Tap (1989) - full transcript
Max Washington has just been released from prison after serving time for burglary. He returns to his old hangout, a hoofer (tap-dancer) club. His former girlfriend Amy, who still works at the club as a tap instructor, is less than thrilled to see him. Her father, Little Mo, is happy to see him, because he has plans for a show involving Max. In addition, Max's old partners in crime have another job they want him to do.
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
And now, from the Ed Sullivan
Theater on Broadway,
join Ed and his guests:
Patti Page,
Topo Gigio the Italian Mouse,
8-year-old tap-dancing
sensation Max Washington,
the Balinese Ballet Company
and the Flying Wallendas.
But first,
a word from our sponsor.
[APPLAUSE]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
MAN:
Five minutes, Mr. Washington.
Your boy's on in five minutes.
WASHINGTON:
Yeah, all right.
You ready, son?
BOY:
I'm scared, Daddy.
Aw, don't be scared, son.
There ain't nothing
to be scared of.
Don't worry about the lights
or the people or anything.
All you gotta do
is follow that music
and listen for the rhythm.
Now, what did I say?
Listen for the rhythm.
[CHUCKLING]
That's right.
Listen for the rhythm.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Now, you repeat it again.
Listen for the rhythm.
Oh, you got it,
little man.
Listen for the rhythm.
[WATER DRIPPING]
[EXHALES]
[SCATTING SOFTLY]
Shoo-bop.
Hey.
Shoo-bop,
ya danjajigger.
Shoo-wop,
zha zha zhang.
Zoo-wop.
Zoo-wop.
Doo-wop.
[HEEL CLINKS]
Hey.
Boom bop.
[SHOES CLINKING LOUDLY
ON WOOD PLATFORM]
[TAPPING ECHOING]
MAN: Damn, Washington!
Will you cool it
with all that noise?
MAN 2:
Why don't you shut up?
MAN 2:
Tryin' to sleep!
MAN 3:
Do it in the yard, man!
Hey, Washington,
give us a break, will ya?
MAN:
Washington, chill out, man!
[MEN CLAMORING]
MAN 2:
Shut up!
MAN 3:
Let the man dance!
MAN 4:
Sounds great.
[CLAMORING FADES]
[PANTING]
MAN 5:
Yeah!
MAN 6:
Yeah, do it, Washington!
MAN 7:
That sounds good, baby.
Take it home!
MAN 8:
Come on, knock it off,
Washington!
I heard enough of this.
Don't give me no shit, man!
[CLAMORING RESUMES]
[♪]
[HORN HONKING]
[TAPPING]
All right, grand theft,
two years.
Ah, extended vacation, huh?
Assault and battery
on a prison guard.
What do we got,
a bad temper there?
Is that our problem?
Punching out a prison guard.
That was smart.
Are we still mad?
Hmm?
We got ourself
under control yet?
I mean, we're not gonna pull
that shit in this office,
are we?
Whatever we say.
All right, so we got an address.
We got any physical problems?
No.
We got employment?
Nope.
We got any skills, hmm?
Can we do anything?
No.
Ah, you're just gonna go
back on the street
with all your goofball friends,
isn't that right?
[CHUCKLES]
I'll get a job.
Nah.
You got a job.
[CHUCKLES]
[DISHES CLATTERING]
Hey, Washington.
Someone to see you.
And bring up some garbage
while you're at it.
And make it quick.
[CAT SCREECHING]
Maxie.
Howie.
Maxie.
[CHUCKLES]
Where have you been? I've been
looking all over town for ya.
Yeah...
Hey.
Come on, Howie.
What is this?
Howie--
No, no, this is very,
very nice.
What have
they got you in?
Come on, man,
the parole board.
I gotta play the game
with 'em for a little while.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Listen, Francis knows
you're out.
He's blaming me
for not finding ya.
Now, he's having a big thing
at his house tonight.
He wants you to come.
Can you make it?
MAN: Washington, let's go!
Yeah, all right.
I'll get in touch
with him.
You gotta be there, Maxie.
Otherwise, Francis is gonna take
one of those limos of his
and stick it
right up my ass.
[CHUCKLING]
Nicky gonna be there?
It's a party, Maxie.
Francis doesn't want
any trouble.
[LAUGHING]
That is priceless.
Don't change clothes
tonight, okay?
Give a call,
we'll send a car.
[ENGINE STARTS]
[TIRES SCREECHING]
MAN:
Amy!
Amy!
Yo, Amy!
Amy!
Yeah, sugar?
Did you find out
if that dance audition
is on or what?
I'm not real certain.
I'll-- I don't know,
I'll give you a call
some time later this week
when I find out, okay?
MAN: Ah, that'd be great.
All right, baby. Bye-bye.
Uh-huh.
Aren't they pretty?
Mm-hm.
[TAPPING]
AMY:
Don't rush it!
Whoo! Diga diga dig.
Diga diga
diga diga dig.
Yeah. Okay, let's add on
to that, y'all.
Let's do the pullbacks.
Diga diga diga
da da da.
Five, six, seven, eight.
Yeah!
All right, baby!
Yes!
Go for it, baby! Yeah!
What do you think? Yeah.
Five, six, seven, eight!
MAN: They're good.
AMY: They're great.
AMY:
Okay, slow it down.
Yeah.
Show this guy
what we really got.
Hey!
What you staring at, man?
I'm looking at this woman.
That woman's my mama, sucker.
You stare at her ass,
you gonna be missing some teeth.
What?
Yeah, that's right, turkey,
come on.
Whoa, you obviously don't know
who you talking to.
Hey.
Argh!
[LAUGHING]
Getting faster.
Hmm.
So how's it going, Max?
Well, good.
How 'bout yourself? Look at you.
Got you behind a desk, working.
Yeah. How 'bout you?
Haven't been around lately.
Yeah, well,
you know how it goes.
How the cards treatin' you?
Ready for another sucker.
Oh, man. I don't know
who that sucker is.
Thank you.
How 'bout I talk
to your mama.
Maybe we'll take you
to the Garden.
Watch the Knicks
whip somebody.
She won't let me.
You know that.
MAX:
Your mama got a new guy?
Don't worry about him.
He's just some
stupid director.
Go for it, Max.
Ahem, yeah. Well...
if you're gonna play this here,
you got to have a clean deck.
Little nick here, little crease
there. What can I say?
[CHUCKLES]
[PHONE RINGS]
Sonny's.
Okay.
What's the name?
[WHISPERS]
I'm going upstairs.
[WOMEN CHATTERING]
[TAPPING CONTINUES]
[♪]
[TOILET FLUSHING]
[UPTEMPO MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKER]
Hey, who's the kid?
What kid?
The kid across the hall.
I don't know.
There's a kid across
the hall, man.
Hey, what is he talking about?
Some kid across the hall.
Nobody knows what he's doing.
I better check
this out.
No, no. Not now,
not with the hand I got.
Hey, Mo. Little Mo.
Mo. Mo, there's a kid
on the third floor.
Hey, Mo.
MAN:
Who's that guy?
MAN 2:
I don't know.
I don't know.
Hey, Little Mo, there's some guy
in there playing your music.
I can hear him, Bunny.
Anybody know
who this kid is?
Did anybody invite someone?
He's good.
Would you mind?
I can't even see him.
Let me get in here.
MAN 3:
Somebody better find out
who he is.
MAN 4:
Somebody better do something.
I'm gonna kick his butt out.
Don't worry about it.
I'll find out who he is.
Yeah, we'll find out.
Yeah, we'll find out.
Beautiful.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Uh, young man,
you're on the wrong floor.
This is third floor.
It's private.
You wanna dance, you gotta go
down to the first
and second floor.
Hey! You got a hearing problem
or somethin'?
Mo.
Sandman, how's your feet?
They all right.
Damn, why the hell
you gonna ask about my feet?
They all right.
Max.
Ha-ha!
I didn't recognize you.
And you're wearing your shoes.
Yep.
Hey, them taps you were laying
down was pretty good.
Thanks.
You looking for a gig?
No, no. I just stopped by
to see Amy and the boy.
Oh, that's nice of you.
Hey, I got some new steps.
Uh, no, thanks.
I mean, it would go with
that music you been playin'.
Yeah, thanks anyway, Mo.
But I'm just exercising.
Exercising?
Exercising.
[WHISPERING]
Who was that,
Little Mo?
That's Sonny's boy.
MAN:
I told you that guy
looked familiar.
Let's get back to the game.
I got five aces.
MAN 2:
I thought that boy quit
his dancing.
MAN 3:
He did quit his dancing.
Quit it long time ago.
Then why is he dancing?
MAN 3: Who the hell knows?
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, man.
Just a while ago,
up on the roof,
I had this great idea, see.
I said to myself,
"That's a good idea,
but the hell with it
because ain't nobody
around here good enough
to pull it off."
Then I come downstairs,
walk into the room and boom.
The one guy who can do it has
his tap shoes back on
after all these years.
Now, you know somebody's
trying to tell me something.
I don't care what nobody's
trying to tell you.
You ain't got no business
on your feet.
Oh, will you stop that?
The boy won't even dance
with you.
That's whhe says.
But this is too good
to let it go to waste,
just because he don't know
what he wants to do.
Don't you worry, Sandman.
He gonna dance with me.
Somebody should dance
with you.
What you looking at,
Sandman?
What the hell you think
I'm looking at?
Why don't you look
for yourself.
[LAUGHS]
Hey.
What's going on?
What do you mean?
Well, you're walking back
and forth, shaking your head.
You're laughing.
What's the problem?
I don't know.
I ain't got no problem.
You the one
with the sloppy left side.
Oh, and there's
one more thing.
Ah, but there ain't no sense
in getting into it.
I mean, since you only
exercising.
No, no.
No, please.
What? What?
Well, Max,
you got no form.
[LAUGHS]
Ahem. I got no form.
Listen, listen, Mo.
Now, I know you guys
were good in your day,
but since you ain't got no legs,
there's no reason--
Hey, hey, hey.
[POUNDS CANE RHYTHMICALLY]
What do you mean?
You think we ain't got no legs?
Is that what you saying?
Sandman. Come in here,
come in here.
You know what
this young man said?
We ain't got no legs.
That means I ain't got no legs,
you ain't got no legs.
And them men in there
ain't got no legs.
Now, what does that sound
like to you?
A challenge.
Now, I didn't challenge nobody.
Oh, yes, you did.
Challenge!
Hey, challenge.
Challenge?
Challenge!
Challenge!
What challenge?
Hot damn, let's get up there
and find out--
Bring in the guys.
Come on in here. Go ahead.
All right, go ahead.
SANDMAN:
We got a punk saying
we ain't got no legs.
I didn't challenge anybody.
A challenge is going on.
Make a circle, make a circle.
Come out here
and show him, Arthur,
how we get time.
Bend those legs,
Arthur.
That's it, baby.
Bend them.
All right,
Arthur.
MEN:
...seven, eight. Yeah.
[PLAYING JAUNTY TUNE]
Yeah, man.
Come on, Arthur.
Work the rhythm.
[MEN CHEERING, WHOOPING]
Ha-ha!
Go, Bunny.
The typewriter.
LITTLE MO:
Check it out, Bunny.
Show this bum your feet.
Whoo!
All right, all right.
Can you slide?
Jimmy Slyde.
Go, Jimmy.
Punk, what do you think
of that slide?
You ain't never slid that far
in your life.
Come on. Yeah!
Whoo!
Hey, look at that.
Shhh.
What about them legs,
boy?
I'm watching him.
You need to.
ALL:
Hey!
Leave it out.
Leave it out.
[STOPS PLAYING]
He don't need no music, see?
Yeah!
Get down on there.
Get in there.
Wait a minute.
What's he doing? Wait!
ALL:
Olé!
How 'bout those legs?
Looking good.
Hey. Hey, wait a second.
Wait a second.
I wanna take me something.
Wait a second.
You ain't gonna take
nothin' out here.
Hold my glasses.
You ain't gonna take nothin'.
I got to give you this.
What are you pushin'?
Hit me with something.
Go ahead,
Sandman.
[PLAYING PLAYFUL SONG]
Yeah.
Louis.
SANDMAN:
Dig that.
Now.
MAX:
What?
Sandman?
Yes?
ALL:
Uh-oh!
You want some parts of this?
Well, I believe I will.
Think I'll take me
a little part of this.
Give him nothing
he can steal.
Yeah, Mo,
put it on him.
Put it on the floor, Mo.
Dig it.
Watch this.
Cut it, Mo. Cut at it. Okay.
Make him answer you, Mo.
Get him, Mo.
He's getting mannish, Mo.
You got to clamp down on him.
Stay with him, Mo.
Stay with him.
Stay with him, Mo.
[MEN CLAPPING,
CHANTING RHYTHMICALLY]
Uh-oh.
Give me my cane.
What do you think
you're doing?
And what are all you doing
standing around here watching?
You should be ashamed
of yourselves.
Now, get out of here.
Go on. Get out of here. Get out.
[ALL GROANING]
Oh, Amy.
Gonna stay up with him
all night?
Drive him to the doctor
at 4 a.m.?
Get on out of here. You?
What about you, Sam?
Amy, did you see
that Max is back?
Hi, Amy.
AMY:
You know what the doctor
told you, Papa.
Stay off your feet.
Take it easy.
LITTLE MO:
Hmph. I'll still be dying.
I'll just be more bored
doing it.
That's impeccable logic,
Papa.
Damn!
Louis, follow him and find out
where he's staying.
You wanna kill yourself,
is that it?
Come on. We've got to talk.
[SOFTLY]
Amy, Amy, Amy.
I have tried. Darling,
I swear to you, I have tried.
But I just can't pull it off.
I can't make it work.
I go in there and play cards
with the guys.
I've tried gardening upstairs.
But I ain't good at none
of them damn things.
I'm only good at one thing.
I'm a tap dancer.
And, Amy, I'm proud of that.
I got something I gotta do
before I go, and Sonny's boy--
Sonny's boy.
[SIGHS]
Papa, he's not interested
in your ideas.
You know what he's like.
He's got his shoes on again.
Now, when's the last time
you seen him up here
with his shoes on?
And he's got his daddy's legs
on top of them shoes.
I still got
a few tricks left,
but I need Max to help me
pull them off.
And I gotta be on my feet
for that.
So that means...
no more gardening.
And if I'm gonna die...
[♪]
I wanna die
with my tap shoes on.
I want you to apologize
to him.
Papa...
He's staying
at the Clark Hotel.
LITTLE MO:
Thank you, son. Now, here's
what I want you to tell him.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
MAX:
Yeah?
Hey.
Just making myself a drink.
You want one?
What are you doing here?
Is that hello?
Hello.
What are you doing here
at the Clark?
Well, I just got back into town.
I needed a place to stay.
[SCOFFS]
What is this?
What--? Where are
the slick suits and the limos?
Well, listen.
What is this, Dragnet?
Huh? You interrogating me?
Yeah.
Well, I'm here
to deliver a message.
You know, Pop's got some
crazy idea that you've changed.
