They say I'm a charmer. I charm my hustles.
Well, that comes after dealing with women.
After hairdressing.
I love to dress hair.
I kind of think of myself as an artist.
I treat people the way most people don't treat 'em and they give me respect.
No matter if I have my hand in their pocket.
But being I know what to do, you know, being hip enough to know, I do it.
It's love and peace. Love and peace.
You just gotta keep sending it out. Love and peace. Love that love and peace.
I'm not J for nothing.
- Excuse me, ma'am? Where's the safe? - What?
- We're here for the safe. - Does Harry know about this?
Harry phoned and said pick up the safe. It's behind the cash register.
I don't know anything about a safe.
I made a special trip up here with the schvartze.
Harry didn't tell me anything about it.
- Harry didn't tell you anything about it? - No.
OK. Come on. Harry didn't tell her anything about it.
If Harry didn't tell you about it, then you explain it to Harry.
Wait a minute, mister. Come back.
Harry doesn't always tell me everything. I only work here part-time.
- My husband just had an operation. - I'm sorry to hear that.
- He had a growth in his rear end. - That can be painful.
Lays around the house all day complaining.
- Get me this, get me that. - Have you tried an enema?
Mister, the last thing in the world my husband needs now is an enema.
I meant you. Have you tried an enema?
Me? Have I tried an enema? Are you kidding?
Have I tried an enema? You gotta be crazy! Have I tried an enema?
- Goodbye, darling. - Goodbye, sweetheart.
- Hey, what about Harry? - What about Harry?
- What shall I tell him? - Tell him to take an enema.
- Hey, Harry. - What is it?
The guys just picked up the safe.
What?
Stop that man! Help! Stop that man! Police! Police!
J!
Hi.
- Hi. - Can I have a lift?
- Where are you going? - Home.
- Where's home? - It's not very far.
Get in.
You really have a lot of keys.
- My goodness. This your car? - Yeah.
- A lot of plastic. - Yeah.
I asked for leather all over here and they gave me vinyl.
Right.
But it's better to have a car than not to have a car.
That's true.
Would you, er? Would you like a key?
- I'll bet this is your car. - Right.
Do you want the key that starts the car or do you?
No, I prefer the challenge.
...of trying to find the keys out of this.
Can I try it?
- Did you try this one yet? - That's the first one I tried.
- That's the key to my locker at the gym. - Your locker at the gym?
- Yes. Bet you don't know what this key is. - Frank's locker at the gym.
No, no. Actually, it's Bruce's locker. This is Frank's.
We sure are hitting it off.
Nervous?
Me, nervous? Are you nervous?
I am.
Whoo!
You rich?
Why? Does it matter?
This is a stick-up.
I want your diamonds and your minks and your credit cards and your whatnot.
Take everything.
Everything?
Come here, kitty. Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty.
- This is my cat, Nathan. - How are you, Nathan?
- He doesn't like you. - He's very talkative.
- That's OK. I like you. - Do you?
What has four legs and chases cats?
- I don't know. - Mrs Katz and her lawyer.
Oh. That's very sad.
- You're a married man. - What?
- You're a married man.
- No. Not really, no. - Why? What happened?
She was cheating.
I came home one day, there was this guy in the closet.
...on his knees with a cigar in his mouth.
He said, "This ain't what you think. "
I said, "I don't care what it is, pal, just don't do nothing in front of the kids. "
- You have kids. - Oh, yeah.
- How many? - Oh, nine, ten.
Ten or eleven.
About two.
- Where are they now? - I don't know.
- You're a loner? - Oh, no.
I got a lot of friends.
I really like you.
- What? - I said, "I really like you. "
Yeah, yeah.
I'm a charmer.
- I think you're nifty. - Nifty?
I mean, nice. I can tell you're nice.
I'm a natural.
- That's cute. - Thank you.
- You look like Little Miss Muffet. - Why?
- My breasts are too small? - Too small for what?
What are you doing?
I really don't know.
- You're wearing your socks to bed. - Yeah.
That's a very bad sign.
It means you're going to leave quick.
Oh, yeah.
You always wear your sweater to bed?
Yeah. I think my breasts are too small.
- What? - Kiss it.
Kiss it?
I love to have my arms kissed.
What's so great about that?
