"Ladies and gentlemen, has this ever happened to you?" "These girls missed an important telephone call." "Don 't let the same thing happen tomorrow night." "What can we do?" "." "Subscribe to an answering service." "An answering service?" "." "An answering service is a service which answers your telephone when you are out gives and takes your messages, and reaches you wherever you are." "On New York 's smart East Side  the smartest Eastsiders all use Susanswerphone." "Susanswerphone?" "." "This is what Susanswerphone can do for you." "While you were out, the agency called." "You 've got the job." "While you were out, your lawyer called." "Your uncle's left you everything in his will." "While you were out, "he " called and said to tell you he wants to marry you." "So join the cream of New York 's elite." "Use Susanswerphone." "Our luxurious offices exude charm, elegance, confidence chic good taste and glamour." "Susanswerphone." "Mrs." "Van Rensselaer' s residence." "Hello, is Mrs. Van Rensselaer at home?" "No, but she may be reached in care of Countess T orpolino in Portofino, Italy." "Thank you." "Not at all." "Boy, it's hot." "Susanswerphone." "This is Mrs. Mallet." "Is this Santa Claus?" "Yes, Mrs. Mallet." "Put Junior on." "Hello, Santa Claus." "Hello?" "I hear you're not eating your spinach again." "That makes Santa very sad." "All right, Santa Claus." "I will." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "I'd like to make a reservation." "Sorry, we' re closed for all of August." "Thanks." "Yes?" "." " This is Mr. Chandler." "The lines at Grand Central are busy." "Could you tell me when the night train leaves for Vermont?" "I'll look it right up for you, Mr. Chandler." "This is Dr. Kitchell's Dental Clinic." "One moment, please." "Mr. Chandler, your train leaves at 1 0:.45 p.m." "This is the dental clinic." "May I help you?" "." "This is Mr. Ferguson." "That bridge he put in yesterday just collapsed." "Oh, Mr. Ferguson, I'm terribly sorry." "You can reach Dr. Kitchell at the Harmony Music Publishing Company." "What?" "Swell place for a dent-- Give me the number there, will you?" "One moment, I'll look it up for you." "Susanswerphone." "Hi, baby." "Let me talk to Nick." "You have the wrong number." "Mr. Ferguson?" "." "You can reach doctor at Jasper 4-5066." "Jeffrey Moss residence." "This is Olga." "Can I talk to Jeffrey, please?" "I'm sorry, Miss Olga, but Mr. Moss is in conference on his play." "Conference?" "He's asleep." "Now, you put me through." "I'm sorry, Miss" " Hold on, Miss Olga." "Susanswerphone." "Hello?" "This is Rosina Grimaldi." "Madame Grimaldi, how's your laryngitis?" "." "And I owe it all to you and your wonderful mustard plaster." "Oh, I'm so glad." "Listen, that mustard plaster's so pure if there's any left, you can put it on a hot dog." "I'm so grateful." "I'm sending you beautiful ball gown made for Traviata." "Arrivederci, arrivederci, darling." "Hey, Madame Grimaldi's sending me a ball gown made for Traviata." "Where you gonna wear it?" "." "Miss Olga, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." "Can I take a message for Mr. Moss?" "." "I've been waiting since 1 1 for him to take me to the races!" "I can 't spend my whole life waiting for him to take me to the races!" "For heaven 's sake." ""The races!"" "That's all he needs is to be taken to the races." "As if he hasn't got enough trouble now." "Ella." "When are you gonna stop worrying about that playboy?" "." "He's not a playboy." "He's a very talented playwright." "All he does is play, he never writes." "I beg your pardon?" "." "He and his partner have written most of the successful successes on Broadway." "So, what's his problem?" "." "His partner left him." "So?" "." "He has to write alone." "So let him write alone." "Big deal." "Don't you see what that can mean to somebody?" "." "He's terrified that he might not be able to make it alone." "He's sensitive, he's creative." "Hi, girls." "Hi." "He's artistic." "Oh, Ella." "Look at this." "Miss Number 63 is canceling service because she's marrying Mr. Number 78." "Oh, how wonderful." "I had nothing to do with it." "I happened to know that Miss Number 63 wanted to mate her female Siamese cat." "And I also knew that Mr. Number 78 had a male Siamese cat." "So I told her, and she called him..." "...and they all got together." "The fact remains we now have one account instead of two." "Ella, I have told you a thousand times just give and take messages." "That's all." "Don't be so helpful to the subscribers." "It could get us into trouble." "Why don't you help yourself and get yourself a man?" "." "Ella, what are you doing here?" "." "I made that date for you at 5:00." "Do I have to go?" "." "Do you have...?" "." "Ella, this is the sixth young man I've dredged up this year." "He's a very nice young man." "He's the nephew of my dearest friend so please make an effort." "All right." "Ella." "All right." "Don't forget to wake Jeffrey Moss up in time for his appointment." "All that yakety-yak at the board, yet every time she goes out with a real fella..." "...she clams up like an oyster." "She's a little shy." "Her fingers turn into thumbs." "lt takes a little while" "She knocks things over, spills drinks." "Maybe" "The only thing she hasn't done is catch on fire." "Miss Pringle's residence." "I couldn't possibly hold a table for that length of time." "I have reservations" "Let me look." "Captain, captain." "One moment." "Will we get our table soon?" "." "I'll check as soon as I can." "We've been waiting." "I'm afraid my date is going to die of starvation." "I'll check as soon as I can." "Would you, please?" "." "Thank you." "Hello, Mr. Chase?" "." "Yes, 1 0: 1 5, a party of four." "That's the best I can do." "I seem to have picked out the wrong place." "They're so busy here, we may have to do our own cooking." "Anyway, we have these." "Now, if we could just get our table." "Captain?" "." "You're being an awfully good sport about all this." "Well, let's have a toast to friendship." "Friendship is the gift of the" "I'm sorry." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Just when I'm trying to make a good impression." "Oh, I'll get it." "Oh, no, I'll get" "Oh, it's" "Sorry, l" "I hope I didn't hurt you." "You'll think I'm an awful oaf." "I'd better get another drink." "Oh, no, take this one." "No, you keep that." "No, no, no." "Let's share it, then." "All right." "You take the first sip." "It's getting so late." "I wish they'd" " Oh, captain." "Oh, it is getting late." "Oh, I missed him again." "You know, I'm not usually this clumsy." "If you wanna know the truth, I'm a little nervous." "Blind dates don't usually turn out this well." "And I approached this date with some trepidation." "I've had some terrible experiences." "You know, my aunt, bless her, but she and some of her friends including, if you'll forgive me, your cousin Sue have come up with some of the most awful dog" "Excuse me, some of the strangest girls." "So when you showed up...." "You know, you're a good listener." "That's an art in itself." "Helps to build the other person's ego." "I guess you must be thinking that I'm kind of garrulous the way I've monopolized the conversation, but" "Oh, captain." "I'm checking on your table right now, sir." "Oh, thank you, that's" "Oh, I'm sorry." "Your table is ready now." "This way, please." "Thank you." "Good, we can go now" "Oh, I'm sorry." "Really, it's all right." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I guess nothing else can happen to us." "You have days where nothing goes right." "That happened to me last week." "From the first thing in" "I'm terribly sorry." "My fault, madam." "Anyway, it's possible that the stars have something to do with that." "I've read about that...." "Well, you just beat your own record." "Door to door in 45 minutes." "How'd it go?" "." "Oh, fine." "My date suddenly remembered a pressing engagement." "With a tailor?" "." "Yes." "Well, what happened?" "." "Dr. Stafford's office." "This is Mrs. Herman." "Oh, Mrs. Herman." "Your basal metabolism test is at 9 tomorrow so don't eat when you wake up, not even coffee." "And don't smoke, please." "Thank you." "Goodbye." "Hey, Gwynne, where's Sue?" "." "You're safe." "She's out with Otto." "Who?" "." "You know, that European recording guy." "Oh, good." "I put a file in this bread in case you wanna break out of here." "Hi, Carl." "Hi." "If you got money on you, I'd be delighted to treat you to a soda at the drugstore." "Oh, I'd love it." "Ella." "Oh, go ahead, Gwynne." "I'll be here." "Thanks." "Did you remember to wake Jeffrey Moss?" "." "I tried." "The sleeping prince said to call him again at 6:00." "But that means he didn't keep his appointment with his producer." "Ella, he's only a disembodied voice, remember?" "." "Jeffrey Moss is just Plaza 0-4433." "He doesn't mean any more than any other subscriber to me." "Six o'clock, I have to wake