The Twilight Zone (1985) s02e11 Episode Script

The Convict's Piano

(? "Theme from The Twilight Zone"?) (heartbeat) COME ON.
COME ON! Guard: KNOCK IT OFF! YOU JUST WAIT! I'VE BEEN CUT.
I'VE BEEN CUT.
I'LL HAVE TO WASH THAT FOR INFECTION, OF COURSE, BUT THERE IS NO SERIOUS MUSCLE DAMAGE.
IT'S A GOOD THING IT WAS IN MY LEFT HAND.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN LAZY.
KEPT ME FROM BECOMING A BILLY JOEL.
RICK WOULD YOU SAY YOU'RE ADJUSTING TO PRISON LIFE? WELL LOOK, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER MY QUESTION.
NO, NO.
THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
I'LL ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
I'M ADJUSTING FINE, DOCTOR.
I'VE GOT A SWELL ROOM, A COUPLE OF GREAT GUYS FOR ROOMMATES.
WE'RE REDECORATING.
GETTING A LOT OF EXERCISE, TOO.
YEAH, WELL, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOU'RE NOT FITTING IN.
YOU GOT THE WHITE GANG TICKED OFF AT YOU.
AND, EVEN THOUGH YOU PLAY LIKE RAY CHARLES, YOU HARDLY QUALIFY FOR THE BLACK GANG.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? STAND AROUND WHILE SOME GUY'S GETTING KNIFED? WOULDN'T MAKE ME ANY BETTER THAN THE REST OF THEM, WOULD IT? IN SPITE OF WHAT THE JURY SAID, I DIDN'T KILL ANYBODY.
I DON'T BELONG HERE.
I'M NOT EVER GOING TO ACT LIKE I BELONG HERE EITHER.
WELL, THEN, WE GOING TO BE SEEING A LOT OF EACH OTHER, YOU AND I.
THEN YOU BETTER START STERILIZING THOSE NEEDLES.
SMART MOVE, FROST.
GOT YOURSELF A LITTLE FLESH WOUND.
GET YOURSELF OUT OF WORK DETAIL.
WISH I HAD THOUGHT OF THAT.
EDDIE, ANOTHER FISH.
THANKS, PAL.
GOT A LIGHT? YEAH.
YOU'RE FROST, HUH? YEAH.
PIANO PLAYER.
KNOCKED OFF YOUR GIRLFRIEND.
SHE WAS MY FORMER GIRLFRIEND.
THEY FOUND HER IN A CAR THAT HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM ME, BUT I COULDN'T PROVE IT.
YOU DON'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A CON.
I GOT A PARKING TICKET ONCE.
EDDIE O'HARA.
HOW YOU DOING? ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE A JOB-- LINING UP CHAIRS FOR HIS EMINENCE THE BISHOP.
HE'S GOING TO SAY MASS NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU HAD A PIANO OR SOMETHING, COULD YOU PLAY "AVE MARIA" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? YEAH, SURE.
WHERE THE HELL AM I GOING TO GET A PIANO AROUND HERE? (keys jingle) WHAT'S A PIANO DOING UP HERE? A GIFT FROM MY OLD PAL, MICKEY SHAUNNESY.
SENT OVER RIGHT AFTER HE DISAPPEARED.
MICKEY SHAUNNESY-- WASN'T HE A GANGSTER? AROUND DUTCH SCHULTZ, AL CAPONE, THOSE GUYS YEAH, HE WAS LIKE THOSE GUYS.
BUT HIS TERRITORY WAS SHOW BUSINESS-- VAUDEVILLE, BANDS, CLUBS.
THE SHAMROCK CLUB WAS HIS.
HE WAS A MUSIC LOVER.
HE MAY HAVE SENT THIS PIANO OVER SO THE GUYS COULD GATHER AROUND AND SING.
HUH.
DIDN'T GET MUCH USE, DID IT? Guard: EDDIE.
BE RIGHT WITH YOU.
I'LL TALK TO MAX.
MAYBE WE'LL GET THIS THING MOVED TO THE CHAPEL.
YEAH, OKAY.
SCOTT JOPLIN.
"MAPLE LEAF RAG.
" WRITTEN IN 1899.
HUH.
(plays tentatively) (ragtime rhythm speeds up) HEY, RICKY.
WHY DON'T YOU COME PLAY BALL? SORRY, BAD HAND.
LEAVE HIM ALONE.
