Original subtitles

Around the country...

the bookies pay off winners at track odds.

It's dangerous when a Iong shot comes in.

UnIess you have somebody at the tracks to Iower those odds.

- Bet you can't do that with a quarter. - Are you kidding?

Sure I can.

I'II give you a dime for every quarter you can Iay on end.

It's a bet.

Hey, you got any quarters?

Sir?

How you doin'?

- Can I get a MiIIer? - You got it.

Out of twenty.

Three, four, five. Five is ten. Ten is twenty.

Thanks.

Okay, ace, ten in a row.

Yep, you're right.

That's a doIIar I owe you.

That was the deaI. A dime for every quarter.

Five thousand on the three horse to win, pIease.

Thank you.

Two thousand on the three horse to win.

Running time for the sixth furIong...

one minute, eIeven and one-tenths seconds.

They're in the gate.

They're off.

FuII Force from the outside racing out for the Iead...

with VitaI Contact moving up.

Mrs. Langtry, I'm sorry.

Why, what's wrong?

You are a vaIued customer, as you know.

What's wrong?

I can't understand this. It's something you aImost never see.

What is?

This is some of the finest fiIigreed pIatinum I've ever seen.

But the stones-- No.

They're not diamonds, Mrs. Langtry.

But they must be! They cut gIass.

GIass wiII cut gIass. AImost anything wiII.

Come with me.

Let me show you a positive test for diamonds.

Take this.

Do you see...

how the water spIashes over them?

How it sIides off in a sheet?

With reaI diamonds, it won't do that.

It cIings to the surface in tiny dropIets.

I see it.

I hope you're not too badIy disappointed with us.

It's not your fauIt.

You'II give us an opportunity to serve you again.

Anything you think we might be interested in.

WeII, I have onIy one thing now.

Are you interested?

I wouId have to see it, of course.

You are seeing it.

You're Iooking right at it.

Mrs. Langtry.

Something Iike this very rareIy happens.

Fine setting and workmanship usuaIIy means precious stones.

It aIways hurts me when I find they're not.

I aIways hope...

I'm mistaken.

Can I get a MiIIer, pIease?

- One too many, mister? - What?

Step away from the car.

Never mind. Let's see your drivers' Iicense.

You seem pretty sick, Mr. DiIIon.

It's a bad shrimp, I think.

It didn't quite taste right when I was eating it.

I'm getting over it, though.

- ShaII I take you to a doctor? - No, I'm fine now. Thanks.

I stiII got a Iot of cIients to see.

- Take it easy now. - I wiII. Thank you.

Have a good day.

- Hi, LiIIy. - Irv.

Irv, I'm done here. Do I come back to BaItimore?

No. Bobo wants you to go to La JoIIa.

La JoIIa? I'd never go to CaIifornia. That's a thousand miIes from here.

Don't argue with Bobo. He needs somebody to handIe pIayback there.

Maybe I'II swing around to Los AngeIes.

Take two or three days. CaII when you get there.

Put it this way.

Say I rent to a woman.

She has to have a room with a bath...

otherwise she's got the whoIe bath tied up...

washing her goddamn hair and cIothes and anything eIse.

I had my first hoteI 37 years ago in Wichita FaIIs, Texas...

and that's when I Iearned about women.

They don't make the money for a pIace Iike this.

Not reguIar, they don't.

There's onIy one way they can get it. By seIIing their seIf.

Tapping them cute IittIe piggy banks they aII got.

- Mr. DiIIon. - Mr. Simms.

Here's a potentiaI neighbor of yours.

- Mrs. Langtry may drop by. - I'II send her right up.

That's the fine type of person I have in mind for here Iike yourseIf.

Don't you wanna see me?

- No, honey, I can't go there. - What did you have in mind?

- You can be here in 20 minutes. - I don't know, Roy.

There's traffic downtown. It'II take about an hour to get to you.

In a minute.

Smack.

Heads.

Smack.

TaiIs.

What do you want, kid?

- Show me how you did that other one. - Scram. Go home.

I can't. I just Ieft home.

You're too young. You oughta be in schooI.

I am in schooI.

Five of spades.

- Where's the five? - In your other hand.

Good. You Iearned something.

Good-bye.

I wanna Iearn everything.

You wanna be a grifter?

A grifter.

Yes.

Not partners. That's your first Iesson.

It cuts your score in haIf.

Worse, you take a partner, put an appIe on your head...

hand the other guy the shotgun.

Grifters, huh.

You're one, aII right.

Grifters got an irresistibIe urge to beat a guy who's wise.

There's nothing to whipping a fooI.

HeII, fooIs are made to be whipped.

But to take another pro, even your partner...

who knows you and has his eye on you...

that's a score.

No matter what happens.

You want a Iearn a few tricks? I'II teach you.

- But your hand doesn't get in me. - It's a deaI.

Roy.

AII right, forget the Iong con.

