Party Girl

Miss Ginger D'Amour.

Miss Cindy Consuelo.

Miss Joy Hampton.

And another of Chicago's favorites.

Miss Vicki Gaye.

Put her on the list.

What about this one? Will she go?

Expensive merchandise, Louis.

The boss ain't buying them. He's just inviting them to a party.

Rico's party.

Rico Angelo is throwing a party. You get a hundred bucks for showing up.

Rico Angelo. King of the rackets.

Royalty.

Are you going? ─ Uhuh.

I've been out with the mob before.

Most of the time all they want to do is ..

Wave their cash around.

By the end of the evening, they're usually too drunk for anything else.

It's a hundred dollars.

I want to stay home tonight. Eddie might call.

Yeah.

Like he did last night?

I heard you walking the floor until 5 o'clock this morning.

How long since you've heard from him?

Three weeks.

Almost a month.

Vicki, what am I going to do?

Call him.

Or find someone without a wife.

But the divorce was all set. He told me it was.

Thanks, Joy.

Keep your hands out of my things or I'll pull your hair out by the roots!

Listen, chubby.

Put on more pounds and you won't be round long enough to tear anyone's hair.

Let her alone, won't you.

Look Joy .. go on home.

I'll try not to be late.

And remember.

It's only a man.

Only a man.

How do you do it, Vicki?

I made up my mind a long time ago.

Never get crowded into a corner.

Never let them get too close.

After a while .. they go away.

You've never been in that corner, with your looks?

Just once.

In a dark and dirty little bar back home in Oklahoma.

I was fifteen.

Very romantic.

Go on in, baby.

Rico Angelo. Make yourself at home.

Come on Rico, what do you say?

It's a party.

Forget her. She means nothing to you anyway.

The most beautiful doll in the world. That's all.

Hey boss, we're doing okay, huh?

Girls, come on over here. Meet Mr Rico Angelo.

Hello Mr Angelo.

This is lucky Louis. ─ Louis Canetto.

Hiya, Puss.

The coat goes in the bedroom.

Wowee. ─ Salary.

What was that act for?

You know, with the photograph.

It's a picture of Jean Harlow.

The movie star, Jean Harlow?

She got married today out in Hollywood.

Mr Angelo is giving a party to forget her.

Forget her?

Did he ever meet her?

No. But he's seen every one of her movies.

He'd been carrying a torch for her.

The way he figures it, she double-crossed him.

Well, that makes sense.

It's going to be an evening. I can tell.

Hey, come on kids.

Hurry it up, let's mingle a little.

There's nice guys out there. They want to say hello.

Move along now. Come on, kids. What do you say?

I wish I could find a safe place for this.

Come on, just one time.

Come on! Let's go!

Stay close to me, Puss. You're bringing me luck.

Shoot the five hundred.

Come on. Five open. Spread it out.

A pleasure to meet you, Counselor. Particularly outside my courtroom.

You usually cause a little difficulty for me there.

My job is to convince the jury, Your Honor.

Not to make life comfortable for the judge.

Come on baby, try it again.

Eight and one. Come on, dice.

Six.

Try again.

Thirty three, let's go. Six it is.

That's four hundred you got already.

Any part of it. Any part of it.

Don't get too far away, Puss. We got some talking to do later.

Nice shooting, Rico.

Where'd you get her? Between the eyes?

I'll see you some other time.

Well, I took care of her.

She had it coming, Tommy.

She had it coming.

You're drunk, Rico. Sodden, stupid drunk.

Ah, don't ride me.

I .. what are you all looking at?

Huh? Come on, it’s a party. Get going.

It's a party!

I got her out of my system.

Oh, I feel better already.

Congratulations.

Do you think Rico is drunk? Huh?

You catch me later.

Come on, what I'm talking about now is a party. It's a party!

Come on, dice.

Pass the dice.

Hello.

Would you like to take me home?

Not particularly. Why?

Would you dance with me?

It's only a dance.

It would get me near the door. It wouldn't kill you.

Why don't you give Louis his money back? That would get you off the hook

You don't miss very much, do you?

Just a minute. I'm going anyway. I'll take you.

Can I help you, Mr Farrell?

Let him alone. Let him alone!

Nobody helps when Rico's around.

You okay, boy?

I'm taking this girl home, Louis.

Sure.

Sure, Mr Farrell.

Would you like to come in for a minute?

There is not much in the icebox but I could make you some .. cocoa.

Cocoa?

Haven't had any cocoa since I was nine years old.

Maybe you got a new recipe.

I should have told you.

I have a roommate.

Joy .. man on the premises.

Joy?

Sit down.

That was quite a picnic tonight.

It had its moments.

For me particularly.

Mr Canetto was getting to be a problem.

It wouldn't have been if you'd known all the facts.

Mr Canetto can't get out of line. He's out on bail.

Mr Canetto goes on trial for murder this coming Thursday.

A murderer?

He seemed a little scared of you.

He has to be. I'm defending him.

I haven't told you my name.

Vicki Gaye.

I heard someone mention it.

Been in Chicago long? ─ A few months.

Three years.

What did you do before you were glamorized by The Golden Rooster?

Dance a little.

No talent?

I think so.

No takers.

So you gave it up?

It was that or give up eating.

And then?

Modeling.

Modeling for what?

Calendar art? Girlie magazines?

Tell me when I'm warm.

It seems I don't have to.

Bad?

It's nothing.

Excuse me.

Joy.

Joy.

Do you know any reason she would slit her wrists?

Did you know she was three months pregnant?

Who was the guy? Come on honey, who was it?

Come on, come on.

You don't live a year with a kid without knowing who's taking care of her.

That's enough. No more questions.

Are you running this, mister?

Anything else you want to know, she'll answer tomorrow in my office.

Thomas Farrell. Is that you?

She'll need a sedative before she leaves.

Get her some water.

Sure, Mr Farrell.

You can't go back to your place yet. Do you want a hotel?

Anything.

Over there.

I'll go and see about that cocoa.

It will probably taste more like brandy and coffee, but it might help.

If I'd been there.

If I'd gone home tonight.

She'd be alive now.

Probably.

But what about tomorrow night?

The night after that?

Self-destruction among showgirls seems to be a kind of ..