THANKS, I GUESS I OWE YOU ONE.
YEAH, I GUESS SO.
EDDIE, YOU'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME, RIGHT? YEAH, IF YOU CALL HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO LEAVE YOU ALONE? I BELIEVE IN THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT.
DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU BUT DO IT UNTO THEM FIRST.
THAT'S A HELL OF A WAY TO LIVE.
BUT YOU LIVE.
I WAS A ROUGH KID-- TRAVELLED WITH A ROUGH CROWD.
I ALMOST GOT INTOBIGTROUBLE.
BUT I TELL YOU SOMETHING-- I DIDN'T KILL THAT GUY.
MICKEY FRAMED ME.
I THOUGHT SHAUNNESY WAS YOUR PAL.
YEAH, HE WAS.
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO.
WE HAD A PROBLEM.
WE BOTH LOVED THE SAME GIRL.
MICKEY SAID HE'D MAKE HER A STAR.
HE EVEN PLAYED PIANO FOR HER WHEN SHE SANG.
SO HE ELIMINATED THE COMPETITION.
YEAH.
LISTEN, WHERE DID YOU DISAPPEAR TO YESTERDAY? MAX AND I LOOKED ALL OVER FOR YOU.
I'LL TELL YOU AS SOON AS I FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF.
YOU DO THAT.
REMEMBER, YOU OWE ME.
YEAH.
LET'S SEE IF ANYTHING ELSE DOES THE TRICK.
"OVER THERE," GEORGE M.
COHEN.
OKAY.
(starts tentatively) (song rhythm speeds up) (bar patrons singing:) ? THE YANKS ARE COMING EVERYWHERE ? ? SAY A PRAYER, SAY A PRAYER ? ? SEND THE WORD, SEND THE WORD, ? OVER THERE ? ? WHERE WE'RE OVER, WE'RE COMING OVER ? ? AND WE WON'T COME BACK TILL IT'S OVER, OVER THERE ? ? OVER THERE, OVER THERE ? ? SEND THE WORD, SEND THE WORD, OVER THERE ? ? THAT THE YANKS ARE COMING ? ? THE YANKS ARE COMING ? ? THE DRUMS TUM-TUMMING EVERYWHERE ? ? TELL ME WHERE, SAY A PRAYER ? ? SEND THE WORD, SEND THE WORD, OVER THERE ? HI, HOW YOU DOING? GOOD.
WHERE YOU FROM, DOUGHBOY? FROM HERE IT WOULD BE SOUTH FROM HERE.
ARKANSAS? TEXAS? NO, 103rd STREET.
YEAH.
LET ME BUY YOU A BEER AND YOU CAN PLAY AGAIN.
YEAH, SURE.
ONE SECOND.
THANK YOU.
SURE.
I TELL YOU YOU SURE CAN PLAY THAT THING.
SO FAR, SO GOOD.
DAMN IT! Ricky: IT WAS THE WEIRDEST THING.
BOTH TIMES I PLAYED ONE OF THOSE OLD SONGS BOOM! I'M BACK IN TIME.
FIRST, I WAS IN A A PARK.
THE NEXT TIME I WAS IN SOME PLACE CALLED THE SHAMROCK CLUB.
MM-HMM.
I COULD TASTE THE BEER.
I COULD SMELL THE CIGARETTES.
YOU THINK I'M NUTS, DON'T YOU? MAYBE.
I KEEP THINKING IF I COULD JUST PICK THE RIGHT MUSIC AND THE RIGHT YEAR I COULD STAY THERE.
HEY, MAN DON'T GO BY ME.
IF I WAS SMART WOULD I BE WORKING HERE? LISTEN, I APPRECIATE THE NEEDLEWORK.
I'LL SEE YOU AROUND SOMETIME.
HEY ARE YOU GOING SOMEWHERE? I DON'T KNOW.
I HOPE SO.
MAX, HAVE YOU SEEN EDDIE? I GOT ENOUGH PROBLEMS JUST TELL HIM I'M LOOKING FOR HIM.
LET'S DO IT.
Thompson: GOOD IDEA.
YOU NEVER LET ME GIVE YOU A REAL STATE PEN WELCOME, RICKY.
MY ONLY PROBLEM IS DECIDING WHETHER TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW OR JUST CRIPPLE YOU.
YOU THINK YOU MIGHT BE GRATEFUL TO ME IF I LET YOU LIVE? (keys jingling) (whispers:) GUARDS COMING! LATER, RICKY.
