Around the country, the bookies pay off winners at track odds.
It's dangerous when a longshot comes in,
unless you have someone at the tracks to lower those odds.
Bet you can't do that with a quarter.
Are you kidding? Sure I can.
I'll give you a dime for every quarter you can lay down. -It's a bet
Hey. You got any quarters? -Sir?
How're you doing? Can I get a Miler please? -You got it.
Outta 20. 3, 4, 5, 5 is 10, 10 is 20. Thanks. Next.
OK, ace, they're on a row. Yep, you're right.
That's a dollar I owe you.
Hey? -That was the deal. A dime for every quarter.
5000 on the 3 horse to win, please.
Thank you.
2000 on the three horse to win.
Mrs. Langtry, I'm sorry. -Why? What's wrong?
You are a valued customer, as you know. But what's wrong?
I can't understand this. It's something you almost never see.
This is some of the finest filegree platinum I've ever seen.
But the stones... no. They're not diamonds, Mrs. Langtry.
But they must be! They cut glass! -Glass will cut glass, Mrs. Langtry.
Almost anything will.
Come with me.
Let me show you a positive test for diamonds.
Take this.
Do you see, how the water splashes over him? How it slides off in a sheet?
With real diamonds, it won't do that.
It clings to the surface in tiny droplets.
I see it.
I hope you're not too badly disappointed with us, Mrs. Langtry.
It's not your fault. -You'll give us an opportunity to serve you again.
I hope. If there's anything you think we might be interested in...
Well, I have only one thing now.
Are you interested?
Well, I would have to see it, of course.
You are seeing it.
You're looking right at it.
Mrs. Langtry,
something like this very rarely happens.
A fine setting in workmanship usually means precious stones.
It always hurts me when I find them not.
I always hope I'm mistaken.
Can I get a Miller, please?
One too many, mister? -What? -Step away from the car.
May I see your driver's license?
You seem pretty sick, Mr. Dillon.
No, it's a bad shrimp, I think. Didn't quite taste right when I was eating it.
I'm getting over it, though. -Must I take you to the doctor?
No, I'm fine now, thanks. I still got a lotta clients to see.
Take it easy now. - I will, thank you.
Have a good day now.
Hi, Lilly. -Hi. I'm done here. Do I come back to Baltimore?
No. Bobo wants you to go on to La Jolla.
La Jolla? I never go to California. It's a thousand miles from here.
Come on, Lilly. You don't argue with Bobo. He needs someone to
handle playback there. -Maybe I'll swing out to Los Angeles
on the way. - Take two or three days. Call when you get there.
Put it this way. Say I rent it to a woman. Of course, she has to have
a room with a bath because otherwise she's got the hall bath tied up all the time
washing their goddam hair and her clothes
I had my first hotel 37 years in Witchita Falls, Texas
and that's when I learned about women.
They don't make the money, see, for a place like this. Not regularly.
There's only way they can get it: by selling'theirself', tapping them cute
little piggy banks they all got. Mr. Dillon. Mr. Simms.
Here's a potential neighboor of yours.
Mrs. Langtry may drop by. -I'll send her right up.
That's the fine type of person I have in mind for here, like yourself, I'm sure.
Don't you wanna see me? Of course, I do. Come down.
No, honey, I can't go there. - What do you have in mind?
Come on, you could be here in 20 min.
Oh, I don't know, Roy. I gotta get thru all this traffic downtown.
In a minute.
Smack.
Heads.
What do you want, kid?
Show me how ya did that other one. -Scram. Go home. -I can't.
I've just left home. -Too young. Ya oughta be in school.
I am in school.
5 of spades.
Where's the 5? -In your other hand.
Good. You learned something.
Goodbye.
I wanna learn everything.
Wanna be a grifter? -Grifter? Yes.
Not partners. That's your first lesson. Cut your score in half, right down the middle.
Worse than that, you take a partner, you put an apple on your head, and hand
the other guy a shotgun.
Grifters, ah?
You're one, allright. Grifters got an irresistible urge to be
the guy who's wise.
There's nothing to whipping a fool. Hell, fools were made to be whipped.
But to take another pro, even your partner, who knows you
and has his eyes on you, that's a score.
No matter what happens.
You wanna learn a few tricks? I'll teach you a few tricks.
But you hand does not get into my pocket. -It's a deal.
Roy.
All right, forget the long con. If the fool tips, you're caught.
