All language subtitles for S01e13 - A Musical Bridge

Listen.

Where the pelvis goes, the hips follow,
right?

You feel that?

I detest this cacophony.

Told you.

Right, you told me. Now I'm gonna tell
you.

Um, you mind telling me what it is I'm
supposed to be afraid of? You're afraid

of becoming a schlockmeister.

Big dream.

You want fame.

Well, fame comes.

And right here is where you start
paying.

Where? Fame!

I want to live forever.

Baby, remember my life.

Remember, remember, remember.

Forget it, Leroy. You can't copy my
report.

Look, Amatulo, I didn't buy you
breakfast, so you say no. Plus, it's an

bribe, man. You gotta respect it. You
didn't wait for the punchline.

Look, you can't copy my report because I
handed it in three days ago when it was

due. And I appreciated it, Danny.

Small world. How you doing, Miss
Sherwood?

I was doing fine until I heard this
conversation.

Leroy, you've had your last extension.

You promised this report at the
beginning of class this morning. I

it. Your original.

No coffee.

I suggest you go right to the library.
Don't waste any more time.

All right, Miss Sherwood. I'm on our
way.

Nice talking to you. Have a nice day
now.

Come on, man.

move like a koala.

Would you listen? Where the pelvis goes,
the hips follow, all right? Hips? What

do you know from hips? Maybe you know
from cat -like. But if we're talking

I'm in charge here. You're built like an
ice pick. Come on, would you stop it? I

want to learn this step if I can.

You can.

All it takes is a cat -like pelvis.

Some of us got it, some of us don't.
That's all.

I got it!

Oh,

it's a nice pelvis, Montgomery, but cat
-like it's not.

I know. What I got, Schwartzy, is a Nuka
Step by the C -47.

You actually found it!

Yay, shout, sing of a miracle!

Who'd you have to pay off?

Nobody, straight retail.

Well, listen, I take the time to be
impressed, but I want to hear it, too.

Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute. Woman,
you all fickle. You just told me to

play the thing. All right, all right,
but Leroy would die to hear it. Oh,

Let it go, honey.

Just once, I'd like it if someone else
got nominated to be somebody.

Members of the Academy, I accept your
nomination.

Somehow I get the feeling that you just
might pass on recommending Leroy as

valedictorian.

Somehow I think you guessed it.

He's turned in exactly 25 % of his
English assignments.

And if I took off all I should have for
his grammar and his spelling on those

papers, I'd have to give him less than a
zero.

Maybe he figures he's ahead of the game
by handing you nothing.

I'm sorry.

I don't find Leroy's behavior funny or
cute anymore.

Well, what are you going to do?

Are you going to fail him?

Wait, before you answer that, let me
just tell you one thing.

He's definitely not failing in my
classes. He's really working hard.

I have to give him aid.

You know, if Leroy were a star
quarterback and you were his football

talking to his English teacher, I'd
swear you were asking me to go easy on

Is that what it sounds like?

Yes.

I'm sorry, Elizabeth.

You know what this means between you and
me.

It means you buy breakfast and I figure
out a way to deal with Mr.

Leroy Johnson.

Just have it.

And when they go to parties, they dance
the local pogo.

But now it's got a new dance.

Do the gimme that right now.

What a sweet sound.

Is that a lullaby?

Hey, don't knock it, Bruno. That tape
has been sold out in every store this

of New Jersey for three weeks. If my
mother hadn't called to reserve me one,

would have never have gotten it. And
your cultural life would have been

impoverished. Look, I know it's not
exactly your kind of music.

Music? Did you say music?

Do the gimme that, gimme that?

Well, you have to admit it is catchy. So
is athlete's foot.

I read in Cashbox that the album went
platinum.

I don't care if it went chopped liver.

The only thing you've got to do to turn
out a song like that is turn off your

mind. No, it's not that easy.

No?

Listen.

Tell me the first thing that comes to
your mind.

Mr. Trump?

Why not?

I'm beating this gum.

What's he going to say? And when I say,
everybody listen to the music of

Tchaikovsky.

Prepare yourself for the coming of
Tchaikovsky.

Tchaikovsky is coming.

He's coming. I hear him. I hear him. I
smell him.

Tchaikovsky is coming. I hear him. I
smell him.

Leroy, a teacher has certain
responsibilities.

And one of those responsibilities is to
use every resource to help a student.

