Round Midnight (1986) Movie Script
1
Is it in the same room
where Hershell died?
I don't know, Francis.
Same raggedy drapes.
This crummy wallpaper.
They all look the same.
All I remember...
...it was a Friday,
the last time I saw Hershell.
You still playing those weird chords?
Yeah. Still at it, Lady Hersh.
How's you feeling?
You drive people wild,
they can't follow the tune.
Yeah, I know.
Then you be out of business.
You ought to listen to me more.
Folks like the way I play.
Well, yeah. They do.
I'm going to Paris, Hersh,
tonight.
-What's that gonna fix?
-You remember Paris.
It won't change the way you play.
No cold eyes in Paris.
Can't you talk
the way other folks talk neither?
You know who's gonna be waiting for you
at the airfield in Paris, don't you?
You.
If you had seen Hershell
and Dale play together, Francis,
it's something
that you could never forget.
It was so new and so different,
and yet so close.
Maybe it was all those memories
that made Dale leave for Paris
that Friday morning.
Maybe what he saw in Hershell's eyes
was too frightening and too familiar.
Come on, baby,
be careful over there. Try to hold on.
My goodness gracious.
You're almost up here.
Come on! It's only one up.
Needs a little something, Lady Ace.
It needs okra.
You can burn, but you don't always eat.
And you know Dale loves Paris.
Be the greatest city in the world
if I could just find some okra.
What the hell
do you know about Paris, Ace?
You don't do nothin'
but stay in that damn room
in your robe and slippers,
cookin' all day.
At least I'm doing it in Paris.
I got something for you.
So what's new, Lady Ace?
This is better than livin' in Harlem.
Oh. Hello, Butter.
What are you doin' in Paris?
You feelin' real good, ain't you?
Fine as wine.
You better get yourself some rest,
'cause you got to play tonight.
Dale?
Mesdames et Messieurs,
we're gonna celebrate
the Matre du Saxo Tenor,
a man who has influenced
so many musicians throughout the world,
and a man who has definitely influenced...
-Okay.
-...us on the bandstand.
A little ice,
-a little ice in the berg.
-Please welcome Mr. Dale Turner.
Hi.
How are you?
Doing great, huh?
-What the hell is this?
-What do you think it is? I lost a button.
-Really?
-Yeah.
Get it fixed.
-I don't sew.
-I don't either.
You're telling me.
Come on, Charlie. Wake up.
One cognac, two beers.
He's really great.
Yeah, but he could
at least stand when he plays.
He could be on his back,
he'd still be great.
Yeah? Just like you?
Not on my back.
I gotta be on my front to be great.
Hello?
No, we're full tonight.
Try around 2:00 a.m.
for the third set. Bye.
I must be invisible in here.
Look, we gotta cut anyway.
We got another set to do.
Yeah.
Hey, you half a motherfucker,
can I have another vin rouge?
Well, this establishment has never
really been known for its,
uh, conviviality.
-Hey, Ben.
-Forget it, Dale.
- Madame Queen, how we doing?
- Hello.
Clap hands, here comes Butter
Here it is.
I took out the two packages of Pall Malls
and one extra Coca-Cola Dale had, right?
Hey, could you spare 500 francs?
No? Ah, well...
Hey! Can you open up?
Can you spare 500 francs?
-Shut up.
-Don't be an asshole. What's 500 francs?
I'm stuck. I've gotta buy a train ticket.
Come on, 500 francs isn't much.
You gonna give 'em to me?
Scram! if I had any cash, I'd be inside.
So get lost!
Asshole.
Yeah, I was in this joint.
Come on, I gotta get you
in this taxi and get you home.
-Check you out tomorrow.
-See you tomorrow night. Take it easy.
-You all right, babe?
-Yeah.
What are you doing there?
I was scared.
Of what?
Don't do that to me.
Don't do that to me.
Where were you?
I went out to get cigarettes.
He played like a god, that Dale Turner.
Oh, you're open all night,
huh, Ace?
I need the advice of a expert,
a real expert.
I want you to try this.
Where did you get jambalaya herbs
in Paris?
Oh, I travel with it all the time.
Man, you crazy? Gotta have it.
- Oh, you're slick.
- You betcha.
So, Lady Ace, where are you working now?
Well, I got three weeks across the river.
Hey, how long you gonna be
at the Blue Note?
Well, as long as they'll have me.
Well, listen, I'll fall by sometime
if it's okay with you.
All right? Here.
Enjoy that.
Ace.
Buttercup.
Do you know what I need?
I need a new reed.
A Rico number three.
Well, can't you blow through
what everybody else do?
No.
-Well, even Bean uses a Rico...
-Listen, I ain't Bean or anybody else.
Well, I'll get it because you been good.
Was good tonight.
That's what they tell me.
Just like before.
Well, it's almost light.
I guess I'll go for a promenade.
I love
Paris
In the
Springtime
Oh, the Mad Scientist.
The answer is no.
-Ben, just one vin rouge.
-Buttercup says no.
Buttercup is really not my mother.
Come on, man.
-Makes you sick, Dale.
-Not good wine.
Just don't serve me that stuff
you serve your customers.
- Great.
- Thank you.
Hey, man, can you buy me a beer?
Yeah.
Yes.
- Good evening, gentlemen.
- Good evening, sir.
Good evening. A beer and a coffee.
Great.
You know, I know you.
I mean, your music,
your composition, every recording.
This guy's a fabulous tenor.
The best.
That's true.
Yeah. That's true.
You, Bird, Bud Powell, Lester Young,
you have revolutionized the music.
You know, last time you play in Paris,
I'm in the army
and going to Algeria the next morning.
But I want to hear you play so much,
I jumped over the wall.
And I got ten days of jail for that.
Do you have enough dough for another beer?
Yes.
This is my friend. He's with me.
Hey, what do you know?
-Hi.
-My friend, Francis.
-Yeah, how you doing, man?
-Good.
Who is that?
Well, he's an old jail buddy of mine.
-Hey, Wes.
-How are you?
-All right. How you doing over there?
-Fine. Pretty slow over there though.
Yeah, but it's not slow over here.
Not for us.
How you doing?
-Say, Eddie.
-Hmm?
-How long you been living here, man?
-Quite some time.
Matter of fact, I'm married now
to French chiquita here.
Oh, man, how you doing?
Can you speak the local bebop?
Man. I'm trying it.
Don't have it together yet.
But she's beginning to speak
some American. Loves it, you know.
But I bet the lady can burn.
Did you see this?
She's a great cook.
You know the Dale has been married
three or four times?
And we all spoke fluent English.
But nobody could burn.
Say, Lady Ben,
how about a nice, soft one for the Dale?
Nothing doing.
There's not enough
kindness in the world.
You know, I haven't been doing
anything hard.
Not even a bonbon. Never.
The deal is no, Dale. No for anything.
But the deal with who?
They always paying all the wrong people
in this world.
S'il vous plat, I would like to have
the same thing he had.
Hey, man.
You want to come upstairs?
What the hell you want him to do?
Read you a damn bedtime story? Come on in.
I have a kid.
She sometimes wakes up in the night.
Yeah, I remember
it rained pitifully that day.
We were an all-Negro unit,
with all-pink officers.
One day at inspection,
this captain found a photo of my wife,
who was, uh,
lighter skinned
and much prettier than his.
So then he made one of those
funny remarks, and I hit him in the head,
which really wasn't the way
white folks were treated in those days.
So then I found myself
in the Camp Polk stockade,
where they started to do drum paradiddles
on my head...
...for some time.
Yeah, I got lucky.
I found this Jewish doctor from New York.
Wow.
Without him,
it would've been a catastrophe.
He got me out of the army.
You know, it just occurred to me that
bebop was invented by the cats
who did get out of the army.
It's a week's work!
You wanted a drawing.
Now you want a photo montage.
I mean it. Tell me what you need,
I'll do it faster than anyone else.
-Did it work out, Dad?
-Yes, terrific. Let's go.
You could take her once in a while.
Come on, Sylvie. Even a common whore...
Can you hear me? Even a common whore...
looks after her kids.
Who wants more? Eddie?
-Eat all you want, I got plenty more in the kitchen.
-Eddie! You want some?
-I ain't missing this for the world.
-It's good.
-I know. I smelled it a mile away.
-Oh, yeah.
You got any butter?
I'm gonna eat with my hands.
-Hey, Eddie! What you got over here?
-You ain't gettin' none of mine.
-What's them little red things?
-You ain't gettin' none of this.
What y'all serving up?
What are them little red things?
Are you nuts?
Shut your door. This ain't the Casbah!
What you got over there?
I'm getting my own food.
Put some of those
little red things in there.
Oh, that's fabulous.
Put a little more in there, darling.
You know I smelled this
a mile away?
What's keeping you from coming in?
