Original subtitles

'You're listening to Tyneside 247,

'England's number one radio station

'with the very best in American sounds.

'And if you've just arrived in town,

'you may be wondering what's going on.

'Well, I can tell you, this is America Week Day 4

'with lots more fun in store. '

- Hello? - 'Kate?'

- Who is this? - 'Kate, this is Bob.

'We haven't met yet. I just took over from Elliott Johnson. '

What happened to Elliott?

'He's back in New York. It was a sudden thing.

'Listen, Kate, I've been trying to contact you since last night. '

Well, I was at work.

'You have another job? I've no record of this, no contact. '

Elliott has my number. What is it you want anyway?

'Mr Cosmo, right? He has a job for you. Tomorrow.

'He says to buy a new outfit. Everything new. '

I can't. I need more notice than that.

I have to work tomorrow.

'Kate, I understood from Mr Cosmo that you were one of the team.

'That's what Mr Cosmo said, "Kate works with us, right?"'

I guess so.

'And remember, any shop with an American Week poster

'will sell you at half price any item made in the USA

'if you're wearing your "I love America" badge. '

- Do you take credit cards? - Yes, we do.

I'll take this one also.

Sorry.

'News headlines.

'One of the key figures in the America Week festival,

'Texas businessman, Francis Cosmo,

'was at the center of another formidable row yesterday.

'When Opposition Councilor Stanley Higgins accused

'both Mr Cosmo and Lady Mayoress

'of showing callous disregard for local heritage... '

...within their rights.

Within their rights, my arse!

- It's in the contract. - You must be joking!

Rights? I'm within my rights!

That's my rights, bastards!

'Now, here's an oddball item.

'Positively the only place in town that's not going American

'is the Key Club down on the Quayside.

'Hey, maybe they're trying to tell us something, who knows.

'On Saturday night, for one night only, the Krakow Jazz Ensemble -

'that's Krakow, Poland, not Pennsylvania -

'will be doing their only UK gig... '

'Here's a track from their current album

'but unfortunately the sleeve notes are in Polish

'so I can't tell you what's it called. Anyway, here they are,

'the Krakow Jazz Ensemble with "Speedsky, Schnortsky, Schneitsky"!

Hello? Can I help you?

Yes, is Mr Finney in?

- What? - Mr Finney.

He's on the phone. What was it about?

- It's about the cleaning job. - Cleaning job?

Yes, the cleaning job.

...someone falling down the stairs with a drunkard.

- It's someone about the job. - Show her in.

- Well, actually it's... - Show her in, Jean.

Well, I'm sorry, Roy. I know I penciled you in, but that's why it was a pencil.

No, I won't change my mind.

Don't lose your sense of humor!

Wanker!

- Who the fuck are you? - I've come for the job.

"Key Club. Cleaning person wanted. "

If I wanted a bloke I'd have said so.

Farewell Blues.

What did you say?

Farewell Blues.

Eddy Condon, Wild Bill Davison, Dave Tough.

Who was on bass?

- Jim Lanagan. - Wrong. Jack Lesberg.

Hello, Finney. Key Club.

Oi!

- '... Krakow Jazz Ensemble. ' - Mr Slominski.

I wasn't expecting you till Saturday, Mr Slominski.

Sit down, would you?

Couldn't you have stayed the night in Amsterdam?

It's American week here in Newcastle. Everything's booked up.

Look, just get into a couple of cabs. I'll pay for them down here.

- 'There's a problem. ' - What do you mean?

Christ!

Put him on.

- Hello. - Mr Brown, Customs and Immigration.

I have with me Mr Slominski

who assures me that he and his colleagues have a contract

to appear at your nightclub for one night,

but unfortunately they don't have any documentation.

Somebody will have to present documentation to me

here at the airport before I can release their baggage.

Thank you, Mr Finney.

Jesus Christ!

Jean!

- What did you say your name was? - I didn't. It's Brendan.

- Have you got a driving license? - Yeah.

Jean!

I'll give you two jobs, Brendan.

You can clean the club, which is a dubious privilege,

but first I need a band picking up from the airport.

The Krakow Jazz Ensemble?

- You've heard of them? - Just heard them on the radio.

