Original subtitles

Is it the same room where Hershell died?

I don't know, Francis.

Same raggedy drapes.

This crummy wallpaper.

They all look the same.

All I remember...

...it was a Friday...

...the last time I saw Hershell.

You still playing those weird chords?

Yeah, still at it, Lady Hersh.

How's you feeling?

You drive people wild. They can't follow the tune.

Yeah, I know.

Then you be out of business.

You ought to listen to me more. Folks like the way I play.

Well, yeah. They do.

I'm going to Paris, Hersh...

...tonight.

What's that gonna fix?

You remember Paris.

It won't change the way you play.

No cold eyes in Paris.

Can't you talk the way other folks talk neither?

You know who's gonna be waiting for you in Paris.

You.

If you had seen Hershell and Dale play together, Francis...

... it's something that you could never forget.

It was so new and so different, and yet so close.

Maybe all those memories made Dale leave for Paris that Friday morning.

Maybe what he saw in Hershell's eyes...

... was too frightening and familiar.

Come on, baby, be careful over there. Try to hold on.

Goodness gracious. You're almost up here. Come on! It's only one up.

Needs a little something, Lady Ace.

It needs okra.

You can burn, but you don't always eat.

And you know Dale loves Paris.

Be the greatest city in the world if I could just find some okra.

What do you know about Paris, Ace?

You do nothing but stay in your room in your robe, cooking all day.

At least I'm doing it in Paris.

I got something for you.

So what's new, Lady Ace?

This is better than living in Harlem.

Hello, Butter.

What are you doing in Paris?

You feeling real good, ain't you?

Fine as wine.

You better get yourself some rest, because you got to play tonight.

Dale?

We're gonna celebrate the Maître du Saxo Tenor...

...a man who has influenced musicians throughout the world...

...and a man who has definitely influenced us on the bandstand.

A little ice, a little icenberg.

- Mr. Dale Turner.

They're doing great.

What the hell is this?

What? I lost a button.

- Really? - Yeah.

Get it fixed.

- I don't sew. - I don't either.

You're telling me.

Come on, Charlie. Wake up.

He's really great.

- On his back, he'd still be great. - Yeah?

Just like you?

No, I gotta be on my front to be great.

Yeah. I must be invisible in here.

We gotta cut. We have another set to do.

Yeah.

Hey, you half a motherfucker...

...can I have another vin rouge?

Well, this establishment has never really been known for its...

...conviviality.

Hey, Ben!

Forget it, Dale.

- Madame Queen, how are we doing? - Hello!

Clap hands, here comes Butter

Here it is.

I took out the...

...two packages of Pall Malls and one extra Coca-Cola Dale had.

Come on, I gotta get you in this taxi and get you home.

See you tomorrow night. All right.

- You all right, babe? - Yeah.

Oh, you're open all night, huh, Ace?

I need the advice of an expert, a real expert.

I want you to try this.

- Where'd you get jambalaya herbs? - I travel with it all the time.

Man, you crazy? Gotta have it.

Oh, you're slick.

You betcha!

So, Lady Ace...

...where are you working now?

I got three weeks across the river.

How long are you gonna be at the Blue Note?

Well, as long as they'll have me.

I'll fall by sometime if it's okay with you.

All right? Here.

Enjoy that.

- Ace. - Buttercup.

You know what I need?

I need a new reed.

A Rico number three.

Well, can't you blow through what everybody else do?

No.

- Well, even Bean uses a reed... - Listen, I ain't Bean...

...or anybody else.

Well, I'll get it...

...because you been good.

Was good tonight.

That's what they tell me.

Just like before.

Well, it's almost light.

I guess I'll go for a promenade.

I love...

... Paris

In the...

... springtime

Oh, the mad scientist!

The answer is no.

Ben, just one vin rouge.

Buttercup says no.

Buttercup is really not my mother. Come on, man!

Makes you sick, Dale.

Not good wine.

Just don't serve me that stuff you serve your customers.

- Great. - Thank you.

Hey, man, can you buy me a beer?

Yeah.

Yes.

