Original subtitles

Minnie?

Coming right out, dear.

Freshen up this drink.

What's the matter, Cab?

Are ya blind?

Don't you see anything?

Yes, I see something.

I see that my drink needs freshening up.

Okay, Cab.

I'll fix your drink for you.

But how about singing that song you wrote about me?

My song.

And sing it like you really meant it,

huh, Cab?

Sure, Minnie, sure.

Minnie's a hep cat now

She's as sharp as the cats allow

Say, she's really up to date

when she's topped out in her drape

Minnie's a hep cat now

Whoa, there ain't no more Smoky Joe

She's fluffed off his hi-de-ho

She's a solid jitterbug when she starts to cut a rug

Oh, Minnie's a hep cat now

Minnie's a hep cat now

Thanks.

You ain't sung it with feeling since that gal Nettie

took an interest in you.

I'll see you dead before I let anyone

take you from me.

I'll get it.

Hi, Nettie.

Come in, Nettie.

Uh, no thanks, Cab.

I've got something important to tell you,

then I must run.

Well, give, honey, give, I'm all ears.

Well, you'd better be all voice

because I've arranged an audition for you tonight

at 6:00.

I'll bring along a good booking agent,

also the proprietor of the little jive club

up here to hear you then.

Little jive club?

Well, I know it's not big, but it's a start.

Remember, a journey of a thousand miles

begin with but a single step.

Well, I appreciate it, Nettie.

Uh, so tell me what to do, Manager.

Well, you have your boys ready.

Have them up here for the audition

at 6:00 tonight.

I'll be ready at 6:00.

Cab, can't you see that gal is a first-class moocher?

She's not the moocher.

It's you, Minnie.

Yes, my dear, you, Minnie the Moocher.

She's trying to take you away from me.

Don't be silly, Minnie.

Nettie's interest in me is strictly business.

She's trying to help me make a success of things.

Success means money, and money means trouble.

Aren't you happy with me like this, Cab?

Cab, if you walk out on me now, you'll be sorry.

Oh, Minnie, behave.

I gotta go get the boys together

for an audition here at 6:00.

You grab me before I get my dinner down

Jack, we started in poppin' all around the town

To me it's solid labor,

the jive you think is fun

You forget about romance when labor's done

Dancin'

You're always dancin'

without romancin"

till dawn time

Laggin'

My feet are laggin'

My heart is draggin'

at dawn time

Before you realize,

the moon will leave the skies

And when the sun shines up above

that ain't no time to love

Dawn time.

I think it's our time

to say you'll be mine

at dawn time

Before you realize,

the moon will leave the skies

And when the sun's shining up above,

that ain't no time to love

Dawn time

I think it's our time

to say you'll be mine

at dawn time

Dawn time

At dawn time

You wanna hear another?

Sure, why not?

Livin' and the jive is right

Livin'

Oh, tonight's the night

Give it

Oh, tonight's the night

Come on, old man, come on

We the cats shall hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

Here's this beat to hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

You gotta come on like G.I.

You dig the repeat from me, sigh

You put it right on the Lehigh

Then you can really get by, oh my

We the cats shall hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

Now you're hep, I'll bet ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

You didn't tell me he was this good.

Well, I didn't know it myself.

We the cats shall hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

Here's this beat to hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

You gotta come on like G.I.

You dig the repeat from me, sigh

You put it right on the Lehigh

Then you can really get by, oh my

We the cats shall hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

Now you're hep, I'll bet ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

This guy Calloway is great,

just what the doctor ordered for the Brass Hat Club.

You said it, and that's where he belong,

not in a little jive spot.

And the Brass Hat Club will be in a tough spot

when Boss Mason opens his New York-type club

across the street from him

if they don't have a good band

to hold the business.

But, well, Boss Mason is a tough racketeer.

It would be dynamite to mess up with him.

Don't worry, I'll let his manager do the messing up.

Oh, you gotta come on like G.I.

You dig the repeat from me, sigh

You put it right on the Lehigh

Then you can really get by, oh my

We the cats shall hep ya

Oh, you reap this righteous riff

Bop-bop

Now you're hep, I'll bet ya

This righteous riff

Mr. Calloway,

we have a business proposition to make you.

Business proposition?

Well, you see, fellas, I have a manager now

and she takes care of all the business propositions.

Gentlemen, my manager.

I'll fix him.

Come in.

If you're through lookin', now listen.

May I see the proprietor?

The which?

The gentleman who owns this establishment.

Oh, you mean the guy that runs the joint.

Right this way, lady.