- You like them? - Yeah. Good.

Yeah, I think so too.

Jean!

- What? - The friggin' Poles have landed.

- A day early. - Oh, my God.

- Where am I gonna put them, Jean? - Well, not with me this time.

- Jean, where am I gonna put them? - Royal Station Hotel. �50 a night.

What the hell! Do it.

Give Brendan here the keys for the transit, xerox for the contract,

some money from petty cash for petrol.

- Thanks. - And get a receipt for everything.

'This is a security announcement.

'Please do not leave your baggage unattended at any times.

'If you see an unattended bag, do not attempt to move it

'and contact airport security immediately.

'Thank you. '

Did the boys from London show up?

- Not yet. - Great. Did you speak to Kate?

Yeah, she'll be there at 1:00.

- We're gonna be late. - She'll wait.

Mr Cosmo?

This is Peter Reed. He's responsible for the overall planning.

How are you doing, Peter?

It's fantastic. It's wonderful. But you need more flags.

Need a lot more flags. More stars, more stripes.

On this wall right here, what do you say, we put a large photograph

of the President of the United States?

And over here, perhaps, another one of your own Prime Minister.

- Great idea. - Good man, good.

Let's have a look at the ballroom.

Nice chandeliers, Peter. French?

- Can I help you? - Yes...

We are the Krakow Jazz Ensemble.

- Do you have any reservations? - Yes, Mr Finney from the Key Club.

- He phoned about an hour ago. - One moment, please.

She's nice.

Is everybody coming? Anybody turn down the invitation?

Only three. Chairman of the housing committee.

That bastard.

- Altman Thorpe had to go into hospital. - Nothing serious, I hope.

Terminal.

And, er, Mr Ferguson's on vacation.

- Who's Ferguson? - The union guy, the helpful one.

- Oh, yeah. Right. - You're late, baby.

I've been waiting for an hour. I went for a cup of coffee.

Well, then I should apologize.

I got held up at Heathrow. All part of the great British tradition.

Let me look at you.

Katie, you look beautiful.

Bob here tells me you've been having a good time.

New friends, different faces.

Oh, you haven't met Bob yet.

Katie, this is Bob. Bob, this is my little Katie.

Been trying to picture you from your voice.

- Pretty as a picture. - She sure is, Mr Cosmo.

Bob is taking over from Elliot. Elliot did something very stupid.

Went to bed with a journalist and...

Bob here is taking over and Bob always sleeps alone.

- Don't you, Bob? - Yes, sir, Mr Cosmo.

Don't get me wrong, Katie. This guy's no faggot. Are you, Bob?

No, sir.

- Can I talk to you? - Sure.

Alone.

What time are we supposed to meet, what's his name?

Councilor Perry is waiting for us in the office now.

Katie, can it wait till tomorrow,

till after the lunch and you and I can go someplace

nice and intimate, and... talk?

Talk and talk.

OK?

Mustn't keep what's his name waiting.

More flags, Peter.

Talk, talk, talk.

- What's the guy's name again? - Councilor Perry.

- No, his first name. - John.

John.

- John, how are you? - Fine, thank you.

- How was the flight? - Tedious. The usual.

John, keep your seat. We sit on ceremony in this office.

Bob here has filled me in on the report. Looks good, John.

Excellent work.

I'll read it carefully tonight.

John.

Is there going to be any problem with the housing committee?

I'm absolutely sure that the vote will go in favor.

The job recreation angle is enough to ensure it.

There were three or four holding out against,

but we did a little deal over central heating in the tenement buildings.

I think it will be a blanket vote.

- Are you sure of this, John? - Absolutely sure.

Good work, John. Anything negative at this point...

...the project becomes another British 'almost happen'.

The company takes off for Rotterdam or Antwerp.

Quite so, Mr Cosmo, it'll never come to that.

And is our friend still being difficult?

Goddammit, Bob. Let's have some champagne.

No deal yet, Chris?

Well, tell him to go fuck himself. Goodbye.

Wonderful, isn't it?

They can't understand how someone could turn down so much money.

I've done the floor, Mr Finney. What's next?

Hi.

You're late.

If you can't make it on time, leave.

It's a job. Turn up on time.