So...
tonight's Hoofers' Night.
First Tuesday of the month
we all get together
over at Charlie's club.
Papa's leaving Sonny's
around 7.
Now, Max...
I don't know what you're up to,
but do me a favor:
Don't come.
[STAMMERS]
So it's Hoofers' Night.
Yeah.
Tonight.
You going?
Why?
I don't know,
thought we might...
get together after,
talk a little bit.
Talk a little bit?
These visits of yours
aren't appreciated.
You pop in, you pop out.
What has it been now,
two, three years?
Do me and Dad and Louis
a favor.
Get lost.
Amy.
Now, you don't mean that.
I don't, huh?
Nah.
I can tell.
You still feel something.
You're right.
I still feel something.
I still feel the same way
it felt when I was 17 years old,
and the curtains opened for
Max Washington and Amy Simms.
And there ain't
no Washington!
There ain't no Washington
'cause he's off
with his buddies somewhere
robbing a liquor store
or something.
Yeah, I still feel the same way,
pissed.
Amy.
Forget about it, Washington.
Come on--
Don't even dream about it.
I'm supposed
to dream about it.
I'm right across the street
from Sonny's.
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah.
[HORNS HONKING]
Those pork chops of yours
are getting real nasty, Sandman.
[LAUGHS]
Don't tell it to me.
Tell it to the pig.
Didn't cook himself up
in no rubber.
Put that back.
Leave it alone.
The kid ain't comin'.
How you know he ain't comin'?
You got a crystal ball
in that frying pan of yours?
Just...get out of here.
Damn!
Oh, Amy.
Harold says that Max
is back in town,
and he's got his shoes on again,
and he's going good.
Yeah, he's going good.
I guess he is.
LITTLE MO:
I tell you one thing,
when he performed...
he was somethin'
to watch.
He had his daddy's style and
his daddy's grace on that stage.
He ain't had
his daddy's nothing.
Kid's a quitter.
Always been a quitter.
Quit on his dancing. Quit on
his daddy when he was sick.
Quit on everything.
All I know is,
Amy arrived in town
with a brand-new baby
and a runaway husband.
Max raised up Louis
as if he were his very own.
That's right.
And then he quit on him.
LITTLE MO:
Shut up.
He came that close,
that close to being a star...
before it all went down.
That's right.
Mm-hmm.
When what
all went down?
The work, son.
When the work all dried up.
You mean,
you guys used to work?
What?
No, he didn't.
Get over here.
I know one kid
that's gonna get hurt.
Come-- Bring him
down front here.
Let me tell you somethin'.
You looking at everybody
in this room, son,
was a headliner.
MAN:
That's right.
LITTLE MO:
Everybody headlined.
It was that rock 'n' roll
that killed us.
Oh, no, no, no.
Rock 'n' roll still killing us.
You wanna go dance to that junk?
Hey, Mo,
Max is out there.
MAN:
I've got to have
a beat for my feet.
I can't be out there
jumpin' up and down
on all that loud music
going on...
[♪]
Can I take
your plate now?
Shut up.
I told you
about him, baby.
Hey, Maxie, welcome home.
Come on in.
Excuse me, folks. Just a second,
I'll be right back.
Taking care of some business.
Have a little fun.
Get some drinks.
Be right with you.
Hey, care for some food?
♪ Ooh, ain't many others ♪
♪ 'Cause you know what we got
Is a rare thing... ♪
MAN:
Hey. Hey,
look who's here.
♪ It's everlasting
This love... ♪
How's it going?
Nice to see you.
You too.
Hey, Max, how you doing?
Good.
All right.
♪ It's always gonna be around ♪
♪ This love is a love... ♪
MAN:
It was like shooting fish
in a barrel. How could you miss?
NICKY:
Easy for you to say. But I had
my money on the other man.
Maybe you'll take
my advice next time.
Hey, Red.
How them, uh, pots and pans
treatin' ya?
How's it going, Nicky?
I'm back.
And the first chance
I get, Nicky,
I'm gonna tear
your fucking head off.
Maxie.
Excuse me.
Maxwell!
[LAUGHS]
[CHUCKLES]
Hey!
Look at ya. Come on.
You put some muscle on
in the can, huh?
MAX:
Yeah, a little bit.
FRANCIS:
So when'd you get out?
MAX:
A couple of days ago.
Hey, guys, I want you
to meet Max Washington.
He's part of my family.
You're looking
at the best second-story man
in the business.
Second-story?
Yeah, you know,
climbing buildings,
going in windows,
coming out
with the goods.
Incredible balance.
What was that you were?
Juggler? Acrobat?
Tap dancer.
Yeah, tap dancer!
I love that shit.
[LAUGHTER]
Hey, look, I got you
an apartment all set up.
Got a nice car for you,
but I got a little job--
Hey, Francis,
wait a minute.
Look, I just got back
in town, man.
I got a place
that's good for now.
Got the parole board.
I-- I can't get too showy.
Just look
the job over.
This is bacon and eggs for you.
Check it out, okay?
Tell you what, you could be
my consultant on this.
You know, I mean, tell me
how the job can work, huh?
Consultant?
Yeah.
Yeah. All right.
Nicky involved in this?
Forget about all that, Maxwell.
It wasn't all Nicky's fault.
You screwed up yourself.
He should've been there.
You shoulda been
out on time.
He shoulda waited for me.
NICKY:
And you shoulda been
out on time, man!
Man, you shoulda waited!
You shouldn't have
been drunk!
FRANCIS: Hey!
Hey!
[CHUCKLING]
Hey, come on.
What are we arguing about?
The past is the past.
Come on. You're free now.
Let's move on.
Huh?
Maxwell.
You're back.
Hey, Nicky,
you know that jewelry gig
you were telling me about?
Yeah.
Let Max check it out.
You're kidding.
That's my best contact.
The man nearly got me busted
last time,
lost me my best client!
I said, let Max check it out.
Why don't you two
shake hands, huh?
Okay, don't shake hands.
Come on.
Hey, look at this.
I got my family
back together again, huh?
Car's yours tonight, Red.
[ETTA JAMES' "BABY, WHAT YOU
WANT ME TO DO?" PLAYING]
Drop me off at Times Square.
♪ You got me runnin' ♪
♪ You got me hidin' ♪
♪ You got me runnin'
And hidin' ♪
♪ Runnin'
Any way you want it ♪
♪ Child, let it roll ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Yeah-hah ♪
♪ Well, you got me ♪
♪ Where you want me, darlin' ♪
♪ Baby, what you
Gettin' ready for me to do? ♪
♪ Oh, baby ♪
♪ Honey, what's wrong
With you? ♪
♪ I wanna know ♪
Man.
♪ Oh, oh, baby
Oh, baby ♪
♪ Honey, what's wrong
With you? ♪
♪ Whoa, no ♪
♪ I'm gonna... ♪
Yeah, you know, we had this gig
at the Club Alabama.
So they closed
the joint down.
We had to go to San Diego, man,
all the way to Tijuana.
To go to the Long Bar, where
we could dance on each other.
I'm trying to tell you about
the gig. That man is clever...
♪ I gotta know ♪
♪ Pack my bags ♪
♪ And down that road I go ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Hey
Hey-hey-ey ♪
Get up.
What do you mean,
"get up"?
Who you think
you're talking to?
I am talking to you,
Sandman.
Now, get up and give me
the chair.
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
Miss Etta James.
All right, girl.
Shit.
What's going on, Sandman?
Hey, Max.
What's going on? Take my chair?
Sit down.
Harry.
Hey, Mo.
Come over here and bring
the shoes with ya.
Hey, you know something?
Do you know your pop worked
this place a couple of times?
Yeah.
Broke it up too.
Charlie then turned it
into a rock 'n' roll place
a while back.
Good to see you, Mo.
Harry, I want you to meet
Max Washington.
This is Charlie's son, Harry.
Now, he's got a wild idea.
I want you to hear it.
Tell him. Lay it on him.
Well, Mo and me been talking
about mixing tap and rock.
I mean, nobody thinks
of doing it.
Why?
Because you can't hear it,
that's why.
That's
the only reason.
But check this out:
I rigged up pickups
underneath these taps.
I run these through my system,
and, like, boom!
They're gonna hear this
in Scarsdale.
I can also
hook these up
to my whole stack
of synthesizers.
You can change the sound
of whatever you're tapping
to any sound you want.
You follow what I mean?
I gotta make
this next number.
With a house band here, we can
work you in any time you want.
You sing, right?
Of course
the man sings.
Would I bring somebody
ain't got no voice?
He got a great voice.
Cool. Talk to you later, Mo.
Wait a minute, what are you
talking about? What is this?
Well, we're talking
about the future.
There are kids that come
in here every single night.
They pack this little joint.
But they don't know
nothing about us,
what we stand for,
tap dancers.
What are you talking about?
How much money do I get
if I go up there, huh?
How much do you two split?
Couple hundred a week? Come on!
It ain't what you make
that matters, Max.
Listen, Mo--
MAN:
Next up on Tap Night,
Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
Hey, Jane, let me
see you dance.
Do some of the steps
you stole from me.
♪ One, two
Y'all know what to do ♪
SANDMAN:
Okay, stay together,
stay together.
Toe the line.
Yeah, like that.
That beat is good.
I wish you'd dance on it.
That's my step.
Now that really is my step.
That's my bestseller.
Shut up, Sandman.
What you mean, shut up?
Why don't you shut up.
I know what I'm doin',
I'm protecting my steps.
They're giving my steps away,
and I couldn't sell 'em.
Dance!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
MAN:
Yeah, Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
Let's hear it for 'em.
Come on.
Ah-ha!
MAN:
Thank you.
Thank you.
Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
[BAND PLAYS BREEZY JAZZ SONG]
MAN:
That's Boston's own
Dianne Walker dancing for you.
Now, did you--?
You choreographed everything?
Mm-hm.
Yeah, that's all my stuff.
All the women?
Mm-hm. That's me.
Wow, that's good stuff.
Now, they're a little old.
Is that who you want
to show me?
Not all of them.
Dorothy. She's blond.
The blond-- Yeah. She would
play. She would play on-stage.
And the thing is, you know--
What?
Uh...
N-nothing.
It's '30s, right?
So it's a period thing,
but some of the stuff--
[LAUGHS]
What? What am I doing?
Excuse me, Bob.
This is my friend
Max Washington.
Max, this is Bob Wyeth.
Pleasure.
My pleasure.
No, what I'm saying is,
it's a period thing, but--
Excuse me, Bob.
I hate to interrupt,
I really do,
but I just had to come back here
and tell this woman
what a terrific performance
that was.
Huh? Can this woman dance, Bob?
[CHUCKLING]
Yes, she can.
Yeah. Very attractive too,
wouldn't you say?
I certainly would.
Yeah.
Uh, you a hoofer, Bob?
No, I'm a--
Bob's a Broadway director. I'm
helping him cast his next show.
Now--
Oh, tap show?
That's right.
Oh...
So let me get this straight,
just for me, Bob.
You're a Broadway director
directing a tap-dance show,
but you don't know
how to tap-dance?
How do you do that, Bob?
Max.
No, it's a valid question.
I directed a show
about suicide last year.
I haven't done that either.
It's imagination,
Mr. Washington.
Imagination.
Yeah. Well...
Touché, Bob, touché.
Listen, you mind if I have
a minute with Amy over here?
Great. Bartender, a drink
for my friend Bob here.
What do you think you're doing?
Let's get out of here.
There's a great Italian
restaurant--
Wait, wait, wait.
Am I missing something here?
I thought I made myself clear
the last time we talked.
I have to be here.
This isn't just for fun.
I'm working with Bob.
Bob will be fine. He can just
imagine you're with him.
MAN:
Let's have a big round
of applause
for all our lady dancers
this evening, come on.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Fabulous.
Say, Bob.
Yeah?
This is gonna take a little
longer than I thought.
It's just family business.
Uh, do you wanna catch
a cab?
No, that's okay.
No?
No.
Good night, Amy.
No, wait, Bob--
No, it's all right.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Nice meeting you.
Bob.
Great, Max.
I've been trying to get him
down here for two months
to see some real tap, and you
go and scare him away, Jesus!
Hey, what--?
LITTLE MO: Welcome, everybody.
I wanna thank you for being here
with the tap dancers.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
A lot of you young people
have asked me,
"Say, where you guys get
your moves from
that you do
when you're tap-dancing?"
Well, I'll tell you
where we got our moves.
We stole them.
MAN: Yeah, that's right.
We stole steps to come up
with our own style.
If you don't like Italian--
Shhh.
LITTLE MO:
However, there was only one man
that no one could figure out
who he stole from, see?
Because he didn't steal
from anybody.
He stole his steps
from the sounds he heard
on the streets
of New York City.
Come on.
Shhh!
He was an original.
I mean an original,
and his name
was Sonny Washington.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Now, nobody can tell you
about how Sonny moved.
Nobody can do it,
except maybe one man
that we're lucky enough to have
in the audience tonight.
Sonny's son.
MAN 2: What?
Yeah. Max Washington.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
LITTLE MO:
Come on up here, Max.
Take us outside.
What did he do?
Whoa, whoa.
Hold it. Hold it.
Thanks anyway, Mo.
Thanks anyway. Another time.
Oh, what do you mean,
"another time"? This is Tuesday.
Yeah, I-I wish I could.
I-I ain't got my shoes.
I didn't bring my shoes.
LITTLE MO:
Wait. What size do you wear?
Eleven.
MAN:
Uh-huh.
Who got an 11 here
with some good taps?
There you go.
There's another pair.
Come on, Max.
Let's take everybody outside
and show them how
your father got his steps.
Come on, everybody.
Do this for my old man, Max.
LITTLE MO:
Let's go. Move it.
Let's go outside.
All right, now,
if I go up there,
it's you and me
tomorrow night, 7:00, huh?
It's damp out here,
it's cold out here...
Thanks a lot.
All right. So, uh...
this is it. This is the spot
where my father stole his stuff.
Right out here.
He'd be out here on the corner,
and he'd be trading steps
with his friends.
When his friends would leave,
he'd stay
and listen to the sounds
of the city.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, listen.
Listen, listen.
[METAL CLANKING]
[METAL PLATE CLANKING]
There's something.
Ah!
See, that's what I'm saying.
What I hear is, I hear,
"Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah."
Eh? Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
See? Now, what I'm saying is,
ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
You dig?
Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
So now I'll try it,
and then you try it.
And, ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
CROWD:
Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
[HORN HONKS]
Ooh, incorporate the horn.
You hear the horn, Mo?
Ee-ee.
So, ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
[HORN HONKS]
[TAPPING]
[LAUGHTER]
[SIREN WAILING]
[THUDDING]
MAX:
Come on. Follow me.
Come on this way.
I wanna go down here
because I think I hear
something I might want to use.
I think we got it all, yeah.
Look, we got the road,
we got the time, boom.
Yes.
Yes. Uh, don't mind us.
We're just, uh, tap dancers.
[THUDDING CONTINUES]
MAX:
You feel that?
