Original subtitles

Hey, move over, will you? Come on, give me some room here!

How are you?

How's everything, my man?

Where'd you get those pants?

All right. All right.

You ready? You ready?

- Let's go. - Seven.

- Ten bucks, man. - I know. I know.

Hey, Dominic, give me a chance to break even.

Hey, man, relax.

Like the good book says, you never give a sucker an even break.

- Hey, Vin, how are you doing? - Still hustling babies, Tommy?

Hey, it's like chicks, Vin, you know what I mean?

Hard to resist.

Besides, they don't have to play if they don't wanna.

Hey, when are you coming to Jersey to see us play?

All the way to Jersey, what do I need that for?

Hey, so where is it, the North Pole?

It's been three years now, you've never heard me play before.

I'm looking for singers not saxophone players.

Hey, we got a singer, Vinnie.

A new kid, Jimmy Ryan, blond hair, blue eyes.

- Great kid. You gotta hear him. - No thanks, cuz.

What do you mean, "no thanks"? What are you going to do, Vinnie,

sit home and read that fan magazine shit?

Hey, let me tell you something, okay?

I can learn a lot from this, you know what I mean?

It doesn't matter whether it's Tony C., Rock Hudson,

Elvis, they all got it. Right there.

Right in the windows, you know what I mean?

Your friend there...

- Jimmy Ryan. - Jimmy Ryan.

- He's not gonna be a star. - What do you mean?

I mean, women don't want blond singing idols.

They want dark hair. They like dark hair.

Take Frank Sinatra, Elvis.

You know what I mean? They got it.

You better read up, kid.

In their windows.

- Ciao, everybody. - Ciao, Vincente.

About time you got here. Your brother's going pazzo.

He had to take the orders on 12 and 13.

He's going crazy.

About time he had to do some work.

You better get to work.

Take it easy, Emilio. Don't panic.

What do you think, we got a wedding out there?

Let's see what do we got here?

- Twelve and thirteen? - Twelve and thirteen!

- Hey, no movie magazines. - Oh, I'm sorry, Mario.

Listen, I had some real business to do across the river.

You know, music business, and I got hung up.

But I tell you what, you know what I'm going to do for you?

I'm going to work all night for you.

Tonight you've got me for the duration.

Vinnie, I'm running a business here.

When people come in for dinner they gotta have waiters to serve'em.

Mario, the food's getting cold.

Can't stand there talking to you all night,

you know what I mean? I got customers waiting.

How are you, Carlo?

Don't ask.

- Linguini in white clam sauce? - Right here, please.

Emilio, I got some people coming in tonight just before closing.

Seventeen people, I want everything fresh,

I don't want anybody going home, okay?

- Some veal... - Mario, where's Vinnie?

He's busy, don't bother him. And some zabaione for dessert.

Don't send anybody home, they're coming in late.

But I want to keep the kitchen open.

Make sure they're open, okay?

People come all the way from Brooklyn just to taste these.

They're really incredible. They're the chef's special.

Gino, what are you doing? I'm working here.

- I need to talk to you. - Not now, Gino.

Now, Vinnie, now.

Jerry Martin. He just called me.

Excuse me for a second.

- What the hell are you doing? - He's at the annex studio.

He says if we want him to record our song,

we got to get over there right now and talk to his producers.

He's not supposed to do this till next week.

Tell that to your friend Jerry Martin. I knew this was going to happen.

What are you doing? What are you doing?

Vinnie, we're running a classy place here,

you're turning it into a bowling alley.

- I got to go, Mario. - We got to go.

I'm very very sorry, folks.

Frank, bottle of wine on the house here, huh?

Testing. One, two, three, test. One, two, three.

That's very good, kid, but step back.

Testing. Test. One, two, three.

- Test. - Now, you got it.

Keep rolling.

Hey! What kind of shit is this, huh?

I'm not gonna sign this toilet paper. This is shit. Shit!

- Up yours. - Yeah, up yours.

Jerry promised us a 50-50 split. Jerry, thanks a lot.

- Come on, Vinnie. - Thanks for nothing.

- God dammit. - Come on, what am I, wood?

- Look, Vinnie. Vinnie, please. - What?

This is the only shot we have.

- So, what are we talking about? - We can't just walk away.

- Hey, Vinnie. Vinnie. - I want to talk.

- Forget about it. - He's talking to ya.

Listen, kid. I'm only going to do right by you.

Your name's going to be on the label.

You're going to be in every jukebox in the city.

Oh, hey. Come on, man.

What are you talking about? What good is it going to do me?

You guys own all the rights, you get all the marbles,

and me and Gino, we get stugats. That's what we get.

If you do it, you do it, or you do it.

Get your hands off me.

Hey, spaghetti brain. Who you kidding?

Why don't you smarten up? Who's going to record that shit?

Now, you want to listen to me?

Either you take a chance and go with me,

or you forget about it and you take a walk.

You take that contract and shove it.

Get out of my way.

Hey, Pilato. Come here.

You know, your partner's an asshole.

Take him for a walk. Listen to me.

Take him for a walk and talk some sense into him.

What was it? It was beautiful.

It was nothing. I was just messing around.

Vincent, how long is this gonna go on?

You're 27 years old.

Just till somebody gives us a break, Ma.

Till we can find somebody to record our stuff.

Why don't you do it yourself?

You have a terrific voice.

Remember that record you made with your friends after high school?

Oh, I really liked it. I did.

You and six other people liked it.

I don't know how to sell an audience.

You gotta... you gotta have that kind of look, you know?

I started going bald when I was 18.

I mean, for me to get up there now, it's a joke.

Listen, everything's going to be okay anyway, right?

Mario's doing all right. The restaurant's doing great.

Yeah, sure. Thanks to your father.

For you, your father does nothing.

It's okay. I don't need him to do anything for me.

I don't want anything.

Why don't you call him? He owes it to you.

What does he owe you? He owes you something, too.

He owes me nothing. With you it's different.

Better he should give it to you than one of his whores.

Listen to that.

Listen to you. Come on, forget about it.

I don't need anything from him.

We're going to be okay. Everything's going to be all right.

You'll see.

Ladies and gentlemen, the boy with the big blue eyes, Jimmy Ryan.

Thank you.

Hey, Vinnie! Wait up.

So what did you think of Jimmy Ryan? Pretty good, eh?

It's like I said, he's limited.

Why didn't you tell me you could sing?

It's a joke, but don't laugh too hard, Vacarri.

You'd be surprised how many chicks are turned on by it.

- I do all right. - I bet you do.

Listen, I'm looking for somebody good

to record my stuff and I think you're it.

Me? You got to be kidding. I ain't no singer.

Don't say "ain't." It's bad English.

Besides, you got it, Tommy. I saw it in there.

Do you know something?

With the right handling, you can go all the way.

Right. Hey, Vacarri.

I ain't no rock 'n' roll star.

I'm Italian from Martha Avenue, like you.

Tomaso DeLorusso. Capisce?

Just a fart in the breeze.

When you gonna wise up? What do you want to do,

play back up sax in juke joints all your life?

Busting dimes from the neighborhood kids?

You could be somebody. You could be Tommy Dee.

Tommy Dee. Who the hell is Tommy Dee?

Be a jerk off, that's right.

You want to know something, kid?

You got the look.

You know the guys in the fan magazines, that's it.

They got it. I can make it happen for you.

If you want it.

What's it gonna be, pizza or caviar?

What's caviar?

Wait, I'll do it.

I mean, I'll try it.

Be at my house tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. sharp.

I don't get out of here till 5:30.

Suit yourself. If you're five minutes late, forget about it.

I'll be there.

- What's your name again? - Tommy Dee.

9 a.m.

