Original subtitles

[theme music]

I'm coming.

Hi, Charley.

Hi, Kathy.

Oh, Kathy.

Kathy, am I glad to be here.

Aw.

These flowers are for you.

Oh, for me?

For what?

For having a nice, quiet, peaceful house.

For that I get flowers?

You do in my book.

Oh, Kathy, you should hear what's happening at my place.

Kathy, take my advice.

Don't ever remodel.

Since 7 o'clock this morning, the carpenter, the painter,

the decorator, they've been there banging

and drilling and pounding.

And then my mother-in-law, bossing everybody around,

and the decorator is yelling at the painter,

I told you I want egg shell.

Why don't you give me egg shell?

And the painter yells, I gave you egg shell.

The decorator said, no, I meant white eggs, not brown.

There was so much noise, I tell you,

I almost couldn't hear my mother-in-law.

But, Kathy, all I want to do is sit down and get

the noise out of my ears.

Well, Charley, you just sit down

and relax for a little while.

How would you like a cup of coffee?

Oh, bless you.

You are a wonderful human being.

Well, I'll get you one right away.

CHARLEY: Oh, bless you.

You just relax for a while.

- Hi, Uncle Charley. - Hi, Russ.

Hi.

[screams]

Charley, what are you doing down there?

If you're smart, you'll get down here too.

Too?

What's the matter with you? Why?

Why? We're being attacked.

Come on.

Oh, [inaudible] ridiculous.

Get up here.

Boy, I'm glad you're here.

I'm not. I'm not.

What do you mean you're not?

You're just in time to hear Rusty.

He's going to give us a drum concert.

Does he-- does he have to?

Yeah, he has to.

He's got to practice.

He's got to practice?

Yeah.

You mean with the drums?

Yeah.

He's going to b-- he's going to--

with the sticks, uh, and then the cymbals,

uh, and the-- and the--

[CRYING] no, no, no, Danny.

No, no, [inaudible] bother nobody, get up this morning.

Everything happens [inaudible]. - Charley.

- Charley, come on. - Come back.

What's the matter with him?

Oh, honey, they're remodeling at his place,

and it's so noisy, and he came over

here for some peace and quiet.

Oh, well, what's more peaceful and quiet

than nice, soothing music.

Uncle Charley, I'm going to audition

for the band at the YMCA.

Yeah, he's auditioning today.

He's going to--

well, look, Rusty, I tell you what.

If you're going to audition today,

maybe you shouldn't play the drums now.

Save your energy.

I mean, you don't want to go down

there with pooped drumsticks.

Oh, [inaudible] Put it on, baby.

I'll put it on the flip side first.

The flip side will be fine.

Which side's the flip side?

Put on the record.

[big band music]

Yeah.

Charley.

Oh, it's over?

Yeah, it's over.

Well, did you like it, Charley?

Well, no, no, it was good.

It was very good.

Lot of heart.

Like it.

Wish I didn't have to run.

I could listen to more.

Oh, it was real nice.

[plays out of time]

[inaudible]

I sort of made a mistake.

Yeah, I know you lost your place,

but you did much better than you did the last time.

You almost caught up.

OK, boys, let's try it again, huh?

Mr. Norman?

Yes, Roger.

May, I be excused for a minute, please?

Well, just in a moment.

We're going to try it once more.

The whole thing?

Yes, the whole thing.

Mr. Norman, I think I'll have to be excused right now.

OK, [inaudible] Take five, fellas.

We'll wait a little while.

We'll take a break here.

Oh, how do you do? May I help you?

Yes, I'm Rusty Williams.

I talked to you on the phone. - Oh, how are you, Rusty?

Fine. This is my father.

Danny Williams. How are you sir?

Oh, the nightclub entertainer.

Well, pleased to meet you.

I'm Larry Norman.

Oh, really?

Are you the-- the conductor?

Yeah, the conductor, the basketball coach,

the swimming instructor, the counselor, the--

well, the substitute father, and what have you.

Well, I came to talk to you about my--

Mr Norman, I got my shoe off, but I can't get it back on.

The knot's stuck.

Well, let's see if we can't unstuck it.

As I was saying, I thought-- my son says that he talked

to you on the phone and that he'd like

to audition for the band.

Well, we'd be very glad to have him.

Sure. MR. NORMAN: Fine.

Hey, Mr. Norman?

Yes, George.

Can I take the clarinet home with me tonight?

Is it your turn?

No, it's Freddie's, but he's willing to swap nights with me.

Monday night's the only night I can practice.

Well, why is that?

That's the only night my father goes out.

Well, OK, George.

You take it home and practice, but you really practice hard.