Do you understand?

Not yet, but I figure something's
coming.

Something, Leroy.

Something I should have done a long time
ago.

I want to discuss your academic problems
with your parents.

Who?

Your mother and father.

Now, I noticed from your records that
you don't have a telephone, so...

I'd appreciate your delivering this
note, setting up an appointment here

tomorrow afternoon.

Um, they both work. My parents both
work.

I'll stay here as long as necessary.

Into the evening, if that's more
convenient.

The evening?

That's right.

Look, Sherrod, I'll do all your English
stuff. You don't even have to bug my

parents. I do, Leroy.

I do.

Now, you have them here tomorrow.

I mean it.

It was nothing personal, Mr. Sharofsky.
I was putting down the music, not you.

Right, he could have used any teacher's
name.

I could have used numbers, sounds. Your
name was only a random accident because

I was trying to prove to Montgomery that
the basic structure is nothing more

than a random accident.

And did he convince you, Montgomery?

Well, I have to admit it did sound
really, uh...

Random. In that case, my name was used
in a good cause.

Sir? I detest that cacophony.

Cacophony. That's a great word for it.

I'm pleased we finally agree on
something.

I find the entire new wave phenomenon
mindless and depressing.

That's exactly what I was trying to
prove to Montgomery.

Well, it was mindless.

Thank you very much.

I'm going to get out of here before you
pick something up and throw it at me,

because I'm going to say that nasty word
you hate so much.

I'm waiting.

The song was mindless, and it was,
here's that terrible word, very

You gotta do it, man. You was the one
who got me to this spot in the first

place. Me? How you laying this one on
me? What'd I do? If you wasn't yelling

loud in the coffee shop this morning,
Sherwood wouldn't have heard what I was

asking. I wasn't yelling. Look, you're
doing it again.

You didn't take your homework assignment
in the first place. I couldn't do my

homework. Why not?

You know what kind of neighborhood I
live in. What's that got to do with it?

I was walking home from the subway last
week and got mugged.

And they took your homework?

Two of them, man. You should have seen
them. It was a big sucker.

And what do you figure they did with
your homework, Leroy? You figure they

pawned it?

Or maybe they traded it in for a lot of
drugs. Is that what you figure?

I figure you owe me, Amatulo, and I'm
here to collect.

And what do you figure you're going to
collect?

A note.

From my mama.

Mama.

That's tomorrow, Doris. Come on, Bruno.
We can use a few laughs. Come on, play.

We'll get it over with.

They're not going to give up.

Frankly, I don't think you'll find it
very funny. It's put down as something

really like. I can handle satire, Bruno.

Okay,

sports fans, here goes.

Oh, someone watch the door.

I'm not even supposed to be here.

Come on, Bruno, man. Let's go play.

It's none of your business.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the
doubt.

I knew you'd understand.

Oh, I do, Leroy.

I do.

What I mean is, despite the suspicious
vibrations I'm getting from this

I won't accuse you of forgery.

Accuse what?

I'm meeting you halfway, Leroy. Don't
push it.

Now, if your parents actually got my
note, and if they actually sent it,

respond.

Then they didn't understand its
importance.

They have to meet with me.

In person.

Tomorrow at four.

No excuses.

Especially not this one.

What kind of favor?

Phone call.

If you want me to fix you up with some
chick, your warming up hasn't reached

your brain yet. There's no chick I need
you to call. I need you to call

Sherwood. I don't think Sherwood's gonna
go out with you even if I ask her. She

don't dig it, Jed. Look, you gotta make
her think you're my mother.

Me? Your mother? Yeah, you can pull it
off. Just call. Say you can't come in

tomorrow. You give me a good
straightening out. I'll give you a good

straightening out right now. That's a
stupid idea and you'll get us both

out of here.

You mean you won't do it? That's what I
mean. All right. The next time we're

dancing, you come flying through there
expecting for me to catch you, you

remember this conversation. Remember it
good.

I made me lose my place. Forget your
place. We gotta talk. Hey, would you

it off? We're gonna be late.

Who cares?

They love you, Bruno.

What they?

The psychic powers.

I've had no time for this. You're into
selling horror songs, right?

I'm not into it, too. Would you focus
for just ten seconds?

The psychic powers is a new rock group.
The lead singer is the son of my

mother's hairstylist. Last night I
played them your Swarovski song.