Oh, my gosh.

Wait a minute, where do you think you're going to be singing,

- in a whore house? - Relax.

I know what you gotta give the chicks,

you gotta give 'em a thrill every once in a while.

- I gotta give it to 'em. - This is a junior high school.

You do that and you're gonna scare them half to death.

They don't want a rapist, they want Prince Charming.

You know? Somebody cute and safe.

Okay? This time we're gonna lighten it up

and we'll do it again from the top. All right? Ready?

Two, three, four.

Smile. Hike it up, baby, there you go.

Yeah. Look at that. Look at that, baby.

Take the hand movements away.

Smile, baby, yeah. Smile.

Here come the background vocals.

Come on in, come on.

Want to play it again for him?

Don't play it again, Vinnie. That's the one, man.

We're not gonna get any better than that. It's a hit.

It's nothing yet, Gigi.

First we gotta get a record company to put it out.

Then we see what happens.

Uncle Tony, come on. Let's get out of here

- before I burn this place down. - Any luck?

Son of bitch, he tried to rape me. No advance, quarter cent royalties.

If the record was a hit, I would owe him money.

On top of that, he wanted to keep all the publishing, can you believe it?

At least that's more than most of them, Vinnie.

He wanted to hear it, right?

It's for shit, Tony.

Nobody's gonna listen to anything unless I've got something to sell.

If I can get my hands on some dough,

I could press a few hundred singles,

I could send Tommy out on the road, I could make a move.

Don't look at me, Vin, I'm broke.

I know, you didn't want to hear this, but...

- Go ahead, set it up. - What?

- What? - What?

The meeting with my old man. Set it up.

Just make sure it's at Mario's.

If I have to meet him, it's gonna be on my turf.

Grazie, Carlo. Take the rest of this wine

to the chef with my compliments, please.

Si, pre90-

Your brother serves a very adequate calamari.

Sauce could be hotter, but very adequate.

If we talk, we talk alone.

Sheila.

See you later.

Sit. Come stai, Antonio?

Bene, Frank. Molto Bene.

So, drink?

- A little wine, whiskey? - No.

You look very good, Vincent.

It's a long time I haven't seen you.

- What are you now, 28, 29? - 27.

Twenty-seven. That's a nice age, 27.

When I was 27, I was an old man, huh, Tony?

Lots of gray hairs. You tell him about the old days, Tony?

Told me you were a thief.

Thief?

Yeah, sure, yeah.

Yeah, me and your Uncle Tony, we did some bootlegging.

We stole. We survived.

But you don't remember, 'cause you were a baby.

I remember. I remember how...

I remember.

I remember how you dumped me and Ma.

I remember how you didn't give a damn about us.

That's right. I remember.

All you gave a damn about was money and young tomatoes

that's all you gave a damn about and it still is.

I remember. I remember. Why shouldn't I?

You're a big man, big union man. Big deal. You didn't do it for us.

You didn't do it for anybody, but yourself.

So, you know what I say? I say, so what.

You through?

He's a hard ass, huh?

That's good. I like that. It's a nice surprise.

I gotta tell you. The way you were sick all the time,

I never thought he'd be around long enough to shave.

You're talking, but you're not saying anything.

Ten grand, that's what I'm saying.

That's what I give your brother to open this room.

I pulled a strings, he pays all the rent, the overhead,

and the rest he pockets.

Yeah, he plays his cards right, he's set for life.

So, that's what I got for you. Ten grand.

It ain't much. Things are a little tight.

- Guilt money. - Easy.

This kid's all balls and no brains. You want to be a waiter all your life?

- It's all right. - How? On tips?

Come on, take the ten grand.

Success has no conscience, Vincent.

I'll take it as an investment.

You invest in my record company.

You know, your brother offered me nothing.

Why are you so good to me, Vincent?

'Cause I'm better than you, Pop.

Let's shake on it.

You son of a bitch.

There was no way you were going to leave here without no money, huh?

Carlo, bring some wine. How about we celebrate.

Nothing's changed. Take it easy.

Let's go, Tony. Come on.

Thanks for the dough.

You gonna be a business man, wear a tie.

When you get to Syracuse, you're gonna see Dick Spence at WKOL.

And in Buffalo, Larry Fugman, WBBS...

- I know all that. - Wait a minute.

Rochester, Walt Bennett. WQR, very nice guy.

Don't forget the cake.

Here's the name and numbers.

I don't, Vin, everything's riding on this kid.

Don't worry about him. All he's got to do is look good.

I'll take care of the rest.

Know what I mean? What about you?

Who's gonna take care of you, eh?

Hasta la vista.

This is crazy, Vinnie. They're babies.

I'm not... I can't pretend to a bunch of 13-year-olds.

I can't. I'm used to playing in front of adults, you know that.

Will you just cut the crap, okay, Tommy?

If these kids dig you, this guy will play the record.

He's the number one deejay in Rochester.

We need him, Tommy.

I can't tell, I can't tell if you love me,

but I can tell you loved all that.

Kids, you know we've got a very special surprise for you tonight.

You know that the Walt Bennett show on WQR always brings you the hits.

The fabulous top ten authenticated

by actual account in the record stores, right?

Well, tonight we've got a young man from New York City

and he's coming here just to do his new record for you.

- I can't do it. - Just do what we practiced.

Come here. Cute, adorable, you're the boy next door.

Boys, don't you get jealous about that.

Let's give a big Rochester welcome to Mr. Tommy Dee.

"Here is My Love"!

Why don't you watch what you're doing.

Don't look at me. Don't look at me! Look at the girl. Look in her eyes.

Right in her eyes. Right in the front row.

- Right there. That's it. - Come on, give him a chance.

Look, smile at her. Wink at her. Don't lose it.

You got it. Turn around, rise.

Come on, turn around, do the routine.

It's yours. You got it. They love you.

- Okay, kid. Get 'em! - Come on, you got it!

Don't worry about it, have a good time.

You got it, baby.

You got it!

All right! They love you!

Tommy Dee with "Here is My Love."

Take another bow, Tommy. Take another bow.

Man that's so hot, that he blew the lights out, Tommy Dee.

What do you think? Kid's great, isn't he?

He was okay, Vacarri, okay.

Okay? What do you mean he was "okay"?

They love him, he's terrific.

I don't know about terrific, he was okay.

Some of the boys out there weren't so impressed.

Well, sure. Well, that's because their girlfriends

were creaming in their pants. Come on, Walt.

Hey, look, Vinnie, Rochester is a very complicated market.

You know, a lot of songs

that are hits in other towns never make it here.

Took me years to build my show to number one.

It's not just that easy to break a new song into my playlist.

You know what I mean?

I know what you're ta... Oh, that's right.

Sure, takes a lot of work. A lot of work.

Marketing, you know, up here like that.

Must be pretty tough to even get it played

maybe three or four times a day, huh?

- You're on the air, Vinnie. - Hey, I like that.

This is the fifth WQR dance I've been to.

A lot of kids can't come, they're parents are square.

- Oh, yeah, what about yours? - Well, they're square, too,

- but I usually get what I want. - Hey, you know I wouldn't do this

with just anybody, but you seem nice.

I really appreciate it, Tommy. I really do.

That's great. Quick, yet in the car.

I don't want anybody to see me give ya, give ya the record, you know.

They'll all want one.

It's great to stop for a minute, I'll tell ya.

Hey, you know, you're the first girl

I've had the chance to talk to on this whole tour.

Where's the records?

Hey, relax, Janet. I have the record.

Here.

- See? Here you go. - Thanks, Tommy.

It's really nice of you.

Hey, is that all I get is a simple thanks?

I mean, come on. No one's got that record.

It's not even out yet.