You'll do time. Never do time.
Don't go dressing like that. -Ah?! - Showing off. Showing off!
Any blind man can spot you.
Give me 10 dollars.
Come around tomorrow, I'll take you again.
Well, that's fine. Two months we know each other,
You're already so bored, you fall asleep before I get here.
When you're not here, all I can do is dream about you, Myra.
You stink. I hate you.
The twins seem to be very restless. Maybe we oughta put them to bed?
You know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna smother you.
Death, where is thy sting?
You smell good, Myra. Like a bitch in a hothouse.
Darling! What a beautiful thing to say!
Maybe you don't smell so good. -I do, too. You just said so.
It could be your clothes.
It's me.
Do I have to prove it? - Naturally.
What?
Sims here, Mr. Dillon.
Sure, Mr. Sims. What can I do for you?
A visitor, Mr. Dillon. A very attractive young lady.
She says she's your mother.
Send her up.
Come on in, Lilly.
Hi, Lilly.
Roy.
Long time no see you.
Eight years.
I'm just making some coffee. You want some? Just instant.
It'd be nice.
Here we are. Come on, sit down, Lilly.
So, what are we up to these days?
Still handling playback money at the track.
I'll be going back to Baltimore as soon as the races at La Jolla are finished.
So you're working for that same bookmaker? -Yes.
An easy life?
Usually.
Got a great view, Roy.
I guess you've been getting my Christmas cards.
You always did have a sense of humor. -Glad to see ya, Lilly.
I'd have been hurt if you hadn't drop by.
I'm glad to see you too, Roy.
Though I'm not sure what you're up to.
Up to? I'm not up to anything, Lilly. -Come on, Roy, you can't kid me.
You got so much more in the ball than I ever did. Do you know
what it does to a person... - Lilly, I want you to mind your own goddam business!
Roy, what is it?
It's no sweat.
God, you're ice cold. -Don't laugh at me. -Laugh? I'm not laughing at you, honey.
Did somebody hurt you, Roy? -Got hit in the stomach
a couple of days ago. -Let me see! -Oh, no. -Let me see. -No.
Dr. Mittchel? It's Lilly Dillon, doctor.
I work for Justus Amusement Company out of Baltimore.
What? Don't you brush me off, buster.
If I have to have Bobo Justus call you...
Mrs. Dillon, I am sorry about our little disagreement on the phone.
I'm really sorry. About your son...
It's hard to believe this strapping young man is your son.
Never mind that. Just take care of him. - Yeah, but he's had...
He's had an internal hemorrage. He's bleeding to death.
Well, make it stop.
His blood pressure is under 100. I don't think he's gonna make it to the...
You know who I work for? -There's just not much I can do.
My son's gonna be allright. If not, I'll have you killed.
No, really? You're Roy's mother?
That's impossible! -Not quite. But, I'm not sure who you are, Mrs...
Langtry, was it?
I'm Roy's friend.
Yes, I imagine you're lots of people's friend.
Oh, oh, of course. Now that I see you in the light,
you're pretty old enough to be Roy's mother.
Aren't we all? -Play nice. Don't fight.
Darling! -Roy!
You're gonna be allright.
What am I doing here?
You were bleeding inside, honey. Remember that bruise you had?
You called the doctor, ha? - Well, no Roy. Your mother did.
Thanks.
How long do they say till I can get outta here? -Roy, your mom saved your life.
Yeah.
Second time I gave it to ya.
I was kind of,
inconvenient for Lilly. She was only 14 when I came along.
In fact, I used to be her kid brother, well,
or so she'd say. -Well, you're allright now, I guess.
It's a two-hour drive, I'm late, I have to go down to the track.
Thanks, Lili. - Don't mention it. -I guess I owe you my life.
You always did.
Down to the track?
La Jolla. A job.
I wanna know everything about you.
Damn it!
Number 7, "Troubador", rank outsider,
stays unchanged at 70:1.
70:1.
Now at the start, "Blue bay", 5:2.
"Celadon Star", the favorite, moves in at 2:1.
Now "Troubador" goes into the gate, still running high odds at 70:1.
An they're off! From the start it's "Zreli poklon", "Troubador",
"Otis Blue", "Buck Meister", "Uncle Louis".
Down the back stretch, "Celadon Star" has the lead by two lengths,
with "Warmy hep" second. "Six Streams" goes along in third. Now "Troubador"
now moving stoutly on the far outside. -No, "Troubador".
running the far turn, "Celadon Star" at front.