And I want you to have a tired lip tomorrow.

GEORGE: Yes, sir.

OK.

The kids have to share the instruments?

All except Ronnie here. He has his own.

Oh.

His father supplied all the instruments.

Oh, does he have a music shop?

No, pawn shop.

He's been a big help to us, but we still need

quite a few more instruments.

Oh, maybe I can give you a little assist on that score.

Why don't you stop by the Copa Club some afternoon.

We have the band rehearsing almost every day.

Fellas have a lot of extra instruments in the locker room.

Maybe they'd loan you some.

Really?

Sure.

Well, that would be wonderful.

Why, with some more trumpets and trombones and a few clarinets,

well, I'd have enough instruments

to equip the boys in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

This band in the St. Patrick's Day parade?

Well, sure.

You got something against the Irish?

I realize they don't have much of a professional sound yet,

but they have enthusiasm.

I want to tell you something, Mr. Norman,

if this band plays in the St. Patrick's Day parade,

they'll need more than enthusiasm.

They'll need combat helmets.

Well, I know you're a very busy man, Mr. Williams,

and if your boy would like to audition,

I think we ought to get on with it.

What's his instrument?

He plays the drums, and wait till you hear him.

- The drums? - He's pretty good, yeah.

Hey, well, that's fine. We need an alternate drummer.

Roger here works three days a week in the supermarket.

- Oh. - Roger, this is Rusty.

You want to let him play a tune with us?

OK, Rusty, sit right down.

OK, son.

Show him what you can do now.

All right, boys.

From the top, "Ach Du Lieber Augustin."

What did you just say?

"Ach Du Liber Augustin."

"Ach Du Lieber Augustin"?

That's what we're going to play.

Oh no, wait a minute.

How do you expect the kid to show off with a tune like that?

I mean, give him something that he can show his talent.

Give them a little sample of what you can do, son.

Go ahead.

Kid really goes, doesn't he?

He goes, all right.

But it's not the way we're going.

I don't understand.

Well, you see, my approach to music with these boys

is quite basic.

I try to teach them the fundamentals.

Musically speaking, they must learn

to walk before they try to run.

Well, yeah, but if you got a kid that can run,

well, let him go.

He'll make the band sound good and put a lot of oomph

in the oompahs.

No.

No, that's not the way I want it, Mr. Williams.

Ah.

No, you see, we teach teamwork.

Yeah.

Whether it's on the basketball court or here in the band,

we all pull together.

That's nice.

And Rusty will just have to play along with our group--

- Sure. - --the way we play.

Swell.

"Ach Du Lieber Augustin," boys, from the top.

[rusty playing out of time]

No, Rusty, you see, this is a waltz.

It's rum, dum-dum, rum, dum-dum, you know?

Three quarter time.

OK, let's try it again.

All right, boys from the top.

And.

[rusty playing out of time]

Sshh. Hold on, boys.

Hold on.

Hold on, just a minute.

He seems to be having a little trouble with his rhythm.

What makes you say that?

Well, you see, he should be going,

rum, dum-dum, rum, dum-dum.

But he's going rubatubadumdum, rum, rubatubadumdum.

He's putting his dums where he should

put his rums and his rums where he should put his dums.

What's the difference where he puts his rums

and where he puts his dums as long as he gets them in there?

Well, you see, it makes a lot of difference to a musician.

Now I don't know who taught Rusty,

but whoever did knew nothing about the fundamentals

of music.

Evidently, he was just someone who wanted to teach him a bunch

of trashy and flashy work.

Oh, by the way, who was his teacher?

Me.

Oh.

Well, I'm sorry for the way I sounded, but--

well, you see that just proves my point.

Teaching music should be left to people associated with music.

What do you think I'm associated with,

chicken plucking?

Oh, I realize that you use musicians when you sing,

but that's different.

You see, you're not one of them.

Maybe I'm not one of them, but I know enough about music

to know that "Ach Du Lieber Augustin" dropped

out of the top 10 a long time ago.

Well, that may be true, but you'll have to admit,

it's lasted a lot longer than "You're

Nothing but a Hound Dog."

Very clever ad lib.

And anyway, as long as I'm the director of the band,

why, Rusty will have to play in the style that we set.

Or not at all.

Or not at all.

Well, look, what makes you such an authority

on the subject?

What are you, the Stravinsky of the sweatshirt shed?

No, I--

What instrument do you play?

Well, I'd prefer one of the brass instruments, the trumpet.

Oh, I'll bet you blow a mean cadenza.

Yeah, I played a bit [inaudible]..

I'll bet.

With some of the best bands, no doubt.

Yes, yes, I could have.

- You could have. - Uh-huh.

