(AIRPLANE ENGINE ROARING)
Hey, come on, Bill. Keep your eye on the spike.
Spike your ass.
Shit! Here he comes again. Look, Von.
You better watch your mouth, Bertha.
Your daddy ain't gonna like you talking like that.
(HARMONICA PLAYING)
Coming in.
- I ain't going back up there. - You better damn well go back up there.
No damn chance, mister. My plane's got a bad mag drop.
I got a half-dusted crop out there. I have obligations to my buyers in town.
Von, you got that bottle of Pepsi-Cola?
That don't include winging my way...
It means finishing the job, smiling Jack.
- What's the matter, Daddy? - I tell you what.
When you finish that, take it all down to the store and turn it in.
They'll give you 2 cents for it. That'll help tide you over till your next job.
Hey, Von, check it out for me, will you?
Why don't you let go, Daddy? It don't matter. Let him keep his money.
You know I can't do that.
I know.
You maybe could do it.
Don't let it fret you, honey. I'll bring you a star.
- How'd you get it to shine so? - What?
(AIRPLANE ENGINE SPUTTERING)
- (AIRPLANE CRASHING) - No!
(EXPLOSION)
You son of a bitch. What are you looking at?
Don't look at me. He was flying too low.
(BERTHA SCREAMING)
Get your hands off her.
(SCREAMING)
MAN: You know, I've been hearing about this thing called the Depression.
You hear about that?
Oh, that's the word they got for this empty feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Oh, I don't know. Seems to me it's about the same as it's always been.
I always did have to bust my ass to get work.
Once I got it, I couldn't seem keep it.
Me and the bosses never did seem to get along.
(PEOPLE LAUGHING)
Well, you can take it from Big Bill Shelly. Look around you.
Ain't nobody gonna protect us.
Railroad took it away from us, we got to get it back.
Organize. Unionize.
You don't expect strikebreakers like Mclver's and their cop friends
over there to look out for you, do you?
Well, hey, listen, there's been a lot of pushing around here.
- I say it's time we started pushing back. - (ALL EXCLAIMING)
Let's hear it. We're gonna bust this railroad. We're gonna get them, right?
We're gonna live like men, or we ain't gonna live at all.
We're gonna take that Reader Railroad and we're gonna smash it.
We're gonna show 'em we ain't just playing.
Okay, and to start with,
we're gonna take that bastard Mclver and his friends right over there
and we're gonna grind them in the gravel.
Bullshit.
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
- How'd you get here, honey? - (LAUGHING) Oh, boxcar.
Well, I'll be. Hey, you look kind of hungry. Have you had any dinner?
- Oh, I'm as full as can be. - Well, how about a little dessert?
Just thank God you came down amongst union men.
Most of these men been eating wild greens since August.
Violet tops. Weeds like cows eat.
- Well, I want something I ain't ever had. - How you gonna get that?
- Guts and luck. - (SCOFFS) Luck.
Hell, luck is being a Vanderbilt or a Carnegie.
Just grab on something good when it comes by.
Sure enough, honey. Which way are you headed?
I don't know.
- Watch out for Mr. Bells. - There ain't no rattlers out here now.
You must be careful, anyhow.
Here. I'd carry you across the threshold, but it's a little high.
Thank you.
Bill, I want to thank you. You're a real straight shooter.
(CHUCKLES) Whoa, honey. I'm not that straight a shooter.
Hmm?
I mean, you ain't even seen me shoot.
Huh?
I'll at least light a fire for you.
You probably don't even have any matches, do you?
Well...
Don't do to wear nothing wet in this weather.
No, I wouldn't.
Get the croup. You ever had the croup?
Once, when Daddy was dusting in Big Springs, Texas.
(LAUGHS) Big Springs, Texas.
I remember when I heard of Big Springs, Texas.
He was lucky to get out of there alive. You know that?
I've been lots of places.
You ever been with a man?
- I been with lots of men. - Goddamn, girl.
I mean like this.
No. I mean, I ain't exactly used to that.
I wouldn't let it bother me none.
You get used to it, sooner or later.
(CHUCKLES)
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
(DICE ROLLING)
(DOG BARKING)
MAN: Ten.
(DICE ROLLING)
MAN: Okay.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
- Craps. - You lose.
- Okay? - Sure. Put it in.
- Do I do it? - Yeah, just throw them out.
Not bad, honey. Not bad.
- Do it again? - Do it again, right.
- She did it again. You win. - I win?
- Right. - That's easy.
Yeah. That's easy.
- Wait. Let it ride, he'll fade you. - What does that mean?
Uh, just leave the money out there and he'll fade you.
Fade me?
- Do it again. - Do it again.