him." "Yeah." "Hello, Mr. Moss?" "." "Is that you, Mom?" "Yes, it's 6:00." "Time to get up." "One moment, please." "Ella, aren't you ever gonna give up that old lady's voice you use on him?" "." "He needs a mother." "Hello, Mr. Moss?" "." "You left yourself this message:" """Get up, you three-toed sloth." "You've got an appointment with Larry Hastings about your play The Midas Touch.""" "Well, you missed that appointment, Mr. Moss." "Tell what you do:." "You call me back in a couple hours." "Oh, no, Mr. Moss." "I'm in love" "With a man" "Plaza 0, double 4, double 3" "What a perfect relationship" "I can 't see him He can 't see me" "I'm in love with a voice" "Plaza 0, double 4, double 3" "What a perfect relationship" "I talk to him" "And he just talks to me" "And yet I can 't help wondering" "What does he look like?" "I wish I knew" "What does he look like?" "Is he 6-foot-7 or 3-foot-2?" "Has he eyes of brown or baby blue?" "Big and mighty or underfed?" "Trim black mustache or beard of red?" "Can he dance like Fred Astaire?" "Is he dark or is he fair?" "Pompadour or not a hair?" "Well, I don 't care!" "I'm in love with a man" "Plaza 0, double 4, double 3" "What a perfect relationship" "And that's how things should always be" "Our love can never lose its mystery" "Because I'll never meet him" "And he'll never meet me" "No, he'll never meet me" "What does he look like?" "My sleeping prince" "What does he look like?" "Tough as nails with a black cigar?" "As handsome as a movie star?" "Stern as an eagle, shy as a dove?" "A face that only a mother could love?" "It doesn 't matter what he is" "I'm his, his, his" "But he's still just a voice" "Plaza 0, double 4, double 3" "What a perfect relationship" "I can 't see him He can 't see me" "He calls me ""Mom "" He thinks I'm 63" "And I'll never meet him" "And he'll never meet me" "No, he'll never meet me" "Susanswerphone." "Hi, Mom?" "." "Yes, Mr. Moss?" "I ' m gonna be in all night working." "Working?" "Got a little old fire to put out here." "I don't know what time I'll get to bed, but you call me at 7." "Seven a.m.?" "All right, Mr. Moss, I'll wake you." "Good night." "Oh, Mom, you still there?" "." " Yes." "If you don't mind, I just sort of thought maybe you and I could shoot the breeze." "Or chew the old fat-eroo." "Mom, I'm scared." "Oh, you mustn 't be." "I know, you've told me that a thousand times but this is it." "This is my last chance." "Last chance?" "." "Yeah, Larry just blew his stack and he said if I don't come in with an outline of the last two acts by 4 p.m. tomorrow, he's gonna drop The Midas Touch." "Mr. Moss, I know you can write by yourself without your partner." "Now, you sit down and finish that outline." "Mom, you really care what happens to me, don't you?" "." "No ax to grind." "Not like the bunch of phonies that I pal around with." "You know, you're the only person in the world I can really talk to, Mom." "Thank you, Mr. Moss." "Now you get to work." "You're right, Mom." "I will." "And don't forget, 7." "You gotta do it, you gotta do it" "Gotta do it all alone" "No one else will do it for you" "You're on your own" "Do it" "It may be love or war Or mopping up the floor" "But just do it" "Don 't send a friend who 's true To pitch a woo for you" "Or you'll rue it" "Do it yourself" "Don 't fake it" "If you're a fake, you won 't make it" "Wait for your break and then take it" "For time and tide They wait for no man" "Go, go, go, man Do it" "To prove a point at hand Just look at old Miles Standish" "Who blew it" "He said, ""John Alden, Will you go ask Priscilla to do it?""" "Miles got the heave-ho" "Man" "Priscilla said, ""Now that Miles is gone" "Speak for yourself, dear John """ "He blew it So do it, do it" "Do it yourself" "What' s the use?" "." "I'll never make it alone." "Francie." "Francie!" "Here it is." "The minute one of those girls gets on the phone, turn on the tape recorder." "Are you sure about this, lnspector Barnes?" "." "Mr. Barnes, you meathead." "I'm gonna get a promotion for closing up this joint." "Just because the law arrested all those girls at All-Alone-A-Phone doesn't mean every answering service is a front for..." "...a lonely-hearts club." "Come on." "How do you do?" "." "My name is Barnes." "We're doing a little article on the answering services." "We're from  Vogue magazine." "We'd just like to ask you a couple of questions." "Vogue?" "." "Yes." "Me?" "." "Oh, well, thank you." "I'd be glad to." "Won't you sit down?" "." "No, thank you." "We'll stand." "I'll be with you in a minute." "Alrighty." "Now, tell me, do you enjoy doing this line of work?" "." "Oh, I love it here." "I used to be a plain switchboard operator in a lingerie house." "Pretty dull, except for a little modeling on the side." "Modeling on the side, huh?" "." "But this is so much more personal." "I come into contact with so many different types and I can give each one the particular kind of help he needs." "My cousin Sue thinks I spend too much time with each one." "She keeps saying, ""Get it over with and get on to the next one.""" "Excuse me." "Yes, of course." "Madame Grimaldi's." "No, the madame is out." "Well, there's several of us." "Oh, that's me." "Charge?" "." "For any friend of Madame Grimaldi's, it's free." "Okay, hang it up." "Excuse me, sir" " What do you mean--?" "." "Get your toothbrush and come on along." "My toothbrush?" "." "It's hot." "What do you do?" "." "I work here." "Well, maybe you better come along too." "Just park the car, Otto, and hurry back." "Why, girls, what are these men doing here?" "." "We're closing the joint." "You're all coming along." "Women's detention home." "Inspector Barnes, vice squad." "I knew it." "I knew you'd get us into trouble." "I warned you." "But, inspector, what did we do wrong?" "." "Well, I'll just let you speak for yourself." "Madame Grimaldi's." "No, the madame is out." "Well, there are several of us." "Oh, that's me." "Charge?" "For any friend of Madame Grimaldi's, it's free." "Okay, which one is the madam?" "." "That's Madame Grimaldi, the opera star." "I recommended a mustard plaster for her cold, so then her...." "Have you got a dirty mind!" "Okay, inspector, you take me down to the women's detention home." "By the time I'm through with you, I'll have you demoted to a chicken inspector." "And here's our list of subscribers, inspector." "Oh, well...." "Well, all right." "I made a mistake." "Maybe...." "Listen." "I'm gonna be around, and I'm gonna be listening in." "Monitoring the phone?" "." "Any personal talk with a subscriber or let's say, meeting any male clients on the outside and you and the madame are gonna be taking calls at the women's detention home." "Otto." "I have the keys to your car." "You have the keys to my heart." "Oh, Otto." "Oh, this is my cousin, Ella Peterson." "And this is Gwynne." "And this is a Mr. Barnes." "Mr. Barnes." "Charmed." "Let me present myself." "I am J. Otto Prantz, president of the Titanic Record Company purveyors of classical music." "Titanic Records, the highest fi of them all." "This lovely lady has persuaded me to move all my recording enterprises here where I'll embark on a sales campaign on an overall urban-saturation basis to bring Kultur to the masses." "That's very interesting, professor." "Well, goodbye, Mr. Barnes." "Well, now, this has been a pleasure, ladies." "But you just remember what I told you." "Come on, Francie." "Take care." "You know it's illegal to pass on information you receive to a subscriber..." "...even for a mustard plaster." "Francie." "Oh, Otto." "You can put your things right over here." "Splendid." "Oh, Otto, I'll take that." "Ella, please, remember what lnspector Barnes said." "Stay out of the lives of the subscribers." "Oh, I know they all need help." "Dr. Kitchell wants to write songs." "Blake Barton wants to be an actor." "But they'll get along." "All you have to do is give..." "...and take messages, that's all." "And take messages, that's all." "I mean it." "If that's the way things are gonna be, I might as well be back at the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company." "Oh, Otto, it's lovely!" "Oh, I am desolate." "I must go to a very important board of directors meeting at the Titanic Records and tell them of our new million-dollar expansion program for Susanswerphone." "Let's go, come on, step lively now." "Come on, fella." "Come on, come on." "Let's go, come on." "Inside, inside." "Inside." "Let's go, come on." "Come on, ladies, let's go." "Step it up." "What is this...?" "." "Gentlemen, gentlemen and ladies." "The first board of directors meeting of the Titanic Record Company is hereby called to order." "In other words, good evening, fellow bookies." "Titanic Records." "What is Titanic Records?" "." "That's us." "At last, a foolproof system, which will allow us to operate under the eyes of the law and yet seem to be serving the cause of Kultur." "Now, to begin with, we