- I tried to get a cab... - Don't give me any crap about a cab.

You're late. We're busy. Get changed.

This is happy hour.

OK.

Could I have the clam chowder, please?

I wouldn't. It's not very good.

- Hi. - Hello.

Well, what do you recommend?

- The steak's pretty good. - All right, then. I'll have a steak.

- English? - What do you mean?

- Burned? - Medium.

- French fries? - Yes, please.

- Side salad. - Yep.

- Beer or California wine? - Beer.

Schlitz, Bud, Paps, Cork, Carlsberg or Heineken.

- Guinness? - Nope.

- Bud. - Bud.

It'll be ready in about ten minutes. I'll bring you your beer first.

There you go, sir.

The clam chowder, is it hot?

- Can be. - Is there plenty?

I can give you a double portion.

- Good. - Would you like anything on the side?

Couple of large whiskeys, ice, no water.

And bring them straight away.

- Anything else? - Yes.

Sit on my face.

He wanted it hot.

Couple of drops of that in there.

Two Spaghetti bolognaise, two banana splits and two coffees.

Suits a yank.

Tomorrow afternoon.

- And we're here to rob the Key Club. - That's where he's at in the afternoon.

To hurt him...

...or kill him?

Hurt. We need his signature.

I don't know. They're jerks.

I'll get you your change.

I'm off at midnight.

- Hey, Brendan. - Gail.

- Is Mr Finney in? - He's gone.

- He's at his other club, The Precinct. - Where's that?

Just around the corner on the Quayside.

Right.

It's really important I talk to Mr Finney. He's my boss. I work for him.

- Are you a member? - No.

Then I'm afraid you can't. It's members only tonight.

Besides which, you're not wearing a suit.

- We wouldn't let you in anyway. - Improperly dressed, to be precise.

It's very important I talk to Mr Finney.

Are you gonna fuck off, or is he gonna flatten you?

I do hate violence.

- Hi. - Hiya.

So, what do you wanna do?

Er, can we go round the corner for a drink?

Something's come up. I've got to see this guy.

It's my boss.

Sounds complicated. Do you not want me to come?

Of course I want you to come.

- Shall we sit at the bar? - Sure.

- What's your name? - Brendan.

- Kate. - Suits you.

What would you like, Kate?

I'll have a... malt whiskey.

- Hiya, what can I get you? - What malts do you have?

Er, we got Aultmore, Cardhu, Clynelish, Glenesk, Elgin, Glenleven,

Glenury Royal, Lagavulin, Oban, Strathconan, and Talisker.

- Glenlevens. - Two?

- Yep. - With ice?

- No, thank you. - No, thanks.

Oh gosh! What a day.

I like it here.

Cheers.

It's hot.

We should try a different one each time.

OK, you choose.

Sorry I knocked you over.

You did, didn't you!

Ah, actually...

Actually, it's quite British.

Actually, that was one of the nicer things that happened to me today.

And what was bad then? Those two guys in a restaurant?

No, I'm used to jerks like them.

Two Taliskers, coming up.

They're probably the easiest to deal with.

It wasn't me, it wasn't them.

I have this other job and I'm under contract

and it's gotten kinda heavy.

I don't know. I'll tell you about it some other time.

What about you? What do you do?

I, er, work at The Key Club, just round the corner.

- Gents club. - Nice.

- Yeah. - What do you do there?

I, er, look after the band. That sort of thing.

- You been there a long time? - Yeah.

- How long? - About 14 and a half hours!

I'm the cleaner.

But I'm looking after this Polish band for a couple of days.

- The Krakow Jazz Ensemble? - That's right.

I heard them on the radio this morning. They sound kind of crazy.

What part of the States are you from?

I've lived in New York for about a year now.

What did you do there?

I was a waitress, an actress between jobs.

And here, in between being a waitress?

- Sort of an actress. - And before that?

Newulm, Minnesota, OK?

- New what? - Newulm.

N- E-W-U-L-M. Newulm.

- That makes you Norwegian. - Half. My mother.

That's very perceptive of you, Brendan. How did you know that?

I've been around.

I traveled across the States a couple of years ago.

- I stayed two weeks in Minnesota. - Yeah?