That was great. Really, Janet, that was great,

but it was kind of sisterly, you know?

I was thinking something more.... Something like this.

You know, a guy gets lonely on tour.

Strange towns. You've got beautiful eyes, Janet.

- Tommy, don't. - Hey, relax.

- You have beautiful hair. - Tommy, don't, please.

- Relax, Janet. - Tommy, please.

Relax, Janet, relax.

What are you doing? What are you doing?

What are you doing here, young lady?

You know you're not supposed to be here.

Do your parents know that you're here.

- Tell me something... - I just wanted a record.

He promised me a record.

- I'm sorry. - Look at your sweater.

Please button your sweater. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Don't cry. Come on, don't start crying now.

This is all...

He promised you a... He promised you a record?

Yeah? I'll get you a record.

You better hope this works, you dumb son of a bitch.

Asshole.

Here's the record. Go ahead.

Did you come here with friends, huh?

Did you come here... Did you have a group of girls

- that you were hanging out with? - Yes.

I tell you what. No, no, no. Don't start crying, please.

I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll tell you what.

Here's a few more records. Why don't you pass them out

to your friends, and they'll think you're very special

because the record hasn't been released in the stores yet.

Listen... we won't have to mention this to anybody...

- No, no. - Okay.

We better get out of here before somebody catches us.

- Bye, Tommy. - Come on, let' 5 go back inside.

You take care of yourself. Dry up before you go in there.

I don't want them to see you crying.

Your father's been looking for you.

Tommy! What's the matter with you? You're an idiot, do you know that?

You're an idiot. Shut up! Shut up!

Let me get something... One thing straight, okay, Tommy?

I am not going to break my hump, spend all my money

just to have you flush it down the toilet

for some 14-year-old jailbait. You want to get laid?

From now on, you come to me, and I'll set you straight, okay?

- I didn't... - Shut up!

I don't ever, ever want to catch you with an underage broad again.

- Capisce? Capiscel? - Yeah! Capisce.

What am I doing here?

Chop chop. Let's go, Prince Charming.

You think you can put some clothes on your back

- before the sun goes down? - Five more minutes.

We had over 200 requests for.

That makes it the number one most requested record on WQR Rochester.

This one's a smash. Tommy Dee's "Here is My Love."

Vinnie, do you hear that?! It's on the radio!

We got a hit! we got a hit! I'm telling you!

- Hey, come on! - We got a hit!

What's the matter with you? We're not even a tenth of the way there.

But it's a beginning.

Are these for me?

They're beautiful, but are you sure you have the right person?

- Brenda Roberts, right? - Yes.

Got the right person.

My name is Vinnie Vacarri.

Well, this is quite a way of introducing yourself, Mr. Vacarri.

I can't take all the credit for that, I stole it from Clark Gable.

It was in an old movie I saw with Claudette Colbert.

She was like a high-powered magazine editor

- and old Clark needed a favor. - Oh, right. How could I be so s...

- You guys are unbelievable. - Oh, come on.

- Worked for Claudette Colbert. - Just leave your client's picture

at reception, and we'll look at it at our weekly editorial meeting.

That's all I can promise.

If you don't mind, I'd like some privacy, please.

It's Tommy Dee.

He's very cute.

What does he do? Singer? Actor?

He's a singer.

He has the number one song in Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester.

Great. Great. Just drop the picture

and a copy of his record at reception, and if I like it,

I'll give him a mention in our next issue.

That's not good enough, sweetheart.

- I want the cover. - What?

- What? You want the cover. - I want the cover.

- I must have a hearing problem. - Listen.

Just listen to me for a second, okay?

I got a two-sided hit in three upstate cities,

and I don't have a national distributor yet.

Now, you know as well as I do that some label's gonna come along

and they're gonna cover us with a name artist

- and I lose out on everything. - I don't believe this.

Unless I could do something big to break Tommy.

Now, I gotta get him on National Bandstand, right?

Now you know as well as I do,

that Ed Sharp is not gonna book an unknown.

But if can get Tommy on the cover of Teen Scene, marone, eh?

- You can't help but notice. - It's a great idea, Mr., uh...

- Vacarri. - Vacarri.

- Call me Vincent. - Vacarri.

It's just that we're not in the habit of putting a total unknown

on the cover of the number one teen magazine in the country.

But you need me as much as I need you.

- Oh, stop it. You're being dumb. - Hey, I'm not dumb.

You don't even know me, you call me dumb.

You want to know what's dumb? The last eight covers in a row

that you did on Elvis in the army with the badges, that's dumb.

And that's boring. And you know why you did that?

Because there's nobody else around. There's nobody else left to use.

The business needs a new teen idol and Tommy's the one.

Look at that puss, will you, eh? Look at that smile, they love him.

I mean, this kid's got class. Look at those teeth.

What a face. This kid's really got it, I'm telling you.

And you want to know what else? He could sing.

This kid could sing. You're a pro, you know what I'm talking about.

Are you always this pushy? Is this the way you normally act?

Well, listen, if I had to go through the proper channels,

I'd be sitting out on my thumbs, right?

You bet you would.

Listen, I tell you what I'm gonna do.

I'll meet with your Tommy Dee, and I'll decide for myself

if he's got what you say he's got. But I meet with him alone.

With you there, I don't think he's gonna get a word in edgewise.

Well, wait a minute. He doesn't do interviews alone.

You don't have any choice, Mr. Vacarri.

Shall we say tomorrow at my office about 4:00?

4:00.

So, the more you cooperate with us, Tommy,

the more we can do for you.

Sure, anything, Miss Roberts. I want this really bad.

You understand what I'm talking about?

Mr. Vacarri, I must be out of my mind,

but I've decided to go along with you.

I'm gonna put Tommy on the next cover of Teen Scene magazine.

Congratulations.

Thank you, Brenda. Miss Roberts, I knew you'd see it my way.

Oh, there's just a few things that I'm gonna need to cement the deal.

I want one year's total exclusivity on Tommy.

And of course, we want 50% of Tommy's merchandizing.

The pictures, the posters, the souvenirs, the works.

Is that all?

Ah, Vincent, come on. This is business.

You're a pro. You know what I mean.

Five, four, three, two, one.

Hello, again and welcome to another edition

of Saturday Night Bandstand, brought to you by Dannon yogurt.

This week, strawberry.

- Ease in on Ed. - I'm sitting here with...

- Margaret Kelley. - That's it.

- Where are you from, Margaret? - Hold it right there.

- Paramus, New Jersey. - The great city of Paramus.

Well, Margaret, the first group we're gonna see tonight

happens to hail from your home state.

From Camden, New Jersey, The Boys and the Girls singing...

"A Boy and a Girl."

Camera one, get me a full shot of the group.

That's it. Hold it right there.

Camera two, close up of the lead singer.

Okay, remember, forget the rehearsals,

we're gonna do it my way. How do you feel?

- I don't know. - Let's see how you look, come on.

Hey, Vin, how come we're not doing "Here is My Love"?

- That's national television. - 'Cause we're doing the flip side.

- Two minutes, Mr. Dee. - Okay, uh...

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Gotta take this tie off, come on.

- Take the jacket off. - What about Ed Sharp's dress code?

Don't worry about the dress code, just do it like I said.

- Are you sure, Vinnie? - Hey, trust me, will ya?

- Three, two, one. - Okay, camera two, camera three

setup for the song. - Our next guest's a newcomer...

You got it. Audio, standby in playback.

But he's an amazing newcomer.

A little wider, two.

- Here we go. - From New York City,

Mr. Tommy Dee!

Take two! You got it. Widen out just a little bit.

Very nice. Ready, three, on your first close up?

And take three.

Three, what's happening, where's he going?