"Born to win. "
Are you born to win?
You better believe it.
- What's that? - That's where I get my vitamin shots.
Vitamin... Vitamin B52. It's good for my memory.
You got a nice body on you.
You don't think my breasts are too small?
Yeah.
They're bigger than mine.
Parm.
- Geek, my man. - The name is Vivian, dope fiend.
How're ya doing, JJ? I'd like to take care of you.
- A friend of mine's coming by. - I have a job for you.
- No, man. I can't. - This is easy.
All you have to do is take a package from person A to person B.
What do you want from me?
Want? You're the one who wants.
Man, you got everything. You got your chicks, your limousine.
- Give me a few bags on credit. - Oh, JJ.
You've got my wife hustling for you.
You want her with some spade?
You know there's nothing lower than a junkie chick, JJ.
Come on.
Come on, now.
She'll be very happy to see you.
We'll do some work and then I'll fix you up.
- JJ, hi. How are you? - Hi, Marlene.
- What can I do? - I got something for Stanley.
- Un petit moment, cheri. - You're looking good.
Stanley, it's JJ.
- Hi, JJ. - How are you, Stanley?
I got something for you. You got something for me? A little taste?
- You'll get yours from the Geek. - You know the Geek. Hey, listen.
Marlene's hair. I was looking at it. She's got kind of a...
She's got kind of a Bronx look, Stanley.
I was thinking I could give her more of a Manhattan look.
- Like a cap cut. - What?
A cap cut. You know, like...
Like Sassoon. Vidal Sassoon.
- It's very in, Stanley. - Bye, JJ. See you around.
Geek? Geek, buddy.
Geek. Geek? Don't forget me.
Geek... Geek, we had a deal.
J, where have you been?
You know where I've been.
Was it difficult?
No. Kick cold turkey, lay around in jail 18 months - Nothing.
- I'm sorry. - How are the kids?
They're with my mother in California.
Geek, you got something for me?
- Vivian's the name, JJ. - Right.
- Then let's hear it. - Vivian.
- You haven't been around for a while, J. - No.
- I took a bust. - Yeah. I heard about that.
- Some junkie chick ratted on you. - Yeah.
Well, it's them junkie chicks, J.
What can I say?
Why did you let me catch that fall?
You were supposed to watch over me.
I dream about you...
...almost every night.
Even in jail.
Can I come back to you?
No, J.
Why did you mess me up like this?
Why?
Geek.
You owe me some money.
You got yours in dope.
Four lousy bags.
I never thought you'd turn on a friend.
Who's a friend?
I'm an acquaintance.
Geek.
You're messing with some bad people, man.
So there's a fortune in dope up there...
...but to deliver it one day and take the cat off the next, you gotta be insane.
I've gotta hit big and clear out.
That guy Stanley, what is he into?
Businessman. He's strictly a profiteer. He don't even use.
- Are you sure the dude's out? - Sshh!
- Qui est Ià? - Mr Charm.
- JJ. - You guessed it.
- Hiya. - Hi.
- Stanley isn't home. - I know.
- You wanna come in? - It's up to you.
OK. Come in.
This is my friend.
- You don't mind black folks, do you? - No.
- Does he have a name? - Do you have a name?
Just call me the bogeyman.
Just sit over there.
Sit, sit, sit.
So... Stanley's out on the island, huh?
Mm-hm. Business.
He's all business, that Stanley.
I want to pick up that package that I dropped off.
- You what? - The package. I want it back.
- You got your money, JJ. - Somebody else did. I got kadoches.
Yeah. Well, that's your business. I have nothing to do with that.
Marlene, this is a take-off.
- You gotta be kidding. - No. I'm not kidding.
This is a take-off.
- Come on. Give me the goodies. - I don't know where the...
Look, lady, if you don't own up to that package...
I'm going to take all your furs and jewels and shove 'em down your throat.
That's about the size of it, Marlene.
- You're not gonna hurt me, are you? - No. I'm not a violent person.
I'm all peace and love.
- JJ, Stanley's gonna kill me. - Stanley always had a lousy attitude.
Come on.
- Give me a taste? - I didn't know you indulged.
Stanley doesn't even know.
- No, man. - I think some other time is better.
- Why? - C'est la vie, Marlene.