- It's beautiful, isn't it? - It's fantastic.

Yeah.

If I had the money, I'd go back tomorrow.

So would I.

- Do your parents live there? - No. My parents are dead.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean...

Great record.

You wanna dance?

I haven't danced like this for a long time.

It's Finney.

- Will you wait for me? - Yeah.

Good luck.

Er, do you know, there's a bloke just come out of there with a blonde.

Do you know where he's gone? Thank you.

It's Brendan, Mr Finney.

What do you want, Brendan?

Could I talk to you for a minute?

- No, I'm busy. - It's very urgent, Mr Finney.

Tomorrow, Brendan.

Some men are gonna try and hurt you. Something to do with an American.

Brendan, I want you to come to my house in the morning at 8:30.

That's my address there.

Get a cab. It's a matter of timing, you know.

Thanks.

Say goodbye to Brendan.

- Bye-bye. - Goodnight.

- Brendan? - Yeah?

Don't forget the receipt?

Did you find him?

Yeah. He was busy.

Let's go, folks.

Goodnight.

- Nice place. - Yeah.

- Would you like some coffee? - No.

I'm kinda tired. Are you?

Yeah.

Do you have a shirt or something I could wear?

Yeah.

Great.

- Brendan... - Yeah?

Do you mind if we just lie here together?

No, I don't mind.

Are you sure?

Yeah, I'm sure. It's nice.

- Shall I turn the lights out? - Yeah.

Can I see you later?

I have to work. I don't know when I'll be done.

If I can, I'll be at the restaurant.

What if you can't?

Then I'll find you.

'One moment, please. Mr Reed... Mr Reed?'

- Telephone for you. - Thank you.

Hello. Peter Reed speaking.

Yes. We were expecting them this morning.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Absolutely tragic.

How awful.

I hate to ask you this, but do you have a replacement?

I see, right.

Well, thank you for letting me know.

They've crashed on the motorway. We don't have a band.

It's too late to find a replacement. Great!

Mr Reed, there is a band staying the hotel. They checked in yesterday.

I'm afraid they're foreign, though.

Hello. I've come to see Mr Finney.

He said to come about 8:30.

Wait here.

He'll be down in a moment. Come through.

Breakfast, sir.

Mr Slominski, good morning. I wonder if I might have a word with you.

What was it you wanted to talk to my husband about?

Ah, it's, er, something that came up last night.

- Morning, Brendan. - Morning.

I'll fetch your coffee.

Talk to me, Brendan.

Well... No, thanks.

After I left the club last night, about 8:30,

I went round the corner for something to eat. A place called Weegee's.

Yeah, I know it.

It was quite full at the time.

At the table next to me, there were these two really heavy looking blokes.

They mentioned the club... and they mentioned your name.

One of them said, "Tomorrow, in the afternoon. "

And the other one said, "Hurt him, or... "

Or what?

"Or kill him. "

It was a question: "hurt him or kill him?"

- What was the answer, Brendan? - There was a lot of noise.

- Who's setting me up, Brendan? - I don't know, Mr Finney.

- Do you know who that is? - No.

- What do they want? - They want me to sell the club.

I don't want to. I just don't like being pushed around, you know?

So, Brendan, the band are playing the Polish club tonight.

Jean's got the address. I want them there by eight o' clock.

- No later, OK? - Right, OK.

Jimmy!

How are you?

John, there's somebody I'd like you to meet.

Councilor John Perry, I'd like you to meet Katie.

- Hello. - Pleased to meet you.

Katie's one of my best friends.

- Mr Cosmo? - Yeah.

Ah, excuse me. I've got a lot of fires to put out.

Drink, Kate?

It is a great honor to be asked to welcome our American friends today.

It is also a great pleasure.

I am confident that we are ushering in a new era

of transatlantic cooperation and friendship

and, last but not least, of prosperity.

The qualities that have made America the richest, the most powerful

and, in my opinion, the most benevolent superpower in history.

Those qualities will, I hope,

be transmitted to our own British initiative

and contribute towards a re-emergence of this once great nation.

One of our most misrepresented,

or shall I say misunderstood presidents once said,

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going. "

And when I look at England,

in particular this area, this once great area,

I can see that the going is tough.