- You did it again. - You win again.
- It's all yours. - I'm gonna quit.
- You're not gonna play anymore? - No, I ain't gonna play anymore.
Mmm-mmm.
Thank you. I ain't gonna do it anymore.
You ain't got much to say for a gambling man, have you?
Are you mad at me at winning at craps?
You ain't sick or nothing? Deaf and dumb?
Well, why don't you say something?
You sure look awful silly, sitting there wagging your head around like that.
(CHUCKLES)
- What do you call them? - Huh?
What kind of stupid clothes do you call that?
What's wrong with my clothes?
- Did you hear that? - I knew it. He's a Yankee.
What are you doing in this camp?
Yeah, you see what you done to me? All I got to do is open my mouth and...
Go back where you belong.
You guys are still fighting the Civil War. We're not all Jews or something.
- Yeah, you are. - Just go.
He should talk. He looks like a rabbi.
- You see that? - You can't go back up North?
Yeah, I doubt it. You think I'd be here?
- I seen lots of folks worse off than you. - Yeah?
Why don't you do something about that problem of yours?
- I can teach you. - What problem?
- Say after me. De-yah. - What?
De-yah.
Look, I can't understand what you're saying, lady.
It don't matter if you understand. Just say after me.
De-yah?
That's pretty good. Now, again.
De-yah.
Yeah, that's real good.
- Huh? - Yeah, that's real good.
You're gonna learn easy, I can tell.
Mah de-yah. My dear?
No.
- Ma de-yah. - That's good. That's good.
Dear, you looking lovely.
Thank you, Rake.
- How's the house? - Money, my dear.
Some small-town merchant and a lawyer who works for the railway.
But they got them a satchel.
- "Make light thy brother's load." - (CHUCKLES)
(NERVOUSLY) Uh...
Honey, you ain't planning on using that, are you?
Use it? What for?
Well, you just be careful where you're aiming it.
What do you mean?
Nothing, honey.
- Oh, Mr. Mendiaz? - Mendiez.
This is Rake Brown, the fellow I was telling you about.
- How do? - Of the Louisiana Browns.
Really? You must know some friends of mine.
The Cox's in New Orleans?
Well, I seldom make it up there. I like Baton Rouge, personally.
Well, it's down. It's a little south of Baton Rouge.
When we say "up", that's because we lived on the north side of town.
- Oh, this is a friend of mine. Bertha. - How do?
- How do you do? - Bertha?
- Oh, can I offer you a cigar? - Thank you.
Everybody's striking. East coast, West coast.
What happens if everybody strikes? Firemen? Police?
You know what that'd mean? Anarchy. Chaos.
We got a socialist people going on now.
We got Reds coming in, Reds around us.
Reds in Washington going down. What's gonna happen?
What are these Reds? That's all I ever hear about, is Reds.
Big Bill Shelly. He's a Red.
- Shetly? He's a Bolshevik, too. - I'll take one, please.
Not Shetly. Shelly.
Shelly.
But he gonna get his tomorrow.
'Cause tomorrow we're gonna get him. And it'll be one Red less.
You're pretty.
Very pretty.
You have a remarkable figure.
Quite full.
Thank you.
(CHUCKLING)
What color cards you have there?
Hey, what color deck we playing with now?
- What's the matter with you? - (BERTHA SCREAMS)
Get away from me. If there's anything I can't stand, it's a cheat.
Anything I can't stand more than a cheat, it's a Red.
If there's anything I can't stand more than a cheat and a Red,
it's a man who dresses the way you do. Get up!
- Don't! For God's sake, don't do it. - Why?
- His family's good name. - God damn his family's good name.
Get away from him. You're gonna get...
- (GUNSHOT) - (BERTHA AND RAKE SCREAM)
Get away. Hurry. Come on, hurry.
(CAR APPROACHING)
(SHUSHING)
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
What the hell's going on out there?
They're shooting up some folks across the road.
Must be them strikers.
Bill.
No, Bertha. I'm Rake, remember?
- I got to go. - Listen, moron.
That's real guns they're using out there.
You understand?
We're gonna stay here until they're finished.
Then maybe we can hop a freight train or something.
But you're not going out there now, and neither am I.
(CLAMORING CONTINUES)
Hey, slow down!
Hey, wait a minute, will you?
Hey, I'm not good at this running. Bertha!
What are you doing? Trying to get us killed? Jesus Christ!
I told you I don't do this well.
- (BERTHA SHRIEKING) - RAKE: I said wait.
What's the matter with... Hey! Bertha!
I'm here. Here I am.
Hey, who is that?
- Hey, what is this? - This is Bill.
I've known him a while.
Well, you know me a while, too, toots.
