale Brothers on Market, they closed down.
- I'm sorry to hear that. Christine?
- Be right back.
- He's getting attached to you.
- (sighs) Well, he's a sweet boy.
- Mm-hmm.
- He's harmless.
- Yeah?
- It's all very innocent, Freddie.
- Not from where I'm standing.
Just keep it on track, and
I'll check in with you later?
- Okay.
But I am new at this, remember?
- It's a fine line here
and you're doing great.
And I always loved that dress.
- Well, I didn't know that guy anywhere.
What? Geez.
- Uncle Bill.
- What, what...
- What're you doin' here?
- Well I, I came here
to talk about your dad.
You know, I'm on your
side and he went, what?
- Okay, okay.
I, I, that's great, but why
don't we talk about it outside?
- No more secrets, all right?
I wanna tell you about your Grandpa Joe.
Boy, could he play a great
trumpet. Oh, what a horn.
Yeah, he could've been a big, big star.
I'll tell you how big he could've been.
Ray Noble, the big band leader,
he's the guy that offered
him, well, top trumpeter,
you know, to come out on gigs
all over the United States.
And then your grandma, well,
she shut the door on him.
No, she said, "Joe, come home."
He came home.
Yeah, played places like
the Kiwanis and (chuckles).
- You know, Dad never
told me any of that stuff.
He just said that, that
Grandpa Joe, you know,
fooled around in his spare time.
- Well, you remind me a lot
of Joe, as a matter of fact.
Except for his drinking.
He drank a lot. And you know
the reason probably yourself.
A lot of people drink
'cause they're unhappy.
Sad.
- Hey uh, Uncle Bill?
- Mm?
- I wanna say uh, I wanna say thank you.
You know, thanks for being you,
and tell you that I love you.
- Well, I love you.
(mellow guitar music)
- One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
- Okay. And what do we have here?
- I'm practicing my swing moves.
- The dance known as swing, as I recall,
requires a partner, last time I checked.
- You arrived just in time.
Come on.
- No, no, no, no.
- Anthony, Anthony.
- Yes, yes, yes.
- Anthony, I do not do the guy-girl thing,
even with my handsome roommate.
And especially not swing.
My style is slow, breast to breast.
- Come on, Martha, that's ridiculous.
- No, I'm not interested.
- I won't tell any of your girlfriends.
(Martha scoffs)
Just humor me a little bit.
- No.
- (snaps) I'll clean the bathroom.
- No fair.
Okay.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- No, I'm leading.
- No.
- You got, yes. You're up top.
You ready?
- One time, you lead.
- I'm leading this dance, baby.
- All right.
- Okay now,
you're gonna start on your
right, I start on my left.
- Okay then.
- Just, just follow me.
Just, just watch me, okay?
- Okay, all right. Yeah.
- One, two, dah, dah,
rock back.
- Okay, back.
- Dah, dah, dah. You
ready for the big move?
- What's the big move?
- It's the dip.
- Oh my god, no!
(Anthony groans)
(fingers tapping)
- Hi.
- Hey, I was just about to call you.
- I miss you.
- I miss you too.
Hey, you know what? I wrote a new song.
I can't wait to play it for you.
- Well um, I have class
tonight. Maybe over the weekend?
- Uh, no problem.
You can uh, you can hear
it at the gig Friday night.
- (sighs) Anthony, I, I
have another call coming.
I gotta go, bye.
(computer keys clacking)
- You know, my harpist
friend from Julliard
told me that her guru said
that it's really good karma
to do menial tasks.
It, it, it helps keep the
creative process flowing.
You know, like, write a
song, clean the bathroom.
(audience cheering)
(swing music)
(audience cheering)
- What a lovely surprise.
Oh, do you remember Freddie?
- Of course. How you doing?
- Mm, it's so great
dancing with this woman.
(Freddie and Christine laugh)
- Christine, I was hoping that we could...
- Oh, well if you wanted to dance,
I'm afraid I'm all tapped out,
but we could sit and talk for a while.
- That would be great.
- Freddie.
- Mm-hmm?
- Thank you. It was wonderful.
- No, thank you.
Till next time?
- It'll seem like an eternity.
- This uh, this may sound
crazy and all, but I uh,
I wrote a song for you.
You inspire me.
(Christine chuckles)
You're my angel.
- Yes I am.
(Christine laughs)
I'm moved beyond words.
No one's ever written a song for me.
Ah. I have something for you.
(Anthony sighs)
It looks like an ordinary
stone, doesn't it?
Inside, it's a diamond.
Rare, valuable,
beautiful, like you.
You just have to believe.
Do you believe?
- Yeah, I believe.
Thank you.
- And now we have a
wonderful tune for you.
"Alexander's Ragtime Band,"
featuring our trumpet player, Joe.
Come on out, Joe.
(audience applauding)
(swing music)
(audience applauding)
- Ah, I still got it, huh, Freddie?
- You're smoking tonight, Joe.
You know, I ran into this
young cat named Miles.
He wanted me to show you something, hm?
- Don't hurt yourself, Freddie.
(trumpet sputtering)
- I'm just the messenger.
- You're ready to swing on your own.
- But I wanna keep dancing with you.
Can we go somewhere else and dance?
I know some salsa. I'll,
I'll teach you salsa.
- Yeah?
- Yeah. Or uh, you haven't
even heard me play yet.
You have to come to one of
my gigs. You'll love it.
- Anthony, it's been a pleasure.
And as I see it, pleasure's number one.
(Anthony chuckles nervously)
- Well, if it's been such
a pleasure then, why stop?
- It's time. One day you'll understand.
Swing is a metaphor for life.
It requires skill and
coordination, practice,
and passion.
- Passion. I got the passion.
- Forget about dancing with me.
You have important things
to get on with out there.
- But, (sighs)
don't you feel this too?
You must.
I think I'm falling in love.
(snare drum music)
- Ladies and gentlemen,
it is time, once again,
for the Club Jimbo dance contest.
(audience applauding)
(swing music)
- [Crowd] Whoo!
(swing music)
(distant electric guitar music)
- [Christine] It's a
gift, be grateful for it.
- [Tina] You don't know
what you're missing.
- Hi.
- Thanks for being you.
- [George] Security, security.
You understand security?
- [Christine] You have important things
to get on with out there.
- We're all visitors.
So don't blow the visit.
- [Valerie] All this energy
needs to be put into your life,
and getting it together.
- [Christine] One day you'll understand.
- [Doorman] Arrivederci.
(wind whipping)
(slow haunting music)
(Anthony muttering quietly)
- This is it.
"Live swing, from San
Francisco's Famous Club Jimbo."
Oh man.
- Well, I finally got a decent hand.
Okay, you remember deuces wild.
There's four threes, right there.
- Deuces wild? We're not playing poker.
- I thought we were.
- No, we weren't playing poker...
- Are you gonna change it again?
You know, every time we,
we sit down to play cards,
you have to change it,
and you don't remember...
- We're not, we, we
didn't start out that way.
- Wait a minute, dear.
- What do you wanna play?
- Wait a minute, dear.
You know, you've had a
little power failure up here.
- Yeah well...
- And, the electricity...
- There's a lot of that going around.
- Tell me, and you've got a lot of it.
- Yeah, well, you've got more.
- A lot of elect,
well, a lot of electricity
has been turned off.
- Yeah, but I'm not, we're playing rummy,
and you're playing poker, so...
- All right, all right,
all right.
- Who's powerless now?
- Give me your cards.
- Hi, Mrs. Wall, Uncle Bill.
- Hi, how are ya?
- Hello, dear.
- I'm all right.
- You, you, you look so
pretty, but, fix your tie.