Where's he... What the hell is happening?

I don't know. He just walked past me, gettin' up on stage.

He can't go out there. Get the house lights on. Quick!

- Don't worry. - Stay with him.

Get me a shot of him.

- Yeah. - Quinn, what the hell's going on?

I don't know what's going on. This isn't the way we rehearsed it.

Shit!

Now he's off the stage. Get ready to go to a commercial.

Stand by to roll live spot.

Watch what he's doing with the girls.

Put your camera on him. That'll make your shot.

No, I know it's not ready, but get it ready fast, thank you.

Put your camera on him, that'll make your shot.

Just watch the girls, look at the reaction of those girls.

Look at that. They're loving him. They're going crazy.

- Look at that girl! - Camera two, get me a two-shot,

the singer and the gal in front of him.

Beautiful, widen out a little bit on one.

Now, look at that, she's crying.

Please, Tommy, pick me!

Widen out a little bit on one, that's it, that's it.

This is working, ready one? Take one.

Close up on that girl, two, close up.

That's magic. Beautiful. Beautiful.

- Look at that kid. - Turn around. Ready, two?

Take two!

- All right. - They're going crazy out there.

This is fantastic.

How about that? Tommy Dee is incredible.

Let's hear it for him. We'll be right back.

Tommy, Tommy, that was terrific.

Terrific. Come on, let's hear it for him!

All right!

- Morning, Jane. - Dear Tommy,

you're the most handsome guy on earth.

I've got your picture up in my room,

so those dreamy eyes are always looking down on me.

My mother says I'm crazy to play your record so much

but I don't care, 'cause I'll just buy a new one when it wears out.

Just stay as sweet as you are, and I'll always be stuck on you.

Love, Wendy.

Dear Tommy, you're the most warm sincere person,

not stuck up like a lot of the other stars.

My friend, Ellen, and I sat in the fifth row at your concert.

You were fantastic.

It felt like you were singing just to me.

I'm gonna get tickets when you're here again

because seeing you once means wanting to see you twice.

Love you forever, Christy.

I waited to get your autograph after the concert.

I was the girl carrying the sign that said, "I love you, Tommy Dee."

You were so nice to us.

You even stopped to talk with one of the girls.

Boy, was I jealous. I bet she'll never forget that day.

I'll always be devoted to you, Linda.

Wake up call, Mr. Dee. It's 7 a.m.

Hey, this is it, Ma. Easy street.

Country trees, birds singing in the morning.

Oh, beautiful, baby, beautiful.

They just did the street. Brand new street.

Brand new development company. What do you think? Great, eh?

I don't know, honey. I didn't even see a grocery store.

It's what you always wanted, Ma.

Look at that door. Real mahogany, eh?

- This is it. - This place is fantastic.

Is it okay, Ma?

Great, eh?

Where'd you get this stuff?

A decorator.

A decorator. Naked women?

Oh, Ma, I'm a song writer.

I don't know nothing about decorating stuff.

Put the chairs down over there.

Hey, Carlo! Hey, Carlo, another bottle of champagne.

No, Vincent, please. None for me.

Come on, come on. When you're celebrating,

you gotta have more than one bottle.

There you go. All right, Carlo.

No, no, no.

- Thank you. - Do me a favor, Carlo.

Give this to the chef with my compliments, tell him...

- Si, prego, prego, signor. - Let's make a toast, eh?

To you and me.

And to Tommy Dee.

So, you gonna tell me how the tour was or not, huh? Come on.

- How was it? - It was okay. It was all right.

- Tour was okay. - Okay? Four months?

Thirty cities? That's all you got to say, it was okay?

We grossed 150 grand, what do you want me to tell you?

How does Tommy feel about that? Must feel great.

Oh, the pistolero. Yeah, he's having a ball.

To him it's one big party.

Hey, hey, what the hell's the matter with you?

What you going to do, carry so many dishes in your hand like that.

- I'm sorry. - What the hell's going on.

What are you a klutz or something?

- Vinnie, relax, relax. - What do you mean, relax?

Scaffoombaggia! He's trying to ruin our dinner here!

Now don't call me names, huh?

I said I was sorry.

Vinnie, what's the problem?

No problem, Mario. Just a little accident.

Guido, get that stuff in the kitchen.

Don't try to carry so much.

Hiring them pretty young, hey, Mario?

Yeah, he's 16. I'm trying to help out his grandmother.

It's only a part-time job.

My kid brother's seen too many movies.

Thinks he's Jimmy Cagney.

Hey, Jimmy Cagney, what's the matter?

Why are you so unhappy, huh?

- Nothing's the matter. - Nothing's the matter.

Tommy's a star, Vincent. You did it.

Come on, cheer up.

He's not the kind of star I wanted.

What are you talking about? The kid's a goldmine.

His album just went through the roof.

Brenda, you think I'm in this for the money?

Well, I thought that had something to do with it, sure.

It's not enough. I need a real star.

Tommy's a saxophone player. He's playing at being a star.

Kid's a golf ball.

I mean, you know, last week I enrolled him in acting classes,

and he turned it down. He told me acting was for pansies.

- Can you imagine that? - All right. All right. All right.

Vincent, give him time. You know artists.

Artists are like children. He'll come around.

You watch. I'm not worried so much about Tommy.

I'm worried a little bit about you. You gonna give yourself time, huh?

Yeah, maybe in a few months. I gotta...

I gotta a follow-up album, and then I got a tour.

- And then you got another album. - Then I got...

Another tour. Then another album, and another tour.

- Brenda, I got obligations. - You got obligations to yourself.

Brenda! If want professional help, I'll go see a shrink.

In the meantime, mind your business, okay?

Fine. Fine, Mr. Vacarri, that's just fine.

- No, okay, come on. - Thank you very much for dinner.

Come on, wait, wait, wait. I'll take you home.

No, no. That's all right. Cabs are easy to find.

Good night, Vinnie.

- This place stinks. - Then you've got a sensitive nose.

Hey, well, it's not bottled in Paris.

Hey, Tony, take care of this.

You know, I'd hate to work here, that's for sure.

My first job was in this market. Hosing down the stalls.

I was thirteen. I was like you. Hotshot, I wanted to be somebody.

And now I like coming here. I pick out your brother's seafood.

I'm here at the docks anyway.

You called me.

Oh, what's this?

Nothing, just first dividends on our investment.

Yeah, not bad.

When you got what they want, they got to pay through the nose.

Thinking maybe the first-year earnings

will be about a quarter million.

- Net? - Gross.

Alfredo, you call these calamari?

- Oh, they're delicious, signor. - Eh, then you eat them.

That's a nice suit.

You almost look successful.

What's the matter? Hard for you to swallow?

- I am successful, Pop. - Almost, Vincent.

When you do something once like write a great novel,

paint a great picture that's luck.

But when you do it twice, three times, four times,

that's success. Not besides,

it's best not to have everything tied up into one guy.

What do you mean?

What are you talking about?

You got a contract on this kid?

Contract. I don't need that, it's a personal thing.

Nothing's personal, get a contract.

What's a... Talk to me, will you.

There's some big entertainment people

interested in this kid's career. He already talked to somebody.

How do you know about this?

It pays to stay on top of things, Vincent.

The name's Delano.

You're giving me weekly rates,

do you know what Tommy gets per night now?

What, don't you read the trades?

Listen, put a few zeros on the end of that,

and call me back, will you?

Hey, kid.

Take it easy, I'm not gonna bite you.

Just want to apologize for acting like an asshole the other night.

Well, that's okay.

Hey, thanks for not saying anything to your brother.

No problem.

- You like Tommy Dee? - Oh, sure.

I'll send you a couple albums, eh?

Vinnie Vacarri.