"Warmy Hep" second. "Blue bay" begins to drop back a little bit as "Six streams"
moves up. Now "Troubador" making a bold move on the outside.
They round the turn around into the home stretch and it's "Celadon Star" in front.
On the outside, "Troubador" now coming strong with "Warmy Hep" along the rail.
Those two running for the second position but it's "Celadon Star" in front.
Now "Troubador" begins to pick up the pace
"Celadon Star" holding the lead, "Troubador" coming on it.
"Celadon Star" and "Troubador" tracking on the outside
It's "Troubador" on the outside
coming behind to get the lead.
"Troubador" winning it by half a length.
The results were as follows: to this amazement sucess story
"Troubador", outsider, at 70:1 meets first place, second place...
Roy, what happens when you get outtta here? -Tick-a-tick parade, a key to the city,
sex with my baby, the usual I guess.
And that's it? -What else?
Well that's what I wanna know. Is this all we have, Roy,
"sex with my baby"? Not that I'm knocking it
but is that all? -What're you driving at, Myra? Marriage?
I didn't say that. -But that's what I asked. -I don't think so.
I'm a very practical little girl, and I don't believe in giving
any more than I get. And that may be pretty akward for a match-book
salesman or whatever you are. -Everybody needs matches.
What do you sell anyway? -Self-confidence.
God knows you have it to spare.
I'll see you tomorrow.
No kiss?
Hello, Mrs. Langtry. Time to rest.
Well, I'll leave you in Carol's good hands.
You're looking much better today. -But you're not. You're looking very bad.
You belong in bed, Mrs. Linn.
Here, I'll give you part of mine.
-But you must. I've seen girls with this look before.
Bed is the only thing that will cure them.
Bed without dinner might cure you. -You'd better behave,
or I won't kiss you goodnight and then you'll be sorry.
You'd better behave, or I'll tell your mother.
Well, we wouldn't want that now, would we?
Oh, hi, Myra. I didn't recognize you.
No, I'm sure you didn't.
Myra's been here.
And what's your objection to Myra? -Same as anybody's.
I stopped by your place, picked up your mail.
Just bills. I'll take care of them. I can take care of my own bills, Lilly.
Whatever you say.
The manager at your place said your boss called.
Really pulled the wheel out of everyone's eyes, ha?
What're you talking about? So I got a job, so what? -Stop kidding me.
Four years in a town like Los Angeles, a peanut selling job is the best you can do.
D'ya expect me to believe that? - What's there?
The boss called. You said do yourself.
That dump you live in, those clown pictures on the walls...
I like them. -You do not. Roy Dillon, corn-ball clown pictures, comission salesman
it's all a front. You're working some angle.
Don't tell me you're not,'cause I wrote the book.
You want to talk? You still want to run playback money for the mob?
That's me. That's who I am. You were never cut off for the rackets, Roy. -How come?
You aren't tough enough.
Not as tough as you, ha? -How d'ya get tha punch in the stomach?
I tripped on a chair. -Get off the grift, Roy!
Why?
You haven't got the stomach for it.
Oh, good, Carol. Come in. Dr. Mitchel says you can get out of here Friday.
But that you should have someone to look in on you, so I hired Carol.
You hired? - You'll pay me back, I'm sure. -Lilly, I make my own decisions for a long
time now. -Roy, you couldn't possibly object
to a pretty young lady coming to visit you. -Carol!
Do you know why my mother hired you?
Ha, yes. I'll come every afternoon and make sure you feel...
She hired you for me to fuck.
To keep me away from bad influences.
Isn't that right, Lilly?
It is not.
Mrs. Dillon, perhaps I... - Go wait in the hall! Don't go away!
You didn't have to do that. -I thought I did.
So you won't take a thing from me, is that it? -Sex?
I'm not offering you sex, you little punk! -That's not what I meant.
Lilly, you're just throwing that wall flower on me'cause you don't like Myra.
Moire is nothing! She's less than nothing.
Why does she bug you?
You jealous? -Of what? You wanna lie down with dogs?
Then I'll pick the dog. -Go ahead, Roy.
Thanks, mom.
That's right. I just give you your life. What you do with it is up to you.
That's right.
Myra here. So you miss me. Tell me how to reach you.
And I will.
Baby, I'm getting outta here today. That's it.