You know, I know you.

I mean, your music, your composition, every recording.

Yes, that's true.

You, Bird, Bud Powell, Lester Young...

...you have revolutionized music.

Last time you played in Paris...

...I'm in the army and going to Algeria the next morning.

But I want to hear you play so much, I jumped over the wall.

And I got 10 days of jail for that.

Do you have enough dough...

...for another beer?

Yes.

This is my friend. He's with me.

Hey, what do you know?

- Hi. - My friend, Francis.

- Yeah, how you doing, man? - Good.

Who is that?

Well, he's an old jail buddy of mine.

- Hey, Wes! - How are you?

- All right. How you doing there? - Fine. Pretty slow, though.

Yeah, but it's not slow over here. Not for us.

How you doing?

Say, Eddie.

- How long you been living here, man? - Quite some time.

Matter of fact, I'm married now to French chiquita here.

Oh, hey, how you doing? Can you speak the local bebop?

Trying it, don't have it together yet. But she's beginning to speak American.

- But I bet the lady can burn. - Did you see this?

She's a great cook.

You know the Dale has been married three or four times?

And we all spoke fluent English.

But nobody could burn.

Say, Lady Ben...

...how about a nice soft one for the Dale?

Nothing doing.

"There's not enough kindness in the world."

You know, I haven't been doing anything hard.

Not even a bonbon. Never.

The deal is no, Dale. No for anything.

But the deal with who?

They always paying all the wrong people in this world.

S'il vous plait, I would like to have the same thing he had.

Hey, man.

You want to come upstairs?

What do you want him to do? Read you a damn bedtime story? Come on.

I have a kid. She sometimes wakes up in the night.

Yeah, I remember it rained pitifully that day.

We were an all-Negro unit...

... with all-pink officers.

One day at inspection...

...this captain found a photo of my wife, who was...

...lighter-skinned and much prettier than his.

So then he made one of those funny remarks and I hit him in the head...

...which really wasn't the way white folks were treated in those days.

So then I found myself in the Camp Polk stockade...

...where they started to do drum paradiddles on my head...

...for some time.

Yeah, I got lucky.

I found this Jewish doctor from New York.

Wow.

Without him, it would've been a catastrophe.

He got me out of the army.

You know, it just occurred to me...

...that bebop was invented by the cats...

...who did get out of the army.

Who wants more? Eddie?

- I got plenty more in the kitchen. - You want some?

- I ain't missing this. - It's good.

- I know. I smelled it a mile away. - Oh, yeah.

You got any butter?

I'm gonna eat with my hands.

Hey, Eddie! What you got over here?

Hey, what's them little red things?

I'll get my own. What y'all serving up?

What's keeping you from coming in?

You bringing bad news, Francis?

Hershell died last night.

Hershell?

Lady Hersh?

- This is not Lady Hersh. - Let me see that.

That's Hershell.

That's the way he looked the last time I saw him in New York.

You are tired, Dale?

Oh, yes, I'm tired...

... of everything except the music.

I can't get it right.

I've forgotten the words.

Autumn in New York

Is often mingled with pain

Dreamers with empty hands

All sigh for exotic lands

But it's autumn in New York

It's good to live it again

A rum and coke for Mr. Turner for being superb.

Hey, next one you pay for.

Charlie, take a break, man.

How's your schedule for next month?

I don't even know about tonight.

You give me a call.

Hey, Dale. I saw you in Chicago. I think you were with Dizzy and Bud.

Think we even had a drink afterwards.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think I remember now, man.

Listen, you got five bucks?

Hey, Ben, can you call me a taxi?

I thought the duke went out to get you one.

That Prussian faggot was gonna rule the world...

...but he can't find a damn taxi worth a shit.

Where's Dale?

You seen him?

- He was right here, five minutes ago. - Shit!

You're Dale Turner. You play too good for this shit.

I got him, I got him.

My goodness! What in the world am I gonna do with you?

Just like a baby. Got to watch you every single minute.

I invite you for dinner tomorrow night, 8:00.