do not make bets on horses." "We take orders for records." "Records?" "." "What does he mean, "records"?" "." "There are many different racetracks in the country." "There is Del Mar, Pimlico, Hollywood Park, Rockingham and in Florida, the famous Hialeah racetrack, to mention but a few." "Now, Louis." "Louis, ask me about placing a typical bet." "I'll bet 500 bucks on the nose on number six in the third race at Belmont." "Splendid." "Now, consult your charts carefully." "As one of the agents for the Titanic Record Company you will call me up and say, ""l would like to place an order.""" "That's bets. "For 500 albums." That's bucks." ""Long-playing." That's on the nose." ""Of Beethoven." That's Belmont." """Sixth Symphony."" That's horse number six." """ Opus Three."" Third race." """ I would like to place an order for 500 albums Iong-playing, of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, Opus Three.""" "It's a simple little system Any child can understand" "The composer's name, we list them With the racetracks of the land" "With a simple little system We'll be close by fortune's door" "And to think that no one ever Ever thought of it before" "Gentlemen, gentlemen, look at your charts." "What is Beethoven?" "Belmont Park" "Where's Puccini?" "Pimlico" "Who is Humperdinck?" "Hollywood" "What is Beethoven?" "Beethoven is Belmont Park" "Where's Puccini?" "Puccini is Pimlico" "Who is Humperdinck?" "Humperdinck is Hollywood" "That is correct Turn the page" "What's Tchaikovsky?" "Churchill Downs" "Who 's Mussorgsky?" "Monmouth Park" "What's Rachmaninoff?" "Rockingham" "What's Tchaikovsky?" "Tchaikovsky is Churchill Downs" "Who 's Mussorgsky?" "Mussorgsky is Monmouth Park" "What's Rachmaninoff?" "Rachmaninoff is Rockingham" "That is correct Turn the page" "It's a simple little system" "We're impatient to begin" "Oh, yes, oh, yes" "A simple little system" "When the law is listening in" "We will take those record orders" "In a very cultured tone" "While we 're really booking horses Over at Susanswerphone" "We 'll be rich We 'll be rich" "We 'll be rich" "Debussy is Del Mar Humperdinck is Hollywood" "Cesar Franck is Fairgrounds Sibelius is Sportsman 's Park" "Berlioz is Bainbridge Hindemith is Hawthorne" "Offenbach is Omaha" "Everybody, all together now." "Who is Beethoven?" "Belmont Park" "Simple little system" "Who 's Puccini?" "Pimlico" "Simple little system" "Who 's Tchaikovsky?" "Churchill Downs" "We're bookies" "And Shostakovich is Saratoga" "What is Handel?" "Hialeah, Hialeah" "Who is Handel?" "Hialeah, Hialeah" "Oh, what a system!" "Seven o'clock." "Okay, sleeping prince." "Why doesn't he answer?" "." "Titanic Records?" "." "Over there." "Has there been a phone there before?" "." "Yes." "The box is still there." "Good morning." "Good morning." "I brought you some coffee." "Thank you." "Come on." "I'll take over." "You've been on long enough." "I'm just giving someone his wake-up." "Jeffrey Moss." "That one." "He takes up more time than all the other subscribers put together." "Okay, Ella." "All right, Ella, get up." "Oh, no." "This is a very important wake-up, Sue." "There." "You see?" "." "Someone was trying to get him." "Jeffrey Moss residence." "Is he in?" "This is Larry Hastings." "Oh, no, Mr. Hastings." "Cannot reach Mr. Moss." "What is the message, Mr. Hastings?" "." "Quote:. ""Sure you won 't show up at 4 with outline of The Midas Touch." "The Midas Touch." "Have taken option on another play." "Hope you enjoy trip to skid row. "" Unquote." "Sue, that' s a very important message." "He' s got to get that message." "This is his last chance." "His last chance?" "." "It's your last chance." "Remember what lnspector Barnes said." "Now, it's your day off." "Get out of here." "If Jeff Moss can't pick up his phone by himself, he's beyond help." "He probably unplugged it anyway." "Unplugged?" "." "Unplugged." "Good morning, liebchen." "Otto." "I have some wonderful news for you." "Sue, the board of directors last night voted you honorary member by proxy in absentee." "Oh, Otto!" "My telephone." "Titanic Records." "Oh, yes." "Yes." "Just a moment, please." "Yes?" "." "Fifteen hundred albums of Puccini's Eighth Piccolo Concerto, Opus One." "I'll ship them right out." "Hello, shipping department." "Fifteen hundred albums of Puccini's Eighth Piccolo Concerto, Opus One." "All three speeds." "You see?" "." "It's simple." "You just pick up the phone jot down the message, call the shipping department on this phone and you give them the message just as you get it." "Titanic Records." "Morning." "Yes." "Seventy-five albums." "Brandenburg Concerto Five, LP." "Thank you." "Hello, shipping department?" "." "Seventy-five albums of Bach's Third Brandenburg Concerto Opus Five, LP." "Right." "Hey, Titanic Records." "Is that a new label?" "." "Only the finest European recordings." "Brandenburg Number Three." "I have the Leonard Bernstein recording." "Who's on your label?" "." "The Dusseldorf Zuider Zee Hanseatic League Symphony on the Karlsruhe." "Now, please." "We are very busy here." "Sure, sure." "Sorry." "Hi, Carl." "Where are you going?" "." "Max's Dog and Cat Beauty Shop." "Sorry, we're not open till 9 a.m. Thank you." "Are you out of your mind?" "." "Women's detention home." "Listen, he'll never know who I am." "I'll just wake him and leave." "But how you gonna get in?" "." "I'll think of something." "Ella, take that, please." "Women's detention home." "Max's Cat and Dog House." "I mean, Max's Dog and Cat" "Hello." "Hello." "Goodbye." "Oh, no." "Wait a minute." "No, I must be in the wrong apartment." "I had a 7:00 apartment in the wrong appointment." "I mean" "This isn't 54 Sutton Place South." "No, this is 64." "That's what I thought." "I could go back to sleep or call a cop." "No, please don't do that." "Never fear." "I won't call the police." "I give you your freedom." "No." "I mean, don't go back to sleep." "It's after 7:00 already." "It's 7:00?" "." "I told Mom to call me at 7." "Your phone's unplugged." "Oh, yeah." "I must have pulled it out last night." "I was looking for something to hang myself with." "Mom?" "." "I've been ringing you since" "Oh, you're not Mom." "You're the other one." "There's a message for you from Mr. Hastings." "Quote:. ""Sure you won 't show up at 4 today with outline of The Midas T ouch." "Have taken option on another play." "Option on another play?" "." "Hope you enjoy your trip to skid row. """ "Didn ' t he say who wrote it?" "." "Shakespeare?" "." "T ennessee Williams?" "." "T ennessee Ernie?" "." "I beg your pardon?" "It's all right." "Goodbye." "Good old Larry." "A phony like the rest of them." "Well, might as well go to sleep forever." "Goodbye, lady." "You shouldn't do that." "What'd you say?" "." "I said, you shouldn't do that." "You won't be able to do your work." "Look, lady, I hope you won't be offended if I let you know that my evil habits are no concern of yours." "Will you get out of here?" "." "You won't do your work." "Thank you very much." "Miss?" "." "What work?" "." "lf you wanna drink at this hour there must be some work you're trying to avoid." "I know from my own experience." "In high school, I'd do anything to keep from doing my homework." "Mostly, I'd sharpen pencils." "You know, the yellow kind that says ""Ticonderoga""?" "." "Well, I'd sharpen it to the ""Ticonderog,"" and then to the ""Ticonder"" and then to the ""Ticond,"" then to the ""Tic,"" then to the ""Ti"" and then to the ""T.""" "Then I'd have to start on another pencil." "Anything but face that awful blank page." "Oh, yeah." "Oh, sure, go ahead." "Drink." "Ruin your last chance." "Last chan" " Last chance to do what?" "." "Well, whatever it's your last chance to do." "You look desperate to me." "I'm about to be ill." "You wouldn't happen to have a cup of coffee on you?" "." "Yes, I would." "And a cheese Danish?" "." "Prune." "Oh, listen, Miss...?" "." "Scott." "Melisande." "Moss." "Jeffrey." "Sit down, Miss Scott." "No, I can't because I have to go." "Oh, well, now that my vision has cleared up a bit and I'm beginning to see shapes and colors at more than 6 inches away you're beginning to look pretty good to me since I haven't anything to do for the next 1 0,000 years...." "That's just another way of avoiding your work." "Girls." "And you do have something to do." "You have an appointment to keep." "Who said so?" "." "Your 7:00 call." "Stay up and start writing." "You can write alone." "You did it once before." "How do you know I did it once before?" "." "Because anybody who's a writer must have written something by himself once." "Did I say I was a writer?" "." "No, but you're not a plumber, are you?" "." "No." "Well...." "But you don't think so yourself, or you'd be writing instead of running around and coming home at 7 in the morning and sleeping all day." "It's uncanny." "Are you plugged into me somewhere?" "." "No." "You know me from someplace." "No." "You're