- Phil Delano with IAA. - How are you?

Phil, sit down, make yourself comfortable.

- You got some office here. - Yeah, well, you know,

business is business, doesn't matter where you do it.

I had a talk this week with Tommy Dee.

- I heard. - He's a good kid.

- I like him. - Yeah, he's got lots of integrity.

Look, Vinnie, we've got a big agency.

We could take the pressure off you. Do the ground work.

Open negotiations. Set up deals.

Where ever you want to go, we're all over.

- Not interested. - But, Vinnie.

IAA gets telephone numbers for deals, top dollar.

I'm sorry. I just don't like doing business

with people who try to hustle my artists behind my back.

Oh, look, Vinnie, you got it wrong. I swear to God.

I looked at Tommy for three seconds, we said hello.

We didn't talk any business. I wouldn't do that to you.

Look, Vin, I wanna level with you.

I've been trying to break in at the agency,

but I can't make a dent.

Nobody gives me a top client.

I've been booking a trained dog act in Canada.

I'm Italian, everyone else is a Jew.

You know what I mean?

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Think I better get myself a Jewish agent.

Come on, Vin.

Let's cut the song and dance, Phil.

Forget the tours, the concerts, the record deals,

I got that covered.

I'm looking for something a little bigger for Tommy and I.

I wanna... get into the movie business.

We can do it. We got a big agency out on the coast.

Okay, well, that's where you fit in, maybe. You know what I mean?

I want you to try and get him a good part in a film.

It doesn't have to be the lead, mind you.

- I can do it, Vin. - Jus if it's got some meat to it.

You can do this for me...

maybe you got a deal.

Mr. Vacarri? This is my grandmother.

Guido, do me a favor, will you?

Would you excuse us for a couple minutes?

I want to talk to your grandmother alone.

I don't believe it.

I can't believe it. The green ones and everything.

Push it. Push it!

All right. Come here, kid.

You made it past the first hurdle, you've got a voice.

Now, we gotta figure out how to help you with it.

Teach you what to do with it.

So, why don't you go upstairs and get some rest,

and Gino and I will talk a little bit.

- Thanks, Guido. - Thank you, Mr. Pilato.

Suck on lemons, will ya?

Don't call him Guido. I want you to call him Caesare.

I want him to get used to hearing that.

Caesare? What are you kidding me, Vinnie?

Trying to turn a bus boy into a singer?

I mean, it's a full-time job, we got our hands full

trying to keep Tommy straight.

That's just it, we could use a backup.

All right. Fine. Terrific. Great. But why not somebody

with some experience? I mean, there must be a hundred guys...

- I like him. - I like him, too,

- but he's got no experience. - He's got a good look.

Trust me, will ya?

Look, you go on the road with Tommy,

and I'll take care of Caes.

What am I, a babysitter?

Keep it low, Caes. Down low, keep it in your bones.

You know the routine, let's go now.

Heel, toe. One, two, three, four.

One, two, three, four. Come on, Caes.

Come on, man. Put some sex into it.

God dammit, you're moving like a choir boy.

- Two, three, four. - Oh, well, forget then, huh?

Nothing's happening inside your head, kid.

True sex comes from between your ears,

not from between your legs.

Okay? Now, you just... Just do what I do.

Just watch me, okay? All right? Here we go.

Just do what I do. It's very simple.

You hear it, you feel it, you deliver it.

One, two, three, four. Heel, toe. Heel, toe.

Heel, toe. Heel, toe. One.

Attitude, and a one, two, three, four.

We ought to change places, man. You're the one with the talent.

It's not enough, it's the looks that count.

You gotta look the part, kid.

I don't. You do.

That's why I'm the manager and you're the artist.

Come on, kid. You got it. You got it, I'm telling you.

Hey, you were born with it.

It's like a gift, you know.

I mean, either you got it or you don't.

You got it. I know it. I see it. I feel it. It's right here.

All we got to do is loosen it up

and bring the talent up to match your face.

Voila.

I write the music, you're supposed to manage the kid.

Vinnie, talk to me. I can't handle it.

You take it easy, the kid's standing right there.

Listen, I want you to change the encore.

I'm not going to watch his ass.

Just take care of the kid for me.

You got the maps? You got the double set of keys?

I don't want you to lose anything, please.

Hey, Tommy, this is what's gonna happen now.

Gino's gonna take you around, you do the shows.

He'll introduce you the deejays, you know the routine.

Hey, Vinnie, Gino doesn't know what he's doing.

- He doesn't know what he's doing. - Will you please take it easy?

Shut up. He's standing right there. I took care of everything myself.

Tommy, what is the big deal?

We got seven days left on this tour.

Yeah, seven days, Vinnie.

Seven days for that busboy kid, too, right?

Hey, you got a short memory, cousin.

I'm only doing for Caes what I did for you, remember?

Hey, Vinnie?

Vinnie, there's a telephone call for you.

Come here for a second, will ya, kid?

Will you stop this, please? I'm not forgetting about you.

I can't believe you.

Caesare, I want to introduce you to Tommy Dee.

Tommy Dee, this is Caesare.

It's a real pleasure to meet you, Tommy.

- Yeah, likewise. - I want you guys to be friends.

We're gonna be like one big happy family.

My kids, my gUY5-

Take a message from whoever's on the phone,

- tell 'em I call 'em right back. - Sure, Vin.

- It was nice to meet you, Tommy. - Yeah, you look great, kid.

- Thanks - Keep practicing those splits.

You gotta be kidding. So, that's the kid?

That skank? Now I see why you're spending most of your time on him.

- You're unbelievable. - Look at you.

- The pistolero's jealous. - Hey, I ain't jealous, Vinnie.

- Don't give me that shit. - Okay. Okay.

Let's just go up there and knock 'em dead.

I don't wanna have to... Why don't you guys just kiss

and make up, so I don't go crazy, please.

You're driving me to drink. I'm gonna be an alcoholic

by the time I'm 30. You need me kid,

I'll be on a plane. I'll be there!

Vinnie, he called all the way from Chicago.

Hey, Tommy really looks like a star.

Easiest part, kid. When I get through with you,

you're gonna stop traffic.

Just stand here a minute. You're somebody special.

Somebody people are gonna wanna look at.

What if they recognize me as the busboy?

Not a chance. Best table in the house, please.

I don't believe it.

- This can't be the same Guido. - The name is Caesare.

It's incredible.

Carlo, take care of the gentlemen, please.

Carlo, I'll have a vodka martini straight up with a twist,

and a ginger ale for the kid. - Si, signore.

It's just the beginning, kid.

Wow. Was this your band?

Tommy, great to have you back. Ma'am, how are you?

Hey, picture on the wall now. Table reserved for you.

- Sit down, enjoy yourself. - Tommy, I can't believe it.

- This is where you started. - This and a hundred dives like it.

- Depressing, isn't it? - Stop. It's a beginning.

- Drinks are on me. - Don't worry about tonight.

It's a dry run-through. Just take care of everything the way we practiced.

Huh, nice? Beautiful. Work everything out.

- How you doing? - Hey, Phil, how are you doing?

All right. Hey, Vinnie, how you doing?

What the hell are you doing here, Phil?

I wouldn't miss the debut of your new boy.

Hi, I'm Phil Delano with IAA.

Listen, why don't you guys go up to the dressing room.

I'll be there in a couple minutes.

- Good luck, Caesare. - Thank you.

Listen, Phil. This ain't no debut. How'd you find out about this?

Word gets around, Vinnie. Look, you got a minute?

- I got to talk to you. - I'll see you at the bar.

Wait for me.

- Vinnie lets you smoke in public? - I know. I know, Caes.

He says the same shit to me. He says it's bad for the image.