The smell of my cooking?
You bringing bad news, Francis?
Hershell died last night.
Hershell?
Lady Hersh?
-That's not Lady Hersh.
-Let me see that.
That's Hershell.
That's the way he looked
last time I saw him in New York City.
You are tired, Dale?
Oh, yes. I'm tired,
of everything except, uh, the music.
I can't get it right.
I've forgotten the words.
Autumn in New York
Is often mingled with pain
Dreamers with empty hands
All sigh for exotic lands
But it's autumn in New York
It's good to live it again
You like basketball?
A rum and Coke for Mr. Turner
for being superb.
Hey, next one you pay for.
Charlie, take a break, man. Listen.
How's your schedule for the next month?
-I don't even know what I'm doing tonight.
-Listen, you give me a call.
Hey, Dale. I saw you in Chicago.
I think you were with Dizzy and Bud.
Think we even had a drink afterwards.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I,
I think I remember now, man. Yeah, yeah.
Listen, you got five bucks?
Hey, Ben, can you call me a taxi?
I thought the duke
went out to get you one.
That Prussian faggot
was gonna rule the world,
but he can't find a damn taxi
worth a shit.
Where's Dale? You seen him?
-He was right here five minutes ago.
-Shit.
Damn!
- Where are you taking him?
- Hospital.
No! Let him go!
Are you a relative?
Want to join him?
Let go of me, damn it!
-Let go, I said!
-We need a hand here.
Let go of him!
-Let me go, damn it!
-He's mad as hell.
-Yes!
-What's going on?
I served seven months in Algeria!
You know who this is?
This is my friend, one of the world's
greatest jazz musicians!
He's a genius, damn it!
You have no right, damn it.
I mean, you're Dale Turner.
You play too good for this shit. Huh?
He won't throw up?
Hey.
Wait. I'll get his key.
Give me the key.
I got him. I got him.
My goodness.
What in the world am I gonna do with you?
Just like a baby.
Got to watch you every single minute.
I invite you for dinner
tomorrow night, 8:00.
Ooh, you're a real Tarzan, ain't you, boy?
Are you his wife? Are you his wife?
Are you a fool?
Okay. Please tell him...
Here is my phone number and my address.
Tomorrow night, 8:00.
Hey, Buttercup,
you want some rice and beans?
Ace?
Did something happen tonight?
-To get him like that?
-Yeah.
When you have to explore every night...
...even the most beautiful things
that you find can be the most painful.
Yep.
-You understand what I'm saying?
-Yep.
All these young kids sound the same.
Just like they had the same teacher.
It was you.
Yeah. Me,
and a few others.
You, you act like my little girl.
Berangere.
Thank you.
You know, one night in Brooklyn,
this tenor player comes in,
and he sits down, and he listens.
And then he comes up to me and says...
"I play you better than you."
You know,
your music changed my life.
I would never have read Rimbaud
or any other poets.
Because of your music,
I've discovered a lot of musicians.
Francis,
is there water in this wine?
Yeah.
- What did he say?
- I'll tell you later.
Uh, it doesn't look good, but it is.
Who are your favorite tenors?
Um...
...Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins and, uh,
Ben Webster.
And I also used to listen
to a lot of Debussy.
Debussy?
Berangere.
That's a big name for a little girl.
-Francis?
-Huh?
Tell me.
Does Louis XIV still live here?
Oh, no.
He died for - a long time ago.
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
-Hmm.
-I'm sure.
Well,
Berangere waits for me.
But it's a long time
before it's light again, man.
Is this ruckus over yet?
Well, Lady Sweets,
are we ready for tonight?
You half a motherfucker.
One bottle of Taittinger for four.
Charlotte, get the tab from table 5.
Two red wines, please.
Hey. He's over there.
Dale, it's me.
Never.
Never leave Dale in a hospital, Francis.
Then cut it out.
It's up to you. Cut it out.
Dad,
you didn't wake me up for school.
You're not going.
You stay home and watch Dale, okay?
He's living with us now.
Have a croissant.
We're gonna get another apartment.
-What's going on?
-What? Want something else?
Is it about Berangere?
Don't get excited.
I need money. That's it.
I'll pay you back. Not a problem.
Where's the waiter?
Serving others or what?
Two new contracts.
They love my stuff. I mean it.
You're in debt?
No.
Yes.
I want to move.
I found a place. Problem is
they're asking 800,000 for key money.
Dale Turner's living with us.
-What?
-Yes. Dale Turner's living with us.
The three of us can't fit in that place.
We need more space.
I want him to compose again.
This guy's...
...just amazing.
If I ever achieve anything,
it's on account of guys like Dale Turner.
I work twice as hard since I've known him.
I sacrifice everything for him.
Nobody ever inspired me like him.
I want him to have a decent life.
I want the greatest sax player
in the world to live decently.
For Berangere and me,
you found the apartment fine.
It didn't bother you then
if we lived decently.
You don't live there anymore anyway.
So, let's not start that again.
I'm asking you as a friend.
400,000 francs.
Pay you back in six months. No big deal.
-Two coffees.
-No, a Coke.
- Coke and a coffee.
- Coke and coffee.
And I never inspired you?
Will you lend me the money or not?
No.
You can, but you won't. Is that it?
That's right.
Don't you miss your daughter?
You'd have been lost without her.
And you're too wrapped up with your guy!
Thank you. Thank you.
Yeah, happiness is a nice, wet
Rico reed.
- Hi. ls your dad here?
- No.
-You are Berangere?
-Yes.
-For your dad, from your mom.
-All right.
300,000 FRANCS
TO THE ORDER OF FRANCIS BORIER
Do you like basketball?
-Basketball?
-Yes.
Well, checking out
without saying goodbye, huh?
Butter, I want my passport.
I got it hidden in the room.
Make sure you keep it in a safe place.
Oh, yeah, Francis,
you make sure he get to the gig on time.
Yeah.
Hey, Mama.
Want some of these ribs and rice
I got in my room?
Sorry, Papa.
I only eat kosher food. Have some.
Listen to that, Francis.
The swing bands used to be all
straight tonics, seventh chords.
And then, with the Basie band,
I heard Lester Young,
and he sounded like
he came out of the blue.
Because he was playing
all the color tones,
the sixths and the ninths
and major sevenths.
You know, like Debussy and Ravel.
Then Charlie Parker came on
and he began to expand and, uh,
he went into elevenths, thirteenths
and flat-fives.
Luckily, I was going
in the same direction already.
You just don't go out
and pick a style off a tree one day.
The tree is inside you, growing naturally.
I looked away for just a minute,
and he was gone.
Tell him it's the last time.
You ain't doing no better than me, boy.
Sure there's no Dale Turner here?
Dale Turner!
I said no.
A big guy, 6'6". Black.
Maybe under a different name.
Maybe he doesn't have his papers.
-Excuse me.
-Check with admissions.
Thank you. I was just there,
if you can believe.
Sir! Sir.
They didn't tell you
there's a Black American.
He's in the pavilion there.
-Which one? Over there?
-This one there.
Thanks.
Let go of me!
Dale!
Leave me alone, for Christ sake!
-He's crazy.
-Let go of me.
Let go of him.
Calm down.
-Where's Dale Turner? I want to see him.
-He's here. I just examined him.
He needs to get out of here,
or else he'll die.
Last time he was in a hospital,
they hosed him down with ice water, so...
I know. Calm down. We talked about it.
What will you do?
You are tired, Dale?
Yes.
I'm tired of everything,
except music.
I wish I could rest.
You don't sleep?
Oh, yes, I sleep.
But, uh,
there's always the dreams.
What kind of dreams?
Well, it's always about music
and, uh,
playing the saxophone.
The sound
and expanding the music,
you know, more and more.
You know, there's been nights, uh,
when I've been working and playing,
and at the end of the night, you know,
I look at my mouthpiece,
and it's all bloody.
But I haven't felt a thing, you know.
My life is music.
My love is music.
And it's 24 hours a day.
Do you understand?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Do you have sexual relations?
Oh, yes.
Whenever I can.
Lady Francis!
Merci, Doctor.
Hey, taxi!
-Dale?
-Yes?
When you were talking to the doctor,
I was listening.
-You were?
-Yeah.
Was I good?
Bonjour, Lady Francis.
Some breakfast?
But never,
never again, man,
don't cry for me.
Never again, Francis.
What else can I do
when you are killing yourself?
I'll stop.
Stop?
I promise.
How? You never stopped before.
I never promised anybody before.
Hey.
Francis.
You think we can find
a trumpet player for tonight?
Yeah. Yeah.
So, Eddie,
I think,
you have two bars,
a vamp,
to bring us in, right?
Okay.
And then we come right in on, uh,
on the melody.
Okay.
Okay.
One, two, three, two, two...