psychic." "Yes." "I'm very intuitive." "I get feelings about people." "I know a lot about you just from listening to you talk." "And I see visions." "What's the matter?" "." "I see one now." "It's a vision of you." "What am I doing?" "." "Nothing." "You're lying facedown in the gutter." "Stop it." "You're scaring the hell out of me." "Sorry, that's what I see." "My visions are never wrong, unless you do something about it." "I tried analysis." "I might as well try witchcraft." "We'll go the old witchcraft routine." "We'll get the doll, we'll get the pins, and the boiling water and the drums." "Anything you want me to do, I'll do it." "All right." "Do as I say." "Yeah?" "." "Go to your typewriter." "Yeah?" "." "Sit down." "Yeah?" "." "And now..." "Yeah?" "." "...write it." "I knew there was a catch to it." "Oh, that's enough." "You're not so badly off." "I know a guy whose father's forcing him to be a dentist." "He wants to be a composer." "The poor fellow sits up in an office all day long composing songs on an air hose." "Nobody's keeping you from doing what you want." "Nobody except yourself." "You're afraid everybody's gonna say, ""Oh, the partner's the talented one.""" "Well, so what?" "." "You call other people phonies because you hate yourself." "You're afraid what you write isn't gonna be important, so you don't write anything." "Boy, do you know me." "Mr. Moss, you have to have confidence in yourself." "I don't even know you, but I have confidence in you." "You do?" "." "Yes, I do." "You're crazy." "Yes, I know." "I'll try." "Hey, wait a minute." "I don't think I can do this unless you're here." "So that's what you look like" "At last I know" "You're better Better than a dream" "What you are Is better far than a dream" "I tried to picture your face" "But now I see you" "You're out of this world You're out of this sphere" "You're out of that outer space" "Better, better than a dream" "What is real Is more ideal than a dream" "To see and hear you To be so near you" "Is better Better than a dream" "Can this be a dream?" "Can I still be asleep On the couch there?" "Can this girl be really here?" "She seems to know by sheer intuition How I landed in this condition" "Boy, does she know me" "The way that I think, the way that I drink The fact that I slept all year" "But it's not a dream" "Because look, I've got some words On the paper" "Steady, boy, don 't faint or scream" "Don 't ask who sent you This angel" "It's better Better than a dream" "It's better, better than a dream" "Can this be a dream?" "Can I still be asleep on the couch there?" "What you are is better far than a dream" "Can this girl be really here?" "I tried to picture your face" "She seems to know by sheer intuition" "How I landed in this condition" "But now I see you" "Boy, does she know me" " You're out of this world" "The way that I think" " You're out of that outer space" "The fact that I slept all year" "But it's not a dream" "Better, better than a dream" "Because look, I've got some words On the paper" "Steady, boy, don 't faint" "What is real" "Or scream" "Is more ideal than a dream" "Don 't ask who sent you" "To see and hear you" "This angel" "To be so near you" "Is better, better than a dream" "Is better, better than a dream" "What' s the matter?" "." "You ' re shaking." "He liked it." "Larry liked it." "Well, of course he liked it." "He said it's not quite written yet, and he made me promise to go to the country and whip it, but by and large, it's something of a miracle." "It's not a miracle." "You did it." "And you know what?" "." "What?" "." "You're the miracle." "What's the matter?" "." "You blind?" "." "Where do you think you're going?" "." "Don't give me none of that." "Driving around here, nobody takes any care." "The light was still green." "He says it was red." "It was green." "People." "Wow." "What'd you expect?" "." "Herrings?" "." "Look at them." "A band of cutthroats." "You ever see such hatred?" "." "If I so much as asked one of these people for the time, they'd turn into a lynch mob." "Everybody wants to be friendly, only nobody's willing to make the first move." "Why don't you say hello to this nice man over here?" "." "He'd appreciate it." "Him?" "." "That's Dracula's uncle, the Wolf Man." "The only thing he'd appreciate would be a nice, fresh cup of blood." "Oh, it's so easy." "All you have to do is say hello." "Watch." "Hello." "What'd you say?" "." "All right, easy." "I just said hello." "Hello?" "." "Hello?" "." "Did you just say hello?" "." "This is the first time in 30 years a stranger's ever said hello to me on the street." "Hello." "My name's Ludwig Smiley." "How do you do?" "." "Meet Mr. Moss." "Hello." "Hello, Ludwig." "My name's Smiley." "Hello." "Oh, hello." "My name is Charlie Bessemer." "Meet my friend, Mr. Ross." "Moss." "Hello, Mr. Ross." "Hello." "This is Miss Scott." "Miss Scott." "How do you do?" "." "Hello." "My name is Charlie Bessemer." "I'm Miss Kuznesniv." "This is Miss Scott." "How do you do?" "." "Hello, Miss Scott." "Meet Mr. Moss." "Miss Kuznesniv." "Mr." "Ross." "Miss Kuznesniv, hello." "Hello." "My name's Lattera." "I'm Mrs. Grover." "Well, why don't you try it this time?" "." "Oh, no." "Oh, come on." "Go on." "Hello." "No handouts." "Oh, I don't want anything." "I just want to say hello." "The name's Jeffrey Moss." "Well, hello there." "I'm Barney Lampwick." "Say, hello, I'm Barney Lampwick." "Hello." "Oh, hello." "Moss is the name." "I'm Bernie Denster." "Have some peanuts." "This is Miss Scott." "How are you, Miss Scott?" "." "Have some peanuts." "You call these peanuts?" "." "Yeah, peanuts." "Marvelous!" "Hello!" "Look at me, I'm walking." "I haven't walked around this city in years." "Mom wouldn't believe this." "Let's call her." "Who?" "." "Mom." "The little old lady that works at my answering service." "Come on." "Where are we?" "." "Oh, 45th Street." "I have to go to Brooklyn Heights." "Brooklyn Heights?" "." "Yeah." "Goodbye." "Goodbye?" "." "Mel." "Mel!" "Mel!" "I have to go." "Please don't ask me any questions." "Just believe me." "Of course I believe you." "I got a built-in Geiger counter." "I could spot a phony a mile off." "You're the only honest person I ever met in my whole life." "Honest person?" "." "lf I couldn't believe in you after everything that's happened today I'd just crumble away like a stale sponge cake." "Well, then believe me, I have to go." "But wait a second." "I'll be gone for two weeks." "When will I see you?" "." "I don't know." "I'll call you from the country." "No phone." "No phone?" "." "Wait a minute." "You promise that you'll see me two weeks from today, or I don't go at all." "In fact, I'll tail you to Brooklyn Heights right now." "Well, all right." "All right." "No." "It's all right." "A week from Wednesday, your place, 8:00." "Promise?" "." "Promise." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Wednesday, 8:00." "And don't forget the cheese Danish." "I met a girl A wonderful girl" "She's really got a lot To recommend her for a girl" "Fabulous creature Without any doubt" "Hey, what am I getting So excited about?" "She's just a girl An everyday girl" "And yet I guess she's really Rather special for a girl" "For once you have seen her The others are out" "Hey, what am I getting So excited about?" "But so what?" "What has she got Others have not?" "Two eyes, two lips, a nose All girls have some of those" "But when she looks up at me What do I see?" "The most enchanting face My pulse begins to race" "Hey, I met a girl A marvelous girl" "She's rarer than uranium And fairer than a pearl" "Found me a treasure And I wanna shout" "This is what I'm getting so excited about" "I met a girl and I fell in love Today" "Kramer Music." "Message for Kramer." "This is Morty Hopper of the Pyramid Club." "We need some songs fast." "So Tuesday at 1 0 we're gonna have a lot of songwriters in to peddle their fish." "Got that?" "Right." "Thank you." "Hey, what an opportunity for Dr. Kitchell." "I could tell him." "He brings his songs" "Ella!" "But if he could only sell one song, it might change his entire life." "Remember lnspector Barnes." "I love your sunny teeth" "Your funny, sunny teeth" "They're like a pearly wreath" "That hangs so" "Hello." "Hello?" "." "So you're Dr. Kitchell, the dentist." "Yeah, isn't it wonderful?" "." "I'm sorry." "I forgot we had an appointment." "Won't you sit down?" "." "Excuse me." "Now, what did you say you name is?" "." "Well, it started hurting as I came down the hall." "All right." "Excuse me." "Teeth." "Not bad." "Lean back, please." "Open wide." "I don't see anything." "But it hurts." "You don't see anything But it hurts" "Though you can 't see the pain in my heart Oh, oh, how it hurts" "Not bad." "Tell me, is it sensitive to hot and cold?" "." "First you're hot and then you're cold Then you're shy and then you're bold" "But I'm always sensitive to you" "Gee, those songs are pretty." "Did you like