Hey, with him standing guard over me all the time,

I'm lucky if I can jerk off once in a while.

Hey, you know who's at that table tonight?

Don't ya? It's Phil Delano from IAA.

Big agency, Caes. A lot riding on you tonight.

Pull it off, you're gonna have movies, television, records,

and the whole nine yards.

Vinnie said this was just a tryout tonight.

He said this wasn't important at all.

Caes, he didn't want to get you nervous.

Don't worry about it. He says it to me all the time, too.

Hey, Caes, you look terrible. Relax. I know it's the jitters.

I get 'em before a show, too. Hey, you know what to do?

The best thing. Smoke one of these.

I do 'em all the time before a show, relaxes me totally.

I don't smoke much.

Suit yourself, buddy. It does wonders for me.

Not like that, Caes. Not like that.

Hey, watch me. Watch me.

Let it go in your lungs, relaxes the body.

You gotta let it go in. Inhale it.

Take it easy. Relax, relax.

Come here, come here. You're all right.

Beam on the rocks.

- What's up? - Hey, Vin. Have a drink.

- No, I don't have time, thanks. - It's Hollywood, Vin, I did it.

I got Tommy a TV series. He'll be a regular.

- Great exposure. - What's the series about?

What's it about? What's the difference?

It's a Western. Calvary against the Indians.

Great stuff. It's no good, Phil.

Tommy in a Calvary uniform just would be wrong, you know.

Well, why don't we ask Tommy what he thinks?

Hey, I make the business decisions, okay?

It seems to me you're spending too much time on this new kid,

let Tommy's career go down.

It's a big break you're turning away.

Look, cuz, I don't need anybody helping me make decisions, okay?

I told you I want the movies for Tommy, not television.

You got that? You do that for me, and we got a deal, maybe.

Let's go, pistolero, you're on. Come on, let's go.

- Hey, what's the matter with Caes? - He's all right.

- What the hell's going on. - Big case of the jitters.

You all right, kid? Come on, get out of here.

What are you still doing? Get out of here!

- How can they resist me? - Come on! Come here.

Look at me, take a deep breath. Oh, god.

Come on, take a deep breath. That's it.

You're okay. They're gonna love you.

Just remember that. They're gonna love you.

We have a singer with us tonight who started off in this club,

right on this stage. Now, I want to hear a warm welcome

for Tommy Dee!

Thank you.

Excuse me, honey.

You okay? What's the matter with you?

If you want we can forget about this, I'm serious.

- I can do it, Vinnie. - We can get...

I can do it.

Let's have a warm welcome for Caesare.

Okay. Come on. You got it, baby. Go ahead.

- Is he all right? - I don't know.

He's nervous. He'll be okay.

Come on.

Embarrassing.

Come on, Caes.

Get the kid. Tell Brenda to get the car.

It's all right, Gino. That's okay, I'll get the kid.

You go ahead, get the car. Coming with me?

No, go ahead, Brenda. I'll catch a ride with Delano.

Is that you, kid?

Come on, now. Take it easy.

- I'm sorry. I'm sorry. - Take it easy.

- I screwed up. - Don't be sorry.

It's all right. It's your first time out of the gate.

- Come on. - I couldn't do it.

Don't worry about it. We're going to preform again.

- We're gonna get 'em. - Hey, Vinnie, would you give up?

I don't have it. I couldn't do it.

Don't you ever let me hear you talk like that again.

You understand?

I never told you this was going to be easy, God dammit.

It's gonna be a lot of pain and a lot of work,

but it's worth it.

You'll be a star, okay? You're gonna be a star.

Those people in there are gonna be fighting for your autograph.

I'm not gonna let you fail. Please believe me.

I'm not gonna let you fail. Now you go home.

You go to my mother's. You take it easy.

We'll start again on Monday.

- I'm really sorry. - Please, don't worry.

Now, get in the car. Don't worry about it.

Drink some milk. Gino, make sure he gets some milk.

- Don't drive fast. - Here's your handkerchief.

Don't worry about that.

Please believe me, I'm not gonna let you fail.

You go, Vacarri.

- Come on. Need a ride? - Gotta take care of Tom my.

Tommy thought you went home with Caes, so he let with Delano.

- Come on, let me take you home. - That's all I need.

Come on, Vinnie. Over the bridge, please.

I'm sorry about what happened tonight, Vinnie.

You wanna talk about it?

Tell me what you're feeling? It might help.

Vincent, I know it's hard to think about, but, uh...

maybe Caesare just doesn't have it.

He's got it.

Well, even you can't help him up in front of an audience.

He just had a bad night, that's all.

Maybe not, Vinnie. Is it so hard to admit that you might be wrong?

Let's forget about it, okay?

The great Vincent Vacarri made a mistake...

Shut up! God damn broad, you don't know when to keep your mouth shut!

Don't you talk to me like that. I'm trying to help you.

Boy, you say you don't need a shrink, huh?

Here's some free advice, you can't...

Shut up! Shut UP!

Vincent, what are you going to do to me?

Are you gonna hit me?

Is this the only way you can show your feelings?

What are you doing?

Oh, baby. Help me with the kid.

I'm not embarrassed.

I remember going to dances at Pope Pius X School,

and if we danced too close to the boys,

the nuns would come running up yelling,

"Make sure you leave room for the Holy Ghost."

Crazy.

I was a virgin until I was 19.

- Is that late for an Italian? - Are you kidding?

That's like over the hill.

Italian girls they don't put out at all.

Just some quick feels and wet pants, that's it.

Finally went to a pro. I told her I was 30.

I don't know how we got through it all.

Angel face. What a face.

Wonderful. I tell you, I could lie here forever.

You know, Brenda?

I really think the kid's gonna make it.

- What? - I really think he's got it.

I'm serious. He's got it.

After tonight, all you've got to sell is a pretty face.

That's it.

That's what I'll sell. I'll sell his face.

I'll plaster his face all over town.

The industry won't even know what hit them.

I'll make this kid a star before he sings a note.

- Vincent, it's too dangerous. - It's dangerous. It's dangerous.

I know it's dangerous. If he doesn't deliver it's dangerous, but I'll deliver.

If I have to work with him 24 hours a day, I'll deliver.

I know I'll deliver.

Murray, this kid's gonna be bigger than Elvis, I'm telling you.

No, we don't have a record out yet.

But did you see those pictures I dropped off on your desk?

What a face. I'm telling... what a face.

We're gonna debut him next month at the Paramount.

I was just wondering if you can give us a plug on your show.

You would? That's great.

One, two, three, four.

No, Caes, you're missing the quarter notes, okay?

Quarter notes. That's one, two, three, four.

Well, let's do it.

No, Caes. Quarter notes. You know...

- Know what I'm saying? - Okay, I got it this time.

- Get it then. Do it. - I got it.

- I got it. - Okay, here we go.

Ready? One, two, three, four.

It's easy, kid. When you got rhythm.

Keep working at it. I'll be right back.

Okay, wise guy, why aren't you at rehearsals?

I could ask you the same thing. Why weren't you at my rehearsals?

I was there four night last week, everything sounded great.

You got it together. Let's not go through this again.

Caes needs me here. Hey, what are you smoking for?

Why didn't you tell me Phil got me a TV series?

'Cause I didn't think it was important enough

to disturb your rehearsals. Besides, it's not right.

It's not right, huh?

Well, you always said you wanted Hollywood for us.

That's right, and I still do. But I want movies, not television.

Well, Phil says it's great exposure.

Phil? Hey, Phil's thinking about his 10%, not your career.

Hey, what do you think you are, Gene Autry?

That's bullshit, Vinnie. You're so caught up in that goddamn busboy kid,

you're not thinking about what's best for me.

