Original subtitles

I got a chance, a shot, to be on Broadway. I don't have no time for no

kid. I'm going to give you the performance of a lifetime.

Where'd you learn to dance like that, little girl?

You don't learn to dance like that. You gotta be born with it.

I don't want you, so I'm just splitting.

Without that kid, there's no show.

You got big dreams?

You want fame?

Well, fame caught you. And right here is where you start paying.

Uh, yeah, in a minute.

You got taller.

First one to do a lot of growing in three years.

So is it money?

Is that why you're here?

It's money, ain't it?

Your daddy's probably in trouble and you're here trying to raise bail.

Did it ever occur to you that I might just have wanted to look you up, see how

you were doing and what was going on in your life?

No.

You're my blood and blood's big, Uncle Leroy.

I did love you once.

Indeed, my lord. You made me believe so.

There will be no marriage.

To the nunnery.

For your information, Leroy Johnson, my dad and ma don't need no bail. He gone

straight. I love thee, Hamlet.

A nunnery, I say.

What are these two doing? I ain't think.

Um, guys, this is my niece, Tina.

She was only kidding.

No, I wasn't, Leroy. They were really bad.

That's it.

Come on.

You're telling me Lamar went straight.

You bet he has. He's pulling ass together.

He's got a job. A good job, too.

What kind of job did my brother go get himself?

He's working in the oil field.

Oil field?

What oil field?

Where do you think they got oil fields, Leroy?

Texas.

Texas? You mean my brother Lamar's in Texas?

And who's looking after you?

Oh, no.

No, I have too much going on in my life right now to be watching anybody's kids.

Get your bag.

I still don't see why it's such a big deal. I mean, just because I don't have

equity card. If we're going to get this show going, it'll be an equity

production. We won't be able to use any non -union members.

Yeah, but what about Leroy? He doesn't have his equity card.

Got one this summer. So now I'll get mine, too. Just like that.

I'm afraid it's not that easy.

Yeah, well, let me worry about it. Let me tell you something. Next time you

from me, it's going to be Danny Amatulo, member of Actors' Equity.

Look, I got this backers audition coming up. I got a chance, a shot.

To be on Broadway. I don't have no time for no little kids. I ain't a little

kid. I can practically take care of myself.

You won't even know I'm around.

I won't make no trouble. I promise, Leroy.

Leroy. Excuse me. Oh, who is this?

I'm Tina.

Mr. Lady Leroy?

Not bad.

Tina, this is Miss Grant. We have a professional relationship, okay?

Mm -hmm.

Leroy, I've got some great news. Parker called.

He's coming on Thursday.

He wants to see what we've put together, and if he likes it, he's going to bring

Beckham and the moneymaker. All right, I knew it. I knew it. I had a good

feeling about that. You know it. I knew it. I had a good feeling about that.

What if he don't like it? Then where are you?

Who asked you?

Leroy, there's no way to talk to your little friend.

I ain't no little friend. I'm a relative.

Miss Grant, this is my niece.

Oh, how nice.

feeling this is a family matter, and I really shouldn't get involved.

Well, somebody ought to get involved.

It's pathetic.

Yeah, um, listen, I'll talk to you later, Leroy. Nice meeting you, Tina.

Come here.

You know, you got a big mouth. Who told you to go shoot your mouth off to Miss

Grant like that?

Leroy, you'll be coming to be a real pain in the side.

I don't know why my daddy ever thought I could hang out with you. I told him he

wouldn't even want me, but he just kept on saying, when he sees you, he'll want

you. But you know something?

I want you, so I'm just flitting.

Well, then we ain't got nowhere to flit to.

Don't worry about me. I'll be okay.

Tina.

Tina!

Who signed this?

Actors' Equity.

That's why I'm late. I just came from there. And would you believe there's

another Danny Amatullo in this school?

No, in Actors' Equity. And they don't allow it.

Why not?

Well, just figure it out, right? You see my name on the marquee, so you walk in.

Next thing you know, you're watching some other guy. Come on, you're bound to

disappointed.

But what if he's great?

Well, two Danny Amatullos and they're both great actors?

Come on, what are the odds?

Well, is that Vegas odds or the morning line?

Hey! Something wrong with you, Leroy? You don't just sneak up on a person like

that. How did you get in here?

Easy. I picked a lot. You really ought to get a dead boat, Leroy.

Somebody could clean out your place real easy.

Not that there's much to take.

Tina, what are you doing? You know you don't show up at a person's house

unexpectedly without warning.