them?" "." "Oh, yes." "You're the first one." "I lose more patients this way." "I'm a terrible dentist." "I make up songs all the time." "And I can make up songs about anything." "Just give me a subject, a title, anything." "What are you thinking of?" "." "Off the top of your head?" "." "The Midas touch." "The Midas touch." "It's about a king and gold." "That's simple." "The Midas touch" "That mighty, mighty, mighty Midas touch" "Midas wanted gold so much" "Oh, that's brilliant." "Oh, it's nothing." "Well, I guess you'll be there." "Where?" "." "The Pyramid Club, Tuesday at 1 0 a.m. They're auditioning songs." "I'll be there at 9:30." "You write that down, now." "Yes." "Yes, I will." "Pyramid Club." "Madison Avenue." "Mort Hopper." "Oh, golly." "I don't know how to" "I...." "Oh, miss?" "." "Oh, miss?" "." "Oh, Mississippi steamboat Rounding the bend" "I'm coming home to you" "Maiden fair, up your river You lazy boat, you" "Susanswerphone." "This is Larry Hastings." "Any messages?" "Just a moment." "Blake Barton, the actor, called." "He wants to know if there's a part for him in your new production, The Midas Touch." "Blake Barton?" "Never!" "I'm sick of actors who won 't wear suits and who sound as if they've got a mouthful of marbles." "Thanks." "I mean, goodbye." "Ella, what are you doing?" "." "I'm just calling Blake Barton." "Ella." "Hello." "Blake Barton here." "Susanswerphone." "Oh, hiya, girl." "Hey, thanks a lot for that tip you gave me the other day but, well, they didn 't dig my action." "They said they were looking for a Rex Harrison type." "English." "So I said, ""What's the matter with me?" "I speak English. """ "No messages." " Yeah, well, that's crazy, girl." "Look, I'll be at Mike 's." "Crazy." "Good afternoon, Mr. Swenson." "Oh, good afternoon, Miss Ella." "What an interesting hat." "Mike, let me have another cup...." "They wanted things like love, hate and anger." "So for my acting exercise, I picked this part, see and in it, I'm supposed to be this, you know, frustrated guy." "Now, I gotta find the right image to show frustration." "So I get this image, see, of a ostrich." "A ostrich trying to bury his head in a cement pavement." "Dig it." "You see that?" "." "You get the image?" "." "Cuckoo." "Cuckoo." "Cuckoo." "Cuckoo." "I said "uh."" "Is that your motorcycle outside?" "." "Yeah." "It's crazy, huh?" "." "Cuckoo." "Cuckoo." "Hey, you get the part in The Midas Touch?" "." "Hey, man, you didn't go in there with that on, did you?" "." "What do you want me to do?" "." "Go in without it on, in the ever-loving nude?" "." "Did you ever try wearing a suit?" "." "Suit?" "." "A suit." "S-U-T." "What do you think I am, a fake?" "." "A suit." "We got a name for actors who wear suits." "Be a punk imitation the rest of your life." "I'm telling you, you want the job, you gotta cut the blue-jeans action." "You know what I mean?" "." "Look around you." "You're a glut on the market." "Like, man, like, dig, like, like, like, you're nothing." "Yeah, but a suit." "Fifteen hundred copies of Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, Opus Six." "Opus Six." "Yes, it's a big seller today." "Hello." "Shipping department." "1 500 copies of Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, Opus Six." "Ella, will you please tell Sue I will meet her at 8 at the Crying Gypsy Cafe." "Just have to watch them run off the Beethoven pressing at the Long lsland plant." "Titanic Records." "Hi, Ella." "Hi." "An order of 300 albums of Beethoven's Tenth Symphony, Opus Six, LP." "Thank you." "Gee, that's a popular piece." "Hey, there must be a mistake in that order." "Beethoven only wrote nine symphonies." "Really?" "." "But we had over 5000 orders for Beethoven's Tenth." "Well, they gotta mean the Ninth." "Tchaikovsky, six." "Brahms, four." "Beethoven, nine." "Well, you sure know your music." "I better tell the shipping department, huh?" "." "Yeah." "Hello, shipping." "I have an order here for 300 albums of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Opus Six, LP." "Yeah." "Listen, change all those other orders from Beethoven's Tenth to Beethoven's Ninth." "Well, sure, I'm sure." "Absolutely sure." "Thanks, Carl." "Anytime." "Hi." "Hi." "What are you so dressed up for?" "." "Just tried it on to see if it fits." "Oh, I get it." "It's Wednesday." "Ella, you're not gonna meet the sleeping prince?" "." "No." "That's good." "Because if that inspector catches you...." "What do you mean, no?" "." "I mean I'm not going." "I'm really not." "Good." "How come you're not going?" "." "I can't." "Why not?" "." "I can't see him again." "Why not?" "." "Because I'd have to tell him who I really am." "So tell him." "It's impossible." "What's impossible?" "." "You're making yourself miserable over nothing." "Nothing." "Sure, nothing." "What did you do that was so impossible?" "." "You lied a little." "Lied a little." "All right." "So you lied a lot." "He forced you into it." "Susanswerphone." "Mom?" "Yes, Mr. Moss?" "." "Listen, Mom, I just got back but I wanted to call and thank you for the faith you had in me." "Got a lot of work done." "Don 't know if it's good, but it's there." "Oh, that' s good, Mr. Moss." "Say, Mom, have there been any messages from a Melisande Scott?" "No." "Absolutely none." "I have a date with her for this evening" "Hello, Jeffrey." "Olga, how did you get in here?" "Oh, darling, I've been lonesome for you." "Oh, sweetheart." "Oh, Jeffrey." "Well...." "I'll call you back, Mom." "What' s the matter?" "." "Nothing." "I tell you, it' s absolutely out of the question." "I can ' t take you to the races today." "It's impossible." "Oh, Jeffrey, don't be such a pill." "I've got work to do." "You can work some other time." "Besides, they're waiting for us downstairs." "Yeah, but I have a business appointment." "Look, you're not gonna get rid of me that easily." "Mel." "Good afternoon, Mr. Moss." "Business appointment, huh?" "." "I'm Mr. Moss' secretary." "Mr. Moss has a lot of work to do." "I don't want you dragging him to the races!" "Get somebody else to take you to the races, for heaven's sake." "Well, now, where were we?" "." "Act 1 2, scene nine?" "." "Act 1 2." "Oh, of course." "Act 1 2, scene nine and make that four carbons in triplicate in blue covers." "Yes." "Right down the middle." "I told you I had work to do." "Look, you didn't believe me, but I do have a lot of work to do and I'll call you sometime." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Here you are." "Goodbye." "How did you know about her and the races?" "." "It's written all over her face." "She even looks a little like a horse." "I can't believe you're really here." "I can't believe it either." "How are you, Mel?" "." "I'm fine, thanks." "How are you?" "." "Fine." "How's your work?" "." "Oh, wonderful." "Wait till you see this." "I rewrote the whole first act and I more or less have a rough draft for the rest of it." "I hope you don't sue me, but you know that dentist you were telling me about?" "." "Well, I wrote him into the play." "That's wonderful." "What's the matter?" "." "Nothing." "Mel." "Oh, don't." "What is this?" "." "What did you come here for?" "." "I thought you needed a secretary." "Secretary!" "You're pretty well fixed for girls." "If you're here as a secretary, get to the typewriter." "What do you charge?" "." "Nothing." "Oh, come on." "A thousand dollars an hour." "That's reasonable enough." "Now sit down." "Sit down." "I promise I'll keep my grimy paws off of you." "Now, where were we?" "." "Act 1 2, scene nine?" "." "Senor Mendoza's hacienda in Iceland?" "." "Rodriguez is kneeling by the bedside." "Mel." "I don't know what you think you walked in on." "It wasn't anything at all." "You probably don't care whether it was or not and you obviously think I'm still with girls, girls" "But I'm trying to tell you that I've changed." "I think I've finally found the one." "The first one who's" "Mel" "I have to go." "Mel, you can't." "You drop into my life like a miracle, you save me from drowning." "You just can't toss me back to the sharks." "Mel, I love you." "All right?" "." "Do you think we should have left this on?" "." "Too much?" "." "Yeah." "Where is he?" "." "Where's who?" "." "J." "Otto Prantz." "He's at the Crying Gypsy Cafe." "Nick, let's go." "Hey, did you see those...?" "." "Thank you." "You like it?" "." "Yeah." "lt looks like something out of Traviata." "Ella." "Look." "Oh, it's beautiful." "Here." "Don't lose it." "It's a copy of a very good copy." "Where's he taking you?" "." "To a fancy society party?" "." "No." "We're just going dancing." "Just the two of us." "Oh, that dress will be so beautiful on the floor, won't it, Carl?" "." "Yeah." "Let's play with some music." "Hey, couldn't I have a little more slow, fox-trot type?" "." "Oh, it's a cha-cha-cha." "I know." "I can't do it." "There's nothing to it." "We'll teach you in two minutes." "Come in the middle." "Watch my hands." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "What about my feet?" "." "Like this." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "One, two, cha-cha-cha." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "Sneaks." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "I got it." "I got it, two, cha-cha-cha." "Let's go." "A one, two" "Cha-cha-cha." "A one, two" "Cha-cha-cha." "Across." "Cha-cha-cha." "Across." "Cha-cha-cha." "Skip and a-skip to the barbershop." "Let's hot cha, hot cha-cha, cha-cha." "Let's hot cha, hot cha-cha, cha-cha." "Cha-cha-cha." "Cha-cha-cha." "Cha-cha-cha." "Cha-cha-cha." "Follow me." "Here I come." "Come a little closer, then a little closer." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "A one and a two and a cha-cha-cha." "I just learned this." "I don't want to lose it." "Hello." "Hello." "Don't you want to hear the good news?" "." "Yeah." "Larry loved all the stuff I threw at him." "Good, good, good." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Come here." "I want to show you something." "It's a little old bridge that I whipped up for you on my Erector Set." "Oh, you shouldn't have done it." "Oh, it was nothing." "You know, Larry thinks that we can set up a rehearsal date." "And you know our Hollywood star, Katherine Arnold?" "." "She's really digging in to stay." "Oh, wonderful." "And Larry's having a few people over for a party, and I said we'd drop in." "Oh, no." "It's for Larry." "I have to." "He lives right over here." "We'll just drop in and we'll leave." "Over where?" "." "Over here." "Come on, I'll show you." "Come on." "Attagirl." "Here you are." "Come on, up." "Right up here." "You can't get through here." "This is a private park." "Only people that live here have keys." "We've got to go around to the front." "Oh, no." "What's the matter?" "." "I don't know any of those famous people." "So you'll meet them." "I don't wanna." "Well, I met all your friends out in the street." "Don't be such a snob." "Is this all right?" "." "It's magnificent." "No, it's not." "Like something out of La Traviata." "Oh, you're beautiful." "Anyway, it's your fault we have to go to a party." "If I hadn't found you crawling around on my floor, I wouldn't be invited anyplace." "I'd just be resting comfortably, facedown in the gutter, remember?" "." "But I thought we were gonna go dancing." "Just the two of us." "All right, let's dance." "Where?" "." "Right here." "ln the park?" "." "No guts?" "." "Oh, come on." "Stop it." "Don't you like dancing?" "." "I love it." "Just in time" "I found you just in time" "Before you came My time" "Was running low" "I was lost" "The losing dice were tossed" "My bridges all were crossed" "Nowhere to go" "Now you're here" "And now I know Just where I'm going" "No more doubt or fear" "I've found my way" "For love came just in time" "You found me just in time" "And changed my lonely life That lovely day" "Hey, you kids must be professionals." "You been peeking, you little rascal." "Oh, shall we show them that little act we used to do in Chicago?" "." "Where?" "." "At the stockyards." "Are you ready?" "." "Let's slaughter them." "My partner, Melisande Scott." "Nothing at all." "Watch the arm." "It only bends one way." "Tea for two and two for tea" "Two for tea" "Two." "Four." "Where you going?" "." "Over here, on the other foot." "Wait for me." "Let's not give them everything, okay?" "." "All right." "All right." "Okay." "Okay." "Just in time" "You found me just in time" "Before you came my time" "Was running" "This act could play the Palladium" "Or even the Yankee Stadium" "I was lost" "He was lost" "The losing dice were tossed" "They were tossed" "My bridges all were crossed" "They were crossed" "Nowhere to go" "Oh, my darling, Now you're here" "And now I know Just where I'm going" "Never a doubt or fear" "Now I'm on my way" "For love came just in time" "In time" " You found me just in time" "Just in time" "And changed my lonely life" "And changed my lonely life" "That lovely day" "That lovely day" "Just in time" "Just in time Just in time" "Oh, no." "Please, I can't." "Can't we wait a while?" "." "No." "We'll just go in for five minutes." "Just so I show my face." "But I feel sick." "Look, we'll have a nice fried glass of muskrat juice." "We'll dash our glasses into the fireplace." "No one will know we've been there." "I don't belong in there." "You're worth more to me than all these people and the city put together." "All right?" "." "Look, it's just a little party." "I want you to meet a few people, that's all." "Good evening, Mr. Moss." "Good evening, Dennis." "It's quiet in here." "I think that" "Where is everybody?" "." "This place was jumping a few minutes ago." "I'll tell Mr. Hastings you're here." "Thank you." "I've gotta tell you something." "I've gotta tell you something." "Oh, it's so hard." "I'm not an old lady." "That's funny." "I thought you were Whistler's mother." "No." "You don't know" "Hi, Jeff." "Oh, hi, Larry." "Come here." "Meet the Melisande Scott." "Larry Hastings." "So you're his little miracle worker, eh?" "." "How do you do?" "." "After the change in him, I figured you must be some sort of a magician." "This is a beautiful house." "Thank you." "This is the first time we've met, but there's something familiar about you." "In the tone of your voice, maybe." "No, of course not." "I guess it's just that Jeff's talked about you so much." "You've gotta tell him." "You've gotta tell him." "Where are the people, Larry?" "." "What people?" "." "Yeah, people." "People!" "Surprise!" "Surprise!" "Quiet, quiet, quiet, everybody." "Jeff, this party's for you." "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Sir Jeffrey Moss." "Soldier, statesman and the author of The Midas Touch." "They said it couldn't be done, but he did it." "Hip, hip, hurray!" "I'm sorry." "We have to stay here a while." "We're stuck." "I know." "It's all right." "Larry, this is beautiful." "I'm just" "Jeffrey, darling!" "I'm so happy for you." "Oh, I wish you all the luck in the world." "Mel, Mrs. Brubacher." "Melisande Scott." "Jeff, darling, I knew you could do it." "Melisande Scott, Mrs. Hoffenstein." "Jeff, darling darling, darling!" "It just couldn't be more wonderful." "May I present Mrs. Fortescu." "Melisande Scott." "He's such a precious lamb." "He finished the play like a big boy." "And he did it all by himself." "Mrs. Hamhocker, Melisande Scott." "Congratulations." "Congratulations, Jeff." "Guess who." "How could I ever forget that perfume?" "." "President Millard Fillmore." "Darling." "Katie." "Oh, Melisande Scott, meet our star, Katherine Arnold." "How do you do?" "." "How do you do?" "." "Jeff, I came in on the plane with Cary." "Everyone sends love." "Cary Grant." "Tony and Janet and Frankie" "Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh." "And David and Jennifer" "David Selznick and Jennifer Jones." "Larry, darling, what a turnout." "It's amazing." "Why, everybody in town's here tonight." "I suppose Mary and Ethel will be stopping by after the show." "Mary and Ethel who?" "." "Why, Mary Martin and Ethel Merman." "I just left Hedy and Charlie and Dotty." "They'll be here later." "Yes, yes." "Oh, that's Hedy Lamarr, Charlie Le Maire, Dotty Lamour." "Thank you." "Larry." "Moss has a beautiful idea for director." "Excuse us, darling." "Come and talk to him." "I'm sorry." "I'll be right back." "I haven't seen anything so shattering since the Armory Show of 1 91 3." "His name is Kayopa Dochaney, and every canvas is at least 20 by 20." "I say if you don't have wall space for it just move and get yourself a place with the wall space." "You'll never regret it, my dear." "They're the most absolute riot of color, my dear." "And they're all tans and plums and olives." "And they're all pictures of eyes." "Open eyes, closed eyes, blinking eyes, crossed eyes, eyes crying just eyes, eyes, eyes!" "Marvelous." "He's the first absolute genius I've seen since I was a year ago last summer in the South of France." "I don't know your specifications." "That's the only" "Wait a minute, this is a London call." "We gotta straighten this out." "He's a hack, let's face it." "Without Jeff, those plays wouldn't have gotten off the ground." "Jeff has the brilliance, the flair, the wit" "A wonderful ear." "That's the difference." "Wonderful ear." "You have it or you don't." "You've got to be born with it." "What a beautiful talent." "And what a great human being." "I agree with you." "Take it downstairs." "It's simply fantastic." "Hang up when we get downstairs." "Look, we've got to get this straightened out." "Time me, and I'll be back in 30 seconds flat." "What is that?" "." "What is what?" "." "I don't think it's a play for a British director." "Well, it was the big night of my life." "Mary and Ethel reminisced for hours." "Mary Martin and Ethel Merman." "No, Mary Astor and Ethel Waters." "Having fun?" "." "I remember