- Oh, yeah it's...
Uh, Uncle Bill, I gotta
ask ya a quick question.
Um, this record here,
I got this out of uh,
that box Mrs. DeLuca gave you.
- Mm-hmm.
- Is this the same Club
Jimbo you remember?
- Hm, sure is.
"Live Swing, from San
Francisco's Famous Club Jimbo."
Dear, would you give me
the glass over there?
- Sure.
- I wanna take a look
at the back here.
No dear, not, not that
glass. Take that back.
Give me the magnifying glass.
All right, let me see here. Oh, look here.
Here's Christine down here.
- Right there?
- Yep. And here, here I am, right there.
And there's your Grandpa Joe. (chuckles)
- That's, that's Grandpa Joe?
- Boy, look how clean we looked.
You know, we were all so doggone young.
You wanna play some cards?
- Uh, no, no, Uncle Bill, I'm
not gonna play cards today.
- That's all right, we could sure a,
a third, but...
- Okay, it's your turn.
- What is it my turn again?
- Yeah. Do something.
(waves crashing)
- Do you believe in angels?
- Yes.
- Just like that?
- You know me.
I need to believe that there is
something or someone out
there who believes in me.
Do you?
- I do now.
Hey Pam, you, you can get outta here.
I'm gonna take over.
- Oh, thank you, Anthony.
- Sure.
- My poor husband's been
watching the kids all day.
He's exhausted.
But I uh, I thought you had a gig tonight?
- I do. I wonder what's
keeping Tom so long.
- Oh uh, Tom's not coming
back till tomorrow.
- What do you mean?
- Okay.
- Oh man, not till tomorrow.
Oh, Sal, do I need your help right now.
- Ah, Anthony.
I got a date tonight.
You'll be all right.
- Another date?
- Young man, I am in a hurry.
(horns music)
♪ Yesterday passed with me ♪
♪ Days when you loved me ♪
♪ Yesterday holds firmly ♪
♪ I'm no longer free ♪
- I have to tell you, your hunch paid off.
- Told you.
♪ Time's lost in the villa ♪
♪ What about today ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
♪ What about today ♪
(audience cheering)
- Anthony, got a moment?
- Yeah, Pete.
- Sweet sound.
- Hey, thanks a lot.
- Yeah. Just wanted to tell
you that. I love your sound.
- Thank you very much,
uh, keep us in mind.
- I can do better than that.
Regular Friday night gig.
What do you think? Work for you?
- Heck yeah.
- Works for me.
- Thank you very much.
Yes.
- [Martha] That is so great.
Finally, finally.
- Martha sandwich!
(all laughing)
- What the hell was that
all about last night?
You make a mess, you walk out
on a store full of customers.
- Stop.
- I spent a lotta years,
a lotta hard labor
building up a reputation for quality...
- Dad, Dad.
- And service.
We got people coming in here...
- I quit, Dad, I quit.
- Whoa, whoa. What are you talking about?
- I know how important
the store is to you,
and I know that you want me
to follow in your footsteps.
We don't wear the same shoes, Dad.
- Course we do. We both wear size 10.
And we're gonna have Verdi and Son Grocers
right up out in front there.
You're my partner.
- Dad, don't do this.
Please don't do this.
I just ask you to believe in me.
Have faith in me.
(computer keys clacking)
- I'm sorry, baby, I'm really busy.
I would love to come, but I can't.
But, tell everyone that I
said hi, including Martha.
(computer keys clacking)
- Valerie, can you stop
typing for a minute?
- Sure, sweetie.
- I can't go through with the wedding.
- But I already booked the caterer.
Oh my god.
You're not kidding?
Why?
- It's time for me to stop trying to be
what everybody wants me to be.
I need to be who I am.
- And who are you?
- A musician.
- Oh, god.
Yeah, but you have to make a living.
- I can.
I will.
- How do you know your
music is good enough?
- (scoffs) This is classic.
This is where I walk out.
- No, Anthony.
I don't want you to pursue a fantasy.
- The fantasy is you thinking that,
by ignoring my music it'll go away.
- And you think this is really
the kind of life you want?
(Anthony sighs)
- I'm sorry, Val.
I love you, Val. I'll always love you.
(Val shuddering)
- This doesn't belong to me anymore.
Is there someone else?
- I've just been learning to swing dance.
(bell dinging)
- I'm sorry, we're closed.
- Come on George, you know
me. It's your Uncle Bill.
- This better be good.
- George, I'm here, not
because of the store,
I'm not here because of
you, I'm here for Anthony.
♪ Thoughts of you sneak up on me ♪
♪ Like a thief tiptoes in the night ♪
♪ On a crowded boulevard ♪
♪ I steal a glance at someone ♪
♪ Who at first looks identical to you ♪
♪ My heart's behind its locked door ♪
♪ Bound to be free once more ♪
♪ But it's all hypothetical to me ♪
(audience applauding)
(single person claps)
- Dad, what are you doing here?
(George sighs)
- Well uh, you got time to sit down?
- Yeah, sure.
- So, I came here to hear
that great band of yours.
That's a real good-sounding band.
- Yeah, thanks.
- Who wrote that last tune you just sang?
That's beautiful. I
never heard that before.
- Um, I did. I wrote it.
- Really?
- Yeah, really.
- Ooh, where have I been?
- [Martha] Um, can I
talk to you for a minute?
- Yeah uh, Martha uh, I
want you to meet my father.
- Martha.
- Hi!
- Yeah.
Good to meet you, finally.
- Martha is my band mate,
my roommate, and one
of my greatest friends.
- Yeah, I've heard a lot about you.
- (laughs) Oh, I bet. Enjoy.
- [George] Thanks.
- Dad, I'm really glad you came.
- Yeah, me too.
- Yeah. I got everything done there.
I got everything done,
everything I wanted to do.
Or did I?
Hm.
(fire crackles)
(swing music)
♪ Here's something guaranteed
to put gravy on your fries ♪
♪ And to cut that out,
it'll give you a pout ♪
♪ To look 'em in the eyes ♪
- So Anthony, do you swing,
or do you still just look the part?
♪ Think it's so damn keen ♪
♪ It's a hundred percent primo ♪
♪ We got hard one ahead ♪
(singers vocalizing)
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
(swing music)
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
(audience cheering)
♪ Walked in, straight up with my tears ♪
♪ Walked in, straight up with my tears ♪
♪ I said hey you, bartender ♪
- It's so easy to dance with you.
- You're really good.
How come you told me that
first time you didn't swing?
- I didn't. Then.
- So where'd you learn?
- Private lessons. What about you?
- My grandmother.
- (chuckles) That's, that's cool.
- Whenever I went over to her house,
she'd put on a Glenn Miller,
or a Tommy Dorsey record,
move the coffee table out
of the way and we'd swing.
- Wow.
- She always said that swing
was a metaphor for life.
I guess I grew up believing. What's wrong?
- Your grandmother.
- What about my grandmother?
- Mrs. DeLuca. What was her first name?
- Christine, like mine.
I was named after her, but
I've always been called Tina.
Anthony, are, are you okay?
(distant swing music)
- Sorry, it, it's just been
a really wild day. (chuckles)
But I'm, I'm better.
I'm better now.
Um.
I wanna show you something, Tina.
- Okay.
- Did Christine, I mean
your grandmother, uh,
did she teach you this?
(swing music distantly)
- How did you know that?
- How 'bout this one?
- Where did you learn that?
- I'll tell you the whole
story one of these days,
when we know each other better.
- What makes you so sure we're gonna
get to know each other better?
- Let's just say, I have
it on good authority.