All right, so Calloway's out of this world

and it's liable to put me out of business.

So what do you want me to do about it?

What he's got there ain't no tumor.

You know, I like you.

Huh, Mo?

Yeah, maybe she's got a friend for me.

Listen, stupid,

this is no laughing matter.

Wait a minute, sister.

Nobody talks to the boss that way.

No one but her.

Sit down, Mo.

Tell me, sister, just what do you do?

When I work, I sing.

Yeah?

And I bet you're pretty good at it.

And, um, we can get more musicians

and call it Cab Calloway and His Band.

But Mason is opening up in two days.

Can Calloway be ready by then?

They'll be right up there on the bandstand

packing 'em in.

You're right, Nettie.

People start for Mason's club.

When they hear Calloway's music,

they head right in here.

Boy, I bet Mason is burning up.

Minnie was right.

We should've bumped Calloway off before tonight.

I'm lonesome out there.

Not a customer in the joint.

Hey, Mo,

why don't you go over there and rub out Calloway?

That'll stop the music.

Then everybody will flock in here.

That's a good idea, Minnie.

I give orders around here, no one else.

Don't listen to that big bag of wind, Mo.

Do as I tell ya.

Listen, you!

You better watch your step.

-Oh, I know what I'm doing. -Shut up!

-Come with me, Mo. -Yes, sir.

You want to see me?

Yes, on business.

Oh, business.

Well, I'll call my manager.

Nettie, my manager.

I'm Mason.

This is Mo, the Mouse.

How do you do, uh, gentlemen?

If you and your boys will come across the street to my place,

I'll pay you double what you're getting here.

Not interested.

Don't be too hasty with your decision.

Think it over.

I'll be in my office waiting for your answer.

I'll give you half an hour to make up your mind.

It better be yes.

Cab, I'm scared.

Ah, he's bluffing, Nettie.

Let's get a load of this next act.

You could stand a good laugh.

Oh, Dusty Fletcher.

I ain't drunk! I ain't drunk, man!

-I ain't drunk! -Get out of here!

Get out of that bar!

I told you about coming in and stealing whiskey on the bar

every time somebody turn their back!

- I didn't steal... -You did steal the whiskey!

If I catch you in there again, I'll kick your teeth out

one by one!

-No, you won't. -No, I what?

I said, "Yes, you will."

Listen, I'm a bad bean from Boston,

and I was born with boxing gloves on.

Yeah, and you keep messing with me

and you gonna die the same way too.

Got him telling me he's a bad bean from Boston.

When I get through with him, he'll be a has-been.

I'll go back and break up his joint.

Getting mad 'cause I won't buy no drinks.

Ain't no use in me buying when everybody else is buying.

I ain't been buying no liquor and I ain't gonna start now.

I'm gonna keep on drinking to everybody's health

until I ruin my own.

Yeah, he comes grabbing me in the collar.

Well, he won't grab nobody else

"cause I'm going back and relieve him

of his grabbles, that's what I'm gonna do.

Yeah, I'll break up his joint.

Yeah, I'll break it up!

I'll stick a match to your joint,

burn it down to the ground.

Don't tell me how to live my life.

I'll--me, I'd run him out of town.

Run him out of town!

I'll run him as long as he can find something to step on.

He gonna tell me something.

I'll go back and run him back to--

I'll go--I'll go back in there...

Well, I ain't going back today,

but I'm gonna try to make it tomorrow.

And tomorrow at 2:00.

I'm going on home and get me some sleep.

I got to get off the street 'cause I don't want my pastor

to see me like this.

Yeah, you have to be so careful these days

"cause people are so quick

to scandalize your name.

And I don't think my name would stand

in the most scandalized.

So I'm gonna get on in the house

and get me some sleep, that's what I need.

I'll get on it.

You know, that's a shame.

I know I ain't drunk.

Just that whiskey is heavy, that's all.

They ought to stop people from drinking whiskey

and they're haggard.

Get drunk and it makes you act so common.

And I know I ain't common "cause I got some class

I ain't never used yet.

He's gonna tell me something about Green River Street.

I know about that street.

Like I told a boy last Saturday night, I...

Yeah.

It ain't no use.

Yes, I'll get in the house here and wake up everybody

so I can go to sleep.

That's the way I do that, you know.

...but I see him--

I better... I see him.

All right, open the door, Richard.

That's the boy I rooms with.

Now what's the matter with him?

Hey, open that door up there, Richard!

Now I know he ain't gone out nowhere,

'cause I got on the clothes.

Now what's the matter with him?

Hey, open the door, Richard!

