The Public Eye

EVERYBODY STAND BACK, PLEASE.

THIRD FLOOR!

YOU SCARED ME.

AH, JESUS, BERNZY.

WE WEREN'T SIX BLOCKS FROM HERE WHEN IT COME OVER THE RADIO.

I KILLED HIM TO GET THE PICTURE.

YOU DIDN'T TOUCH HIM, DID YOU?

WHAT DO YOU THINK, I'M STUPID?

HUH, MY COMPETITION.

WHO'D THIS GUY WORK FOR, BERNZY?

FARINELLI, I THINK. HE AIN'T LOOKIN' HIS BEST TONIGHT, IS HE?

DO YOU MIND? YOU'RE CASTIN' A SHADOW.

HEY, KID, PUT THE HAT IN THERE. HIS HAT!

STICK IT IN. PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE THE DEAD GUY'S HAT.

THANKS, BOYS.

ALL RIGHT, COBB. MOVE IT ALONG.

NO! NO MORE PICTURES. COME ON, MOVE IT ALONG.

SHIT!

GET BACK! COME ON!

BERNZY, CLEAR OUTTA HERE.

I HEARD THIS GUY'S WALKING AROUND WITH A MEAT CLEAVER STICKIN' OUT OF HIS HEAD!

GET THE HELL OUT. KEEP AN EYE ON HIM. ONE SHOT. ONE SHOT.

THROW A SHEET OVER HIM. THANKS A LOT. THANK YOU.

EXCUSE ME.

LET 'EM THROUGH! LET 'EM THROUGH!

YOU BETTER UNCOVER HIM NOW, SON.

CHRIST. CHRIST...

[ Continues Nonsense Latin ]

[ Continues Nonsense Latin ]

WAIT A SECOND.

THIS IS A NEW LOW FOR YOU, BERNZY.

FLATTER ME ALL YOU WANT, JACK. IT'S STILL 20 BUCKS.

YOU GOT A RELEASE ON THAT GUY? GOT A SPIRIT MEDIUM ON STAFF?

YOU CHECKED WITH THE HOSPITAL? HE NEVER MADE IT TO BELLEVUE.

THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO ADMINISTER HIS LAST RITES.

THANK YOU. PLEASURE DOIN' BUSINESS WITH YOU.

THAT'S NOT VERY POLITE.

I KNOW HOW IT IS. I WORK NIGHTS MYSELF.

PROFESSIONAL INTEREST, SEE.

"TOMORROW HE SAILS." THAT'S THE CAPTION.

HOW MUCH YOU GOT ON YOU?

MY WIFE WOULDN'T LIKE IT.

HONEY, YOU'RE NOT MARRIED, AND YOU DON'T HAVE A GIRL.

I SAW HOW YOU WERE LOOKIN' AT THOSE TWO.

YOUR SOCKS DON'T EVEN MATCH.

CAR 92, IN FRONT OF 171...

[ Radio Continues, Indistinct ]

[ Radio Continues, Indistinct ]

[ Alarm Clock Ringing ]

AND I STILL DON'T SEE WHY WE NEED RATIONING.

WE'VE GOT TO DIVIDE AMONG OUR CIVILIAN POPULATION...

WHAT WE HAVE LEFT AFTER FEEDING OUR FIGHTING MEN.

AND THAT MEANS THERE'LL BE A LITTLE LESS FOR SOME OF US, BUT A FAIR SHARE FOR ALL--

RINEMAN PUBLISHING. HOLD, PLEASE.

LEON BERNSTEIN. IS IT A PICKUP OR A DELIVERY?

I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT. OH.

JUST A MINUTE. THERE'S A MISTER BERNSTEIN FOR YOU.

MR. BERNSTEIN? HI.

MY FATHER'LL SEE YOU TODAY. I HAVE A DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT.

OKAY. GOOD-BYE.

MR. BERNSTEIN.

RINEMAN PUBLISHING.

NOW, DOES ONE CALL YOU MR. BERNSTEIN OR MR. BERNZINI?

OR IS IT JUST BERNZINI?

WELL, I WAS BORN LEON BERNSTEIN, BUT THE GIRLS UP AT WORLDWIDE--

THAT'S THE PHOTO AGENCY-- THEY CALL ME THE GREAT BERNZINI...

ON ACCOUNT OF THEY SAID I'M A MAGICIAN THE WAY I GET EVERY PLACE SO FAST.

THAT'S MARVELOUS. I KNOW MY SON SPOKE TO YOU QUITE OPTIMISTICALLY ABOUT THIS.

THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SPEAK TO YOU...