If the fooI tips, you're caught, you'II do time. Never do time.

And don't go dressing Iike that. Showing off.

Any bIind man couId spot you.

Give me $20.

Come around tomorrow, I'II take you again.

WeII, that's fine.

Two months we know each other, you're so bored you faII asIeep before I get here.

When you're not here, aII I can do is dream about you, Myra.

You stink. I hate you.

Your twins seem to be very restIess.

Maybe we oughta put them to bed, huh?

You know what I'm gonna do?

I'm gonna smother you.

Death, where is thy sting?

You smeII good. Like a bitch in a hothouse.

Oh, darIing.

What a beautifuI thing to say.

- Maybe you don't smeII so good. - I do. You just said so.

It couId be your cIothes.

It's me.

- Do I have to prove it? - NaturaIIy.

What?

Simms, Mr. DiIIon.

Sure, Mr. Simms. What can I do for you?

A visitor.

A very attractive young Iady.

She says she's your mother.

Send her up.

Come on in, LiIIy.

Hi, LiIIy.

Long time no see.

Eight years.

I'm making coffee. You want some?

Just instant.

That'd be nice.

Here we are.

Come on. Sit down.

So, what are we up to these days?

StiII handIing pIayback money at the track.

I'II be going back to BaItimore when the races at La JoIIa are finished.

-You're working for that same bookmaker? -Yeah.

An easy Iife.

UsuaIIy.

Great view.

I guess you've been getting my Christmas cards.

You aIways did have a sense of humor.

GIad to see you.

I'd have been hurt if you hadn't have dropped by.

I'm gIad to see you too.

I'm not sure what you're up to.

I'm not up to anything.

You can't kid me. You got more on the baII than I ever did.

You know what it does--

Why don't you mind your own goddamn business?

Roy, what is it?

It's no sweat.

God, you're ice coId.

- Don't Iaugh at me. - Laugh? I'm not, honey.

Did somebody hurt you?

- Got hit in the stomach the other day. - Let me see.

Dr. MitcheII.

It's LiIIy DiIIon, Doctor.

I work for Justus Amusement Company out of BaItimore.

What?

Don't you brush me off, buster.

If I have to get Bobo Justus to caII you--

Mrs. DiIIon, I'm sorry about our disagreement on the phone.

I'm reaIIy sorry about your son.

It's hard to beIieve such a strapping young man is your son.

Never mind that! Just take care of him.

He's had an internaI hemorrhage. He's bIeeding to death.

Make it stop.

His bIood pressure's under 100. I don't think he's gonna make it.

You know who I work for.

- There's just so much I can do. - My son is gonna be aII right.

If not, I'II have you kiIIed.

No, reaIIy. You're Roy's mother?

That's impossibIe.

Not quite.

But I'm not sure who you are. Mrs. Langtry was it?

I'm Roy's friend.

Yes, I imagine you're Iots of peopIe's friend.

Oh, of course.

Now that I see you in the Iight, you're pIenty oId enough to be his mom.

- Aren't we aII? - PIay nice. Don't fight.

- DarIing! - Roy!

- You're gonna be aII right. - Sure I am.

What am I doing here?

You were bIeeding inside, honey.

Remember that bruise you had?

You caIIed the doctor?

WeII, no, Roy.

Your mother did.

Thanks.

How Iong untiI I can get out of here?

Roy, your mom saved your Iife.

Second time I gave it to you.

I was kind of inconvenient...

for LiIIy.

She was onIy 14 when I came aIong.

In fact, I used to be her kid brother, or so she'd say.

WeII, you're aII right now.

It's a two-hour drive. I'm Iate. I have to go to the track.

Thanks, LiIIy.

Don't mention it.

I guess I owe you my Iife.

You aIways did.

Down to the track?

La JoIIa.

Her job.

I want to know everything about you.

Damn it!

Number 7 Troubadour rank outsider stays unchanged at 70-to-one.

Seventy to one.

Now at the start, BIue Bay, five-to-two.

CeIedon Star, the favorite, moves in at two-to-one.

Troubadour goes into the gate stiII running high odds at 70-to-one.

And they're off!

From the start, it's FertiIe Present, Troubadour...

Otis BIue, Buck Meister, UncIe Louis.

Down the backstretch, CeIedon Star has the Iead by two Iengths...

with CaII Me Hap second.

Six Dreams goes into third.

- Troubadour moves in on the outside. - Not Troubadour.

Rounding the far turn, CeIedon Star in front.

CaII Me Hap second. BIues Bay begins to drop back.

Six Dreams moves up.

Troubadour making a boId move on the outside.

They round the term on the homestretch, and it's CeIedon Star in front.

On the outside, Troubadour now coming strong.

CaII Me Hap on the raiI. Those two vie for second position.

CeIedon Star in front. Troubadour begins to pick up pace.

CeIedon Star hoIding the Iead. Troubadour coming on.

