[ETHEREAL MUSIC]
[INDISTINCT VOICES]
♪ ♪
- I came home the other day, and guess what I saw.
She took practicing into her own hands.
I didn't have to make her do a thing.
She had the most wonderful recital yesterday.
You would have been so proud.
She is just a marvel on point.
I couldn't believe how much she'd improved
in just the last few months.
Show Daddy what you made for him.
Now tell him... tell him what it is.
- It's you and me dancing. - That's right.
So that's you and that's Nicole.
Here it's for you to keep.
She spent all Saturday working on it.
It had to be absolutely perfect.
Look, she even signed her name right there.
[LAUGHS]
We're so happy to see you, Bob.
[TAPPING TABLE]
We're so happy to see you. Aren't we, darling?
Yes, that's right. We are.
Tell Daddy.
Tell Daddy what we said.
- We really missed you, Daddy. - We missed you so much.
We are so happy to see you.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪ ♪
[CLICKING]
- Hello, darling, it's me.
I'm not calling too late, am I?
Oh, good.
Well, I just got back from dinner with Bob,
and we talked for 2 1/2 hours straight about "Chicago,"
and I couldn't get him to say a word about anything else.
And that's exactly what I asked him, Fred.
And he said,
no question about it,
he is 100% committed
to doing this show next season.
Yeah, I will.
I will, you too...
Um, yeah. I'll see you on Broadway.
[CHUCKLING]
Okay, bye-bye.
♪ ♪
[EXHALES]
♪ ♪
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
Come on, come on, come on, come on.
- No, stage left. - This one's gonna be close.
- What're you doing? - Come on, sweetheart.
- You're 2 inches away, finish strong.
- Let's go! - What are you doing?
- Who picked these damn things?
Come on! - What did I tell you?
That's it. - He's sick or something.
- Come on! - Come on, pal.
- I think mine is sick. - Come on.
Come on. That's it.
- No! - What are you doing?
- No!
- Ladies and gentleman... - God damn it.
- We have a winner, huh? - You snuck in a ringer.
You got in a professional - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[LAUGHS]
- Cheaters never prosper. - Thank you.
- Here you go, Neil. - I hope this helps.
I know you're in the poor house.
You only have two plays running on Broadway.
- Shame on you taking advantage of a fellow artist.
- Be careful.
[CLATTERS]
- Now I go cook them all.
[ALL LAUGHING]
- Whoo! - I found my soul mate.
- Where the hell did you find her?
- She's a dead ringer for Boris Karloff.
- Mike and Margot says
she's the best cook on Long Island.
What are you gonna do?
- She's a marvelous woman! - [LAUGHS]
- Gentlemen, the bar's open. - Anybody thirsty?
- I wouldn't say no to another beer.
- All right. - I'll have one.
- Great.
- I think I'm gonna go for a swim.
- Good, I'll alert the media. - Start the presses.
- [THUNDER RUMBLES] - Oh, that doesn't sound good.
- It's fine. - I checked the weather.
It's not gonna rain till tomorrow night.
[THUNDER CRACKS]
It's fine.
[THUNDER CONTINUES RUMBLING]
[RAIN SPLASHING]
[DOG BARKS]
- Oh, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!
Sorry, can't come in! - Aww, Bobby.
- Oh, no. - What's the password?
- [SQUEALS] - What's that?
Stop laughing. - Open!
- What? - I can't hear you.
- Oh, Bob. - What's the password?
[TOGETHER] Let us in!
- Okay. - [LAUGHS]
Oh, my gosh. You're gonna get me all wet.
- Oh, am I?
- Daddy, we went all the way down to the big rock.
- I know, I saw.
- I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life.
- I've never run at any speed.
- Yeah, I don't even walk at a clip.
- [LAUGHS] - You look cold.
- I'm okay.
- Pickle, no freeloaders tonight.
You're on duty. What do we do?
- One in the dining room... - One in the...
- Living room...
- And we make sure to mix 'em up.
- Lights...
[TOGETHER] Filtered...
- Menthols. - I know how to do it, Dad.
- Get to work.
- I'll go check on the hors d'oeuvres.
- Okay, I'll help.
- Move, Bob. - Move.
- ...President of the United States.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV]
- What do you got there? - Here's a tasty appetizer.
- What are you doing?
- I just want it be nice. - It's gonna be great.
Look at this. This is beautiful.
- It's stupid but, I want it to be perfect.
And... I don't want her to hate me.
- She's gonna love you. - Who wouldn't love you?
She's not even gonna be thinking about you or me.
Tonight's all about Neil.
Gwen is gonna be on her best behavior tonight, believe me.
No one puts on a show like she does.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER ON TV]
- That's one depressing image.
