Pretty Baby

Damn it! Oh!

Jeez...

I can't stand it! Help me! Help me!

God damn!

God damn!

It's wanting out, honey.

Push so we can see what's coming out of the pouch.

Head's out, almost.

God damn!

Oh, God.

Come on. Oh, come on.

- Don't worry, baby. I'll get somebody. - Mama had the baby!

Come on, Josephine. He wants two of us.

I can't. I'm busy. Get Agnes.

- Mama had the baby. It's a boy! - A boy?

God damn! I lost my bet.

Listen, I've already paid for two. I'm ready now.

Sure you are, sweetie, and we're gonna get someone nice.

Violet! 'Cause we're gonna have ourselves a time.

Go and fetch Agnes yonder, will you, baby?

Tell her to haul it up to the blue room.

We're gonna have ourselves a time.

It's a boy.

It's a boy.

Well, Violet, old girl, is it all over upstairs?

- A boy_ - A boy?

Does it really hull to have a baby?

Violet, you asking the wrongest person, the very wrongest person in the world.

Come on and play that thing, Professor.

Well, I certainly will do that.

I'll play something for that pretty baby your mama just had,

brung into this cruel, cruel world on a night like this against his will.

And today I have attained my 75th birthday,

and I intend to celebrate.

I haven't had a woman in longer than I care to say.

You know, she doesn't have to be beautiful,

just patient.

Well, how about Frieda?

- Well, how are you, Admiral? - Well, hello, Nell.

You've been to the North Sea.

I sure have, and now I'm on an extended leave of absence.

- Well, I'm... - Gonna be here a long time.

Oh, you're my kind of man.

I like the way you move.

All I want to hear from you

is that I'm handsome, virile, generous and kind.

What's the matter, Will?

Come on. Hush up. You don't wanna wake everybody up.

Be quiet now.

Violet, what if you had woke him up?

He paid for all night, and you know what he's like.

- Well, Will woke me up. - You're not supposed to wake me up.

I don't get to sleep late any more.

Where'd you get those earrings? They're awful pretty.

Never mind where I got them.

He gave them to me.

Won them in a card game or something.

Then I won them from him. Don't!

He just pierced them for me last night. That's how I won them.

It's a lucky thing I was drunk.

Will you give them to me when I grow up?

Are you out of your mind? These are real emeralds.

Otherwise I never would have let him punch those ugly holes in my ears.

Get my coffee. I feel awful.

Ooka dooka soda cracker, does your father chew tobacco?

- Ooka... - Violet!

Get me my cane.

Oh, God.

Oh, and get me my absinthe.

Where the hell is that black bitch with my coffee?

Best you handle that with care, Joe.

And you ought to leave off suckling that boy.

You're gonna turn him spoiled, just like you did with Violet.

Oh, I think she likes it, having big tits.

Antonia, Violet, get off that pony. I got something to tell you.

I went to see Mama Mosebery last night.

I paid her $2 and she gave me some uncooked tu?le head

to bring me luck for the lottery,

and I saw it move!

- Where you going? - I ain't here, you know, to entertain you.

I gots deliveries upstairs.

- Well, how'd it taste like? - What taste like?

- The raw turtle's head. - What do you think it tasted like?

Come on, please. Tell me.

Well, I am the child of a snapping turtle, raised by alligators on panther's milk.

I'm a poisoned wolf from Bitter Creek, and tonight's my night to howl.

Pedlars use the back door.

- Four, five, six... - A pedlar.

Violet, go sit down and finish your okra.

I'm not raising you so as your teeth will rot, you know.

What is this sheet doing here? It doesn't belong to the house.

Six, seven, eight, nine...

Look what's coming.

...eleven, twelve...

Oh, hush up now. Come on, baby.

Hi. I'm Bellocq. I'm looking for Madam Livingston.

Is she receiving callers?

Harry, get down here!

You may come in, Monsieur Bellocq.

Well, come in, then.

Good God, you're in the wrong place, monsieur.