[ALL GRUNTING RHYTHMICALLY]
And you give me.
ALL:
Ooh!
[LAUGHTER]
MAX:
Yeah. Now, this man knows
what's going on.
He has taken it,
and he is running with it.
Yes.
All right,
you got your shoes on.
Let's try some, uh, Uncle Mo.
Do the Uncle Mo.
[GROUP TAPPING]
MAX:
Together! Together!
Uncle Mo!
All right! Disperse! Disperse!
Find wood!
Find wood and express
yourselves!
MAN:
We're gonna jam.
[CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
We need a little power.
Give me a break.
Right? Run this down.
[BAND PLAYING FUNKY MELODY]
[GROWLS]
Hey, Harry.
Get these guys to flow.
You know, get it rolling.
Yeah. Okay. All right.
So boogie-woogie feel.
Let's do it.
All right.
Uh-huh. I got it.
Oh! Yes!
[ARGUING INDISTINCTLY]
Ah!
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Oh, that ain't nothing.
That's nothing.
Shut up, Sandman.
Yes?
Thanks.
That's all right.
You want your jacket back?
I'll get it tomorrow night.
When I come pick you up.
Pick me what?
Pick you up.
[LAUGHS]
Yes!
Whoo!
HOWIE:
Max, you shoulda just taken,
ugh, the place Francis got
for you, you know?
We wouldn't have to drag
all your stuff over here.
You ready?
I'll be right down.
[EXHALES]
Man, next time
just call a moving company
or somethin', huh?
NICKY:
Hey, Washington!
Let's go, man!
[TONY TERRY'S "FORGET THE GIRL"
PLAYING]
♪ No way ♪
♪ No, no way ♪
♪ No way ♪
♪ Everywhere that I go
Everybody wants to know... ♪
Shit.
We're wasting our time
with this asshole.
HOWIE:
He's checking it out.
The man is bullshitting us.
He ain't got it no more.
I saw it on that last job.
He's lost it.
He ain't got the nerve.
Quiet.
So, Max,
what do you think?
Yeah, man. Good.
Alley in the back.
Roof access.
Shouldn't be much of a problem.
What's the take
on this thing?
Uncut: 750,000.
We get 5, the owner gets
the rest plus insurance.
You woulda gotten 80 grand
if you coulda done it.
Yeah, so if I coulda done it,
which window would I have
done it in?
The one next
to the "I" in the sign.
The owner's leaving it open,
giving us the combination.
[LAUGHS]
Hey, Red...
what say, uh, you and I
bury the hatchet
and close a few bars tonight,
like in the olden times?
Bury the hatchet, huh?
Uh-huh.
Not tonight, Nicky.
Uh-huh.
See what I'm saying?
Oh, I know, I know.
You got a...
A dishwashing convention
to go to.
Or maybe you're gonna hang
in your old place.
I mean,
that's why you took
that rattrap across
the street, isn't it?
Ain't that right, Red?
Well, I seem to remember
a little brat and a...
A little, uh, dancing bitch.
You be careful, Nicky.
Then them old farts.
What you gonna do?
Sit around and tell stories
about the golden days
of tap-dancing?
HOWIE:
Shut up.
What do you say,
Red?
You interested
in this job?
Tell Francis
I'll call him tomorrow.
NICKY: Shit.
I'll see you, Howie.
The man is wasting
our time.
[ENGINE STARTS]
MAN:
Yes, how much are these?
WOMAN:
Those are two dollars...
You ladies are late.
We got a class to do,
thank you very much.
[KNOCKING ON GLASS]
Hey.
Use these before I take
all your money.
Look inside.
Knick tickets, 13th row,
Saturday night.
Put 'em away.
Baby, my class is running
a little late tonight.
Why don't we do this
another night, okay?
Oh, no, no, no.
A deal's a deal.
Now, you go get changed,
and I'll take over the class.
You?
Yeah. I'll take over the class.
[SIGHS]
Yeah, tap class.
I got it. I got it.
Good.
Knick tickets.
How you doin', babe?
Uh, students, students...
Amy had to go, so I'm gonna
take over the rest of the class.
Uh, step right up,
step right up
and, uh, show me what you got.
Hold it, hold it, hold it.
Uh, what's going on with you
back there?
Oh, that's Anthony.
He doesn't dance.
His mom
makes him come.
His mom.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Uh...
Anthony...
uh, as long as you're here,
why don't you give it a try?
No.
Why not?
Dancing's for girls.
Anthony,
don't be ridiculous.
I mean, what do
I look like to you?
Be careful, Anthony.
All right,
you just relax.
I'll be right back.
[MELISSA ROWAN'S "SOMEBODY LIKE
YOU" PLAYING ON STEREO]
Hey, do me a favor. Go in there
and show this kid a combination.
What?
I need you to go in there
and show Anthony some steps.
What are you
talking about?
You still got your shoes, right?
Put 'em on, go in there
and show this guy some steps.
You show him.
You're his age.
If he sees you do it,
he'll probably dance.
Forget it. What's with you?
You said it was a waste of time.
Now I'm telling you different.
[PHONE RINGS]
Please.
I said, no.
Sonny's.
Uh, excuse me. Hello.
Yeah. I'm sorry. We're closed
for the holidays. Yeah.
Listen.
I practically raised you.
I used to change
your dirty diapers.
Now, I just gave you a new deck
of cards and Knick tickets.
I ain't asking you no more.
I'm telling you.
Go in there and teach
that kid a combination.
♪ Bring a little light, baby
In my life ♪
♪ Somebody like you... ♪
Okay.
Take the cards out.
We go around one time.
If I win,
you take over the class.
And if I win?
I ain't worried about that.
But if that should happen...
Wait a minute, wait a minute,
wait a minute.
It's good...
but it's raggedy.
When you dance,
you want to dance clean.
Always clean, like this.
Come on. We're gonna be
late for dinner.
But how did--?
Oh, he's fine.
Emily, put on a record.
Jewel.
[UPTEMPO JAZZ TUNE PLAYING]
Oh, look.
[JAZZ TUNE ENDS]
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
Ball.
Five, six.
Five, six,
seven, eight.
Stay together.
Keep it clean.
I wanna hear
those taps.
[PIANO PLAYING ELEGANT MUSIC]
So what ever happened to that
guy you were so tight with?
What was his name? Um...
What was his name, Joe?
[GIGGLES]
Odabiah, was it?
Ralph.
Ralph.
Ralph,
that's what it was.
Yeah, whatever happened to him?
Weren't you gonna marry him?
I was thinking about it.
Didn't work out.
You know, Ralph was
a good enough man.
Solid, hard-working,
responsible.
[SNORES]
Yeah.
Tried to make it work.
Gave up some of my classes.
I couldn't do it, Max.
Dancing is too much
of who I am.
What about you?
What are you gonna do?
What do you mean? What?
With your dancing.
What are you talking about?
Papa thinks you're back.
He wants to work with you.
Oh, right.
Well, Papa's wrong.
Well, something's going on, Max.
Now, what is it? Talk to me.
Because I saw you out on the
street last night dancing again.
Your hoofing's strong and sharp.
You've been practicing.
Maybe.
Whereabouts?
[LAUGHS]
Whereabouts?
Sing Sing.
WAITER:
Your check, sir.
There you are.
Chez Sing Sing.
Prison.
Yeah.
What happened?
I screwed up.
Got a little careless.
It's my father's fault,
actually.
I had to work
the night of his funeral,
and I got a little drunk,
and...
So they gave me
a couple of years.
Jesus, Max.
Where does, uh...
the dancing fit in?
Well, I was doing my time,
and I was doing all right.
I was just trying to get
through it.
Had my parole coming up
and, uh...
But there was
this one guard.
Browder.
Messed with me
every chance he got.
He hated me because
I wouldn't take any of his shit.
And then one day, he just went
too far, and I lost it.
I jumped on him,
and I just beat him.
I beat him for every time
he messed with me.
I beat him till they
pulled me off of him.
Then they beat me up
a little bit, and...
threw me in this box
they call purgatory
for about three months.
Tacked on a year
to my sentence.
Oh, boy.
So there I am, in this--
In this hole.
And I knew I'd blown it.
Ahem, so...
I'm in there, you know,
and-- And my head is spinning.
And my heart is pounding.
[SIGHS]
I can't breathe.
So just about the time I felt
like I was going over the edge,
I started to hear
these combinations.
These combinations,
you know.
Shappen-de-bippity-doo,
boom boom.
Ze-zap-bap, zup-be-bop-bop.
Da-wop.
And I knew that was coming
from deep,
from way deep inside me.
So I got up, and I started
to move with it,
started to dance.
And I felt better.
I could breathe again,
you know?
[LAUGHS]
So when I got out of the hole,
I put in for some shoes
and got some wood together
and, uh...
After that, whenever I felt like
I was going over the edge,
I'd just start to dance.
Pulled me back.
I guess I got used to it.
You know, every now and then,
I needed to pound some wood.
[LAUGHS]
What's so funny?
I can't believe this.
What?
I never thought
it would happen.
Is there something
I should know--?
You don't even get it,
do you?
I bet you don't even know why
you asked me out on this date.
I was hungry. I wanted to eat.
No. No.
You wanted to show me
that you're back.
It took them throwing you
in a hole, Max, but you're back.
Papa was right.
Amy, you got this all wrong.
I ain't back to nothing.
You lie, you lie, you lie.
We in a restaurant.
You calling me names
in front of the people?
You're a liar,
and I can prove it. Come on.
Where are we going?
Just come on.
[♪]
So this is what
you wanted to show me?
Yeah, this is the show
I'm casting.
Yeah, come on over here
and take a look out there, Max.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Tell me you're not
a dancer.
Go ahead and tell me
you don't feel that.
I didn't feel none of that.
You are such a liar.
Come on, Amy. You tried to show
me Broadway tap-dancing.
Okay. But five years ago,
there was nothing.
Look, baby, all I'm showing you
is that there's work.
Now, Papa's got some ideas.
This company we just left
is going on the road.
Tomorrow, we're putting together
a whole new line, baby.
What's so funny?
I got to laugh.
I can just picture me
in that line.
And then what happens
after that, huh?
A gig on the road?
Maybe I teach a class or two?
Uh-uh, Amy.
I'm not like my father.
I'm not winding up
with nothing.
Your father was
a good man, Max.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Good ol' Sonny Washington, huh?
Always a big smile
waiting for you
on the Sonny side
of the street.
Well, the man could smile.
Yeah, yeah.
Even when we were flat broke,
he was still smiling.
My mother, she was smart.
First guy came along with some
real cash money, she was gone.
And that's what's happening.
Cash money.
And where do you get
the cash money, Max?
I got my ways.
What ways?
Don't worry about it.
Listen.
Somehow you were given
a second chance.
But you're just too angry
and stubborn
to see what's right
in front of you.
Amy, Amy. Did you have
a good time tonight, huh?
You like dressing up in nice
things and going to nice places,
places you can't go to when
you're stuck on the third floor?
I never needed any
of those things, Max. You did.
All I ever needed was
a place to dance, Louis,
and somebody to love me.
Good night, Max.
Amy--
No. Good night.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Ahhh... Ha-ha.
[GRINDING, CLINKING]
[♪]
MAN:
Hey!
Hey!
A 50-center.
Hey, butterfingers.
Hey, Washington.
[PIANO PLAYING UPBEAT TUNE]
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
All right, people, once again,
when you're tapped,
please step out
of the formation right away,
and as quickly as possible
move out.
And you people in the back,
step up and fill in
the empty spots, okay?
Thank you.
Don't look at me like that.
I'm just trying to get a job.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
MAN:
I didn't see that.
Taking it back.
I gotta see that again.
It's out of sight.
Great. But I've seen it enough.
Can I have that?
Stop.
Hey, is this
the Sullivashow Max did?
Arthur.
Yeah.
What's going on?
Max got in that show
Amy's working on.
MAN 2:
That's TV. That's TV.
And it's coming
from the heart.
LITTLE MO:
Psst.
That's what
I like about it.
MAN 3: Beautiful.
I mean, right through.
Oh, shit.
[MEN CONVERSING INDISTINCTLY]
Amy, can I speak to you
in private just a minute?
Sure, Pop.
Come on.
We'll go over here.
What's going on?
Oh, nothing much.
Amy, you wanna tell me what
the hell's going on out there?
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about Max.
You're supposed to be
working on him for me.
Not some dumb-ass
Broadway show.
It's a job, Pop.
"It's a job."
I have no objections
to a dancer getting a job.
But that boy is not just
a dancer. He's a hoofer.
That's why he's
on the third floor,
not down there
on the first or second,
where they go,
"five, six, seven, eight.
La-dee-da."
The boy is special, Amy.
He has to have his freedom.
He needs to have his space.
You can't keep that kind
of a talent on a leash.
He went to the audition
on his own.
Well, I'm gonna go
and talk to him.
No, you're not gonna do
a damn thing.
Max tried out
for a show today.
You know how big a step
that was for him?
He did something positive
for a change, and it worked.
Look at him, Papa.
He's feeling good about it.
Don't take that
away from him.
[SWEEPING CLASSICAL MUSIC
PLAYING OVER SPEAKER]
I can't believe this.
That you're gonna teach me
how to dance.
I'm not trying to teach you
how to tap-dance.
I'm teaching you the steps
to this damn number.
Now, get over here.
[UPBEAT JAZZ PLAYING]
I want you to get
the solo spot, Max.
So stop complaining
and learn it.
Remember to use
your arms, Max.
You got it. Go ahead.
Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.
What are you doing?
I'm trying--
You're stomping like you wanna
break through the damn roof.
Easy, light.
That's not my style.
Well, that's the way
he wants it.
Bob.
Mr. Imagination.
I should show Bob
how this stuff is really done.
Max, this is a set piece.
Five different dancers
have done it the same...
way for three years.
You've got to do it
like everyone else.
I don't do it
like everyone else, remember?
[LAUGHS]
[ORCHESTRAL VERSION
OF "CHEEK TO CHEEK" PLAYING]
You put this on?
It was a good routine,
wasn't it?
Yeah. Yeah.
The black Fred and Ginger, huh?
Mm.
Another one of
my father's lame ideas.
About 40 years too late.
It wasn't lame.
It was romantic.
You looked so good
in your tuxedo.
It's true. I did.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Too bad we never got a chance to
perform it after all that work.
Yeah. Well...
you remember any of it?
You remember any of it?
[IMITATES LITTLE MO]
Sounds like a challenge to me.
It is a challenge.
Ah-ha!
[LAUGHS]
[HIGH-PITCHED]
Challenge!
All right.
I certainly hope you do
remember, because I do.
AMY:
I remember.
They falling in love
again, Mo?
Son...that ain't none
of our business.
Now, come on.
Pajamas are waiting for you.
Whoa.
I'll get the door.
MAX:
Which side?
AMY:
This side, 'cause
I'm on the left side.
MAX:
First step. You remember
the first step?
AMY:
The first step.
Yes, I remember.
Mo!
I'll be right there, son.