- Well, it's only one game. - You gotta believe.
Right?
- So when's Dustin getting here?
- He heard you were coming, so he decided to stay home.
- That just hurts my feelings.
- [LAUGHS] - What are you talking about?
- Hoffman's doing Bobby's next picture.
- That's huge, Bobby.
- Yeah, we'll see. - I don't know.
- Why are you always so negative?
- I don't wanna be known as the one guy
who couldn't get a performance out of Dustin Hoffman.
- Will you listen to this guy?
He hasn't shot an inch of film, already it's a flop.
- What's the movie?
- You see that play "Lenny" last year?
- Oh, yeah. - Cliff Gorman, he was terrific.
- Yeah. - Ha!
- Paddy disapproves of the whole thing.
- What do you have against Lenny Bruce?
- He was filthy, he was lewd.
- Since when are you Emily Post?
- It's not good for the Jews. - Oh, Jesus, you're crazy.
- You'll call me crazy when pogrom comes down Fifth Avenue.
- Oh, God. - You'll call me crazy.
- There's plenty more snacks back there
if anybody wants anything.
- Thanks, Annie.
- Do you know where you're shooting yet?
- Yeah, half in Miami, half in New York.
- Do they have stages in Miami?
- Well, you gotta do it on location.
I know those clubs Lenny played.
You can't build that on a soundstage.
You gotta... you gotta have the real thing.
- I thought you said you're doing
the whole thing in New York.
- Yeah, no, I decided last week.
How am I gonna shoot
Hell's Kitchen for South Beach, you know?
- I'm going back to the news. - Don't touch that dial.
- Sit your ass down. - Fine.
[DOORBELL RINGS]
- Jesus. - Watch you like a hawk.
- I'll get it.
Hey. - Oh, wow.
- Come in. - Come in.
- Wow. - We made it.
- You sure did.
- You know, it was blue skies when we left the house.
- How are the roads? - Oh, well...
- They're not bad. - Yeah?
- Well, your directions were awful.
We got completely turned around.
- You must be the famous Ron.
I've been hearing all about you from Nicole.
- Well, you've met before, Bob.
- Have we? - Oh.
- You came to the apartment that time, remember?
- Um...
- You crawled into bed with us.
- [GASPS] Oh, that's right.
Yes, I... [CHUCKLES]
It's all coming back to me. Yeah.
Well, I've cleaned up my act since then.
Gwen might have mentioned that I spent a week
at the funny farm.
I knew it was time to leave when I was putting on shows
with the other patients.
- [LAUGHS] - Oh, wow, look at this.
I thought you were renting a cottage.
- Yeah, is this not a cottage?
That son of a bitch realtor.
I knew I shouldn't have trusted him.
- Oh, goodness gracious.
It's a monsoon out there, isn't it?
- Well, Ann, hello. - Hi.
- It's wonderful to see you. - I'm so happy you're here.
Ann, this is Ron. Ron, Ann.
- Hi. - Hi, hi.
- Ann, pleasure to meet you.
- Yeah, I saw your show a few weeks ago.
You were sensational.
- Aww, that's very kind of you to say.
- Now it's your show, wow.
Direction's a pile of shit, but Annie's terrific.
- No, no, I meant to say how much I loved it, Bob.
I meant to tell you.
- Oh, that's just Bobby's idea of being funny.
- Here she comes. - Oh, look who it is.
Oh, well, look at that top.
- It's new. - Will you do my hair, Annie?
- Oh, did you...
- What did I?
- Well, I didn't know if you wanted to do her hair.
- Oh! - Oh, no.
Oh, please.
Somebody else can take care of these tangles, huh?
- All right. - Come on.
- Okay. - Mm.
- I'm gonna get a drink.
- How is Neil?
- It's his first night away from the girls.
They're gonna stay with his brother.
But he's good, yeah.
- Well, I just... I think that this is the best thing for him.
- Yeah. - Are they over there?
- Uh-huh. - They have the game on.
- That's a big head. - Big baseball head.
- What is that?
- Well, hello.
What, we've already run out of things to talk about?
We're watching television.
- Finally, some decent people come.
- Hello, darling. - Hello, darling.
- Oh, God, it's so good to see you.
- You too. - You too.
I'm so glad you're here.
- How are the girls? - Oh, come here.
- They're fine.
[BOTH LAUGH]
- I'm sorry, it's gonna be like this all weekend.
Get used to it. - Please, I'll accept it.
- Ah, there we are. - I'll take it.
- So, what can I do to help?
- You can't, house rules.
It's all taken care of.
[RAIN PATTERING]
- Well, it's a beautiful view.
- Isn't it?
So, what do you think?
- What? - About what?