It's CeIedon Star and Troubadour driving up on the outside with a strong finish.

CeIedon Star and Troubadour. Troubadour on the outside.

Now going by to get the Iead. Troubadour winning it by haIf a Iength.

Finishing odds were as foIIows. Today's amazing success story:

Troubadour outsider at 70-to-one in first pIace.

What happens when you get out of here?

A ticker tape parade...

a key to the city, sex with my baby.

The usuaI.

- That's it? - What eIse?

That's what I want to know.

Is this aII we have: ''Sex with my baby''?

Not that I'm knocking it, but is that aII?

What are you driving at? Marriage?

- I didn't say that. - But that's what I asked.

I don't think so.

I'm a very practicaI IittIe girI, and I don't beIieve in giving more than I get.

And that may be pretty awkward for a matchbook saIesman or whatever you are.

Everybody needs matches.

What do you seII anyway?

SeIf-confidence.

God knows you have it to spare.

I'II see you tomorrow.

No kiss?

- HeIIo, Mrs. Langtry. - Hi.

Time to rest.

I'II Ieave you in CaroI's good hands.

You're Iooking much better today.

You're Iooking very bad today.

I am?

You beIong in bed, Miss FIynn.

I'II give you part of mine.

You wiII not.

But you must. I've seen girIs with this Iook before.

Bed is the onIy thing that wiII cure them.

Bed without dinner might cure you.

You better behave or I won't kiss you good night, then you'II be sorry.

You'd better behave or I'II teII your mother.

We wouIdn't want that now, wouId we?

Oh, hi, Myra.

I didn't recognize you.

I'm sure you didn't.

Myra's been here.

- What's your objection to Myra? - The same as anybody's.

I stopped by your pIace. Picked up your maiI.

- Just biIIs. I'II take care of them. - I can take care of my own biIIs.

Whatever you say.

The manager at your pIace said your boss caIIed.

ReaIIy puIIed the wooI over everyone's eyes, huh?

- So I've got a job. So what? - Stop kidding me.

Four years in Los AngeIes and a peanut seIIing job's the best you can do?

You expect me to beIieve that?

It's there. The boss caIIed. You said so yourseIf.

That dump you Iive in. Those cIown pictures on the waII.

- I Iike those. - You do not.

Roy DiIIon, cornbaII cIown pictures, commission saIesman-- It's aII a front.

Don't teII me you're not working some angIe 'cause I wrote the book.

You stiII running pIayback money for the mob?

That's who I am!

-You were never cut out for the rackets. -How come?

You aren't tough enough.

Not as tough as you, huh?

How'd you get that punch in the stomach?

I tripped on a chair.

Get off the grift.

Why?

You haven't got the stomach for it.

Oh, good, CaroI. Come in.

Dr. MitcheII says you can get out of here Friday...

but someone shouId Iook in on you, so I hired CaroI.

- You hired? - You'II pay me back.

LiIIy, I make my own decisions, for a Iong time now.

You couIdn't possibIy object to a pretty young Iady coming to visit you.

Do you know why my mother hired you?

Why, yes. I'II come in every afternoon and make sure--

She hired you for me to fuck.

To keep me away from bad infIuences.

Isn't that right?

It is not.

- Mrs. DiIIon, perhaps I-- - Wait in the haII! Don't go away!

You didn't have to do that.

I thought I did.

So you won't take a thing from me, is that it?

- Sex? - I'm not offering sex, you punk.

That's not what I meant.

You're throwing that waIIfIower at me 'cause you don't Iike Myra.

Myra's nothing.

She's Iess than nothing.

Then why does she bug you?

You jeaIous?

Of what? You wanna Iie down with dogs?

- Then I'II pick the dog. - Go ahead.

Thanks, Mom.

That's right.

I just give you your Iife. What you do with it is up to you.

That's right!

Myra here. Sorry you missed me.

TeII me how to reach you, and I wiII.

Baby, I'm getting out of here today. That's it.

Let's go down to La JoIIa this afternoon. Hit the beach.

Have some fun. Take some time off.

Forget aII this other stuff.

Don't teII me.

You're Addison Simms of SeattIe...

and we had Iunch together in the faII of 1902.

Listen. Damn it!

Listen.

How's your wiry zone?

Are hidden germs Iurking in your nooks and crannies?

This is your finaI warning. You've got to settIe your biII today.

Don't I aIways pay my biIIs?

One way or another?

Yeah, weII, this time it's just one way.

Stop getting up nights, men. You too couId Iearn to dance.

AII you need is a magic step. SimpIe as one, two, three.

Here's your biII.

That's a Iot of money, Joe. You wouIdn't have padded it?

You owe every damn cent of that.

Maybe I couId get the dough from your wife, do you suppose?

Maybe your kids wouId crack their piggy banks?

Take one step towards my famiIy--

Don't wet your pants, for Christ's sake.

Come in, Joe.

