Mannequin

- See you on Monday, Jessie. - Goodnight, Flo.

Get out of the doorway, you kids! Keep out of the street!

Oh, good evening, Jessie.

'Hello, Jessica.' - Hello, Pa.

- Anything happen? - Well, no, Jessie.

You see, I've been waiting for a fellow.

He was coming around today--

But he didn't show up, I know.

You know, it takes time to do things, Jessie.

I know, Pa.

- Hello, Jessica. - Hello, Ma.

I'm not late, am I?

The quails haven't been cooking too long, have they?

It's terrible hot here today.

Must have been worse for you at that factory.

I've a system.

While I'm running up hems and sowing up buttons

I just think of green fields with birds and flowers.

That makes it a pleasure to be working in that dump.

I know, Jess, but tonight Eddie can take you some place

'where it's cool and fresh.'

Eddie and Saturday night.

Oh, here. I forgot. It's Saturday again.

Mmm. Thanks.

Reminds me, I must pay that gas bill.

- Potatoes done? - They're hot.

Gas bill?

Did I say gas bill?

That gas bill should've been paid last week.

I know. You gave the money to him.

No, I didn't. That is not all of it.

Then you gave part of it to Clifford.

You mustn't be too hard on your brother.

- He hasn't found a job. - Because he doesn't want to.

And why should he? He gets enough quarters and dimes

from my salary to throw around that pool room.

- Now, Jessie-- - I'm getting sick of it.

I could've bought two pairs of stockings

with that two dollars and I need them.

Leaky faucets, dirt, smells. What a place to live?

What a place to grow up in?

- Jessie, be reasonable. - Maybe I don't like it.

I want to spend the rest of my days in beautiful Hester Street.

I hate it. I'm gonna get out.

I've got to get out, Ma, before it's too late.

Maybe when I'm gone, they'll get hungry enough to get a job.

It's been awful lately, Jessie. Maybe you're working too hard.

Me work too hard? Don't make me laugh, Ma.

You go and get ready to meet Eddie.

- I'll peel the potatoes. - No, you won't.

And I won't either.

Your father doesn't like his potatoes with the jackets on.

Doesn't he?

If you want these peeled, peel 'em yourself.

Remember Swing, she ain't a dame that bounces around corners.

- Lay off. - So, she's a swell dame?

So, I put on a strut. And can I do it, Barrel?

The name is Beryl, not "Barrel". Beryl.

Is Jessie coming down tonight, or when?

When she does come nobody'll remember how long we waited.

- Hi, Clifford. - Hey, slug.

And they call him a fighter?

Go on, you little mutt.

Tell your sister we're waiting for her.

- Yeah? What will it get me? - Nice kid, that Clifford.

Dogs and the hay again, huh? What a surprise.

There's nothing wrong with Frankfurters and Sauerkraut.

Lots of people'll be glad to have a dinner like this.

Yeah, tell me who and I'll give 'em mine.

- Hey. - Okay, pa.

Give me a couple, will ya?

And easy on that grass.

Oh, where's Jess?

Hiya, dynamite.

Stepping out with the big fight manager, huh? Am I laughing?

Well, shut up your laughing.

I'm sorry, Ma, if I said too much before.

- Goodnight. - You needn't hurry.

That guy won't be around for an hour yet.

- Scale us a hunk of bread, ma. - 'Who won't be around?'

That ham-and-egger you go out with. What a fake that guy is.

I hope you grow up to be the same kinda fake.

- You'll amount to something. - I'm ain't saying nothing.

Except he's a lemon, that's all.

- That'll be all, young man. - What'd I say?

Everybody knows Eddie Miller's a false alarm.

That ain't no secret.

Why don't you make Clifford behave himself?

Clifford, you keep that trap of yours closed.

Eddie Miller is a fine boy.

Sauerkraut.

Eddie.

I thought I'd have to wait for you.

You'll never have to wait for me, sugar. You look terrific.

Swing and Beryl are outside. Slip me a quick one.

How did I wait this long for that?

It seems like years in between, doesn't it?

