Dead End

Come on. Move along. On your way.

- Hi, boys. - Hi, Spit.

So he said they want to come down and fight our gang, see,

but they got a guy with his leg broke bad,

and maybe he can't go 'round on account of poison.

So I says for him to shut up because we got a guy with T.B.,

so that makes us even.

Hey, that's you I was talkin' about. You.

- Hi. - Hi, Spit.

Kinda early, ain't it?

Ain't too early for the old man to wash the booze out of his mouth.

So I says we fight 'em anyway and Tommy's the leader,

so he should come down and make up the fight with Tommy.

Who says Tommy's the leader?

Who says? We all says.

Aw, you dog!

What's the matter? I'll push you right in the river.

Yeah? Try it. Don't be a wise guy.

How many times do I have to tell you?

Hey, look it. Get a load of that.

- Hey, what's that? - It's the new kid moved on the block.

Boy, we could fix him fine.

- Yeah. - And how.

- Hey, Dip. - Cut it out, will ya?

How much longer shall we have to use this entrance?

I'm sorry, sir. The other street will be repaired in a few days.

Yes, but I can't even get my car through this street.

No, sir.

- Oh, it's all right. - It is not all right.

Good morning, sir.

That's what you see from the terrace.

- Oh, they're sweet. - Yes, at a distance.

Don't worry about it.

They stuffed him like something dead.

Hey, lady, does he smell?

Hello.

Hello, Phillip.

How are you this morning?

Oh, all right.

In French, Phillip, in French.

Yes, Mademoiselle.

Tommy.

It's gonna hurt the material.

It's gonna be all worn out, washing and ironing it all the time.

Drina, I don't need no shirt.

What's the matter with this? I'm late.

Late for what? For those no-good kids? For playing in the street all day?

All right, so you'll be late... late for not working.

Everybody's always asking what your sister's doing going on strike.

They say...

The next time those busybodies ask you what I'm striking for,

you tell them it's for money that's coming to me for hard work.

That $3.50 extra a week would get you out of these streets, for one thing.

If you think any of us like walking up and down all day,

carrying signs and worrying how we're going to eat the next day, you're crazy.

And don't you go around being ashamed of what I do.

All right. Okay.

Something must be the matter with you. You get so mad...

Good morning. Hot, isn't it?

Gonna be a scorcher.

- It came early this year, didn't it? - Certainly did.

Drina, you were late last night. That's why Dave didn't wait.

He didn't know whether you were coming home or not.

I wasn't very late. Just a few minutes late.

He used to wait for me. But now...

She doesn't mean anything to him. It's just they started talking like one day.

Why don't you speak to him, Drina?

I couldn't do that. I haven't any right to.

I wouldn't anyway.

- Hey! - All right.

Hiya, fellas. Hiya, Angel.

Hiya, Tommy.

Hey, that's the new kid moved on the block, ain't it?

Yes.

Hey, you!

Yeah, you. Get up here. Hurry up.

Come on, lift it around. We ain't got all day.

Hey. You're new kid moved on the block, ain't you?

Yeah.

- What's your name? - Milton.

- You wanna belong to this gang? - Yeah, sure.

You got any dough? You gotta be initiated.

- I got three cents. - Gimme it.

Give it over.

Don't hold out. Get it up. Get it up.

- It's all you got? - Yeah.

- Sure? - Honest.

- Search him. - You don't have to.

Shut up.

If you wanna belong to this gang, you gotta have a quarter, see?

A quarter? Where am I gonna get a quarter from?

- From your old lady. - She wouldn't give me no quarter.

Well, you know where she keeps her dough, don't you?

Gimme back my three cents. I don't wanna hang out with you.

Can it, will you, Moe?

Gimme back my three cents!

I want my money back. Come on.

Come on, gimme back my three cents.

- You want your three cents? - Yeah.

Stop it! Get away! Get away!

Stop it! Get out of here!

What are you doing, watching life in the slums?

Is it funny? Why didn't you stop them?

Lady, you're scaring me.

- Are you hurt? - They took my three cents!

- Tommy! - I ain't got it.

- You? - Not me. Don't look at me.

- You? - I ain't got it.

- Go on. Give it back to her, Spit. - Yeah.

- Come on. Quick. - Shut up.

I'll crack you.

And I'll sock you where it won't do you so much...

No dame gonna smack me first and get away with it.

- Give her that dough. - What for?

Give her that dough or I'll have to smack you.

I can do my own fighting. I don't need your help. Come on.

Give her that dough.

Here. Come on.

You look like a nice kid. Stay away from them.

- They're no good. - Yes, ma'am.

It was a good fight. Too bad it couldn't go to the finish.

Tough kids.

- You like? - Sure, what's it mean?

He doesn't care what it means. He saw it on Park Avenue,

so he thinks if he puts it up, he'll get trade from our rich neighbors.

I ran up to your place last night, but you hadn't come home.

Kay Burton and I went over to the park, listened to music.

I wanted you to come along and meet her.

I was late.

Very late.

Who are the choir boys?

I don't know.

That short one looks familiar.

We had a strike meeting last night. I thought I told you.

I was telling Kay about you,

how when you was a kid I used to come home from school

and tell you everything I'd learned that day.

I was telling her what a swell girl you were and how hard you've worked.

There. Picketing all day is hard on the shoes.

The paper keeps 'em from wearing out.

It may save the shoes, but it's hard on the feet.

I'm complaining.

When I think of the other people who are striking,

most of them with big families.

I've only got Tommy and me to worry about.

What's the matter, Drina?

Nothing. Nothing.

Boy, ain't that something? You should've seen what used to be there.

What for? I don't want to even see it now.

I don't wanna hear you say it every minute.

Nobody knows us, so shut up.

- Hiya, Dave. - Hiya, T.B.

Come on, Dippy. Let's see you dive in.

Okay, okay, I'm goin'.

Look at me, look at me. I'm divin'. A back-jack!

Get someone to knock you in.

I'm comin', I'm comin'. My head acts funny.

Aw, get out and let me alone. I'll go in. Get out of here, will ya?

- Hey, kid. - What?

You got sense enough to run an errand?

Sure, where?

What are you doing? I'll go.

418, third floor, second door.

Tell the old lady there a friend wants to see her.

Okay. 418. Okay.

I know you, don't I?

No.

- Why, you're... - He said no, didn't he?

Why, you're Martin. Baby Face Martin.

My name is Johnson, get it? Johnson.

Sure. And my name is Dave Connell. Remember me?

I used to be one of the gang of kids here... Johnson.

Yeah. Yeah, sure.

You weren't such a bad kid.

Still good at keepin' your lips buttoned up?

Depends on how good you are keeping your hands buttoned up.

Don't worry. I ain't looking for trouble.

What are you gonna do about him?

Nothing. Nothing as long as he shuts up.

And he'll shut up.

Had your face fixed up?

Yeah.

Been readin' about me in the papers, huh?

Go on over and try that address in Brooklyn, see if you can find her.

And get something for your nerves while you're over there.

Go on, beat it.

I'm sending him over for Francey. Remember Francey?

- Francey? - She was my girl when we was kids.

Oh, yeah, I remember. Nice kid.

Yeah, you bet. They don't make 'em no better than Francey, I know.

You ain't seen her around here lately, have you?

No. She moved away a long time ago.

You're gettin' to be quite a headliner, huh?

All over the newspapers.

Should you be around here?

I ain't here. I'm out West.

I got kind of a yen to see my old lady and Francey.

You know, I ain't seen my mother in ten years,

not since the day I come out of reform school.

You've come a long way since then. Killed eight men.