"Mama!" "All right." "This one." "Here you go." "Thank you." "And that one." "There." "That's about it." "Bye, honey." "Bye." "See you at 6:00 at the station." "Bye, Daddy." "Bye, Daddy." "Bye, Dad." "To speak properly, it is necessary to enunciate every syllable." "Example:" "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Example:" "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "To speak properly, it is necessary to enunciate every syllable." "You call that an amber?" "Yes." "And this is...?" "This is like a lavender purple." "It goes well with the white." "You can wear any of these with white." "Exquisite combination, Mr. Siegel." "That's Bugsy Siegel." "By the way, that yachtsman's blazer came in that you were asking for and I have it in the back for you...." "May I have a word with you, please?" "Look, the name is Benjamin Siegel." "Benjamin." "Benjamin." "It's in the Bible." "It's also on my birth certificate." "Now, "bug" is a name for something that crawls in dirt." "I couldn't agree with you more." "You're absolutely right." "No question, Mr. Siegel." "Ben." "Ben." "I know you're here with your family." "I don't wanna embarrass you." "I appreciate that deeply." "Goodbye." "Goodbye to you, Mr. Siegel." "And thank you again." "Mr." "Siegel." "Floor please, madam?" "Penthouse." "If we make love, it'll be the only time." "What if you like it?" "l know I'll like it." "l think I got off on the wrong floor." "You'd better get back on." "Don't stop." "ls that hurting?" "Meyer, take it easy." "I'm gonna be a half an hour." "I got 1 0 minutes of sunlamp...." "All right, I'll do the sunlamp on the train." "Of course I'm alone." "She was an hour ago." "I have thought about it." "I gotta do it." "Call Charlie." "He likes to take a nap when there's gonna be trouble." "Ben, I gotta tell you again that it really does affect my opinion of your ability to administrate when you get involved in this type of detail." "Charlie, tell him what you said when I told you." "What do you think I said to you?" "See what I'm talking about?" "Then you just shook your head." "Of course." "What else was I gonna do?" "All right." "Count to 53." "Good evening, Mr. Siegel." "Hi." "Give that a brush for me, will you?" "Sure." "Hiya, Marty." "Same to you, Ted." "Hiya, Jerry." "Ben." "What are you doing here?" "I thought you were going to California." "I am. I just came to give you a goodbye present." "Present?" "Yeah, open it." "l don't get it." "You know Meyer, Charlie and I, we hire you to do a job we pay you a nice salary, we throw in a piece of the action and you pay us back by stealing from us for the second time." "Stealing?" "Yeah." "The shirt off my back." "Do you want the shirt off my back?" "I'd be happy to give it to you." "Here." "From Sulka's." "The ones I wear." "Could I say something here?" "If I had taken longer, I would've bought you some pants and suits and jackets and shoes." "But you know what?" "But I can give you a couple of tips." "Tips?" "Let me see your shoes." "My shoes?" "I don't wanna be rude to you, but they don't go with anything." "Another couple tips...." "l'm a little confused here." "Thirty-nine hundred dollars we pay to hire three guys to take care of this." "What are we doing here?" "What am I gonna tell you, Charlie, his thinking process?" "The way I see it, Ben has only one problem the same problem he's had since we were kids together on the street:" "He doesn't respect money." "But that's for summer, and, Jerry, you don't have to worry about summer." "Ben, no, don't." "If it was just business, I'd be selling insurance or importing dresses." "Remember this, Ben:" "The key to taking over Jack Dragna's Southern California rackets is to come in smooth." "Approach him like all we want is to come in as a partner." "The guy's been running the rackets for 20 years with no competition." "Except for Mickey Cohen, who don't even count." "So the only way to move in on Dragna is amiably." "What about the gambling joints and clubs?" "Vito, I just said it's fifty-fifty." "Fifty-fifty." "We move in, but we don't ruin anything by being too crazy." "Joey A. knows Jack Dragna personally." "What do you think, Joey?" "Jack's a cold-blooded killer, so you gotta be careful with him." "Just don't say nothing that he'd take offense at." "What are you smiling at?" "Nothing." "Why can't we go to California?" "Maybe next time." "What is it?" "Ben, when you get to Los Angeles, don't call George." "I know he's a good friend of yours, but he's such a movie star now he attracts more attention than Franklin Delano Roosevelt." "The trip's gotta be quick and quiet." "And amiable." "Very funny." "Twelve days." "Four days out." "Four days of diplomacy." "Four days back." "No one even knows you were there." "All right." "Ben, could I talk to you for a minute, alone?" "After I say goodbye to the family, all right?" "l'll miss you." "l'll miss you." "When I get you on the phone, tell me what presents you want." "l already know what I want." "Don't tell me now." "Think about it." "I need money, Ben." "How much?" "Fifty thousand dollars." "For what?" "The cops, the DA, the fbi." "They're threatening to lock me up." "They're no good, these people, except Assistant DA Allen Stein." "Jewish kid." "Nice fella." "His family's from Bedford Street." "What happened to the 50,000 i just gave you?" "What 50,000?" "For the armored-truck heist." "That 50,000?" "That 50,000's gone, Ben." "You know me with money, I blew it at the track." "Harry, what are you saying?" "That if I don't give you $50,000, you'll rat on everyone, including me?" "You?" "Never. I love you, Ben." "I would never rat on you." "Never." "You ain't gonna kill me, Ben, are you?" "I'm gonna try very hard to forget that this ever happened." "l owe you my life, Ben." "l'd say that's a fair assessment." "God bless you, Ben." "Bend your knees, Harry." "Bend my knees?" "When you jump from the train, bend your knees to soften the impact." "Bend my knees." "Okay, Ben." "Sure thing." "Are you who I think you are?" "Yes, I am." "Your autograph, please?" "All right." "Ray?" "Okay. "To Ray." Here you go, Ray." "Okay, we'll get everybody here." "This has been four of the most wonderful days I've ever spent." "I gotta tell you, a lot of it was in the motion of the train." "Ben." "Hey." "Oh, my gosh." "Mister, he knows you." "Are you somebody too?" "I love you, George." "You're looking great, like a million bucks." "You're looking good yourself, Georgie." "Very dapper, very dapper." "Well, that's what they pay me for." "Okay, we're moving on here." "I've got you registered at the Beverly Hills Hotel, bungalow five." "I know you said four days, but I reserved six." "But Jack Dragna's the kingpin here?" "What do you hear about him?" "From what I hear, he runs a nice little operation." "You've got a city with 3 million people and his operation is nice and little?" "I don't know." "Less to worry about." "I'll drop you off, then go to the studio." "Why don't I go over with you?" "All right. lf you like." "Georgie, who are they?" "Bit players." "I'm gonna run to Makeup." "Meet me on stage 2 1 ." "Enjoying yourself?" "Now take a walk." "Out." "When I call for the extras, then they come in." "Do not come in before I call for you, understand?" "Now, you wanna get outside with them?" "You having a hard time understanding me?" "When I need extras, I'll call for them." "Until then, wait outside." "I'm not getting through, am I?" "Want me to send you to Wardrobe?" "They take the suit, you're out of here." "You want me to get tough with you?" "If I have to, I will." "I will throw you out if I have to." "You want me to pick you up and throw you out?" "You think I can't?" "I don't need this aggravation this time of day" "Tim." "This is my friend from New York, Benny Siegel." "He'll be spending the day with me." "Yeah." "Didn't" " Didn't" "Yeah, I didn't connect...." "Confusion." "l'm sorry." "lt's all right." "If you get tough with a guy, stick to it." "That's great advice." "Thank you." "Hank ain't very bright, but he's my friend." "If he's hooked with a dame like you, he'll get a lot of headaches." "l'm on to your racket." "You've got the blueprints all drawn." "Cigarette." "New cigarette." "She's eaten a whole cigarette." "Scene 36, take two." "Marker." "I'm telling you straight, forget you ever seen him." "If you don't get what I mean, this'll give you an idea." "Take that money and buy yourself some manners." "For what?" "To waste on you?" "Marker." "Two bucks?" "For what?" "One beer and some phony champagne?" "That's right, friend." "Here's half a buck." "Split it between you." "Take five." "Marker." "Two bucks?" "For what?" "One beer and some phony champagne?" "Here's half a buck." "Split it between you." "You're so cheap you're wholesale." "Don't forget, mister, I asked you nice." "Marker." "Here we go." "Rolling." "Quiet, please." "Reset." "Reset." "Let's go." "Benny, you wanna hit somebody with a chair?" "Manpower." "Scene 38, take eight." "Marker." "Boy, with this, I can hit home runs all night." "Here." "Take this, in case I wanna come back." "I feel like I should say something." "Can't I have a line?" "Honey, he's the star." "Let's go." "That was pretty impressive, Georgie boy." "Well, Benny, I'm a pro." "Sure." "May I?" "If you want a simple yes or no, you'll have to finish the question." "Light your cigarette?" "Sure." "The way you were staring, I thought you'd ask for something more exciting." "Like what?" "Use your imagination." "l'm using it." "Let me know when you're finished." "Now you're gonna tell me she's a bit player?" "Flamingo?" "Not for Joey Adonis." "That's Virginia Hill." "Yeah?" "That's Flamingo, huh?" "Now, don't get no ideas, Ben." "You know how crazy Joey is." "No woman's worth a bullet between the eyes." "Am I right?" "It depends on whose eyes and which