The money.

There it is.

The automatic cIutch.

It comes with the deIuxe uphoIstery...

and the high speed wiry zone.

Myra, pIease.

I've Iet you--

I've been very good to you.

I've Iet you stay here month after month--

Can't be done, Joe.

AII passengers must pay as they enter.

No free passes or rebates.

That's a strict ruIe of the Intercourse Commerce Commission.

Oh, my God.

OnIy one choice to a customer.

The Iady...

or the Ioot.

What's it gonna be?

The difference between your foIded and cIean toweI is a trip to the Iaundry.

When you're cIeaning bathrooms, you pick up the toweI...

give it a good shake and Iook, and you say to yourseIf...

''WouId I dry myseIf on this toweI?''

- If the answer's ''yes,'' foId it. - What if it's wet?

Mr. DiIIon, weIcome back.

- You're Iooking just fine. - Thank you. I'm feeIing fine.

- I'm gIad you're better. - Sickness comes to us aII.

- That's true. - We never know when, why, how.

The onIy bIessed thing we know is it'II come at the most inconvenient time.

Just when you've got tickets to the WorId Series.

And that's the way the permanent waves.

That feIIow couId be a congressman.

If it's wet, you don't foId it.

Shake it and hang it neatIy on the rod provided.

Yes, sir.

- What are you Iaughing at? - Nothing.

Never mind.

It's just I was remembering at Iunch...

on the menu it said...

''Today's speciaI...

broiIed hothouse tomato...

under generous sIice...

of ripe cheese.''

Hi, Bobo.

Did I buy you that dress, you piece of shit?

- I guess so. You're the guy I work for. - I'm the guy you work for, huh?

In that case, I may just fIush you down the toiIet.

Take me to my hoteI.

Troubadour.

How'd you figure you were gonna get away with that?

- I'm not getting away with anything. - You're fucking right you're not.

How much did your paIs cut you in for on that nag...

or they giving you the screwing you gave me?

I was down on that horse. Maybe not as much as I shouId have been.

- But there was a Iot of action. - One question!

You wanna stick to that story or keep your teeth?

- I wanna keep my teeth. - AII right.

I'II ask you another. You think I got no contacts out here?

That nag paid off at aImost the opening price.

There wasn't a fIutter on the tote board from when first odds were posted.

There ain't enough action to tickIe the tote board and you cIaim a $10,000 win.

You send me $10,000 Iike I'm a fucking mark you can rip off!

- No, I didn't-- - You wanna taIk to me straight up?

My son.

- Your what? - My son was in the hospitaI.

What the fuck are you doing with a son?

He Ieft home a Iong time ago.

He was in the hospitaI in Los AngeIes. He was reaI sick.

Motherhood.

I've never fucked up before.

You got any kind of Iong coat in the car...

something you can wear home over your dress?

I'II Ioan you a raincoat.

You guys take a waIk.

WiII you go in the bathroom and bring me a toweI?

You ever hear about the oranges, LiIIy?

You mean the insurance frammis?

TeII me about the oranges...

whiIe you put those in the toweI.

You hit a person with the oranges wrapped in a toweI.

They get big, ugIy Iooking bruises...

but they don't get hurt, not if you do it right.

It's for working scams against insurance companies.

And if you do it wrong?

It can Iouse up your insides.

You can get per--

What?

Permanent damage.

You never shit right again.

Bring me the toweI.

Get up. Go cIean yourseIf up. Coat's on the bed.

Oh, I aImost forgot.

Ten grand. It's yours.

Troubadour, huh?

- You want a drink? - Gee.

I better not, if that's okay.

I stiII gotta drive up to Los AngeIes.

See your son, huh?

That's nice. A side of you I never knew.

He's a good kid. A saIesman.

On the square, huh?

How are you making out these days? SteaIing much?

From you? My foIks didn't raise no stupid kids.

You're not skimming a thing, LiIIy?

WeII, you know.

CIip a buck here and there. Not enough to notice.

That's right. Take a IittIe, Ieave a IittIe.

Person who don't Iook out for himseIf's too dumb to Iook out for anyone eIse.

He's a IiabiIity, right?

That's a thousand percent right.

Or eIse he's working an angIe.

If he's not steaIing a IittIe, he's steaIing a Iot.

You know it.

You know, I Iike that suit.

I don't know what there is about it, but...

somehow it makes you Iook taIIer.

- You reaIIy think so? - Yeah.

Lot of peopIe been teIIing me that.

You can teII them from me they're right.

I'd best be going.

Roy'II wonder where I am.

Worries about his mother, does he?

You give him a hug for me.

I wiII.

Thanks, Bobo.

So Iong.

I don't see why we have to take the train.

What if we wanna drive somewhere whiIe we're there?

Then we'II rent a car.

- Big spender. - You ain't seen nothing yet.

- Why so many peopIe? - Race season at La JoIIa.

Where your mother is?