I can also see that it is time the tough got going.

This area requires major surgery.

Now, the surgeon's knife may seem crude.

But you ask any cancer victim who has survived

and he'll sing you a little sing called "God Save the Surgeon".

Finney?

You can sign for me... and you can sign for him.

Sign, please.

You shouldn't have damaged the desk.

You shouldn't have done that.

Tony!

Come in, Brendan.

It's time you had an education.

I know who you are...

...Tony.

You were in Durham eight years ago.

Did you make these in the workshop?

Search them.

That's a nice car, Tony.

Brendan, give this man a pound, would you?

Just sold him your car.

Patrick.

I hate guns, Patrick.

If you come back here, I'll blow your fuckin' head off.

Blake, bring the van round the front, would you?

Right, let's get it over with.

Sounds tough? It is tough.

I think it's true that any man wants to provide for his wife,

wants his children to have a good education.

Absolutely.

We have a 20% unemployment situation here.

- Is it as bad in the States? - No, no way.

Ah!

- What the hell's going on? - A very reputable band, my ass.

You shut those motherfuckers up.

'Ladies and gentlemen, this is the guard speaking. '

Patrick...

- Hi. - Hi.

Listen, I've got to go somewhere tonight.

I want you to come with me. Can you do that?

Hi.

Can I please have the night off?

Sure. Take the year off. You're fired.

Fired?

Fired.

Brendan, I've been a bad, bad girl.

- Get in the car. - Where did you get the car?

I've been a bad, bad boy.

- But where did you get the car? - Just get in!

I'll tell you on the way.

Please enjoy. To all our guests... cheers!

Thank you for this warm welcome on behalf of my band.

I hope you will all come to our concert tomorrow.

It's wonderful to be here, it's like coming

from one Poland to another.

Here are our excellent musicians from Krakow. This is the bandmaster.

It's so strange.

And this is my darling granddaughter Krysia.

- Andrej. - Krystyna.

Here, sit down.

What do you play? Rock'n'roll?

No, we play free jazz.

Oh, American jazz?

No, Polish... jazz.

Polish jazz?

Polish jazz.

Cosmo?

- Yeah. - 'Mr Cosmo, it's Tony.

'We're back in London. Finney turned us round. '

Get Bob.

Hey, that was pretty good for a Norwegian.

My father was Polish.

I used to spend a lot of time with my grandparents.

And that just...

That place reminded me of all that.

Brendan, I'm not a very nice person to know.

Yes, you are.

You don't know what you're getting yourself into.

Well, I don't care.

What do you want?

I want you.

Why?

Andrej. Andrej! We're going.

OK, I think I'll stay for a while.

- Just phone a taxi. - OK. Cheers. Bye-bye.

Bye.

Let's go home.

Brendan, what's this?

'With one day left of the America Week Festival,

'record profits have been reported by shops,

'and the possibility that the festival could become a regular event.

'Travel...

'All the major airlines report higher than average bookings

'on the main transatlantic routes.

'British Airways and TWA are fully booked until next week.

'Pan Am... '

Tire! Your tire!

'Weather... '

Your tire's breaking down!

'It's going to stay wet and windy. If you're going out, wrap up. '

Why are we stopping?

It's the tire.

Brendan!

Get up.

Hey! What are you doing?

Hey, let go of me!

Stop it!

Stop it!

Stop!

Stop it! Let go of me.

They're in this together.

Your Kate and... Finney's man.

His name's Brendan.

He's a pro.

They seem real close.

Nobody said anything about guns.

They got guns. I think we need guns.

That's smart thinking, Bob. Real smart thinking.

All the goddamned money I spend around here,

you want to play Al Capone with some fucking meatball. You juvenile!

Grow up, Bob. We're gentlemen.

We can't be shooting people around here.

We're supposed to improve the quality of life, create jobs.

And make a lot of money.

The first thing you do is lose the body.

Throw it in the river. It never existed.

Next thing you do - go to the club.

Say I want to talk to Finney.

Set up a meeting...

...and be polite.

Go.

Don't fuck up, Bob.

Andrej Slominski's key, please.

- One of the musicians, is he? - Yeah.

Please.

109.

Thank you.

Goodnight.