woman." "Look, you're Ben Siegel and I'm Virginia Hill, okay?" "Why are you so interested in a gal who's going with your friend?" "What friend?" "Joey A.?" "He's not my friend." "He's an associate of an associate." "Are you still going with him?" "If it were New Year's Eve, he would be my date." "Who would your date be?" "Wife." "Wife?" "Esta." "Esther?" "Esta." "E-S-T-A." "Good. I'll bet Esta lives her life faithful to her one and only Ben who plays around like a jackrabbit and lies about it through his teeth." "I don't lie to Esta." "That's noble." "What do you do, confess your sins three times a day?" "Now, what exactly does Mr. Esta want from Miss Virginia?" "Right now?" "Mr. Esta is having a tremendous amount of difficulty imagining anything he doesn't want from Miss Virginia." "Are you ready for a divorce?" "Never." "My, oh, my." "You're pretty ferocious where Mom's concerned, aren't you?" "The rest of the time, you're another sweet-talking, fuck-happy fellow with nothing to offer but dialogue." "Dialogue's cheap in Hollywood." "Why don't you run outside and jerk yourself a soda?" "Let me ask you, how would someone go about getting a screen test done?" "You know someone who wants one?" "No, no, no. I just...." "l just thought if it came up in a conversation...." "What about Virginia Hill?" "Does she have a future in movies?" "In movies?" "I don't know if I've got a future in movies." "Lana Turner lives there." "Cesar Romero lives there." "And Gary Cooper is in that house on the right." "He paid 45 grand." "Houses bring in that kind of money?" "Sure, and more." "Whose is that?" "Lawrence...." "The opera singer." "Melchoir?" "No, no, no." "The other guy." "What other guy?" "What's-his-name." "Tibbett?" "Lawrence Tibbett?" "Stop." "That's it." "What are you doing?" "Paying my respects." "Yes?" "l'm looking for Mr. Lawrence Tibbett." "Mr. Tibbett's in the study." "May I tell him who's calling?" "Ben Siegel." "ls he expecting you?" "Not unless he's psychic." "Well, would you excuse me for a moment, please." "How far is your house from here?" "Half a mile." "What are you doing?" "Mr. Siegel." "Lawrence Tibbett." "You have no idea what an honor it is to meet you." "I took my family to hear you sing Rigoletto at the Met last year." "It was one of the great evenings of our lives." "Well, you overwhelm me, Mr. Siegel." "Ben." "Ben?" "That's beautiful." "Ben Siegel?" "You wouldn't be related to Bugsy Siegel, would you?" ""Bugsy"?" "What do you mean?" "l beg your pardon." "A bug is nothing." "A bug doesn't exist." "The word has no meaning." "It's used out of ignorance." "Do you know what a bug is?" "A bug is a colloquialism." "It has no basis in reality." "Insects include a wide variety of living creatures." "They fly, they crawl, they do many things." "None of them can be called a bug!" "You following me?" "Yes." "Yes, I am. I certainly didn't mean any offense, Mr. Siegel." "Ben." "Ben." "Mind if I look around, Larry?" "Of course." "Be my guest." "Do you mind if I call you Larry?" "Not a bit." "All my friends call me Larry." "What brings you to Los Angeles, Ben?" "Curiosity." "This is a wonderful house." "Thank you." "What do you think of the Beverly Hills Hotel?" "lt's the best hotel in town." "Do you prefer a bungalow or a suite?" "The bungalows." "Which one do you have?" "I don't." "You do." "Bungalow five." "l don't understand." "l'm buying this house from you." "This house isn't for sale." "Sure it is." "Everything's for sale." "How much do you want?" "Mr." "Siegel...." "Ben." "Ben." "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Like what?" "Are you gonna hurt me?" "Hurt you?" "I would protect you from anyone who tried to hurt you." "I revere you." "Your voice makes life justifiable." "I'm just trying to give you money." "For the house?" "What did you buy it for?" "Thirty-five thousand dollars But that was a few years ago." "I could probably get 40,000 now, maybe more." "But even if I.... lt's not really a financial issue, Mr. Siegel." "Ben." "Ben." "Ben." "Ben." "Ben." "Ben." "One, two, three, four." "That's $50,000. ls that enough?" "lt's more than enough." "I wanna be careful. I wanna know this is a pleasurable day for the both of us." "How about that?" "Another 1 0, that's 60,000." "It makes me sick inside when I don't bring pleasure to someone I admire." "Does this bring you pleasure, Larry?" "My goodness, yes." "Then why don't I see you smiling?" "The way you spend money, you never have anything left." "So?" "I'll make more." "It's only dirty paper." "What are you gonna do with a house?" "You're only here four days." "Who knows, maybe I'll stay a little longer." "I've gotta get to Jack Dragna's." "Where can I get a taxi?" "I'll drive you." "This is business." "You don't wanna be there." "Nice car." "Thank you." "Louie." "What the hell is this?" "I'm looking for Jack Dragna." "Who the fuck are you?" "Ben Siegel." "I'm Lou, Jack's brother." "I'll tell Jack you're here." "He'll just be a few seconds." "Jack's finishing eating." "Look, Mr. Siegel" "Ben." "Call me Ben, Jack." "We run a smooth little operation." "With all due respect to you, Lansky Luciano, Joey A., and whoever the fuck else you represent I suggest you spend your time in California looking for broads which we got plenty of." "Some of the finest in the world." "And which, I understand, is right up your alley." "There's a subject I can help you on." "Phone numbers, whatnot." "But if you're coming to me looking to do business I'm afraid I'm completely disinterested." ""Uninterested." Disinterested means "impartial."" ""Uninterested" means "not interested."" "Look, you got two alternatives, Jack." "You can take your 64 guys and work for us." "That means your little operation will then be a big operation." "Twenty betting parlors, not three." "Owning a wire service, not subscribing to a wire service." "It means taking risks." "Meyer, Charlie and I, we put up the money, we take 75 percent." "You keep 25 percent which has gotta be worth three times more than your 1 00 percent now." "So what's the second alternative?" "The second alternative?" "The second alternative." "Here." "Keep it." "You take it." "l got plenty of guns." "Squeeze the trigger, kill me." "Kill you, that's the alternative?" "You guys have an unusual sense of humor." "You know what I think?" "What they say about you is true." "I think you're out of your fucking mind." "Take another five seconds to make your selection." "I guess that means you're working for us." "It's a ball to have you onboard." "May I have my gun back?" "Thank you." "Let's get started." "Time is vicious when you take it for granted." "Bugsy, let me ask you a question." "If we break off this thing with Transcontinental..." "Transcontinental." "...what are we gonna do--?" "All right, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and I will assume that you didn't know that no one calls me that." "Very nice meeting you, Jack." "The fucking guy's crazy." "Want me to run out and shoot him in the back?" "Yeah, sure." "Then we got Lansky and Luciano blowing bullets up our ass." "So, what do we do?" "We wait, play along." "Sooner or later he'll blow his lid." "Then, when we get him nobody will give a fuck." "Hello?" "Virginia, this is Ben." "Meyer, I know we said 1 2 days." "Things got a little complicated." "How was that?" "Was that good?" "You're from The Herald, right?" "Do me a favor, will you?" "Will you see that they run that and not one of those sinister mug shots." "l'll try my best." "l would really appreciate it." "May I have the next dance?" "Charmed." "Have you met Mr. Siegel?" "Not formally, but I've been admiring his movements." "This is my husband, Count Di Frasso." "I'm surrounded by titles." "How can I pick one up?" "A title?" "Yeah. I'm beginning to feel left out." "Darling, get him a title." "Let's make him a duke." "A duke?" "A duke." "Why not." "Are you ready to come to Italy, Mr. Siegel?" "Italy!" "I'll get my parachute." "That's wonderful." "You know who one of the laughing count's best friends is?" "No." "Mussolini." "No." "Yeah." "That clown knows Mussolini?" "What do you think they do when they're together?" "Play golf?" "Trade jokes about carting people to the gas chambers?" "You know me. I stay out of politics." "Politics?" "This is war." "He's Hitler's partner, he's our mortal enemy and this effete count pals around with him?" "Don't get worked up over something you can't do anything about." "This is Hollywood." "Mr. Siegel?" "There is a telephone call for you, a Mr. Dragna." "l have placed a phone at your table." "Thank you." "Ben, have you met our number-one crime fighter, James McWilde?" "Haven't had the pleasure." "How do you do?" "He's up for re-election as DA." "l know. I wish I could contribute." "You can contact Donald Mitchell." "He handles all the money." "Donald Mitchell." "Have him call me in the morning." "If you'll excuse me, I see about six women that need to talk to me." "Mr. McWilde, as a man of the world, what do you make of all these friends Mussolini has flitting around America?" "I had no idea that was the ca-- Are you talking about spies?" "Come, Jim, the senator's leaving and he would like a word with you." "Keep me posted on this Mussolini thing." "I will." "We've gotta do something about that." "See the redhead?" "Put it in her hand." "What is it, Jack?" "This cocksucker Mickey Cohen just robbed our gambling joint out of $56,000 cash." "Fifty-six." "I tell you, this time I'm gonna get him." "I'm gonna...." "l'll see you in a few minutes." "How do you know it was Cohen?" "He had a mask on, but it was him." "You could tell by the body, the voice." "So one guy came in, robbed five guys in their place of business of $56,000 and got away scot-free?" "He took us by surprise." "lt certainly seems like it." "Don't worry about it." "He'll be dead within 2 4 