That's the reason I don't like to room with nobody.

He don't want to open the door for me,

and I owe just as much rent up there as he do.

I think I'm gonna move next Saturday,

"cause this old woman,

she chargin' too much rent anyhow.

Three dollars a month.

Yeah, and got the nerve to be mad

because we're 11 months in arrears.

Why, she come askin' me this mornin', she said,

"When you boys gwine give me some of my back rent?"

I just told her she lucky she gettin' the front rent

outta me.

Aw, why don't you open the door, Richard?

Then, she come askin' me when I'se gwine to work,

and I ain't thinkin' 'bout no work.

I don't want no job.

I'm goin' back on relief Monday.

I was on relief last summer, but I don't know,

they got short of help

and they couldn't send your checks out,

and you hadda go get 'em and all that,

so I put it down.

What'cha gonna do "bout the door, Richard?

I don't think he gonna do nothin'.

But I'll get in.

I'll go around through the back

and I'll come 'round through the alley.

I don't need no Richard to open no door.

I just didn't want a be walkin' in no dark alleys

this time of night.

I'm walkin' in the alley

and somebody stick me up.

I got to get hurt 'cause I has nothin' to offer.

So I gotta get on in the house.

I've got to get a little sleep, I know I do.

Now you know I ain't never drank no whiskey before

that won't let you go nowhere.

Here, here's another thing!

You keep this ladder out of this bar.

And you stay out too.

- I didn't bring no ladder. -You did bring the ladder

-in there. -Cab Calloway brought it.

I don't care who brought the ladder in there.

You keep it out.

-Yeah? -Yeah.

Okay with me, pal.

It's all right with me.

You tell me if I can keep it out.

All right, did you tell...

give me half a pint of whiskey, did you tell her that?

Did you tell her that?

-Come on, give me-- -Listen.

Dusty, you didn't paint no kitchen.

What did you do with the paint I had in that bottle?

Yeah, I did!

What was that?

What did you do with the paint I had in that bottle?

Paint?

Was there paint in that bottle?

Oh, man, you should have told me 'fore now.

You put paint in a whiskey bottle

and set it in front of me?

Well, get me some paint remover then.

I'll drink this.

-Come on, get-- -Listen, Dusty.

Why don't you get yourself a job and go to work?

No, you--what is that?

Why don't you get yourself a job and go to work?

Me? Go to work?

Son, you known me for a million days, didn't ya?

You ever known me to work?

You ever known anybody who's known me to work?

Well, coincidentally,

did you ever know anybody who knows somebody

who thought I'd have ideas where to work?

Well, don't worry, you won't.

Now, you are impossible!

I don't care what I am, I ain't tired.

He don't tell me how to live.

Just like I told him that just...

Now ain't this somethin'.

Now, this old woman across the street,

she sees everything that happens in the neighborhood.

Look at her.

Now she done spied on me already.

She done called her sister to the window for witness.

She wants to make sure this is me.

She keep on asking her sister,

"Ain't that him? Ain't that him?"

Yes, this is me and I'm drunk again!

I just hope she says something about me

in the meeting Sunday,

and I'll have her whole family throwin' eyes at me.

Her husband come out there last Sunday,

he was so "ineeberated"...

"Ineeberated"...

When he got on his knees to pray, he went to sleep.

I had to sober up right quick and pray for him.

I ain't got no time to be prayin' for nobody.

I got my own soul to sterilize.

But I'm glad you threw this old ladder out here.

I'll take it and get on in the house

and get a little sleep.

That's what I gotta do.

Don't open the door, Richard.

Ah, don't open no door.

Uh-huh, I don't want you to open no door.

I don't want you to do nothin'.

I'll take my ladder and climb up on top.

I don't need no Richard.

He want somebody big...

I'll get in by myself.

I don't need him to tell me how to live my life.

I'll climb up on top.

Tell me how to live my life...

This is my life, I live my life myself.

I don't need nobody to tell me.

How to live my life.

He gonna tell me something.

I'm coming on up there, Richard.

He gonna say...

I don't need Richard,

I don't need nobody to tell me how to live my life.

I don't think I'm gonna be here long, Richard.

Then he come tellin' me

...how to live my life,

I'm high as a Georgia pine.

But it ain't no use in bein' too high up.

I get in, I climb up and tell somebody.

I didn't know how to live my life.

I get it.

I-I don't need Richard.

Oh, why don't you open that door, Richard?

Here like we're paying customers.

So we are.

Now, ladies and gentlemen,

we'd like to do a little novel number,

a tune entitled "Hey Now."