Be right with you.
[MAX HUMMING "CHEEK TO CHEEK"]
Okay.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Ha!
Hey.
Ha!
[LAUGHS]
Oh, yeah.
Dance!
Yah! Yah! Yah!
Dance!
Come along.
No, Max.
[♪]
Hey.
[JAMES TAYLOR AND REGINA BELLE'S
"ALL I WANT IS FOREVER" PLAYING]
TAYLOR:
♪ All I want ♪
♪ All I want
Is forever ♪
♪ I don't want much
From you ♪
♪ Just your love
My whole life through ♪
♪ That's all I want ♪
♪ Yeah, that's all
I want ♪
BELLE:
♪ And all ♪
♪ I need
Is to be with you ♪
♪ Always ♪
♪ I don't need much
You see ♪
♪ Just need eternity ♪
♪ Yeah, to be with you
Yes, to be with you ♪
BOTH:
♪ Forever ♪
♪ All I want is
Forever ♪
♪ Am I askin' too much? ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Oh, all I know ♪
♪ Is when we're together ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ Time passes
Much too fast ♪
♪ And I want
To make it last ♪
♪ Last forevermore ♪
♪ Girl, forevermore ♪
♪ And all my life ♪
♪ I've been waiting
To find ♪
♪ To find ya, baby ♪
♪ Now that you're
Finally here ♪
♪ I want you alone
With me ♪
♪ And to share
My life ♪
♪ Yes, to share
My life ♪
♪ Forever ♪
♪ All I want is
Forever ♪
♪ That's all I want
Is forever, baby ♪
♪ Am I askin' too much? ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Forever ♪
♪ Want to keep you
Forever ♪
♪ Baby, yeah, ooh ♪
♪ I'm not askin' too much ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Want to keep you
Forever ♪
♪ I'm not askin' too much ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ I just need forever ♪
♪ That's all I want
Is forever... ♪
There's a guy across the hall.
He wants to see you.
Okay. Thanks.
What?
[LAUGHING]
What?
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[NICKY LAUGHS]
Hey!
What are you doing up here?
I thought I'd get
a few lessons.
What do you think?
You got Francis waiting
on your call.
Are you gonna do
this job or what?
Outside.
Outside?
Yeah.
[NICKY CHUCKLES]
Hey, Pop. Don't hurt yourself
with that thing, now.
[CHUCKLES]
Hey. You don't come up here.
You hear what I'm saying?
You don't ever come up here!
Hey, I'm sorry.
I didn't realize this was
St. Patrick's goddamn Cathedral.
All right,
all right.
Come on, Maxie.
What's the deal?
Francis wants to know.
You in or out?
Get the fuck out of here.
Aw, see, man. Now...
you got Francis eatin' your shit
and givin' you money,
but as far as
I am concerned,
you're more comfortable
in an apron,
soapsuds, yellow gloves,
this hole, old men runnin'--
What's up? Come on!
Let's have it!
HOWIE:
Nicky!
If you're gonna
kill somebody,
you do it when
I am not around.
[GASPS]
[POPS LIPS]
You dead.
[LAUGHS]
Come on, man.
Let's get out of this dump.
I tell ya, the man has lost it.
He's history.
He's right where he belongs.
Nowhere.
[NICKY LAUGHS]
HOWIE:
Shut up.
[PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS MID-TEMPO MELODY]
Max.
[MOUTHS]
I'm gonna talk to them.
You ready?
Okay, let's have
the final person
for the second-act solo--
The next guy
is Max Washington.
Okay.
Excuse me, Bob.
This is my friend Max.
I remember your friend, Amy.
I let him in the line.
Isn't that enough?
Come on,
give him a shot.
He's the best dancer
in the building.
Okay.
Go ahead, Brian.
Thanks, sugar.
BRIAN:
Max Washington?
Next, please.
Just follow Ray. He'll--
I got it, I got it.
Let's just go.
[PIANO PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS NEW MELODY]
MAN:
Oh, man!
Look at that!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
Mike, Brian.
What is this, Ray?
The guy wanted to show
you something.
I'll decide when we change
the music, all right?
MAX:
It's not his fault.
It's not his fault.
I asked him to do it.
Stick to the routine.
I just thought
you might be interested
in seeing what the real stuff
looks like.
The real stuff?
And what, my friend,
do you think we've been doing?
Bullshit.
This is bullshit here.
It's not even tap-dancing, man.
They didn't tap-dance like that
in the '30s and '40s.
Not the good ones, anyway.
Well, I guess we're not
interested in the good ones.
I guess we're interested in...
the same kind of dancing
that's made this show a hit
for the past three years.
I know we all appreciate
the little history lesson.
[LAUGHING]
[WHISPERS]
David!
But for now...
you can either do
our bullshit,
or you can do your trade
out in the streets.
What'll it be, my friend?
Max Washington is my name.
The original routine
this time, Ray.
[PIANO PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS MID-TEMPO MELODY]
Okay.
A little more with the arms.
This is a musical.
How 'bout a smile?
A little personality.
Let's go. Smile.
How 'bout it?
One teeny-weeny smile.
Is that possible?
Come on. Come on.
[CHUCKLES]
All right. Thank you.
[PIANO STOPS PLAYING]
Wrong type. Next!
Next, please.
Thank you, my friend.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Off the stage.
I said, get off my--!
Smile!
No, Max!
Now, you smile!
You smile! Big smile!
Max. Max, don't.
You--!
Please, Max. Please.
MAN:
Chill out, man.
You all right, Bob?
Max.
You got it?
Yeah, yeah-- Whoa!
Max, it's okay.
The guy's a jerk.
This is crazy.
What the hell am I doing here?
Don't. It's my fault.
This is the wrong--
Look, I gotta go, Amy.
I got real work to do.
Go back into your show.
Hey.
I don't deserve that.
You never did, Amy.
Max.
Max-- Jesus.
Max.
[PIANO PLAYING "ON THE SUNNY
SIDE OF THE STREET"]
BUNNY:
♪ Get your hat
And get your coat ♪
♪ Leave all your worries
On the doorstep ♪
♪ Life would be so sweet ♪
♪ On the sunny side
Of the street ♪
♪ Can't you hear ♪
♪ That pitter-pat? ♪
♪ That happy tune is my step ♪
♪ Just direct your feet ♪
♪ On the sunny side
Of the street ♪
♪ I used to walk ♪
♪ In the shade ♪
♪ With those blues on parade ♪
♪ I'm not afraid ♪
♪ Just like Rover ♪
♪ I crossed over ♪
♪ And if I never
Ever said ♪
♪ I'll be rich as Rockefeller ♪
♪ Gold dust at my feet ♪
♪ On the sunny ♪
♪ I said, the sunny ♪
♪ On the sunny ♪
♪ Side of the street ♪
MAX:
Be right back.
NICKY:
Remember, we ain't got
all night, all right?
What are you doing here?
We going to the game
tomorrow?
I got some work to do.
Go with Sandman.
You breaking into people's
apartments now?
No. The door was open.
Max, I got a proposition
for you.
You forget about
all this Broadway,
happy-feet bullshittin'.
Come on back over
to Sonny's
and give this dancing idea
of mine a shot, huh?
[SIGHS]
Listen, Mo.
I made a mistake coming
back here, you understand?
I'm leaving tomorrow.
Leaving?
Hey, you can't
leave, man.
Harry got the lyrics
to the song.
I think if we can
put it on--
Did you hear what I said?
I'm leaving.
I'm not doing your thing.
I need more than you got.
Well, what is it, Max?
Is it--? Is it money?
If it's money,
you know I always keep a little
"don't go" money with me.
You can have
any parts of it.
That building across the street,
Max, that's yours.
You got people in that building
who love you.
I mean, how much
is that worth, Max?
How many jobs are you gonna
have to pull to get all of that?
If your daddy was here,
you know what he'd say now?
Right. If my daddy was here,
he'd tell me, take your offer.
Yeah, take it!
But he liked being poor.
He didn't mind being a failure.
He took everything they dished
out and came up smiling.
Do I look like I'm smiling
to you, Mo?
Huh?
Is that what you thought?
You thought your father
was a failure?
Sure, they took away the money,
the fame, the jobs.
But there was one thing
they couldn't take away, Max.
They couldn't take away
his legs.
They couldn't take away
his pride and his dignity.
You know the reason why?
Because he knew
he was good.
That's why he could smile.
Because he knew
he was good, Max.
NICKY:
Yo, Washington!
Let's go, man!
LITTLE MO:
Max.
Max!
We'll start up tomorrow.
Ten o'clock.
Sharp.
All right, man.
Take it easy.
[CAR ENGINE STARTS]
What took so long,
goddamn it?
Let's go, man.
[♪]
Hey, you know this guy?
Come on, man, step on it.
Let's get outta here.
[GRUNTS]
Okay, now, man,
I'm stuck with your ass,
so don't screw up this time.
Leave him alone,
Nicky.
Man, just concentrate.
Don't think about no other shit.
Be professional this time.
There is lots of money
up there, man.
This is
the big payday.
If this works, the client gonna
give me lots of other gigs.
So get yourself
together, man.
Shut up, Nicky.
He's got work. Leave him alone.
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
NICKY:
Red.
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
Red.
Yo, show biz. Wake up, man.
It's curtain time.
Maxie, I don't know.
You, uh...?
You wanna take this?
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
Come on, you piece of shit,
get up there.
That's it. Come on, that's it.
Climb. That's it, go.
Oh, yeah. Go. That's it.
[BEATBOXING]
Gra-diggy-da, guh.
Guh, dikky-da da.
Dikky-da-da.
Ga-dikky-da-da.
Ga, dikky-da da.
Ga, da-da-da.
Da-dikky da-dikky dee-da da.
Grrrrr.
[NICKY CONTINUES BEATBOXING]
[CAR ALARM BLARING]
[HORN HONKING]
Da-da, doo, doo-doo.
[LAUGHS]
[METAL CLATTERING]
[POPPING LIPS]
[♪]
Bop-chk-kuh kuh.
Kuh-bee.
Choo-ku, bop, chk-bop bop.
Bing.
Choo-ku, bing, bing.
Bop-choo bop-bop.
[SIREN WAILING]
Bop, choo, bop-bop.
Bing, choo-bop.
[SOUNDS CEASE]
[PANTING]
[♪]
[BREATHING BECOMING HEAVIER]
[WATER DRIPPING]
Hey. Hey.
[LAUGHS]
Come on, man.
Get in the car.
Where's the stuff?
It's still upstairs.
I didn't take it.
What?
You didn't take it?
I know, I know. I had it.
I had it in my hands,
and I put it back.
$750,000 worth of rocks
you had in your hands,
and you put it back?
I'm sorry. I-I lost it.
You were right. I--
I don't have it anymore.
Sorry, yeah.
Sorry don't make it, man.
You get back up there
and get my money!
Nicky!
Put the gun away, Nicky.
This is the second time
you pulled this gun on me.
You're not gonna shoot me.
Put the gun away.
[EXHALES]
[GRUNTING]
[♪]
Howie, I'm gone.
Say goodbye to Francis for me.
Where you going, Max?
I'm going home.
Ma.
Yeah, baby?
SANDMAN:
Hey. Hey, take a look
at this.
[LAUGHING]
Yeah.
Yes, yes.
[LAUGHS]
Yes, yes!
I'd like to get this.
Two dollars.
Thank you.
You staying now?
Yeah.
But you better get
a new deck of cards, man.
Because I think I'm gonna
need some cash pretty soon.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
Come on.
No. You go ahead.
You're late.
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
We've got a big surprise
for you tonight.
Let's give
a great Charlie's welcome
to Max Washington.
♪ Nowhere to run away ♪
♪ You've got to
Stand your ground ♪
♪ There's no place left
You can hide ♪
♪ You keepin' up the pace ♪
♪ You takin' from my heart ♪
♪ That's always beatin' inside ♪
♪ And when you think you got
Nothin' left to lose ♪
♪ I got news ♪
♪ The piper's gonna be paid ♪
♪ That's why I say ♪
♪ Can't escape the rhythm ♪
♪ It's been inside me too long ♪
♪ It won't break ♪
♪ It's too strong ♪
♪ Can't escape the rhythm ♪
♪ It's got me where I belong ♪
♪ Can't wait
It's too strong ♪
[TAPPING PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
WOMAN:
How's he do that?
I can't believe this guy can tap
like this. This guy's great.
WOMAN:
Take it home!
[SONG ENDS]
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
[TAPPING CREATING
ELECTRONIC TONES]
[CROWD CLAMORING]
Get down, brother.
Yeah, that's one of my steps.
He stole my step.
MAN:
Dance.
Get your hands
off me, man.
Steal my step
and hug me.
WOMAN:
Yeah!
MAN:
Now, take it home.
Take it home.
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
[RHYTHMIC DRUMMING BEGINS]
MAN 2:
Do it, Max! Do it!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
[♪]
[WHISTLING]
[CROWD WHOOPING]
MAN:
Come on, Max.
Do some more, one more time.
The left foot.
Yeah?
It's still a little weak.
[GWEN GUTHRIE'S "FREE" PLAYING]
CHORUS:
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to get together
Come together as one ♪
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to come together
As one ♪
♪ We've got to dance
Everybody ♪
♪ Got to get together
Come together as one ♪
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to come together
As one ♪
♪ We've got to dance ♪
GUTHRIE:
♪ You're a puppet
On a string ♪
♪ I'm a bird
With broken wings ♪
♪ We've lost control
Of our lives ♪
♪ Like a river
We are damned ♪
♪ And the flood
Is close at hand ♪
♪ Time has come
To take a ♪
♪ Stand ♪
♪ And we got to take it
To the wire ♪
♪ For what we do believe ♪
♪ For what we do believe ♪
♪ Your world, my world ♪
♪ One day we'll see ♪
♪ Everybody will be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be ♪
♪ I'll fight to ♪
♪ I'll fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free
We sing our right to ♪
♪ Got to have ♪
♪ The right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ We are children
On our own ♪
♪ We are lost
And far from home ♪
♪ In the dark
Of the night ♪
♪ So together
We must band ♪
♪ Take each other
By the hand ♪
♪ Find a light
and make a ♪
♪ Stand ♪
♪ And if you ever want
To see tomorrow ♪
♪ Don't wait another day ♪
♪ Don't wait another day ♪
♪ Oh, your world
My world ♪
♪ We hold a piece ♪
♪ Everybody must be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be ♪
♪ I'll fight to ♪
♪ I'll fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
A right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ Got to fight
To be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
A right to ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way home ♪
♪ Come and sing
With me ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way home ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my home ♪
♪ Everybody must be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ Fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
The right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ I've got to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
The right to ♪
♪ I've got
To be free ♪
[ECHOING]
♪ Free, free, free... ♪
And now, from the Ed Sullivan
Theater on Broadway,
join Ed and his guests:
Patti Page,
Topo Gigio the Italian Mouse,
8-year-old tap-dancing
sensation Max Washington,
the Balinese Ballet Company
and the Flying Wallendas.