- Annie.
- Well, she's lovely.
- Yeah.
- I met her at Stu's party two months ago.
I liked her then. I like her now.
I don't know what you want from me.
- Nicole gets along with her great.
- Well, of course she does. - They're the same age.
- [LAUGHS]
How's Ron enjoying junior high?
- Oh, he's excelling.
- [LAUGHS]
- You look good.
- Yeah, well, you know. - I got a suntan.
- No. - That's not what I mean.
- Yeah, well, I feel good.
I'm, you know, getting lots of sleep,
down to two packs a day.
- Two... well, my god, you're a regular health nut.
- I'll be jogging before you know it.
- Sounds like you're ready to get back to work.
- I think so. - Yeah.
Yeah. - That's wonderful.
Well, when we're back in the city,
I want us to sit down with Bobby and Joey.
And we can just start talking schedule.
Maybe John and Freddy too, but...
- Oh, yeah. - Yeah.
Uh...
- So, Joe says he's been trying to reach you.
- I owe him a call.
- Well...
we got a theater.
So that's why he's been calling.
He wanted to tell you the news himself,
but it's the 46th Street Theatre.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
- We don't have a show yet.
- Oh, no, I know. - I know.
But if you don't get the theater now,
we're stuck with the dregs.
It's the 46th Street Theatre, Bobby.
- Yeah. - It's where we did "Yankees,"
"New Girl in Town," and "Redhead."
- A year is not quite enough.
- Oh, I think it's plenty of time.
- So sorry. - Glass of white for Neil.
- Yeah. - Anyway, John and Freddy are ready
to get started on it whenever you are.
- That sounds great, but right now, you know,
I've still got a lot of work to do on the "Lenny" script.
- Oh, you're still working on "Lenny"?
- Mm-hmm.
- I didn't... you just hadn't mentioned that for ages,
so I assumed it fell through.
- Not yet.
Not yet.
- We did "The Seagull" in college.
- Mm. - Treplev?
- Trigorin. - Ah.
One of my favorite characters. - Yeah.
- Thank you, sweetheart. - Of course.
- Did you do that out of town first
and bring it back or just starting now?
- Yes. - No, we started in Boston.
- Hi.
- We're right here.
- Ah.
- The town of Quogue was established in 1659.
Nicole looked it up in her World Book.
- Well, that's six years younger than I am.
That was a joke. I'm not actually 300 years old.
- No, no. - [LAUGHS]
No. Yeah, I know.
- [LAUGHS] - Are you okay?
- Yeah.
- Oh, no. - Did he do something stupid?
- No, no, no, no. - Everything's fine.
- Good.
- Yeah.
I guess you've seen a lot of Bob's girls over the years.
- Yeah. - [LAUGHS]
- I've seen a lot of girls.
I haven't seen a lot of "yous",
but... he likes you.
- He likes 'em all. - No, this is different.
Trust me.
- I turned him down for the longest time, you know.
- So he tells me. - Yeah.
- What made you change your mind?
- Uh...
He called me one night a few months ago
after the show.
That's how he does it with all the dancers.
You know, the casual phone call
and the small talk.
- Mm-hmm. - Slowly getting to the point.
"Come have a drink with me."
Um...
Only somehow he just never got there.
- I'm shocked.
- I know. - I was stunned.
[BOTH LAUGHING]
- And then the next night, I mean, the same thing.
It was hours and hours on the phone, and...
and then he'd say goodnight and hang up.
And after about a week of that, I mean,
all I could think about was
how badly I wanted him to invite me over
for a drink already.
That was June.
Right after the hospital.
- Yeah, well, you know, I think his time in there,
it really helped put things in perspective for him.
You disagree?
- Well...
The doctors wanted him to stay
at least a month, and...
he checked himself out after six days.
- Well, he told me they sent him home,
clean bill of health.
- Did he tell you what they said to him?
- Yeah.
Knock it off with the pills, cut down on the booze.
- They said he should take a year off of work.
- Year?
- Otherwise he'll end up right back there or worse.
And, you know, he told me that
it's fine to do "Lenny,"
'cause it's just a small movie,
and he'd shoot the whole thing on stages in New York.
And... now suddenly he's saying it's
on location in Miami.
Paddy, he already stopped taking the lithium.
He didn't talk to any doctors about it, he just stopped.
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
[GLOOMY MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- There are only two people in the world that...
he listens to.
And the other one...
I can't talk to her about this.
- Annie, what do you want me to do?
- Tell him to take a break.
- Hey, listen to me.
That man is gonna do exactly what he wants to do
whether we want him to or not.
I've known him a long time, and you gotta trust me on this.
Okay?
Don't worry so much. He's got nine lives.