You want to sleep in the streets tonight, Leroy? Is that what you're

I know you're giving me a headache. That's what I know.

What happened to my clothes?

I need some drawer space, Leroy. Give me a break.

You just moved in here. I can't believe this.

You just moved in here without even asking.

You want me to go, Leroy? Just say the word.

I'll hit that pavement so fast your head'll spin.

Look, all right, all right, all right, all right. You can stay for a couple of

days. I mean, at least until I get in touch with Lamar. Did he leave a number

anything?

Of course not.

They ain't got no phones in the oil field.

Oh, so you're trying to tell me I'm just stuck with you, huh?

Hey, you ain't no bargain, Leroy.

We're stuck with each other.

Where you going?

I'm going to take a shower. I've been dancing all day. Do you mind?

But do you know where he is?

His kid, that's who.

Look, girl, I know my daddy took off with you, so if you care for him, you

better tell him his kid's looking for him and she don't appreciate being

Oh, no. What happened?

He's with them. They weren't trying to sleep.

What the hell's the matter with you? You out of your mind?

You're lucky I'm not out of a job. Who asked you to turn off the alarm?

Nobody asked me. It was bland right in my ear.

Look at this. Now I'll be late for school.

So am I.

Hey, wait a minute.

Wait a minute. I got a faculty meeting.

Big man!

Girl, you better open this door.

So what am I supposed to do while you're doing things in there?

Try making us some breakfast.

I like my eggs over easy, you know?

When did Lamar say he was sending for you?

He didn't. And I like my bacon crisp, but not too much. Just a little bit now.

He didn't give you any hint at all. He didn't say a week, a month, a year.

Boy, you haven't even started the coffee.

Who said you can use my toothbrush?

So you see, Holly, when I tell you to get to a nunnery, what I'm really

about is a brothel. A brothel? Yeah, well, there's another name for it, but

lucky for you, I'm a gentleman.

You're also out of your gourd.

Hamlet loves Ophelia.

Why would he want to send her to a brothel?

He wants her to be a nun so that she'll never know the touch of another man.

I can relate to that.

Guys are sick.

What'd I say?

Hey, Leroy, how's it going with Denise? She turned off the alarm, man.

Glad you could make it, Johnson. Too bad the faculty meeting's over.

I'm sorry, Mr. Leroy.

You should be. You don't know what you missed. A 30 -minute discussion of our

dental plan.

Pros and cons.

All right, all right. So it's not all that scintillating. But it's paying

attention to that kind of detail that got me where I am today.

Look, Mr. Morlock, I have a lot of problems going on in my life right now.

swear to you, this will never happen again.

We've all got a lot of problems, Johnson.

I'm going bald, but I'm not late.

Oh, Mr.

Johnson, there you are. You just had a telephone call. They said it was very

important. Was it from my brother Lamar?

Not unless he's the principal of George Washington Carver Grade School.

Did they tell you what it was about?

Oh, yes, in detail.

Your niece slugged another kid.

She's suspended, and they want you to pick her up right away.

This is great.

Miss Grant, could you please take over my first class?

Your first class?

In the first place, that's my first class that you're supposed to be taking

for me.

I know. Well, can I sort of untake over?

Yeah, go on, go on. Thank you. Thanks.

He's a terrific assistant.

Don't say a word.

Well, if things keep on like this, you're going to need an assistant for

assistant. Leroy's all right. He's just having a lot of problems with his niece

right now. She is a handful.

Did I mention that I was going bald?

Going. Gone.

To be or not to be.

That is the question.

That is not a question.

Will you tell me how that's a question?

Chris, isn't it a little late to be bringing that up?

You don't know either, right?

Get back to me when you figure it out.

Hey, Amatulo, mind if I sit down?

Ain't no Amatulo over here.

Just a man without a name.

So pick one.

Come on, man, you don't understand.

Once an Amatulo, always an Amatulo.

Oh, Mr.

Amatulo, there you are. I have a letter for you.

It's from Afters Equity.

There you go.

Maybe they're going to give me my name back. Hey, that guy probably don't want

his, right?

Well, if I were you, I'd let him have it.

But it's not all that hard.

I don't believe it.

They're going to give you your name back, right?

I'm six months late on my dues.

It wasn't my fault, B -boy.

I guess the little kid just walked into your fist, huh?

He isn't, is he?

Boy, Leroy, you never found to let me down.

Told you he went straight.

Well, if he went straight, how come he's so willing to let you out of his sight?

He needed the job.

He probably needed a vacation from you.