How?

Details of the small minds. I did it for
your own good, Bruno, and I'm telling

you it could pay off even better than I
thought.

Well, it's some kind of joke, right? A
put -on, right? Oh, no, it's true. Every

word of it. I got you a gig with one of
the most promising bands in all of New

Wave music.

Montgomery, this is Bruno you're talking
to. I despise that music. Forget it.

Well, actually, we can't forget it. Why
not?

Because we have an appointment to meet
the guys this afternoon.

We?

Since when did you and I get engaged?

Well, they said I could be a kind of
gopher, and if the record deal works

Sometimes I can sit on some of the
sessions.

A lot of guys get their starts being
record producers that way.

Montgomery. They pay money, Bruno. Real
money. And finally, I'm hurting in that

department.

Bad?

Bad.

What kind of dollars are we talking
about?

We won't know until we talk to them this
afternoon.

One meeting. What could it hurt?

I hate that kind of music.

How'd it go today?

You and Sharofsky get into it like
always?

No, it was pretty quiet, actually. Just
the regular stuff.

How about you? What was your day like?

My day is my day.

Yelling people, honking horns.

Tourists who think that a tip is telling
a guy what football team to bet on.

It is not a summer festival behind its
wheel.

I'm hit.

I'm going to swing by the market, pick
up dinner before we head home.

I want to get done eating by 8 o 'clock
tonight.

How come? Something on the tube?

Casablanca, sweetheart.

I want to see it again.

If she can take it, I can take it.

Here's looking at you, kid.

Yeah, I think you're on your own.

I got homework?

No, I got to meet Montgomery.

Montgomery where and what?

He's got this friend who works for a
record company. Thinks we may be able to

pick up some sort of job there or
something.

Oh, a stock boy, that kind of thing?

Um, I'm not really sure.

Hey, uh, school comes first. Remember
that, eh?

And you can't go taking on a full -time
job.

Even if the job paid a lot of money?

There's only one reason you take a job
that'll make you a lot of money.

Which is?

Which is to pay for Juilliard after you
get out of high school.

Yeah, well, I think you're on your own
with the cast of Blanket tonight.

Okay, sweetheart, okay.

Now, let's talk about the men under my
command.

Conspiring against me, all of them.

Ah, but the Strawberry Incident, that's
where I trapped them.

Now, let me guess. It isn't a love
letter.

Correct. I don't want to be in your way,
girl. Should I just let you be?

Well, you sure got a full head of steam
about something.

I've got a full head of Mr.

Leroy Johnson is what I've got.

No show again?

He didn't show.

His parents didn't show.

No call, no excuse.

No nothing.

You're starting to talk like Leroy, Miss
Sherwood.

Ho, ho, honey.

Hilarious. Well, what are you going to
do?

If the mountain won't go to Muhammad,
then this Muhammad is going to go to the

mountain. Oh, no. No, no, no.

Elizabeth, hold on now. You're going to
go to Leroy's place? That's the general

idea. What a dumb idea.

You ever been in that neighborhood?

Nope, but I know where it is. Damn it,
would you slow down?

I've had six hours of dance classes. I
don't need to go jogging down the halls

after you.

Now, how about you just wait until
Friday to go to Leroy's?

What's magic about Friday? Well, then I
can go with you. I can't go today.

Lydia, I am not a child. In most things,
no, but in that part of town, I'm not

so sure. Look, this is the second time
you've tried to slow me up about Leroy.

I mean, it's all very well he's going to
get great reviews as a dancer. Don't

you think it might be nice if he could
read them?

I'm going to forget you said that.

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Sherwood.
I'm a teacher from the school.

Leroy, this is where you live?

Yeah.

I don't understand.

Where are your parents?

You had to keep pushing, didn't you?

Okay, now you know.

I ain't got no parents.

Thank you.

I'm not sure what to say.

No, Rue, you got to say anything.

Your parents are where?

Well, my daddy is gone.

He's been gone a long time. I don't know
where to.

My mama, she's in Detroit with her mama.

I don't know when she's coming back.

She got a job up there working for her
family.

She couldn't find one here.

How do you manage?

You mean money?

I got a job swamping out that pool hall
across the street, keeping that place

looking halfway decent.

The owner who owns that pool hall, he
owns this building.

So I get a good deal on the place.

I'm doing okay.