He always figures it out one way or another.
- [EXHALES DEEPLY]
- I'll see ya.
- Sorry.
[BLUESY MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- It's a great place.
- Oh, yeah. - I only get it for another week.
- You'll enjoy it.
When I was a kid,
I spent a few summers in Montauk.
My uncle had a place, but nothing like this.
- You grew up in New York?
- Connecticut.
- Ah, is that where you get your right hook?
- [CHUCKLES]
I was the youngest of three brothers,
so I realized pretty early on
I better learn how to defend myself.
- I was the youngest of four.
- Well, so you understand.
- Gwen says you're an actor.
- Yeah, that's the idea.
I just finished up summer stock on Saturday.
- That's fun.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- It's not Broadway, but...
- No, no, I think it builds character.
- Yeah, yeah.
And hey, any chance to get to the Berkshires
for a couple of months, I'll take it.
- Sure, yeah. - Yeah.
- New York's tough.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know if it's that tough.
I just... I like some fresh air every once in a while.
You know? That's me.
- So what's next now that you've finished summer stock?
- I'm actually headed out to Los Angeles.
Yeah, booked a guest spot on "Adam-12."
- Do you like it out there?
- I do, yeah. - Yeah.
- Where else are you gonna go skiing in the morning,
swimming in the afternoon?
- Gwen hates it.
- Ah... yeah.
Yeah, she told me every time she's out there,
she's stuck on a soundstage.
- Yeah. - I'd probably hate it too.
- Yeah.
Hey, is that brewski for me?
- Uncle Paddy.
- You know, that must be the fifth pickle
you've had since I got here.
You're gonna make yourself sick.
- She's fine. - That's why we call her Pickle.
- Nerves of steel.
I mean, I'd be a wreck on opening night.
Joan would order a rib eye steak.
- With extra French fries. - Can I pour it?
- Hey, not too much foam.
- She's look at me and she'd say,
"What are you so worried about?
I already gave you my review."
- I know.
- God.
You know, when I met her,
I was just a schmuck comedy writer
putting on these awful weekly revues with my brother
at a resort in the Poconos.
Camp Tamiment.
And Joanie was a counselor for the children.
- Well, of course.
- And we met at a softball game.
Did I ever tell you that? - Oh, no.
- Yeah, she was the other team's pitcher.
And I couldn't get a hit off her to save my life,
because I couldn't stop looking at her.
[LAUGHS]
But...
yeah.
We brought Nancy and Ellen up there last year
to show 'em around.
It was a nice trip.
- I know it was.
And she felt the same way. - Yeah.
- Dinner's almost ready. - Can I get anyone a refill?
- No. - Thank you.
- [CLEARS THROAT]
Ann, has Bob introduced you to Dustin yet?
- No, no, not yet.
I can't wait to meet him.
I love "The Graduate."
- Bob's friends with Dustin Hoffman now?
- Oh, he's doing his next picture with him.
The Lenny Bruce movie.
- Oh, that's fantastic.
- I will have some more wine, Ann.
- Not much longer, folks. - Just waiting on the steaks.
Dustin Hoffman's doing your movie.
- Yeah, as of last week.
- You know, I think Hoffman's our next Brando.
- But isn't it a little bit early to be casting,
because you said that you were still working on the script?
- We're shooting in November.
- So what about "Chicago"?
- Well, we may have to push that a bit.
- Wait a minute, you're doing "Chicago" now?
- Well, we've been talking about doing "Chicago"
for the last decade,
but now we finally have the rights.
- [STAMMERING]
One more year isn't the end of the world.
- But we'll lose the theater.
- There's always another. - Well, that's our theater.
- I have to respect Dustin's schedule.
- What about my schedule?
- [EXHALES]
Wha... it's Dustin Hoffman.
- The dinner is served.
[SOLEMN MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- That cook terrifies me.
♪ ♪
- Nicole, we're eating!
- Just a minute.
♪ ♪
- Houdini. - Houdini.
- [LAUGHTER]
- Oh, my God. - Suck on the cheerio.
- Just wanna like, pull a nickel...
- Yeah, that's my nickel. - Don't take it away from me.
- And you can just enjoy it, it just tastes delicious,
without feeling guilty about it.
Good for you. - We got some '70s references.
- I try.
- Hey, listen, there's more lobster.
There's more steak. - Please.
- I'm just letting you know it's there.
- God, please.
- What'd I tell you? - Greatest cook in Long Island.
- She's a genius!
- She's making a chocolate soufflé.
- Anyone mind if I finish this?
- No, go ahead.
There's a whole case in the basement.
Nobody's driving, might as well finish it.
- Neil, if I may.
Um...
Joan Simon was not a frivolous woman.