(relaxed horns music distantly)
♪ Dreamers, sweet companion ♪
♪ Night angels of love ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Night angel ♪
♪ Night angel, yeah ♪
♪ Night angel ♪
♪ Night angel of love ♪
(lively music)
♪ Secret stash of film clips ♪
♪ You starred in every one ♪
♪ Night the rebound brings ♪
♪ Smiles to my lips, yeah ♪
♪ Though I lie alone, you know ♪
♪ My mind'll hold you near ♪
♪ Your image starts to flicker ♪
♪ In my own night show ♪
♪ You seem to float above
with angels by your side ♪
♪ Dream a sweet companion ♪
♪ Night angel of love ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Well, night angel, night angel ♪
♪ Night angel, night angel ♪
♪ Dream the sweet companion ♪
♪ Night ♪
♪ Angel ♪
♪ Of love ♪
(audience cheering)
(guitar strumming)
(slow somber music)
(stylus scraping)
(bold drumming music)
- [Radio DJ] K-A-B-L, gang
it's time to sign off,
but let me leave you with this one idea.
Have a great night and swing tomorrow.
(swing music)
♪ Swing ♪
♪ That was such a beautiful thing ♪
♪ Swing ♪
♪ A million ways ♪
♪ Check your heart across my ♪
♪ Early morning warning sign
for everyone to see, yeah ♪
♪ I had come the bad times ♪
♪ Wild horses couldn't stop me ♪
♪ Can't it be the heading at
the corner of your dirty face ♪
♪ This is not the ending ♪
♪ But the starting of the kind of wave ♪
♪ Issued with a warning
before innocence departs ♪
♪ Don't even contemplate
the sum of all these parts ♪
(hard rock music)
(swing music)
♪ Deep rhythm captivates me ♪
♪ Hot rhythm stimulates me ♪
♪ Come on swing it boy ♪
♪ Swing it brother swing ♪
♪ Don't stop to diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it brother, swing ♪
♪ I'm raring to go ♪
♪ Ain't nobody gonna hold me down ♪
♪ Come on, now listen boy ♪
♪ Hurry up and send
me, let me go to town ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on swing it, boy ♪
♪ Swing it brother, swing ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish praddle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it brother swing ♪
(singers vocalizing)
(lively swing music)
- They're really good, aren't they?
(singers vocalizing)
Hello? Is anybody there?
I said they're really good, aren't they?
- Excuse me. I was lost in the music.
- You a musician or something?
- Mm-hmm, but not swing.
I know the band.
- I'm Tina.
- Anthony.
Great outfit.
- Thanks. I designed it.
- It's, it's really cool.
I mean, you look fantastic.
- Well, Anthony, do you swing
or do you just look the part?
- I guess I just look the part.
- You don't know what you're missing.
(upbeat drumming music)
♪ Deep rhythm captivates me ♪
♪ Hot rhythm stimulates me ♪
♪ Come on, swing it, boy ♪
♪ Swing it, brother, swing ♪
♪ Don't stop the diddle daddle ♪
♪ Stop this foolish prattle ♪
♪ Come on and swing it again ♪
♪ Swing it, brother ♪
(opera music in background)
- What're you doin'?
- I'm stockin' stuff.
- I thought Pam was suppose
to do that. Where is she?
- I let her go early, she
had to take one of the kids
to the doctor.
- Doctor, yeah okay, well, you finish up
before you go anywhere.
- I, I can't, Dad, I got a gig tonight.
- Uh, Anthony, look, one of the
things assistant managers do
is take up the slack, so, uh.
- That's what I'm doing, Dad.
I'm taking up the slack.
- No, no, what you're doing
is whistling and you're writin'
chords in your notebook.
- (sighs) I'll keep stocking the stuff,
but I'm outta here at seven.
- [George] Yeah, yeah.
(Anthony sighs)
(stylus scraping)
(upbeat drumming music)
(swing music)
(Mrs. DeLuca crying out)
(Mrs. DeLuca breathing heavily)
- [Bill] For god's
sake, are you all right?
- Oh, Bill.
- Hm?
(Mrs. DeLuca groans)
- [Bill] Here, wait a minute.
- Oh no, uh, no.
Oh, I'm, I'm, I'm all right, dear.
- [Bill] You sure?
- I'm all right, dear.
- [Bill] Had nothing to
do with leaping in front...
- The one hurt thing is my pride.
- All right, oop, here we go.
You had a bad fall.
(Mrs. DeLuca cries out)
(both breathe heavily)
- Oh, goodness.
(sighs) I'll never get used to this.
- What do you mean the,
the, the nursing home?
- No, this body.
(sighs) My team said I could
still dance, but I can't.
Not with this body.
It's a prison. (sighs)
- I want you to stop talking like this.
- Whenever it happens, I
want you to make a promise.
- All right.
- Promise me one thing.
No, no, make that two.
Over there.
Over there, yeah.
- All right, all right.
Okay.
- Take them.
Cause those, those memories belong to you.
"Swing at Club Jimbo," "Live Swing."
- And the second thing.
- Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, yeah.
Oh.
- Take them, take that.
- All right. Yep.
- Yep.
- Ah, this is very sweet of you.
You, me, Freddie.
(knocking on table)
- Excuse me.
A little bird told me
that someone was up here,
swing dancing, and
that's all well and good,
but I warned you.
- Okay.
Quit the swing dancing.
I'd rather die first.
- You know what?
I can always have this turntable
taken out of your room.
- Oh, phooey.
- Nevermind, Grace. I'll
take care of that turntable.
You go on about your business.
- Me trust the two of you? (laughs)
Oh please, go take a nap.
- Hey.
- (laughs) What are you doing here?
- Happy anniversary.
- Ah. Mm.
I thought you forgot.
- There's no way I'm gonna forget that.
Come here, I got a
surprise for you. (laughs)
Okay, stop.
There it is.
- Oh. You never cease to amaze me.
(Anthony chuckles)
Come on.
- Ah. All my favorite things. (laughs)
- Wait, wait, wait. Before
we do that, tradition.
- Our quote of the year.
- That's right.
There you go.
What's it say?
- Who lives on love, lives on forever.
(both laugh)
- Mm-mm.
A toast.
- Toast.
- To another great year.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
(gentle music)
- Want me to take you back to your room?
- Oh no, not, not quite yet, dear. No.
Music's so lovely.
(gentle horns music)
Now where's that Freddie with my Rob Roy?
♪ Times lost in loving ♪
♪ Then what about today ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
♪ What about today ♪
- Yeah, I like that.
Much better.
- Yeah, much nicer.
Much better.
- Nice.
- [Anthony] Very good, guys.
- Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice.
- [Anthony] Let's take
a five minute break.
(telephone ringing)
(Valerie groans softly)
- Hello?
- Hey, Valerie, did I wake you?
- No, I had to wake up to
answer the phone anyway.
- Sorry.
Um, listen, I was just uh, you know,
wondering maybe I could uh, come over.
- No way, I'm in bed.
- [Anthony] That's the idea.
- Anthony, I have to
get up early for work.
- (sighs) You sure?
- Yes.
(Valerie sighs)
How long will it take you to get here?
- 10 minutes.
Hey guys.
Um, maybe we should just call it a night.
- What?
- Yeah.
- Where you going?
- I gotta talk to Valerie about something.
(Martha groans)
- Can I talk to Valerie about something?
- Oh, I don't want to talk
to Valerie about anything.
(insects buzzing)
- I'm ready to go.
- Oh, please.
You've been ready to go
ever since you came here.
- I miss,
I miss Freddie.
(sighs gently)
Wouldn't it be nice if we just,
all just...
(gentle music)
- If we all, yeah.
Yeah, it would be.