hours." "l don't want him dead." "Why not?" "I wanna talk to him." "You say 56,000?" "The exact figure was 56,1 43." "Dig into your pockets." "It's a matter of life and death." "Mussolini and Hitler must be stopped." "Hello." "Hi, honey." "go and buy yourself some manners." "For what?" "To waste on you?" "Now, listen, mister" "Well, look, Esta." "Maybe the thing to do is for us to stop thinking about when I'm coming back to Scarsdale and start thinking about when you and the girls will come out here." "No, as soon as possible." "Is there anything else?" "No." "Check." "What's the trouble, folks?" "Oh, this muzzler's trying to buy out my spare time." "On the other hand, is this the right time to take the kids out of school?" "Maybe we should just play it by ear and see what happens." "Yeah?" "We don't have to settle everything in one conversation, do we?" "All right." "The thing is, we'll see each other before you know it." "All right?" "I love you too, Esta." "Good night." "Ronald, turn off the projector!" "Don't forget, mister" "Ronald, turn the projector off!" "Ronald!" "Ronald?" "Where are you?" "Boy, with this, I could hit home runs all night." "Am I coming at a bad time?" "Not at all." "Come on in." "I don't want to interrupt your pantomime." "What are you watching?" "A newsreel, but it's over." "Why don't you come on in." "Too fast to put a ring on your finger?" "Nothing's too fast that fits." "You always carry around a spare ring?" "I figured I'd run into you." "Would you ever have called me?" "l was planning to wait a while." "When?" "Ten years." "Ten years?" "Why?" "Since all we're gonna do is bring each other misery and torment...." "Why would we have to bring each other misery and torment?" "We both want whatever we want whenever we want it and we both want everything." "That doesn't sound too promising, does it?" "That's what I'm saying." "Then why did you come?" "Well, it wasn't caution." "What about Joey A.?" "We're in touch." "Does that bother you?" "Because of your conscience or you're worried about your business?" "I haven't thought it through that clearly." "Well, if he knew I were here with you the only thing he'd be thinking about is which of us to kill first." "Do you wanna kiss me as much as I wanna kiss you?" "How do you know I wanna kiss you at all?" "I really don't think we should go through with this, do you?" "is that yes or no?" "Both." "You pack quite a punch." "That wasn't a punch, it was a slap." "If I'd punched you, you'd be stretched out across the floor." "I'm sure you're right." "I'm sure you're right about everything." "I'm sure you're right about the misery and torment." "And I'm sure you're right about what you want." "Do you always talk this much before you do it?" "I only talk this much before I'm gonna kill someone." "Hello." "Hey, Georgie boy." "Did you find Mickey Cohen yet?" "Tell him Biltmore Health Club at 1 :00." "We meet him there." "Pick me up at noon?" "Good." "You still think we'll bring each other nothing but misery and torment?" "With a few distractions in between." "You call what we've been doing distractions?" "Thank you, the feeling's mutual." "Good, that's the way I like it." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty-- What time is it?" "One thirty." "That's a half an hour late." "Where is this thieving little schmuck?" "Who's a little schmuck?" "Who are you referring to, fruitcake?" "Hi, Mickey." "You better show me some respect." "Respect?" "I think you got it backward, Mr. Cohen, if may correct you unless your idea of showing a man respect is to rob his business." "Who said I robbed?" "Robbed what, you would-be smoothie?" "Everything I got is mine." "It's yours because you stole it from me." "Watch your words." "What's mine is mine." "Everything I got, I'm keeping." "I understand from Jack Dragna you stole 56,000 and change." "The lying fat fuck." "It was 42, not 56." "I thought you didn't steal it." "I didn't." "But if I had, it would have been 42." "If I were you, I'd give that money back by 7:00 tonight." "Fuck you!" "Look at me." "Fuck you!" "And if I was you, I'd shut my fucking mouth and watch my step." "Or should I blow your Adam's apple down your spine?" "Excuse me, but aren't we in a public place?" "We'd both be better off if you'd tone down your rhetoric." "Maybe we'd both be better off if I left and never saw your fucking face again." "Why are you laughing?" "This guy's deranged." "Go get him." "Bring him back." "Hurry up." "Hey, Mickey." "Mickey!" "Jack, it's Ben." "I think I got the Cohen thing under control." "I want you to be at my house at 7:30 tonight, all right?" "Good." "George, how do you remember all the fucking lines from a movie?" "I know you're big, but make it quick, will you?" "I've got a hot date waiting for me." "I don't have time to schmooze." "I bet you do have a hot date waiting for you." "You making fun of me?" "Not at all." "Guy with your balls must have women lined up." "Whatever the fuck that's supposed to mean." "When I go out with a broad, you can bet she'll be a star." "Like Betty Grable or Ava Gardner." "I don't go for them tarty broads like you and your pals back East do." "What tarty broads?" "Shirley what's-her-name that Charlie Luciano drags around." "That nutty broad Joey A. goes out with, Victoria Hill." "That 6-foot blonde bimbo that Moe" "That's Virginia Hill." "Why would you call her a tart?" "That's what she is." "Joe Epstein, the drummer Gene Krupa the bullfighter from Mexico, the Frenchman" "This conversation is beneath me." "All right." "Look, I'm expanding, and if I'm gonna expand should I expand with guys who got taken, or the one who took them?" "What's in it for me?" "Money." "How much?" "Five thousand dollars a week." "Does that include a blowjob?" "Watch your mouth, Mickey." "That's Ben Siegel." "You're lucky he don't plug you." "He can't." "He needs me." "Ain't you been listening?" "Or are you too busy learning lines from those fairy acting jobs?" "Six." "Ten." "All right, but I want the $42,000 you stole back by 7:00 tonight." "I put up my life and my liberty on that fucking score." "I'll give back 20." "The whole 42, I wouldn't kick it back if you was my mother." "A penny less, we got no deal." "How would he know she fucked Gene Krupa and a bullfighter?" "Well, it ain't exactly confidential info, baby blue-eyes." "Krupa I know about, and a couple of bullfighters." "A couple of bullfighters?" "That's what I heard." "Did you ever fuck her?" "What?" "Did you ever fuck Virginia?" "Of course not." "Why not?" "What kind of question is that?" "A direct one." "Why did you not fuck Virginia?" "is she not attractive?" "Of course she is." "Then why didn't you fuck her?" "This is ridiculous." "There's a million attractive broads." "I don't have to ball them all." "I don't care why you didn't ball them." "Why didn't you fuck Virginia?" "She's your girl." "You knew her before." "She was Joey A.'s girl." "Satisfied now?" "You think you could've fucked her?" "How do I know, Ben?" "You never know unless you try." "Oh, yes, you do." "You know." "Could you have fucked her or not?" "My hunch?" "Yeah." "Possibly." "Possibly or probably?" "Probably, I'm guessing." "Probably or definitely?" "Probably." "Definitely not definitely, that I'm sure of." "She is who she is." "What man ever changed a woman?" "I don't go by what other men have done. I believe in fresh starts." "Without them, you and me would have been history before we were 1 9." "I hope you like scampi served on a bed of soft brown rice." "Rimmed by carrots and peas." "What's the matter?" "Nothing." "Come on, eat." "It'll make you big and strong." "What do you think of bullfighting?" "lt's been a while since I tried it." "What are your memories?" "Dangerous, and fun." "What about drums?" "What about drums?" "I'm a singer." "You ever sing with a drummer?" "I've sung with all kinds of musicians." "Your dinner's getting cold." "It's already cold." "Were you under the impression I was a virgin?" "No, I just thought maybe there was somebody you hadn't fucked." "That's not pleasant." "You listen to me, mister." "We've both fucked around." "You want to trade stories, fine." "You wanna bury the past, we can do that too." "But don't try playing these sulky little games." "If what we share isn't good enough, then we should call it quits now." "What'll it be?" "How about iodine?" "You need some soap and water." "And wash out your fucking mouth too." "I'm going home." "Wait." "Wait a minute." "Where are you going?" "Come here." "Damn it, let go of me!" "I'm not staying here." "Get your hands off me, goddamn it!" "Goddamn it, let go of me!" "I'm never coming back." "Hey, Benny." "Hey, Ben." "You okay?" "l'm fine." "42,000 on the nose." "Thank you very much." "This is Virginia Hill." "Mickey Cohen." "Pleasure to make your acquaintance." "I've heard a lot about you." "Want me to come in?" "Mind if I took a rain check?" "Not under the circumstances." "What happened to your head?" "A vicious insect." "I'll see you in the morning." "Hey, goombah, kiss my tukus!" "Fucking Jew prick." "Did you ever meet Jack Dragna?" "No." "Good. I've gotta speak to him alone." "Will you wait for me?" "What for?" "Will you wait for me, please?" "In there." "That cocksucking thief dished it back." "Every cent." "No kidding?" "I'll be a son of a bitch." "How did you get him to go along?" "He brought me the money, I gave him a job." "What job?" "Running the day-to-day mechanics of my operation." "That's my job." "No, you work for him now." "Am I missing something?" "You certainly are." "About $ 1 4,000 and change." "The 1 4,000 you stole from us, after the 42 that Mickey took." "Wait a minute" "Do you wanna fuck me?" "What?" "That's a simple question, isn't it?" "Of course not." "No?" "You're sure?" "Of course I'm sure." "Well, let me ask you this:" "Do you wanna rape