-Been waiting long? -All my life.
You said you wanted a place by the ocean. So I had it opened.
It was closed for the season. All these tables are for two people.
Pick whatever one you want.
-I like this one. -Here, sit down.
Boeuf a la mode.
Oh, I'll have the asperges, sauce vinagrette and then a Chateaubriand.
-Pommes frites? -Naturel.
-Et comme dessert? -I'll decide later.
-Monsieur? -I'll have the same.
For the wine?
You decide. I'll just have water.
-You decide. -Thank you.
You've been around.
Where'd you learn this? Who's teaching you that stuff?
You mean a sugar daddy who tries to teach me how to act?
I read books. I learn everything. I want to know everything.
Doesn't it make sense... to have plans?
Yeah, it does.
What about me? Am I in any of these plans?
Noodles...
You're the only person that I have ever...
Ever what? Go ahead.
Ever what?
That I ever cared about.
But you'd lock me up and you'd throw away the key, wouldn't you?
Yeah. I guess so.
And the thing is, I probably wouldn't even mind.
-So? -So I got to get to where I'm going.
-And where's that? -To the top.
Now you sound just like Maxie.
Cause you're both alike, that's why you hate each other so much.
Do you want me to leave?
No, I don't want you to leave.
You dancing?
-You asking? -I'm asking.
I'm dancing.
and you've to keep yourself from going crazy.
You have to get yourself up on the outside world.
Let's not think about it. Let the world.
You know, years that went by it seemed.
No time at all because you're not doing anything.
But there were two things I couldn't get out of my mind.
And one of them was Dominic. The way he said...
"l slipped." Just before he died.
And the other was you.
How you used to read me the Song of Songs, remember?
"How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O Prince's daughter."
I used to read the Bible every night. Every night I used to think about you.
"Your navel's a bowl well-rounded. with no lack of wine."
"Your belly a heap of wheat surrounded with lilies."
"Your breasts...
Clusters of grapes."
"Your breath...
sweet-scented as apples."
Nobody's going to love you the way I love you.
There were times I couldn't stand it any more.
Then I used to think about you. I think Deborah lives. She's out there.
She exists. And that would get me through it all.
Do you know how important that was to me?
Noodles, I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to go to Hollywood.
I wanted to see you tonight to tell you.
No.
No!
Please, no, no please...
No! No! No, please! No, no!
Please, no, no.
No!
-Deborah. -Get away! Get away!
I'll be right back.
Take her home.
All aboard!
Well... Iook who's back.
What's this?
It's a throne.
A gift to a Pope. Cost me eight hundred bucks.
It's from the seventeenth century.
So what are you doing with it?
I'm sitting in it.
-Merch, you got any coffee around? -Yes.
Thanks.
While you were on vacation, we were working overtime.
The union paid off.
That's your share.
Yeah. Even that geek.
You know, Jimmy "Clean Hands". He respects us.
Hey... I shed a little blood for the cause.
Here it's all in the papers. One in Telegraph, they didn't like it.
"Underworld joins strikers in brutal battle."
But the Post, they liked it.
"Ends justify means in decisive gangland encounter."
And they're the ones that kvetched about the Atlantic City Job.
Newspaper guys they never know what the fuck they want.
-Well, you could have looked for me. -We did.
Cockeye found you at the Chink's.
So fucking doped up you didn't even recognize him.
There you were. You called me... Deborah.
Schweik!
Hey, go fuck yourself. Mind your own business.
We do our fucking business together and broads do not get in the way.
-And you know it. -Oh, yeah? What she doing here?
Today ain't Saturday. She should be back in Detroit...
screwing on the assembly line.
Well, she's screwing here now. And only with Max..
Oh, yeah. With her husband Peeping through the keyhole?
No, I left him.
You live with her...
and you tell me not mess with broads.
-You forgetting about one thing. -What's that?
-I don't give a fuck about her. -Max...
Shut up! Shut up!
Where are you going to spend your honeymoon in a cathouse?
-Max, I wanna... -Shut the fuck out!
Just shut up!
Want me to dump her?
You want me to kick her fucking ass out?
Want me too, or what?
Get the fuck out !
Don't I have a way with women?
Hello!
-It's Jimmy. Max? -It's Noodles.