DON'T LEAVE TOWN.
OKAY.
"LADY, BE GOOD.
" NO, NO.
"SHAKING THE BLUES AWAY.
" NO, NO.
"SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME.
" THAT'S GOOD.
CALVIN COOLIDGE, FLAPPERS, BATHTUB GIN.
THAT'S GREAT.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT THOMPSON.
HE'S GOT THE BRAIN OF A HOUSE PLANT.
WHAT DID YOU WANT? I GOT THIS IDEA.
WHAT WOULD YOU GIVE TO SEE MICKEY SHAUNNESY FACE TO FACE AGAIN? TO SEE MICK? YEAH.
I'D SPEND A YEAR IN HELL, WHY? PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE PIANO.
DO WHAT? PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE PIANO.
LOOK HERE.
LOOK.
THE SHAMROCK THE SHAMROCK CLUB?! THAT'S SHAUNNESY'S PLACE.
BUT THESE LOOK NEW.
I KNOW THEY'RE NEW BECAUSE I WAS THERE YESTERDAY.
THE SHAMROCK CLUB IN CHICAGO.
IF I GOT THIS THING FIGURED RIGHT ALL I DO IS PLAY THE RIGHT TUNE AND YOU AND I CAN BE BACK IN CHICAGO IN 1928.
PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE PIANO OR IT WON'T WORK.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BUT AFTER 50 YEARS IN THE SLAMMER I DON'T BELIEVE IN MAGIC ANYMORE.
I HAVE TO DO THIS.
GO AHEAD.
BE MY GUEST.
WHERE'S JIMMY? JIMMY WHO? THE PLAYER FROM THE SHAMROCK.
THE GUY WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK HE TOOK SICK.
THE UNION SENT ME OVER.
THE UNION? YEAH.
SHORTY.
MAKE A NOTE.
I WANT TO SEE JIMMY AT THE CLUB TOMORROW.
JIMMY, SHAMROCK, TOMORROW.
GOT IT, MR.
SHAUNNESY.
MICKEY SHAUNNESY? YEAH, WHO WERE YOU EXPECTING-- BABE RUTH? THIS IS MY HOUSE.
THAT'S MY PIANO YOU'RE PLAYING.
Flapper girl: HE'S DOING A VERY GOOD JOB, HONEY.
AND HE'S CUTER THAN JIMMY, TOO.
DAMN IT.
SHORTY! TOMORROW, GET ME ONE OF THEM CLASSY PIANOS-- WHAT YOU CALL THEM? GRAND PIANO.
GET RID OF THIS CAT HOUSE NUMBER.
WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH IT? WHY DON'T YOU SEND IT OVER TO ELLEN'S OLD FRIEND, O'HARA IN THE STATE PEN.
HE'LL APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT.
I'M GIVING YOU ONE MORE CHANCE, BUDDY.
I WANT TO SEE PEOPLE DANCING.
WHY DON'T YOU PLAY THAT NEW GERSHWIN THING? "'SWONDERFUL.
" UH COULD YOU HUM A FEW BARS? I'M NOT SURE IF I KNOW IT.
THE SONG OF THE YEAR AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT? NO.
WHY DON'T YOU SHOW HIM HOW IT'S PLAYED, MICKEY? I'M SURE HE'D APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT.
MOVE OVER.
I CAN PLAY IT SLOW OR A LITTLE BIT MORE UP TEMPO.
YOU CAN DANCE CAN'T YOU? YEAH, SURE.
DON'T WORRY ABOUT MICKEY.
WHERE THE HELL AM I? MICKEY SHAUNNESY? WHO ARE YOU? DO I DO I KNOW YOU? DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE ME, MICKEY? EDDIE O'HARA.
YOUR OLD PAL.
EDDIE O'HARA.
WHERE AM I? YOU TELL ME WHERE I AM.
YOU'RE RIGHT WHERE YOU BELONG, MICKEY-- WITH ME.
I'D LIKE TO BE THE FIRST TO GIVE YOU A STATE PEN WELCOME.
YOU KNOW WHERE MICKEY WENT? YEAH, I DO.
HE WENT OUTSIDE.
HE SAID HE'D BE GONE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THAT WOULDN'T BE THE FIRST TIME.
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? YEAH.
YEAH, I'M ALL RIGHT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, BABY, I'M FINE.

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