When I say, "Hey now,"

I want everybody to shout, "Hey now!"

Come on.

Hey now!

Good.

Hey now, hey now

I was walkin' up the street, feelin' bad and bold

Deep down in my pockets I didn't have no gold

I looked up to the sky, to my surprise

I saw a million dollar bill floatin' before my eyes

I said hey now, hey now

Hey now, hey now

-Hey now! -Hey now!

I took the million dollars and began to look for some more

Kept goin' up the street, this time a little more slower

When I got to the corner, I started right in to shout

I met a good, fine little chick

that knew what life was all about

I dug her, I said hey now, hey now

I got the things I want plus a great big car

Every day I'm getting more popular

Say, Jack, if things go bad, you don't know what to do

Dig this jive expression, it will see you through

Just say hey now, hey now

Okay, fellas, let's take a break.

Oh, Cab, you were wonderful, they love you.

You do?

I said "they."

Oh, that's what I thought you said.

Say, you must be exhausted.

Come on, you'd better take a rest.

Well, here we are.

That's for you, and this is for me.

Cab, I do hope that racketeer Mason

didn't upset you with his threat.

Nettie, I'm not worried.

Minnie was right.

I sure do miss her.

I've gotta hand it to her,

I was better off before I started to click.

No headaches.

Look, Cab,

we made this business deal on a handshake,

so if you want to quit, I won't hold you to it.

Anyway, you're tired,

so we'll talk business later.

I'll see you later.

Come in.

Cab.

Minnie.

I was a fool.

I should have realized there could be nothing

between you and Nettie but just business.

Oh, Cab.

I came to warn you. Mason--

Cab, they're yelling for you out here.

Be right out, Nettie.

But, Cab, you can't.

You've got--

Don't worry, honey,

I'm not afraid of that mug Mason.

Oh, gosh, what shall I do?

And I tell you, Mason's gonna kill him!

Well, I'm no undertaker.

And besides, how do you know so much about it?

What's the difference? I just know, that's all.

I guess we had better do something about that,

and quick too.

Now?

He has two minutes yet.

-Hey, Cab. -What's going on around here?

Buddy boy, there's foul play around these crossroads.

Somebody wants you to be a dead duck.

Please listen to us, Cab.

Well, my time is up, I'm still livin'.

Quit worryin', that guy Mason is only bluff in'.

I guess he thinks I'm bluffing.

Now, boss?

Yes, now.

Say, you wanted to climb in,

now I'm helpin' ya.

Come on in here.

Don't shoot me.

Get up there.

Come on, get up.

Get up.

Yes, but you didn't have to shut that window on my wrists.

What did you want me to do, ask you for the gun?

Thank heavens you're all right, Cab.

Hi, Minnie.

I'm all right.

I'm gonna take this guy straight to the station house.

Come on, let's get going.

All right, get going, open the door, Minnie.

Go on, get out.

-Cab, look out!

Minnie, darling, speak to me.

Are you badly hurt?

Yes, I think so.

Put me on the couch in there.

Okay, boys, Mason's rubbed out,

and I say good riddance to bad rubbish.

Take little Mo down to the station house,

and I hope he never gets out.

Minnie, you saved my life.

Why did you do it?

I figured you'd do something for me sometime.

Sure, Minnie, anytime.

There isn't much time, Cab.

So will you-- will you sing my song?

The one you wrote about me.

And sing it like you meant it, huh, Cab?

Sure, Minnie.

Sure.

Minnie's a hep cat now

She's as sharp as the cats allow

When she's dressed up in a drape

Oh, Jack, she's really great

Minnie's a hep cat now

Ten or more Smokey Joe

She done fluffed off his hi de ho

She's a wild jitterbug

When she starts to cut a rug

Minnie's a hep cat now

Put your arms around me, Cab.

Sure, Minnie.

How'd you like to blow your top

Dig yourself some fine ree-bop

Hi-de-ho, he-de-he

Oh, the hi-de-ho man, that's me

Say I hepped 'em in Holland

I hepped 'em in London

I hepped 'em in gay Paris

Yes sirree, yes sirree

Oh the hi-de-ho man, that's me

Ain't you glad you dug my jive

Look out, man, I'll take that righteous five

Oh the hi-de-ho man, that's me

Say, stay solid, very groovy fella

And then you're gonna be sharp as me

Yes sirree, yes sirree

Oh the hi-de-ho man, that's me

Man, that's me

Thank you very much.

Now, ladies and gentlemen,

I'd like to present to you the famous Peters Sisters.