Try it again with eight, right?
Okay.
One, two, three, two, two, three...
This is my daughter, Berangere.
Hey! This your little girl?
Merci.
Orange juice.
HELL IN BURMA
This won't do.
Too much war, kids and Japs. No go.
Okay, then, what should we show?
It's an anti-Japanese war film. With kids.
First, I don't see Jeff Chandler...
We were just discussing the poster.
I just talked it over with Mr. Sterling.
He's thrilled.
He thinks it's very good.
Even better than the American one.
I think we'll use it
for all European markets.
Belgium, Switzerland, Holland.
Even Scandinavian countries.
-It's terrific, isn't it?
-He's the best. You're great, my friend.
You like Monet?
Oh, yes.
All the colors.
He sounds like Ravel or Tadd Dameron.
It's like bebop.
-Francis.
-Yeah?
Who is that playing?
Who is playing? It's you.
You just made the record.
Not bad.
Well,
it's a nice day out.
I think I'll go for a little stroll.
Could you, uh, loan me a few francs?
I wanna go to the tabac
and get some cigarettes.
Merci.
Monsieur?
A croissant, please.
- A squeezed orange juice.
- Squeezed orange juice.
And a pack of Pall Malls.
And a pack of Pall Malls.
Now what the hell is all this about?
It's about Dale,
and how, from tonight on,
he gets paid direct.
Bullshit.
Direct.
Every night, like everybody else, Ben.
That ain't my deal
with Goodley, Dale.
-You want to show me the paper?
-You mean a contract?
Yeah, where it says
she gets paid every night.
Well shit, man, you ain't been straight
enough to sign your own damn name
on nobody's contract.
Butter,
I've been straight enough to play my ax
every night,
and sweetly.
If I don't get my dough tonight,
I won't be back tomorrow.
I gotta talk to Madame Queen.
Do that.
You pay him, man,
you gonna be in a world of trouble.
Hey,
was I good?
One beer!
Francis.
Direct!
Like everybody else.
-Tomorrow...
-Uh-huh.
...a new wallet.
- A big one.
- Yes.
Rib steak.
"Rob" steak.
No, rib steak.
Rib steak.
Right? Rib steak.
Break!
Ta-da!
Enjoy.
Thank you.
You're a great cook, Dale.
-Really, it's marvelous.
-Merci.
You're a king.
-Like Louis XIV?
-Exactly.
Well, I don't know about that,
but you always treat me like one, Francis.
What did he say?
That we treat him like a king.
That we treated him like a king. Potato?
On top or on the side?
This meat is huge.
Francis.
Oh, shit.
Why?
Hello, Long Tall.
I dreamed you were coming to Paris.
Tonight we have in the house with us
Miss Darcey Leigh.
Perhaps if we welcome her nicely
to the stage, she'll - she'll join us.
Please?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?"
-What key you do it in?
-E flat.
-You know your cue?
-Yes, the two.
I could cry
Salty tears
Where have I been
All these years?
Little wow
Tell me now
How long has this been going on?
There were chills
Up my spine
And some thrills
I can't define
Listen, sweet
I repeat
How long has this been going on?
Oh, I feel
That I could melt
Into heaven I'm hurled
I know
How Columbus felt
Finding another world
Kiss me once...
We put on a hell of a show.
-Yeah, and we cut a few sides too.
-Mm-hmm. I heard.
I heard you're playing soprano again too.
Yeah, first time in a long time.
Why do you seem so on edge?
Oh, just because, uh,
I keep wondering
if I still have something to give.
Of course you do.
You have a lot to give.
It was you who taught me to listen
to the bass instead of the drum.
Well, you would've learned that
in 10 or 15 years anyway.
Oh.
I always thought
we would keep each other company.
We have.
-Ah!
-Bravo!
Dale, do you have any regrets?
Only one.
Which is?
I had big eyes
to play with Count Basie's band.
But he told me that
one bandleader in the band was enough.
Ah. Maybe it was for the better, huh?
Oh, no. Dale's cool.
Oh, I feel
That I could melt
Into heaven I'm hurled
And I know
How Columbus felt
Finding another
World
Kiss me twice
And then once more /i
What a dunce I was before
Listen, sweet
I repeat
How long has this been
Going on?
How long has this been
Going
On?
Well, look at this! Miss Buttercup! Hey!
Oh, my goodness! How you doing?
Hey, Big D! How you doing, man?
Let me tell you something.
-How are you?
-Fine. How are you?
Man, it's good to see you.
Number One stole the cookie
from the cookie jar.
-Who, me?
-Yeah, you.
-Couldn't be.
-Then who?
Number Two had his finger
in the cookie jar.
-Who, me?
-Yeah, you.
-Couldn't be.
-Then who?
Number Three stole the cookies.
-Who, him?
-Look at his face.
-That's him.
-Number Three is in the cookie jar.
The leg, the classic leg.
Oh, no, honey. Thank you.
-No.
-No.
She got you.
This is why my tie's flying
around my neck all day. Right?
Exactly.
I gotta pull my shoe off
to sing this song.
Yeah!
Here we go.
I've had that man for 15 years
Paid all his room and board
-Oh, yeah?
Once he was like a Cadillac
Now he's like an old worn-out Ford
He never gave me a lousy dime
And put it in my hand
Well, there's gonna be some changes
From now on
According to my plan
He's got to get it, bring it
-Huh.
Put it right here
Or else he's gonna keep it out there
If he must beg it, borrow it
Or steal it some where
As long as he gets it, honey
You know I do not care
Well, I'm tired of frying pork chops
To grease his fat lips
And he's got to find another place
To park his old hips
He got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Or else he's gonna keep it out there
Listen to what I say.
Bee gets the honey
And brings it to the corn
Else he's kicked out
Of his home sweet home
To show you that they brings it
Watch the dog and the cat
Everything even brings it
From a mule to a mare
He's got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Else he's gonna keep it out there
I tell you like a China man
Him don't bring him check
Him don't get no mmm-mmm
If he break 'em down
He's got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Else he's gonna keep
Y'all know I ain't lyin' to you!
Else he's gonna keep
Honey, I'll just keep sitting on it.
Or else he's gonna keep it out
There...
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
You're all right!
Yeah!
Bravo! Bravo!
It's funny how the world
is inside of nothing.
I mean, you have your heart and your soul
inside of you.
Babies are inside of their mothers.
Fish are out there in the water.
But the world
is inside nothing, you know.
I don't know if I like this or not,
but you better write it down.
Daddy, look what I found.
Dale, it's for you.
There is a call for you.
-You're kidding.
-Here.
Hello?
Long distance?
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, I can't come. I'm having too much fun.
-That was Birdland.
-Yeah?
They wanted me to come back.
Did he tell you the one about,
uh, The Red Shoes?
No, no.
The Red Shoes, I saw it 40 times,
but there's one scene I like
where the impresario is eating
his breakfast, a three-minute egg,
and a young composer is really disturbed
because he wants to see Mr. Lermontov
to complain about a piece of music
that was stolen.
So he walks into his room, and he says,
"Mr. Lermontov, I'd like to complain
about a piece of music that I wrote
which was stolen by my professor."
Mr. Lermontov didn't respond.
So David Craster - his name - he said,
"Sorry if I spoiled your breakfast."
Mr. Lermontov said, "Uh, Mr. Craster,
come here and sit down. Sit down."
-"Sometimes it is much more disheartening...
-Wes?
...to steal than to be stolen from."
-"Good day."
-Right. Right.
Wes, we gotta,
we gotta get cracking here.
Then you go your-your-your C again.
It's the quarter note. Quarter note to a...
To your, down to your F.
You got the beginning intro.
And, Palle - you're next.
Yeah, yeah.
One, two, three...
-I didn't see you.
-Hi.
-Coffee?
-Sure.
-There was no hurry.
-Yes. I'd told you, within six months.
It's not all there. More to come.
So, he still inspires you as much?
It's not only inspiration.
You'll hear, you'll be overwhelmed.
-You want that coffee?
-Francis,
I'd like to have Berangere with me.
For a while.
I'm all settled now, so if she wants...
Of course she'll want to.
What's going on?
You fell out of love?
- You want to come back?
- Uh,
Yeah.
Let's go listen. They're about to record.
Awesome, awesome.
What love they have.
You hear that?
Sylvie!
Berangere!
Where were you?
-I dropped my bag.
-Dad, your tie.
-Yeah.
Ready?
Yes.
I hope your family likes surprises.
- Hi, Mom.
- Hello, Grandma.
- Come on, Dale.
- I was expecting you later.
-We took an early train.
-I'm not even ready.
Come in, sir. Henri, they're here!
Close the door because of drafts.
How you've grown, sweetie.
How you've changed.
You really dressed her up for the trip.