- You knew Mrs. DeLuca
a long time, didn't ya?
- Oh yeah. Long time.
Her, me, Freddie go back
to junior high days.
Oh, ah, Tina. Mrs. DeLuca's granddaughter.
- Mr. Verdi. Hi.
- Hi.
- By the way, the, the
pendant, the necklace.
- She gave it to me last month.
- Ah, bless her heart.
Just before she passed over.
♪ I once was lost ♪
♪ But now am found ♪
♪ Was blind ♪
- That's Mrs. DeLuca's granddaughter?
- Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
- Listen, Uncle Bill, I'll
pick you up later, okay?
- Yeah. Don't be late.
- All right.
- These places aren't fun palaces.
(guitar strums gently)
(waves crashing)
- There was traffic, and
Martha showed up late
for rehearsals, and Valerie
called and it was just...
- Yeah, yeah. I understand.
- I ended up talking,
and you know.
- Well, listen, I just
wanna say this right now.
Just stop lying.
Don't ever lie to me again.
I don't mean to lecture you.
I don't mean to be harsh with ya.
If I didn't love ya, I wouldn't say this,
but I've been lied to so
many times throughout my life
and I don't want you to end
up a liar, do you understand?
Not just lie now, I'm
talking about any time.
Okay?
- Uh, I'm sorry, Uncle Bill, you're right.
- All right.
- Come on, we should get going.
I'll help you up. It's gettin' cold out.
- Well, you think it's cold out here, huh,
hell of a lot colder in there, okay?
- [Radio DJ] We're swinging, gang.
The best of swing here on
San Francisco's K-A-B-L.
You're listening to the
Chet Reynolds swing hour.
Hey gang, come on, swing with us tonight.
That's right, tonight, at San
Francisco's famous Club Jimbo,
with the hottest bands in town.
1800 Florida, that's right, 1800 Florida.
(distant swing music)
(swing music)
- Excuse me, sir.
You'll need a tie.
- Huh?
- You'll need a tie.
- Oh, I don't even own a tie. (chuckles)
- Of course.
Here you go.
- Thanks.
It's uh, it's very uh, retro.
- Retro?
- Yeah, you know, old? 40s, 50s.
- Age is not an issue here, sir.
- Well that's not what I meant. I was uh...
- Don't worry about it, sir.
It'll be $1 to get in.
- One?
- Yes. $1 to get in.
(Anthony chuckles)
- All right, $1.
- Thank you.
- You know, I've never seen
anything quite like this before.
- We are very exclusive.
Go shake a leg. Enjoy your time with us.
(bold drumming music)
(lively swing music)
- You're up. Name your poison.
- You know, fancy place
calls for fancy drink.
- Yeah.
- I'll take a fuzzy navel.
(bartender laughs)
- That's funny, fuzzy
navel. Yeah, that's good.
No, really, what do you want to drink?
- Um, fix me anything.
You definitely look like
you know what you're doing.
- Folks say my Manhattans are pretty good.
- I've never had one, but I'd love to try.
- Great.
(swing music)
- Hey uh, that woman over
there in the red dress.
(swing music)
She really knows how to dance.
- That too. (laughs)
It's a buck.
- A buck?
- A buck.
- You know, I don't know how you guys
get away with these price.
- Yeah, I know. And the boss
just raised 'em, go figure.
- There you go.
- Hey, thanks.
(cash register rings)
Thank you very much. (chuckles)
Who's your barber?
(swing music builds)
(audience cheering)
- So, can I join you?
- Sure.
- Great.
Do you like swing?
- Uh, I dunno how.
- You didn't answer my question.
- I love the music.
(chuckles) It's awesome.
- I could teach you.
- I'd feel like a fool in front of them.
- Nonsense, it's all about practice.
And practice yields
nothing but good results.
Come on.
(relaxed swing music)
(Anthony chuckles)
Come on.
(relaxed swing music)
Your palms are always up.
- Okay.
- And, we're gonna take
a step to the left.
Left touch.
- Left touch.
- Right touch.
- Right.
- [Both] Back.
- Forwards.
- Okay.
- Left touch.
- [Both] Right touch.
- Rock back.
Good.
Left. Don't go too far from me.
- Okay.
- Rock back.
- I feel like everyone's looking at me.
- No, it isn't everyone.
- Okay.
- Just me.
So, we were talking about you and me
and a little bit of dancing.
Just a few lessons, and who knows.
(swing music)
- Whoa. (chuckles)
(swing music)
What's your name?
- Christine.
- Christine?
- Yes.
- Thanks, Christine.
- Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey. Wait.
Come back here. The
lesson isn't finished yet.
I want you to leave here
just hooked on swing.
- Okay. (chuckles)
- Just feel that pressure between us,
that's how you're gonna maneuver me.
It's gonna be in this hand.
Just relax, you're all stiff.
Left, right, left, left.
You have a good sense of rhythm.
- Yeah, I like music. (chuckles)
(swing music)
(audience applauding)
- That's my cue.
So, shall we continue this uh...
- Tomorrow.
- Next week?
Same time, same place?
And wear your own tie.
- Ah.
- That'd be my job.
- No problem.
- You looked uh, very solid out there.
- It's that Christine.
Whoo, she's a great teacher.
- Mm-hmm.
- Oh yeah (chuckles), the tie.
That band, it's like some kinda
all-star band or something.
It's unbelievable.
I had a great time.
- That's why we're here.
- Ciao.
- Arrivederci.
(gentle music)
(Anthony sighs)
(gentle music)
(Anthony harmonizing)
(Anthony chuckles)
(Grace vocalizing)
♪ I got a man who's always late ♪
♪ Every time he makes a date ♪
♪ But I love him ♪
♪ Yes, I love him ♪
♪ I'm gonna walk up to his gate ♪
♪ See if I can't set him straight ♪
♪ 'Cause I want him ♪
♪ Oh yes, I want him ♪
♪ Well, is you is or
is you ain't my baby ♪
♪ The way you actin'
lately makes me doubt ♪
♪ Well, is you still my baby, baby, baby ♪
♪ Or has the flame in your
heart for me done gone out ♪
♪ Get lost ♪
♪ Well a man is a creature
who has always been strange ♪
♪ Just when you find one ♪
Ow!
♪ You go and find that he done changed ♪
♪ Well is you still my baby, baby ♪
♪ Or have you gone and
found somebody new. ♪
♪ Oh yes, mama's baby's
still my baby too ♪
Oh stop.
(audience applauding)
- Oh.
- Oh, I love you Josephine.
- Anthony, Anthony, it was
good of you to drop by again.
Incidentally on your way out, at the desk
is a big box of records that
Mrs. DeLuca wanted you to have.
It's swing, big band, and uh, jazz.
- Shouldn't you keep those, Uncle Bill?
- No, no. I want you to have 'em.
But take care of 'em because
they're rare, you know.
They, they're just
outta print a long time,
and be very careful with 'em.
- She really would want me to have 'em?
- Shoot, I would've said if...
- Wow.
- She didn't want you
to have 'em.
- I, I don't know what to say.
- You don't have to say anything.
- Two, three, four.
Wait, I gotta laugh.
(all laugh)
Okay, okay. Here we go.
Two, three, four.
- Let me, we're on let me.
- Okay, here we go.
- Okay, concentrate.
Where are ya?
- [Both] Two, three, four.
♪ Let me see you ♪
♪ Let me know ♪
♪ Let me feel you ♪
♪ Ooh, let it go ♪
- Like that. I like that.
- Nice. Lovely.
One, two, three, four.
♪ Let me feel ♪
- Hello?
- Feel.
- You guys ever been to a swing
club called uh, Club Jimbo?