me?" "This is crazy." "Answer me." "Do not lie to me." "You stole from me." "You stole, and stealing is a form of rape." "Did you think you could get away with stealing from me?" "From Meyer Lansky, Charlie Luciano and me, and get away with it?" "That you could rape us and humiliate us and get away with that?" "Did you think you could get away with it or not?" "Do not lie!" "Do not lie to me!" "l'm not lying." "That means you raped us even though you thought we would catch you?" "lt wasn't like that." "What was it like?" "Answer me!" "Did you think you could get away with it or not?" "Did you?" "Did you or not?" "l won't. I won't." "You won't what?" "l won't ever do it again!" ""Again." You won't do it again." "How do you know I won't kill you?" "I'm begging you, Ben." "Don't." "Don't do it." "What do you want?" "Wanna kill me?" "You want another chance?" "Let me tell you something." "You can't." "No one can. I can't kill me." "See?" "Now, try it." "Come on, give it to me." "l can't." "Come on, do it." "Why?" "What is it?" "Are you afraid to die?" "Crawl." "Crawl." "Come on." "Now bark like the dog that you wish that you were decent enough to be." "Bark!" "Bark!" "Bark!" "Come on." "Crawl and bark." "More." "Let me hear that bark." "Come on, give me more." "Louder!" "Yes, yes, yes, that's good." "More!" "Now oink like the treacherous, devious pig that you are." "Come on." "Come on, get around there." "Oink." "Now!" "Oink!" "Oink!" "Oink!" "Yes, yes, yes." "Get up!" "Get up!" "Now look me in the eye." "Go home, get the money you stole and you bring it to me." "This goes back in the safe at the betting parlor." "Thanks, Ben." "You can count on me for anything." "We'll see." "Everybody needs a fresh start once in a while." "Get out." "Are we gonna eat?" "Who was the Countess Di Frasso?" "Who was the Countess Di Frasso?" "You're asking me--?" "Yeah." "Who is she?" "She's the wife of that count, the Count Di Frasso." "l danced with her at Ciro's." "l know you danced with her." "The countess's husband, the count, is a very good friend of Mussolini." "So?" "The countess's husband..." "...is Mussolini's friend." "l got it the first time." "So what?" "Hitler and Mussolini are destroying the world. I can stop Mussolini." "What do you mean?" "What do you think I mean?" "Kill him?" "Kill Mussolini?" "l'm using the count to get to him." "You are going to kill Mussolini personally in the middle of a war?" "That is the most pathetic, asinine, ludicrous excuse I've ever heard." "You wanna fuck some countess, have the guts to say it then go and do it." "Fuck yourself while you're at it." "You don't get it." "I'm hatching a secret plan." "You're full of secrets, aren't you?" "What do you mean, "secrets"?" "Things not out in the open." "What's not out in the open?" "Me." "You?" "You're afraid to be seen with me." "I'm a fucking secret." "From who?" ""From who." You know who." "You told me you don't keep any secrets from Esta." "Esta?" "That's different." "Because I'm a secret from her." "That's not what I want." "I don't wanna be anybody's secret!" "You're nobody's secret." "Give me a chance." "You had your chance." "We never go anywhere." "All right, we'll go everywhere." "Everywhere?" "Everywhere." "Give me a chance." "Everybody deserves a fresh start once in a while." "Come on, sugar." "Let's go." "l can't." "You don't understand." "I'm sorry, I can't, Ben." "I'm really much too nervous." "Come on." "Let's go." "l thought I could, but I can't." "You can't what?" "Do it. I can't do it." "Now I see the plane, I can't." "You have to understand." "l never have." "Never what?" "Been on a plane." "You've never been on a plane?" "One second." "I can't control you." "You're gonna do what you do." "I can't be with you every second." "I can't be a watchdog." "Ben!" "Go without me." "We're gonna run out of gas before we get off the ground." "I just wanna explain to you the basic rules of aerodynamics." "No. lt would make no difference." "I'm not going on the plane." "Ben, let's go." "Come on." "Time is money." "This is the most boring drive I've been on, and I have to pee." "If we'd flown, we'd have been there three hours ago." "Sorry. I should've let you two go." "I don't even know why I came." "I don't even know why I came." "Why did I come?" "You had to." "You can't run an operation in Nevada and never go to Nevada." "We drove five and a half hours for this canker sore?" "It may not look it, but there's a steady profit coming out of this joint." "It's got steady customers with nowhere else to spend their money." "You wanna have this kind of dump?" "I think you should get rid of it." "We got nothing to lose." "The upkeep is almost zero." "Who would have thought, it looks like a fortune is spent here." "That's not the point." "Looks don't matter if there's money." "Looks matter if it matters how you look." "I think it should be burned." "I wouldn't go that far, Victoria." "Vic-what?" "Do me a favor, call Virginia Virginia." "Not Victoria." "I called her Virginia." "What did I call you?" "You called me Victoria." "l called you Victoria?" "Call her Virginia." "Excuse me." "Find the guy I gotta talk to." "All right." "I have no need to hear what you have to say." "Fine." "Excuse me, who took whose advice?" "Don't embarrass me that way in front of people." "l was right." "No, the place should've stayed open." "Then why did you close it?" "Because you were right too." "It is a canker sore." "But it made me look like your puppet." "Maybe you need someone to tell you what to do." "Or maybe you want to continue dodging your way through two lives." "Checking at home in Scarsdale whenever you get too lonely." "Or maybe you're just getting old." "All right." "That's it. I've taken enough shit off of you, and it's gonna stop now." "Hot air in a hot desert." "lt's gonna stop right now." "Don't talk to me about Scarsdale, it's none of your business." "I don't need this shit about Scarsdale." "Talking to me about Scarsdale." "Who the fuck do you think you are?" "What is he doing?" "Looking for a place to take a leak." "I got it!" "I got it!" "It came to me like a vision!" "Like a religious epiphany." "Are you talking about God?" "I am talking about the single best idea I ever had." "Yeah, well l just had the greatest single idea I ever had." "lsn't she magnificent?" "Just what I've been looking for." "A broad to leave me in the desert, to die and be eaten by vultures." "Mickey, you're gonna remember this day." "Benjy, what would we do in Italy with all those bullets flying around?" "What we would do in Italy?" "We would meet Mussolini." "You are outrageous." "That's what I love about you." "Why do you want to meet the duce?" "I got some friends in Naples, they could use his help." "Now, all I wanna know is could your husband arrange that, or are his connections exaggerated?" "My husband could get you this close to Mussolini any time he wishes." "And he will wish to do whatever I say." "I'm very intuitive." "You know what my intuition tells me about you?" "That you always get whatever you want." "Don't deny it." "I find your confidence irresistible." "I find myself sucked in by it." "Helpless, if you must know the truth." "Excuse me." "We got a few wrinkles to iron out, but my secret plan is going through." "I'm going to New York tomorrow, thought I'd say hello and goodbye." "Hello and goodbye." "You know, I got some real problems in New York." "Charlie's been arrested." "Harry Greenberg, my old friend..." "..." "I think he testified against him." "Am I supposed to be interested?" "What does your friend do, he sticks knives into animals?" "He's the guitarist." "Flamenco-Flamingo." "You're not actually spending the night with this creep?" "I demand a retraction." "What I do with my time and my body is my business." "Sit down, Alejandro." "l demand satisfaction." "Would this satisfy you, sweetie?" "Take a hike, will you?" "Go back to your countess, hypocrite." "I hope she gives you syphilis." "Let's get out of here, Alejandro." "l'm asking Esta for a divorce." "Better get to a phone." "But I'm doing it in New York." "Good luck." "Virginia...." "l was wearing a blue silk shirt?" "I don't even own a blue silk shirt." "I was "brandishing a .45 menacingly."" "What an outrageous fabrication." "It wasn't a .45, it was a .38." "I was not brandishing it." "I was concealing it, to make a point." "What kind of vile, despicable people write this?" "I agree with you 1 00 percent." "They've got no morals, those people." "Benny, everything we heard is true." "Charlie's in jail because of this rat bastard stool-pigeon." "You know this Harry Greenberg?" "You don't know him?" "I know him, all right?" "Mickey, I'm getting a divorce." "That's why I'm making this trip." "I'm definitely getting a divorce." "Definitely?" "Definitely." "What?" "l'm sorry to hear that." "Why?" "Why?" "To see a family break up like that, I'm sorry." "What gotta be, gotta be." "l know what you're doing." "Don't come one step closer." "You're writing "Happy Birthday, Millicent" on my birthday cake." "Will you get out of here?" "Set the table." "Where did you put the presents?" "With the potatoes." "Presents are with the potatoes." "Honey, move the thing in the middle." "Okay." "l hope we're not disturbing you." "lt's Millicent's birthday party." "There's a matter we must discuss." "l've gotta talk to you too." "Come on in." "Come on in." "Come on." "Make yourselves at home." "I'll be right with you." "Guess who that is." "Meyer, Joey A., Frank, Gus, Vito and Moe." "I thought this night was for ourselves." "I'm sorry, Esta." "I planned to meet tomorrow, but...." "Does Meyer know it's Millicent's birthday?" "Well, I told him, but I think they got problem with a business thing I did." "Finish the cake, put the candles on, I'll be right back." "Before we get to what's important, I gotta tell