Ooh, you're a real Tarzan, ain't you, boy?

Are you his wife? Are you his wife?

Are you a fool?

Okay.

Please tell him...

Here is my phone number and my address.

Tomorrow night, 8:00.

Hey, Buttercup, you want some rice and beans?

Ace?

Did something happen tonight?

- To get him like that? - Yeah.

When you have to explore every night...

...even the most beautiful things that you find can be the most painful.

You understand what I'm saying?

All these young kids sound the same.

Just like they had the same teacher.

It was you.

Yeah, me.

And a few others.

You act like my little girl.

You know, one night in Brooklyn...

...this tenor player comes in...

...and he sits down, and he listens.

And then he comes up to me and says:

"I play you better than you."

You know...

...your music changed my life.

I would never have read Rimbaud or any other poets.

Because of your music, I've discovered a lot of musicians...

Francis...

...is there water in this wine?

Yeah.

It doesn't look good, but it is.

Who are your favorite tenors?

Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins...

...and Ben Webster.

And I also used to listen to a lot of Debussy.

Debussy?

"Berangere."

That's a big name for a little girl.

- Francis? - Huh?

Tell me.

Does Louis XIV still live here?

Oh, no.

He died for... A long time ago.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

I'm sure.

Berangere waits for me.

But it's a long time before it's light again, man.

Well, Lady Sweets.

Are we ready for tonight?

You half a motherfucker.

Dale, it's me.

Never, never leave Dale in a hospital, Francis.

Yeah, happiness is a nice, wet...

...Rico reed.

Well, checking out without saying goodbye, huh?

Butter...

...I want my passport.

I got it hidden in the room.

Make sure you keep it in a safe place.

Oh, yeah. Francis, you make sure he get to the gig on time.

Hey, Mama.

Want some of these ribs and rice I got in my room?

Sorry, Papa. I only eat kosher food. Have some.

Listen to that, Francis.

The swing bands used to be all...

... straight tonics...

... seventh chords.

And then, with the Basie band...

... I heard Lester Young...

... and he sounded like he came out of the blue.

Because he was playing all the color tones...

... the sixths and the ninths...

... and major sevenths.

You know, like Debussy...

... and Ravel.

Then Charlie Parker came on...

... and he began to expand and...

... he went into elevenths...

... and thirteenths...

... and flat fives.

Luckily, I was going...

... in the same direction already.

You just don't go out...

... and pick a style off a tree one day.

The tree is inside you...

... growing naturally.

I looked away for just a minute and he was gone.

You ain't doing no better than me, boy.

Dale!

You are tired, Dale?

Yes.

I'm tired of everything...

...except music.

I wish I could rest.

You don't sleep?

Oh, yes. I sleep...

...but...

...there's always the dreams.

What kind of dreams?

Well, it's always about music...

...and...

...playing the sax.

The sound...

...and expanding the music.

You know, more and more.

You know, there's been nights...

...when I've been working and playing...

...and at the end of the night...

...I look at my mouthpiece...

...and it's all bloody.

But I haven't felt a thing, you know.

My life is music.

My love is music.

And it's 24 hours a day.

Do you understand?

Yeah.

Do you have sexual relations?

Oh, yes.

Whenever I can.

Lady Francis!

Hey, taxi!

- Dale? - Yes?

When you were talking to the doctor...

...I was listening.

- You were? - Yeah.

Was I good?

Bonjour, Lady Francis.

But never...

...never again, man.

Don't cry for me.

Never again, Francis.

What else can I do...

...when you are killing yourself?

I'll stop.

Stop?

I promise.

How?

You never stopped before.

I never promised anybody before.

Francis...

...you think we can find a trumpet player for tonight?

Yeah.

So, Eddie...

...I think...

...you have two bars...

...vamp...

...to bring us in, right?

And then we come right in...

...on the melody.

Okay.

One, two, three, two, two...

Try it again with eight, right?

One, two, three, two, two, three...

Hey! This your little girl?

Do you like Monet?

Oh, yes.

All the colors...

He sounds like Ravel or Tad Dameran.