- Let's go, JJ! - Yeah.
- Cops. - All right, freeze!
Police.
Ooh, look, baby. We got guns, baby.
Split up!
Get him!
Hold it!
Did you get your rocks off?
Not yet. I'm gonna get 'em off now.
- Eddie? - In here, Danny. I got one.
I lost the other one, but I got the package.
Come on, spread 'em.
- I got a freako with an attitude. - Uh-huh.
- I know him. It's JJ. How ya doin', J? - Move it. Come on.
Not too good, man.
I got him up on a stick-up, '67, '68. I had him cold.
He talked and he walked, didn't you?
That's the name of the game. Talk and walk.
Yeah. You should have done five years minimum, J.
I had nothing to do with that. These guys came from Florida.
I introduced them to a party and this party beats 'em.
So in retaliation they made up this story.
...that J and a friend of his got these ice picks...
...stuck 'em up and took 800 dollars, which is ridiculous.
Anyway, there's some smack here.
Hi, lady.
We're making an arrest. Step outside...
I don't care. The things people are doing in this house, you wouldn't believe.
You guys are embarrassing me.
I've had enough of your lip, J. We'll take a little walk.
Where are we going? Hey, lady! Police brutality, lady!
- Come on. - They're gonna beat me up!
We're gonna put you on ice for a long time, J.
Danny? Danny?
Give me a break, will ya? I'm trying to wipe jones completely out of me.
- Get up. - I'm slipping up in my jail time.
Three months here and five months there. I just pulled a year and a half.
I'm only out three months, Danny.
God. I'm tired, man.
I'm just physically tired.
Don't chain me up. Please don't chain me up, Danny.
Hey, J, look. You're gonna have to take a big fall, baby.
You wanna play, you gotta pay, baby.
When you pitch, J, you gotta catch.
Come on.
Cool. Nice and cool. That's it.
- How about the Geek? - You know the Geek, don't you?
- Yeah. I know him. - Where does he hang out?
Open End. 77th and 1st.
We're gonna get the Geek, J, and you're gonna get him for us.
Do you understand?
All right. You're gonna keep on walking and talking, baby.
Hi, sweetheart.
What kind of freak idea was that?
- Taking poor Stanley off. - I never did that.
- You're really, really in trouble with him. - What did he say?
He wants to pass you a hot shot.
Strychnine, battery acid. Take your choice.
What can I say? Stanley wants to ice you.
Screw him where he breeds.
So I've been racking my brain.
What can I do for JJ?
Give him a nice score - 500, 1,000.
You'd do that for me?
First you have to do a little job for me.
Geek, if I could break out of this town, man, I'd kiss your feet.
Not here, J. Just do the job.
Right. Right.
Drive out to Kennedy Airport tomorrow morning. 9am flight from Paris.
Wear a red tie.
- What's it worth? - 20 years.
I know that, man. I mean my price.
800.
And a few bags.
I'm not addicted, I'm habituated. You know?
Like...
Tomorrow, when I get the money from the guy, we're gonna get out of here.
We're gonna take a trip and I'm gonna get clean. Like that.
'Cause, you know, it's the environment that kills you.
You know? It's these greasy junkies that I gotta hang out with.
You can't trust any of them.
I trust you. You could ask me anything.
How many men you gone to bed with?
60?
Who's that? Me over there?
Who's the little guy on the end?
I didn't see you for two days.
- Did you like him? - I loved him.
Oh, J!
I was just kidding about all those men. J! Don't you know that's you?
Just a freak collector, aren't you?
You're tiptoeing around junk because you think it's hip.
Soon you'll be dipping and dabbing, then you'll end up with a habit.
...and take your tail out in the street and sell it for junk.
J, I don't want all those things to happen. I want us to be like regular people.
I'm sorry. I'm a little moochy.
Do you have to do this?
Sometimes I just wanna turn my head around.
I'm a very boring guy when I'm straight.
Kitty.
Oh, yes. Yes.
Where are you going?
Wait for me.
- Where are you going? - To take care of that job.
- I'm coming. - You can't.
- Yes, I can. - No, you can't.
I'm only gonna be gone a couple of hours and then we can do anything we want.
I don't believe you.
- Don't you trust me? - No. Let's go.