Raindrops scatter down like lovers' tears

My Sunday's not happy, goodness knows

But when it rains, my cup of sadness overflows

A rainy Sunday

A picture of you

And nothing to do but dream

A rainy Sunday

And memories we knew go by in an endless stream

I just can't realize we're apart

The thunder is an echo of the sorrow in my heart

Don't go to movies

Can't finish a book

Keep turning my radio dial

For all around me wherever I look

I still see your goodbye smile in my mind

I'm resigned

I won't find a thing to do

On a rainy Sunday without you

My dear

-In my mind -In my mind

-I'm resigned -I'm resigned

I won't find a thing to do

On a rainy Sunday without you

My dear

Boys and girls, come on and gather 'round,

cause there's a brand new dance,

yes, it's hit this town

You can clap your hands,

and you can beat out time

-and when we're through-- -Jack, it's really fine

Well, look who's here?

-Look who's where? -Well, how do you do?

Tell me, who are you?

I'm a little old lady from Baltimore

From Baltimore?

Yes, from Baltimore

Meet the little old lady from Baltimore

Well, let's see what you can do

I'm the hip old lady from Baltimore

From Baltimore!

Yes, Baltimore

She's a hip old lady from Baltimore

Well, lead on, we'll see you through

-Well, au reel. -Can you dip?

I'm hip to that dip

And the Rain Jane too?

You mean the whole thing, too?

How about the boogie woogie?

I do that too

Oh well, jump back sister we'll follow you

I'm the little old lady from Baltimore

-She's from Baltimore -Yeah, from Baltimore

A little old lady from Baltimore

And it's groovy

What's groovy?

The thing

What thing?

That I do

Folk, I'm going down to St. James Infirmary

to see my baby there

She's stretched out on a long white table,

SO sweet, so cold, so fair

Let it go, let it go

God bless her,

wherever she may be

She can search this whole wide world over,

but she'll never find another sweet man like me

When I die,

bury me in my straight-leg britches,

put on a box-back coat and a Stetson hat

Put a 20 dollar gold piece on my watch chain,

So you can let all the boys know

I died standing pat

Then give me six crap-shooting pall bearers

Let a chorus girl sing me a song

Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head,

SO we can raise Hallelujah as we go along

Folks, now that you have heard my story

Say, boy, hand me over another shot of that booze

If anyone should ask you you just tell 'em

I've got those St. James Infirmary blues

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to dedicate

the next number to the girl I love.

JP Morgan's got dollars,

NYU's got scholars,

Capistrano's got swallows,

but I got a girl named Nettie

Fifty-second street loves its reebop

Every butcher loves a pork chop,

Every flower loves a dew drop,

But I love a girl named Nettie

A aeroplane needs a propeller

An ice man needs a pick,

A hot dog needs mustard

You bet I need my chick

Every wolf has got a smooth line,

Every Frenchman loves grape wine,

I'm not worried 'cause I've got mine,

I got a girl named Nettie

Every jitterbug loves swing

A bookie loves a horse

Everybody loves something

I love to be my gal's boss

New York City's got subways

California's got warm days

Monte Carlo's got cafes

I got a girl named Nettie

Boston's got its good baked beans

Gumbo's got its New Orleans

Got my girl and her name is Nettie

Folks, the girl I'm gonna marry,

not next year, not next month,

not next week, not tomorrow,

but right now.

Don't falter at the altar,

when you take that great big step

Don't falter at the altar,

because you try and be hip

Lift your feet high

Ain't no time to sigh

It's your last free mile

So smile, brother, smile

Don't falter at the altar,

'cause you have no cross to bear

You father didn't falter,

son, that's why you're here

I can see by the bookings in this paper,

sister, that you're not booked.

So, don't you get any notions, sister.

Will you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife?

I do, I do

A-to hold and to cherish all the days of your life

I do, I do

Will you love this man with all of your heart?

I will, I will

Through one-night stands until death you do part?

I will, I will

Does anybody here, living or dead,

who thinks these two should not be wed?

I see no reason why a man this sane

should take on himself a ball and chain.

Overruled! Overruled!

I hope you two never have a strife

Now here it is

You are now man and wife

kiss the bride

Kiss the bride!

Man and wife!

Hi de ho, man and wife.

Every jitterbug loves swing,

A bookie a loves a horse

Everybody loves something

I love to be my gal's boss

New York City's got subways

California's got warm days

Monte Carlo's got cafes

I got a girl named Nettie

Boston's got its good baked beans

Gumbo's got its New Orleans

Got my girl, and her name is Nettie