DANNY THOMAS: Oh, really?

What bands, Harry James?

Benny Goodman?

As a matter of fact, I did have an offer from Goodman.

You had an offer, but you turned it down.

Yes, I turned it down.

How do you like that for a guess?

Look, Clyde, you can give this kind of jazz to these kids,

but you can't feed that propaganda to me.

I know a little bit better.

Come on, Rusty, let's get out of here.

But I was--

I'll get you to play with an orchestra

that sounds like an orchestra.

But I want to stay here.

I like the way these guys sound.

You like the way they sound?

Yes, and I want to stay here.

OK, you can stay after we come back.

Where are we going?

Have your ears examined.

But--

[SINGING] From this moment on, you for me, dear.

Only two for tea, dear, from this moment on.

From this happy day, no more blues songs.

Only hooptie-doo songs, from this moment on.

I've got the skin I love to touch.

You got the charms I need so much.

You got the arms to hold me tight, got the sweet to kiss me

goodnight.

From this moment on, you and I, babe.

We'll be flying high, babe.

Every care is gone, from this moment, this happy moment,

from this moment on.

Just like that.

It'll be perfect right after the second line of it.

Charley, I-- why are you always covering your ears?

Will you cut it out?

Now, look, Charley--

Charles, as I was saying--

what's that?

Cotton in your ears?

Look, I got work to do, and I can't stand the noise.

Yeah?

Well, take your cotton pickin' ears, and go into your office

then. That's fine.

Here. Goodbye.

- Wait a minute-- - Take your work somewhere else.

Get out of here. - This is my club.

I own the club. [inaudible] work here.

Here's another piece of cotton for you.

- I like the light here. - Goodbye.

[inaudible] the light. [inaudible]

Fellas, let's take that And [inaudible]

arrangement that we had.

Wait, hold on, hold on.

Hold on a second, please.

Hi, Mr. Williams.

What'd you do, stop by for a jam session?

Well, no.

You see, you said something about loaning

us some instruments.

And well, I know you were kind of mad at me when you left,

and well, I didn't want you to take it out on the boys.

I thought maybe I could pick up the instruments today.

Certainly.

I won't let a little thing like hating

each other penalize the boys.

But first, I want the fellas to meet you.

Guys, this is a musician, a professional musician.

Works in a gymnasium.

- Larry Norman. - Norman.

Larry Norman.

Real good musician. - Hi, guys.

[interposing voices]

Plays the glockenspiel, is it?

The triangle, wasn't it?

Trumpet.

Oh, the trumpet.

Frank, let me-- loan me your trumpet a sec, will you, kid?

Let me have that trumpet.

Thank you very much.

Here.

How about jamming it with the boys a little bit?

No, I--

I mean, they'd love to-- wouldn't you

guys like to play with a fella that played with Benny Goodman?

I mean, he turned down Benny Goodman, believe it or not.

You guys know "Ach Du Liber Augustin"?

That's his big number.

[inaudible] Here you are, go ahead.

No, I shouldn't--

Go on.

I dare you.

Look, I stopped taking dares when I grew up.

I'll bet you did.

Look, it wasn't easy for me to come down here today.

I had a big argument with myself about it,

and well, the question was, do I let these kids suffer

and struggle along without their instruments,

or do I swallow my pride and come here

to you with my hat in my hands.

Well, here I am.

Look, guys, if some of you got some extra instruments

in the lockers you can spare them,

this man can put them to good use.

He's got a little band at the Y. You see what you can find?

[interposing voices] - Thanks.

- --anybody that has? - All right.

Go ahead.

[inaudible] Go ahead.

Thanks, Mr. Williams.

I'll wait over here till you get through with your rehearsal.

Look, Norman, pay no attention to me here.

I don't usually pick on people.

I just got a little hot around the collar,

that's all, because you criticized

my son's drum playing.

That wouldn't have been too bad, except you

criticized his teacher.

Anyway, you got a job to do, and you do it as you see fit.

I just want to say I'm sorry.

Are we friends?

- Friends. - Friends.

Thank you. That's is.

Oh, here. Oh, that's great.

That's great. How about this.

Oh, that's wonderful.

A [inaudible] clarinet.

Fine, gee, thank you very much.

I appreciate it, boys.

Thank you very much.

That's real nice of you.

Hey, the kids will really appreciate these.

Fine.

By the way, I'm sorry I embarrassed

you in front of the band.

Oh, that's OK.

That doesn't matter.

I mean, after all, what's the difference

if you can play trumpet or if you can't play trumpet.

- What's the difference? - Of course.

Fine.

I mean, some people were born to play in Carnegie Hall.

Others were born to play it the Y, right?