Wait. If they catch you, you're gonna be in jail for 20 years.
If you don't let me go with you, I'm gonna scream.
- No, you're not. - Aah...
He's completely dead, that guy.
Listen, you know that for $342 we can get a round-trip ticket to Bermuda?
- For two? - Yup. We can go right away.
I gotta deliver the package, pick up my pay and then we're off.
OK.
- I'm looking for Ray. - Third floor, number 47.
Spooky.
Is that Mafia?
No Mafia. Business people. Square, respectable business people. Let's go.
They're cutting us off. Move it!
Baby, get outta here!
Aagh!
Where's my goods?
I don't...
I'll tell ya. I'll tell ya. A friend of mine's got 'em.
Where is he?
He's around town, upside down... Ah!
I need a phone. Take me to a phone.
Tell him you've got a buyer. We'll pick him up.
OK.
Is Billy Dynamite there?
He's not there. That's the best I could do.
- Take your clothes off. - What?
Take your clothes off.
OK. OK, OK. OK.
When I get my package, maybe you get your clothes.
Everything.
Put him in the room in back.
Hey, listen...
He's a junkie. He may not be back for days.
I guess you got a streak of bad luck, J.
Hello.
And look at this.
Yes! Is that your mother? Oh, yes!
Yes. Call the police. Yes!
Come in, Stanley.
- You got a light? - Get off the bed.
Oh.
What's he doing in there?
Open up! Police!
- I'm getting the hell outta here! - Come on, let's go!
- Can I help you, sir? - I'd like to see some jackets.
- What did you have in mind? - Double length.
Right over this way, sir. Excuse me for a moment.
- What exactly did you have in mind? - What exactly did you have in mind?
Hey, buddy. What do you get for this?
I'm sorry.
It's just that I was so scared.
I thought they'd killed you.
I was set up. The Geek set me up.
I don't understand it. I keep getting beat. I'm sick of it!
I'm sick of it.
We can go away somewhere.
We can get in the car and go anywhere.
Right away.
I was so scared.
# Oh, it takes a worried man to sing a worried song.
# Oh, it takes a worried man to sing a worried song... #
- Happy? Is it gonna be OK? - Yes.
- We're gonna have a good time? - Yes.
- For all the time? - Yes.
- You like my neck? - I love your neck.
You really wanna kiss my neck. You're gonna kiss my neck.
You're filthy.
"When she got there, her cupboard was bare, so her poor dog had none. "
Nursery rhymes don't rhyme. "To get her poor dog a bone...
"When she got there, the cupboard was bare, so she had known. "
- It really was wonderful. Wonderful. - It was nothing.
You weren't me. If you'd been where I was, it'd have been wonderful.
I'll tell you another nursery rhyme if you get down there again.
You get better and better.
Who, I do? Can I have a kiss?
I love this. You know what I love about it?
- You wanna know? - Yes.
I love the smooching, necking quality of it.
That whole teenage thing, it just does something to me.
I'm doing it now and I'm an old person.
And old drug-addicted junkie and I got a girl and I got my arm around her.
- It's a terrific feeling. - It'll get better.
- I don't think it gets better than this. - I think so.
# That is me singing with the wind to you.
# That's me looking from above.
# That is me whispering with the wings to you.
# That's me remembering our love #
Wow.
- What is that? - I wrote it.
Are you kidding?
You wrote that?
- Have you ever tried to sell that? - No.
That's a best-seller.
Do you like me?
You'll do.
Do I look good in a moustache?
Why do you like me?
I don't know. Why do you like me?
I don't know.
What do you want?
I wanna go back and get my money from that creep.
I did the job, didn't I? Right?
I risked 20 years, right?
I deserve to get paid.
He pays me, I'm gonna set him up.
It isn't the money, J. We can get money. What do you want?
What is it? What do you want?
# All this time.
# When I was with you.
# I'll be with you... #
That corner.
- Give me some money. - $25. Is that enough?
J!
- Come back home to me. - Sure.
- You seen Billy? - No, man.
Billy.
Hey, Billy. Billy, it's J.
- J, baby. Hello there, man. - I'm looking to score. What's happening?
Ain't nothin' happening down here. I know where we can score uptown.
- Let's go. Get your stuff. - Oh, J.