It's not the same.
Not at all.
This is Rake.
Yeah. I'm Rake. That's terrific.
Gambler's luck.
You guys up for a little game of cards?
No?
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
What a terrific day this is.
Just terrific.
- Hi, Big Bill. - Hi, Bertha.
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
Hey, uh, looks like we're coming into some kind of big town, huh?
- Looks like Memphis. - Yeah?
Don't look like Memphis to me.
Well, which one is it? Is that Memphis?
- Hey, is that Memphis? - Chicago.
What are you talking about? Is that Memphis, really?
Wake up.
You ought to get George now, be ready to go as fast as you can.
We don't want to go all the way into the yard.
Setup!
It's a goddamn setup.
Hey!
Listen, honey. We're not gonna clear this one.
Now, you go out, and I'll find you when I shake loose.
No. No!
(MAN SCREAMS)
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
RAKE: You don't understand I just woke up in this car.
There's these guys. I didn't even know who they were.
Do you think I'm nuts, hanging around with a bunch of stiffs like that?
Look, I'm not even from here.
(HARMONICA PLAYING)
MAN: See, she's got her skirt up somewheres around her chin.
I got a clear view up to the old kazoo. I finally get her home and she says...
I swear to God, she says, "Deputy, I don't know how to thank you."
And I says, "Why, honey, I believe you do."
So, I climbed in the back seat there, see.
And she lies back, she puts her legs up, and she acts just like she was born to it.
(HUMMING)
Hey, nigger. If you're gonna play, you play Dixie.
Or shut up.
Full of communists and coons.
(CONTINUES PLAYING)
(LAUGHING)
Bill.
How are you?
- How you been? - Okay.
What they do to you?
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
Harvey, who is that son of a bitch?
How's that, Sheriff? Which son of a bitch?
The one over there, shaking hands with that nigger.
It's good to see you. I didn't expect to see you no more.
That's Big Bill Shelly. Notorious Bolshevik. We drug him in last evening.
Well, I don't know about no Bolshevik, but I know he's a nigger lover.
Harvey, go over there and make a nigger out of that white one.
(GROANING)
Hold fast there.
Hold it a second, huh? Wait a minute.
How you gonna like it when I choke your guts out? How you gonna like that?
You guys. Hey, guys, please.
Please!
Wait a minute. They got guns. Listen to me, huh?
(SCREAMS)
Oh, my God.
You boys sure made a mess.
Clean it up.
(MAN SINGING)
Ain't no more here about Ain't no more here about
Oh, what's it got to matter, baby?
You won't write to me You won't write to me
Oh, what's it got to matter, baby? You won't write to me
ALL: (SINGING) You won't write to me
Oh, what's it got to matter, baby? You won't write to me
Shut up.
I ain't all that tired
All right, you sons of bitches.
Shut up.
(CAR APPROACHING)
Keep working, boys.
- Can I be of service, ma'am? - Oh, shit, yes.
I just can't figure out how to put that thing on that thing.
Well, honey, just leave it to Harvey.
I'm just no damn good at them mechanical things.
We'll have it in a minute, ma'am.
Good, I got a... A train to catch.
- Where you going, little lady? - To Africa.
- Africa? - I'm a missionary.
I've dedicated my life to the black heathen.
(CHUCKLES)
Ain't you afraid those niggers might eat you, or something?
(CHUCKLES)
Come here, honey.
Come here.
Sit down.
Now, close your eyes and open your mouth.
Real wide, now. Now, don't move.
What the hell are you doing, making up to that guy?
- (BERTHA SCREAMS) - Get on over there. Go on.
- MAN 1: Let's go. - VON: Come on, let's go.
Come on, Von.
Get in there.
MAN 2: Do it, man. Go.
I'm just not meant for this kind of life.
You're used to them regular hours back on the chain gang, ain't you?
- Have a piece of chicken. - You all want to go back?
- Hey, turn off that dirt road. - Huh?
- Turn off that road. - VON: This milk gone bad, Bertha.
- It's buttermilk. - Look, take the next one, okay?
Okay, now you got us public enemies out of jail, what are you gonna do?
Or didn't you think about that? Bet you didn't, did you?
- I'll tell you this. - How about letting me drive, huh?
I sure would have hated to wait for you to break me out of jail.
- Ain't you got no bread up there? - No.
Well, at least I wouldn't be about to hand that goddamn deputy my ass on a platter.
- As far as I could tell, he already had it. - Hey, come on.
- How about that? He sure did. - Come on. We're on a state highway.
Would you relax, boy?
Hey, is that a cop car?
(TIRES SCREECHING)
Well, don't you go looking at him, now, Bertha.