Keep it up, Leroy.

My daddy loves me. He loves me a lot, which is more than I can say. But some

people I'm related to.

Look, what do you want from me, little girl?

It's also very upsetting for a kid's uncle.

I mean, what am I supposed to do with you during the day now that you've been

suspended, Tina?

Huh?

Who's the kid?

Oh, that's Tina. That's Leroy's niece.

I'll introduce you.

Hey, Leroy, come here.

Leroy, this is Mr. Jim Parker, Mr. Beckerman's assistant, the man I told

about. Oh, Mr. Parker, nice to meet you. Same here.

She is terrific.

That's an understatement. She's sensational.

Where'd you learn to dance like that, little girl?

You don't learn to dance like that. You gotta be born...

Miss

Grant, is there a part in the show for a little girl?

No.

You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you? Miss Grant, I didn't

want to say anything, but the truth is Mr.

Beckerman's been waffling.

Waffling? As in pulling his money out of the show?

It's like any somebody pulled it out. That's what I came over to tell you.

Well, what are we talking about? Are we already dead in the water?

Not necessarily.

When I pitched the idea to Mr. Beckerman, he felt it was too tough. It

have any heat.

It needs an angle.

And that's Tina?

Is he that crazy about kids?

He hates kids.

I hate kids. But who cares what we like?

Audiences love them, and the big guy loves what audiences love.

There's no other word. There aren't any other words, Grant.

Without that kid, there's no kid.

Not interested? Look, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.

First of all, I don't want to be in show business.

Second of all, it's flaky.

Flaky? Wait a minute, what's the real reason?

Okay, I'll lay it on you. You ain't had no time at all for me in the last week.

No time?

Wait a minute, I spent almost every waking hour with you.

Yeah, but you mean griping almost every waking hour.

Watch it, little girl. Watch yourself.

No, you watch it. You want something from me right now.

And all of a sudden, I'm a kid no more.

All right, look, I ain't no kid.

I'm playing a grown -ups game.

Tina, what in the world are you talking about?

Hey, you want me to be in that show? It's gonna cost you.

Outrageous.

It's worse than that. It's blackmail. Worse than blackmail is immoral.

I think we gotta do it, Leroy.

Wait a minute, where you guys get this wee stuff from?

I'm the one who has to take her to the zoo once a week.

I'd be willing to take her to the movies occasionally.

But she wants to go every night.

Well, at least Mr.

Sharofsky's making a gesture.

Okay, okay, I'll spring for the designer, Jean.

Leroy, she's got us over a barrel.

There's no show without her.

So what's that say about us?

Who cares? Let's get on the boards.

Okay, what about what her daddy sends for?

Who cares? We'll already be in production. We'll replace her. Mr.

surprised at you. That's not ethical, although I do love it.

Well, I don't, and I'm not letting no little kid hold me hostage. No, uh -uh.

Leroy, you're right. You were right.

Baby, this whole show has just been a dream, and it's just kind of hard to let

it go.

Yeah, we'll probably get another chance in a few years from now. At least the

two of you will.

There's no way of knowing how many years I've got left.

And I know you're really happy just being my assistant.

It's not like you really have to have a career in show business and dancing the

best part that ever came your way.

Jump and bop. Knee, knee. Jump and bop. And big kick. Three, four.

Turn and break.

Good, Dana. That's great, honey. You just keep practicing.

Any word on my jeans?

They're coming. They're coming.

We haven't heard that before.

Come on, Leroy. We're going to be late for the movie.

What movie?

She's into martial arts.

Dreadful movie I took her last night.

Anyway, it's Miss Grant's turn to take it a night.

Excuse me.

Hey, watch your hands, big face.

Well,

Leroy ain't home yet. He's probably out with some woman.

Oh, now Leroy has to have a life, too.

Speaking of which, how come a woman your age isn't married?

Oh, well, the right man hasn't exactly come along yet. Oh, where have I heard

that song before?

And I'm not really all that old.

Onion over there.

If you wanted it with onions, why didn't you order it with onions?

Because I like it fresh.

Cut me a big, big slice, would you?

And what about children?

Time's running out, you know.

I used to think I really wanted children.

Then I met one.

You don't like me, do you?

Now what makes you say that?

I'm hard to take.

Leroy don't like me either.

Oh, Tina, now that isn't cool.

What? I'm not hard to take?

Oh, you're hard to take, all right, but Leroy likes you. I'm sure of it.

Well, he never gives me a hug or nothing.