Okay, listen. We are going to need you guys today.
I'm gonna make a tough speech and I think...
Go! Go!
Start the engine!
Mr. Gallagher want us to know how much he appreciates what you did for him.
There's an envelope for the both of you.
We've gotta complete the job. I'll let you know.
Wiped out by a blast . of Cordon Rouge.
What will Crowning and his bosses say after that, huh?
Yeah.
Listen, Jim. Never would be afraid of you then, would they?
Well, they're still not afraid of me.
It was you boys that scared'em off.
And you didn't want these guys. Aren't you lucky you got party...
Ieaders like myself who care about the union.
The strike is settled; we won.
That's what counts. Isn't that right, Jim?
It was tough for Jimmy not to be there to sign the contract though, huh?
No.
What's tough is you boys did more in one night...
that I could in two years of talking.
Ah, forget it.
To the hottest newcomer in American unions.
-There you go. -Jimmy Conway.
-Now you're talking. -Roll out the barrel.
And God bless...
Suck it right down.
You must be crazy giving him drinks.
We're going to operate in a minute.
Oh, what's the rush.
They already told me I'd be a gimp for the rest of my life.
Don't worry, Jimmy... with one leg a little shy...
you're gonna take giant steps.
Yeah? And always one step right behind you, eh, Sharkey?
Make sure they work on the right leg, eh, Jim?
-Good luck, Jim. -It's only blood, huh?
You boys got yourself a real martyr for a friend.
Make it work for you.
Yeah. But what the hell are we going to do with a martyr?
Times change.
Prohibition ain't gonna last much longer.
Take it from me. A lot of you guys are going to be out of work.
Go on, Mr. Sharkey. We're interested.
You ever think of setting yourselves up in business?
All those trucks they're using to haul liquor.
They'll soon be selling 'em for nothing.
I'm talking about hundreds of vehicles.
Controlled by a national organization.
And supported by a powerful union, headed by...
Jimmy Conway.
Whatever you ask, there's no way he can turn you down.
You gotta be kidding, Sharkey.
Jimmy "Clean Hands" do business with us?
They won't be clean for long with the hands he's gonna shake.
Everything in good time.
We're not interested.
What is the matter here? You got a problem?
We got plenty of money tucked. away. Why not invest it?
What is the fuckin' problem?
I'll put the party behind you. And I got friends in high places.
I'm not interested in your friends. And I don't trust politicians.
That's fuck, because you still think like some schmuck from the streets.
If we'd listen to you, we'd still be rolling drunks for a living.
-What's the matter? You broke? -Don't bust my balls, Noodles.
-You broke? -I'm talking about real money.
This is real money to me.
It's a lot of money. You want any of it?
You carry that stink of the streets with you...
the rest of your life.
I like the stink of the streets. It makes me feel good.
I like the smell of it. It opens up my lungs.
And it gives me a hard on.
You're carrying dead weight around, Maxie.
One of these days you're going to have to dump him.
Maxie, let me know when you're going to dump me.
Meanwhile I'll take a vacation in Florida.
I got a yen for the seashore.
Hey...
Iisten, I was thinking it over, and...
I guess I kinda got a yen for the seashore myself.
You wanna go swimming?
Yeah, let's go for a swim.
... read all about it.
Hey, Maxie.
-Max. -Huh?
How much money we got put away?
Why?
'Cause we're unemployed.
About a million bucks.
-Oh, yeah? Where'd you put it? -In my underwear.
-I'd have found it there. -Hey! Huh?
We gotta reorganize, Max.
And I gotta couple of good ideas.
Me, too.
If I had a million bucks, I'd take it easy.
We'll take it easy when we got twenty.
-Fifty. -Where you gonna get that?
Right here.
What's that?
It's a dream.
A dream I've been dreaming all my life.
I swear to God, you and me together, we can make it come true.
What is it?
The Federal Reserve Bank.
It's the biggest step we can take, Noodles.
You're really crazy.
Don't you ever say that to me. Ever say that to me again.
What chance is there that a crazy thing...
Iike this might succeed?
Don't ask me, ask Max.
You know as well as I do that this is a suicide...
pure and simple, for everyone.
Yeah, well don't tell me, tell him.