- I thought you got popped, man. - I did, but I mouthed my way out.
If anyone can mouth, baby, you can!
I thought you was in the slammer.
Not so fast, not so fast.
That looks like Little Davey up there, man.
Yeah. That is Little Davey. Pull over to the side there.
- Davey, my man. How ya doin'? - What's happening, man?
Hey... I wanna score, man.
- How much you want? - About half a load.
- Let me check with my man. - Right.
- What's happening? - It's cool.
- Where'd he go? - To check his man out.
- This is my man, Conception. - What's happening?
- How much you cats got? - 20.
- $20 for half a load? - We can work it out.
Whoa. Dig, man.
All right. Cool it here. I'll check on my man.
Right. I think I can get two more.
It's all right, man. He'll work it out.
- Does he get good stuff? - Hot shit, man.
Ask your man here. Conception's a bitch.
It's all right.
This is a take-off. Cool it now. We want everything youse got.
- Just don't move and be cool. - Shit, Davey. Come on, man.
Listen, man. I got a jones, man, and you're the only people coming round.
- I need the money, man. - Put it in there.
It ain't that we don't like you or nothing.
We do a lot of business together and we can still do some...
...but I'm uptight today, you dig it?
- I knew you'd understand. - Will you leave us some car fare?
Man, can we leave them some car fare?
They can walk.
Damn, Davey, who'd ever think you'd burn a man?
- Coat. - Man, it's cold outside.
Coat.
- You want everything, right? - Everything.
How about this? Hold it, Davey!
Brother, dear... Yeah. Now what are you gonna say, huh?
That Conception guy's a bad mother, man.
- We've been doing business. - Yeah, right.
- You got to give me... Come on, man. - Everything. Every bit of...
Listen, man. Didn't I try to get you the car fare?
That's more than I'm gonna give you.
You run up them steps and keep on running. Understand?
You turn back just once, baby, and you're dead.
Put it there!
So you got nothing to tell us?
If I did, I would. Talk and walk - That's my motto.
Then what's your tie-in with him?
Hello and goodbye.
Hey, we want that mother bad, J.
So you're gonna take a fall.
You're gonna sweat and you're gonna scream.
Because we're gonna plant you on a 2-20-20.
- You'll plant me? - Yeah.
That's right. We want Vivian on a sale, J.
What do you mean, you're gonna plant me?
Do you know how much time you can get? We can throw away the key.
But we wanna keep you on the street.
'cause that's the only way we can get that rat-freako.
We know where he lives, who he does business with, how they do business...
...but we gotta get him on a buy.
We wanna buy off the Geek, J.
I don't have that kind of relationship with him.
Unless you tell us, you're gonna take a pinch.
I'm clean. I'm not holding. I'm clean.
You're holding that, bud.
Just tell 'em you got some friends from outta town.
...and they wanna buy some heavy weight, simple.
If I give him up, it's my life.
With what we got on you, you're gonna do 20 years minimum anyway.
You guys are scumbags.
J, why don't you give me a call sometime? I miss you.
Yeah, I will. I'll do that.
- How much do you want? - I want a ki.
That'll be about 20 thou.
- It's gotta be at least 12 cut-down, right? - It'll be pure.
There's stuff going around for about 16.
Yeah. There's stuff going around.
OK. So your stuff is pure. Let's say we make a meet at about 18.
- You have the money with you? - Give me a taste, I'll make a call.
If I sell you a ki of something and you happen to be the wrong guy...
...then I'd do some heavy time.
That's why we got J here, right?
That's if I were selling and JJ was setting me up.
You hear that, Jerome?
Jerome?
I think the only good addict is a dead addict.
We got a deal or not?
No. No.
Da-da!
Hey, baby. Hey.
Hey, y'all.
You see that? Nothing.
Your Parm, man, she's really together.
She sure is fine, man, your chick Parm.
Nice chick, really nice, and she digs you, man.
Yeah.
This cat who's bringing the bag, you copped from him before?
Yeah. A while ago, he used to hang with Long Willy.
I sure hope it ain't no lemonade, man. You know what I mean?
Hey.
You know, baby, I love this life. Love it.
When we get up in the morning, we know exactly what we're gonna do next.
Hustle for another bag.
I wouldn't give it up for nothing.