RATHER THAN TOSSING IT INTO THE MAIL.

FROM A TECHNICAL POINT OF VIEW, THIS IS FINE WORK.

IT'S SIMPLY THAT WE DON'T PUBLISH BOOKS OF THIS TYPE.

PLEASE, MR. RINEMAN, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT RINEMAN AND SONS...

PUBLISHES MORE PHOTOGRAPH BOOKS THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

WELL, SIR, WE PUBLISH BOOKS OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

AND TO MY MIND, THIS IS INSTEAD...

A MOST ADMIRABLE PICTURE BOOK ABOUT NEW YORK.

NO, YOU'RE WRONG. IF I MAY EXPLAIN.

NO, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU MEAN. STILL LIFES.

NAKED WOMEN GETTIN' OUT OF TUBS. FRUIT ON A PLATE.

"IT'S A PHOTO, LET'S PRETEND IT'S A PAINTING."

LET'S FACE IT, MR. RINEMAN,

YOU'VE PRINTED ENOUGH OF THOSE BOOKS ALREADY. EVERYBODY DID.

NO, MR. RINEMAN. THIS IS THE BOOK.

COME ON, LET'S SHOW THOSE GUYS.

MAY I SAY YOU'RE NOT BEING FAIR TO THE PHOTOGRAPHERS WE PUBLISH.

YEAH, RIGHT. COURSE, I'D LIKE TO SEE 'EM TRY TO GET A SHOT LIKE THIS ONE HERE.

WHERE THE FIRE TRUCK IS IN FRONT OF YA AND BEHIND YA YOU HAVE A BURNING BUILDING.

SO YOU HAVE LIGHT COMIN' AT YA FROM EVERY WHICH WAY.

AND YOU HAVE THESE TWO POOR WOMEN HERE,

WATCHIN' THEIR WHOLE LIFE GO UP IN SMOKE.

NOW I'D LIKE TO SEE ONE OF 'EM TRY TO GET A SHOT LIKE THAT.

WELL, SIR, WHAT I SEE HERE...

IS A BATCH OF PICTURES THAT'S TOO...

SENSATIONAL-- TOO VULGAR, FRANKLY,

TO JUSTIFY PRINTING A BOOK OF FINE PHOTOGRAPHY.

JUST SO I KNOW.

WHAT'S TOO VULGAR IN THIS SHOT?

IS IT, UM, THE FIRE TRUCK OR THESE TWO WOMEN? SINCE YOU HAVE TALENT...

I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT YOU APPLY IT TO SUBJECT MATTER THAT'S MORE--

NO, I HEARD THIS ADVICE BEFORE.

PLEASE LISTEN, MR. BERNSTEIN.

THE MEN WHO DO WHAT YOU DO DON'T USUALLY FEEL THE NEED TO RATIONALIZE LIKE YOU,

MUCH LESS BE CELEBRATED FOR IT.

YEAH. NOBODY DOES WHAT I DO. NOBODY.

TELL YOUR SON I WON'T HOLD THIS AGAINST HIM...

WHEN I HAVE MY BIG RETROSPECTIVE

AT THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART.

YOU'RE HAVING A SHOWING AT THE MODERN?

YES, I AM.

WHEN? SOMEDAY.

HEY, BERNZY, YOU JUST MISSED ELEANOR ROOSEVELT...

FRENCH-KISSING HARPO MARX.

I'LL CATCH 'EM ON THE INSIDE. THAT'LL BE THE DAY.

BEHIND THE ROPES, "BERN-STINE."

IT'S "STEIN."

GOOD EVENIN', MR., MRS. ARMSTRONG.

KITCHEN DOOR.

AND CHECK THE CAMERA. THANK YOU, MY GOOD MAN.

* TAKE MY HAND AND WE'LL BE TOGETHER *

EXCUSE ME.

*

JUST THE CAMERA, PLEASE.

TAKE GOOD CARE OF THAT.

* THEN WE'LL GO UP TO THE PAD AND TURN THE LIGHTS DOWN LOW *

* I'LL TELL YOU MANY THINGS TO LET YOU KNOW *

* HOW MUCH I DIG YA WHEN YA WHISPER SWEET NOTHINGS *

* OOH-WHEE, BABY

* HOW YOU DAZZLE ME LET'S STAY CRAZY AND BE HAPPY *

* LET'S STAY TOGETHER ALL THE TIME *

* THE WAY YOU HOLD ME TIGHT *

* MAKES ME WISH THE SUN WOULD NEVER SHINE *

DO YOU HAVE A RESERVATION, SIR? NO, BUT I CAN SEE YOU DO.

