"What are you doing home, Gary?" "I said, what are you doing home, Gary?" "What are you doing home, Gary?" "When a mother asks a question, she expects an answer." "I didn't know you asked a question." "I had the shower running." "I asked why you're home so early." "Can I finish my shower first?" "Then we'll talk." "We'll talk now." "You haven't said a word to me in two weeks." "All of a sudden, I don't have a chance to finish a shower?" "Why are you home?" "I got fired." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God." "Oh, my God." "God." "Oh, Ma, please, will you stop with the "Oh, my Gods" and heavy breathing?" "I'll get another job." "Oh, my God, you'll get another job." "Simple." "A job like that's not easy to come by." "Oh, my God." "Ma, come on, please, will you stop it?" "Just forget it." "Forget it." "That's all I've heard all my life from you and your father." "You're the same as he was." "It's easy for you to talk." "You're not the one who has to worry." "That's right, Mom." "I'm just the one that has to work." "What does that mean?" " You expect me to work?" " I didn't say that." "Fine, I'll work." "It doesn't matter that I'm sick, if I get a job, it'll kill me." "Ma, you don't have to get a job." "You own this building, remember?" "Now, please, stop bugging me." "My son..." "I promise you your mother will never bug you again." "Goodbye, my son." "Do we have any of that pizza left?" "We must have some." "Two of us couldn't have eaten a whole large onion and pepperoni." "Here it is." "You know, you're not impressing me with this." "I mean, why are you doing it?" "You need something with a little more shock value." "You know, until the time I was 10," "I thought the only thing that went inside an oven was my mother's head." "Would you mind if we shared?" "I can put the pizza on the top shelf and you can leave your head on the bottom." "You don't even care." "Your own mother, and you don't care." "I'd care if there was something to care about, but you're not gonna kill yourself." "You know it and I know it." "You're just like your father." "Thank you." "My son?" "Yeah, Mom." "How much pizza do we have left?" "There's plenty for both of us." "Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?" " No, it's okay." " Thanks." "First time in L.A., huh?" "Yeah." "How'd you know?" "Well, you got an L.A. paper, classified, apartment rentals." "Sherlock Holmes stuff." "I can't believe how expensive these places are." "Yeah, tell me about it." "First and last month's rent, plus a deposit?" "It's murder." "My buddy lives in L.A. He found me a place in his building." "Pretty reasonable rates, supposed to be good-sized apartments." "You're lucky." "Hey, you know, he's gonna meet me at the bus depot." "We can ask him, there might be another vacancy in the building." "Oh, that's all right." "Thanks anyway." "I'm not a dirty old man, you know." "I'm just trying to help." " I guess it couldn't hurt to ask him." " Okay." "This is a bedroom." "And this is a bathroom." "And plenty of closets." "Nice and spacious." "You don't get that in the newer buildings." "It's very nice." "Yeah, so I'll need first and last and a cleaning deposit." "Oh, and no children." "You don't have any children, do you?" "No." "No, I don't." "Good, you're better off." "The rent is 480 a month." "Wait a minute, I only pay 325." "That's this month." "I had to raise all the rents." "What?" "You mean my rent is going up to 480?" "That's right." "Well, that's a little too steep for me." " Thanks." " Hey, I'm sorry." "Thank you." "Alice." "Hey, look, Mark and I were just talking." "Well, there's no way either one of us can afford $480 a month rent either." "So since the apartments are so big, I'm just gonna move in with him." "I've already paid the first and last month's rent on the place so you're welcome to use it until you find something." " Are you kidding?" " No, I'm not kidding." "I mean, there's no way Mrs. Davis is gonna give me my money back." "What do you say?" "What can I say?" "Thank you." "Jonathan, would you mind my asking why we are standing out here at quarter to 1 in the morning?" "Waiting for the other half of our assignment." "Well, I wish they'd get here soon." "I could use some sleep, you know?" "Looks like your wish has been granted." " Easy, Gary, easy." "I got you." " Do I know you?" "Yeah, Jonathan Smith, new tenant." "You know Mark Gordon, right?" "Yeah, come on." "Let's get you inside." " Hey, I'm bleeding." " You'll live." "Come on, come on, come on." "All right." " Wait, no, no, no." "Come on, this way." " He lives upstairs." "I know that." "Come on." "You're just fine." "You're all right." "Okay, put him right here." "Jonathan, she shouldn't see him like this." "Who's the angel here?" "All right." "Let's go." "My God, you're