But first,
a word from our sponsor.
[APPLAUSE]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
MAN:
Five minutes, Mr. Washington.
Your boy's on in five minutes.
WASHINGTON:
Yeah, all right.
You ready, son?
BOY:
I'm scared, Daddy.
Aw, don't be scared, son.
There ain't nothing
to be scared of.
Don't worry about the lights
or the people or anything.
All you gotta do
is follow that music
and listen for the rhythm.
Now, what did I say?
Listen for the rhythm.
[CHUCKLING]
That's right.
Listen for the rhythm.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Now, you repeat it again.
Listen for the rhythm.
Oh, you got it,
little man.
Listen for the rhythm.
[WATER DRIPPING]
[EXHALES]
[SCATTING SOFTLY]
Shoo-bop.
Hey.
Shoo-bop,
ya danjajigger.
Shoo-wop,
zha zha zhang.
Zoo-wop.
Zoo-wop.
Doo-wop.
[HEEL CLINKS]
Hey.
Boom bop.
[SHOES CLINKING LOUDLY
ON WOOD PLATFORM]
[TAPPING ECHOING]
MAN: Damn, Washington!
Will you cool it
with all that noise?
MAN 2:
Why don't you shut up?
MAN 2:
Tryin' to sleep!
MAN 3:
Do it in the yard, man!
Hey, Washington,
give us a break, will ya?
MAN:
Washington, chill out, man!
[MEN CLAMORING]
MAN 2:
Shut up!
MAN 3:
Let the man dance!
MAN 4:
Sounds great.
[CLAMORING FADES]
[PANTING]
MAN 5:
Yeah!
MAN 6:
Yeah, do it, Washington!
MAN 7:
That sounds good, baby.
Take it home!
MAN 8:
Come on, knock it off,
Washington!
I heard enough of this.
Don't give me no shit, man!
[CLAMORING RESUMES]
[♪]
[HORN HONKING]
[TAPPING]
All right, grand theft,
two years.
Ah, extended vacation, huh?
Assault and battery
on a prison guard.
What do we got,
a bad temper there?
Is that our problem?
Punching out a prison guard.
That was smart.
Are we still mad?
Hmm?
We got ourself
under control yet?
I mean, we're not gonna pull
that shit in this office,
are we?
Whatever we say.
All right, so we got an address.
We got any physical problems?
No.
We got employment?
Nope.
We got any skills, hmm?
Can we do anything?
No.
Ah, you're just gonna go
back on the street
with all your goofball friends,
isn't that right?
[CHUCKLES]
I'll get a job.
Nah.
You got a job.
[CHUCKLES]
[DISHES CLATTERING]
Hey, Washington.
Someone to see you.
And bring up some garbage
while you're at it.
And make it quick.
[CAT SCREECHING]
Maxie.
Howie.
Maxie.
[CHUCKLES]
Where have you been? I've been
looking all over town for ya.
Yeah...
Hey.
Come on, Howie.
What is this?
Howie--
No, no, this is very,
very nice.
What have
they got you in?
Come on, man,
the parole board.
I gotta play the game
with 'em for a little while.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Listen, Francis knows
you're out.
He's blaming me
for not finding ya.
Now, he's having a big thing
at his house tonight.
He wants you to come.
Can you make it?
MAN: Washington, let's go!
Yeah, all right.
I'll get in touch
with him.
You gotta be there, Maxie.
Otherwise, Francis is gonna take
one of those limos of his
and stick it
right up my ass.
[CHUCKLING]
Nicky gonna be there?
It's a party, Maxie.
Francis doesn't want
any trouble.
[LAUGHING]
That is priceless.
Don't change clothes
tonight, okay?
Give a call,
we'll send a car.
[ENGINE STARTS]
[TIRES SCREECHING]
MAN:
Amy!
Amy!
Yo, Amy!
Amy!
Yeah, sugar?
Did you find out
if that dance audition
is on or what?
I'm not real certain.
I'll-- I don't know,
I'll give you a call
some time later this week
when I find out, okay?
MAN: Ah, that'd be great.
All right, baby. Bye-bye.
Uh-huh.
Aren't they pretty?
Mm-hm.
[TAPPING]
AMY:
Don't rush it!
Whoo! Diga diga dig.
Diga diga
diga diga dig.
Yeah. Okay, let's add on
to that, y'all.
Let's do the pullbacks.
Diga diga diga
da da da.
Five, six, seven, eight.
Yeah!
All right, baby!
Yes!
Go for it, baby! Yeah!
What do you think? Yeah.
Five, six, seven, eight!
MAN: They're good.
AMY: They're great.
AMY:
Okay, slow it down.
Yeah.
Show this guy
what we really got.
Hey!
What you staring at, man?
I'm looking at this woman.
That woman's my mama, sucker.
You stare at her ass,
you gonna be missing some teeth.
What?
Yeah, that's right, turkey,
come on.
Whoa, you obviously don't know
who you talking to.
Hey.
Argh!
[LAUGHING]
Getting faster.
Hmm.
So how's it going, Max?
Well, good.
How 'bout yourself? Look at you.
Got you behind a desk, working.
Yeah. How 'bout you?
Haven't been around lately.
Yeah, well,
you know how it goes.
How the cards treatin' you?
Ready for another sucker.
Oh, man. I don't know
who that sucker is.
Thank you.
How 'bout I talk
to your mama.
Maybe we'll take you
to the Garden.
Watch the Knicks
whip somebody.
She won't let me.
You know that.
MAX:
Your mama got a new guy?
Don't worry about him.
He's just some
stupid director.
Go for it, Max.
Ahem, yeah. Well...
if you're gonna play this here,
you got to have a clean deck.
Little nick here, little crease
there. What can I say?
[CHUCKLES]
[PHONE RINGS]
Sonny's.
Okay.
What's the name?
[WHISPERS]
I'm going upstairs.
[WOMEN CHATTERING]
[TAPPING CONTINUES]
[♪]
[TOILET FLUSHING]
[UPTEMPO MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKER]
Hey, who's the kid?
What kid?
The kid across the hall.
I don't know.
There's a kid across
the hall, man.
Hey, what is he talking about?
Some kid across the hall.
Nobody knows what he's doing.
I better check
this out.
No, no. Not now,
not with the hand I got.
Hey, Mo. Little Mo.
Mo. Mo, there's a kid
on the third floor.
Hey, Mo.
MAN:
Who's that guy?
MAN 2:
I don't know.
I don't know.
Hey, Little Mo, there's some guy
in there playing your music.
I can hear him, Bunny.
Anybody know
who this kid is?
Did anybody invite someone?
He's good.
Would you mind?
I can't even see him.
Let me get in here.
MAN 3:
Somebody better find out
who he is.
MAN 4:
Somebody better do something.
I'm gonna kick his butt out.
Don't worry about it.
I'll find out who he is.
Yeah, we'll find out.
Yeah, we'll find out.
Beautiful.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Uh, young man,
you're on the wrong floor.
This is third floor.
It's private.
You wanna dance, you gotta go
down to the first
and second floor.
Hey! You got a hearing problem
or somethin'?
Mo.
Sandman, how's your feet?
They all right.
Damn, why the hell
you gonna ask about my feet?
They all right.
Max.
Ha-ha!
I didn't recognize you.
And you're wearing your shoes.
Yep.
Hey, them taps you were laying
down was pretty good.
Thanks.
You looking for a gig?
No, no. I just stopped by
to see Amy and the boy.
Oh, that's nice of you.
Hey, I got some new steps.
Uh, no, thanks.
I mean, it would go with
that music you been playin'.
Yeah, thanks anyway, Mo.
But I'm just exercising.
Exercising?
Exercising.
[WHISPERING]
Who was that,
Little Mo?
That's Sonny's boy.
MAN:
I told you that guy
looked familiar.
Let's get back to the game.
I got five aces.
MAN 2:
I thought that boy quit
his dancing.
MAN 3:
He did quit his dancing.
Quit it long time ago.
Then why is he dancing?
MAN 3: Who the hell knows?
[CHUCKLES]
Oh, man.
Just a while ago,
up on the roof,
I had this great idea, see.
I said to myself,
"That's a good idea,
but the hell with it
because ain't nobody
around here good enough
to pull it off."
Then I come downstairs,
walk into the room and boom.
The one guy who can do it has
his tap shoes back on
after all these years.
Now, you know somebody's
trying to tell me something.
I don't care what nobody's
trying to tell you.
You ain't got no business
on your feet.
Oh, will you stop that?
The boy won't even dance
with you.
That's whhe says.
But this is too good
to let it go to waste,
just because he don't know
what he wants to do.
Don't you worry, Sandman.
He gonna dance with me.
Somebody should dance
with you.
What you looking at,
Sandman?
What the hell you think
I'm looking at?
Why don't you look
for yourself.
[LAUGHS]
Hey.
What's going on?
What do you mean?
Well, you're walking back
and forth, shaking your head.
You're laughing.
What's the problem?
I don't know.
I ain't got no problem.
You the one
with the sloppy left side.
Oh, and there's
one more thing.
Ah, but there ain't no sense
in getting into it.
I mean, since you only
exercising.
No, no.
No, please.
What? What?
Well, Max,
you got no form.
[LAUGHS]
Ahem. I got no form.
Listen, listen, Mo.
Now, I know you guys
were good in your day,
but since you ain't got no legs,
there's no reason--
Hey, hey, hey.
[POUNDS CANE RHYTHMICALLY]
What do you mean?
You think we ain't got no legs?
Is that what you saying?
Sandman. Come in here,
come in here.
You know what
this young man said?
We ain't got no legs.
That means I ain't got no legs,
you ain't got no legs.
And them men in there
ain't got no legs.
Now, what does that sound
like to you?
A challenge.
Now, I didn't challenge nobody.
Oh, yes, you did.
Challenge!
Hey, challenge.
Challenge?
Challenge!
Challenge!
What challenge?
Hot damn, let's get up there
and find out--
Bring in the guys.
Come on in here. Go ahead.
All right, go ahead.
SANDMAN:
We got a punk saying
we ain't got no legs.
I didn't challenge anybody.
A challenge is going on.
Make a circle, make a circle.
Come out here
and show him, Arthur,
how we get time.
Bend those legs,
Arthur.
That's it, baby.
Bend them.
All right,
Arthur.
MEN:
...seven, eight. Yeah.
[PLAYING JAUNTY TUNE]
Yeah, man.
Come on, Arthur.
Work the rhythm.
[MEN CHEERING, WHOOPING]
Ha-ha!
Go, Bunny.
The typewriter.
LITTLE MO:
Check it out, Bunny.
Show this bum your feet.
Whoo!
All right, all right.
Can you slide?
Jimmy Slyde.
Go, Jimmy.
Punk, what do you think
of that slide?
You ain't never slid that far
in your life.
Come on. Yeah!
Whoo!
Hey, look at that.
Shhh.
What about them legs,
boy?
I'm watching him.
You need to.
ALL:
Hey!
Leave it out.
Leave it out.
[STOPS PLAYING]
He don't need no music, see?
Yeah!
Get down on there.
Get in there.
Wait a minute.
What's he doing? Wait!
ALL:
Olé!
How 'bout those legs?
Looking good.
Hey. Hey, wait a second.
Wait a second.
I wanna take me something.
Wait a second.
You ain't gonna take
nothin' out here.
Hold my glasses.
You ain't gonna take nothin'.
I got to give you this.
What are you pushin'?
Hit me with something.
Go ahead,
Sandman.
[PLAYING PLAYFUL SONG]
Yeah.
Louis.
SANDMAN:
Dig that.
Now.
MAX:
What?
Sandman?
Yes?
ALL:
Uh-oh!
You want some parts of this?
Well, I believe I will.
Think I'll take me
a little part of this.
Give him nothing
he can steal.
Yeah, Mo,
put it on him.
Put it on the floor, Mo.
Dig it.
Watch this.
Cut it, Mo. Cut at it. Okay.
Make him answer you, Mo.
Get him, Mo.
He's getting mannish, Mo.
You got to clamp down on him.
Stay with him, Mo.
Stay with him.
Stay with him, Mo.
[MEN CLAPPING,
CHANTING RHYTHMICALLY]
Uh-oh.
Give me my cane.
What do you think
you're doing?
And what are all you doing
standing around here watching?
You should be ashamed
of yourselves.
Now, get out of here.
Go on. Get out of here. Get out.
[ALL GROANING]
Oh, Amy.
Gonna stay up with him
all night?
Drive him to the doctor
at 4 a.m.?
Get on out of here. You?
What about you, Sam?
Amy, did you see
that Max is back?
Hi, Amy.
AMY:
You know what the doctor
told you, Papa.
Stay off your feet.
Take it easy.
LITTLE MO:
Hmph. I'll still be dying.
I'll just be more bored
doing it.
That's impeccable logic,
Papa.
Damn!
Louis, follow him and find out
where he's staying.
You wanna kill yourself,
is that it?
Come on. We've got to talk.
[SOFTLY]
Amy, Amy, Amy.
I have tried. Darling,
I swear to you, I have tried.
But I just can't pull it off.
I can't make it work.
I go in there and play cards
with the guys.
I've tried gardening upstairs.
But I ain't good at none
of them damn things.
I'm only good at one thing.
I'm a tap dancer.
And, Amy, I'm proud of that.
I got something I gotta do
before I go, and Sonny's boy--
Sonny's boy.
[SIGHS]
Papa, he's not interested
in your ideas.
You know what he's like.
He's got his shoes on again.
Now, when's the last time
you seen him up here
with his shoes on?
And he's got his daddy's legs
on top of them shoes.
I still got
a few tricks left,
but I need Max to help me
pull them off.
And I gotta be on my feet
for that.
So that means...
no more gardening.
And if I'm gonna die...
[♪]
I wanna die
with my tap shoes on.
I want you to apologize
to him.
Papa...
He's staying
at the Clark Hotel.
LITTLE MO:
Thank you, son. Now, here's
what I want you to tell him.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
MAX:
Yeah?
Hey.
Just making myself a drink.
You want one?
What are you doing here?
Is that hello?
Hello.
What are you doing here
at the Clark?
Well, I just got back into town.
I needed a place to stay.
[SCOFFS]
What is this?
What--? Where are
the slick suits and the limos?
Well, listen.
What is this, Dragnet?
Huh? You interrogating me?
Yeah.
Well, I'm here
to deliver a message.
You know, Pop's got some
crazy idea that you've changed.
So...
tonight's Hoofers' Night.
First Tuesday of the month
we all get together
over at Charlie's club.
Papa's leaving Sonny's
around 7.
Now, Max...
I don't know what you're up to,
but do me a favor:
Don't come.
[STAMMERS]
So it's Hoofers' Night.
Yeah.
Tonight.
You going?
Why?
I don't know,
thought we might...
get together after,
talk a little bit.
Talk a little bit?
These visits of yours
aren't appreciated.
You pop in, you pop out.
What has it been now,
two, three years?
Do me and Dad and Louis
a favor.
Get lost.
Amy.
Now, you don't mean that.