I'm taking that TV series.

Get it out of your head, 'cause it's not right.

And I make the business decisions.

- Yea h, well, not anymore. - What?

Not anymore. I'm going with Phil. You're not on top of things.

- I'm going with Phil. - Hey, wait. Tommy, take it easy.

Will ya? Hey, everything's going great. The album hit the ceiling.

You're making tons of money. I'm not forgetting about you.

Hey, I ain't gonna let you blow this Hollywood deal for me.

Hey, Tommy. Hey, take it easy. We got take things nice and slow.

Make sure that you're right.

I'm the one who suggested you take acting lessons, remember?

Acting lessons. I don't need that crap, Vinnie.

I'm an actor, you said it yourself. Not like that punk in there.

You've seen him on stage. He stinks.

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah!

- Thanks to you, DeLorusso. - Guys, what are you doing?

There you go. You take a nice little momma's boy

like that, try to make something out of him. What do you got?

What the hell's going on over here? Take it easy!

What's it gonna be, Vinnie? Him or me?

Hey, I can't choose.

I've got enough for the both of you. We'll work it out.

Great. That's it, eh? That's it.

All right, kid. Keep on working. Maybe in six or eight months

you might have the opening act in Jersey, but I doubt it.

Hey, take it easy. Will you go inside and cool off.

God dammit. Hey, Tommy!

Let's get the hell out of here. Come on, go.

Wait! Hey, come on!

That's it. Okay, one time through without Gino.

Okay, one, two, three, four.

I think we're getting it. We're getting it.

Just more excitement, more strength.

I don't know, punch it or something.

Gino, give four.

Use that anger, baby. Come on.

You got it!

We want Caesare! We want Caesare!

You hear that? I'm not gonna let Caes out on that stage

unless there's a dozen more security guards

between him and the mob. You got it?

Hey, I put a show on here every week.

The security men out there, they held crowds bigger than this.

Now, come on. Let's do a show. Come on.

I'm doing a show, what do you mean?

Come on, Vinnie, come on.

We're recording, Vinnie. I hope it works.

- How's it look out there? - So far, so good.

- The security guys are out there. - Come on, let's do the show.

Okay, I'm gonna go with it. But you better be right, Harmon.

- Good luck, kid. - See you out there, Gigi.

Uncle Tony, let's get him out there.

Here is now!

Hey, get out of there!

Let him through! Let him through!

Don't panic. You sick? Wanna go to the bathroom?

- You gonna be all right, baby? - Let's go to the bathroom.

Where is he? Get him in here!

- What the hell happened out there? - I'm sorry.

What are you talking about you're sorry,

I told you this was gonna happen. God dammit! I told you!

I'm sorry.

You gotta guarantee me. If you guarantee me

that it will be safe out there. I want that kid safe.

I don't want those girls coming up there anymore.

I'll get the outside security guards.

- Do it! Do it! - I'll do it. I'll do it.

You can't take him out there again. You can't take him out there.

You don't know what you're talking about, Brenda, okay?

Listen, we didn't come this far to get shut out.

There are a couple of people out there who want to see us lose,

but they're not. You know why? You know why?

Because that kid's gonna go back on again.

And I'm gonna be right there with ya.

I'm not gonna let you fail baby, you understand?

Come on. We go. No, we go with the shirt.

It's looks great. It looks great. Trust me baby. We got it.

- Vincent, please! Please! - Brenda, trust me.

You hear that? You hear that? They love him!

They're going crazy over him! I did it!

You hear that? I did it, Brenda, I did it!

I hear you, Vinnie!

Champagne!

To Caesare! Tonight he was the best, folks.

Tonight he became a man.

Mario, I want to make a toast.

To all my friends, Gino, Mario, and especially to Vinnie,

'cause without him none of this could have happened.

To Vinnie!

Caes, I'm Ellen Fields from Teen Scene.

How about a shot of you and Vinnie toasting your success?

Well, sure, sure. Hey, Vinnie, how about it?

A shot of us toasting.

No, no photographs with the drinks in your hands

You never do that. It's bad for image.

Come on, Vinnie! It's a celebration.

You heard me.

Well, how about a shot of the two of you shaking hands, then?

Sure, fine. Let's-

- Ready? Cheese. - Big smile.

No more drinks.

Emilio, how about the lasagna?!

- Your manager is a real grouch. - Yeah, sometimes.

He should treat you nicer. You were wonderful tonight.

- Thank you. - Listen, are you busy right now?

No, not really.

Well, I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay.

- Sure. - You know, you have no idea how

girls all over the country are gonna want to know

absolutely everything about you.

Good. Good to see you, baby.

Listen, I have a very important question to ask you.

What one thing attracts you to a woman?

- Good to see you. - Nice to see you.

Mario, get me drink. How are you?

Kid's gonna be a big star. He's wonderful.

Carlo, give this kid a drink.

Vinnie's over there.

- We got to talk. - I'll see you, Emilio.

- How are the tapes, Gigi? - Vinnie, the tapes are fantastic.

I mean, it's unbelievable. We couldn't believe it.

Nobody ever recorded their first album live before.

- That's right. - Wait till we get this kid

on the road, man. They're gonna eat him up.

- We're not going on the road. - What?

- We're not gonna tour, Gigi. - What are you talking about?

- Everybody tours. - Not Caes.

Everything he does has got to be special.

First we keep him out of sight for a while,

and then, pow! We do something magical.

- But, Vinnie, the kid's been... - I'm building a myth, Gigi.

I'm telling you, the kid and I,

we've been talking for months about a big tour.

He'll get over it.

- Hear the album went gold? - Yeah.

Still going great.

Gino, when are we gonna perform again, huh?

It's been five months since the Paramount.

You did the Sullivan show. That was performin'.

Yeah, that was great, but it was one song.

I want to do a whole show for people.

- Maybe put together a tour, huh? - Vinnie says wait.

Vinnie always says wait.

He's the boss.

- Gino, let me borrow your car. - Get out of here.

Come on.

Last time you weren't home till 2:00 in the morning.

Come on. I gotta get out of here.

I gotta get out of here. I'll be careful.

Come on. Where are the keys? You got the keys somewhere.

- Get out of here. - Come on, Gino.

- I don't know where they are. - Did you lose them?

All right. Now you promise to be home early?

- Yeah. Yeah. - Promise to be careful?

- I'll see you soon, huh? - Be home by midnight.

- I'll see you soon. - Midnight!

Wake up, New York. It's 5 a.m. We're gonna start you off

with the record that's been number one for 25 Big Apple weeks.

You know what it is, Caesare, "Baby."

Thank you, officer. And thank the commander again for me, will ya?

Tell him he's definitely got six tickets for the next concert.

Hey, Gino, why'd you have to call him, huh?

I asked you not to on the phone.

He's your legal guardian, Caes, they wouldn't release you to me.

I'm sorry.

What are you doing apologizing to him?

He's the one who should be apologizing to us.

Out screwing around. Trying to ruin everything I built.

I was doing nothing, I was just driving around.

Who do you think I am? Don't bullshit me.

- I know where you were. - So what?

So what? So it's gonna stop, that's what.

It's over, finished. You understand?

From now on, you don't go nowhere. You don't leave this house.

- You don't do nothing, Capisce? - No! No Capisce.

What?

You're not gonna keep me cooped up here.

I'm gonna go out when I want to go out.

Oh, really?

Fine, okay. Fine. Sure.

Seventeen years old. Seventeen years old!

And I'm legally responsible for what you do!

The cops, they come here, they bring you here, it's my ass, kid!

Gig, I can't deal with this shit. You know what I'm saying?

I'll just call your grandmother, that's all.