He never kisses me goodnight. He never even pats me on the head.

Even a dog gets a pat on the head.

Don't be so hard on Leroy.

After all, he isn't your father. He's just your uncle.

You'll probably be feeling a little blue just because you miss your daddy,

right? I don't miss him.

I don't miss him at all.

You'll feel better when he comes back for you.

What's the matter, honey?

What's wrong?

Nothing.

Nothing's wrong.

Your daddy is coming back for you, isn't he?

Don't tell me. Oh,

honey, no, no. I won't tell you.

To be or not to be means to live or not to live.

You're contemplating taking your own life because you're so upset because you

sent Ophelia to the nunnery.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Hamlet doesn't love Ophelia.

He loves his mother.

His mother?

Where does it say that?

What, are you out to lunch or something?

It's imminently clear.

Nothing in Shakespeare is imminently clear.

In fact, I think it's perfectly sick of you to suggest that he loved his own

mother. He loved Ophelia. He didn't love Ophelia. Well, he didn't love his

mother. Well, then who did he love?

I hate to insinuate anything, but he did spend a lot of time with that Horatio

guy.

Yeah.

Yeah, he did, didn't he?

It's from my mother.

She says she called a couple of times.

She did?

You ought to know. I mean, you talked to her, didn't you?

Oh, yeah.

I forgot.

She wants you to call her.

Tina, why didn't you tell me about Lamar?

Nothing to tell.

Tina!

Hey!

You lied to me, Tina.

From where?

You don't even know where he's at.

Nobody has to know.

You think this is the first time he's fled?

He does it all the time, and he always comes back.

You still should have told me.

Okay, so I did. So what do we do now?

Okay, look.

My mama gave me a bus ticket. She wants you to come live with her in Detroit.

I ain't going. Look, nobody said you had to go. Really, B -Boy?

Look, Tina, it's not like you want to stay here forever, right?

Oh, I get it. You want to stay forever.

a crummy show.

Look, that's not what I said.

No, but that's what you're thinking.

Well, wasn't it? I'm thinking about a lot of things right now.

Well, you better start nailing in Leroy Johnson, because if I say it ain't just

going to be for no show, you got to take me, lock, drop, and barrel.

It's not that easy.

Wait a minute.

I want you to know what you're doing. I want it clean. I want it tight.

But I want it to be fun.

So Mr. Beckerman can see where this show is really going to go, okay? Keep

warming up. Keep warming up.

Roy.

You all right?

I'm all right, I guess.

Come on, baby. It's not your fault.

Miss Grant, I didn't treat her right.

You asked her to stay. What more could you do?

Well, she thought I was asking her to stay just because of the show.

Were you?

Maybe a little.

Miss Grant, do you really think we'll be able to pull this off without the

little girl?

Mr. Shirazi, Leroy's dancing is going to be so brilliant, my choreography so

sensational, and your music so fierce that Mr. Beckerman is going to know the

success of this show does not depend on Tina.

You're so young.

Your name is like a golden bell hung in my heart.

And when I think of you, I tremble.

And the bell starts to swing and ring.

Roxanne, Roxanne.

Through all my names, Roxanne.

Who the hell is it?

It's Danny Amatulo.

I'm Danny Amatulo.

Yeah, well, I'm Danny Amatulo also.

He doesn't look like a bill collector.

If you're here for a paternity suit, forget it.

I haven't been near a woman for years.

No, you see, I kind of got this problem. You see, both of us are named Danny

Amatulo, and both of us are actors, so I can't get into equity.

Consider yourself lucky, young man.

Yeah, but if I never join equity, then I'll never be able to act.

That's not true.

I've been in equity for 50 years, and I've never been able to act.

You don't understand, Mr. Amatulo.

My whole life, this is what I wanted, you know, to be a performer, you know,

be out there on the stage, to help the audience to understand, you know, to

feel. Why?

Because I'm an actor who ain't got a name, and what's an actor without a

That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

So Romeo would what he not Romeo called.

Deny thy father.

See, but the thing is, Mr.

Amatullo... Call me Danny.

Well, Danny, you see, the thing is...

Then I came back here to get my name because it doesn't look like you're

too much use out of it. Young Dan, I'm going to give you something far, far

better than a name.

I'm going to give you the performance of a lifetime.

I'm really in a hurry.

Picture, if you will, a monastery.

You know, I got to get back to town.

This is no longer a room in a YMCA.

This is a theater.

Light the candle, Albert, if you don't mind.

You know, you really don't got to go through all this trouble.