Just like bebop.

Francis...

...who is that playing?

Who is playing?

It's you.

You just made the record.

Not bad.

Well...

...it's a nice day out.

I think I'll go for a little stroll.

Could you...

...loan me a few francs?

I want to go to the tabac and get some cigarettes.

What the hell is all this about?

It's about Dale...

...and how, from tonight on, he gets paid direct.

Bullshit.

Direct...

...every night, like everybody else been.

That ain't my deal with Goodley, Dale.

You want to show me the paper?

You mean a contract?

Yeah, where it says...

...she gets paid every night.

Shit, you ain't been straight enough to sign your own name...

...on nobody's contract.

Butter...

...I've been straight enough to play my axe...

...every night, and...

...sweetly.

If I don't get my dough tonight...

...I won't be back tomorrow.

I gotta talk to Madame Queen.

Do that.

You pay him, you'll be in a world of trouble.

Hey...

...was I good?

Francis...

...direct!

Like everybody else.

Tomorrow...

...a new wallet.

A big one.

Enjoy!

You're a great cook, Dale.

Really, it's marvelous.

You're a king.

Like Louis the XIV?

Exactly.

Well, I don't know about that...

...but you always treat me like one, Francis.

Francis.

Oh, shit.

Why?

Hello, Long Tall.

I dreamed you were coming to Paris.

Tonight we have with us...

...Miss Darcey Leigh.

Perhaps if we...

...welcome her nicely to the stage, she'll join us.

Please?

"How Long Has This Been Going On?"

You know your cue?

Yes, the two.

I could cry

Salty tears

Where have I been

All these years

Little wow

Tell me now

How long has this been...

... going on

There were chills

Up my spine

And some thrills

I can't define

Listen sweet

I repeat

How long has this been...

... going on

Oh, I feel

That I could melt

Into heaven I'm hurled

I know...

... how Columbus felt

Finding another world

Kiss me once

Put on a hell of a show.

Yeah, and we cut a few sides too.

I heard.

I heard you're playing soprano again too.

Yeah, first time in a long time.

Why do you seem so on edge?

Oh, just because...

...I keep wondering if I still have something to give.

Of course you do.

You have a lot to give.

It was you who taught me to listen to the bass instead of the drums.

Well, you would've learned that in 10 or 15 years anyway.

I always thought we would keep each other company.

We have.

Dale, do you have any regrets?

Only one.

Which is?

I had big eyes...

...to play with Count Basie's band.

But he told me that...

...one band leader in the band was enough.

Maybe it was for the better, huh?

Oh, no.

Dale's cool.

Oh I feel

That I could melt

Into heaven I'm hurled

And I know

How Columbus felt

Finding another world

Kiss me twice

And then once more

What a dunce

I was before

Listen sweet

I repeat

How long has this been...

... going on

How long has this been...

... going...

... on

Well, look at this. Miss Buttercup!

How you doing?

Hey, big D!

How you doing, man?

Let me tell you something.

- How are you? - Fine, how are you?

Man, it's good to see you.

Number one stole the cookie from the cookie jar.

- Who, me? - Yeah, you.

- Couldn't be. - Then who?

Number two had his finger in the cookie jar.

- Who, me? - Yeah, you.

- Couldn't be. - Then who?

Number three stole the cookies from the cookie jar.

- Who him? - Look at his face.

That's him.

Number three is in the cookie jar.

The leg, the classic leg.

Oh, no, honey. Thank you.

She got you.

This is why my tie's flying around my neck all day. Right?

I gotta pull my shoes off to sing this song. Yeah!

Here we go.