bleeding." "Do you want me to call a doctor?" "No, I don't have Medicare." "Call a priest." "You're okay, then." "I'm fantastic." " Well, good night, then." " Good night, then." "Are you still there?" "Yes." "Could I come into your room and wash up?" "This person I live with upstairs gets very emotional." "It's very late." "She's probably worried about you." "No, she doesn't" " She doesn't worry, she just gets emotional." "If I died, it'd probably ruin her whole day." "Can I come in and wash up?" "Okay." " The bathroom's over there." " Well, it has to be." "In this apartment house, every bathroom's over there." " How'd it happen?" " A fight." "Four or five guys jumped me." "That's terrible." "Yeah, it's also a lie." "Some garbage cans, I drove into them." " Gary Davis." " Who?" " Me, my name, Gary Davis." " I'm Alice." "What are you, a stripper?" "What?" "Well, strippers only have one name." "Alice, Dee Dee, Sandra." "Hartman, Alice Hartman." "Well, it's a pleasure, Alice Hartman." "And thank you." "You know, you shouldn't let strange men in your apartment." "You didn't seem that strange." " You're cute." " You're drunk." "You're right." "Good night." "The pregnancy is coming along perfectly normal." "I want you to keep taking the vitamins, two a day with meals." "And your weight's fine so I'm not gonna give you any no-noes about eating." "Both the letter I received from your mother and from your family doctor stated that you wanted to give the child up for adoption." "Do you still intend to go through with that?" "Yes." "You've contacted an attorney to handle the adoption for you?" "No." "I was going to, but I didn't know anyone and there were so many names, I just" "I understand." "I'll recommend someone, if you like." "It might simplify matters for you." "His name is Lou Graham." "Here's his number." "He's a good man." "I think you might like him." "Do you think what I'm doing is wrong?" "No." "No, I don't." "But the right or wrong of it only pertains to how it affects you." "My mom and I talked, and I guess this is the best way." "What did your dad think?" "He doesn't know about it." "Mom thought it was best if he didn't." "I'm in Europe now, seeing the world." "Two months is a long time not to hear from your daughter." "Oh, he gets a postcard every week from Europe." "You just send them in to those mailing places and they mail them for you." "It's really better if he doesn't know." "All right." "I wanna see you again in two weeks, okay?" "And be sure you keep taking the vitamins." "I will, doctor." "Thank you." " Hey, Alice, how you doing?" " Oh, fine." " What's this?" " I don't know." "Your assignment, Alice, if you wanna take it, is to have a crummy pizza at a drive-in movie tonight." "If you wish to accept the assignment, leave this rose outside your door." "Gary Davis, over and out." "Well, look at that." "You're in town for one day" " and you've already got an admirer." " Some admirer." "I found him leaning on my door last night, drunk as a skunk." "Well, you can't always judge people by first meetings." "We all have our bad days, don't we?" "Yeah." "Yeah, I guess we do." "He's really a nice guy." "He just hasn't found the right person to put some meaning in his life." "The right person?" "I'm afraid most of the time, they turn out to be the wrong person." "Well, doesn't mean we should stop trying." "We all get hurt sometimes, it's part of living." " Well, I gotta be going." "I'll see you." " Bye." "Ma." "Hey, Ma." "In here, my son." " Hello, my son." " Have you been in bed all day?" "Oh, I've had trouble catching my breath." "It's no wonder." "You got the windows closed." "The light." "Will you stop acting like a vampire?" "I got a job." "You got a job?" "What job?" " I said, what job?" " Construction." "Now, will you let me get ready?" "I've got a date." "He really pinched her head off, didn't he?" "Hey." " Come back." " I'm sorry." " Want some corn?" " A little." "What were you thinking about?" "I--I--I don't even know." "I'll bet I know." "You're thinking you've been in town a couple of days, and here you are on a date with some yo-yo, takes you to a drive-in horror movie." "Am I right?" "I'm right." "Come on, be honest." "You're not right." "Then what are you laughing at?" "I don't know." "I really--I don't know." " I'm freezing." " I'll get us some towels." "Got it." " Thanks." " I love you." "I really do." "I really do love you." "Well, come on, take me off the hook." "Say something." "I'm pregnant." "What?" "I'm seven months pregnant." "What's the matter?" "You got problems?" "Yeah, the damn thing won't start." " I'm gonna be late for work." " Come on, I'll give you a lift." "I'm going all the way to Inglewood." "No problem, come on." "How are things going with you and Alice?" "What?" "I see you