I'll keep on doing okay, too. That's if
you don't mess me up.

Me?

What do you mean?

You've been pushing all into my life.
You can probably do something dumb.

Send me to the welfare or something.

That might not be a bad idea.

Yeah, I swear. You send me to welfare,
and I'll cut out, and no one will find

me.

No one.

There must be another way.

Not for me.

This is it. This is my life.

It's working.

I'm going to keep it that way, too.

Leroy.

I have to think about all this.

Sure, you think about it.

Want some more corn chips?

I think you ought to know.

I think you're too young to live like
this.

Young?

Lady, I ain't been young in a long, long
time.

Montgomery, do not try and kid a kidder.

What are you trying to pull off with
this deal?

I'm trying to help Bruno. That's all I'm
trying to do.

Does not compute.

Does not compute.

Yeah, I'm trying to help me. But if I'm
going to help Bruno, I've got to help

me. Well, at least we know you're
properly motivated.

You know what I don't understand?

Is why you think this record deal is
such a terrific thing, and Bruno

It's different perspectives, that's why.

All he hears is the music, which he
hates.

The boy has excellent taste, I'd say.
But that's not the point. There's

incredible potential there for him and
for me.

We're getting it in the ground floor of
a new young company. Yeah, but it puts

out records that he hates.

Music like that is a fad. It's in now
and it's out three months from now.

And it's just dumb for us to turn down a
chance to get in there because of music

that's on the way out.

Something's wrong with me.

He's starting to make sense.

Don't tell me. Tell Bruno. Pump him up
about the thing. It's for his own good.

And yours.

Am I denying it?

Shut down, you guys. Make some room.

What's wrong?

Can't keep anything from you, can we?

We've already spotted it.

Spotted what?

We are all so choked up.

Because you and Montgomery have
forgotten about us. We're little people.

eating in the same cafeteria as one
thing, but at the same table. You don't

what that means to people like us.
Little people like us. Knock it off.

Do you want to grab my napkin?

Yes.

Back up the tape. I've got

to hear this again.

He lives by himself?

You gonna blow the whistle on him?

I really ought to go to welfare.

Do you think they could find him the
right kind of foster family? Doesn't

matter. Even if they could, then they'd
have to find Leroy.

What do I do?

You're asking me for advice.

Yes.

Last time we talked, you didn't want
much help from me, as I recall.

Last time we talked, I hadn't seen where
Leroy lives.

How he lives.

That made a big difference, huh?

Of course. Why?

Because... Because it's a miracle that
he gets here to school at all.

And as far as I'm concerned, if you've
got a miracle going, you don't mess with

it.

I don't know what you need advice for.
It sounds like you've already made up

your mind to me.

You're right.

I have.

If your conversation is more serious
than my need for a cup of tea, I can't

back. Though my need for a cup of tea is
a rather severe one.

Come and get your tea, Mr.

Swarovski.

I have papers to grade back in my room
anyway.

See you later.

There's a Yiddish word for the kind of
look you have on your face.

What? What is it? I don't know, but
there's a Yiddish word for everything,

assume there's a word for that look,
too?

Can I help?

No, I wish you could.

But I've been here before.

All anyone can do is just wait to help
pick up the pieces.

You've been where before?

Oh, sometimes in dance class when a kid
comes up with a new idea about how to do

a step.

And I try to explain to them why it
won't work. They think I'm being a

because I don't want to try something
new. So they try it, they fall, and I

them up.

A little tougher, a little wiser.

Someone is heading for a fall.

Someone is heading for fault

Double

dip bud ripple Double chocolate

and a double butter pan Did you finish
reading it yet? Yeah, I went over it a

second time. I still don't understand it
though It's a pretty standard kind of

contract. Mr. Martelli they want Bruno
for a demo records and sweetening some

tracks in the studio. When did you
become a contract expert?

I took it to my mom's agent and he
explained the whole thing.

It doesn't say anything about Bruno
composing anything.

Well, that part of it they kind of
intend to play by ear.

It's a foot in the door.

Who owns it?

Who owns what?

Well, say Bruno submits a song and they
like it.

Who owns the song after they get it
done?

Well, Bruno would be the composer, but
they would own the rights to it.

Sounds like Bruno gets to chew, but they
get to swallow.

Did Mozart sell the rights to Figaro?

Pop, I'm not Mozart.