you guys I got rid of that seedy canker sore in Las Vegas." "That's why we came." "You had no right to give that casino up." "Casino?" "It was an outhouse." "You should have consulted us." "That's the arrangement we got." "l got no arrangement with you, Vito." "I have an arrangement with Meyer and Charlie." "But don't worry." "When I tell you what I'm gonna build in its place you'll understand for the first time the meaning of "transcendent."" "Tell us now." "Meyer, I have found the answer to the dreams of America." "You wanna be a little more specific?" "The Flamingo." "A bird?" "What do people fantasize about?" "Sex, romance, money, adventure." "l'm building a monument to them." "Are you talking about a whorehouse?" "I'm talking about a hotel." "I'm talking about Las Vegas, Nevada." "A place where gambling is allowed." "Where everything is allowed." "The whole territory is wide open." "A palace, an oasis, a city." "When the Hoover Dam is finished electrical power will be available on a massive scale in Las Vegas." "The Hoover Dam and fucking are connected how?" "By air-conditioning." "It's the wave of the future." "Everything will be air-cooled." "Every room 72 degrees at all times." "The casino?" "We'll put Monte Carlo to shame." "Wall-to-wall carpeting, Italian marble, badminton courts, stables." "We'll have a lightning-fast train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas." "Planes back and forth." "Meyer, we'll have our own airport!" "What Ben's saying is, it's a good place to trap people in to take their money." "ls that what you're getting at here?" "Much more." "Much more." "I gotta get that." "I got it!" "I got it!" "Hello." "Mickey, have you got someone across the street from her house?" "Call Warner Bros., call Ciro's." "Find out if anybody's seen her." "Then call me back." "No, not five minutes." "One minute." "Sit tight." "Sit tight, honey." "Let me just see how they're doing." "How's it--?" "Oh, that looks great." "Your mother's a real artist." "I'm gonna run back, I got these guys going on this thing" "The children don't have the patience that some adults do." "You finish the candles in here, I'll finish out there." "We'll be ready." "Don't you move, my little birthday girl." "I don't understand this desert thing." "What are we, Bedouins?" "Let's concentrate on Cuba." "You got legalized gambling next to Florida. lt's like another state." "But it's not another state." "A foreign country can always throw you out." "Nevada is another state and it's open." "If we do this thing right, if we follow the hotel with schools and churches and synagogues, the things that give a city backbone we'll be in charge before you know it." "ln charge of what?" "The state!" "And if you got a state, the country is within your reach." "You planning to run for president?" "We can help to choose the president if we control a state." "Why be bogged down by limitations?" "Open your eyes to the horizons." "Where do you think the money for this is gonna come from?" "Since I'm doing the work and the partners share the success the money should come from them." ""Them" meaning who?" ""Them" meaning you." "How much are we talking about?" "One million dollars." "What about the publicity?" "A place like this will cause a lot of talk." "Ben's getting very famous out in California." "Famous is good for Clark Gable, but for you it's not good." "The Flamingo will make our gambling interests legitimate." "Meyer, we've known each other since we were too young to fuck." "When did I ever ask you to leap ahead with something on faith?" "Never, but I'm asking you now." "Do this." "Mickey, you mean to tell me I've got you and 65 guys on my payroll and nobody can find Virginia?" "Listen. I cannot function effectively when I'm in a state of ignorance." "Find her." "Hold the fort. I'm nearly finished." "What's the matter?" "I thought you came home to be with me on my birthday." "I did. I am spending time with you on your birthday." "I just gotta finish this meeting- l don't want to hear you!" "Millicent!" "Come on, honey." "We're just gonna be a minute-- Come on, honey." "Millicent, open the door." "I just wanna say one thing, okay?" "Barbara, are you in there too?" "Just come on down and I'll light the candles." "I'm gonna light the candles." "I'm lighting the candles." "Come on down, I'm lighting the candles." "Sorry the party got a little out of control, but I fixed it." "With Charlie in jail, I'll have to confer with him on money decisions." "But pending his approval, I'm happy to say you've got yourself a deal." "Good." "Great." "When will you get started?" "When I get back from Italy." "I'm going over in a week." "That, plus however long that takes." "However long what takes?" "The assassination of Mussolini." "Who's gonna assassinate Mussolini?" "Come here." "Look, don't fuck this up by trying to be funny." "Mussolini and Hitler are trying to knock off every Jew on earth." "If I don't do something, who will?" "A bunch of Italians?" "l can stop Mussolini." "Leave it to the Allied Forces." "You're missing the point." "The Allied Forces don't have access." "l have the access." "You have the access?" "One of Mussolini's best friends is the Count Di Frasso." "The Count Di Frasso's wife has the hots for me." "She'll get me close to Mussolini, I'll blow him halfway to Siberia." "Listen to me very carefully." "Don't ever repeat what you just said to me to anybody else." "That's right, it's a secret." "l'm saying it for a different reason." "Why are you saying it?" "Because, at best, any normal person you say it to will never take anything you say seriously again." "So nothing more." "Sure, but Mussolini is a dead man." "I'll be with you in a minute." "I'm gonna light the candles." "I'm lighting the candles." "Let's see what Meyer wants." "What do you want to eat?" "We didn't come here to eat." "We came here to do business." "Millicent?" "I lit the candles." "Have we finished our business?" "Sure, we shouldn't have barged in." "Enjoy the party for Millicent." "We'll talk tomorrow. lt sounds good." "Take care, Ben." "Thanks for coming by." "Joey." "Listen, I'm sorry about Virginia." "If you wanna take a punch at me, take a punch at me." "We're even now. I'm sorry, I know you were in love with her." "Are you kidding?" "I'd never let myself fall in love with a slut like her." "Your mouth is bleeding." "I tripped, I whacked it on the table." "It's nothing." "I don't think we can go on like this, Ben." "Like what?" "Should we get a divorce?" "Some friends just dropped by at the wrong time." "Everything's fine now." "Sit down." "I'm gonna go say good night to the girls." "Miss me?" "Depends." "You're looking very smug." "Did you ask her for a divorce?" "We gotta drink a toast." "I got this whole thing worked out." "I got it down to the most minute detail." "I sold them on the idea." "We'll drink a toast to our destiny." "So did you ask her for a divorce?" "Not in so many words." "But I got it all mapped out" "Do me a favor, would you?" "It's the only favor I'll ever ask you." "Finish your drink, get out of here and never come near me again." "You don't understand." "I'm laying the groundwork." "Having a good time?" "Enjoying yourself?" "You like that robe?" "You maniac!" "You fucking lunatic!" "Look what you've done." "Are you okay, baby?" "Are you hurt?" "You're lucky you're alive." "I'll give you three minutes to get the hell out of here." "He's my brother, you asshole!" "Do you expect me to fall for that?" "I don't care. I only care that you get psychiatric help and that you never come around here bothering us anymore!" "Us?" "Us?" "Leave him alone!" "He's my brother." "l am!" "I am!" "Stop it, Ben!" "Could you show me some form of identification?" "Do you have any?" "ln my pants, in the guest bathroom." "I'm sorry." "He does very unexpected things." "Are you hurt?" "Are you cut anywhere?" "Any glass wedged anywhere?" "You're right." "You're Chick." "You're her brother." "Why didn't you tell me it was Chick?" "Chick, I'm gonna buy you a Cadillac." "A Cadillac?" "How about a red one?" "How about a convertible?" "Don't sell out so cheap." "l've always wanted a Cadillac." "And we're gonna take a trip in Chick's red Cadillac." "You're gonna take a trip." "To our destiny." "Las Vegas!" "You couldn't drag me to that sand-hole rattrap with a fish net." "We are gonna build a Garden of Eden in a desert." "A hotel, but not a hotel." "It's an oasis with a casino." "It's legal. lt's Nevada." "Palm trees and pools." "Rose gardens more beautiful than Versailles." "We're gonna design them all ourselves." "Get away from me!" "We'll have great entertainers." "We'll have Jolson, Cantor, Durante, Cooper, Cary, Victor Mature." "All of them, honey." "We'll have Dana Andrews." "It'll be the most spectacular place they've ever been invited to." "You'll own 5 and three-quarters percent of the whole thing." "And that's gross, not net." "We'll be the greatest hosts in the West, and we'll name it after you." "We're gonna call it the Flamingo." "You know I've brought trouble to every man who ever went on the line for me." "Good." "That's what they get for trying to steal my girl." "My philosophy's always been:" ""lf you don't make it different and new, then don't make it at all."" "That's why I've gone for separation between the structures and for a curved effect within traditional linear principles." "Sensational, David." "Well, thank you." "Where did you find this guy?" "He's terrific." "I must say, it looks gorgeous to me." "Very European." "Very French." "You could sell these here objects in a museum." "This stuff is very hard to draw." "The relationship of the pool bothers me." "What's wrong with it?" "lf you look, there isn't enough sun." "But isn't the point--?" "Your assistant should pay attention." "If we slid the pool down here, wouldn't we get