Sparkle

Come on now, choir.

Sing, children.

What's that?

Just a tune I'm working on.

Come on, girls. It's almost dark.

I don't want you hanging around those steps.

Come upstairs to your own house.

Mama, it ain't even dark yet.

Just get on up here and don't sass me, miss.

- See you later, Stix. - Good night.

Later, little girl.

You make me sick.

Honestly, I can't see why those girls...

...spend so much time out there in the street.

Only a good friend can say what I'm about to say to you, Effie.

And you can say right back to me:

"It ain't none of your business, Miss Waters."

But I think you'd better keep your eye on that oldest gal of yours...

...because she's busting at the seams.

Sister? Oh, she's just high-spirited. Always has been.

She takes after her father.

- Sister, how pretty you look tonight. - Are you here again?

- You mind your manners, young lady. - Hi, Miss Waters.

- Sparkle, take off that dress. - Hi, sweetie.

- Dolores, you done your homework? - Almost.

"Almost" ain't done.

- How about yours, Sister? - Oh, I'm finished.

Let me see it.

- Let you see it, huh? - Uh-huh.

All right.

Mom, you don't have to iron our clothes. We're old enough to iron for ourselves.

You iron enough for them people you work for. You ain't our maid.

Well, I enjoy ironing clothes for those I love.

I suppose you love them crackers you work for on Long Island too.

You better hush your mouth.

Go get your homework before I give you this iron in a place you won't forget.

Yes, ma'am.

Honestly...

...I don't know who teaches her such things.

You know it ain't right, her talking to you like that.

All you've done for those girls.

Hi, Sparkle.

Let me help you.

You play real fine, Stix.

Just working out some new ideas for when we start the group.

You sure smell good.

I used some of Sister's cologne.

You look real pretty too.

Sister fixed my hair this morning.

How come you're always talking about your sister?

Because she's so fine.

I love her so much.

I wanna be just like her.

What about you?

What about me, what?

How old are you?

Fifteen.

You sure are pretty for a girl.

Oh, I gotta go.

Uh....

Uh....

You ever been kissed?

- Don't. - Why?

It's a sin.

Well, does it feel like a sin?

Feels so good it must be a sin.

- I gotta go. - No, you don't.

I do. I promised.

I've gotta straighten Sister's hair tonight.

I did. I promised.

Okay.

This better be something worth my time and my trouble.

Now, would I lie to you, sugar?

I don't know. I must be crazy coming down here with you.

For you, baby.

Where did you get this car?

Friend of mine loaned it to me.

Since when you got such friends?

I know it might come as a shock to you, but there's some things you don't know.

You stole it.

Woman, you is the most suspicious thing I ever seen.

Go ahead, get in.

Go ahead.

- These seats are soft, ain't they? - Uh-huh.

Almost as soft as you.

- Keep your hands to yourself. - Come on, now.

You know I'm dying of love for you.

- Levi, where did you get this car? - It's only the beginning, baby.

- The beginning of what? - Of me and you.

Shortest story known to mankind.

Goddamn, baby. I get you this car and I tell you how crazy I am about you.

And what more do you want?

I want the big time.

Well, you're sitting right next to it.

- Come on. Give me a kiss. - No.

- Come on. - No.

Open your mouth.

- Come on, open your mouth. - No.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Hey, baby, you something else.

Why do you keep on doing that to your hair?

It wouldn't hurt you to get a little glamour, honey.

You don't see no kink on Miss Marilyn "S-for-Sexy" Monroe, do you?

Marilyn Monroe is a cracker.

If you keep on doing that to your hair-- It's not natural. It's not natural.

Would you hold still? You want me to burn you?

- Sorry. - Sparkle, I heard something.

Miss Waters told me she seen you on the roof with Stix.

Ain't nothing wrong with me talking to Stix on this roof.

Heard you was doing more than talking. Heard you was messing.

- It ain't true. - It is so.

- It ain't true. - It is so.

- It ain't. - It is so!

Shh! You want Mama to hear you?

Want her to ask what you're talking about, then you wanna tell her?

Ain't nothing wrong with messing, anyway.

Make sure who you're messing with...

...stops down to the drugstore first and takes care of some business.

Oh....

You hear me? Don't come around here with no big belly, crying, talking about...

...you didn't know what you was supposed to do.

And pick out somebody nice with enough money in his pocket...

...so you can stop down to the jeweler at 125th Street and buy you something nice.

See what Levi got me?

Levi Brown? You kidding.

Cost $17. Real diamond chip.

Levi Brown hustles for nickels.

It's about time Levi got some good luck.

Sure is a mighty small stone.

You're late.

Did you play a number yet today, Shimmy?

How can I when there's no one to watch the store...

...while I go use the phone on the corner?

Well, the reason why I am late is because....

I was having this dream and I didn't want to wake.

Yeah, yeah. Just unpack this box.

And in the middle of this here dream, there was this blinding flash.

Just unpack the box.

And right smack-dab in the middle of this blinding flash...

...there were three numbers.

- You dreamed three numbers last night? - Uh-huh.

Well, what is they? I just got time to call them in.

Shimmy, what's that sign in the window?

Oh, fellows from Lotus Records here this morning.

Giving free passes to Brooklyn Paramount...

...to the first 10 who buy the Moonlights' new album.

Here, write those numbers down for me.

Well, what's it to Lotus Records if you only give away five passes?

What are you talking about?

Let me have five passes. I never asked you for favors.

You ain't supposed to. You is an employee.

Now, what's those numbers, boy?

- What's the matter? - Uh-oh.

I think I'm having a memory attack. The numbers just flew out of my head.

Well, they better fly right back in there.

You know, it's a funny thing about my memory attack.

I got a feeling only one thing is gonna cure it.

Or should I say five things gonna cure it?

Yeah, all right!

Yeah!

- Yeah. All right! - All right. Get on it.

And when they went, "Doo, doo, doo, da-da-da." I loved it!

When that chick gave you her shoulder.

- She gave it to him? - They'd have no act...

- ...without that chick. She was fine. - She got down.

You sing better than her any day, Sister.

Yeah, well....

- You up late, girl. - Yeah.

She right. You sing better than her any day.

Well, she got men that know how treat her.

Well, so do you.

I bet she don't have to take no train home.

Good night, sweet thing. Y'all take it easy.

Thanks, Stix. You were real fine to invite us--

Hey, Levi. Look here, man. We could start a group like that.

Hey, you know, you and Sister can do anything.

- Oh, Levi too. - At least your family got a smart female.

Simmons Hall has an amateur contest every Friday night.

- Good night, Stix. - Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. Good night, Sparkle.

Let's get together and start rehearsing tomorrow.

- That's good. Good. - I forgot the--

- Sister, you gonna sing? - I know it.

Well, look, we ought to rehearse. We ought to all be together.

Okay, don't leave, everybody. Everybody, come on and give me the applause.

- Yes, sir. The lovely Norton Sisters. - Are you okay, baby?

- I'm okay. - Confidentially, folks...

...they remind me of the Cookie Sisters.

You know about the Cookie Sisters, don't you?

Lorna Doone and Nothing Doone.

- Who's this here? - Paradise.

"Mae Belle Reese from the Paradise Hotel."

There's a phone call for you out in front at the desk, honey.

That's right, honey. Go make that money.

- I think she's ahead of us. - Heard she told a sailor...

- ...he had a small organ. - Don't forget the doo-dahs.

The sailor said, "I didn't know I had to play in a cathedral!"

Yes, sir. Let's see. Who's our next contestant here?

I am.

Hi, little lady. What's your name?

I'm Doreen Baker.