I've had that man For 15 years

Paid all his room and board

Once he was like a Cadillac

Now he's like an old worn-out Ford

He never gave me A lousy dime

And put it in my hand

Well, there's gonna be some changes From now on

Accordin' to my plan

He's got to get it, Bring it, put it right here

Or else he's gonna Keep it out there

If he must beg it, borrow it Or steal it somewhere

As long as he gets it, honey You know I does not care

Well, I'm tired of buyin' pork chops

To grease his fat lips

And he's got find another place To park his old hips

He's got to get it, bring it, And put it right here

Else he's gonna keep it out there

Bees get the honey

Brings it to the comb

Else he's kicked out Of his home sweet home

To show you that he brings it Watch the dogs and the cats

Everything keeps bringing it From a mule to a gnat

He's got to get it, and bring it, And put it right here

Else he's gotta keep it out there

I tell you like a Chinaman Him don't bring him change

Him don't get no mm-mm If he break his damn neck

He's got to get, bring it, And put it right here

Else he's gonna keep... Y'all know I ain't lyin' to you!

Else he's gonna keep... Honey, I just keep sittin' on it!

Or else he's gonna keep it out there

You're all right!

It's funny how the world is inside of nothing.

I mean, you have your heart...

...and your soul...

...inside of you.

Babies are inside of their mothers.

Fish are out there in the water.

But the world...

...is inside nothing.

I don't know if I like this or not...

...but you better write it down.

It's for you. There's a call for you.

You're kidding.

Hello?

Long distance?

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, I can't come, I'm having too much fun.

- That was Birdland. - Yeah?

They wanted me to come back.

Did he tell you the one about The Red Shoes?

The Red Shoes, I saw it 40 times.

I like the scene where the impresario...

...is eating breakfast, a three-minute egg.

A young composer is disturbed because he came to see Mr. Lermontov...

...to complain about a piece of music that was stolen.

He says, "I'd like to complain...

...about a piece of music I wrote, which was stolen by my professor."

Mr. Lermontov didn't respond...

...so Craster said, "Sorry I spoiled your breakfast."

Mr. Lermontov said, "Mr. Craster, come here and sit down."

"Sometimes it is more disheartening...

...to steal than to be stolen from. Good day."

Wes, we gotta get cracking here.

Then you go your C again.

It's the quarter note. Quarter note to a...

Down to your F.

Okay, you got the beginning intro.

And Palle...

...you're next.

One, two, three...

Ready?

I hope your family likes surprises.

She wants you to make a wish.

She wants you to make a wish.

- A wish? - Yeah.

Blow it out.

The candle.

Yeah.

They're nice people, your family.

They don't really like jazz.

Well...

That's all right.

But I felt...

...that they like to live in harmony.

Did I ever tell you about...

...the Alvin Hotel?

A lot of great musicians...

...live there.

Yeah, Lady Francis...

I think it's about time for me to go home.

Well, I hope some good friends are here to meet us.

Welcome home, Dale.

R.W. Goodley. You must be Francis.

You took good care of Dale. He looks great.

I haven't seen him look this good in years.

How's Buttercup? What's she up to?

She's trying to run a red beans and rice joint...

...in Paris. - In Paris, yes.

She's great. Buttercup is great, I tell you.

A great cook. A great cook.

Wow.

I don't remember all these people being here when we left.

Oh, they were here.

They were here.

It's your first time in New York?

Yeah.

Oh, you're in for a real treat. Yeah.

When you get back to Paris, you'll rave about how nice New Yorkers are.

- When would that be? - Pardon?

How long will you be here?

I don't know. Not long.

Not long?

I've been to Paris. I took Paris, you know.

I let De Gaulle walk the Champs Élysées first. After all, it is his place.

Paris, to me, Paris is a beautiful place.

It's got fancy bridges and it looks...

They're steam cleaning the buildings now.

Making them nice and white and clean.

But I prefer New York. I prefer New York.

New York, for me, the music is better. Because it's tougher.

There's tougher things going on here.

There's tougher people here.

It's not for everybody, New York.

Now we get over the Williamsburg Bridge, we'll be fine.

Traffic today at rush hour was bad at the airport.

The worse traffic I ever saw was in that area...

What's that arch in Paris? The Arch of Triumph.

The car's going in a circle. To me, from faraway, it looks pretty.

But when you're inside one of the cars, it was murder. The left lane...

In Coney Island we have a little ride where everybody bumps into each other.

I never saw drivers like these.

I never saw it.

Francis, Francis, let's go, come on.