Mom, Dale Turner, a great musician.
- Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
- Sir.
Say, he speaks good French.
-Hello, Grandpa.
-Hello, sweetie.
My husband.
Dad, Dale Turner.
Sir, I'm honored.
Yes. Yes.
Your son, Francis...
- Yes.
- You think so?
Yes.
He thinks I'm terrific.
You've lost weight.
- You like the quenelles?
- It's the same.
Do you like the quenelles, Mr. Turner?
Oh, yes. Very good.
Very good.
-We remove the napkins, Grandma?
-Of course not, angel.
Francis, get the dessert plates.
-Sure.
-No, no, no. You stay here.
-Close the shutters.
-Yes.
There's a cake?
Why a cake? You need some help?
- No, no.
- Very well, then.
Why close the shutters if there's no cake?
Because your grandma asked me
to close the shutters, so...
So he shuts them.
Happy birthday to you, Berangere
Happy birthday to you...
- Go on. No. First, make a wish.
- Go on.
- Done.
- Done.
What was the wish?
It's a secret. I can't tell you.
If I do, it won't come true.
So, you cut it up and be most careful.
A wish. It's a secret.
Go ahead.
Who's that share for?
She keeps all the marzipan for herself.
- Cut it in half.
- Yes, in half.
There you go. Very good.
How many of us are there?
Five? Cut up six parts.
Can you light it, Grandpa? It's for Dale.
Really?
Dale's being spoiled.
Dale.
Make a wish, Dale.
She wants you to make a wish.
-She wants you to make a wish.
-Huh?
-A wish?
-Yeah.
Blow it out.
-The candle?
-Yeah.
Yeah?
- Blow.
- Blow.
Here, keep it.
You did lose weight, actually.
They're nice people, your family.
Yeah.
They don't really like jazz.
Well,
-that's all right.
-Yeah.
But I felt, uh,
they like to live in, uh,
in harmony.
Did I ever tell you about the, uh,
Alvin Hotel?
A lot of great, uh, musicians
live there.
Yeah, Lady Francis,
I think it's about time for me to go home.
Well, I hope some good friends
are here to meet us.
Welcome home, Dale.
RW Goodley. You must be Francis.
Gotta tell you, Francis, you took
good care of Dale. He looks great.
I haven't seen him look
this good in years.
How's Buttercup? What's she up to?
She's trying to run
a red beans and rice joint in Paris.
In Paris, yes.
Oh, she's great. Buttercup is great,
I'm telling you. Great.
A great cook. A great cook.
Wow.
I don't remember all these people
being here when we left.
Oh, they were here. They were here.
-It's your first time in, uh, New York, Francis?
-Yeah.
Oh, you're in for a real treat. Yeah.
When you get back to Paris, you're gonna be raving,
just raving, about how nice New Yorkers are.
-When would that be?
-Pardon?
-How long are you gonna be with us?
-Oh, uh,
I don't know. Not long.
Not long?
I've been to Paris.
I mean, I took Paris, you know.
But I let De Gaulle walk down
the Champs lyses first.
After all, it is his place. Y'know what I mean?
I'm kidding.
Paris to me, Paris is a beautiful place.
Beautiful city.
It's got fancy bridges and, uh, it looks...
I understand now they're steam-cleaning
the buildings too?
Making them nice and white and clean?
But I prefer New York. I prefer New York.
New York, for me, the music is better.
That's 'cause it's tougher.
There's tougher things going on here,
you know?
And that's because
there's tougher people here, ya know?
It's not for everybody, New York.
Know what I mean?
We did okay with the traffic.
Now we get over the Williamsburg Bridge,
we'll be fine.
I mean, traffic today at the rush hour
was pretty bad back at the airport,
but the worst traffic I ever saw
was in that area...
What's that-that arch in Paris?
The Arch of Triumph, right.
The car's going in a circle, right? To me,
from far away, it looks very pretty.
But when you're inside one of the cars,
it was murder, I'm tellin' you.
Everybody kept makin' the left lane.
It's like bumper cars.
Like in Coney Island, we have a little ride where
everybody bumps into each other, ya know?
I never saw drivers like these.
But they're crazy. I never saw it.
Francis. Francis!
Let's go. Come on.
- Francis.
- You can look at New York tomorrow.
All right, Dale, this is it.
It's your favorite place.
Francis, listen, I managed to work out
an adjoining room for you,
so you two are connected, okay?
So listen, I got instant coffee for you, Dale.
I got peanut butter. I know you like that.
And, uh, I got some things
to go over with you here.
The 802. Your union dues.
I paid your union dues. I took care of
your legal fees, I took care of your fines.
And whatever comes to you, you don't have
to worry about, because, at the end of the week,
you come to my office, we'll discuss it,
we'll straighten everything out.
Other thing is,
I'll give you a little advance, okay?
Here we are. Who wants it?
Francis, here we are.
Okay, get yourself situated. Listen.
I know you probably will want to go
uptown, but if you want, if you want,
there's the Armenian joint
on 8th Avenue, two blocks down,
if you want to eat.
You could also eat at the club,
but if you want to go there,
I know you're gonna probably wind up
at the Market Diner or wherever,
but if you go to the Armenian joint, come
to the club, sign, I put it on your tab.
Same goes for the Star Cleaners
and Laundry on 7th Avenue.
You want anything cleaned,
laundered, pressed, whatever,
sign for it, I put it on your tab,
all right?
Now, the band that we have
for you is terrific.
I know you've heard this a thousand times,
but believe me when I say this,
when I say these guys are good,
you're gonna love 'em, all right?
Most important, Cabaret card.
Cabaret card.
-Cabaret card, we took care of.
-Beautiful.
We took care of it.
I mean, it cost us. It cost us.
I mean, it wasn't easy,
but we took care of it.
So, you're set. Okay?
- You understand everything, Francis?
- Yeah.
-Any questions?
-No.
You should be all right. Okay?
- Hey, Goodley.
- Yeah?
When do we start?
You start tomorrow night. Tomorrow night.
Okay, nice and cozy here, huh?
Just like Cozy Cole.
See you guys later.
SOS.
Same old shit.
But maybe you should go by the club
and, uh, check it out.
Will you come?
No.
Dale's a little tired, huh?
Listen.
Those two tables over there.
Those people have been waiting for drinks.
I don't know where, where - where is he?
He's not at his station.
-Francis, that's Dale's kid, right?
-Yeah, I called her.
Oh.
You're Chan? Hi. Goodley.
-Hi, I'm Francis.
-Oh, hi.
Nice to meet you.
My daughter...
Ladies and gentlemen,
our next selection
is a composition
that, uh,
I wrote for my daughter, Chan,
who just turned 15.
Fourteen.
"Chan's Song."
I liked my song.
-Oh, wonderful.
-Does it have words to it?
Mmm, no.
But not everything has to have,
uh, words to it.
I meant to, uh,
bring you something back from France.
You know, like perfume.
But I wasn't sure
because of, uh, your age.
I didn't expect anything.
I know someone who's been in Paris.
He brought this back for me.
Oh, I know.
-From Montmartre.
-I know.
Hey, Dale.
When did you get back?
-How you doing, Booker?
-All right.
This your child?
Daddy lets you stay up late, huh?
Heard you the other night, Dale.
You blowin' better than ever.
-Thanks, man.
-Feelin' well?
Not bad.
So how is school?
Fine.
Hey, what do you want?
I want to see Dale.
-He's not here.
-I'll wait.
Tell Dale Booker was here.
If he wants somethin', he'll find me.
How is Chan?
Like a stranger,
and it's too late to fix it.
Don't let that happen to you
and Berangere.
Dale?
Yeah.
You were happy in Paris?
Very pretty town.
Is it the same room where Hershell died?
I don't know.
They all look the same.
Things work different here.
Yeah, I see.
Feels like far, Francis.
What?
Paris.
I'm going back, Dale.
I've made two reservations.
For when?
Tomorrow evening.
Is it too soon?
There are two flights, at 7:30 and 9:30.
If we're going,
let's go early.
You know,
Lady Francis,
there's not enough kindness
in the world.
This is the last call
for Pan Am flight 132 for Paris.
All passengers, please proceed to gate 34.
Dale died Friday
at Cumberland Hospital. Goodley.
Dad, I'll be late for school.
We would like to open with a tribute to
a great jazz musician,
a man who died a few years ago.
He passed away ahead of us,
but he was always doing things
ahead of us.
He wrote a song just before he died
that we'd like to perform tonight for you.
His name is Dale Turner.
Do you like basketball?
-Going out?
-Yes.
I hope, Lady Francis,
that we live long enough to see
an avenue named after Charlie Parker.
A Lester Young Park.
A Duke Ellington Square.
And even
a street named Dale Turner.
Is it in the same room
where Hershell died?
I don't know, Francis.