- You don't want to see her, do you? - No.

Hit the beach, eat weII. That's good enough for me.

I'm gonna stretch my Iegs. You wanna come?

Want a drink?

See you in a minute.

A drink for you and Gunnerson's dead grandmother.

- Right. - But Junior, he gets miIk.

One miIk, pIease.

Just a minute.

- I'm sorry. - You okay, paI?

- Yeah. I spiIIed aII your drinks. - Don't worry about it.

- Are you sure you're okay? - Are those beers?

Watch this. I'II be right back.

Four MiIIers.

He jumped right in!

''Don't worry, Sarge. I'II drive him. He's too distraught.''

- You said distraught? - Never used it before.

- You guys couId've got into troubIe. - No way. Are you kidding?

Hey. One of you guys dropped this?

- That's not mine. - I wouIdn't have taken a chance.

- To us! - Here we go.

- Another round, I'm buying. - You can't buy every round.

- It's our turn. - We got pIenty of cash.

TeII you what. We'II roII for it.

- AII right. - Low number buys.

- Very good. - You roII first.

Let's go, Junior.

That's a four. We're in.

- I toId you I'd buy. - It just doesn't seem fair.

- Let me get even when I get back. - You got it.

Make sure they're coId.

Who's got 20? Come on.

- Here we go. - AII right! I want my 20 back.

- Take it away, my friend. - You're gettin' better at this.

One more time?

I got four. Cover me for four?

I got three. Spot me on this one.

- I'm not spotting you. - Come on, you guys!

- Four box. - You shut up!

Let's go!

This is getting worse and worse.

- Take that away. - Here, it's yours, man.

It's great to get away, take some time off.

Next week I'II be back to work.

You aIready went back to work.

- What? - I watched you.

Working the tat on those saiIor boys.

- Working the what? - Come on, Roy. The tat.

What you do for a Iiving.

- I'm a saIesman. - You're on the grift.

- Same as me. - I'm not foIIowing this.

Roy, you're a short-con operator and a good one, I think.

Don't taIk to me Iike I'm another square.

You taIk the Iingo. What's your pitch?

The Iong end. Big con.

Nobody does that singIe-o.

I was teamed ten years with the best in the business.

CoIe LangIey.

I've heard the name.

It was beautifuI, and getting better aII the time.

- Is that right? - It's where you shouId be.

What do you bring in? Four hundred a week?

We use money Iike that for tips.

Wow.

And now, right now...

it's the perfect time...

the best time since I've been in the game.

AII over the Southwest, you got these businessmen.

They were making money when everybody was making money.

They think that means they're smart...

and now they're hurting.

When the price of oiI feII, so did they.

They've stiII got money, but they need more money.

When the oiI money was good, they put up aII these office buiIdings.

Now they're haIf empty.

They'II give you anything to move in: first two months free, redecoration...

whatever you want.

They heIp you set up the store.

I'm the roper.

I go out and find them and bring them in.

Morning, gentIemen.

GIoucester Hebbing, may I present my fine stockbroker...

Henry FeIIowes.

GIoucester.

What we have here today is strictIy between--

I toId Mr. Hebbing aII about it...

how briIIiant you are at making money for your...

speciaI cIients.

WeII, I certainIy hope that you're not spreading the news a IittIe too wideIy.

WeII, of course not.

But I'd trust Mr. Hebbing with anything.

WouIdn't I, darIing?

WeII, I guess I'II just have to take your word for that.

Won't I?

Here's the money.

Goody!

PIease, Iet me heIp you.

Once they saw that money...

they were hooked.

And I made sure they saw it.

Isn't that just beautifuI?

Then, aII CoIe had to do was teII the story.

We are breaking the Iaw. I want to make sure you understand.

No one wiII be hurt, but the Iaw wiII be broken.

Laws are made to be broken.

Loose taIk is the thing I worry most about.

I can keep my mouth shut.

GIoucester, come on over here and sit down.

Tokyo exchange is nine hours behind us.

The New York exchange is one hour ahead of us.

There is never one hour in which both exchanges are open.

Information moves, but it has to wait.

I have a feIIow working for me. Do you know what a hacker is?

Yeah, sure. That's Iike a computer expert or genius.

Very good. What this boy's been abIe to do...

is tap into that main Iink between Tokyo and New York.

And when we reaIIy need it, he's been abIe to give us a seven-second deIay...

in the transfer of that information.

- Do you know what that means? - You get information ahead of New York.

Every once in a whiIe, a major change happens.

And we have a seven-second advantage...

to put a buy order, a seII order into that computer in New York...

just before that data from Tokyo comes puIIing in right behind it.

Not much time.

We have to have the money, we have to know what that information means...

and we have to be abIe to move Iike greased Iightning.

But boy, when it works, it is beautifuI.

Seven seconds, huh?

I don't see how you can do it.

Machines, GIoucester!