No trouble at all. I do the death beam from Cyrano every morning before

breakfast. That is, when I can afford breakfast.

You know, um, I'd love to stick around, but I figured I'd just come here and get

my name and split.

What's that?

No.

Surrender? No, never.

Never.

Ah, you two vanity.

I knew you would overthrow me in the end.

No, I fight on. I fight on. I fight on.

Yes, O my laurels, you have riven away, and all my roses.

And tonight, when I enter before God, my salute shall sweep all the stars away

from the blue threshold.

Yet in spite of you,

there is one crown I bear away with me, one thing without stain, unspotted from

the world.

In spite of doom, I know.

And that is my white plume.

That was brilliant.

That was the best death scene I ever saw in my whole life.

Mr. Amatulo.

Mr. Amatulo.

Danny. You can acquire an equity card, but you've got to be born with talent.

Chris, you've got to make a decision about your interpretation soon.

We go on in five minutes.

I've decided.

Emmett wasn't in love with his mother.

And he wasn't in love with Ophelia.

And he wasn't in love with Horatio.

Well, then who was he in love with?

It's obvious, Holly.

He was in love with himself. And that's exactly the way I'm going to play it.

Are you serious?

Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I.

I think you can make it work.

Now, cheat out a little bit. Now, remember, when the derby on the very

Can I have everyone's attention?

This is Mr.

Stanley Beckerman.

Hello,

Mr. Beckerman.

So nice to meet you. Nice of you to come. I'm Lydia Grant, the director,

choreographer. This is Mr. Benjamin Sharofsky, our composer.

This is Leroy Johnson, our male star, and the company.

And it's really a pleasure to meet you.

It certainly is. They worked real hard to put this production together, and

we're sure you're going to love it.

Where's the kid? You're going to love this kid. I mean, this kid is something

else.

Oh, wait till you see Leroy's number. Now, that's what you're going to love.

fact, why don't we show it to you right now? Come on, everybody get in place.

You're going to love it. Watch.

Excuse me, Mr. Beckerman, but I think you're missing a bet if you don't put me

on the show.

You see any kid up there? I mean, I'm talking so cute you could die for me.

you don't have to worry about there being another Danny Amatulo because the

already gave me his name.

Danny Amatulo?

Danny Amatulo?

If I were you, I'd change it, kid.

You'll never get anywhere with a name like that. And what's that supposed to

mean? You heard what Mr. Beckerman said. Change your name.

Look, I don't see no kid up there.

Uh, Mr. Beckerman, I can explain that. Uh, there's nothing to explain.

Tina's split.

Tina? The kid? She's split?

But she's the money.

Excuse me, Mr. Beckerman, but Tina's just not a professional, and you're

treating her like she's a novelty.

Oh, who cares? Look, the publicity's my angle. See, that's the hook.

Now, without her, we got no show.

Isn't that what I told you?

Weren't you listening?

Well, I guess we don't have any show.

Can't we bring her back?

Look, look, where did she go?

I'll talk to the mother. I'll work something out.

Doesn't she want to be in show business? Everybody wants to be in show business.

Not Pina.

She feels there are more important things than show business.

And so do I.

I'm sorry, Miss Graham. Don't be sorry, Leroy.

You're right.

Now, Mr. Beckerman, if you'll excuse us, but there are other backers in the

world besides you, so we'd appreciate it if you get lost.

Jump back, Benjamin!

What's more important than being in showbiz?

Nothing in this world, Mr. Beckerman.

Well, what are you all just standing around for? Let's take it from the

Come on, do it for ourselves.

Come on, Leroy. Come on, don't sweat it, baby.

We'll try again later. Come on, let's just have some fun.

Hey, I thought you were supposed to be in Detroit.

I am supposed to be in Detroit.

Got second thoughts about Akron.

What's your grandma going to say when you don't show up?

I called her and told her how upset you were that I was leaving so soon.

Upset?

Hey, boy, when are you going to back up to the fact that you're crazy about me?

Don't push it, little girl.

You're the one that's pushing it. Now, you better say, Tina, I want you to

around for a while, or I'm back on that bus.

I'm Leroy and you better mean it this time.

Tina, I want you to stick around for a while.

I can't hear you.

I want you to stick around for a while.

Now then.

I want you to stick around.

Don't you know I care for you. You're there in everything I do.

And I got the feeling you're going to turn my world around.

Everybody's got a road to go down.

We could walk together.

Everybody's got a road to go down.

Whether it's us, me, or life, authority's got a quiet night.