two together all the time." "Thought you might be getting serious." "Yeah, well, we're not." "We're not even seeing each other anymore." " Sorry to hear that." "She's a nice girl." " Yeah." " What happened?" " I appreciate the ride and everything, but that's really none of your business." "That's true." "She's pregnant." "Yeah, I know." "Well, if you knew, then how come you asked me how things were going?" "I couldn't believe it when she told me that." "Well, now you know how Joseph felt." "Joseph?" "Well, Joseph." "In the Bible." "Joseph." "Yeah, well, this was no immaculate conception, pal." "You love her?" "No." "I mean, I did, but how can I love her now?" "Well, why not?" "She's the same person you fell in love with." "No, she's not." "She's pregnant." "She was pregnant when you met her." "The only difference is, now you know." "If you're gonna base your relationships with people on things they did before you met them, you're gonna be in a lot of trouble." "Let's face it, you were no thrill before you two got together." " What are you talking about?" " I'm talking about you." "You were an irresponsible jerk until you met Alice." "You've changed a lot in these past few weeks." "Haven't you?" " Haven't you?" " Yeah, I guess so." " Why?" "What changed you?" " I don't know." "Yeah, well, I do." "You finally met someone that made you feel good about yourself." "Somebody you wanted to be proud of you." "Just drop it, would you?" "Just drop it." " Well, there you go." " Yeah, thanks for the lift." "Gary?" "If you love her, don't throw it away because of ego or false pride." "It's not easy to find a girl like Alice." "Thanks for the lift." "I tell you, Estelle, you spend your whole life worrying." "First they go out every night, stay out till all hours, never bother to call." "You spend half the time thinking they're dead, lying dead, murdered in a ditch somewhere." "Then, next thing, they don't go anywhere." "They sit and stare at TV." "You ask them what's wrong, they say nothing's wrong." "As if a mother wouldn't know what's wrong." "Oh, well, what am I telling you for?" "You know, you got a son." "How is Johnny?" "Oh, he is?" "Doing that well?" "How long has he been with that company?" "Three months." "You should be proud." "Well, I'll let you go, Estelle." "Give my best to everybody." "I will." "You too." "Bye." "Do you know who I was just talking to?" "Estelle." "Guess what her son, Johnny, is doing." "He's doing very well." " Do you know what I'm wondering?" " You're wondering what's wrong." "You wanna tell me?" "Yeah, the picture tube's starting to go." "Come on, where are my keys?" "Kind of a lousy night for a drive, isn't it?" "Who cares?" "Are you going out to get drunk again?" "It's none of your business what I do." "What are you butting in for anyway?" "Because I'm your friend." "I think people sometimes need people to talk to." "Yeah, well, I don't." "But if you really wanna help, figure out where my keys are." " They're in Alice's apartment." " What?" "I helped her carry some groceries." "Put your keys on the mantel." "You left them in the ignition." " You took my car keys?" " Yeah, I took your car keys." "I was afraid somebody might steal that beauty." "You know, you're really starting to bug me." "Now, get me my car keys." "You want your car keys, you get them yourself." "You know where they are." " Hi." " Hi." "Look, sorry to bother you, but Jonathan left my keys on your mantel." " He put them there for some reason." " Oh, let me look." " Yeah, here they are." " Thanks." "How you been?" "Fine." "You?" "Real good." "I'm sorry." "No reason to be sorry." "I missed you." "I missed you too." "Look, when you told me, I didn't know" "I don't blame you." "I would have probably done the same thing." "Can I come in?" "I just wanna be with you." "Okay." "We've reunited our couples." "And now, gentlemen, we've recorded your predictions on cards." "You have them in front of you." "Ladies, it's nice to have you." " Here's your question." " What about the guy?" " What?" " The guy." "What did he have to say about the baby and all?" "The night I told him, he was very upset." "He said no one was gonna take our child away." "And he went home to work things out." "I phoned the next day and his phone was disconnected." "And I went by his apartment and he'd moved." "I don't really blame him." "I mean, what would you do if a girl told you she was going to have a baby?" "You did, and I didn't move." "My hero." "What is it?" "The baby kicked." "Give me your hand." "Here, feel." " I don't feel anything." " Just wait." " I told you." " Hey." "Yeah, he really moves around in there." "Hey, there it goes again." "That's fantastic." "This is nothing." "Just wait another month and see." "Yeah." "What's wrong?" "Why does everybody always