You got your own methods.
I tried.
He doesn't want to screw anymore.
All he thinks about is this job.
Tear gas, hostages and he's going to do this...
he's going to do it, with or without you.
Noodles, we've never liked each other.
We put up with each other for Max's sake.
So why don't we just get together once...
and do something for him.
And after that...
we can go back to being enemies.
You know... if you were all in jail first...
there wouldn't be any bank job.
I got the idea from your friend Max.
What do you mean?
He laughs at you, makes fun of you.
He says, he says, Eve has got you by the balls.
Every time you walk past this place you shit in your pants.
You'd do anything for the cops to pick you up...
so you wouldn't have to do this job. It's that true, huh?
Well, then do it. Do it.
Put him in jail. Put him in jail. Not long.
Just long enough so that he can get the idea out of his mind.
If you can't stand being away from him...
put yourself there, too.
Better off than being dead.
You know what to do.
And if you don't, I will.
Get out! Take a cab.
I'm busy. I got things to do. Get out.
Noodles!
Make up your mind fast, huh?
What's the matter?
Aren't you having a good time?
Why are you going out tonight?
Why bother now that prohibition is almost over?
Well, everybody's selling out.
We got some friends who have a lot of booze they want to get rid of.
Practically nothing, so, we figured why not.
I'm going to be gone for a while.
I'll be waiting at the hotel.
I like it when you come home late and wake me up.
I'm not going to be home tonight.
I might not be home tomorrow either.
I thought these things only take a couple of hours.
Ladies and gents...
I drink to the demise of Fat Moe's Speakeasy.
I mean, who the hell wants to drink here legally anyway, am I right?
Okay.
Come on, Moe, set' em up, go on, get in there.
Here's mud in your eye.
Boys...
Let's drink to our last shipment...
because there's more on board tonight than just booze.
It's ten years of our lives.
Ten years that were really worth living.
Noodles.
-L'Chaim. -L'Chaim.
How long will I have to wait?
A year and a half, more or less.
Six months off for good behavior.
-What are you going to do? -Don't ask.
Operator.
Police, please.
Fifth Precinct. Sergeant Halloran.
Hello... Who's speaking?
Can I help you? Hello.
I got a good tip for you.
-Yeah, who is it? -It's Max. Open the door.
-What's the matter? You sick? -No, I'm fine.
You don't look it.
Maybe you'd better stay home tonight, huh?
Why?
You know, I've been watching you all right.
You've been drinking like a fish.
Trying to get your courage up?
We're only bringing in a shipment of booze.
It's got so you're even scared to do that.
Maybe you just better stay home tonight. With Eve.
Hey, Maxie, everywhere you go, I go, too. Remember that.
Maybe Sharkey was right.
Maybe I ought to just dump you.
-You're really crazy. -Never say that!
Don't say it!
Max made fools of us, Noodles.
He wanted to die.
Did you know his old man died in the nuthouse.
Max didn't want to end up the same way.
So he put the idea in our heads to tip off the cops.
And when they set the trap...
Max started shooting first.
Just to get himself killed.
Carol, what is this?
Opening night.
Fifteen years ago.
Who is this?
Patron saint of the place.
And an actress.
Do you know her?
No.
Hello, Deborah.
Aren't you going to say anything?
What is somebody supposed to say after...
more than thirty years.
Well, how about, "How you doing, you're looking good."
Or, "l was hoping I'd never see you again."
I never thought I would.
There's a difference.
At least you recognized me, that's something.
Actresses have good memories.
You wanna drink?
I'm having one.
Margo?
Yes, miss?
-That's all for now. You can go. -All right, miss.
She called you miss.
You never got married?
No.
You live alone?
No.
Where were you?
I was out of town.
Have you been back long?
A couple of days.
Are you staying?
That depends.
Why do you want to see me?
Two reasons.
First, I wanted to see if you did the right thing...
turning me down to became an actress.
Well?
You did. You're terrific.
"Age cannot wither her." It's like the play was written for you.
What was the other reason?
The other reason...
is to decide whether I should go to a party tomorrow night.
Party?
Yeah, on Long lsland.
Secretary Bailey.
Do you know Secretary Bailey?
No.
But I was invited anyway.