I have got a whoIe room fuII of machines back here.

You want to see them? Come here.

- Henry, no. - Take a Iook.

I got a whoIe suite fuII of mainframe computers.

We're not reaIIy interested.

They are so beautifuI.

- No, Henry. - You got a minute?

Come on, GIoucester. Listen to them hum.

Henry, don't try Mr. Hebbing's patience.

You sure?

Okay, then.

CoIe Iiked to take risks?

He didn't think they were risks.

He was so good, he couId just pIay with the mark.

He was so crooked, he couId eat soup with a corkscrew.

And when he got serious?

He'd expIain that he had to have cash...

so there wouIdn't be any paper traiI for the SEC.

And a Iot of cash or it wasn't worthwhiIe.

The Ieast we ever took was forty thousand, and the most was...

$185,000 from one sucker.

I thought these peopIe were broke.

No, just cash poor.

They had savings accounts, stocks to seII...

houses to mortgage.

SeII their wife's jeweIry.

They had pIenty of money when they put their minds to it.

Or when I put their minds to it.

And a month Iater the sucker caIIs the cops, and you're on the run.

He never caIIs the cops...

not after we give him the bIow-off.

- This is it. - The money.

I think you're going to be pIeased.

- Everybody hoId what you've got! - Back off!

-I didn't have anything to do with this. -The evidence is right here.

- It's you, isn't it? - No! I swear to God!

- You and your goddamn big mouth! - CaIm down!

I'm gonna fix your Ioud mouth once and for aII!

You, don't move! Get back there! Nobody moves!

Stay there.

Come with me now! Nobody moves!

Let's go!

They never came back.

Come on, dance!

We were roIIing in dough.

Lived wherever we wanted.

OnIy puIIed two or three scams a year.

It was great. Great.

What happened to CoIe?

- He retired. - Retired?

Where?

Upstate.

Upstate where?

Atascadero.

It's aII hoIIow.

No, baby.

Not again.

I can't move.

It's aII hoIIow. I can't move!

It'II be aII right, honey.

It's just the stress again. We'II take a vacation.

CoIe, you scare me when this happens.

Get out!

CoIe, pIease!

That's where they keep the criminaIIy insane, isn't it?

He retired and that's it.

But I didn't.

I'm stiII the best Iong-con roper you'II ever see.

I bet you are too.

Now you're trying to rope me.

Join up with you!

A beautifuI woman Iike you, you shouIdn't eat aIone.

Go away.

What do you want to eat aIone for?

- CouId I have some more coffee? - Coming up.

We couId have coffee together.

My name's Kenny.

- Your paI wants you. - Let him find his own pretty woman.

- This feIIow bothering you? - Yes.

Why don't you go back there, and just go sit down?

I'II sit here.

- Now you've done it. - Are you aII right?

- You didn't need to do that. - I thought I did.

- Take better care of your friend. - Get out of here.

I'm sorry a Iady can't eat in here without being bothered.

It'II never happen again, Miss.

See you Iater.

Why do we have to have separate rooms? Do you expect your father to come in?

Separate bathrooms, darIing.

I wiII not Iay out aII my cosmetics for you to knock over.

Things a man isn't supposed to know.

You don't mind reaIIy, do you, Roy?

It's been such a wonderfuI evening.

I guess I just wore myseIf out.

Sure.

I'm pretty tired myseIf.

Forget the Iong-con...

'cause I'm the one who's being conned.

Screw this noise.

Open your door.

- What for? - Open it and find out.

Gangway.

I hope you don't mind, sir. I just washed my cIothes...

and I couIdn't do a thing with them.

If you couId've seen the Iook on your face when I toId you good night.

You Iooked so--

- Can I come in? - Sure.

What are you doing in La JoIIa?

Me and Myra came down yesterday. We're Ieaving tonight.

If you come out to the track, don't know me.

We won't hit the track.

- What's that? - Four grand. It's for the hospitaI.

I don't want your money.

- I pay my debts. - You do?

Expecting somebody?

No. That was the point.

- Where'd you get that? - An accident.

Roy, take that money back. I don't want it.

I thought--

I was hoping we couId pIay it straight with one another.

I guess not.

I guess you won't be getting a straight job either.

Not this week.

- Not ever. - It's up to me.

I'm strictIy short-con.

It's nothing but smaII-time stuff.

I can waIk away from it anytime.

- Where have I heard that before? - Yeah, but I'm in controI.

Sure. You're onIy 25 years oId.

AIready you can Iay down four grand without even turning a hair.

Grift's Iike anything eIse, Roy. You don't stand stiII.

You either go up or down-- usuaIIy down-- sooner or Iater.

WeII, I'II Iet it be a surprise then.

You gonna head east from here?

After the meet. Back to BaItimore.

It's nice to see you again.

You IittIe prick.

Now I see him. Just wait.

That's the guy we were foIIowing.

Just wait.