I don't, huh?
Nah.
I can tell.
You still feel something.
You're right.
I still feel something.
I still feel the same way
it felt when I was 17 years old,
and the curtains opened for
Max Washington and Amy Simms.
And there ain't
no Washington!
There ain't no Washington
'cause he's off
with his buddies somewhere
robbing a liquor store
or something.
Yeah, I still feel the same way,
pissed.
Amy.
Forget about it, Washington.
Come on--
Don't even dream about it.
I'm supposed
to dream about it.
I'm right across the street
from Sonny's.
Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah.
[HORNS HONKING]
Those pork chops of yours
are getting real nasty, Sandman.
[LAUGHS]
Don't tell it to me.
Tell it to the pig.
Didn't cook himself up
in no rubber.
Put that back.
Leave it alone.
The kid ain't comin'.
How you know he ain't comin'?
You got a crystal ball
in that frying pan of yours?
Just...get out of here.
Damn!
Oh, Amy.
Harold says that Max
is back in town,
and he's got his shoes on again,
and he's going good.
Yeah, he's going good.
I guess he is.
LITTLE MO:
I tell you one thing,
when he performed...
he was somethin'
to watch.
He had his daddy's style and
his daddy's grace on that stage.
He ain't had
his daddy's nothing.
Kid's a quitter.
Always been a quitter.
Quit on his dancing. Quit on
his daddy when he was sick.
Quit on everything.
All I know is,
Amy arrived in town
with a brand-new baby
and a runaway husband.
Max raised up Louis
as if he were his very own.
That's right.
And then he quit on him.
LITTLE MO:
Shut up.
He came that close,
that close to being a star...
before it all went down.
That's right.
Mm-hmm.
When what
all went down?
The work, son.
When the work all dried up.
You mean,
you guys used to work?
What?
No, he didn't.
Get over here.
I know one kid
that's gonna get hurt.
Come-- Bring him
down front here.
Let me tell you somethin'.
You looking at everybody
in this room, son,
was a headliner.
MAN:
That's right.
LITTLE MO:
Everybody headlined.
It was that rock 'n' roll
that killed us.
Oh, no, no, no.
Rock 'n' roll still killing us.
You wanna go dance to that junk?
Hey, Mo,
Max is out there.
MAN:
I've got to have
a beat for my feet.
I can't be out there
jumpin' up and down
on all that loud music
going on...
[♪]
Can I take
your plate now?
Shut up.
I told you
about him, baby.
Hey, Maxie, welcome home.
Come on in.
Excuse me, folks. Just a second,
I'll be right back.
Taking care of some business.
Have a little fun.
Get some drinks.
Be right with you.
Hey, care for some food?
♪ Ooh, ain't many others ♪
♪ 'Cause you know what we got
Is a rare thing... ♪
MAN:
Hey. Hey,
look who's here.
♪ It's everlasting
This love... ♪
How's it going?
Nice to see you.
You too.
Hey, Max, how you doing?
Good.
All right.
♪ It's always gonna be around ♪
♪ This love is a love... ♪
MAN:
It was like shooting fish
in a barrel. How could you miss?
NICKY:
Easy for you to say. But I had
my money on the other man.
Maybe you'll take
my advice next time.
Hey, Red.
How them, uh, pots and pans
treatin' ya?
How's it going, Nicky?
I'm back.
And the first chance
I get, Nicky,
I'm gonna tear
your fucking head off.
Maxie.
Excuse me.
Maxwell!
[LAUGHS]
[CHUCKLES]
Hey!
Look at ya. Come on.
You put some muscle on
in the can, huh?
MAX:
Yeah, a little bit.
FRANCIS:
So when'd you get out?
MAX:
A couple of days ago.
Hey, guys, I want you
to meet Max Washington.
He's part of my family.
You're looking
at the best second-story man
in the business.
Second-story?
Yeah, you know,
climbing buildings,
going in windows,
coming out
with the goods.
Incredible balance.
What was that you were?
Juggler? Acrobat?
Tap dancer.
Yeah, tap dancer!
I love that shit.
[LAUGHTER]
Hey, look, I got you
an apartment all set up.
Got a nice car for you,
but I got a little job--
Hey, Francis,
wait a minute.
Look, I just got back
in town, man.
I got a place
that's good for now.
Got the parole board.
I-- I can't get too showy.
Just look
the job over.
This is bacon and eggs for you.
Check it out, okay?
Tell you what, you could be
my consultant on this.
You know, I mean, tell me
how the job can work, huh?
Consultant?
Yeah.
Yeah. All right.
Nicky involved in this?
Forget about all that, Maxwell.
It wasn't all Nicky's fault.
You screwed up yourself.
He should've been there.
You shoulda been
out on time.
He shoulda waited for me.
NICKY:
And you shoulda been
out on time, man!
Man, you shoulda waited!
You shouldn't have
been drunk!
FRANCIS: Hey!
Hey!
[CHUCKLING]
Hey, come on.
What are we arguing about?
The past is the past.
Come on. You're free now.
Let's move on.
Huh?
Maxwell.
You're back.
Hey, Nicky,
you know that jewelry gig
you were telling me about?
Yeah.
Let Max check it out.
You're kidding.
That's my best contact.
The man nearly got me busted
last time,
lost me my best client!
I said, let Max check it out.
Why don't you two
shake hands, huh?
Okay, don't shake hands.
Come on.
Hey, look at this.
I got my family
back together again, huh?
Car's yours tonight, Red.
[ETTA JAMES' "BABY, WHAT YOU
WANT ME TO DO?" PLAYING]
Drop me off at Times Square.
♪ You got me runnin' ♪
♪ You got me hidin' ♪
♪ You got me runnin'
And hidin' ♪
♪ Runnin'
Any way you want it ♪
♪ Child, let it roll ♪
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
♪ Yeah-hah ♪
♪ Well, you got me ♪
♪ Where you want me, darlin' ♪
♪ Baby, what you
Gettin' ready for me to do? ♪
♪ Oh, baby ♪
♪ Honey, what's wrong
With you? ♪
♪ I wanna know ♪
Man.
♪ Oh, oh, baby
Oh, baby ♪
♪ Honey, what's wrong
With you? ♪
♪ Whoa, no ♪
♪ I'm gonna... ♪
Yeah, you know, we had this gig
at the Club Alabama.
So they closed
the joint down.
We had to go to San Diego, man,
all the way to Tijuana.
To go to the Long Bar, where
we could dance on each other.
I'm trying to tell you about
the gig. That man is clever...
♪ I gotta know ♪
♪ Pack my bags ♪
♪ And down that road I go ♪
♪ Hey ♪
♪ Hey
Hey-hey-ey ♪
Get up.
What do you mean,
"get up"?
Who you think
you're talking to?
I am talking to you,
Sandman.
Now, get up and give me
the chair.
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
Miss Etta James.
All right, girl.
Shit.
What's going on, Sandman?
Hey, Max.
What's going on? Take my chair?
Sit down.
Harry.
Hey, Mo.
Come over here and bring
the shoes with ya.
Hey, you know something?
Do you know your pop worked
this place a couple of times?
Yeah.
Broke it up too.
Charlie then turned it
into a rock 'n' roll place
a while back.
Good to see you, Mo.
Harry, I want you to meet
Max Washington.
This is Charlie's son, Harry.
Now, he's got a wild idea.
I want you to hear it.
Tell him. Lay it on him.
Well, Mo and me been talking
about mixing tap and rock.
I mean, nobody thinks
of doing it.
Why?
Because you can't hear it,
that's why.
That's
the only reason.
But check this out:
I rigged up pickups
underneath these taps.
I run these through my system,
and, like, boom!
They're gonna hear this
in Scarsdale.
I can also
hook these up
to my whole stack
of synthesizers.
You can change the sound
of whatever you're tapping
to any sound you want.
You follow what I mean?
I gotta make
this next number.
With a house band here, we can
work you in any time you want.
You sing, right?
Of course
the man sings.
Would I bring somebody
ain't got no voice?
He got a great voice.
Cool. Talk to you later, Mo.
Wait a minute, what are you
talking about? What is this?
Well, we're talking
about the future.
There are kids that come
in here every single night.
They pack this little joint.
But they don't know
nothing about us,
what we stand for,
tap dancers.
What are you talking about?
How much money do I get
if I go up there, huh?
How much do you two split?
Couple hundred a week? Come on!
It ain't what you make
that matters, Max.
Listen, Mo--
MAN:
Next up on Tap Night,
Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
Hey, Jane, let me
see you dance.
Do some of the steps
you stole from me.
♪ One, two
Y'all know what to do ♪
SANDMAN:
Okay, stay together,
stay together.
Toe the line.
Yeah, like that.
That beat is good.
I wish you'd dance on it.
That's my step.
Now that really is my step.
That's my bestseller.
Shut up, Sandman.
What you mean, shut up?
Why don't you shut up.
I know what I'm doin',
I'm protecting my steps.
They're giving my steps away,
and I couldn't sell 'em.
Dance!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
MAN:
Yeah, Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
Let's hear it for 'em.
Come on.
Ah-ha!
MAN:
Thank you.
Thank you.
Amy Simms
and the Shim Sham Girls.
[BAND PLAYS BREEZY JAZZ SONG]
MAN:
That's Boston's own
Dianne Walker dancing for you.
Now, did you--?
You choreographed everything?
Mm-hm.
Yeah, that's all my stuff.
All the women?
Mm-hm. That's me.
Wow, that's good stuff.
Now, they're a little old.
Is that who you want
to show me?
Not all of them.
Dorothy. She's blond.
The blond-- Yeah. She would
play. She would play on-stage.
And the thing is, you know--
What?
Uh...
N-nothing.
It's '30s, right?
So it's a period thing,
but some of the stuff--
[LAUGHS]
What? What am I doing?
Excuse me, Bob.
This is my friend
Max Washington.
Max, this is Bob Wyeth.
Pleasure.
My pleasure.
No, what I'm saying is,
it's a period thing, but--
Excuse me, Bob.
I hate to interrupt,
I really do,
but I just had to come back here
and tell this woman
what a terrific performance
that was.
Huh? Can this woman dance, Bob?
[CHUCKLING]
Yes, she can.
Yeah. Very attractive too,
wouldn't you say?
I certainly would.
Yeah.
Uh, you a hoofer, Bob?
No, I'm a--
Bob's a Broadway director. I'm
helping him cast his next show.
Now--
Oh, tap show?
That's right.
Oh...
So let me get this straight,
just for me, Bob.
You're a Broadway director
directing a tap-dance show,
but you don't know
how to tap-dance?
How do you do that, Bob?
Max.
No, it's a valid question.
I directed a show
about suicide last year.
I haven't done that either.
It's imagination,
Mr. Washington.
Imagination.
Yeah. Well...
Touché, Bob, touché.
Listen, you mind if I have
a minute with Amy over here?
Great. Bartender, a drink
for my friend Bob here.
What do you think you're doing?
Let's get out of here.
There's a great Italian
restaurant--
Wait, wait, wait.
Am I missing something here?
I thought I made myself clear
the last time we talked.
I have to be here.
This isn't just for fun.
I'm working with Bob.
Bob will be fine. He can just
imagine you're with him.
MAN:
Let's have a big round
of applause
for all our lady dancers
this evening, come on.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Fabulous.
Say, Bob.
Yeah?
This is gonna take a little
longer than I thought.
It's just family business.
Uh, do you wanna catch
a cab?
No, that's okay.
No?
No.
Good night, Amy.
No, wait, Bob--
No, it's all right.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Nice meeting you.
Bob.
Great, Max.
I've been trying to get him
down here for two months
to see some real tap, and you
go and scare him away, Jesus!
Hey, what--?
LITTLE MO: Welcome, everybody.
I wanna thank you for being here
with the tap dancers.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
A lot of you young people
have asked me,
"Say, where you guys get
your moves from
that you do
when you're tap-dancing?"
Well, I'll tell you
where we got our moves.
We stole them.
MAN: Yeah, that's right.
We stole steps to come up
with our own style.
If you don't like Italian--
Shhh.
LITTLE MO:
However, there was only one man
that no one could figure out
who he stole from, see?
Because he didn't steal
from anybody.
He stole his steps
from the sounds he heard
on the streets
of New York City.
Come on.
Shhh!
He was an original.
I mean an original,
and his name
was Sonny Washington.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Now, nobody can tell you
about how Sonny moved.
Nobody can do it,
except maybe one man
that we're lucky enough to have
in the audience tonight.
Sonny's son.
MAN 2: What?
Yeah. Max Washington.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
LITTLE MO:
Come on up here, Max.
Take us outside.
What did he do?
Whoa, whoa.
Hold it. Hold it.
Thanks anyway, Mo.
Thanks anyway. Another time.
Oh, what do you mean,
"another time"? This is Tuesday.
Yeah, I-I wish I could.
I-I ain't got my shoes.
I didn't bring my shoes.
LITTLE MO:
Wait. What size do you wear?
Eleven.
MAN:
Uh-huh.
Who got an 11 here
with some good taps?
There you go.
There's another pair.
Come on, Max.
Let's take everybody outside
and show them how
your father got his steps.
Come on, everybody.
Do this for my old man, Max.
LITTLE MO:
Let's go. Move it.
Let's go outside.
All right, now,
if I go up there,
it's you and me
tomorrow night, 7:00, huh?
It's damp out here,
it's cold out here...
Thanks a lot.
All right. So, uh...
this is it. This is the spot
where my father stole his stuff.
Right out here.
He'd be out here on the corner,
and he'd be trading steps
with his friends.
When his friends would leave,
he'd stay
and listen to the sounds
of the city.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, listen.
Listen, listen.
[METAL CLANKING]
[METAL PLATE CLANKING]
There's something.
Ah!
See, that's what I'm saying.
What I hear is, I hear,
"Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah."
Eh? Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
See? Now, what I'm saying is,
ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
You dig?
Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
So now I'll try it,
and then you try it.
And, ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
CROWD:
Ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
[HORN HONKS]
Ooh, incorporate the horn.
You hear the horn, Mo?
Ee-ee.
So, ba-dee ah, ba-dee ah.
[HORN HONKS]
[TAPPING]
[LAUGHTER]
[SIREN WAILING]
[THUDDING]
MAX:
Come on. Follow me.
Come on this way.
I wanna go down here
because I think I hear
something I might want to use.
I think we got it all, yeah.
Look, we got the road,
we got the time, boom.
Yes.
Yes. Uh, don't mind us.
We're just, uh, tap dancers.
[THUDDING CONTINUES]
MAX:
You feel that?
[ALL GRUNTING RHYTHMICALLY]
And you give me.
ALL:
Ooh!
[LAUGHTER]
MAX:
Yeah. Now, this man knows
what's going on.
He has taken it,
and he is running with it.
Yes.
All right,
you got your shoes on.
Let's try some, uh, Uncle Mo.
Do the Uncle Mo.
[GROUP TAPPING]
MAX:
Together! Together!
Uncle Mo!
All right! Disperse! Disperse!
Find wood!