the sun all day because then this section of the main building wouldn't shield it." "Am I right or not?" "David?" "Yeah, sure, but that would change the perspective of the pool in relation to the casino." "All I care is, if we move the pool, will the sun hit the pool all day?" "Yes, it will." "Move the pool." "Ben, we've inflated the budget to 2 million by now." "No problem." "l gotta give Meyer a call." "That's a lot of extra money." "l cannot believe he's dead." "How long you gonna keep saying that?" "He was dead the first time you picked up the paper." "He'll be dead an hour from now." "I was moments away from carrying out my plan." "Ben, relax." "The cocksucker's dead." "That's what matters." "Look at how they got him." "You couldn't have done a better job." "I couldn't have?" "Come here." "Come here." "Tell me what you really think of this David, the architect." "What about him?" "You think he's any good?" "Something about him I don't like." "What is this red tie?" "What is that shit?" "Hey, he's an architect." "What do you want?" "Keep an eye on him." "He makes me nervous." "What is his history?" "How did we get him?" "Ben, don't do this to yourself." "l gotta know the truth." "Who ever knows what's going on in the mind of any broad?" "George, what are you looking at?" "Nothing." "What do you mean, nothing?" "You're looking at Virginia." "She was talking." "You were thinking something." "I was thinking, "You wanna trust a dame with your checkbook?"" "I've never known a broad I'd give more than a couple hundred bucks to." "I am not trusting a dame, I am not trusting a broad I am trusting Virginia." "And I trust her completely." "Benny, Meyer would like to talk to you." "Meyer, where are you, Miami?" "A deportation party for Charlie is nice." "It's horrible." "They lock him up, now they kick him out of the country." "Meyer, I tell you, never trust the prosecutors." "You know who this house belongs to?" "Bugsy Siegel." "No." "Don't ever call him that." "Everybody calls him that out here." "Yeah?" "Not to his face." "You can bet your life on that." "Things may have changed, but not that much." "Of course I feel responsible for Harry." "I know I brought him in." "But, Meyer, we always knew Harry wasn't playing with a full deck." "But for the jobs we had him do, we both thought he was okay for that." "I understand." "When you find him, you'll have to do what you have to do." "What overages?" "Did they ask Michelangelo, "How much for the Sistine Chapel?"" "Did they ask Shakespeare, "How much to write Macbeth?"" "If it costs a little more, it costs a little more." "No problem." "No problem." "I'll see you in New York." "I'm dealing with bloodless bureaucrats." "Ben, Harry Greenberg is here." "Where?" "Out in the hallway." "Hi, Harry." "Ben, you're a sight for sore eyes." "I hope you ain't mad with me, I had no place else to go." "No, you did the right thing." "Tired?" "Yeah, I'm tired." "We got an extra bedroom." "Why don't you take a nap." "We'll talk when you wake up." "It's the first one on the left." "Ben, I thought I was dreaming." "l always think I'm dreaming." "That's true." "So, what do you think, Ben am I dreaming or am I really out here in Hollywood with you?" "You're here, Harry." "Thank God." "If I was anyplace else, I'd be dead." "I screwed up, Ben." "I'm so stupid." "I never wanted to hurt nobody except the people you told me to hurt because they was no good." "You talked." "l talked." "What do you want me to do for you?" "I thought maybe I could work for you out here incognito." "It's tough to be incognito in Hollywood." "That's true." "It was an idea." "A bad idea." "So, what should I do?" "You'd better take a drive with me." "Yeah. I like driving at night." "Especially when someone else is doing the driving." "I always loved that, ever since I was a little kid." "I wish you hadn't done what you did, Harry." "Virginia, this is Harry Greenberg." "He's a very old friend of mine." "Virginia Hill." "Joey A.'s girl." "We met a couple years ago at the Copa." "We're taking a drive together." "l'll come with you." "It'd be better if you stay here." "I won't be long." "I'd rather come along." "I'd rather you didn't." "I thought you said you wanted to spend all your time with me." "Will you please let us take a fucking drive alone?" "You can take your whole fucking life alone if you want." "You wanna come along?" "Come along." "Okay, but it'll be a minute." "I gotta get my coat and bag." "So you seen much of Joey recently?" "Not for quite a while." "Me neither." "I haven't seen any of the guys since I messed up." "Joey was a real sharp dresser." "Nice head of wavy hair on him too." "Harry, Virginia's gonna be my wife." "Yeah?" "No kidding?" "Congratulations." "What happened to Esta?" "Nothing happened to Esta." "That's a relief. I thought she died." "So what happened to her?" "We're getting a divorce." "They're getting a divorce, only Esta doesn't know it yet." "Why do you always have to give me these same little digs?" "Will you just--?" "Esta is a friend of mine." "Accept that." "She's a very good person." "She's the mother of my daughters." "She is not a threat to you, and I'm gonna divorce her." "I'm sorry. I was out of line." "You two seem like a happy couple." "It's nice to see that." "I want you to wait here." "Please don't argue with me about it." "Hey, what the hell's going on out there?" "Ben!" "What are you doing?" "I told you to wait." "Back in the car." "Where's Harry?" "Back in the car." "What's the matter?" "What happened?" "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves." "Twenty dwarves." "Twenty dwarves...." "l gotta be alone." "Okay, I'll go to bed." "No. I gotta be alone in the house." "By myself." "Hey, give me that!" "You're crazy!" "Give it to me!" "Give me that!" "You're crazy!" "Give me that fucking gun!" "Back up or I'll blow your fucking head off!" "Do it!" "Do it!" "Stupid!" "Get smart!" "I'll just fuck you up." "I fucked my wife up, I fucked my kids up." "I fuck things up." "Do it!" "Back off, asshole, or I'll fuck you up." "I'll blow your head off." "Do it!" "Blow my head off!" "Blow it!" "Get away from me!" "I love you, goddamn it!" "What do you mean?" "Harry loved me. I'm shit." "Don't tell me who to love!" "I'm a pig, stupid." "Don't you wanna go straight?" "Do you wanna live for a pig?" "Back up." "Jesus." "It's too late. I'm in too deep." "Give me the gun or shoot me." "Shoot me." "You're not in too deep." "We can get out." "We have each other." "The Flamingo will make us legitimate." "I think you better go reload." "You're so dumb, Ben." "This fucking building was supposed to cost a million dollars." "It's climbing through the roof." "A hotel." "A hotel!" "In the middle of the fucking Mojave Desert." "Five hundred miles away from the nearest toilet." "And this movie-star Hollywood shit of yours is no good." "We're a private group." "We don't want nobody looking at us and taking pictures, writing stories." "It's bad enough, what they do already." "This Flamingo thing can take it out of control." "You finished?" "The Flamingo is legitimate." "There won't be anything to hide." "The money that you and Meyer put up was not a gift." "This was a favor that I let you in on." "Fine." "Then let us out now." "At cost, no profits." "You want out?" "You're out!" "Stop all this nonsense." "This is a farewell party for old friends." "Fuck old friends." "You don't tell old friends a deal's gonna cost 1 million dollars then come back and say it's 2, or 3, or 4." "Or any other shit like that." "Not to Charlie Luciano, you don't." "We're talking different languages, that's the problem." "We're talking different languages." "Ben, please." "Answer a question for me." "What is the most that this hotel could possibly cost?" "Three million, tops." "l only approved 1 , not 3." "What am I doing?" "I don't want in what I have in." "Whatever we want, it doesn't matter." "We're stuck." "So we do what we have to do to make it work." "Within reason." "You call any of this reason?" "I find the whole thing disgusting." "If it is more than 3 million, God won't be able to bail you out." "No problem." "No problem." "One more thing, Ben." "The broad." "What broad?" "Why would you have some broad handle our money?" "She's not a broad." "Speak about Virginia with respect, she's gonna be my wife." "Congratulations. I'm sure she'll make a terrific Mrs. Siegel." "Thank you." "l hope you know what you're doing." "Mickey, I don't want Virginia out of your sight, period." "If you gotta take a nap, have one of the other guys watch her." "All right." "Hello?" "One of the older guys." "Right." "Joey." "Can I speak to you alone?" "What do you want?" "I'm busy." "It won't take a second." "Don't move, darling. I'll get rid of this guy before you can blink." "Make it quick." "Considering the insulting word you used to describe Virginia I think that you owe both of us an apology." "Oh, you do?" "Yeah." "Why don't you suck your apology out of my dick?" "Joey, what a thing to say!" "Pull it out." "Pull it out." "You embarrassed?" "Pull it out." "You want me to pull mine out first?" "Take a look at this." "Can you hear me, Joey?" "You're lucky l didn't drink a lot today." "Your apology's accepted." "So you really are with him?" "We're trying." "I don't want you to get hurt." "I'm pretty good at taking care of myself." "The man is a murderer, a gangster, a thief and a relentless woman-chaser." "Was." "ls." "I'm not interested in a lot of secondhand gossip." "You should be thinking of your future." "He may not." "You have to be practical." "Well, thanks for the thought, but if you're trying to fuck me, forget it." "Extra!" "Extra!" "Japs surrender!" "Japs surrender!" "Extra!" "Extra!" "No more war!" "Are you chewing?" "l'm chewing." "Don't swallow anything till you chew it well." "I was thinking that...." "Could