Well, if you don't know each other, why were you invited?
I don't know.
I thought you might know why.
Me?
Why me?
Because you know him.
-Who is it? -It's me, Deborah, David.
No, David.
-Can I come in? -You wait just outside. I'll call you.
Okay, I'll be right here.
-What does Bailey want from me? -You came here to ask me that?
-Why did he send me an invitation? -I don't know. I don't know.
Why should I know about your invitations?
I don't know anything.
What do you want from me? Why did you come here?
I know nothing. I know nothing.
Now you're a lousy actress.
Who is Secretary Bailey?
Jerry Bailey is a rich businessman.
He came to the USA as a starving immigrant to make...
a lot of money in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Where he's lived for thirty years.
I know all that. It's all in the papers. What else is there?
He married a very wealthy woman.
They had a child.
She died when the child was born.
A few years ago he went into politics.
Moved here.
That's all past history. I'm talking about now.
Right now he's in trouble.
Why don't you just tell me you've been living him all these years?
And that you're his lover.
Age can wither me, Noodles.
We're both getting old.
The only thing we have left now, are our memories.
If you go to that party on Saturday night...
you won't have those anymore.
Tear up that invitation.
There's an exit back this way.
Noodles, go through it.
Keep walking. Don't turn around.
Please, Noodles.
I'm begging you. Please.
Are you afraid I'll turn into a pillar of salt?
If you go out that door, yes.
This is Secretary Bailey's son.
His name is David. Just like yours.
Please go in.
What are you waiting for?
I don't understand, Mr. Bailey.
Sit down, Noodles.
Make yourself comfortable.
-I'm glad you accepted my invitation. -Well, I was curious.
I've never seen so many important people in one place.
Yes. Well, the rats usually desert a sinking ship...
But in my case, they'd better be flocking on board.
Yeah, well I read about your troubles in the newspapers.
But a man in your position....
with all your power... and all your privileges...
has to assume certain amount of responsibility.
Certain amount of risks.
Why'd you ask me to come here, Mr. Bailey?
That invitation doesn't mean a goddam thing, and you know it.
All that counts is what was in that suitcase.
The money and the contract.
It didn't say who the contract was on, though.
-Haven't you figured that out yet? -You, Mr. Bailey?
I haven't had a gun in my hands for many years.
My eyes aren't too good, even with my glasses.
My hands shake.
And I wouldn't want to miss, Mr. Bailey.
Cut the bullshit, Noodles.
I'm already a dead man.
At least give me the chance to settle the debt that I owe to you.
I'll never make it before the investigating committee.
They're scared to death I'll implicate the whole bunch of them.
They got to get rid of me.
Today is as good a day as any.
You do it, Noodles.
You're the only person I can accept it from.
You see, I found out where you were.
I brought you back here for this.
To even the score between you and me.
You can get out through there.
It leads right down to the street. Nobody will see you.
I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Bailey.
You don't owe me a thing.
Your eyes were too full of tears...
to see that it wasn't me lying there burned up on that street.
It was somebody else.
You were too shocked to realize that the cops were in on it, too.
That was a syndicate operation, Noodles.
You're crazy.
You said that to me once before, a long time ago.
But my mind was never as clear as it was at that moment.
I took away your whole life from you.
I've been living in your place.
I took everything.
I took your money.
I took your girl.
All I left for you was thirty-five years of grief over having killed me.
Now why don't you shoot?
It's true, I have killed people, Mr. Bailey.
Sometimes to defend myself. Sometimes for money.
And many people used to come to us.
Business partners, rivals, lovers.
Some of the jobs we took, and some we didn't.
Yours is one I would never touch, Mr. Bailey.
Is this your way of getting revenge?
No.
It's just the way I see things.
It's ten twenty-five.
And I've got nothing left to lose.
When you've been betrayed by a friend, you hit back.
Do it.
You see, Mr. Secretary...
I have a story also. A little simpler than yours.
Many years ago, I had a friend. A dear friend.
I turned him in to save his life. But he was killed.
But he wanted it that way.
It was a great friendship.
It went bad for him and it went bad for me, too.
Goodnight, Mr. Bailey.
I hope the investigation turns out to be nothing.
It'd be a shame to see a lifetime of work go to waste.