Send you back to your grandmother. Let her deal with your shit.

You would call my grandmother. You would!

Tell her what her little grandson's been up to.

- Okay, Vin. - Doing 90 miles an hour.

Drinking liquor in a car. Getting picked up by the cops.

Hey, Vinnie, the joke's over, huh? Just don't call my grandma.

- Shut up. Shut up! - Please, don't call her.

- Don't call her. - Shut up.

Hold on a second, will you?

- What? - I can't go back there.

Oh, what's a matter? Too embarrassed?

You gonna listen to me? You promise?

I promise you, all right? I promise.

Swear on your grandmother.

Swear on your grandmother, you listen to me.

I swear.

No, no nothing's wrong with the phone.

No, no, no. Guido just wanted to talk to you.

Nona?

No, no, no. No, Nona, nothing's wrong.

Everything's fine.

What?

He's taking gr... He's taking great care of me.

Bye, now.

Let me have a cigarette, Gig.

- I don't believe you. - It's been going on for months.

Vincent, if you knew it was going on for months,

why didn't you put a stop to it before?

'Cause I thought it might help Caes.

I thought it might alleviate some tension.

And, uh, just fire her.

I can't do that. She's the best reporter I've got.

Brenda, do you know what would happen if it got out

that one of your star reporters was having an affair

with one of the idols she was supposed to be covering?

Brenda, she took advantage of professional relationship.

She's lying to you.

And besides this isn't the first time she's done this.

She's made it with other kids before.

Had her checked out. Sorry, baby.

What about Caes? He's gonna hate you when he finds out.

Don't worry about it. He won't.

- Oh really? - He won't have time.

Why's that?

'Cause we're gonna perform again.

- I see. - Something special.

Gonna make history.

- You know what? - What?

I'm gonna give the exclusive to Teen Scene.

Did you see that? Live catfish.

I mean, this is nuts, Vinnie. Who ever heard of a bunch

of Italians from the Bronx playing Memphis?

That's right. It's the ultimate surprise.

We're gonna knock 'em dead in Elvis' own hometown.

They're gonna see something tonight they're never gonna forget.

They've never seen a show like this down here.

- We're gonna knock their eyes out. - Well, take a look at the papers,

'cause they've already got it buried ten feet under.

I don't want to see that shit, Gino.

If l want your opinion, I'll ask for it.

Stick to the arrangements. You've got your hands full as it is.

- Where you going? Hey! - To rehearsal.

Why? Does it matter? They already hate me.

You better rehearse, so you don't fall down those steps I built for you.

Go easy on the kid, it's his big night.

What about me? Hey, look at this,

somebody knows how to spell.

Why don't they give me a goddamn break?!

Go and get one of those southern belles for the kid.

- Vinnie, talk to him. - Make sure they're good looking.

- Vincent, what was that all about? - What?

You and Tony. Money?

A little relaxation present for Caes, that's all.

- My way of saying "I'm sorry." - What's happening to you?

You're hurting everybody, Vincent. Everybody.

What you did just now to Gino in the car was horrible.

Brenda, he was shooting off his mouth in front of the kid.

I don't want him listening to all that negative shit.

I was just trying to protect him, that's all.

That's not protecting people. That's pushing them around.

Gotta be tough. He's not gonna get there unless I push.

You mean, you're not gonna get there unless you push.

This has nothing to do with Caesare.

This has to do with you using Caesare to get where you want.

Even used me to get rid of Ellen Fields once she got in your way.

Hey, you just wait a minute. Wait a minute.

I had a lot of magazines looking for the inside story to this tour,

but I said "no." I gave you the exclusive, sweetheart.

So you tell me who's using who, huh?

You know, there's no use trying to reason with you,

because you can't hear me. Where are you, Vincent?

I'm looking for the human being, and I can't find him anywhere.

You know, from now on, don't do me any special favors.

I'll just cover Caes like the rest of the press.

Come on! You're a half hour late!

Hey, for crying out loud. When are you gonna start this?

Vinnie, Vinnie What are we gonna do?

We can't keep 'em waiting all night.

Oh, really? What do you want me to do?

You want me to send him out in front of bunch of hick zombies?

- Is that what you want? - No, no. Think of something fast.

Go out there, get ready. Don't worry about it, will ya?

You want a show, we'll give you a show.

I'll give you a show.

Give me my money back!

Ladies and gentlemen,

we are very honored to be here in Memphis.

Tonight, Caesare would like to dedicate this concert to his idol,

the one and only, Elvis Presley.

All right, Elvis!

Great show, baby! Congratulations!

Caesare, what are you gonna do now? Are you finally gonna tour?

Oh, yeah! Yeah, we're gonna go on the road.

I'd like to repay all my fans for supporting me.

That mean you're gonna end your seclusion?

No more hiding! No more hiding!

We'll give you an interview tomorrow.

The kid's had a rough night.

We're not gonna tour, not after tonight.

Let go of me. This is my nigh tonight.

You're not taking it away from me.

I'm not taking it away from you. You were great tonight.

Just don't forget whose material you were doing out there.

And don't forget who built the set.

It was my idea to have you come from behind the theater.

Don't you... Hey, come on. Gig, tell him.

Hey! Hey! Hey! I was the one out on that stage.

I was the one out on that stage. I had to prove I could do it.

And I did it! I did it!

From now on, you listen to me. You do what I say.

Wait a minute. Who do you think you are?

You are nothing. You are nothing without me.

When you were up on that stage tonight, it wasn't you, it was me, kid.

Every note you sing is me!

Every move you make is me!

Everything you do is me, god dammit.

Even that face is nothing. It's nothing.

Hit me. Come on, hit me. Come on.

You're nothing!

Morning. How's the eye?

How's Caes?

Oh, he flew back to New York this morning with Brenda.

What's the damage, Gigi. Give it to me straight.

Well, he says he through with you.

He doesn't need a manager anymore. He called Phil Delano

in New York and they're gonna have the relationship severed.

They're taking you to court.

Phil works fast, eh?

What about you?

What? What are you gonna do?

Well...

they asked me to come along,

but I told them no.

We're partners, Vin.

You better go, he's gonna need you.

Vinnie, I can't leave you. Look, Caes needs you.

Without you the whole thing'll fall apart.

I wanna be alone for a while, Gino, you know?

Go, okay? It will be better for everybody.

Just go. I gotta cab waiting downstairs.

I gotta go. I gotta get out of here.

You've got to stop this.

You've got to pick up and live your life again.

I was smothering that kid, you know, Ma?

- I really hurt him. - You did him some good.

You brought out his talent.

I did it for myself, for my fame.

So, maybe you learn something.

But don't cut out the people who love you, Vincent.

It don't do you no good.

I know that.

It's been a long time.

I called to let you know that Friday night

I'm breaking in a new singer at the club.

I thought maybe you could make it.

Vinnie, I would love to.

But, uh...

Yeah, maybe some other time?

No problem. You take care of yourself.

Okay, I'll see ya.

Bye.

Not bad.

Okay, Vinnie, you guys are up next. You know the routine.

Make the introduction, same spiel, like I'm spotlighting new talent.

No problem. We're ready.

Hey, thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

Anytime, Vinnie.

Ladies and gentlemen, for a long time we've had a policy

at the Club Palisade of introducing talented new artists on our stage.

Tonight, we're presenting a debut of a new singer-songwriter.

So, let's have a warm welcome for Vinnie Vacarri.

Thank you.

You know, for a long time I've written a lot of songs.

All of them for other people. So, this is kind of new for me.

One way or another, I always wind up writing

about the same subject, love.

Which is the thing I probably know most and least about.

But, we're gonna give it a try with a little help from

my partner, best and only friend in the whole world, Gino Pilato.