We're not in the business of buying.

Madam, perhaps you know my name.

I have photographed in the district many times.

Am I addressing Madam Livingston?

Yes, you are, monsieur,

and you are too early.

My girls are all asleep.

They work late, you know.

It's 10:00 in the morning, monsieur.

I require the light from the sun. Now is the best time for me.

This young lady there, she would be fine.

I run a good, old-fashioned whorehouse, monsieur,

and you seem a little rabbity to me.

Photographs?

What the hell kind of thing is that? I don't cater to no inve?s.

If you're looking for something different,

I can assure you, you can find it right down here in New Orleans.

Madam, please don't tell me about New Orleans.

I have lived here all my life.

I apologise, monsieur.

You realise I'm willing to pay for her time?

Violet, child, go get me that package that Red brought.

Would you care for an absinthe?

Madam, the light. I beg your pardon.

Oh, the light. I had quite forgotten.

Well, go and take our Hattie. She's very good, you know.

She will do whatever you want.

Thank you, ma'am.

And go take care of that child for her.

Want me to take my clothes off now?

- No. No. I'm liking you just as you are. - You want me like this?

- Uncombed? I'm not even washed. - Yes, yes.

I don't like that face.

It ain't a pleasant face.

- Now, this is a pleasant face. - Quiet!

- I must have quiet now. - Go away, Violet.

No. It's only she mustn't talk to you.

She's very beautiful. She looks very like you.

Yes. Everybody notices it. She's my sister.

Mother, I ain't.

My face is very like my mother's,

but I got a fat stomach, just like all my fathers.

Where the hell is that goddamn whore's ass?

Hattie!

Hattie!

Maybe he's a voodoo man, 'cause he gots them bottles and stuff.

No. He's just another dumb john.

Jesus God, woman, get up and get me something.

My head is killing me.

I need something. Laudanum, something. Jesus Christ!

My mama's having her likeness made, and it's all paid for, so there!

Why, hell, man, she's only good for one thing.

Why would anybody want to take a picture of a piece of ass?

Excuse me. I will have to ask you to move away.

She must remain absolutely still.

Come on, honey pie, now. Go along now.

You're still just a little bit drunk.

Where the hell did you get those earrings?

What?

Give me those emeralds,

you skull-cracking, cotton-brained whore!

You gave them to me last night!

Well, why would I give real emeralds to a whore?

God damn you!

You bet me I wouldn't let you put those holes in my ears

and I did, so those are mine! I won them!

- They're mine! - Oh, my sweet little piece of ass.

I remember now, Hattie. I remember.

Go to the bed and take off your stocking, child.

Mama Mosebery, I've got this hair growing around my nipples,

and I'm tired of plucking it.

You must pluck them on Good Friday.

Bury them that same day and they'll never grow back.

Another new frock from Paris?

It's too early for a piece of tail. It must be the bill collector.

Violet, you gonna be a lucky little one.

You gonna have so many men, you won't know what to do with them.

No, no, please. If she's busy, I'll come back later.

No, no, please. I'd rather wait downstairs.

Come on. Come on. Look who I found skulking in the hallway.

He say he's a photographist.

Hey, voodoo man, I just got my fortune told. See?

NO. no, no, no, no.

He says he have got something for Hattie, but he won't show it to me.

Hattie, you've got a gentleman friend.

Oh, excuse me. I didn't mean to disturb you, ladies. I...

I have something for Miss Hattie.

She's in the bathtub. She's always in the bathtub.

Oh, she is indisposed. I would rather come...

- What's that? - No, no, no.

I'd rather leave this off for Miss Hattie.

Don't give me that. You is a sport.

Hey! Let me see your camera!

Please stop! Stop!

Please don't do that. Stop! Please.

- Be careful. - Oh, she's so pretty!

- Christ be, she looks like an angel. - And everybody knows that ain't so.

Sure wish I had a picture like that of myself.

Yeah, I could send one home to my folks.