- Well uh, I know of a Club Jumbo.
- I think that...
- And?
- Um, this place is unbelievable.
Has a great band, great swing music.
The dancers, they're all
dressed in vintage 1940s.
- Swing? Too hetero.
- I got a great teacher down there too.
She's teaching me to swing dance.
(Valerie chuckles)
(opera music in background)
- As part of the agenda tonight,
I've been looking at the calendar,
and I think we should finally set a date.
- Okay.
- Well, I was thinking that October 22nd
on the 11th year of our
anniversary of our first kiss.
(both chuckle)
- It's perfect.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah. (laughs)
I'll be finished with school
and I'll make all the preparations,
and you just have to show up.
- Done.
- (laughs) Well, that was easy.
I'm not hungry anymore.
- You don't like it?
- Dessert?
- Upstairs.
(gentle orchestral music)
(swing music)
(audience cheering)
(Anthony whistling)
Oh hello, Mrs. Wall.
You look like you're ready to go dancing.
- My son's taking me to Home Depot.
- Oh, that's great. That's great.
- I understand it's a great
place to meet single men
who are handy.
- Uncle Bill, are you ready to go?
- Yeah.
- Come on, let me help you up here.
(Bill groans)
- She's been here since she was 40.
- You know, I wish we
could spend some more time
like this together, but Dad,
he's got me working at
the store all the time.
- Boy, tell me. I wish he'd
say goodbye to that apron.
Well, let me tell you this,
you know, regardless of race,
color, creed, black,
white, yellow, red, brown,
we're all visitors.
We're just passing through. Okay?
So don't blow the visit.
- You what I have been doing lately?
- No.
- I've been learning how to swing dance.
- Oh yeah. (chuckles) Where?
- I found this really cool
place. It's called Club Jimbo.
- Club Jimbo, gosh I
remember that after the war,
down by those two big warehouses.
Why, you rascal.
I'll have to sneak down
there one of these days.
(cash register ringing)
- Uh.
- Hey, Dad.
- Where you been?
- Sorry about that, there
was just a lotta traffic.
- Well I don't want no traffic report.
I wanted you here an hour ago.
You're gonna work late tonight.
- [Anthony] (sighs) But Dad...
- No, no, no buts. No buts.
This is your real job,
kiddo. Store comes first.
- (sighs) I gotta be somewhere by 11.
- (laughs) What happens
if you're not there by 11?
You turn into a pumpkin?
(telephone ringing)
Go on, now, replace Pam.
Pam, he's here. Go home.
Fans will understand.
Believe me.
(relaxed jazz music)
(sparse half-hearted applause)
- Nice.
- Do you have any idea how hard it is
for just a drum and a
bass to play your music?
- My father...
- Oh, don't go there.
- Look, I'm sorry. It
won't happen again, guys.
- Not here, anyway.
- Let's give 'em a show.
- One, two.
(relaxed music)
♪ Let me see you ♪
♪ Let me know ♪
♪ Let me feel you ♪
♪ Ooh, let it go ♪
(distant swing music)
- Hey, how you doin'?
- I'm doing well, sir. Thank you.
- $1.
- Thank you.
- I love this place.
Hey, I got my own tie this time too.
- Very nice, very nice, sir.
Anthony, right?
- Yeah.
- Christine's been asking about you.
(Anthony chuckles)
- Oh, I got a friend
that's gonna be coming down
to meet me later.
Just show him where I'm at, okay?
- You told someone about the club?
- Yeah.
(audience applauding)
- Okay. Have a good time.
Christine's right over there.
- All right.
- What's your next assignment gonna be?
- I don't know. This is
my first one, you know.
So, I'm just really inexperienced
and I'm enjoying it.
What about you?
- I don't know.
I've done hundreds, but I gotta tell you,
this has gotta be my favorite.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Hey kid, how's it going?
- Hey.
- Hey, Anthony.
- Hi.
- I'm just catching up
with my buddies here.
This is Joe, Anthony.
He's the greatest trumpet
player you'll ever hear.
- Anthony.
Nice to meet ya kid.
- Joe.
- This is the band. The big
boss, the gang. (chuckles)
- [Anthony] Hey guys.
- Hi, how you doin', son?
- Good, good. Thanks.
- So, how's my star pupil?
- I've been practicing.
- Now, why doesn't that surprise me?
(both laugh)
Let's see.
- Check this out.
(feet shuffling)
- Wonderful.
Oh, it's great to see you smile, Anthony.
- Music, it makes me smile.
- [Christine] What is it about music?
- I'll tell you what it is.
It's playing in front of an audience,
and everyone's right
there in front of you and,
and you just connect all of a sudden.
- Anthony, I'm Freddie.
- [Anthony] Hey, Freddie.
- Hey, both of you.
- (chuckles) You got some cool threads.
- Hm.
- What vintage store do you go to?
- Vintage store?
- [Anthony] Yeah, uh, you know,
where do you buy your clothes?
- Well, Hale Brothers
on Market's always good.
- See ya.
- Hale Brothers.
Hey, see ya guys.
- First you show up
late to the gig tonight,
and then you gave me the wrong address.
I mean, what's going on?
- [Anthony] What are you talking about?
- 1800 Florida Street does not exist.
I saw your car.
- I was there.
- There was no there there, Anthony.
It's just a bunch of
boarded up warehouses.
Martha said I could crash here tonight.
So, buenas noches. (sighs)
(Anthony sighs)
- What is that smell?
- What?
- It's you.
- Oh. (laughs) It's my teacher.
- Reminds me of my grandmother.
- Hey, Christine's nowhere
near a grandmother.
(relaxing music)
(telephone rings)
(Valerie sighs)
- Hello?
- Valerie.
- (sighs) You have to stop doing this.
- Okay, okay.
Uh, listen.
This Saturday night, we're
gonna go swing dancing.
- Swing dancing?
You're kidding, right?
- We'll go to some vintage
store Saturday afternoon.
This guy told about this great
place called Hale Brothers.
- Hale Brothers? I think
they closed years ago.
- Well, we'll go to some
cool places on the Haight.
So I'll see you this Saturday, okay?
- Oh, sleep, I need to sleep.
- [Anthony] Love you.
- Same, same.
(hard rock music in headphones)
- Anthony?
What if a customer wants something?
- There's no one in the store, Dad.
- That's not the point.
- Come on Pop, you listen to
music in here all the time.
- I listen to real music, Anthony.
These guys are geniuses.
Sal, (speaking foreign language).
(opera music)
(Sal speaking foreign language)
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- Do we still have those display pins?
- Uh, middle desk drawer.
- Thanks.
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- This place looks interesting.
Oh, I like that one over there.
(upbeat classic jazz music)
- Excuse me. Do you guys have a bathroom?
- Yeah, it's through the
hall, second door on the left.
- I hope you found something you like.
- I did. (laughs)
- I'll bet that's perfect on you.
- Oh, I really like it.
- It'll look lovely.
- Thank you.
- Hm, there goes another
one of my favorites.
- Ha-ha.
Wow. Oh, how lovely.
- That's very lovely.
- Mm, no, it's too vintage.
(swing music)
♪ Jellyroll ♪
♪ Jellyroll's so hard to find ♪
♪ Ain't a bakery in town's got
a sweet jellyroll like mine ♪
♪ Jellyroll ♪
♪ My sweet potato pie ♪
♪ Ain't a chef around that
knows how to make you sigh ♪
♪ Now if you haven't any money ♪
♪ Try not to lose your mind ♪
- Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
- It's gonna be great.
You look totally hot.
Just, just follow me.
♪ Ain't no bakery in town's got
a sweet jellyroll like mine ♪
- They're all so good.