ask me that?" "I'm sorry, you just got so quiet." "I mean, what am I doing here anyway?" "Sitting around watching television and feeling some baby kick in your stomach." "You're the one that wanted to come in." "I know that." "I just don't know why." " This is stupid." " Then why don't you leave?" "That's what I'm doing." "I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 8." "We'll have some dinner." "Okay." "All right, we'll get right down to cases." "I will be acting as your attorney in this matter." "Another attorney will handle the adopting parents." "It's a matter of protection for the adopting couple." "They will pay all attorney fees, all medical and hospital bills." "Any money spent by you up to this point will be reimbursed." " That's not necessary." " Well, it's standard." "They will also pay an amount that we determine adequate to keep you going till you get back on your feet." "I'll be going home right after." "Well, as I said, we can determine an amount you feel you need." "I see." "Will I know who gets my baby?" "I mean, will I know what kind of people they are?" "Yes, certainly." "You'll receive a full background on them." "And of course, they will want all the usual information on you and the child's father." "Here." "Here are some papers that you can fill out, take home with you." "Just drop them in the mail to me." "I'd also like a photograph of you and the child's father." "I don't have a picture of him." "Can you get one?" "I don't know." "Well, it would help us." "It gives the adopting parents a feeling of security knowing what the mother and the father look like." "I see." "I'll do my best." "Good." "Any questions?" "No." "Then I think that does it for now." "We'll try to make this whole matter as comfortable as we can for you." "Thank you." "If you do have any questions, something you happen to think of later," " just give me a call." " I will." "Have a good day." "Yeah." "Hey, kemosabe, you know something?" "That Mrs. Davis up there is a sweet woman." "I can't understand why Gary thinks she's weird." "Well, sometimes people act a little differently with their relatives." "Yeah." "Do you know that he has not told her one word about Alice?" "I'll bet she doesn't even know they're seeing each other." "Yeah, I'll bet you're right." "Shame to keep something like that from her." "I'll tell you one thing, I could talk to that woman about anything." "Really?" "I'll keep that in mind." " What a day that was, huh?" " Yeah." " You wanna stop and get a cold one?" " No, thanks." "Oh, you seen the new waitress at Artie's?" " No." " Oh, you gotta check this one out." "Come on, I'm buying." "I gotta get going." "Oh, you got a heavy date, huh?" "Yeah." "Very heavy." "The door's open." "Come on in." "I'm ready." "Your letters fooled me for a while." "But your mother kept crying over nothing." "She finally told me." "How do you feel?" "All right." " You look tired." " I'm fine, really." " How's Mom?" " How do you think she is?" "I'm sorry." "The time for being sorry's long past." "Why?" "I asked myself that 100 times on the plane." "Why?" " It just happened." " That's no answer." "If it's too late to be asking why, it's certainly too late to be sorry." "Who was the boy?" "Does it matter?" "No." "I wish I hadn't found out." "I wish the lie had worked." "And everything would be the same as it was." "I guess all fathers know that things go on." "But as long as you don't know for sure, you can pretend your little girl" "is still your little girl." "You have enough money?" "Yes." "Need anything?" "No." "I'll be going, then." "Bye." "What's going on?" " Who was that?" " My father." "He was so pathetic." "I felt so sorry for him." " What'd he say?" " Not much of anything." "He looked so old." "God, I wish he hadn't found out." "Tough." " What?" " Tough." "I mean, what the hell did he come here for anyway?" "Just to make you feel worse than you did before?" " You wouldn't understand." " The hell I wouldn't." "He just came here to lay all the guilt on you so that he wouldn't have to carry any of it." "That's a stupid thing to say." "Yeah, well, I think your old man's stupid." "If I love somebody, I let them know I love them." "I don't make them feel lousy and then take off on them." "I told you you wouldn't understand." "You never loved anyone." "Yeah, maybe not, but I'm here, ain't I?" "He made me feel so bad." "I know, but he knows now." "He'll get over it." "I wanted him to hold me and tell me everything was all right." "I told you." "I'll be here as much as you want." "Hey, Gary." "It's Alice, her water just broke." "Oh, my God." "It was a boy." "I know, they told me downstairs." " How do you feel?" " All right." "Did they say anything about the baby?" "The usual." "Healthy, everything's fine." "That's good." "You