Uh...
and she didn't suffer fools,
and she always told you the truth, right?
Even when you didn't wanna hear it.
God, she was brilliant...
And beautiful.
And she had a mouth on her that would make a sailor blush.
That woman... [LAUGHTER]
- To Joan. - To Joan.
- Our friend.
- She would have loved this,
if only to go a few rounds with these two.
- Yeah! - My favorite critic,
she hated everything. - Everything!
- I wonder what she would think about "Lenny."
- Well, she loved a good laugh.
- Who's writing the musical numbers?
- [LAUGHING] Uh-oh.
- It's not a musical. - I can do other things.
- But you never have.
- Well, there's no harm in taking a break from musicals.
He can always go back.
- Exactly.
- Do you think that the critics
will be excited to see this kind of a thing from him?
I... I just... I wonder.
- [CHUCKLES] We'll find out.
- Well, it certainly won't be a money-maker.
I mean, it's an art film about a drug addict.
I can't imagine the people who tuned in to
"Liza with a Z" are gonna be clamoring for that.
- Exactly.
- I saw Lenny Bruce once. - What'd you think?
- Honestly...
wasn't funny, to me.
I don't know. To me.
- See, I don't think he's funny either.
I'm not interested in that part of it.
- The man was a comedian, Bob. - What are you interested in?
- The clubs, the world, the flop sweat,
the women, the sad sacks in the audience.
- Well, you made that movie already.
It was called "Cabaret."
- This is different.
This is about a guy who told the world the truth.
- What truth? - What truth?
- He exposed the hypocrisy and the rot of humanity.
- No, he said naughty words.
- What's wrong with naughty words?
- Let the man speak. - No.
- Look, all I'm saying Bob is,
I've seen this before, you know?
You win an Oscar...
you rush into your next movie...
'cause you're afraid you're gonna, you know,
lose your momentum, and then it backfires on you.
I'm not saying don't do "Lenny."
I'm saying maybe you should take some time
to think about what you wanna do.
Give yourself a break.
- They'll still want you.
- Of course they'll still want you.
You just won the Triple Crown.
- See this, I think this is exactly right.
You're rushing into this thing. - Yes.
- I got one of the biggest movie stars in the world
chomping at the bit to do it now.
- And you can't lose Hoffman.
- But is that a reason to do something,
because of one actor?
- It can be.
- Well, so far it's the only reason that I've heard.
What is the rush to tell this particular story
at this particular moment in time?
What, because the actor is available?
- It speaks to the times that we're living in.
It's about the freedom... freedom of speech.
It's about the individual against the system.
- Uh-uh, it sounds old-fashioned to me.
It's the lone man fighting the world.
It's Atticus Finch. - Mm-hmm.
- It's a lot of stories.
- Well, here's the story of "Chicago."
It's about what happens when
no one even bothers fighting anymore.
When people don't even care about the truth.
When all they care about is what sells.
When everything... politics, the news,
life and death... is all just...
entertainment.
That is about as old-fashioned as today's front page.
Kander and Ebb writing the score.
Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon back together on Broadway
for the first time since "Sweet Charity."
Now tell me that doesn't sound like a hit!
- Sounds like a hit to me, buddy.
- Wow, that's a hard sell.
- Mom.
[RETCHING]
- [GASPS] - Whoa, oh, my God.
- I will take care of this.
Come here.
- Zofia?
- When did your tummy start hurting?
- I don't know.
- Well, was it before dinner or was it after dinner?
- I ate too many pickles, I think.
- Oh, sweetie.
- And I smoked.
- You what?
- I just had one.
- Nicole Providence Fosse, you know better than that.
- You smoke.
- Well, I'm an adult.
- I hate this stupid party.
There's nothing to do, and I'm the only kid.
- Well, next time you can just stay home with the babysitter.
- Why didn't Nancy and Ellen have to come?
- Well, because they lost their mother.
Go brush your teeth and then I'm gonna tuck you in.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
♪ ♪
[RAIN PATTERING]
- I could smell the chocolate soufflé
from all the way upstairs.
- How's Nicole?
- Oh, she's sound asleep.
- Poor thing. - I know.
She just isn't used to eating such rich foods.
- I'm sure.
- So...
what are we going to do about this "Lenny" situation?
I know you agree with me.
He shouldn't be doing it.
- Well, you know better than anyone
just how stubborn he can be.
- [CHUCKLES]
Which is exactly why we need to get
on the same page about this.
You've only seen him in success,
and look at where that landed him.
I mean, you can only imagine what failure looks like.
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
I have to tell you.
I hear him talk about "Lenny,"
and I am scared to death.
- Well, it isn't necessarily going to be a failure.
- No, but why take the chance?