No. 'Cause like we've got a purpose in life, you know?
How many people can really say that?
You wouldn't believe this, J, but before I got into drugs, I was into myself.
I couldn't go out and do things, man.
I had what you might call a complex.
- Hey, man. - What's happening?
- Same. What's happening? - Same thing, man.
- Be cool. - Yeah.
Later.
Hey, baby. Hey.
Hey! Hey, look here.
You speak English? What's your name?
That's fantastic, baby! She did it. She gave me a date.
Where do you think I should take her?
Take her to 42nd Street to a movie.
And have all them dope fiends hitting on her? No.
How about Radio City Music Hall?
What if I took her to Jack Dempsey's for dinner?
- Have you ever been there? - Yeah.
- What's it like? - Nice. She'll like it.
- You sure nobody's on this floor? - Positive.
Beautiful.
Wow, baby, this is out of sight. It's tough, man. Where'd you find it?
Yeah. It's too much, baby.
Yeah. All right.
It's a problem, man, where to take a chick in this city.
Where do you take a girl if you want to make a good impression?
To bed. No, right to bed.
You always come up with something like that.
I can never hold a serious discussion wi' you, J.
- You gotta learn to broaden yourself. - Billy.
- Yeah? - We got Spanish quarters.
- No jive? - One for two.
One for me, one for you.
Dig it!
Yeah. I'm going first, right?
- Who copped? What do you mean? - Who copped last time?
Yeah. Well, who went first last time?
- You. - Yeah. I guess I did.
- That's right. - I guess that leaves you.
Say what?
Ah.
- What's happening? - It's OK.
Yeah.
There you go.
Yes, indeed.
I need a gas too, man.
Why don't you bring the old lady with us? Go out together.
- OK. - You like that?
It might be a gas, man.
Take care of a little business.
Do a little do.
Oobie-doo. Oobie-doo-pooh!
You dig it?
Yeah.
All right.
- Come on, man. Hurry up. - It's coming.
Oh, yeah. There it is. There it is.
OK. You ready? Here it comes.
Come on... Come on...
Billy.
Thank you kindly, sir. May God take a liking to you.
- Why don't you go with us? - Maybe. Maybe.
We go to Dempsey's and have a good dinner...
we go discothequing, then I'll tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm going to bed, me and that chick!
- Take me with you. - If you don't wanna go to Demp... Agh!
Billy?
Billy.
Call my mother, man! Call my mother, J!
Billy.
Don't go out. Billy. Don't go out.
Billy. Please, don't go out.
Oh, my God.
We're leaving right now.
Billy's dead.
What happened?
He's dead.
- They gave us a hot shot. - What's that?
Battery acid, rat poison. It was meant for me.
- Pull over. - Why?
Just pull over. I wanna do something.
Hey, J!
What is it? What the hell is this?
- You're going down, J. - What for?
- Don't ask me. You know. - I'm clean. I'm here with my girlfriend.
Wanna roll down the window? Police.
- Is she a hooker? - No, she's a square kid. She's my fiancée.
Yeah, that looks like a hooker to me.
- Is this your car? - Yes.
- Where did you get this? - None of your business.
Don't cop no attitude with me, lady.
Has he got a warrant?
- Have you got a warrant? - You're in big trouble, sweetheart.
It's a plant. That's a plant. I'm gonna wreck you! You're planting her!
- I'm gonna wreck you! - What?
I'm gonna wreck you with my mouth. Harassment! Harassment!
Police harassment! Oh!
- What are you doing this for? - Weren't you doing something for us?
I tried to make a deal, but he wouldn't bite. Ask Danny.
We're gonna turn you loose, but your girl is taking a bust.
No, man. I'll take the bust. Let me do it. Please.
We want you out on the streets.
We want you on the streets. Now get outta here.
Get outta here!
J! J!
J.
You look tired. Can I help you in any way?
I'm sorry, J...
...for everything.
Man, you're in the light.
Geek, my man.
You've been a bad boy, Jerome.
- Can you fix me up? - Sure, sure. I'd love to fix you.
- I'll pay you soon as I can. - It's a gift.
- What are my odds? - Your odds?
That it's not a hot shot.
So what if it is? It'll be the best jolt you'll ever get.
You're the winner, aren't you?
Born to win.