Excuse me. Can I borrow your binocuIars?

Thanks.

Excuse me.

What'd you do with yourseIf aII afternoon?

I went out to the track.

What were you doing at the track? Did you run into my mother?

How couId I? I was in the cIubhouse.

LiIIy wouIdn't be in the cIubhouse, wouId she?

- How did you know that? - Okay!

- I saw her. - She didn't see you, in other words?

I saw her out there, and I was curious.

She's aIways so nasty to me...

and I know she's knocking me to you every chance she gets.

So I caIIed a friend of mine in BaItimore, so now I know who she is.

You must have some very knowIedgeabIe friends.

I'm weII-connected, Roy.

CoIe introduced me to a Iot of peopIe. Very vaIuabIe. VaIuabIe for us.

Running your broker scam, you mean?

What a team we'II make. You won't regret this.

Regret what? I didn't say I was coming aboard.

But why not? I thought it was settIed.

Nothing was ever settIed.

It's your mother taIking against me.

I make my own decisions.

- It's not what LiIIy thinks. - Who cares what she thinks?

I don't care what she thinks.

I Ieft home when I was 17...

with nothing but stuff I'd paid for myseIf.

Nothing from LiIIy.

DarIing, guess what? I had to teII you right away.

I caIIed the feIIow I know in TuIsa, the one who pIays my chauffeur.

Says there's a sucker there that's made for us and a broker who just shut down.

We can use their office and not change a thing.

Now, I can scrape up ten grand if I try.

I got a coupIe of aces in the hoIe...

some markers I couId caII on for something reaI.

That Ieaves 15 or 20 for your end.

We can start this weekend, get the sucker into position--

HoId it.

You're taIking some pretty taII figures. Why do you think I got that much money?

WeII, you must have.

You know you do, Roy.

Maybe I Iike it where I am.

Maybe I don't.

I had ten good years with CoIe...

and I want them back.

I gotta have a partner.

I Iooked and I Iooked, and beIieve me, brother...

I kissed a Iot of fucking frogs...

and you're my prince.

- Don't I get any say in this? - No, because--

That's what I say.

What I say is no, we don't do partners.

What is it?

What's going on? Why don't you want to team up?

The best reason I can think of is that you scare the heII out of me.

I have seen women Iike you before, baby.

You're doubIe tough, and you are sharp as a razor, and you get what you want...

but you don't make it work forever.

Sooner or Iater the Iightning hits...

and I'm not gonna be around when it hits you.

My God. It's your mother.

- It's LiIIy. - What?

Sure it is.

That's why you act so funny around each other.

What's that?

Don't act so goddamned innocent.

You and your own mother?

- You Iike to go back where you've been? - Watch your mouth.

I'm wise to you. I shouId've seen it before, you rotten son of a bitch.

How is it, huh? How do you Iike it--

Stop!

That's not Iike me.

I don't do this.

That's why we wouIdn't work together.

Your mind is so fiIthy, it's hard to Iook at you.

Good-bye.

And you don't even know it.

It's Mama. She's the one.

You'II get yours, Mama.

It's Roy.

LiIIy, I was wondering if--

I was wondering if we couId just taIk.

You know, Iike have a conversation? Maybe we've both grown up.

Maybe we couId just taIk.

Sure, Roy.

- You want me to drive up? - No.

- Okay. - I'II come there tonight.

Fine. Come on down.

It won't be a home-cooked meaI.

WeII, that's good news.

WeII, who's a boy gonna taIk to if not his mother?

It's Irv. You've aIways been decent with me.

I'm taking a heII of a chance here.

Somebody bIew you out with Bobo. The car fuII of money, he's--

LiIIy, come on!

Bobo knows about aII the money in the car-- the money you stoIe from him.

A bIack and goId CadiIIac.

Fuck!

- WeIcome to Phoenix. - I'd Iike a singIe room for tonight.

Everything's the same size, same price.

I'm a very Iight sIeeper. Traffic noise keeps me wide awake.

The trucks. I know what you mean.

Do you have something around back, facing away from the road?

I couId put you into 19.

Very quiet. Faces the desert.

Sounds perfect. Can I park my car back there?

Right in front of the room.

Is something wrong?

I'm sorry. I thought you were the other Iady.

No. I'm me.

I'II give you number six.

Very nice room. Very handy.

In the front, right by the pooI.

Don't you have something around back, where it's quieter?

Everybody wants the back tonight.

I guess everybody wants privacy.

Roy DiIIon?

Lieutenant Pierson, Phoenix PoIice. I have a car here.

There was a bunch of money hidden in your mother's car.

A Iot of money. WouId you know anything about that?

- I reaIize this is a shock. - MostIy, I don't beIieve it.

- That's naturaI. - I mean, I don't beIieve it.

I know my mother.

LiIIy is not a suicide. Nothing wouId make her check out.

I'm sorry. It was her, aII right.

- It was her gun, even. - Her gun?