I don't know the first
thing about swing dancing.
- We used to go dancing all
the time, Val, remember?
- Yeah. (laughs)
Okay. Let's do it.
(swing music)
Oh!
- Are you okay?
- Yeah. (laughs)
- My necklace.
Thanks, I'd really hate to lose this.
- No problem.
(singer vocalizing)
- So who's that? She looks kinda familiar.
- Her name's Tina.
I met her at a funeral
I took Uncle Bill to.
I guess she likes swing.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- God.
- Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Look, Tina obviously
knows what she's doing.
Why don't you go dance with her?
- (sighs) Valerie, I'm
here to dance with you.
- You know I didn't
wanna do this, Anthony.
Why don't we just go home and be alone?
Not all these people around.
- Val, come on.
- I don't think so.
(Valerie sighs)
Are you taking me home
or should I call a cab?
♪ Now if you have a lotta money ♪
♪ Try not to lose your mind ♪
♪ But if you haven't any jellyroll ♪
- Goodnight, Anthony.
- Ciao, ciao.
- Dad, I'm gonna take
off too, I'm wiped out.
- Are you on drugs, Anthony?
- What?
- You're just not here.
- Dad, I'm not on drugs. (sighs)
It's getting harder and
harder to pretend, Dad.
I've been trying to tell
you for a long time now
that groceries aren't gonna be my life.
But it's like, I feel like
you don't listen to me.
- Is this about music again?
'Cause, how many times
do I have to tell you
music is not a career.
- What do you know about being a musician?
- My father was a musician.
He drank himself to death.
My mom had to raise me and
my sister alone. Capeesh?
- Dad, I know the whole story by heart.
But I'm Anthony Verdi.
I'm not, I'm not your
father, Joe, and I'm not you.
- (sighs) This grocery business
has been so good to us.
It's security, security. Do
you understand, security?
Security.
- You and I disagree about
the meaning of security.
To you, it's financial security.
- Yes
- It's financial,
it's knowing where the
next buck's coming from.
It's, it's knowing that there's
gonna be food on the table.
And I can respect that Dad, I really can.
And I appreciate that you've always
taken care of me that way.
But to me, it's, it's
different. It's something else.
It's, it's about being grounded,
grounded in doing something I love, music.
I love music, Dad.
And I don't need a lotta
stuff, I just need music.
And I know if I give into that,
if I put my heart into that,
everything else will come.
- You love Valerie. Marry
Valerie, have a family.
You have something to hang on to.
- What if I don't get
married to Valerie, Dad?
- Did you find someone else?
That uh, the roommate of
yours, I thought she was uh...
- No, she's my friend.
You know what? She also
makes a living as a musician.
- I don't get your life at all.
- You don't need to, Dad. It's my life.
(gentle guitar music)
♪ Before there was yearning ♪
♪ Before there was you ♪
♪ Before I started learning ♪
♪ How lies become true ♪
♪ Time's lost and I feel the ♪
- What a cutie, too.
Wouldn't you know it, he's engaged.
- He is?
The good ones are always taken.
- You're not.
And I'm sure the perfect
one will find you,
when the time is right.
♪ Wasting ♪
♪ What about today ♪
♪ Where ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
(audience applauding)
- Thank you, Anthony, for finally coming.
- Josephine.
Okay, Josephine.
(laughs) Excuse us.
Hi, Bill.
- Grace, this is Anthony.
- Oh, take a nap.
Listen, Anthony, you are
one talented young man.
- Thanks.
- And I know what I'm
talking about here, okay?
Now, my brother, my little
brother, he owns this nightclub,
and I am going to tell
him how good you are.
So, you call him. Okay?
Josephine, put down that hammer.
- I can't tell whether
she's a nurse or a patient.
Oh, by the way uh, before
you go down to the store,
I shouldn't point, but
Tina, Tina's over there.
Take a look over there, yeah.
She'd certainly like to see ya,
and I would hope that
you would like to see her
before you go down there
and put that apron on.
(Anthony sighs)
Hm?
- Yeah, definitely.
I should get going.
Tina.
Hi.
- Hi.
- Are you following me
around or something?
- I think you're following me.
(gentle music)
- Ah, that means I'm gonna have to uh,
change all the paperwork,
you know, checks, stationary.
Yes, I think, Verdi and
Son. How's that sound?
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Hm-mm.
- Hello, Pete. Uh, this is Anthony Verdi.
I know your sister, Grace,
through my Uncle Bill
at the nursing home.
- Grace told me I'd hear from you.
So, I hear you got a band.
- Well, I was just wondering
if I could drop off a CD
and some material.
- How 'bout Friday night?
- Yeah, I could come by Friday night.
- Oh, no, no, no. I mean for a gig.
- A gig?
- Yeah. My regular Friday night
canceled, so tell you what.
Eight to 11, 300 bucks. What do you say?
- 300 bucks, eight to 11.
- Friday night.
(Anthony chuckles)
- Verdi and Son, big sign
out in front of the store.
Okay, bye.
(George speaking foreign language)
(swing music)
- Five, six, seven, eight.
Rock back, one, two,
one, two, three, four.
Kick and dip me.
- Now, dip you.
Okay.
- Now, bring me in, like this.
Now, take me out.
- Okay.
- Bring me in.
- Like that?
- Tuh, tuh.
- (laughs) That was cool.
You just go, tuh, tuh.
Like that?
- That's it.
- That's cool.
- You're learning so fast.
(swing music swells)
- [Anthony] Let's go get a drink.
- Yes.
- Come on.
(Christine sighs)
- I hope our time together
has been helpful to you.
- More than I can say.
- There's more to me than meets the eye.
- I wanna get to know that part too.
I've never met anyone like you before.
- I don't imagine you have.
- Does the age thing bother you?
- Age means nothing.
- Freddie.
- Christine, got a moment?
- [Christine] Yes.
- Oh, you know what?
Hale Brothers on Market, they closed down.
- I'm sorry to hear that. Christine?
- Be right back.
- He's getting attached to you.
- (sighs) Well, he's a sweet boy.
- Mm-hmm.
- He's harmless.
- Yeah?
- It's all very innocent, Freddie.
- Not from where I'm standing.
Just keep it on track, and
I'll check in with you later?
- Okay.
But I am new at this, remember?
- It's a fine line here
and you're doing great.
And I always loved that dress.
- Well, I didn't know that guy anywhere.
What? Geez.
- Uncle Bill.
- What, what...
- What're you doin' here?
- Well I, I came here
to talk about your dad.
You know, I'm on your
side and he went, what?
- Okay, okay.
I, I, that's great, but why
don't we talk about it outside?
- No more secrets, all right?
I wanna tell you about your Grandpa Joe.
Boy, could he play a great
trumpet. Oh, what a horn.
Yeah, he could've been a big, big star.
I'll tell you how big he could've been.
Ray Noble, the big band leader,
he's the guy that offered
him, well, top trumpeter,
you know, to come out on gigs
all over the United States.
And then your grandma, well,
she shut the door on him.
No, she said, "Joe, come home."
He came home.
Yeah, played places like
the Kiwanis and (chuckles).
- You know, Dad never
told me any of that stuff.
He just said that, that
Grandpa Joe, you know,
fooled around in his spare time.
- Well, you remind me a lot
of Joe, as a matter of fact.
Except for his drinking.
He drank a lot. And you know
the reason probably yourself.
A lot of people drink
'cause they're unhappy.
Sad.
- Hey uh, Uncle Bill?
- Mm?
- I wanna say uh, I wanna say thank you.
You know, thanks for being you,
and tell you that I love you.
- Well, I love you.