been here all the time?" " Yeah, Jonathan gave me a ride over." " I bet you're tired." "No, I took a nap down in the lobby." "I didn't know what to get you so I got you some magazines and some candy." "Sounds good." " Hello." " Hello, doctor." " Relax." "I'm Dr. Newman." " Gary Davis." "I just wanted to see how you're feeling." "I'm fine, kind of groggy." " My mouth's dry." " The anaesthetic." "Sleep a little and you'll be all set." "I'm tired." " I'll stop by later." " Don't go yet." "You heard the doctor." "I'll see you in a little while." "Get some sleep." " Doctor?" " Yes?" "How's the baby?" "How does he look?" "He's a healthy boy." "Just get some sleep." "I kept her off the maternity floor." "Hard for them when other babies are being brought into the room." " Hi, doc." " Hi, Lou." " Do you know each other?" " I'm Lou Graham, Alice's attorney." " Oh, yeah." "Gary Davis." " She didn't wanna see the baby." "Yeah, I know." "Dr. Newman, telephone." " I gotta run." " Yeah." " See you." " How is she feeling?" "So-so, you know." "She'll be all right." "If you'd like to meet the adopting parents, they're in the nursery." " I'm sure they'd like to talk to you." " What for?" "Well, seeing a picture of the child's father is one thing." "But actually getting a chance to talk to him, that's something else." "They get a general idea of what you're like." "Would you care to go up?" "Would you care to go up and talk with them?" "No, no, I gotta get going." "What's with her giving them my picture?" "They wanted a picture and she didn't have one of the child's father." "Yeah, well, she shouldn't have done it." "He's not my kid." "Of course not, it's just Alice's." "Damn elevator." "Look, why don't you go up and see him?" " What for?" " Aren't you at least curious?" "It's the child of the woman you're supposed to be in love with." "Well, fine." "You know, the kid's gonna get adopted, why look?" "Come on." "Finally." "Come on, what could it hurt taking a look at him?" "Mr. Davis." "Gary, this is Mr. and Mrs. Mal Wallace." "A pleasure to meet you." "I'll leave you three to talk." "I'll be right down the hall." "Oh, he's adorable, isn't he?" "We'll give the child a good home." " Are your parents living, Mr. Davis?" " What?" "Are your parents living?" "My mother is." "I don't know about my father." "He took off when Ma cracked up." "Your mother had a breakdown of some sort?" "No, not a breakdown." "She went bananas." "She's been in a mental institution about eight years now." "Well, I'm very sorry." "Well, that's life, you know." "Nothing you can do when it's in the genes." "Her whole family wasn't too stable." "Well, I better be going now." "You know how parole officers are." "You miss one appointment, you're right back in." "A pleasure meeting you." " Hi." " Hi." " I thought you went home." " Well, I changed my mind." "Beautiful day." "I hadn't noticed." "Sun shining, no smog." "You couldn't ask for a better day." "You're sure in a good mood." "Well, why shouldn't I be?" "Are you in a bad mood?" "God, yes, I'm in a bad mood." "Here he is." "He's beautiful, isn't he?" "Yes, he is." "He's part of you." "That's why he's beautiful." "I don't wanna give him up." "Well, I've been through this whole pregnancy thing with you." "I've got some say in it." "I think we should take him home and get married." "Well, you love me, don't you?" "And you know darn right well I love you too, don't you?" "If you're mine, he's mine." "Hey, Jonathan, would you mind telling my mother what's happening?" "It might be easier coming from a stranger." "I know just the person for the job." "Congratulations." " Mrs. Davis, it's Mark." " Oh, Mark, it's open." "Listen, you better wait out here." "Hey, are you sure?" "Maybe I ought to go in with you." "Jonathan, I'm sure." "Will you let me handle this?" "Come on, I got this woman in the palm of my hand." "Hey, Marge, how you doing?" "Fine, just catching up on my beading." "Hey, look, why don't you put it down for a while?" "I got some news." "News?" "What news?" "Well, do you know Alice Hartman?" "Oh, I certainly do." "As a matter of fact, I have to speak to her." "Now, she didn't tell me, but she's pregnant." "She tries to hide it, but you can't fool a mother." "I'm gonna have to ask her to leave." "The rule is no children." "Well, she had her baby, a little boy." "Now, this is gonna be a surprise for you." " What?" " She and Gary are getting married." "See, I told you you were gonna be surprised." "But she's such a wonderful girl." "I mean, you can see what she's done for him." " Not drinking anymore, he's working." " Oh, my God." "Oh, you ought to see that little baby" "Mrs. Davis, what are you doing?" "Mrs. Davis, you really shouldn't do that." "Jonathan." "Jonathan." "Jon" "Jonathan!" "He's just like his father."