Same raggedy drapes.
This crummy wallpaper.
They all look the same.
All I remember...
...it was a Friday,
the last time I saw Hershell.
You still playing those weird chords?
Yeah. Still at it, Lady Hersh.
How's you feeling?
You drive people wild,
they can't follow the tune.
Yeah, I know.
Then you be out of business.
You ought to listen to me more.
Folks like the way I play.
Well, yeah. They do.
I'm going to Paris, Hersh,
tonight.
-What's that gonna fix?
-You remember Paris.
It won't change the way you play.
No cold eyes in Paris.
Can't you talk
the way other folks talk neither?
You know who's gonna be waiting for you
at the airfield in Paris, don't you?
You.
If you had seen Hershell
and Dale play together, Francis,
it's something
that you could never forget.
It was so new and so different,
and yet so close.
Maybe it was all those memories
that made Dale leave for Paris
that Friday morning.
Maybe what he saw in Hershell's eyes
was too frightening and too familiar.
Come on, baby,
be careful over there. Try to hold on.
My goodness gracious.
You're almost up here.
Come on! It's only one up.
Needs a little something, Lady Ace.
It needs okra.
You can burn, but you don't always eat.
And you know Dale loves Paris.
Be the greatest city in the world
if I could just find some okra.
What the hell
do you know about Paris, Ace?
You don't do nothin'
but stay in that damn room
in your robe and slippers,
cookin' all day.
At least I'm doing it in Paris.
I got something for you.
So what's new, Lady Ace?
This is better than livin' in Harlem.
Oh. Hello, Butter.
What are you doin' in Paris?
You feelin' real good, ain't you?
Fine as wine.
You better get yourself some rest,
'cause you got to play tonight.
Dale?
Mesdames et Messieurs,
we're gonna celebrate
the Matre du Saxo Tenor,
a man who has influenced
so many musicians throughout the world,
and a man who has definitely influenced...
-Okay.
-...us on the bandstand.
A little ice,
-a little ice in the berg.
-Please welcome Mr. Dale Turner.
Hi.
How are you?
Doing great, huh?
-What the hell is this?
-What do you think it is? I lost a button.
-Really?
-Yeah.
Get it fixed.
-I don't sew.
-I don't either.
You're telling me.
Come on, Charlie. Wake up.
One cognac, two beers.
He's really great.
Yeah, but he could
at least stand when he plays.
He could be on his back,
he'd still be great.
Yeah? Just like you?
Not on my back.
I gotta be on my front to be great.
Hello?
No, we're full tonight.
Try around 2:00 a.m.
for the third set. Bye.
I must be invisible in here.
Look, we gotta cut anyway.
We got another set to do.
Yeah.
Hey, you half a motherfucker,
can I have another vin rouge?
Well, this establishment has never
really been known for its,
uh, conviviality.
-Hey, Ben.
-Forget it, Dale.
- Madame Queen, how we doing?
- Hello.
Clap hands, here comes Butter
Here it is.
I took out the two packages of Pall Malls
and one extra Coca-Cola Dale had, right?
Hey, could you spare 500 francs?
No? Ah, well...
Hey! Can you open up?
Can you spare 500 francs?
-Shut up.
-Don't be an asshole. What's 500 francs?
I'm stuck. I've gotta buy a train ticket.
Come on, 500 francs isn't much.
You gonna give 'em to me?
Scram! if I had any cash, I'd be inside.
So get lost!
Asshole.
Yeah, I was in this joint.
Come on, I gotta get you
in this taxi and get you home.
-Check you out tomorrow.
-See you tomorrow night. Take it easy.
-You all right, babe?
-Yeah.
What are you doing there?
I was scared.
Of what?
Don't do that to me.
Don't do that to me.
Where were you?
I went out to get cigarettes.
He played like a god, that Dale Turner.
Oh, you're open all night,
huh, Ace?
I need the advice of a expert,
a real expert.
I want you to try this.
Where did you get jambalaya herbs
in Paris?
Oh, I travel with it all the time.
Man, you crazy? Gotta have it.
- Oh, you're slick.
- You betcha.
So, Lady Ace, where are you working now?
Well, I got three weeks across the river.
Hey, how long you gonna be
at the Blue Note?
Well, as long as they'll have me.
Well, listen, I'll fall by sometime
if it's okay with you.
All right? Here.
Enjoy that.
Ace.
Buttercup.
Do you know what I need?
I need a new reed.
A Rico number three.
Well, can't you blow through
what everybody else do?
No.
-Well, even Bean uses a Rico...
-Listen, I ain't Bean or anybody else.
Well, I'll get it because you been good.
Was good tonight.
That's what they tell me.
Just like before.
Well, it's almost light.
I guess I'll go for a promenade.
I love
Paris
In the
Springtime
Oh, the Mad Scientist.
The answer is no.
-Ben, just one vin rouge.
-Buttercup says no.
Buttercup is really not my mother.
Come on, man.
-Makes you sick, Dale.
-Not good wine.
Just don't serve me that stuff
you serve your customers.
- Great.
- Thank you.
Hey, man, can you buy me a beer?
Yeah.
Yes.
- Good evening, gentlemen.
- Good evening, sir.
Good evening. A beer and a coffee.
Great.
You know, I know you.
I mean, your music,
your composition, every recording.
This guy's a fabulous tenor.
The best.
That's true.
Yeah. That's true.
You, Bird, Bud Powell, Lester Young,
you have revolutionized the music.
You know, last time you play in Paris,
I'm in the army
and going to Algeria the next morning.
But I want to hear you play so much,
I jumped over the wall.
And I got ten days of jail for that.
Do you have enough dough for another beer?
Yes.
This is my friend. He's with me.
Hey, what do you know?
-Hi.
-My friend, Francis.
-Yeah, how you doing, man?
-Good.
Who is that?
Well, he's an old jail buddy of mine.
-Hey, Wes.
-How are you?
-All right. How you doing over there?
-Fine. Pretty slow over there though.
Yeah, but it's not slow over here.
Not for us.
How you doing?
-Say, Eddie.
-Hmm?
-How long you been living here, man?
-Quite some time.
Matter of fact, I'm married now
to French chiquita here.
Oh, man, how you doing?
Can you speak the local bebop?
Man. I'm trying it.
Don't have it together yet.
But she's beginning to speak
some American. Loves it, you know.
But I bet the lady can burn.
Did you see this?
She's a great cook.
You know the Dale has been married
three or four times?
And we all spoke fluent English.
But nobody could burn.
Say, Lady Ben,
how about a nice, soft one for the Dale?
Nothing doing.
There's not enough
kindness in the world.
You know, I haven't been doing
anything hard.
Not even a bonbon. Never.
The deal is no, Dale. No for anything.
But the deal with who?
They always paying all the wrong people
in this world.
S'il vous plat, I would like to have
the same thing he had.
Hey, man.
You want to come upstairs?
What the hell you want him to do?
Read you a damn bedtime story? Come on in.
I have a kid.
She sometimes wakes up in the night.
Yeah, I remember
it rained pitifully that day.
We were an all-Negro unit,
with all-pink officers.
One day at inspection,
this captain found a photo of my wife,
who was, uh,
lighter skinned
and much prettier than his.
So then he made one of those
funny remarks, and I hit him in the head,
which really wasn't the way
white folks were treated in those days.
So then I found myself
in the Camp Polk stockade,
where they started to do drum paradiddles
on my head...
...for some time.
Yeah, I got lucky.
I found this Jewish doctor from New York.
Wow.
Without him,
it would've been a catastrophe.
He got me out of the army.
You know, it just occurred to me that
bebop was invented by the cats
who did get out of the army.
It's a week's work!
You wanted a drawing.
Now you want a photo montage.
I mean it. Tell me what you need,
I'll do it faster than anyone else.
-Did it work out, Dad?
-Yes, terrific. Let's go.
You could take her once in a while.
Come on, Sylvie. Even a common whore...
Can you hear me? Even a common whore...
looks after her kids.
Who wants more? Eddie?
-Eat all you want, I got plenty more in the kitchen.
-Eddie! You want some?
-I ain't missing this for the world.
-It's good.
-I know. I smelled it a mile away.
-Oh, yeah.
You got any butter?
I'm gonna eat with my hands.
-Hey, Eddie! What you got over here?
-You ain't gettin' none of mine.
-What's them little red things?
-You ain't gettin' none of this.
What y'all serving up?
What are them little red things?
Are you nuts?
Shut your door. This ain't the Casbah!
What you got over there?
I'm getting my own food.
Put some of those
little red things in there.
Oh, that's fabulous.
Put a little more in there, darling.
You know I smelled this
a mile away?
What's keeping you from coming in?
The smell of my cooking?
You bringing bad news, Francis?
Hershell died last night.
Hershell?