it as if it were yesterday." "Everyone in the room had been a star for at least 50 years." "Mary and Ethel never looked more radiant." "Mary Astor and Ethel Waters." "No, Mary Pickford and Ethel Barrymore." "It's a little confusing, isn't it?" "." "Don't you let it throw you." "Just do what everybody else does." "Drop a name." "Right, Katie?" "." "Right." "Frank" "Sinatra" "Albert" "Schweitzer" "Ingrid" "Bergman" "Noel" "Coward" "Gene" "Kelly" "Oscar" "Levant" "Brigitte Bardot and Jean Cocteau Marilyn Monroe, Vincente Minnelli" "Fred Astaire and Rene Clair Jose Ferrer, the former Grace Kelly" "Lynn Fontanne and Danny Mann And Deborah Kerr" "Irving Berlin" "And Rin Tin Tin" "Danny Kaye and Doris Day And Pasternak" "Hemingway and Prince Rainier Moran and Mack" "Irwin Shaw and Evelyn Waugh And Cary Grant" "Rory Calhoun" "And Rin Tin Toon" "Bernie Baruch and King Farouk Alistair Cooke, Lizzie and Eddie" "Lucille Ball and Lauren Bacall Vivien Leigh, Ros Russell and Freddie" "Arthur Freed and Sammy Snead And Irving Lazar" "Anna May Wong" "And Rong Tong Tong" "Flew down to Cannes to get a tan Then simply ran to dear Portofino" "Saint Tropez just turned me gray Because night and day I lived on just vino" "Stayed with Fritz at Biarritz The playground of kings" "Glamorous sights" "Like Brooklyn Heights" "My Christian Dior I wore then tore Got fitted for a new Balenciaga" "I like Chanel, she wears so well As time will tell, her clothes are a saga" "Valentina 's where I've been I love all her things" "Things with good lines" "Like things from Klein 's" "I do all my shopping there with Mary and Ethel." "Mary and Ethel who?" "." "Mary Schwartz and Ethel Hotchkiss." "Keenan Wynn" "Rin Tin Tin" "Sophia Loren" "Ren Ten Ten" "Aly Khan" "Rahn Tahn Tahn" "Raymond Massey" "Lassie" "That's the way you play the game" "Drop that name" "Mel!" "Mel Ferrer!" "Come on up." "It's not a play for a British director!" "Larry, at least talk to him!" "Well, well, well." "If it isn't Jeffrey's little secretary." "What a mean boss." "Makes you work all night, huh?" "." "Oh, go stick your head in a bag of oats." "What's the matter?" "." "Cat got your tongue?" "." "Playing dumb, huh?" "." "Well, if that's what you're doing with Jeff, keep it up." "It's working." "Boy, you're a real kooky dame, aren't you?" "." "But Melisande Scott." "Where did you find that name, in a Chinese fortune cookie?" "." "I don't get it." "We've got the show ready to go into production." "Miss Scott?" "." "Have you got a pen?" "." "He's in love with Melisande Scott" "A girl who doesn 't exist" "He's in love with someone you're not" "And so remember" "It was never you he kissed" "The party's over" "It's time to call it a day" "No matter how you pretend" "You knew it would end this way" "It's time to wind up" "The masquerade" "Just make your mind up" "The piper must be paid" "The party's over" "The candles flicker and dim" "You've danced and dreamed Through the night" "It seemed to be right Just being with him" "Now you must wake up" "All dreams must end" "Take off your makeup" "The party's over" "It's all over" "My friend" "You danced and dreamed Through the night" "It seemed to be right Just being with him" "Now you must wake up" "All dreams must end" "Take off your makeup" "The party's over" "We got stuck with the wrong shipment." "Maestro Corvello says you'll have to cover the cost to the tune of 5000 albums." "But I did not switch them." "Otto, who are these gentlemen?" "." "Two musicians from the Chicago Concert Orchestra." "Gentleman, I am innocent, and I refuse to pay." "Well, in that case, Otto, we may take you across the river for a recording session." "A recording session?" "." "Maestro Corvello is waiting to record Siegfried's Rhine Journey and Funeral March." "You got two hours." "We'll meet you at the warehouse." "Let's go, Nick." "Oh, bye-bye!" "Otto, you mustn't let little business worries upset you." "You know, you need someone to look after you." "Well, a woman." "Someone you can confide in." "Sue, I will confide in you." "Up till now, I want only to bring Kultur to the masses but now I want us to grow rich together." "But to do this, we must invest capital." "How much money have you got?" "." "You must trust me." "I'm talking to you..." "..." "like someone who may love you." "I have $6500!" "Where is it?" "." "It's in a little blue sock." "I keep it, if you'll pardon the expression, upon my person." "Sue, I love you." "Nowhere to go" "It's no use, Jeff." "We've covered every bar in town." "Come on back to the party." "I don't know anything about her." "Where she lives, how to get in touch with her." "Just a note saying goodbye." "Come on, Jeff." "Don't worry, Larry." "Don't worry about the play." "I'll keep working." "I know that." "I...." "Okay." "I would like to order a martini." "Okay." "Dry." "Very dry." "Good evening, Mr. Moss." "Good evening." "You don't know me, do you, Mr. Moss?" "." "I'm Blake Barton." "Must be the suit." "I got to tell you I love the part Mr. Hastings set me for in your play today." "The dentist who wants to be a composer." "Where do you writers get an idea like that from, anyway?" "." "I mean, an idea like that...." "Where do you get them from?" "." "Oh, let me alone, will you?" "." "Excuse me, Mr. Moss." "I'm sorry, Barton." "I feel rotten." "Let's put it this way, I wish I were dead." "Gee, Mr. Moss, I know what you mean." "A couple of weeks ago, man, I was the lowest." "I hadn't worked for months, and then, a miracle!" "Oh, please, no miracles." "You're a nice guy, Barton." "Drink up." "Thanks." "I got one coming." "And now, it's showtime." "And for our opening production number, The Pyramid Pips present a brand-new song:" ""The Midas Touch"!" "Gold and all its glory And here's the story of the Midas touch" "Did they say ""The Midas Touch""?" "." "The beggar rests his weary head" "And dreams of just one crust of bread" "But  when the beggar's dreams grow bold" "He dreams as others do" "Of gold" "The Midas touch The mighty Midas touch" "The Midas touch The mighty Midas touch" "The Midas touch The mighty, mighty Midas touch" "The Midas touch The Midas touch" "The Midas touch" "The Midas touch The mighty, mighty Midas touch" "Gold!" "In the morning" "Gold!" "In the evening" "Gold!" "In the summer" "Gold!" "In the winter" "Dr. Midas said to me Be sure and take your vitamin G-O-L-D" "And that's what he said to me" "Oh, like the number?" "." "Especially the fourth one from the right." "No, no, the song." "I wrote it." "Isn't it wonderful?" "." "Excuse me." "Did you say you wrote that?" "." """The Midas Touch""?" "." "Sure." "Great title, isn't it?" "." "I always thought so." "Would you join us?" "." "Oh, I'd be glad to." "I'm Jeffrey Moss." "This is Blake Barton." "How do you do?" "." "My name is Joe Kitchell." "Sit down." "Jackpot, Francie." "The three of them are together." "We'll close in tonight." "Are you sure?" "." "Positive." "I don't know whether they're pushing dope, or if it's a spy ring but it's something big, and she's Miss Big." "Go alert the squad." "Mr." "Kitchell" "It's Dr. Kitchell." "Actually, I'm a dentist." "Dentist?" "." "A dentist?" "." "Sure." "That's funny." "I'm a dentist." "You're a dentist?" "." "Well, I play a dentist in a play." "That's funny." "Well, I'm not a dentist anymore." "I'm a composer now." "My father didn't want me to be a composer." "My father doesn't want me to be a composer." "He doesn't?" "." "My father in the play." "That's funny." "It's real funny and sad." "It's a very interesting part." "See, I make up these tunes on the air hose..." "...and my father doesn't want me to" "You...?" "." "I wrote "The Midas Touch" on the air hose." "That's what's holding up the play." "I've been using paper." "What play?" "." "The play we're talking about." "He wrote it." "You wrote the play?" "." "The Midas Touch." "That's the name of my song." "Yeah, I know." "I know." "That's funny." "I remember." "I got the title from that girl." "What girl?" "." "The girl that was thinking of the Midas touch that day." "What day?" "." "That was the day that changed my life." "I was feeling lower than low, hopeless, and suddenly..." "...a miracle happened." "Miracle?" "." "He's got a miracle too." "She was in the office a couple minutes tipped me off about this job, and I got it." "She was blond, pretty..." "...5'6", big brown eyes" "Wait a minute." "Wait a second here!" "That's how I got the chance to do the part in your play." "This girl comes up to me and tells me about myself, the clothes and the whole bit." "She changes my life." "I get the part." "What I'm leading up to is:" "She was blond, 5'6""" "Melisande!" "Who?" "." "Melisande Scott." "I gotta find her." "He's flipping." "Let's go." "Wait a second." "That girl is the same girl that dropped into my life." "The same girl?" "." "Where did you see her last?" "." "Where?" "." "She was in the office a minute and disappeared." "I