Find wood and express
yourselves!
MAN:
We're gonna jam.
[CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]
We need a little power.
Give me a break.
Right? Run this down.
[BAND PLAYING FUNKY MELODY]
[GROWLS]
Hey, Harry.
Get these guys to flow.
You know, get it rolling.
Yeah. Okay. All right.
So boogie-woogie feel.
Let's do it.
All right.
Uh-huh. I got it.
Oh! Yes!
[ARGUING INDISTINCTLY]
Ah!
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Oh, that ain't nothing.
That's nothing.
Shut up, Sandman.
Yes?
Thanks.
That's all right.
You want your jacket back?
I'll get it tomorrow night.
When I come pick you up.
Pick me what?
Pick you up.
[LAUGHS]
Yes!
Whoo!
HOWIE:
Max, you shoulda just taken,
ugh, the place Francis got
for you, you know?
We wouldn't have to drag
all your stuff over here.
You ready?
I'll be right down.
[EXHALES]
Man, next time
just call a moving company
or somethin', huh?
NICKY:
Hey, Washington!
Let's go, man!
[TONY TERRY'S "FORGET THE GIRL"
PLAYING]
♪ No way ♪
♪ No, no way ♪
♪ No way ♪
♪ Everywhere that I go
Everybody wants to know... ♪
Shit.
We're wasting our time
with this asshole.
HOWIE:
He's checking it out.
The man is bullshitting us.
He ain't got it no more.
I saw it on that last job.
He's lost it.
He ain't got the nerve.
Quiet.
So, Max,
what do you think?
Yeah, man. Good.
Alley in the back.
Roof access.
Shouldn't be much of a problem.
What's the take
on this thing?
Uncut: 750,000.
We get 5, the owner gets
the rest plus insurance.
You woulda gotten 80 grand
if you coulda done it.
Yeah, so if I coulda done it,
which window would I have
done it in?
The one next
to the "I" in the sign.
The owner's leaving it open,
giving us the combination.
[LAUGHS]
Hey, Red...
what say, uh, you and I
bury the hatchet
and close a few bars tonight,
like in the olden times?
Bury the hatchet, huh?
Uh-huh.
Not tonight, Nicky.
Uh-huh.
See what I'm saying?
Oh, I know, I know.
You got a...
A dishwashing convention
to go to.
Or maybe you're gonna hang
in your old place.
I mean,
that's why you took
that rattrap across
the street, isn't it?
Ain't that right, Red?
Well, I seem to remember
a little brat and a...
A little, uh, dancing bitch.
You be careful, Nicky.
Then them old farts.
What you gonna do?
Sit around and tell stories
about the golden days
of tap-dancing?
HOWIE:
Shut up.
What do you say,
Red?
You interested
in this job?
Tell Francis
I'll call him tomorrow.
NICKY: Shit.
I'll see you, Howie.
The man is wasting
our time.
[ENGINE STARTS]
MAN:
Yes, how much are these?
WOMAN:
Those are two dollars...
You ladies are late.
We got a class to do,
thank you very much.
[KNOCKING ON GLASS]
Hey.
Use these before I take
all your money.
Look inside.
Knick tickets, 13th row,
Saturday night.
Put 'em away.
Baby, my class is running
a little late tonight.
Why don't we do this
another night, okay?
Oh, no, no, no.
A deal's a deal.
Now, you go get changed,
and I'll take over the class.
You?
Yeah. I'll take over the class.
[SIGHS]
Yeah, tap class.
I got it. I got it.
Good.
Knick tickets.
How you doin', babe?
Uh, students, students...
Amy had to go, so I'm gonna
take over the rest of the class.
Uh, step right up,
step right up
and, uh, show me what you got.
Hold it, hold it, hold it.
Uh, what's going on with you
back there?
Oh, that's Anthony.
He doesn't dance.
His mom
makes him come.
His mom.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Uh...
Anthony...
uh, as long as you're here,
why don't you give it a try?
No.
Why not?
Dancing's for girls.
Anthony,
don't be ridiculous.
I mean, what do
I look like to you?
Be careful, Anthony.
All right,
you just relax.
I'll be right back.
[MELISSA ROWAN'S "SOMEBODY LIKE
YOU" PLAYING ON STEREO]
Hey, do me a favor. Go in there
and show this kid a combination.
What?
I need you to go in there
and show Anthony some steps.
What are you
talking about?
You still got your shoes, right?
Put 'em on, go in there
and show this guy some steps.
You show him.
You're his age.
If he sees you do it,
he'll probably dance.
Forget it. What's with you?
You said it was a waste of time.
Now I'm telling you different.
[PHONE RINGS]
Please.
I said, no.
Sonny's.
Uh, excuse me. Hello.
Yeah. I'm sorry. We're closed
for the holidays. Yeah.
Listen.
I practically raised you.
I used to change
your dirty diapers.
Now, I just gave you a new deck
of cards and Knick tickets.
I ain't asking you no more.
I'm telling you.
Go in there and teach
that kid a combination.
♪ Bring a little light, baby
In my life ♪
♪ Somebody like you... ♪
Okay.
Take the cards out.
We go around one time.
If I win,
you take over the class.
And if I win?
I ain't worried about that.
But if that should happen...
Wait a minute, wait a minute,
wait a minute.
It's good...
but it's raggedy.
When you dance,
you want to dance clean.
Always clean, like this.
Come on. We're gonna be
late for dinner.
But how did--?
Oh, he's fine.
Emily, put on a record.
Jewel.
[UPTEMPO JAZZ TUNE PLAYING]
Oh, look.
[JAZZ TUNE ENDS]
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
Ball.
Five, six.
Five, six,
seven, eight.
Stay together.
Keep it clean.
I wanna hear
those taps.
[PIANO PLAYING ELEGANT MUSIC]
So what ever happened to that
guy you were so tight with?
What was his name? Um...
What was his name, Joe?
[GIGGLES]
Odabiah, was it?
Ralph.
Ralph.
Ralph,
that's what it was.
Yeah, whatever happened to him?
Weren't you gonna marry him?
I was thinking about it.
Didn't work out.
You know, Ralph was
a good enough man.
Solid, hard-working,
responsible.
[SNORES]
Yeah.
Tried to make it work.
Gave up some of my classes.
I couldn't do it, Max.
Dancing is too much
of who I am.
What about you?
What are you gonna do?
What do you mean? What?
With your dancing.
What are you talking about?
Papa thinks you're back.
He wants to work with you.
Oh, right.
Well, Papa's wrong.
Well, something's going on, Max.
Now, what is it? Talk to me.
Because I saw you out on the
street last night dancing again.
Your hoofing's strong and sharp.
You've been practicing.
Maybe.
Whereabouts?
[LAUGHS]
Whereabouts?
Sing Sing.
WAITER:
Your check, sir.
There you are.
Chez Sing Sing.
Prison.
Yeah.
What happened?
I screwed up.
Got a little careless.
It's my father's fault,
actually.
I had to work
the night of his funeral,
and I got a little drunk,
and...
So they gave me
a couple of years.
Jesus, Max.
Where does, uh...
the dancing fit in?
Well, I was doing my time,
and I was doing all right.
I was just trying to get
through it.
Had my parole coming up
and, uh...
But there was
this one guard.
Browder.
Messed with me
every chance he got.
He hated me because
I wouldn't take any of his shit.
And then one day, he just went
too far, and I lost it.
I jumped on him,
and I just beat him.
I beat him for every time
he messed with me.
I beat him till they
pulled me off of him.
Then they beat me up
a little bit, and...
threw me in this box
they call purgatory
for about three months.
Tacked on a year
to my sentence.
Oh, boy.
So there I am, in this--
In this hole.
And I knew I'd blown it.
Ahem, so...
I'm in there, you know,
and-- And my head is spinning.
And my heart is pounding.
[SIGHS]
I can't breathe.
So just about the time I felt
like I was going over the edge,
I started to hear
these combinations.
These combinations,
you know.
Shappen-de-bippity-doo,
boom boom.
Ze-zap-bap, zup-be-bop-bop.
Da-wop.
And I knew that was coming
from deep,
from way deep inside me.
So I got up, and I started
to move with it,
started to dance.
And I felt better.
I could breathe again,
you know?
[LAUGHS]
So when I got out of the hole,
I put in for some shoes
and got some wood together
and, uh...
After that, whenever I felt like
I was going over the edge,
I'd just start to dance.
Pulled me back.
I guess I got used to it.
You know, every now and then,
I needed to pound some wood.
[LAUGHS]
What's so funny?
I can't believe this.
What?
I never thought
it would happen.
Is there something
I should know--?
You don't even get it,
do you?
I bet you don't even know why
you asked me out on this date.
I was hungry. I wanted to eat.
No. No.
You wanted to show me
that you're back.
It took them throwing you
in a hole, Max, but you're back.
Papa was right.
Amy, you got this all wrong.
I ain't back to nothing.
You lie, you lie, you lie.
We in a restaurant.
You calling me names
in front of the people?
You're a liar,
and I can prove it. Come on.
Where are we going?
Just come on.
[♪]
So this is what
you wanted to show me?
Yeah, this is the show
I'm casting.
Yeah, come on over here
and take a look out there, Max.
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
Tell me you're not
a dancer.
Go ahead and tell me
you don't feel that.
I didn't feel none of that.
You are such a liar.
Come on, Amy. You tried to show
me Broadway tap-dancing.
Okay. But five years ago,
there was nothing.
Look, baby, all I'm showing you
is that there's work.
Now, Papa's got some ideas.
This company we just left
is going on the road.
Tomorrow, we're putting together
a whole new line, baby.
What's so funny?
I got to laugh.
I can just picture me
in that line.
And then what happens
after that, huh?
A gig on the road?
Maybe I teach a class or two?
Uh-uh, Amy.
I'm not like my father.
I'm not winding up
with nothing.
Your father was
a good man, Max.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Good ol' Sonny Washington, huh?
Always a big smile
waiting for you
on the Sonny side
of the street.
Well, the man could smile.
Yeah, yeah.
Even when we were flat broke,
he was still smiling.
My mother, she was smart.
First guy came along with some
real cash money, she was gone.
And that's what's happening.
Cash money.
And where do you get
the cash money, Max?
I got my ways.
What ways?
Don't worry about it.
Listen.
Somehow you were given
a second chance.
But you're just too angry
and stubborn
to see what's right
in front of you.
Amy, Amy. Did you have
a good time tonight, huh?
You like dressing up in nice
things and going to nice places,
places you can't go to when
you're stuck on the third floor?
I never needed any
of those things, Max. You did.
All I ever needed was
a place to dance, Louis,
and somebody to love me.
Good night, Max.
Amy--
No. Good night.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Ahhh... Ha-ha.
[GRINDING, CLINKING]
[♪]
MAN:
Hey!
Hey!
A 50-center.
Hey, butterfingers.
Hey, Washington.
[PIANO PLAYING UPBEAT TUNE]
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
All right, people, once again,
when you're tapped,
please step out
of the formation right away,
and as quickly as possible
move out.
And you people in the back,
step up and fill in
the empty spots, okay?
Thank you.
Don't look at me like that.
I'm just trying to get a job.
[PEOPLE LAUGHING]
MAN:
I didn't see that.
Taking it back.
I gotta see that again.
It's out of sight.
Great. But I've seen it enough.
Can I have that?
Stop.
Hey, is this
the Sullivashow Max did?
Arthur.
Yeah.
What's going on?
Max got in that show
Amy's working on.
MAN 2:
That's TV. That's TV.
And it's coming
from the heart.
LITTLE MO:
Psst.
That's what
I like about it.
MAN 3: Beautiful.
I mean, right through.
Oh, shit.
[MEN CONVERSING INDISTINCTLY]
Amy, can I speak to you
in private just a minute?
Sure, Pop.
Come on.
We'll go over here.
What's going on?
Oh, nothing much.
Amy, you wanna tell me what
the hell's going on out there?
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about Max.
You're supposed to be
working on him for me.
Not some dumb-ass
Broadway show.
It's a job, Pop.
"It's a job."
I have no objections
to a dancer getting a job.
But that boy is not just
a dancer. He's a hoofer.
That's why he's
on the third floor,
not down there
on the first or second,
where they go,
"five, six, seven, eight.
La-dee-da."
The boy is special, Amy.
He has to have his freedom.
He needs to have his space.
You can't keep that kind
of a talent on a leash.
He went to the audition
on his own.
Well, I'm gonna go
and talk to him.
No, you're not gonna do
a damn thing.
Max tried out
for a show today.
You know how big a step
that was for him?
He did something positive
for a change, and it worked.
Look at him, Papa.
He's feeling good about it.
Don't take that
away from him.
[SWEEPING CLASSICAL MUSIC
PLAYING OVER SPEAKER]
I can't believe this.
That you're gonna teach me
how to dance.
I'm not trying to teach you
how to tap-dance.
I'm teaching you the steps
to this damn number.
Now, get over here.
[UPBEAT JAZZ PLAYING]
I want you to get
the solo spot, Max.
So stop complaining
and learn it.
Remember to use
your arms, Max.
You got it. Go ahead.
Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.
What are you doing?
I'm trying--
You're stomping like you wanna
break through the damn roof.
Easy, light.
That's not my style.
Well, that's the way
he wants it.
Bob.
Mr. Imagination.
I should show Bob
how this stuff is really done.
Max, this is a set piece.
Five different dancers
have done it the same...
way for three years.
You've got to do it
like everyone else.
I don't do it
like everyone else, remember?
[LAUGHS]
[ORCHESTRAL VERSION
OF "CHEEK TO CHEEK" PLAYING]
You put this on?
It was a good routine,
wasn't it?
Yeah. Yeah.
The black Fred and Ginger, huh?
Mm.
Another one of
my father's lame ideas.
About 40 years too late.
It wasn't lame.
It was romantic.
You looked so good
in your tuxedo.
It's true. I did.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Too bad we never got a chance to
perform it after all that work.
Yeah. Well...
you remember any of it?
You remember any of it?
[IMITATES LITTLE MO]
Sounds like a challenge to me.
It is a challenge.
Ah-ha!
[LAUGHS]
[HIGH-PITCHED]
Challenge!
All right.
I certainly hope you do
remember, because I do.
AMY:
I remember.
They falling in love
again, Mo?
Son...that ain't none
of our business.
Now, come on.
Pajamas are waiting for you.
Whoa.
I'll get the door.
MAX:
Which side?
AMY:
This side, 'cause
I'm on the left side.
MAX:
First step. You remember
the first step?
AMY:
The first step.
Yes, I remember.
Mo!
I'll be right there, son.
Be right with you.
[MAX HUMMING "CHEEK TO CHEEK"]
Okay.
[BOTH LAUGH]
Ha!
Hey.
Ha!
[LAUGHS]
Oh, yeah.
Dance!
Yah! Yah! Yah!
Dance!
Come along.
No, Max.
[♪]
Hey.