At this time in his life, this point in his career,
and after everything he's just been through...
- Well, that's why I think
he could really use some time off.
- Bob Fosse doesn't take time off.
He's never taken time off in his life.
He wouldn't even know where to begin.
- Just for a year, even.
- Well, what's he gonna do for a year?
Take up macramé?
- He needs to rest, Gwen.
The stress is just...
- The best thing for Bob Fosse to do is work.
Trust me.
- Well, my brother took me right after I turned 21,
this hotel on the far west side.
- You got a nice place?
- Oh, God, it was like the Ritz.
Beautiful. Yeah, it smelled like garbage.
- [LAUGHS]
- And afterwards, you know,
we met the girl in the lobby there.
And she took me upstairs, and uh...
And then we, you know, uh...
- Uh-huh.
- No, no, no, no. - We did what we did.
- Details. - Bullshit. Come on.
- Ronny wants the details. - No, no, I'm fine.
- [LAUGHS] - He's not fine.
- Well, I will tell you the only thing that I remember,
it was so long ago.
Afterwards, we're lying there, and she's smoking a cigarette,
and I'm feeling like Casanova.
- [LAUGHS] - Maybe we'll go again.
You know. Probably, she'll want to.
You know, for free this time.
And she looks at her watch and she says
she's got twenty minutes to get uptown.
And my heart sinks.
And I suddenly realize, and I say to her:
[IN NERDY VOICE] "You have another appointment?
Now?"
And she looks at me and she says:
"You know any doctors with one patient?"
[LAUGHTER]
Hand to God. I swear to God.
Exact words out of her mouth.
- What about you, Ronny? - How did you lose it?
- Oh, uh.
Yeah, I had a steady girlfriend in college.
So homecoming weekend after the big football game,
and she asked me to stay, so...
so I did.
That's the truth.
- You know, that's what I call a scintillating tale, Ron.
That's just... that's very hot. - Yeah.
- You know, you should send that to "Penthouse."
- [LAUGHS]
Yeah, I guess that's not a very interesting story.
- Now Bobby's story, on the other hand...
- That's one for the ages. - Now, come on, Bob.
- Oh, come on, Bobby. - Come on tell him.
- What do you say?
- You know, it's boring. - Illuminate us.
- No. - Come on, come on, come on.
- Well... - You gotta hear this.
- Umm...
when I was a kid, 13,
I used to play the burlesque houses in Chicago.
Me and my pal Charlie, we had a dance act.
And a couple of the striptease girls...
from one of the clubs, they, uh...
they took a liking to me.
And one night, I was just sitting there.
I was minding my own business.
When they started, uh...
Conversing with me.
[JAZZY MUSIC]
♪ ♪
One thing led to another and...
Voila.
- All at the same time, you mean?
- They took turns. - [CLEARS THROAT]
Taught me everything I know.
- You know what I mean? - [LAUGHS]
I always find that story a salutary reminder
of just how fucking unjust the world is.
What did you ever do to deserve that?
- Some people have all the luck.
- Gentlemen, more libations?
- I'm all right. - No, thank you.
- Yeah? You sure? - Brandy's good.
- Okay. - We're good.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
♪ ♪
- I'm worried the soufflé's never coming.
- Oh, I'll ask. - Zofia?
- You okay? - Yeah.
Where's the brandy? Is there more brandy or scotch?
- So... - I'm not sure.
- Annie and I have been talking and we both agree...
You need to push "Lenny." It's happening much too soon.
- I just don't want you back in the hospital.
That's all.
- And if you were to do "Chicago"...
- And we're back to "Chicago." - Well, yes.
We have the opportunity to make something very special.
- I told you, Gwen, in a year maybe.
Maybe.
- Well, but we don't have a year.
[CHUCKLES]
- Even better, we won't do it at all.
- Oh, well, don't be a child. - I'm being a child?
- Yes, we have writers, we have a theater.
- I don't wanna do it.
You wanna know the truth? I don't wanna do it in a year.
I don't wanna do it in two years.
I don't wanna do it in 100.
I'm finished with these corny, bullshit musical comedies.
I'm done, okay?
- Well, I wish you had just told me that.
- I'm telling you that.
- Well, I wish you had...
told me that before I spent ten years
trying to get the rights.
- That was your decision.
Look, I don't wanna argue about this right now, Gwen.
- See this is the problem with Bob.
He's so sweet, and he's so charming.
And he tells you everything that you want to hear,
but then your realize that he's just a liar.
He'll say whatever it takes to get he wants.
- All right, that's enough.
That's quite enough, Gwen.
- Oh, you'll find out for yourself soon enough.
You see, Bob has a very different idea
of what a relationship is...
than most people.