I have some more water?" "I was thinking that...." "Anyone want anything else?" "You just said that a minute ago." "Right." "So, what was I saying?" "Whatever it is, you've been trying to say it all night." "Our plans for moving." "Yeah." "Well, what I was thinking was that...." "l was trying to figure out what would be best for...." "l'm gonna be in Las Vegas now." "It's nothing but a sand dune." "So I'll be there with the workmen." "I'll be alone. I just don't know...." "You could live in the house in Los Angeles if you wanted." "I don't know if that would make sense, because I'm not gonna be there." "Maybe it would be best for you to stay here where you feel at home." "And see you for a day or two every couple of years?" "Excuse me." "What?" "l'm sorry." "You've found someone, haven't you?" "You wanna be with her and not me." "I want a divorce." "is that what you want, is it?" "I want to take care of you, I wanna take care of the children." "A divorce." "You want a divorce, don't you?" "Say it." "Answer me." "You want a divorce, don't you?" "You want a divorce." "Say it." "I do." "Don't come out of this room for a minute." "is this not the most spectacular sight you've ever seen?" "I tell you, it's breathtaking." "It's vast, it's intimate, it's original." "Where's the pool?" "Right through here." "How can I see the pool from the casino?" "You wanted the pool in the sun." "That's why you told us to move it." "l thought you'd be able to see it." "l'm afraid that's impossible." "We said we'd stand in the casino and you could see the pool." "The problem is that this is a bearing wall." "All right." "Get rid of it." "lt supports the whole structure." "You understand what David's saying?" "l got the point, Virginia." "I also don't need you to parrot everything this guy says." "Look, just get rid of the wall, all right?" "We can make the wall glass, but it's gonna be very expensive." "l gotta put a header beam up" "A header beam!" "You saved the day." "With the overages, we're looking at a budget up near" " Virginia, what is it?" "Four and a half million." "No problem." "Do you understand our position?" "If you're gonna do something, do it right." "Who the hell are they?" "Bugsy Siegel?" "Federal marshals." "You're under arrest." "I don't know anybody of that name, here or anywhere." "Benjamin Siegel, I have a warrant for your arrest and a court order to transport you across state lines and deliver you to the authorities in Los Angeles County, California." "What's the charge?" "Homicide." "is it true that Harry Greenberg was your best friend?" "Are you guilty?" "Why'd you kill your best friend?" "Are you getting a divorce, Bugsy?" "is it true Harry Greenberg was gonna testify against all your friends?" "Mr. Siegel, come on, give us a statement." "I only have two things to say." "First, the name is Benjamin, as in the Bible." "And second, I'll see you all when the Flamingo opens on Christmas." "I'm Assistant DA Hartman." "I'm in charge of this case." "You can leave the prisoner with me." "This way, sir." "Don't let anybody else inside." "Yes, sir." "What's going on?" "$30,000 to your campaign's not enough?" "What do you mean?" "The walls are thin here." "l had to have you arrested." "You got no case, no witness." "The taxi driver." "What taxi driver?" "The driver who dropped Harry Greenberg off at your house." "You got a name?" "I want that name to accidentally fall into the hands of Mickey Cohen." "Fine." "But I warn you, nothing nasty." "You don't have to warn me." "Considering the gravity of the charges, murder in the first degree I hereby order you held without bail." "Rare steak, plain spinach, baked potato." "Tony, let me ask you something, and be honest with me." "Does that picture make my face look pale?" "Hello." "Mickey, where are you, in Vegas?" "All right." "Did you do anything about the cab-driver problem?" "Good." "By the way, you see my picture in the Examiner today?" "Worst one yet." "Makes me look like I got no tan." "I look like a fucking marshmallow." "Are you trying to make me feel good?" "What do you say, tan or not tan?" "Tan." "Really?" "All right." "Look, stay on top of Virginia, will you?" "I want constant reports." "I feel very isolated in here." "All right, good." "Shit." "Things are starting to shape up." "He wants to open at Christmas." "He's going to open at Christmas." "Ben is absolutely determined." "Ben is absolutely determined." "Absolutely determined." "Meyer, it'll open on time." "You've changed a lot since I first met you." "You told me you were leaving Vegas, you didn't say Meyer was there." "I thought it would be better to tell you in person." "So he saw the Flamingo?" "What did he say?" "He said he was worried about the cost." "What else did he say?" "Nothing." "He talked to Del Webb." "Did he ask any specific questions?" "He saw the demolished wall." "What about the header beam?" "Not exactly, but he ducked under it." "He ducked?" "lt's low." "What do you mean?" "Too low, unless you're 5-foot-6." "But it hasn't been fixed yet." "What was his general attitude?" "Concern." "But he was very nice, like he's always been." "What do you mean, always?" "lt means "as in the past."" "You didn't know him in the past." "Yes, through Joey." "Did you fuck him?" "Sure I did." "Why do you ask now?" "Did you fuck Meyer?" "Don't be disgusting. I meant Joey." "Why is fucking Meyer any more disgusting than fucking Joey?" "Fucking Joey wasn't disgusting?" "is that your point?" "What is it with you and Joey?" "What is the matter with Meyer?" "You don't want to fuck Meyer, you want to fuck Joey?" "If they can't get it right, tell them to start again from scratch." "I haven't come this far to have a casino that doesn't let me see the pool." "Tear down the fucking casino!" "Ben, the cost is going haywire." "Are you on their side now?" "Don't ever say that to me again." "The hell with Meyer Lansky, Las Vegas and the Flamingo!" "Look, I talked to Meyer in the middle of a sand blizzard trying to say things you would say to keep things from seeming worse." "He even said I sounded like you." "I wish we were back at Coney Island eating hot dogs at Nathan's." "You're gonna love Kansas." "We got you a job as a cab driver." "l'll get used to it." "What's not to like?" "That's where Dorothy's from, in The Wizard of Oz." "Dorothy and the munchkins?" "That's right." "Don't send any postcards." "Extra!" "Extra!" "Bugsy Siegel gets off scot-free." "Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable." "This is the gonna be the biggest gala opening in history." "You are a prince of princes." "See you back at the house." "You're welcome. lf you have more luggage, carry it yourself." "The Flamingo's gonna come in at 6 million, Ben." "Listen, Meyer, anyone who tells you-- l'm on your side, doing what I can." "Stop trying to fool me and yourself." "You need 3 million." "If you can come up with 2, I can come up with 1 ." "Charlie knows nothing about this." "This is between you and me." "Can you come up with that?" "No problem." "Would you stop that, please?" "Stop with the "no problems." Think." "What are you gonna do to get it?" "Your property, the house in Scarsdale, the cars, the stocks, the bonds all belong to Esta and the girls now, am I correct?" "Absolutely." "Then how you gonna get 2 million?" "l'll sell things." "What things?" "I'll sell my house and everything in it." "Sounds to me like about 200,000, tops." "Where's the other 1 .8 million?" "You always protected me when we were kids." "You were always behind me." "But I can't protect you." "My shares." "What about them?" "I own a third of the hotel." "I'll sell it." "That's all you've got." "You'll end up with nothing." "After all this, nothing." "The Flamingo will be there." "That's not nothing." "Add your 2 to this." "I'll miss you, Benny." "Ladies and gentlemen, we begin with lot number one." "Sold to the lady in the white hat." "Twenty-seven-fifty." "Don't lose it." "Yes or no?" "Here's a magnificent item." "This beautiful oriental rug." "Sold." "I've decided to sell you both 1 0 percent of the Flamingo." "For how much?" "Sixty thousand each." "Aren't the shares already sold?" "Not if I'm still selling them." "Let me tell you, Steve, I want a fleet of planes at Christmas." "I'm flying half of Los Angeles here." "Give me a couple weeks' notice and the cash in advance you got the whole Air Force if you want, Mr. Siegel." "Wait one second, I'm gonna try to get her to go up." "Hi." "Now, what does it take?" "What would what take?" "You gotta see it from up there." "Sugar, it is so beautiful." "It's like an oasis." "It's like a palace in the middle of the desert." "You'll love it." "Once you're up, you'll be very comfortable." "Will you do it?" "For me?" "Ben...." "Never mind, Steve." "Hey." "Look who's here." "How you doing, Ben?" "So did you miss the desert?" "That's not why I came." "Why did you come?" "What did she do?" "She fucked you." "What are you talking about?" "There's a Swiss bank account with almost $2 million in it." "So?" "lt's hers." "There's a lot of Swiss bank accounts with $2 million in them." "But only one taken out by Joe Epstein for Virginia Hill." "I've seen copies of the deposit records." "lt's a lie." "lt's not a lie." "Mr. Epstein does work for me." "He has no reason to lie to me." "It's a lie." "You repeat it, I'll break your fucking jaw." "I get a glass of water?" "Do I have to give you a lesson?" "Get those cases out of my sight." "I've told you, when we're here, we don't wanna see the boxes." "You bring the cases in, you leave them there and I haven't seen one case where l told you to put it." "Excuse me." "All right?" "Sorry." "Hi, I'm Natalie St. Clair." "Mr. Webb suggested I talk to you about working at the Flamingo." "Yeah?" "As what?" "Well, anything you might need." "If you were gonna invent a job, what