Lady Hersh?
-That's not Lady Hersh.
-Let me see that.
That's Hershell.
That's the way he looked
last time I saw him in New York City.
You are tired, Dale?
Oh, yes. I'm tired,
of everything except, uh, the music.
I can't get it right.
I've forgotten the words.
Autumn in New York
Is often mingled with pain
Dreamers with empty hands
All sigh for exotic lands
But it's autumn in New York
It's good to live it again
You like basketball?
A rum and Coke for Mr. Turner
for being superb.
Hey, next one you pay for.
Charlie, take a break, man. Listen.
How's your schedule for the next month?
-I don't even know what I'm doing tonight.
-Listen, you give me a call.
Hey, Dale. I saw you in Chicago.
I think you were with Dizzy and Bud.
Think we even had a drink afterwards.
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I,
I think I remember now, man. Yeah, yeah.
Listen, you got five bucks?
Hey, Ben, can you call me a taxi?
I thought the duke
went out to get you one.
That Prussian faggot
was gonna rule the world,
but he can't find a damn taxi
worth a shit.
Where's Dale? You seen him?
-He was right here five minutes ago.
-Shit.
Damn!
- Where are you taking him?
- Hospital.
No! Let him go!
Are you a relative?
Want to join him?
Let go of me, damn it!
-Let go, I said!
-We need a hand here.
Let go of him!
-Let me go, damn it!
-He's mad as hell.
-Yes!
-What's going on?
I served seven months in Algeria!
You know who this is?
This is my friend, one of the world's
greatest jazz musicians!
He's a genius, damn it!
You have no right, damn it.
I mean, you're Dale Turner.
You play too good for this shit. Huh?
He won't throw up?
Hey.
Wait. I'll get his key.
Give me the key.
I got him. I got him.
My goodness.
What in the world am I gonna do with you?
Just like a baby.
Got to watch you every single minute.
I invite you for dinner
tomorrow night, 8:00.
Ooh, you're a real Tarzan, ain't you, boy?
Are you his wife? Are you his wife?
Are you a fool?
Okay. Please tell him...
Here is my phone number and my address.
Tomorrow night, 8:00.
Hey, Buttercup,
you want some rice and beans?
Ace?
Did something happen tonight?
-To get him like that?
-Yeah.
When you have to explore every night...
...even the most beautiful things
that you find can be the most painful.
Yep.
-You understand what I'm saying?
-Yep.
All these young kids sound the same.
Just like they had the same teacher.
It was you.
Yeah. Me,
and a few others.
You, you act like my little girl.
Berangere.
Thank you.
You know, one night in Brooklyn,
this tenor player comes in,
and he sits down, and he listens.
And then he comes up to me and says...
"I play you better than you."
You know,
your music changed my life.
I would never have read Rimbaud
or any other poets.
Because of your music,
I've discovered a lot of musicians.
Francis,
is there water in this wine?
Yeah.
- What did he say?
- I'll tell you later.
Uh, it doesn't look good, but it is.
Who are your favorite tenors?
Um...
...Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins and, uh,
Ben Webster.
And I also used to listen
to a lot of Debussy.
Debussy?
Berangere.
That's a big name for a little girl.
-Francis?
-Huh?
Tell me.
Does Louis XIV still live here?
Oh, no.
He died for - a long time ago.
-Are you sure?
-Yeah.
-Hmm.
-I'm sure.
Well,
Berangere waits for me.
But it's a long time
before it's light again, man.
Is this ruckus over yet?
Well, Lady Sweets,
are we ready for tonight?
You half a motherfucker.
One bottle of Taittinger for four.
Charlotte, get the tab from table 5.
Two red wines, please.
Hey. He's over there.
Dale, it's me.
Never.
Never leave Dale in a hospital, Francis.
Then cut it out.
It's up to you. Cut it out.
Dad,
you didn't wake me up for school.
You're not going.
You stay home and watch Dale, okay?
He's living with us now.
Have a croissant.
We're gonna get another apartment.
-What's going on?
-What? Want something else?
Is it about Berangere?
Don't get excited.
I need money. That's it.
I'll pay you back. Not a problem.
Where's the waiter?
Serving others or what?
Two new contracts.
They love my stuff. I mean it.
You're in debt?
No.
Yes.
I want to move.
I found a place. Problem is
they're asking 800,000 for key money.
Dale Turner's living with us.
-What?
-Yes. Dale Turner's living with us.
The three of us can't fit in that place.
We need more space.
I want him to compose again.
This guy's...
...just amazing.
If I ever achieve anything,
it's on account of guys like Dale Turner.
I work twice as hard since I've known him.
I sacrifice everything for him.
Nobody ever inspired me like him.
I want him to have a decent life.
I want the greatest sax player
in the world to live decently.
For Berangere and me,
you found the apartment fine.
It didn't bother you then
if we lived decently.
You don't live there anymore anyway.
So, let's not start that again.
I'm asking you as a friend.
400,000 francs.
Pay you back in six months. No big deal.
-Two coffees.
-No, a Coke.
- Coke and a coffee.
- Coke and coffee.
And I never inspired you?
Will you lend me the money or not?
No.
You can, but you won't. Is that it?
That's right.
Don't you miss your daughter?
You'd have been lost without her.
And you're too wrapped up with your guy!
Thank you. Thank you.
Yeah, happiness is a nice, wet
Rico reed.
- Hi. ls your dad here?
- No.
-You are Berangere?
-Yes.
-For your dad, from your mom.
-All right.
300,000 FRANCS
TO THE ORDER OF FRANCIS BORIER
Do you like basketball?
-Basketball?
-Yes.
Well, checking out
without saying goodbye, huh?
Butter, I want my passport.
I got it hidden in the room.
Make sure you keep it in a safe place.
Oh, yeah, Francis,
you make sure he get to the gig on time.
Yeah.
Hey, Mama.
Want some of these ribs and rice
I got in my room?
Sorry, Papa.
I only eat kosher food. Have some.
Listen to that, Francis.
The swing bands used to be all
straight tonics, seventh chords.
And then, with the Basie band,
I heard Lester Young,
and he sounded like
he came out of the blue.
Because he was playing
all the color tones,
the sixths and the ninths
and major sevenths.
You know, like Debussy and Ravel.
Then Charlie Parker came on
and he began to expand and, uh,
he went into elevenths, thirteenths
and flat-fives.
Luckily, I was going
in the same direction already.
You just don't go out
and pick a style off a tree one day.
The tree is inside you, growing naturally.
I looked away for just a minute,
and he was gone.
Tell him it's the last time.
You ain't doing no better than me, boy.
Sure there's no Dale Turner here?
Dale Turner!
I said no.
A big guy, 6'6". Black.
Maybe under a different name.
Maybe he doesn't have his papers.
-Excuse me.
-Check with admissions.
Thank you. I was just there,
if you can believe.
Sir! Sir.
They didn't tell you
there's a Black American.
He's in the pavilion there.
-Which one? Over there?
-This one there.
Thanks.
Let go of me!
Dale!
Leave me alone, for Christ sake!
-He's crazy.
-Let go of me.
Let go of him.
Calm down.
-Where's Dale Turner? I want to see him.
-He's here. I just examined him.
He needs to get out of here,
or else he'll die.
Last time he was in a hospital,
they hosed him down with ice water, so...
I know. Calm down. We talked about it.
What will you do?
You are tired, Dale?
Yes.
I'm tired of everything,
except music.
I wish I could rest.
You don't sleep?
Oh, yes, I sleep.
But, uh,
there's always the dreams.
What kind of dreams?
Well, it's always about music
and, uh,
playing the saxophone.
The sound
and expanding the music,
you know, more and more.
You know, there's been nights, uh,
when I've been working and playing,
and at the end of the night, you know,
I look at my mouthpiece,
and it's all bloody.
But I haven't felt a thing, you know.
My life is music.
My love is music.
And it's 24 hours a day.
Do you understand?
Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Do you have sexual relations?
Oh, yes.
Whenever I can.
Lady Francis!
Merci, Doctor.
Hey, taxi!
-Dale?
-Yes?
When you were talking to the doctor,
I was listening.
-You were?
-Yeah.
Was I good?
Bonjour, Lady Francis.
Some breakfast?
But never,
never again, man,
don't cry for me.
Never again, Francis.
What else can I do
when you are killing yourself?
I'll stop.
Stop?
I promise.
How? You never stopped before.
I never promised anybody before.
Hey.
Francis.
You think we can find
a trumpet player for tonight?
Yeah. Yeah.
So, Eddie,
I think,
you have two bars,
a vamp,
to bring us in, right?
Okay.
And then we come right in on, uh,
on the melody.
Okay.
Okay.
One, two, three, two, two...
Try it again with eight, right?
Okay.
One, two, three, two, two, three...