Francis.

You can look at New York tomorrow.

All right, Dale, this is it. It's your favorite place.

I managed to work out an adjoining room for you...

...so you two are connected.

I got instant coffee for you, Dale.

I got peanut butter, I know you like that.

I got some things to go over with you here.

Your 802, your union dues.

I paid your union dues, I took care of your legal fees and your fines.

Whatever comes to you, you don't have to worry about it.

At the end of the week, come to my office.

Other thing is, I'll give you a little advance.

Here we are. Who wants it?

Francis, here we are. Okay, get yourself situated.

I know you'll probably want to go uptown, but if you want...

...there's the Armenian joint on 8th Avenue if you want to eat.

You could also eat at the club, but if you want...

I know you'll wind up at the Market Diner...

...but the Armenian joint, you sign for it, I put it on your tab.

The same thing goes for the Star Cleaners and Laundry on 7th Avenue.

Sign for it, I put it on your tab. All right?

Now, the band that we have here is terrific.

I know you've heard this a thousand times, but believe me.

When I say they're good, you're gonna love them.

Most important: The cabaret card.

The cabaret card.

Cabaret card we took care of.

We took care of it. It cost us.

I mean, it wasn't easy, but we took care of it.

So you're set. Okay?

Do you understand everything?

- Any questions? - No.

You should be all right. Okay?

- Goodley. - Yeah?

When do we start?

You start tomorrow night. Tomorrow night.

Okay, nice and cozy here, huh? Just like Cozy Cole.

See you guys later.

S.O.S.

"Same old shit."

But maybe you should go by the club and check it out.

Will you come?

No.

Dale's a little tired.

Those two tables over there.

Those people have been waiting for drinks. He's not at his station.

Francis, that's Dale's kid, right?

Yeah, I called her.

You're Chan? Hi, Goodley.

Hi, I'm Francis.

Nice to meet you.

My daughter.

Ladies and gentlemen...

...our next selection...

...is a composition...

...that I wrote for my daughter Chan...

...who just turned fifteen.

Fourteen.

"Chan's Song."

I liked my song.

Oh, wonderful.

Does it have words to it?

No.

But not everything has to have words to it.

I meant to...

...bring you something back from France.

You know, like perfume...

...but I wasn't sure because of your age.

I didn't expect anything.

I know someone who's been in Paris.

He brought this back for me.

Oh, I know.

From Montemarte.

I know.

Hey, Dale!

When did you get back?

- How you doing, Booker? - All right.

This your child?

Daddy lets you stay up late, huh?

Heard you the other night, Dale, blowing better than ever.

Thanks, man.

Feeling well?

Not bad.

So how's school?

Fine.

Hey, what do you want?

I want to see Dale.

He's not here.

I'll wait.

Tell Dale Booker was here.

If he wants something, he'll find me.

How is Chan?

Like a stranger...

...and it's too late to fix it.

Don't let that happen to you and Berangere.

Dale?

Yeah.

You were happy in Paris?

Very pretty town.

Is it the same room where Hershell died?

I don't know.

They all look the same.

Things work different here.

Yeah, I see.

Feels like far, Francis.

What?

Paris.

I'm going back, Dale.

I made two reservations.

For when?

Tomorrow evening.

Is it too soon?

There are two flights, at 7:30 and 9:30.

If we're going...

...let's go early.

You know...

...Lady Francis...

...there's not enough kindness...

...in the world.

This is the last call for Pan Am flight 132 for Paris.

All passengers, please proceed to gate 34.

"Dale died Friday at Cumberland Hospital. Goodley. "

We would like to open with a tribute...

...to a great jazz musician...

...a man who died a few years ago.

He passed away ahead of us...

...but he was always doing things...

...ahead of us.

He wrote a song...

...just before he died that we'd like to perform tonight for you.

His name is Dale Turner.

I hope...

... Lady Francis...

... that we live long enough...

... to see an avenue...

... named after Charlie Parker.

A Lester Young Park.

Duke Ellington Square.

And even...

... a street named Dale Turner.