(mellow guitar music)
- One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
- Okay. And what do we have here?
- I'm practicing my swing moves.
- The dance known as swing, as I recall,
requires a partner, last time I checked.
- You arrived just in time.
Come on.
- No, no, no, no.
- Anthony, Anthony.
- Yes, yes, yes.
- Anthony, I do not do the guy-girl thing,
even with my handsome roommate.
And especially not swing.
My style is slow, breast to breast.
- Come on, Martha, that's ridiculous.
- No, I'm not interested.
- I won't tell any of your girlfriends.
(Martha scoffs)
Just humor me a little bit.
- No.
- (snaps) I'll clean the bathroom.
- No fair.
Okay.
- Okay.
- Okay.
- No, I'm leading.
- No.
- You got, yes. You're up top.
You ready?
- One time, you lead.
- I'm leading this dance, baby.
- All right.
- Okay now,
you're gonna start on your
right, I start on my left.
- Okay then.
- Just, just follow me.
Just, just watch me, okay?
- Okay, all right. Yeah.
- One, two, dah, dah,
rock back.
- Okay, back.
- Dah, dah, dah. You
ready for the big move?
- What's the big move?
- It's the dip.
- Oh my god, no!
(Anthony groans)
(fingers tapping)
- Hi.
- Hey, I was just about to call you.
- I miss you.
- I miss you too.
Hey, you know what? I wrote a new song.
I can't wait to play it for you.
- Well um, I have class
tonight. Maybe over the weekend?
- Uh, no problem.
You can uh, you can hear
it at the gig Friday night.
- (sighs) Anthony, I, I
have another call coming.
I gotta go, bye.
(computer keys clacking)
- You know, my harpist
friend from Julliard
told me that her guru said
that it's really good karma
to do menial tasks.
It, it, it helps keep the
creative process flowing.
You know, like, write a
song, clean the bathroom.
(audience cheering)
(swing music)
(audience cheering)
- What a lovely surprise.
Oh, do you remember Freddie?
- Of course. How you doing?
- Mm, it's so great
dancing with this woman.
(Freddie and Christine laugh)
- Christine, I was hoping that we could...
- Oh, well if you wanted to dance,
I'm afraid I'm all tapped out,
but we could sit and talk for a while.
- That would be great.
- Freddie.
- Mm-hmm?
- Thank you. It was wonderful.
- No, thank you.
Till next time?
- It'll seem like an eternity.
- This uh, this may sound
crazy and all, but I uh,
I wrote a song for you.
You inspire me.
(Christine chuckles)
You're my angel.
- Yes I am.
(Christine laughs)
I'm moved beyond words.
No one's ever written a song for me.
Ah. I have something for you.
(Anthony sighs)
It looks like an ordinary
stone, doesn't it?
Inside, it's a diamond.
Rare, valuable,
beautiful, like you.
You just have to believe.
Do you believe?
- Yeah, I believe.
Thank you.
- And now we have a
wonderful tune for you.
"Alexander's Ragtime Band,"
featuring our trumpet player, Joe.
Come on out, Joe.
(audience applauding)
(swing music)
(audience applauding)
- Ah, I still got it, huh, Freddie?
- You're smoking tonight, Joe.
You know, I ran into this
young cat named Miles.
He wanted me to show you something, hm?
- Don't hurt yourself, Freddie.
(trumpet sputtering)
- I'm just the messenger.
- You're ready to swing on your own.
- But I wanna keep dancing with you.
Can we go somewhere else and dance?
I know some salsa. I'll,
I'll teach you salsa.
- Yeah?
- Yeah. Or uh, you haven't
even heard me play yet.
You have to come to one of
my gigs. You'll love it.
- Anthony, it's been a pleasure.
And as I see it, pleasure's number one.
(Anthony chuckles nervously)
- Well, if it's been such
a pleasure then, why stop?
- It's time. One day you'll understand.
Swing is a metaphor for life.
It requires skill and
coordination, practice,
and passion.
- Passion. I got the passion.
- Forget about dancing with me.
You have important things
to get on with out there.
- But, (sighs)
don't you feel this too?
You must.
I think I'm falling in love.
(snare drum music)
- Ladies and gentlemen,
it is time, once again,
for the Club Jimbo dance contest.
(audience applauding)
(swing music)
- [Crowd] Whoo!
(swing music)
(distant electric guitar music)
- [Christine] It's a
gift, be grateful for it.
- [Tina] You don't know
what you're missing.
- Hi.
- Thanks for being you.
- [George] Security, security.
You understand security?
- [Christine] You have important things
to get on with out there.
- We're all visitors.
So don't blow the visit.
- [Valerie] All this energy
needs to be put into your life,
and getting it together.
- [Christine] One day you'll understand.
- [Doorman] Arrivederci.
(wind whipping)
(slow haunting music)
(Anthony muttering quietly)
- This is it.
"Live swing, from San
Francisco's Famous Club Jimbo."
Oh man.
- Well, I finally got a decent hand.
Okay, you remember deuces wild.
There's four threes, right there.
- Deuces wild? We're not playing poker.
- I thought we were.
- No, we weren't playing poker...
- Are you gonna change it again?
You know, every time we,
we sit down to play cards,
you have to change it,
and you don't remember...
- We're not, we, we
didn't start out that way.
- Wait a minute, dear.
- What do you wanna play?
- Wait a minute, dear.
You know, you've had a
little power failure up here.
- Yeah well...
- And, the electricity...
- There's a lot of that going around.
- Tell me, and you've got a lot of it.
- Yeah, well, you've got more.
- A lot of elect,
well, a lot of electricity
has been turned off.
- Yeah, but I'm not, we're playing rummy,
and you're playing poker, so...
- All right, all right,
all right.
- Who's powerless now?
- Give me your cards.
- Hi, Mrs. Wall, Uncle Bill.
- Hi, how are ya?
- Hello, dear.
- I'm all right.
- You, you, you look so
pretty, but, fix your tie.
- Oh, yeah it's...
Uh, Uncle Bill, I gotta
ask ya a quick question.
Um, this record here,
I got this out of uh,
that box Mrs. DeLuca gave you.
- Mm-hmm.
- Is this the same Club
Jimbo you remember?
- Hm, sure is.
"Live Swing, from San
Francisco's Famous Club Jimbo."
Dear, would you give me
the glass over there?
- Sure.
- I wanna take a look
at the back here.
No dear, not, not that
glass. Take that back.
Give me the magnifying glass.
All right, let me see here. Oh, look here.
Here's Christine down here.
- Right there?
- Yep. And here, here I am, right there.
And there's your Grandpa Joe. (chuckles)
- That's, that's Grandpa Joe?
- Boy, look how clean we looked.
You know, we were all so doggone young.
You wanna play some cards?
- Uh, no, no, Uncle Bill, I'm
not gonna play cards today.
- That's all right, we could sure a,
a third, but...
- Okay, it's your turn.
- What is it my turn again?
- Yeah. Do something.
(waves crashing)
- Do you believe in angels?
- Yes.
- Just like that?
- You know me.
I need to believe that there is
something or someone out
there who believes in me.
Do you?
- I do now.
Hey Pam, you, you can get outta here.
I'm gonna take over.
- Oh, thank you, Anthony.
- Sure.
- My poor husband's been
watching the kids all day.
He's exhausted.
But I uh, I thought you had a gig tonight?
- I do. I wonder what's
keeping Tom so long.
- Oh uh, Tom's not coming
back till tomorrow.
- What do you mean?
- Okay.
- Oh man, not till tomorrow.
Oh, Sal, do I need your help right now.
- Ah, Anthony.
I got a date tonight.