- Okay, stop it.
- Honestly, it's pretty straightforward.
Bob gets to fuck whoever he wants, whenever he wants,
however he wants...
- Are you done?
- And he doesn't wanna hear your complaints
or your concerns or your whining,
because he's doing it for his art.
Because he's weak,
because he just can't help himself,
because he wants to be free.
That's the best one of all.
And in exchange, what do you get in exchange?
Oh, oh! I know!
[CHUCKLING]
Nothing.
[FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS]
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- I knew you screwed everything and anything.
- You know it's different with you.
You know.
- Is that what you told Heidi?
- [SCOFFS] - And Rebecca?
Wendy? - That's...
Something happened to me in the hospital...
and...
I saw where I was going,
and where I was headed, and I...
I, uh...
I don't wanna go back there.
And, you know...
Wanna be with you, just you.
- Bob.
I wish I could believe you.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
♪ ♪
- It's pretty good. - Yeah.
- Lessons from the age of six.
What should I play?
- "If My Friends Could See Me Now."
Come on, Gwen. Come on, hit it.
- Huh? - Come on, just for me.
- No, I don't have the energy for that one right now.
- How 'bout "Where Am I Going"?
- Mm. - That was Joanie's favorite.
- What do you say? - Come on, Gwen.
- You don't know that one. - What's the melody?
Something like that.
- [HUMMING]
- Uh-huh. - [HUMMING]
- Uh-huh.
- [CHUCKLES] - ♪ Where am I going ♪
♪ And what will I find ♪
♪ What's in this grab-bag that I call my mind ♪
♪ What am I doing alone on the shelf ♪
♪ Ain't it a shame ♪
♪ No one's to blame but myself ♪
♪ Which way is clear ♪
♪ When you've lost your way ♪
♪ Year after year ♪
♪ Do I keep falling in love ♪
♪ For just the kick of it ♪
♪ Staggering through ♪
♪ The thin and thick of it ♪
♪ Hating each old ♪
♪ And tired trick of it ♪
♪ Know what I am ♪
♪ I'm good and sick of it ♪
♪ Where am I going ♪
♪ Why do I care ♪
♪ Run to the Bronx or Washington Square ♪
♪ No matter where I run ♪
♪ I meet myself there ♪
♪ Looking inside me ♪
♪ What do I see ♪
♪ ♪
♪ Anger and hope and doubt ♪
♪ What am I all about ♪
♪ Where am I going ♪
♪ You tell me ♪
♪ ♪
[GENTLE PIANO MUSIC]
- [SCOFFS]
How's he ever gonna get over her?
♪ ♪
What about you? How you doing?
- Me? - Yeah, you.
- Great.
- I talked to Ann.
She told me what the doctor said.
- Did she? - Yep.
How they don't want you working for year?
- Oh, they're wrong.
- They wrong about the lithium too?
- Yeah, actually. - I don't need it.
- Oh, so they just gave it to you for no reason.
- It's poison, that shit. - I couldn't do anything on it.
I couldn't think, couldn't work, couldn't fuck.
What kind of life is that?
These doctors, they don't know as much as they think they do.
I gotta do this movie, Paddy.
Everybody thinks "Cabaret" was a one-off.
They think all I can do is flash.
- Who thinks that?
- Everybody. - Who?
- I need to show I've got something to say.
You know, I can do a movie without all of the tricks.
No dancing, no singing...
- I know, I know, I know, I know.
- You know?
None of that shit.
This one's gonna be easy. Okay?
There's a small crew. The script's in great shape.
- Something always goes sideways, Bob.
- And I'll deal with it.
I won't be running back and forth between
three different projects.
- Stress is stress, Bob.
- Truth is, I probably shouldn't have been in
the hospital in the first place.
It was a waste of time.
I knew it was time to checkout when I started doing...
- New plays with the patients.
Honey, you tried that shit on me already.
Twice.
- It's a good bit.
♪ ♪
- Sun in the morning.
Sun in the morning.
[MELANCHOLY MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- Are you sleeping out here?
- Is that a surprise to you?
- I don't wanna fight, Bob.
I am concerned about you.
- Is that right?
Yeah.
- You can fool everybody else, Bob, but you can't fool me.
I see what you're doing.
The fancy house and the top shelf liquor
and the lobster dinner.
You're spending money you don't have.
- I have plenty.
- This whole thing is a big show for me.
And for Paddy...
for that poor little girl, Ann.
Trying to make us think that everything is fine,
trying to make us forget that three months ago
you were in a mental institution.
You couldn't string two words together.
- That's an exaggeration.
- The only reason that you got out of there
is because you begged me to call the doctors and lie.
- What? - No, no, no, no.