[JAMES TAYLOR AND REGINA BELLE'S
"ALL I WANT IS FOREVER" PLAYING]
TAYLOR:
♪ All I want ♪
♪ All I want
Is forever ♪
♪ I don't want much
From you ♪
♪ Just your love
My whole life through ♪
♪ That's all I want ♪
♪ Yeah, that's all
I want ♪
BELLE:
♪ And all ♪
♪ I need
Is to be with you ♪
♪ Always ♪
♪ I don't need much
You see ♪
♪ Just need eternity ♪
♪ Yeah, to be with you
Yes, to be with you ♪
BOTH:
♪ Forever ♪
♪ All I want is
Forever ♪
♪ Am I askin' too much? ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Oh, all I know ♪
♪ Is when we're together ♪
♪ Baby ♪
♪ Time passes
Much too fast ♪
♪ And I want
To make it last ♪
♪ Last forevermore ♪
♪ Girl, forevermore ♪
♪ And all my life ♪
♪ I've been waiting
To find ♪
♪ To find ya, baby ♪
♪ Now that you're
Finally here ♪
♪ I want you alone
With me ♪
♪ And to share
My life ♪
♪ Yes, to share
My life ♪
♪ Forever ♪
♪ All I want is
Forever ♪
♪ That's all I want
Is forever, baby ♪
♪ Am I askin' too much? ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Forever ♪
♪ Want to keep you
Forever ♪
♪ Baby, yeah, ooh ♪
♪ I'm not askin' too much ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ Want to keep you
Forever ♪
♪ I'm not askin' too much ♪
♪ Askin' for all your love
Forever ♪
♪ I just need forever ♪
♪ That's all I want
Is forever... ♪
There's a guy across the hall.
He wants to see you.
Okay. Thanks.
What?
[LAUGHING]
What?
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[NICKY LAUGHS]
Hey!
What are you doing up here?
I thought I'd get
a few lessons.
What do you think?
You got Francis waiting
on your call.
Are you gonna do
this job or what?
Outside.
Outside?
Yeah.
[NICKY CHUCKLES]
Hey, Pop. Don't hurt yourself
with that thing, now.
[CHUCKLES]
Hey. You don't come up here.
You hear what I'm saying?
You don't ever come up here!
Hey, I'm sorry.
I didn't realize this was
St. Patrick's goddamn Cathedral.
All right,
all right.
Come on, Maxie.
What's the deal?
Francis wants to know.
You in or out?
Get the fuck out of here.
Aw, see, man. Now...
you got Francis eatin' your shit
and givin' you money,
but as far as
I am concerned,
you're more comfortable
in an apron,
soapsuds, yellow gloves,
this hole, old men runnin'--
What's up? Come on!
Let's have it!
HOWIE:
Nicky!
If you're gonna
kill somebody,
you do it when
I am not around.
[GASPS]
[POPS LIPS]
You dead.
[LAUGHS]
Come on, man.
Let's get out of this dump.
I tell ya, the man has lost it.
He's history.
He's right where he belongs.
Nowhere.
[NICKY LAUGHS]
HOWIE:
Shut up.
[PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS MID-TEMPO MELODY]
Max.
[MOUTHS]
I'm gonna talk to them.
You ready?
Okay, let's have
the final person
for the second-act solo--
The next guy
is Max Washington.
Okay.
Excuse me, Bob.
This is my friend Max.
I remember your friend, Amy.
I let him in the line.
Isn't that enough?
Come on,
give him a shot.
He's the best dancer
in the building.
Okay.
Go ahead, Brian.
Thanks, sugar.
BRIAN:
Max Washington?
Next, please.
Just follow Ray. He'll--
I got it, I got it.
Let's just go.
[PIANO PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS NEW MELODY]
MAN:
Oh, man!
Look at that!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
Mike, Brian.
What is this, Ray?
The guy wanted to show
you something.
I'll decide when we change
the music, all right?
MAX:
It's not his fault.
It's not his fault.
I asked him to do it.
Stick to the routine.
I just thought
you might be interested
in seeing what the real stuff
looks like.
The real stuff?
And what, my friend,
do you think we've been doing?
Bullshit.
This is bullshit here.
It's not even tap-dancing, man.
They didn't tap-dance like that
in the '30s and '40s.
Not the good ones, anyway.
Well, I guess we're not
interested in the good ones.
I guess we're interested in...
the same kind of dancing
that's made this show a hit
for the past three years.
I know we all appreciate
the little history lesson.
[LAUGHING]
[WHISPERS]
David!
But for now...
you can either do
our bullshit,
or you can do your trade
out in the streets.
What'll it be, my friend?
Max Washington is my name.
The original routine
this time, Ray.
[PIANO PLAYS UPBEAT INTRO]
[PIANO PLAYS MID-TEMPO MELODY]
Okay.
A little more with the arms.
This is a musical.
How 'bout a smile?
A little personality.
Let's go. Smile.
How 'bout it?
One teeny-weeny smile.
Is that possible?
Come on. Come on.
[CHUCKLES]
All right. Thank you.
[PIANO STOPS PLAYING]
Wrong type. Next!
Next, please.
Thank you, my friend.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Off the stage.
I said, get off my--!
Smile!
No, Max!
Now, you smile!
You smile! Big smile!
Max. Max, don't.
You--!
Please, Max. Please.
MAN:
Chill out, man.
You all right, Bob?
Max.
You got it?
Yeah, yeah-- Whoa!
Max, it's okay.
The guy's a jerk.
This is crazy.
What the hell am I doing here?
Don't. It's my fault.
This is the wrong--
Look, I gotta go, Amy.
I got real work to do.
Go back into your show.
Hey.
I don't deserve that.
You never did, Amy.
Max.
Max-- Jesus.
Max.
[PIANO PLAYING "ON THE SUNNY
SIDE OF THE STREET"]
BUNNY:
♪ Get your hat
And get your coat ♪
♪ Leave all your worries
On the doorstep ♪
♪ Life would be so sweet ♪
♪ On the sunny side
Of the street ♪
♪ Can't you hear ♪
♪ That pitter-pat? ♪
♪ That happy tune is my step ♪
♪ Just direct your feet ♪
♪ On the sunny side
Of the street ♪
♪ I used to walk ♪
♪ In the shade ♪
♪ With those blues on parade ♪
♪ I'm not afraid ♪
♪ Just like Rover ♪
♪ I crossed over ♪
♪ And if I never
Ever said ♪
♪ I'll be rich as Rockefeller ♪
♪ Gold dust at my feet ♪
♪ On the sunny ♪
♪ I said, the sunny ♪
♪ On the sunny ♪
♪ Side of the street ♪
MAX:
Be right back.
NICKY:
Remember, we ain't got
all night, all right?
What are you doing here?
We going to the game
tomorrow?
I got some work to do.
Go with Sandman.
You breaking into people's
apartments now?
No. The door was open.
Max, I got a proposition
for you.
You forget about
all this Broadway,
happy-feet bullshittin'.
Come on back over
to Sonny's
and give this dancing idea
of mine a shot, huh?
[SIGHS]
Listen, Mo.
I made a mistake coming
back here, you understand?
I'm leaving tomorrow.
Leaving?
Hey, you can't
leave, man.
Harry got the lyrics
to the song.
I think if we can
put it on--
Did you hear what I said?
I'm leaving.
I'm not doing your thing.
I need more than you got.
Well, what is it, Max?
Is it--? Is it money?
If it's money,
you know I always keep a little
"don't go" money with me.
You can have
any parts of it.
That building across the street,
Max, that's yours.
You got people in that building
who love you.
I mean, how much
is that worth, Max?
How many jobs are you gonna
have to pull to get all of that?
If your daddy was here,
you know what he'd say now?
Right. If my daddy was here,
he'd tell me, take your offer.
Yeah, take it!
But he liked being poor.
He didn't mind being a failure.
He took everything they dished
out and came up smiling.
Do I look like I'm smiling
to you, Mo?
Huh?
Is that what you thought?
You thought your father
was a failure?
Sure, they took away the money,
the fame, the jobs.
But there was one thing
they couldn't take away, Max.
They couldn't take away
his legs.
They couldn't take away
his pride and his dignity.
You know the reason why?
Because he knew
he was good.
That's why he could smile.
Because he knew
he was good, Max.
NICKY:
Yo, Washington!
Let's go, man!
LITTLE MO:
Max.
Max!
We'll start up tomorrow.
Ten o'clock.
Sharp.
All right, man.
Take it easy.
[CAR ENGINE STARTS]
What took so long,
goddamn it?
Let's go, man.
[♪]
Hey, you know this guy?
Come on, man, step on it.
Let's get outta here.
[GRUNTS]
Okay, now, man,
I'm stuck with your ass,
so don't screw up this time.
Leave him alone,
Nicky.
Man, just concentrate.
Don't think about no other shit.
Be professional this time.
There is lots of money
up there, man.
This is
the big payday.
If this works, the client gonna
give me lots of other gigs.
So get yourself
together, man.
Shut up, Nicky.
He's got work. Leave him alone.
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
NICKY:
Red.
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
Red.
Yo, show biz. Wake up, man.
It's curtain time.
Maxie, I don't know.
You, uh...?
You wanna take this?
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
[METAL PLATE CLANKS]
Come on, you piece of shit,
get up there.
That's it. Come on, that's it.
Climb. That's it, go.
Oh, yeah. Go. That's it.
[BEATBOXING]
Gra-diggy-da, guh.
Guh, dikky-da da.
Dikky-da-da.
Ga-dikky-da-da.
Ga, dikky-da da.
Ga, da-da-da.
Da-dikky da-dikky dee-da da.
Grrrrr.
[NICKY CONTINUES BEATBOXING]
[CAR ALARM BLARING]
[HORN HONKING]
Da-da, doo, doo-doo.
[LAUGHS]
[METAL CLATTERING]
[POPPING LIPS]
[♪]
Bop-chk-kuh kuh.
Kuh-bee.
Choo-ku, bop, chk-bop bop.
Bing.
Choo-ku, bing, bing.
Bop-choo bop-bop.
[SIREN WAILING]
Bop, choo, bop-bop.
Bing, choo-bop.
[SOUNDS CEASE]
[PANTING]
[♪]
[BREATHING BECOMING HEAVIER]
[WATER DRIPPING]
Hey. Hey.
[LAUGHS]
Come on, man.
Get in the car.
Where's the stuff?
It's still upstairs.
I didn't take it.
What?
You didn't take it?
I know, I know. I had it.
I had it in my hands,
and I put it back.
$750,000 worth of rocks
you had in your hands,
and you put it back?
I'm sorry. I-I lost it.
You were right. I--
I don't have it anymore.
Sorry, yeah.
Sorry don't make it, man.
You get back up there
and get my money!
Nicky!
Put the gun away, Nicky.
This is the second time
you pulled this gun on me.
You're not gonna shoot me.
Put the gun away.
[EXHALES]
[GRUNTING]
[♪]
Howie, I'm gone.
Say goodbye to Francis for me.
Where you going, Max?
I'm going home.
Ma.
Yeah, baby?
SANDMAN:
Hey. Hey, take a look
at this.
[LAUGHING]
Yeah.
Yes, yes.
[LAUGHS]
Yes, yes!
I'd like to get this.
Two dollars.
Thank you.
You staying now?
Yeah.
But you better get
a new deck of cards, man.
Because I think I'm gonna
need some cash pretty soon.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
Come on.
No. You go ahead.
You're late.
MAN [OVER SPEAKER]:
We've got a big surprise
for you tonight.
Let's give
a great Charlie's welcome
to Max Washington.
♪ Nowhere to run away ♪
♪ You've got to
Stand your ground ♪
♪ There's no place left
You can hide ♪
♪ You keepin' up the pace ♪
♪ You takin' from my heart ♪
♪ That's always beatin' inside ♪
♪ And when you think you got
Nothin' left to lose ♪
♪ I got news ♪
♪ The piper's gonna be paid ♪
♪ That's why I say ♪
♪ Can't escape the rhythm ♪
♪ It's been inside me too long ♪
♪ It won't break ♪
♪ It's too strong ♪
♪ Can't escape the rhythm ♪
♪ It's got me where I belong ♪
♪ Can't wait
It's too strong ♪
[TAPPING PLAYING OVER SPEAKERS]
WOMAN:
How's he do that?
I can't believe this guy can tap
like this. This guy's great.
WOMAN:
Take it home!
[SONG ENDS]
[APPLAUSE & CHEERING]
[TAPPING CREATING
ELECTRONIC TONES]
[CROWD CLAMORING]
Get down, brother.
Yeah, that's one of my steps.
He stole my step.
MAN:
Dance.
Get your hands
off me, man.
Steal my step
and hug me.
WOMAN:
Yeah!
MAN:
Now, take it home.
Take it home.
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
[RHYTHMIC DRUMMING BEGINS]
MAN 2:
Do it, Max! Do it!
[CHEERING & APPLAUSE]
[♪]
[WHISTLING]
[CROWD WHOOPING]
MAN:
Come on, Max.
Do some more, one more time.
The left foot.
Yeah?
It's still a little weak.
[GWEN GUTHRIE'S "FREE" PLAYING]
CHORUS:
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to get together
Come together as one ♪
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to come together
As one ♪
♪ We've got to dance
Everybody ♪
♪ Got to get together
Come together as one ♪
♪ Stand up, everybody ♪
♪ Got to come together
As one ♪
♪ We've got to dance ♪
GUTHRIE:
♪ You're a puppet
On a string ♪
♪ I'm a bird
With broken wings ♪
♪ We've lost control
Of our lives ♪
♪ Like a river
We are damned ♪
♪ And the flood
Is close at hand ♪
♪ Time has come
To take a ♪
♪ Stand ♪
♪ And we got to take it
To the wire ♪
♪ For what we do believe ♪
♪ For what we do believe ♪
♪ Your world, my world ♪
♪ One day we'll see ♪
♪ Everybody will be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be ♪
♪ I'll fight to ♪
♪ I'll fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free
We sing our right to ♪
♪ Got to have ♪
♪ The right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Oh ♪
♪ We are children
On our own ♪
♪ We are lost
And far from home ♪
♪ In the dark
Of the night ♪
♪ So together
We must band ♪
♪ Take each other
By the hand ♪
♪ Find a light
and make a ♪
♪ Stand ♪
♪ And if you ever want
To see tomorrow ♪
♪ Don't wait another day ♪
♪ Don't wait another day ♪
♪ Oh, your world
My world ♪
♪ We hold a piece ♪
♪ Everybody must be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be ♪
♪ I'll fight to ♪
♪ I'll fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
A right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ Got to fight
To be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
A right to ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way home ♪
♪ Come and sing
With me ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way home ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my way ♪
♪ On my way
I'm on my home ♪
♪ Everybody must be ♪
♪ Free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ Fight to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
The right to ♪
♪ Right to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We live
And die to ♪
♪ Let me be
I'll fight to ♪
♪ I've got to be free ♪
♪ Set me free ♪
♪ We sing
Our right to ♪
♪ Got to have
The right to ♪
♪ I've got
To be free ♪
[ECHOING]
♪ Free, free, free... ♪