* SO, BABY, NOW YOU KNOW MY STORY OF LOVE-- *

OH, MR. BERNSTEIN.

OH!

* BLOW, JOHN, GO, JOHN SAM, JOHN *

* WAIL, JOHN

*

*

THANKS FOR COMING, MR. BERNSTEIN. UH, BERNZY.

BERNZY. THIS WAY.

PUBLICITY MEN FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT.

THEY WANT TO SHOOT A NEWSREEL IN HERE FOR WAR BONDS.

*

SCOTCH ALL RIGHT?

THERE'S NEVER BEEN A CAMERA INSIDE.

LOU ALWAYS SAID, "THAT WAY IT'S LIKE HEAVEN.

"THEY'RE DYING TO SEE IT."

OH, THANKS. PLEASE.

I'M STILL IN SHOCK.

IF I'D HAVE SNUCK INTO THIS PLACE, I'D PROBABLY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.

ME TOO. HALF THE PEOPLE DOWN THERE FEEL MORE SURE THEY BELONG THAN I DO.

I NEED TO ASK YOU A FAVOR.

YOU NEED A FAVOR FROM ME?

LOU TOLD ME YOU KNOW EVERYBODY IN NEW YORK.

I MEAN, ALL THE CROOKS AND ALL THE COPS, IS THAT TRUE?

MM.

HE SAID YOU NEVER TAKE SIDES BECAUSE ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS TAKING PICTURES.

TAKING SIDES MIGHT GET IN THE WAY.

I GUESS YOU READ ABOUT LOU'S BROTHER CONTESTING THE WILL.

IF LOU WANTED TO LEAVE CAFE SOCIETY TO A RUG SALESMAN,

HE'D HAVE LEFT IT TO HIM.

WHAT'S HE SELL, TOUPEES OR CARPETS?

IT'S HARD TO KNOW.

PEOPLE SAY SOME LOUSY THINGS ABOUT ME.

UH, "SHE'S A COLDHEARTED GIRL WHO MARRIED AND BURIED AN OLD MAN." YOU HEARD THAT?

YOU SHOULD HEAR WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ME.

DID YOU EVER TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS MAN?

RINGSIDE TABLE ON THE RIGHT. THE MAN IN THE PINK SUIT.

NEVER SAW HIM BEFORE. NO?

I'LL TAKE A STAB IN THE DARK AND SAY HE AIN'T EXACTLY SOCIETY LEAGUE, THOUGH.

YEAH. I GUESS I DRAGGED YOU UP HERE FOR NOTHING.

WHAT'S HE DOIN' EXACTLY?

HE SAYS HE WAS MY HUSBAND'S PARTNER.

HE SAYS LOU OWED HIM MONEY AND NOW HE'S MY PARTNER.

"OFFERED AS COLLATERAL IN EXCHANGE FOR SERVICES RENDERED?"

HE DIDN'T NEED MONEY AND HE DIDN'T KEEP SECRETS FROM ME.

HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? HMM?

I MEAN, IF THEY WERE SECRETS.

YOU KNOW HOW IT IS...

WHEN YOU'RE INTIMATE WITH SOMEONE.

YEAH. RIGHT.

I KNOW LOU SOLD BOOTLEG IN THE OLD DAYS. SO DID EVERYBODY IN THE NIGHTCLUB BUSINESS.

BUT LOU WAS A REPUTABLE BUSINESSMAN. IS THIS HIS SIGNATURE?

HE'S HERE EVERY NIGHT...

NOT TEN FEET FROM THE MIRROR OR WALTER WINCHELL.

COULDN'T YOU JUST, UM--

THROW HIM OUT? I'D LOVE TO.

BUT HE SAYS HE'LL GO TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, HELP HIM PROVE LOU'S WILL IS INVALID.

IS IT? NO.

BUT I'M HIS SECOND WIFE. THERE AREN'T ANY WOMEN IN THIS BUSINESS.

WE BOTH KNOW WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT ME. I CAN'T TAKE THE CHANCE.

I COULD FIND OUT WHO HE IS FOR YOU. COULD YOU?

WON'T BE HARD FOR ME.

I'D LIKE TO PAY YOU SOMETHING. NO.

I INSIST. NO, IT'S OKAY.

WELL, DANNY DOWNSTAIRS SUGGESTED I COME IN THROUGH THE KITCHEN.

FREDO, COULD YOU WATCH THE DOOR FOR A FEW MINUTES? SEND DANNY UP TO ME.

YES, MRS. LEVITZ.