This is my daughter, Berangere.
Hey! This your little girl?
Merci.
Orange juice.
HELL IN BURMA
This won't do.
Too much war, kids and Japs. No go.
Okay, then, what should we show?
It's an anti-Japanese war film. With kids.
First, I don't see Jeff Chandler...
We were just discussing the poster.
I just talked it over with Mr. Sterling.
He's thrilled.
He thinks it's very good.
Even better than the American one.
I think we'll use it
for all European markets.
Belgium, Switzerland, Holland.
Even Scandinavian countries.
-It's terrific, isn't it?
-He's the best. You're great, my friend.
You like Monet?
Oh, yes.
All the colors.
He sounds like Ravel or Tadd Dameron.
It's like bebop.
-Francis.
-Yeah?
Who is that playing?
Who is playing? It's you.
You just made the record.
Not bad.
Well,
it's a nice day out.
I think I'll go for a little stroll.
Could you, uh, loan me a few francs?
I wanna go to the tabac
and get some cigarettes.
Merci.
Monsieur?
A croissant, please.
- A squeezed orange juice.
- Squeezed orange juice.
And a pack of Pall Malls.
And a pack of Pall Malls.
Now what the hell is all this about?
It's about Dale,
and how, from tonight on,
he gets paid direct.
Bullshit.
Direct.
Every night, like everybody else, Ben.
That ain't my deal
with Goodley, Dale.
-You want to show me the paper?
-You mean a contract?
Yeah, where it says
she gets paid every night.
Well shit, man, you ain't been straight
enough to sign your own damn name
on nobody's contract.
Butter,
I've been straight enough to play my ax
every night,
and sweetly.
If I don't get my dough tonight,
I won't be back tomorrow.
I gotta talk to Madame Queen.
Do that.
You pay him, man,
you gonna be in a world of trouble.
Hey,
was I good?
One beer!
Francis.
Direct!
Like everybody else.
-Tomorrow...
-Uh-huh.
...a new wallet.
- A big one.
- Yes.
Rib steak.
"Rob" steak.
No, rib steak.
Rib steak.
Right? Rib steak.
Break!
Ta-da!
Enjoy.
Thank you.
You're a great cook, Dale.
-Really, it's marvelous.
-Merci.
You're a king.
-Like Louis XIV?
-Exactly.
Well, I don't know about that,
but you always treat me like one, Francis.
What did he say?
That we treat him like a king.
That we treated him like a king. Potato?
On top or on the side?
This meat is huge.
Francis.
Oh, shit.
Why?
Hello, Long Tall.
I dreamed you were coming to Paris.
Tonight we have in the house with us
Miss Darcey Leigh.
Perhaps if we welcome her nicely
to the stage, she'll - she'll join us.
Please?
"How Long Has This Been Going On?"
-What key you do it in?
-E flat.
-You know your cue?
-Yes, the two.
I could cry
Salty tears
Where have I been
All these years?
Little wow
Tell me now
How long has this been going on?
There were chills
Up my spine
And some thrills
I can't define
Listen, sweet
I repeat
How long has this been going on?
Oh, I feel
That I could melt
Into heaven I'm hurled
I know
How Columbus felt
Finding another world
Kiss me once...
We put on a hell of a show.
-Yeah, and we cut a few sides too.
-Mm-hmm. I heard.
I heard you're playing soprano again too.
Yeah, first time in a long time.
Why do you seem so on edge?
Oh, just because, uh,
I keep wondering
if I still have something to give.
Of course you do.
You have a lot to give.
It was you who taught me to listen
to the bass instead of the drum.
Well, you would've learned that
in 10 or 15 years anyway.
Oh.
I always thought
we would keep each other company.
We have.
-Ah!
-Bravo!
Dale, do you have any regrets?
Only one.
Which is?
I had big eyes
to play with Count Basie's band.
But he told me that
one bandleader in the band was enough.
Ah. Maybe it was for the better, huh?
Oh, no. Dale's cool.
Oh, I feel
That I could melt
Into heaven I'm hurled
And I know
How Columbus felt
Finding another
World
Kiss me twice
And then once more /i
What a dunce I was before
Listen, sweet
I repeat
How long has this been
Going on?
How long has this been
Going
On?
Well, look at this! Miss Buttercup! Hey!
Oh, my goodness! How you doing?
Hey, Big D! How you doing, man?
Let me tell you something.
-How are you?
-Fine. How are you?
Man, it's good to see you.
Number One stole the cookie
from the cookie jar.
-Who, me?
-Yeah, you.
-Couldn't be.
-Then who?
Number Two had his finger
in the cookie jar.
-Who, me?
-Yeah, you.
-Couldn't be.
-Then who?
Number Three stole the cookies.
-Who, him?
-Look at his face.
-That's him.
-Number Three is in the cookie jar.
The leg, the classic leg.
Oh, no, honey. Thank you.
-No.
-No.
She got you.
This is why my tie's flying
around my neck all day. Right?
Exactly.
I gotta pull my shoe off
to sing this song.
Yeah!
Here we go.
I've had that man for 15 years
Paid all his room and board
-Oh, yeah?
Once he was like a Cadillac
Now he's like an old worn-out Ford
He never gave me a lousy dime
And put it in my hand
Well, there's gonna be some changes
From now on
According to my plan
He's got to get it, bring it
-Huh.
Put it right here
Or else he's gonna keep it out there
If he must beg it, borrow it
Or steal it some where
As long as he gets it, honey
You know I do not care
Well, I'm tired of frying pork chops
To grease his fat lips
And he's got to find another place
To park his old hips
He got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Or else he's gonna keep it out there
Listen to what I say.
Bee gets the honey
And brings it to the corn
Else he's kicked out
Of his home sweet home
To show you that they brings it
Watch the dog and the cat
Everything even brings it
From a mule to a mare
He's got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Else he's gonna keep it out there
I tell you like a China man
Him don't bring him check
Him don't get no mmm-mmm
If he break 'em down
He's got to get it, bring it
And put it right here
Else he's gonna keep
Y'all know I ain't lyin' to you!
Else he's gonna keep
Honey, I'll just keep sitting on it.
Or else he's gonna keep it out
There...
- Yeah!
- Yeah!
You're all right!
Yeah!
Bravo! Bravo!
It's funny how the world
is inside of nothing.
I mean, you have your heart and your soul
inside of you.
Babies are inside of their mothers.
Fish are out there in the water.
But the world
is inside nothing, you know.
I don't know if I like this or not,
but you better write it down.
Daddy, look what I found.
Dale, it's for you.
There is a call for you.
-You're kidding.
-Here.
Hello?
Long distance?
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, I can't come. I'm having too much fun.
-That was Birdland.
-Yeah?
They wanted me to come back.
Did he tell you the one about,
uh, The Red Shoes?
No, no.
The Red Shoes, I saw it 40 times,
but there's one scene I like
where the impresario is eating
his breakfast, a three-minute egg,
and a young composer is really disturbed
because he wants to see Mr. Lermontov
to complain about a piece of music
that was stolen.
So he walks into his room, and he says,
"Mr. Lermontov, I'd like to complain
about a piece of music that I wrote
which was stolen by my professor."
Mr. Lermontov didn't respond.
So David Craster - his name - he said,
"Sorry if I spoiled your breakfast."
Mr. Lermontov said, "Uh, Mr. Craster,
come here and sit down. Sit down."
-"Sometimes it is much more disheartening...
-Wes?
...to steal than to be stolen from."
-"Good day."
-Right. Right.
Wes, we gotta,
we gotta get cracking here.
Then you go your-your-your C again.
It's the quarter note. Quarter note to a...
To your, down to your F.
You got the beginning intro.
And, Palle - you're next.
Yeah, yeah.
One, two, three...
-I didn't see you.
-Hi.
-Coffee?
-Sure.
-There was no hurry.
-Yes. I'd told you, within six months.
It's not all there. More to come.
So, he still inspires you as much?
It's not only inspiration.
You'll hear, you'll be overwhelmed.
-You want that coffee?
-Francis,
I'd like to have Berangere with me.
For a while.
I'm all settled now, so if she wants...
Of course she'll want to.
What's going on?
You fell out of love?
- You want to come back?
- Uh,
Yeah.
Let's go listen. They're about to record.
Awesome, awesome.
What love they have.
You hear that?
Sylvie!
Berangere!
Where were you?
-I dropped my bag.
-Dad, your tie.
-Yeah.
Ready?
Yes.
I hope your family likes surprises.
- Hi, Mom.
- Hello, Grandma.
- Come on, Dale.
- I was expecting you later.
-We took an early train.
-I'm not even ready.
Come in, sir. Henri, they're here!
Close the door because of drafts.
How you've grown, sweetie.
How you've changed.
You really dressed her up for the trip.