Sounds like something good to talk about.

Let's get out of here.

What is it about tonight that makes it seem especially nice?

Saturday. You don't have to work tomorrow.

It's the moon.

Why do you suppose the moon's always bigger on Saturday night?

'Cause it don't work on Sunday either.

Look at it, hanging up there.

Throwing back light of the sun on the whole world and us.

Turn the dark into light.

Gee, listen to me. I'll be making poems, next.

I must be in love or something.

Poems don't keep you warm in the winter.

That's when you need coal. And I'm getting it, baby.

In a few months Swing'll be champ.

Then on guys in knee pants will announce us

- at to the front door. - I want to think about now.

Look, Eddie. Here's a world.

You and I have this little space all to ourselves.

What we feel for each other shuts out all the rest.

So, what more do we need? That's all people have to fight for..

A little place to themselves. Do you see what I mean?

Sounds nice, the way you put it, kid.

Put your arm around me, Eddie.

Can you think of anybody in the world

that's got more than we have right now?

- Can you? - Fine for any man's money.

It's enough for mine, Eddie.

- I'll see you tonight, Eddie. - I don't think I can make it.

Gotta take swing up the A. C. Gotta start working him.

- I'll pick you up Monday. - But that's two days away.

Two years away is more like it.

I'll wait here till you go upstairs, kid.

'Get out of here, you.'

'Go on, you dirty little rat.'

'You okay, baby?'

'How about it, baby?'

Eddie!

- Eddie, I can't. - What's the matter?

I can't go back up there. I'd rather die. Take me with you.

- You know how it is. - I don't care.

I don't care if we have nothing.

We can work that out. I'll keep my job.

I won't ask you for a thing. I won't be in your way. Honest.

I'll work hard and I'll do whatever you say.

Can't we be married now, Eddie? Can't we be married now?

Sure, kid. Sure.

Oh!

I got you here tonight, boys, to ask your advice on a matter.

The time has come for John L. Hennessey Corporation to expand

and I wanted to ask you boys what you think.

We're all with you John.

This expanding business means buying something, right, John?

Yeah. Yeah. Something like that, Tim.

Then I'm again' it!

Well, maybe you won't be Tim when you hear the proposition.

Tomorrow morning, boys, I can close a deal to acquire

the McGuiness Dredging Company. Lock, stock and barrel.

Twenty four of the finest barges ever constructed.

I'm still again' it!

Boys, as long as you're all with me on the proposition..

That is, everybody except Tim..

Why, I guess there's nothing more to say.

I wanted you to know what we're doing and why we're doing it.

You've strung along with me this far.

We've built a rowboat into the world's finest harbor fleet.

And for the benefit of all of us we want to keep it growing.

Those yearly bonuses come in handy, huh?

- Any complaints? - No! No! No! No!

Come on. Come on, now. How about you, Timmy?

I'm still again' it!

Hey, Tim.

You didn't by any chance go to Harvard, did you?

You see, Briggs, how can I go broke with that gang backing me?

How would I know? I'm a Harvard man.

- Where do we go from here? - Briggs, you're a lucky man.

I'm about to buy you a mess of the world's finest Gefilte fish.

- But I don't like Gefilte fish. - With horseradish, red cabbage?

You're crazy. Of course you like it?

I'd say we were thousands of miles away from Gefilte fish.

Oh, no, clever people, these Chinese.

There you are, Briggs, you see, regular Saturday night party.

Only it isn't a Saturday night. Must be celebrating something.

- Hello, Horowitz. - Well, Mr. Hennessey.

What'll it be tonight? Some real "A" number one Chinese food?

Now, quit stalling, Horowitz, and bring it on.

- Plenty of that red cabbage. - Two Gefilte fish, mandarin.

Is there something special going on there, at the long table?

That one with the eleven 85-cent dinners?

- They just got married. - Married? Well, well, well.

Oh, they're still doing it in Hester Street, huh?

- Got any champagne? - For you, Mr. Hennessey?

Not for me, for them.

Thank you, Mr. Hennessey.