You'll be all right.
- Another date?
- Young man, I am in a hurry.
(horns music)
♪ Yesterday passed with me ♪
♪ Days when you loved me ♪
♪ Yesterday holds firmly ♪
♪ I'm no longer free ♪
- I have to tell you, your hunch paid off.
- Told you.
♪ Time's lost in the villa ♪
♪ What about today ♪
♪ Where is today ♪
♪ What about today ♪
(audience cheering)
- Anthony, got a moment?
- Yeah, Pete.
- Sweet sound.
- Hey, thanks a lot.
- Yeah. Just wanted to tell
you that. I love your sound.
- Thank you very much,
uh, keep us in mind.
- I can do better than that.
Regular Friday night gig.
What do you think? Work for you?
- Heck yeah.
- Works for me.
- Thank you very much.
Yes.
- [Martha] That is so great.
Finally, finally.
- Martha sandwich!
(all laughing)
- What the hell was that
all about last night?
You make a mess, you walk out
on a store full of customers.
- Stop.
- I spent a lotta years,
a lotta hard labor
building up a reputation for quality...
- Dad, Dad.
- And service.
We got people coming in here...
- I quit, Dad, I quit.
- Whoa, whoa. What are you talking about?
- I know how important
the store is to you,
and I know that you want me
to follow in your footsteps.
We don't wear the same shoes, Dad.
- Course we do. We both wear size 10.
And we're gonna have Verdi and Son Grocers
right up out in front there.
You're my partner.
- Dad, don't do this.
Please don't do this.
I just ask you to believe in me.
Have faith in me.
(computer keys clacking)
- I'm sorry, baby, I'm really busy.
I would love to come, but I can't.
But, tell everyone that I
said hi, including Martha.
(computer keys clacking)
- Valerie, can you stop
typing for a minute?
- Sure, sweetie.
- I can't go through with the wedding.
- But I already booked the caterer.
Oh my god.
You're not kidding?
Why?
- It's time for me to stop trying to be
what everybody wants me to be.
I need to be who I am.
- And who are you?
- A musician.
- Oh, god.
Yeah, but you have to make a living.
- I can.
I will.
- How do you know your
music is good enough?
- (scoffs) This is classic.
This is where I walk out.
- No, Anthony.
I don't want you to pursue a fantasy.
- The fantasy is you thinking that,
by ignoring my music it'll go away.
- And you think this is really
the kind of life you want?
(Anthony sighs)
- I'm sorry, Val.
I love you, Val. I'll always love you.
(Val shuddering)
- This doesn't belong to me anymore.
Is there someone else?
- I've just been learning to swing dance.
(bell dinging)
- I'm sorry, we're closed.
- Come on George, you know
me. It's your Uncle Bill.
- This better be good.
- George, I'm here, not
because of the store,
I'm not here because of
you, I'm here for Anthony.
♪ Thoughts of you sneak up on me ♪
♪ Like a thief tiptoes in the night ♪
♪ On a crowded boulevard ♪
♪ I steal a glance at someone ♪
♪ Who at first looks identical to you ♪
♪ My heart's behind its locked door ♪
♪ Bound to be free once more ♪
♪ But it's all hypothetical to me ♪
(audience applauding)
(single person claps)
- Dad, what are you doing here?
(George sighs)
- Well uh, you got time to sit down?
- Yeah, sure.
- So, I came here to hear
that great band of yours.
That's a real good-sounding band.
- Yeah, thanks.
- Who wrote that last tune you just sang?
That's beautiful. I
never heard that before.
- Um, I did. I wrote it.
- Really?
- Yeah, really.
- Ooh, where have I been?
- [Martha] Um, can I
talk to you for a minute?
- Yeah uh, Martha uh, I
want you to meet my father.
- Martha.
- Hi!
- Yeah.
Good to meet you, finally.
- Martha is my band mate,
my roommate, and one
of my greatest friends.
- Yeah, I've heard a lot about you.
- (laughs) Oh, I bet. Enjoy.
- [George] Thanks.
- Dad, I'm really glad you came.
- Yeah, me too.
- Yeah. I got everything done there.
I got everything done,
everything I wanted to do.
Or did I?
Hm.
(fire crackles)
(swing music)
♪ Here's something guaranteed
to put gravy on your fries ♪
♪ And to cut that out,
it'll give you a pout ♪
♪ To look 'em in the eyes ♪
- So Anthony, do you swing,
or do you still just look the part?
♪ Think it's so damn keen ♪
♪ It's a hundred percent primo ♪
♪ We got hard one ahead ♪
(singers vocalizing)
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
(swing music)
♪ Dig this hardboiled hep ♪
(audience cheering)
♪ Walked in, straight up with my tears ♪
♪ Walked in, straight up with my tears ♪
♪ I said hey you, bartender ♪
- It's so easy to dance with you.
- You're really good.
How come you told me that
first time you didn't swing?
- I didn't. Then.
- So where'd you learn?
- Private lessons. What about you?
- My grandmother.
- (chuckles) That's, that's cool.
- Whenever I went over to her house,
she'd put on a Glenn Miller,
or a Tommy Dorsey record,
move the coffee table out
of the way and we'd swing.
- Wow.
- She always said that swing
was a metaphor for life.
I guess I grew up believing. What's wrong?
- Your grandmother.
- What about my grandmother?
- Mrs. DeLuca. What was her first name?
- Christine, like mine.
I was named after her, but
I've always been called Tina.
Anthony, are, are you okay?
(distant swing music)
- Sorry, it, it's just been
a really wild day. (chuckles)
But I'm, I'm better.
I'm better now.
Um.
I wanna show you something, Tina.
- Okay.
- Did Christine, I mean
your grandmother, uh,
did she teach you this?
(swing music distantly)
- How did you know that?
- How 'bout this one?
- Where did you learn that?
- I'll tell you the whole
story one of these days,
when we know each other better.
- What makes you so sure we're gonna
get to know each other better?
- Let's just say, I have
it on good authority.
(relaxed horns music distantly)
♪ Dreamers, sweet companion ♪
♪ Night angels of love ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
♪ Night angel ♪
♪ Night angel, yeah ♪
♪ Night angel ♪
♪ Night angel of love ♪
(lively music)
♪ Secret stash of film clips ♪
♪ You starred in every one ♪
♪ Night the rebound brings ♪
♪ Smiles to my lips, yeah ♪
♪ Though I lie alone, you know ♪
♪ My mind'll hold you near ♪
♪ Your image starts to flicker ♪
♪ In my own night show ♪
♪ You seem to float above
with angels by your side ♪
♪ Dream a sweet companion ♪
♪ Night angel of love ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Well, night angel, night angel ♪
♪ Night angel, night angel ♪
♪ Dream the sweet companion ♪
♪ Night ♪
♪ Angel ♪
♪ Of love ♪
(audience cheering)
(guitar strumming)
(slow somber music)
(stylus scraping)
(bold drumming music)
- [Radio DJ] K-A-B-L, gang
it's time to sign off,
but let me leave you with this one idea.
Have a great night and swing tomorrow.
(swing music)
♪ Swing ♪
♪ That was such a beautiful thing ♪
♪ Swing ♪
♪ A million ways ♪
♪ Check your heart across my ♪
♪ Early morning warning sign
for everyone to see, yeah ♪
♪ I had come the bad times ♪
♪ Wild horses couldn't stop me ♪
♪ Can't it be the heading at
the corner of your dirty face ♪
♪ This is not the ending ♪
♪ But the starting of the kind of wave ♪
♪ Issued with a warning
before innocence departs ♪
♪ Don't even contemplate
the sum of all these parts ♪
(hard rock music)