- I told them that you were a creative genius,
and this was all part of your process.
[CHUCKLES]
I told them you were doing research...
And that you were being dramatic when you said
you wanted to jump out of a window.
- You just wanted me out of the hospital
so I could direct your musical.
- How much longer are you gonna be able to keep this act up?
Happy, Bob, healthy Bob faithful Bob...
through the first day of shooting your movie?
- You believe what you want.
- How are you going to spend a year
telling a romantic story about a drug addict
who goes crazy and then kills himself?
I don't understand.
We just got you back. Why do you wanna do that?
- I'll be fine. - I'm gonna be fine.
- Well, okay.
Well, I'm going to do "Chicago"...
With or without you.
- Because it won't wait another year?
- And because you say one year and then it's two...
- What's the difference? - What's the big deal?
- I'm not sure you won't be dead in two years.
- You're not sure you'll be able to dance it in two years.
- No, that's right. - I'm not.
But I can dance it now.
[CLICKS TONGUE] The royalties from "Chicago"
would take care of Nicole for the rest of her life.
I wouldn't have to worry.
- Nicole... Nicole will be fine.
- I won't leave her with nothing.
I just...
I just... I won't do it.
- She'll be okay.
- She was 41.
- Gwen. - Poor Joan.
- Gwen, Gwen... - I'm sorry.
I just... I can't stop thinking about those two girls.
[EXHALES SHAKY BREATH]
What are they gonna do without their mother?
- Come here. - Listen.
- I'm sorry. - I'm sorry.
It's fine. It's fine.
- They'll be... - they'll be okay.
- I'm fine. - I'm fine.
- Come here, listen to me. - Listen.
I'm just gonna call Hal.
Don't you think he'd be perfect to direct "Chicago"?
John and Freddy already mentioned it.
And he's been on a hot streak recently.
- You're not calling Hal.
- Bob... - You're not calling him.
Okay?
♪ ♪
- [WHISPERS INDISTINCTLY]
[BOTH BREATHING HEAVY]
♪ ♪
[RAIN PATTERING]
- Nicole's up. - She was asking for you.
- How's she feeling?
- She's hungry, believe it or not.
You and Paddy had a talk yesterday?
You worried about me?
I understand.
You don't need to be.
I just want you to be happy, you know?
I wanna make you happy, Annie.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- Morning. - Morning.
- The round one is apple.
It's fresh.
- Thank you.
I'm not really hungry.
- I owe you an apology.
About last night, I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said what I said.
- No, no, no.
I, um...
I really appreciated your honesty.
- Has Bob told you about Hannah?
A German girl?
- No.
- Well...
she was the last girl that Bob was serious about,
and they met on the set of "Cabaret."
She came back to New York with him,
and they lived at the Hyde Park Hotel
for a few weeks.
And when the phone rang,
she wasn't allowed to answer it
in case it was Nicole.
So...
people come and go in Bob's life,
and he lets them,
but not with Nicole.
He tries to protect her,
which is how I know he cares about you.
He trusts you with her.
- It's not gonna last, Bob and I.
I can't look over my shoulder all the time.
- Mm-hmm.
Well, whatever he does,
you just have to remember, it isn't personal.
- [CHUCKLES]
That's all it is is personal.
- I'm not excusing his behavior.
- Yes, you are.
♪ ♪
- You learn to live with it.
- You didn't.
You left.
- But we are very much still friends.
Bob loses himself in his work.
He gets completely absorbed.
And if there's nobody there to stop him,
if there's nobody there to pull him back when he goes too far,
then one of these days it will kill him.
♪ ♪
- So that's my job? - [CHUCKLES]
To keep him alive?
- It's worth it.
- Why?
- Because he'll give you what he gave me.
- You mean Nicole?
- Yes, but...
Not just Nicole.
Lola.
Charity.
Roxie.
♪ ♪
- There's gotta be something screwed up there.
- [SIGHS]
- Ah, well, how did you sleep?
- Oh, like a baby. - Babies don't snore like that.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [EXHALES] So what's in the news?
- Nothing good.
- Anyone want this crossword?
- Knock yourself out.
- Hey, Paddy, where are you with that TV news script?
- I'm still outlining. - Oh, yeah?
I may have some scenes from "Chicago"
for you to take a look at in a couple weeks.
- Oh.
- Yeah, we gotta write this thing fast.
- So it's "Chicago" over "Lenny" after all, huh?
- Which one comes first?
- Neither.
I'm gonna do 'em at the same time.
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
♪ ♪
- That's not gonna kill you?
- I don't know. - We'll see.
♪ ♪
[CHUCKLES]
- Well, okay. - [GLASSES CLINK]
♪ ♪
_
♪ ♪