Thanks for coming, Mr Finney. I truly appreciate it.

I'm sure we can resolve this misunderstanding.

Cut the crap! I'm not the council.

I know all about you, Cosmo.

I know about the legitimate business in New York.

The not-so-legitimate business in New Orleans.

Senate inquiry.

I've done my homework, Mr Cosmo. You have not done your homework.

Yeah, you're right, Mr Finney. That was foolish of me.

Maybe you thought it wasn't necessary?

Come here with a bank full of money to launder.

I heard the stories. You worked your act down the street

and I thought sooner or later he's going to come make me an offer.

I was prepared all along to consider...

So what do you do? You send two employees.

They were insensitive.

So I said no.

Then what do you? Councilor Perry... pressure.

I have a photograph of Councilor Perry with a friend of mine.

He's in my pocket, Cosmo.

You've made too many assumptions about the people in this town

because they've taken you for every penny they can lay their fingers on.

Hell, I know that. I'm playing them too.

Trouble is I can't do everything myself.

It's difficult to find the right partners.

Maybe we can discuss some kind of cooperation.

We understand each other?

- I think we're getting there, Mr Cosmo. - It's Frank.

- I'll stick with Mr Cosmo for now. - Fine.

You want the club. Make me an offer that doesn't insult my intelligence.

- 'Mr Slominski. ' - Who is it?

'It's the chambermaid here. Can I clean your room?'

Did you mean what you said?

What did I say?

- Yeah, I meant it. Did you? - Yeah.

- Did you know those guys? - They work for Cosmo.

Do you?

I did.

What'll happen now?

They'll try to have us killed.

Do you want to come to Minnesota with me?

- I don't have any money. - I have money.

I don't think they'll try to do anything here.

I'll take the car and I'll get our things.

What time does it get dark?

9:30, 10:00? I'll meet you at 11:00.

Brendan!

Katie, Katie, Katie.

I don't have to tell you what kind of trouble you're in, do I?

You're a smart girl. You can figure it out for yourself.

What's his name is still singing soprano.

I kind of enjoyed that.

And you got yourself an Irish boyfriend.

You love him, don't you?

Don't you?

Yes.

Well, then. You want to keep him alive, don't you?

- Yeah. - So get him out of town.

Take your Brendan and the red car, and drive to London tonight.

There are two tickets to New York and on to Minneapolis St. Paul

in your name at the TWA desk.

Use those tickets, Katie.

Use them because life is short and because we have to live it.

Katie...

'We were close, weren't we?'

- Don't. - Katie...

Ladies and gentlemen, before we start tonight, I'd like to say a couple of words.

I opened the club ten years ago now.

And everybody said I was crazy.

Hold on, wait a minute.

I'd just like to say that I think we've proved them wrong.

I think I've had a great time and it's thanks to you, so you know...

Outside is American Week.

This is my personal contribution to that festivity.

A band that... are the doyens of the Warsaw Pact.

John Paul II's favorite band...

The Krakow Jazz Ensemble!

Are you OK?

Yes, I'm fine.

- Is there something wrong? - No.

Everything's going to be all right.

I've seen Cosmo.

Do we have to buy tickets?

No, they're paid for. We just have to pick them up at TWA.

- TWA? - Yeah.

But there's nothing on TWA, Kate.

We heard that on the radio last night.

Well, we can transfer to another airline.

- Turn the car round. - Why?

Christ, Kate. They're setting us up.

Turn the car round!

- Andrej, is Finney in? - He's in the office.

Brendan, can I borrow your car, just a minute.

Sure, give him the keys.

- Kate. - Cosmo.

Where's the car, Kate?

Jesus Christ. Andrej!

Andrej!

Andrej!

Andrej!

Andrej!

Hey!

Mr Cosmo's leaving town, Brendan.

Things haven't worked out here, have they, Mr Cosmo?

I hate guns, Brendan.

Give us the gun, Brendan.

Give us the gun.

Katie?

You need a ride somewhere?

You're lucky I wasn't holding a gun, Cosmo.

I always keep my receipts, Cosmo.

And if anything should happen to my friends...

...I'll be really upset.

Have a pleasant flight.

Come on, Brendan. Come inside?