[playing expertly]

Hey, more.

More.

He's right in here.

Oh, hi, Mr. Williams.

Oh, don't give me any, hi, Mr. Williams.

Go ahead.

Let me have it, one good Ach Du Liber right in my Augustin.

Come on, give me a kick.

What for?

Because I said you didn't know how to play the trumpet.

Oh, was I wrong. Go ahead.

Kick me.

- Oh, I couldn't. - I could.

Ya-pa-pa.

Larry, I just come over to apologize to you before I

go in for my operation.

Operation?

Yeah, I'm having my foot removed from my mouth.

Very good.

[laughs]

Well, now that we've buried the hatchet,

any time Rusty would like to come

back and play with our group, why the door's wide open.

Well, Rusty, will certainly come

back to play with the group, but the new director

can handle that.

You won't have to worry about Rusty.

Yeah, because you see, I don't like the trumpeter,

the star trumpeter at the Copa Lounge, doing anything else.

He's got to be exclusive.

DANNY THOMAS: That's right.

Did you hear what he said?

The Copa Lounge, buddy.

You mean you're offering me a job in the Copa?

- That's right. - Yep.

Copa Lounge.

Yes, sir, with your own swinging combo.

We want your signature on the bottom

after you read the figures on the top.

Sign right there.

And if you don't like those figures,

we could always make them a little bigger.

We could-- Danny, please.

Please.

I know this is the YMCA, but let's

not carry brotherhood too far.

Well, the offer is very flattering, but--

What are you talking about?

Anybody blows the horn like you deserves it.

And that's not all.

This is just the beginning.

I called my agent, Phil Brokaw.

He says he can get you the Flamingo Lounge

and the Chez Paris in Chicago.

How about that for starters? - Oh, well, wait a minute.

You got to play for me first. - That's right.

That's right. You owe it to Charley.

You got to play it for him first.

Oh, I don't know. I--

What you mean you don't know? You got to play for me first.

You owe it.

I mean, after all, there is such a thing as loyalty

among old friends and--

That's right.

--we've been lifelong friends since yesterday.

No, no, look, it isn't a question of whether I'd

play for you first.

It's more of a question of whether I'd play at all.

What?

Well, you see, I have a job, right here.

Here?

You're comparing this job at the Y with the Copa?

Well, he's offering you five times as much

as you're getting here just to start.

Oh, look, if you fellas want a band in your club,

and if I can't take the job, you can get another trumpet player,

can't you?

Well, sure, but what's that got to do with it?

Well, don't you see, that's easy for you

to get another trumpet player, right?

Yeah.

But it's not easy for the YMCA to get

another fella to take my job.

Now look, Larry, this is a career for you.

This is important.

So is the work I'm doing here important.

And so are the boys that I look after.

Wait a minute.

You mean you'd rather work here than at the Copa?

But I'm willing to pay you enough to start your own Y,

or and X or a Z. Pick any letter, any of them.

Don't you know that a man can be

paid with other things besides money for a job he does?

Do you think there's a price tag on the satisfaction you get

from knowing that you're keeping some of these kids

off the street and out of trouble?

Yeah, but you're not being practical.

Practical?

Do you think it's practical to avoid the responsibility

to the next generation?

Is it practical to let them grow up without guidance

and without help?

Oh, I'm a very practical man doing a very practical

job, molding good citizens.

You know, I remember when I was a kid.

One afternoon I passed by the YMCA,

and I heard a band playing.

"Ach Du Lieber Augustin"?

Yes.

"Ach Du Lieber Augustin."

But you know, I went inside, and the director of the band

invited me to sit in, and he gave me a horn.

And from then on, instead of being

out on the street breaking windows,

I was playing in the band.

That kind of started the three-way love

affair between me and the trumpet and the Y.

That man kind of helped me to find myself,

and any time I can help some kid to find

himself, well, I kind of feel like I'm paying back a debt.

I don't want to get on a soapbox,

and I really do appreciate your offer, but I can't accept it.

Of course, you can't.

We understand.

We sure do.

Thanks.

Well, if you change your mind, there's

always a job at the Copa.

Thank you, Mr. Williams.

Yeah, and so you shouldn't be insulted I'll pay you even

less than you're making here.

I'll make the sacrifice.

I--

See ya, Larry.

Wonderful.

That was way out cool, man.

Yeah, way out cool, man.

Great music, isn't it, Dan?

Certainly is.

That was great, Rusty, but you must remember that this music

is for personal kicks only.

Now shall we try it the way we're going to do it at the Y.

You-- you mean--

From the top.

[PLAYING "ACH DU LIEBER AUGUSTIN"]

[theme music]