Mom, Dale Turner, a great musician.
- Pleased to meet you, ma'am.
- Sir.
Say, he speaks good French.
-Hello, Grandpa.
-Hello, sweetie.
My husband.
Dad, Dale Turner.
Sir, I'm honored.
Yes. Yes.
Your son, Francis...
- Yes.
- You think so?
Yes.
He thinks I'm terrific.
You've lost weight.
- You like the quenelles?
- It's the same.
Do you like the quenelles, Mr. Turner?
Oh, yes. Very good.
Very good.
-We remove the napkins, Grandma?
-Of course not, angel.
Francis, get the dessert plates.
-Sure.
-No, no, no. You stay here.
-Close the shutters.
-Yes.
There's a cake?
Why a cake? You need some help?
- No, no.
- Very well, then.
Why close the shutters if there's no cake?
Because your grandma asked me
to close the shutters, so...
So he shuts them.
Happy birthday to you, Berangere
Happy birthday to you...
- Go on. No. First, make a wish.
- Go on.
- Done.
- Done.
What was the wish?
It's a secret. I can't tell you.
If I do, it won't come true.
So, you cut it up and be most careful.
A wish. It's a secret.
Go ahead.
Who's that share for?
She keeps all the marzipan for herself.
- Cut it in half.
- Yes, in half.
There you go. Very good.
How many of us are there?
Five? Cut up six parts.
Can you light it, Grandpa? It's for Dale.
Really?
Dale's being spoiled.
Dale.
Make a wish, Dale.
She wants you to make a wish.
-She wants you to make a wish.
-Huh?
-A wish?
-Yeah.
Blow it out.
-The candle?
-Yeah.
Yeah?
- Blow.
- Blow.
Here, keep it.
You did lose weight, actually.
They're nice people, your family.
Yeah.
They don't really like jazz.
Well,
-that's all right.
-Yeah.
But I felt, uh,
they like to live in, uh,
in harmony.
Did I ever tell you about the, uh,
Alvin Hotel?
A lot of great, uh, musicians
live there.
Yeah, Lady Francis,
I think it's about time for me to go home.
Well, I hope some good friends
are here to meet us.
Welcome home, Dale.
RW Goodley. You must be Francis.
Gotta tell you, Francis, you took
good care of Dale. He looks great.
I haven't seen him look
this good in years.
How's Buttercup? What's she up to?
She's trying to run
a red beans and rice joint in Paris.
In Paris, yes.
Oh, she's great. Buttercup is great,
I'm telling you. Great.
A great cook. A great cook.
Wow.
I don't remember all these people
being here when we left.
Oh, they were here. They were here.
-It's your first time in, uh, New York, Francis?
-Yeah.
Oh, you're in for a real treat. Yeah.
When you get back to Paris, you're gonna be raving,
just raving, about how nice New Yorkers are.
-When would that be?
-Pardon?
-How long are you gonna be with us?
-Oh, uh,
I don't know. Not long.
Not long?
I've been to Paris.
I mean, I took Paris, you know.
But I let De Gaulle walk down
the Champs lyses first.
After all, it is his place. Y'know what I mean?
I'm kidding.
Paris to me, Paris is a beautiful place.
Beautiful city.
It's got fancy bridges and, uh, it looks...
I understand now they're steam-cleaning
the buildings too?
Making them nice and white and clean?
But I prefer New York. I prefer New York.
New York, for me, the music is better.
That's 'cause it's tougher.
There's tougher things going on here,
you know?
And that's because
there's tougher people here, ya know?
It's not for everybody, New York.
Know what I mean?
We did okay with the traffic.
Now we get over the Williamsburg Bridge,
we'll be fine.
I mean, traffic today at the rush hour
was pretty bad back at the airport,
but the worst traffic I ever saw
was in that area...
What's that-that arch in Paris?
The Arch of Triumph, right.
The car's going in a circle, right? To me,
from far away, it looks very pretty.
But when you're inside one of the cars,
it was murder, I'm tellin' you.
Everybody kept makin' the left lane.
It's like bumper cars.
Like in Coney Island, we have a little ride where
everybody bumps into each other, ya know?
I never saw drivers like these.
But they're crazy. I never saw it.
Francis. Francis!
Let's go. Come on.
- Francis.
- You can look at New York tomorrow.
All right, Dale, this is it.
It's your favorite place.
Francis, listen, I managed to work out
an adjoining room for you,
so you two are connected, okay?
So listen, I got instant coffee for you, Dale.
I got peanut butter. I know you like that.
And, uh, I got some things
to go over with you here.
The 802. Your union dues.
I paid your union dues. I took care of
your legal fees, I took care of your fines.
And whatever comes to you, you don't have
to worry about, because, at the end of the week,
you come to my office, we'll discuss it,
we'll straighten everything out.
Other thing is,
I'll give you a little advance, okay?
Here we are. Who wants it?
Francis, here we are.
Okay, get yourself situated. Listen.
I know you probably will want to go
uptown, but if you want, if you want,
there's the Armenian joint
on 8th Avenue, two blocks down,
if you want to eat.
You could also eat at the club,
but if you want to go there,
I know you're gonna probably wind up
at the Market Diner or wherever,
but if you go to the Armenian joint, come
to the club, sign, I put it on your tab.
Same goes for the Star Cleaners
and Laundry on 7th Avenue.
You want anything cleaned,
laundered, pressed, whatever,
sign for it, I put it on your tab,
all right?
Now, the band that we have
for you is terrific.
I know you've heard this a thousand times,
but believe me when I say this,
when I say these guys are good,
you're gonna love 'em, all right?
Most important, Cabaret card.
Cabaret card.
-Cabaret card, we took care of.
-Beautiful.
We took care of it.
I mean, it cost us. It cost us.
I mean, it wasn't easy,
but we took care of it.
So, you're set. Okay?
- You understand everything, Francis?
- Yeah.
-Any questions?
-No.
You should be all right. Okay?
- Hey, Goodley.
- Yeah?
When do we start?
You start tomorrow night. Tomorrow night.
Okay, nice and cozy here, huh?
Just like Cozy Cole.
See you guys later.
SOS.
Same old shit.
But maybe you should go by the club
and, uh, check it out.
Will you come?
No.
Dale's a little tired, huh?
Listen.
Those two tables over there.
Those people have been waiting for drinks.
I don't know where, where - where is he?
He's not at his station.
-Francis, that's Dale's kid, right?
-Yeah, I called her.
Oh.
You're Chan? Hi. Goodley.
-Hi, I'm Francis.
-Oh, hi.
Nice to meet you.
My daughter...
Ladies and gentlemen,
our next selection
is a composition
that, uh,
I wrote for my daughter, Chan,
who just turned 15.
Fourteen.
"Chan's Song."
I liked my song.
-Oh, wonderful.
-Does it have words to it?
Mmm, no.
But not everything has to have,
uh, words to it.
I meant to, uh,
bring you something back from France.
You know, like perfume.
But I wasn't sure
because of, uh, your age.
I didn't expect anything.
I know someone who's been in Paris.
He brought this back for me.
Oh, I know.
-From Montmartre.
-I know.
Hey, Dale.
When did you get back?
-How you doing, Booker?
-All right.
This your child?
Daddy lets you stay up late, huh?
Heard you the other night, Dale.
You blowin' better than ever.
-Thanks, man.
-Feelin' well?
Not bad.
So how is school?
Fine.
Hey, what do you want?
I want to see Dale.
-He's not here.
-I'll wait.
Tell Dale Booker was here.
If he wants somethin', he'll find me.
How is Chan?
Like a stranger,
and it's too late to fix it.
Don't let that happen to you
and Berangere.
Dale?
Yeah.
You were happy in Paris?
Very pretty town.
Is it the same room where Hershell died?
I don't know.
They all look the same.
Things work different here.
Yeah, I see.
Feels like far, Francis.
What?
Paris.
I'm going back, Dale.
I've made two reservations.
For when?
Tomorrow evening.
Is it too soon?
There are two flights, at 7:30 and 9:30.
If we're going,
let's go early.
You know,
Lady Francis,
there's not enough kindness
in the world.
This is the last call
for Pan Am flight 132 for Paris.
All passengers, please proceed to gate 34.
Dale died Friday
at Cumberland Hospital. Goodley.
Dad, I'll be late for school.
We would like to open with a tribute to
a great jazz musician,
a man who died a few years ago.
He passed away ahead of us,
but he was always doing things
ahead of us.
He wrote a song just before he died
that we'd like to perform tonight for you.
His name is Dale Turner.
Do you like basketball?
-Going out?
-Yes.
I hope, Lady Francis,
that we live long enough to see
an avenue named after Charlie Parker.
A Lester Young Park.
A Duke Ellington Square.
And even
a street named Dale Turner.