There is one thing I have to caution you.

NormaIIy we don't do a next-of-kin I.D. unIess there's no other choice.

In this case there's no fingerprints on fiIe...

and the dentaI records don't heIp because of the wound-- she ate the gun.

I'm sorry. This is going to be a shock.

Not many Iaughs in this room, huh?

Not many.

Remove that. We'II want a fuII identification.

Jesus.

No question, huh?

- That's that, then. - Yeah.

That's that.

Mom.

The Iast modern thing I Iiked was the miniskirt.

With technoIogy now, nobody understands it...

and that's the simpIe fact of the situation.

Evening, Miss...

Langtry.

HeIIo, LiIIy.

You scared me.

- You going somewhere? - Somewhere eIse, that's for sure.

I just came back from Phoenix.

Oh, yeah? Is the frame hoIding?

It Iooks very soIid, LiIIy. TeII me about it.

- I've reaIIy got to go. - You're dead, LiIIy. It worked.

But not for Iong. The cops may buy it, but Bobo wiII make sure.

ReIax a minute. Sit down.

Just for a minute.

Put that down.

- Myra foIIowed you, huh? - Yeah.

I guess she must've been the one that bIew me off with Bobo.

Get me running.

Did you teII her about my stash?

That's what she was after though.

- What happened in Phoenix? - Oh, Roy.

It was terribIe.

You read about peopIe kiIIing peopIe and aII that.

But when it happens--

My God.

She was in her nightgown, you know.

The oId grifter's dodge:

nightgown and ice bucket, and she just got in the wrong room by mistake.

I sat in there with her.

I thought, what do I do now?

Run, I've got Bobo and the Iaw after me. Stay, how do I expIain?

- This way's perfect. - It is, isn't it?

I've wanted out of the rackets for years.

Now I'm out. I can make a cIean break--

You've aIready made a break.

I don't know how cIean it is.

I'm sorry, Roy. I hated to take your money.

You're not taking it.

I need this money! I can't run without money, and if I can't run I'm dead!

- You must have some money. - Just a few bucks.

-Myra's stuff? -How far can I get with her credit card?

San Francisco, St. Louis, somepIace new. Start over.

- Like what? - You won't have troubIe finding a job.

I've never had a Iegit job in my Iife.

You're gonna start if you want to Iive. Get a square job and Iead a quiet Iife.

You show up at the tracks, Bobo's boys wiII be aII over you.

Don't teII me what to do with myseIf.

- It's a big worId. - Not anymore.

It's good advice. I'm foIIowing it myseIf.

What?

You want me off the grift? I'm getting out.

- Fine, but I don't have time for this. - I thought you'd be happy for me!

- You toId me to do it! - Bobo's not after you!

Bobo's after me, and he's goddamn good. But so am I.

What makes you think I'd Iet you Ieave with my money?

To survive my way I need money. And that Ieaves this.

Want a drink?

You probabIy shouIdn't have one either.

I know, but I'm goddamn thirsty.

Ice water?

Sure. That sounds nice.

I'II get it.

Take whichever one you want.

You wouIdn't do that.

You don't know what I'd do--

you have no idea-- to Iive.

You'II Iive, LiIIy.

- I know what's bugging you, of course. - I didn't know anything was.

I wasn't a very good mother to you when you were a kid.

It was pretty Iousy of me, I guess...

to be a chiId at the same time you were.

For God's sake, LiIIy.

I gave you your Iife twice.

I'm asking you to give me mine once.

I need the money, Roy.

So, you're getting off the grift, huh?

I might.

That's good.

You don't reaIIy beIong on this side of the fence.

I don't?

If you stayed a crook, do you think you'd Iive to be my ripe age?

I don't see why not.

I guess I got it wrong then.

Seems to me I heard about a guy just your age...

who got hit so hard in the guts it aImost kiIIed him.

That's different. That doesn't count.

It doesn't matter if I'm getting out!

You're getting out? You're on the IeveI?

You don't need the money! So why the heII can't I take it?

My money wouIdn't Iast forever. And then what?

Be stuck in some other part of the rackets...

with another Bobo Justus to sIap you and burn hoIes in your hand.

If you can't change your Iife now when you're stiII reIativeIy young...

how couId you do it when you're, say, crowding 50?

This way you gotta go the square route.

Send me a card when you get settIed. I can maybe heIp you out sometime.

What if I toId you that I wasn't reaIIy your mother?

- That we weren't reIated? - What?

You'd Iike that, wouIdn't you?

Sure you wouId.

You don't have to teII me.

Why wouId you Iike that?

What are you taIking about? Of course you're my mother.

There's nothing more to taIk about.

I want that money.

I need it.

What do I have to do to get it?

You mean, you won't give it to me, Roy?

WiII you...

or won't you?

What can I do to get it?

- Is there nothing I can do? - LiIIy, what are you doing?

Nothing at aII?