Listen, let's go down to La Jolla this afternoon. We'll hit the beach!
Have some fun, ha? Take some time off.
Forget all this sorry stuff.
Myra!
Don't tell me. You're Addison Sims of Seattle! And we had lunch
together in the fall of 1902? -Myra, listen! Myra, damn it!
Listen! Myra!
Joe. How's your wiry zone? Are hidden germs lurking in your nooks
and crannies?
Allright, this is your final warning. You've got to settle your bill today.
Joe, don't I always pay my bills? One way or another?
Well, this time it's just one way.
Stop getting up nights, man. You too could learn to dance.
All you need is a magic step. Simple as one-two-three.
Here's your bill.
It's a lotta money, Joe. You wouldn't have padded it?
You owe every damn cent of that.
Maybe I could get the dough from your wife, you suppose?
Maybe your kids would crack their piggy banks?
You take one step towards my family... -Don't wet your pants, for Christ's sake.
Come in, Joe!
The money!
There it is.
The automatic clutch, Joe. It comes with a deluxe upholstery,
and the highspeed wiry zone...
Myra, please. I've let you...
I've been very good to you. I've let you stay here...
Can't be done, Joe. All passangers must
pay as they enter. No free passes or rebates.
That's a strict rule of the intercourse commerce comission.
Oh, God!
Only one choice to a customer: the lady, or the loot.
What's it gonna be?
The difference between a folded towel and a clean towel is a trip to the laundry.
When you're cleaning those baths what you do is, you pick up a towel,
and you give it a good shake and a good look, and you say to yourself:
"Would I dry myself in one of those towels"?
If the answer is "yes", you fold it. -What if it's wet?
Mr. Dillon, wellcome back.
You're looking fine, just fine. -Thank you, Mr. Sims. I'm feeling fine.
I'm glad you're better. -Sickness comes to us all, Mr. Dillon. -That's true, Mr Sims.
We never know when, we never know why, we never know how. The only blessed thing
we know is that it'll come in the most time, just when you've got tickets
to the World Series. And that's the way the permanent waves.
Well...
That fellow could be a congressman.
If it's wet, you don't fold it. You shake it and hang it neatly
on the knob provided. -Yes, sir.
What're you laughing at? -Nothing. Oh, no, nevermind, Joe.
It's just that I was remembering, at lunch, on the menu it said
"Today's special:"
Broiled hothouse tomato,
under a generous slice of riped cheese.
Hi, Bobo.
Did I buy you that dress you piece of shit?
Well, I guess so. You're the guy I work for. -I'm the guy you work for, ha?
In that case I may just flush you down the toilet.
Take me to my hotel.
Troubador!
How did you figure you were gonna get away with that?
I'm not getting away with anything, Bobo. -You're fucking right!
How much did your pals cut you in for on that nag, or did they give you
the same kind of screwing you gave me? I was down on that horse, Bobo. Maybe
not as much as I should've been. There was a lotta action... -One question!
You wanna stick to that story or you wanna keep your teeth?
I wanna keep my teeth. -Allright.
I'll ask you another: you think I got no contacts out here?
That nag paid off at almost the opening price. There wasn't hardly
a flutter on the tote board from the time the odds were posted.
There ain't enough action to tickle the toteboard and you claim a ten-grand win.
You send me 10.000 dollars like I'm a fucking marker
in rip off.
No, Bobo... -Are we talking straight up? -My son.
Your what? -My son was in the hospital.
What the fuck are you doing with a son? -He left home a long time ago.
He's was in a hospital, up in Los Angeles. He was real sick.
Motherhood.
I never fucked up before, Bobo.
You got any kind of long coat in the car, something you could wear home
over your dress?
No.
I'll loan you a raincoat.
You guys take a walk.
You wanna go to the bathroom and bring me a towel?
Ever hear about the oranges, Lilly?
You mean the insurance frammis?
Tell me about the oranges, Lilly, while you put those in the towel.
You hit a person with the oranges wrapped up in a towel,
they get big, ugly-looking bruises, but they don't really get hurt, not if you do it right.
It's for working scams against insurance companies.
And if you do it wrong?
It can mess up your insides.
You can get pe-pe-pe...
What?
Permanent damage. -You never shit right again.
Bring me the towel.
Come on. Get up. Coat is on the bed.
Oh, I won't forget. 10 grand. Yours. "Troubador"?
You want a drink? -Gee. I'd better not, if that's OK?