would it be?" "A bartender." "A bartender?" "A hatcheck girl." "Did you come in from Hollywood?" "Yeah." "Yes, I did." "You're certainly very beautiful." "Did you fly in?" "No. I love to fly but I couldn't afford it, so I had to hitchhike." "Looking for a girl who likes to fly?" "Excuse me, would you?" "Virginia, I wanna talk to you." "Virginia." "Sugar." "Sugar." "Virginia, we don't have time for this." "Shit, Virginia." "You almost got me in the head again." "How do you think it makes me feel, watching you chasing some bimbo." "I wasn't chasing her." "She's an employee." "An employee of what?" "She's gonna be a hatcheck girl." "Wait a minute, what are you--?" "What are you doing?" "That's Baccarat crystal you shattered." "You just shattered us, and I think that's more important!" "I'm not gonna defend myself." "A woman wanted a job." "What are you doing?" "Leaving." "And don't try to stop me." "I should've gone when you killed Harry Greenberg." "I should've gone when I met you." "Where do you think you're going?" "Wherever I feel like." "Someplace where somebody knows about a numbered bank account?" "What fantasy have you concocted in your sick mind?" "Just ask what you wanna ask." "How much money is in the account?" "Why?" "You wanna sell me a few shares in the Flamingo?" "You gave me 5 percent." "Wanna sell me 1 0 like your friends?" "That'd come to about, what, 300 percent sold by now?" "Or 4?" "Answer the question." "How much money have you stolen from the hotel?" "I've done 1 00 times the work I would have to do to justify taking anything I can get my hands on." "How much did you get?" "Nothing." "Not a cent." "And I could have taken a lot." "You wouldn't have known because you're an irresponsible, unreliable, philandering fuck!" "I should have taken something, but it isn't in me." "It isn't in me to violate the trust of the one person I have been stupid enough to give myself to in every way." "The one person I've been stupid enough to love." "How much money you got in that account?" "How much did you steal?" "Damn you!" "How much?" "Bye-bye, Ben." "You're on your own." "First of all, thanks for taking the time to fly down here to visit a lonely Italian exile with a swollen prostate gland." "It breaks my heart that the tragic mess with the Flamingo is being perpetrated by one of my oldest friends, Benny Siegel." "Here's where we stand right now." "The Flamingo's gonna open on Christmas Day." "My hotel friends in the know tell me that's the stupidest fucking time we could've picked to open a new joint." "The total cost is now $6 million." "That's $5 million more than agreed." "To get the last few million he needed to finish construction Benny's had to sell 400 percent of the hotel." "A lot of people who think they got major shares in this joint are famous individuals like movie stars and wealthy businessmen with political connections who ain't just gonna roll over when it's time to collect." "Not that there'll be a time to collect because, chances are, this thing will be a fucking fiasco." "Now, all of this is nothing compared to the most serious matter which is the question of stealing." "My banking friends in Switzerland tell me this Virginia Hill this broad that Joey A. used to fuck and Benny's head and heels over she's pulled off a couple of million in loose change from this here deal." "For me, there's a simple, basic question we have to ask:" "Did this broad steal this money without Benny knowing about it or is she just fronting for Benny?" "A shill." "Anybody that thinks Bugsy Siegel didn't know about this is crazy." "His name's Ben." "There's no need for disrespect." "Oh, yeah?" "What about his disrespect to us?" "Benny's gotta take the rap, no matter what." "I agree with Joey and Frank." "How do the rest of you feel?" "Agreed." "Meyer?" "I don't believe he knew anything." "I believe he was blinded by love." "Benny's always put women first." "That's what makes him Benny." "This time it's one woman that's got him, and not the whole female race." "Benny would accept anything that broad told him." "There's no chance he stole from us." "No chance he knew about any stealing." "I've always maintained Benny's got one basic problem:" "He doesn't respect money." "He's not even interested in the money." "He's interested in the idea." "What idea?" "Building something." "Making something." "Benny's a dreamer." "I'm not excusing it, I'm explaining it." "I'm a businessman." "Anything that broad took, Benny's gotta make good on." "She's his responsibility." "What do you want to do about it, as a businessman?" "Wait and see if the hotel works." "If it does, we'll all be happy." "Let him pay off her debt." "What if the Flamingo goes bust?" "Then I'll handle it myself." "All right, I wanna know who's responsible for this!" "I wanna know what person in this room is responsible for smudging this carpet with this disgusting cigarette butt." "Come on." "No one will admit this?" "Come on." "Now, I want the person who did it to come right here and tell me who it is." "I want who did this to come here and I want you to apologize." "I want you to say, "l did it," and apologize to me." "is that an unreasonable thing?" "No, it's not unreasonable, Benny." "Well?" "It's all right, baby blue-eyes." "Go upstairs, take it easy, get out of those wet clothes." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns doing handstands on the carpet." "Twenty dwarves took turns...." "What about Gable and Cooper?" "Not a word." "Worst luck I've ever seen." "You can do all kinds of things, but you can't control the weather." "No mere mortal ever could." "You can't lose heart." "David, go back and check that fuse box." "What the hell is going on?" "Can we get some flashlights?" "Ladies and gentlemen, I wanna thank you for coming tonight to try and make the opening of the Flamingo a success." "Due to the implementation of further refinements in the hotel which will make the Flamingo an even greater place which we can all enjoy I am going to announce a temporary closure effective as of Friday night." "I hope to see you all at the grand reopening of the hotel the date of which will be announced soon." "Thank you very much." "Meyer Lansky's on the phone." "He wants to talk to you." "Meyer." "No, we're shutting down temporarily on Friday night and we" "Why would I fly to L.A. tonight to see Gus and Moe?" "Meyer, I want you to do something for me." "Promise me, no matter what happens, you'll protect Virginia." "You give me your word on that, I'll go to L.A. tonight." "Do I have your word?" "Good." "Meyer, you want a tip?" "Keep your shares in the Flamingo." "You'll live to thank me." "l'm sorry, Ben." "What do you mean?" "For what?" "I should have been with you." "What do you mean?" "You're here now." "You're the only one." "They told me you have to go to L.A." "I am. I got a meeting in two hours." "Meyer's sending Gus and Moe." "If you're going to L.A. for money, you may not need it." "What do you mean?" "Two million dollars." "I always said you were a better businessman than I was, but I...." "l don't get it." "I don't know." "Maybe l" "Maybe I took it for us." "Maybe I took it for me. I don't know." "You get a little confused and you get afraid...." "l don't know." "Maybe I thought I'd buy us a couple of hot dogs at Coney Island." "I'll tell you what, why don't we just leave it in the bank?" "We'll save it for a rainy day." "I gotta go." "Want me to go with you?" "I'll come with you, okay?" "Fly?" "Yeah." "ln this weather?" "Yeah." "I see." "Get out of here." "I'll be back in a couple of hours." "All right?" "I love you, Ben." "That's right." "Las Vegas, Nevada, person-to-person, Miss Virginia Hill." "I know about the windstorms." "That's okay, I'm gonna hold." "You'd think I was trying to call a gas station in the Himalayas." "I'll be right here." "Thanks." "What time is it?" "Ten twenty-four." "She's got no idea where l am." "I told her I'd be back by noon." "It's the weather." "She'll understand." "I was thinking Washington's birthday for the reopening of the Flamingo" "What time is it?" "It's 1 0:2 4 and about 1 0 seconds." "In 50 seconds it'll be 1 0:25." "I don't understand this shit with Gus and Moe." "They say they're gonna meet me at the L.A. Airport." "Then it's the Brown Derby at 8:00." "Now it's 1 1:30 at Virginia's." "lt's the weather, Ben." "Weather." "Yes, operator." "Thank you very much." "I'm right here." "Suddenly the weather's ruling the universe?" "Benny, relax." "They're probably waiting for you at the door." "I think you'll be interested to know I spoke to Cary Grant." "He couldn't have been nicer." "And I promise you" "What do you think?" "About what?" "Moe and Gus." "I gotta get back." "Do I drive back?" "What do I do?" "What do you think?" "What is there to think?" "The wind is blowing." "I got no opinion on it." "Benny, relax." "You'll have a breakdown." "Operator?" "I'm just gonna hold on, if you'll" " Thank you" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Shit." "You know something, Mick, you got Virginia all wrong." "Tonight she was willing to fly for me." "I don't wanna talk about Virginia, Ben." "All right, good night." "I'm on to your racket." "You've got the blueprints all drawn, haven't you?" "Yeah." "You got a line, sister, but it don't make a wife for a right guy." "So I'm telling you straight, forget that you ever seen him." "Yeah." "You got a line, sister, but it don't make a wife for a right guy." "So I'm telling you straight, forget that you ever seen him." "And if you don't get what I mean, this might give you an idea." "Now, listen, mister." "Before you came in here, I was...." "Hello, Moe." "Virginia, this is Gus Greenbaum." "Meyer Lansky sent us." "We're taking over control of the hotel." "Ben Siegel controls the Flamingo." "Bugsy Siegel is dead." "The Flamingo belongs to us."