You're not much of anything in this
conversation so far. You got an opinion?

Yeah, I got an opinion.

It's like Montgomery says, foot in the
door.

What do you say, Bruno?

Everybody keeps saying how I gotta be
realistic about what kind of jobs are

offered to me.

At my age, with my experience, a lack of
it.

Maybe I shouldn't be all that choosy.

Everything you're saying makes sense.
You're being very logical, very

Why do I feel like crying?

There's a place for the panic to initial
at the bottom of the second page.

Leroy. What are you doing in here?

Pliasing stuff.

Don't give me any lip, Mr. Johnson.

Now, you know there's no class scheduled
in here till third period.

What are you doing in here?

Where are you supposed to be?

In Sherwood's class, but she excused me.

Don't play with me, Leroy. And don't try
to tell me that she excused you. I know

she didn't.

Told you.

Right. You told me. Now, I'm going to
tell you. You enjoy yourself in here

today. Have a real good time, because
this is the last time you're going to

this room to yourself, ever.

Why are you so mad at me? I didn't even
do nothing.

That's just the problem, Leroy. That's
just what I'm going to correct.

Mr. Sharofsky, I need to borrow Mrs.
Berg.

May I ask why?

No. I see. Well, then, of course you
may. Thank you.

Yes, both Hemingway and John O 'Hara
write dialogue that is realistic in

but...

You drama majors should see this very
clearly.

Hemingway's dialogue is meant to be read
rather than spoken.

O 'Hara's dialogue, on the other hand...
Hello, Mrs. Burke.

Is there something I can do for you?

Mrs. Berg will be with you until the end
of class.

Hemingway.

Right, nice.

So, Martelli, are you recording Maven
yet?

Not exactly, but the wheels are turning.

You don't sound very happy about it.

Mixed feelings, I guess.

Afraid. I can't blame you.

Wait a minute. I'm not afraid. I can
play that junk -wearing boxing gloves.

That I know.

That's what you're afraid of. As I said,
I don't blame you.

Look, mixed feelings is what I said.

And afraid is what I said. And I'm
right.

Do you mind telling me what it is I'm
supposed to be afraid of?

You're afraid of doing junk, Mr.
Mattali. You're afraid of doing junk

have developed your skills to the point
where you can do quality.

You're afraid of becoming a
schlockmeister.

It's lunchtime. I'm hungry.

Excuse me.

Lydia, if you saw how he lived... I know
how he lived. I was there. Then you saw

that pitiful little room. No, not his
room. Mine.

I grew up in another pitiful little
room.

I'm sorry. So am I. And that's why you
gotta sit on Leroy and help him get out

of that room.

If I flunk him, he'll never finish
school. Well, is it better for him to

through school and go out into that real
world not knowing anything?

Of course not. Well, then help him.

he'll use you and he'll come up with
zilch. But if you square off with him,

you tell him, look, man, buckle down, do
the work, or else, then he'll try.

What if he doesn't make it? Well, he
sure as hell isn't going to make it the

other way.

Elizabeth, this is the only chance he
has.

Don't just hand him a crock of garbage.
Make him fight for the real thing.

Even if it means he thinks you're the
meanest, toughest teacher a poor child

ever had.

You love him enough to let him get mad
at you if that's what it takes.

I figure it's kind of keep a low
profile.

I know I'm tagging along on your credits
and all, but I think we can both get

something really good going now.

Do you know you've developed a kind of a
habit of drifting off when I talk to

you?

Is that the South Bronx diet? I'm told
it's very effective.

Thank you.

We're going to talk.

No, dammit.

I'm going to talk and you are going to
listen.

How's that for playing your kind of
great music?

Very good, Mr. Martelli.

But you can do better.

And you know it.

I'll call him and cancel.

Why, Mrs. Shiraz, why don't you try and
play his music?

Try and play his music, Mrs. Shiraz.
Yes.

Come on.

Nobody appreciates good music.

I think it's an absolute crime that you
have to live the way that you do.

But, Leroy, I didn't set the world up.

And if I'm going to help you, and I am
going to help you, then we're going back

to my old way right now.

The tough way. The way you don't like.

Maybe we could start the tough stuff
next semester.

Mr. Johnson, we'll start the tough stuff
in two minutes when you come to my room

to get the assignments I've let you
weasel out of.

Two minutes.

I'm listening.