never saw her again." "Same with me." "I've got to get to the bottom of this." "I've gotta find her." "I'm in love with her." "Where can I call you later?" "." "I don't know where I'll be." "I don't know where I am." "I'll give you my phone number here." "I'll give you my phone number too." "Thanks." "Where are you going?" "." "Brooklyn Heights." "Well, good luck." "Brooklyn Heights." "Seems like a logical look." "All right, you three, come on along." "Wait a minute." "There's only two of them." "Cover the exit." "Cover the men's room." "What's going on here?" "." "We're taking you down to the station." "Would this have to do with the blond girl?" "." "You said it." "That's funny." "Come on." "Come on." "Wait!" "That's funny that you love me, darling" "Come on." "Melisande!" "Melisande!" "Dr." "Kitchell's Dental Clinic." "Where is the doctor?" "." "Dr. Kitchell left no message." "Thanks." "Oh, wait!" "ls this Susanswerphone?" "." "That's correct." "Who 's calling?" "Never mind." "Susanswerphone." "Blake Barton 's residence." "Susanswerphone?" "." " Yes." "Who 's calling?" "That' s funny." "Dr. Kitchell, Barton and me." "All Susanswerphone." "That was the other one I was talking to." "Mom." "Melisande." "Mom!" "But, Ella, I'm not angry with you." "I just wish you'd confided in me sooner." "Well, you mustn't leave." "I have to, Sue." "I just can't stay here anymore." "But, Ell" "Ella, I need you here." "The subscribers won't even know I've gone." "That's not true." "Why, only today Mrs. Mallet called twice about her little boy, Junior." "He wanted to talk to Santa Claus." "They all ask for you." "They call me "the other one."" "Please stay, Ella." "I can't, Sue." "I've spent my whole life tuning in on other people's lives playing all sorts of imaginary characters." "They became even more real to me than I was." "Jeff fell in love with one of them not with me." "Who is me?" "." "I don't know myself who I am." "I know you Your name is Sue" "But who am I?" "I've got to find out" "At least I'm gonna try" "I'm going back" "Where I can be me" "A t the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company" "They've got a great big switchboard there" "Where it's just ""Hello, goodbye """ "It may be dull But there I can be" "Just me, myself, and I" "A little modeling on the side" "Yes, that's where I'll be" "A t the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company" "And if anybody asks For Ella, Mella, or Mom" "Tell them that I'm going back Where I came from" "To the B. T. Brassiere Company" "Goodbye, everybody" "Goodbye, Madame Grimaldi" "Goodbye, Junior Mallet" "Santa Claus is a-hitting the road" "Listen to your momma, momma, momma" "Eat your spinach, baby" "Eat your spinach, baby, by the load" "Adieu to you" "So goodbye, Max, To your dogs and your cats" "To the Duke of Windsor and his duchess" "Bye-bye, Barton and Kitchell and Hastings" "A t last, you're out of my clutches" "I'll miss you, but you'll carry on" "You'll never know that I've gone" "I'm going back" "Where I can be me" "A t the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company" "And while I'm sitting there I hope that I find out" "Just what Ella Peterson is all about" "In that Shangri-la" "Of lacy lingerie" "A little modeling on the side" "A t the Bonjour Tristesse Brassiere Company" "Send me my mail there!" "To the Bonjour Tristesse Company" "Give me a chance to explain it." "I've got to get out." "Just a minute, please." "Come on, get in!" "Get in here, you fink, you." "All right, now hand over that money!" "I will, I will." "But give me a chance to check the books." "Ella, let me help you." "Why, Otto, what's the matter?" "." "This is impossible." "Who could have done this?" "." "Who switched these orders from Beethoven's 10th to Beethoven's 9th?" "." "I did." "Beethoven only wrote nine symphonies." "You idiot!" "You put all the money on the wrong horse." "I was almost bumped off for this by the mob." "Shut up." "To think my simple, little bookie system can be loused up by this dumb broad." "Horses?" "." "Bookies!" "Otto, is that what I gave you all that money for?" "." "Sue, you didn't." "That's swell, loudmouth." "Now these dames know all about it." "They can't talk." "One peep out of them, and the cops will put them in jail and close up Susanswerphone." "Let's go!" "The money!" "My life savings!" "Ella, please do something!" "Shut up!" "They don't get it." "Get what?" "." "Shut up!" "Okay, Otto, your number's up." "Ridiculous." "Oh, no." "Remember Mr. Barnes of Vogue magazine?" "." "Vogue?" "." "He's not Mr. Barnes." "He's lnspector Barnes." "And the cops know about this whole layout." "It's a trap!" "You're coming with us to Corvello's." "No, no, no." "It won't be necessary to rub us out, boys, because...." "Because you've all been spilling your guts into a tape recorder." "Where is it?" "." "Where is it?" "." "You think you're playing with kids?" "." """Where is it?" ". """ "Where is it?" "." "It's rigged up to the police station, that's where." "And you better get going, because as a matter of fact Inspector Barnes should be here any minute." "Inspector Barnes." "Am I glad to see you." "Get your toothbrush and come on along." "My toothbrush?" "." "That's right." "No, we can just drop that act right now because I've got the whole bookie mob right here." "All you have to do is take them away." "lnspector Barnes, I surrender happily." "These are two of Corvello's henchmen." "I want to congratulate you for having such a brilliant ally working with you to uncover the Corvello gang." "Me?" "." "I'm nothing." "Small potatoes." "Corvello, he's the head of everything." "We only work for him." "What?" "." "lnspector, don't you get the picture?" "." "Titanic Records is a bookie operation." "Take them away." "Take them away!" "Farewell, my liebchen." "Oh, Otto, how you deceived me." "But how you deceived me, you little Mata Hari." "Inspector Barnes, you'll get a promotion for this." "I didn't do anything." "I told you she was a nice girl." "Well, is it a crime to have made a human mistake?" "." "I misjudged you." "I wonder if you'd mind coming down to the station with me." "I may need your help." "I'll be glad to." "Now, Ella, promise me you won't leave." "I'll watch the board till you get back." "Oh, I forgot to turn it back on again." "Susanswerphone." "I wanna talk to Miss Melisande Scott." "I said I wanna talk to Miss Scott." "Who?" "." "Speak slower." "I know she works there." "There' s nobody here by that name." "I'm coming over." "Well, it won ' t do you any good." "There's nobody here by that name." "Crackpot!" "Sue, what was that?" "." "Somebody looking for somebody." "I said there was nobody here by that name." "By what name?" "." "Melanie or Melisande." "He said he was coming down here." "No, Sue, I can't stay!" "Watch the board." "No!" "Max's Dog and Cat Beauty Shop." "Nobody home." "Are you sure this is the right address?" "." "That's it." "Doesn't look like an office building to me." "That's it, buddy." "What kind of a place is this?" "." "It looks like something out of Oliver Twist." "What?" "." "Keep away, young man." "We girls are not allowed to be familiar with the customers." "Mom." "Mom." "Don't you know me?" "." "Don't you know your little telephonic sonny boy?" "." "Oh, yes." "Mr. Moss." "Get out!" "All right." "Get the picture?" "." "It's me." "Melisande." "No, no Melisande." "It's Ella Peterson." "There's no Melisande." "I made it up." "All right." "Ella." "Mella." "Mom." "Whatever your name is, I love you." "You can't." "I tricked you." "Pretty shabby trick saving a man's life." "But all that stuff." "I was just telling you what you told Mom." "I'm nothing." "Now, don't you call Mom "nothing."" "I loved talking to Mom." "She was warm, sympathetic, wise, understanding." "I thought she was a little old lady." "Isn't it a nice surprise to find out that she's a beautiful blond who knows how to cha-cha?" "." "But you have to let me explain what I did to you." "Never mind." "I got you pretty well figured out." "I had a long trip all the way from Brooklyn Heights to work on it." "Dr. Kitchell." "Barton." "Ella, you do things like that just the same way you say hello to people on the street." "Ella, you're a girl with a lot of love to give." "Don't scatter it all over the place." "Give it to me." "I need it." "I want it." "Ella!" "This is Plaza 0-4433." "How do you do?" "." "You must be the other one." "Here's some others who want to see you." "Butterfield 8-9970!" "Dr." "Kitchell!" "How can I ever thank you?" "." "Oh, don't thank me." "Don 't thank me But let me thank" "Murray Hill 3-9970!" "Blake Barton!" "You gave my life that crazy switcheroo." "Cuckoo." "Cuckoo." "Plaza 8-9653." "Oh, Mr. Hastings, how are you?" "." "Reese 6-4598." "And so, ladies and gentlemen, you too like this satisfied customer can solve all your problems by subscribing to an answering service." "[english]"