Goddamn, Bertha. Couldn't you buy a car that'd run?
- ALL: Buy? - (RAKE EXCLAIMING)
- This thing's busted. - Great. Now we're auto thieves, right?
Let's skip what we are and think about what we're gonna do. We're in Arkansas.
- Where you going now, Bertha? - The thing's busted.
- What you gonna do? - We'll catch the 5.10. Come on, help.
RAKE: Ah.
- How far is it, huh? - BERTHA: Down the road.
What do you mean?
I ain't cut out for this kind of life.
- Son of a bitch. - Who you calling a son of a bitch?
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
(ALL LAUGHING)
RAKE: Come on.
MAN: Hey!
- Hi. - What happened? We get robbed?
Why? You got something to rob?
VON: Now, four goes into 12. It goes three times...
And...
- Put all the ones here. - Well, it goes three times.
So, that's, uh...
That's 3,000 apiece, guys.
RAKE: And now put the hundreds in this one.
Now the fifties. That's 50. That's the ones.
Right, you just get the twenties. You see, each pile is sorted out.
- Why do I get the twenties? - That's the system.
- Why do I get them? - Take any one. There's twenties.
There's the twenties, fifties, hundreds, ones. Put the ones... That's not 20.
Hey, let's go!
- You got this thing cut loose? - Sure enough.
Come on.
RAKE: You sure you know how to run this thing?
BILL: All aboard! Roll the train! (LAUGHS)
(HORN BLOWING)
(INAUDIBLE)
Wait a minute there, boy. Goddamn.
Do you know this is the first time the 5.10 has been on time in 40 years?
First time it's been run by a union man.
You done all right with the engine, but where's the rest of the train?
Goddamn, old man. How do you think we got here on time?
(LAUGHING) Come on, baby.
(RAKE CHUCKLING)
- BERTHA: What's so funny? - RAKE: Listen to this.
"The notorious labor radical and Bolshevik spy, Big Bill Shelly,
"along with certain of his desperate confederates,
"broke out of Shelby County Penal Farm, assaulting a guard."
What's so funny about that?
I was laughing at the spy part. You don't look like no spy to me.
I always thought they wore glasses.
BERTHA: What else does it say?
"Assaulting a guard and stealing a locomotive as he did so.
"In addition to Shelly, the break-out freed...
"One...
"Rake Brown,
"a cardsharp and a pretty... A petty confidence man,
"well known to authorities in this area.
"Brown is not considered dangerous, as he's known to be a coward,
"and lacks the nerve to carry arms."
- I carry arms. - But you don't use them.
That's not the point.
"Along with Brown and Shelly, authorities claim that a woman, Bertha Tomkins..."
- Thompson. - "Thompson. Bertha Thompson,
"known to be a common whore and woman of the streets,
"also is im... implicated in the escape.
"The Thompson woman is being sought
"for her alleged involvement in the shooting of a prominent attorney.
"It is reported that all other escapees have been returned to custody,
"except for a Negro."
That's probably you, Von.
- I never reckoned on all this. - What's this about an attorney shooting?
- That was just a gambling man. - Shut up.
An accident. And the other stuff's a lie.
Why... We're just criminals.
- I guess that's one way of looking at it. - Shut up.
Let's stop all this and just head for California.
No. I ain't no criminal.
- I'm a union man. - Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm going to take my $3,000 right over to the union hall.
- What? - Yep.
- RAKE: Hey, wait a minute! - BERTHA: Bill!
- Hey, what about us? - Bill!
- You go there, that's all our asses. - You can't go to town.
You go to that union with that $3,000, that's all our asses.
- What do you care? It's my share. - What do you mean your share? ()
They're gonna come back and get us. Don't you understand that?
Why don't you do it some other time?
You expect us to be here when you get back?
- We're not gonna be here. Right, Bertha? - I'll be here.
I'll be damned, Shelly. They told me you was dead.
They told me they hired sheriff's boys...
You can't believe anything a cop tells you. Even something good.
Listen, did anyone know you were coming up this way?
Hell, no. Just my police escort. Didn't you hear the sirens?
Oh, don't come all smart with me. They got a price on your head.
You and them nuts you busted out with.
Whores and niggers. My God, ain't that a nice image for unionism?
Well, here. I reckon this'll clean up the image some, huh?
It's marked. You know it's marked. They mark it nowadays.
Tiny little mark. They can tell every bill.
Joe, try not to be no dumber than you was born to be.
It's okay. Hell, it's money.
You're hotter than a deep-bowled stove, boy!
Do us a favor, stay away from here. The union has got to preserve...
- You mean, you don't need my money? - I didn't say that.
It's appreciated. It's appreciated.
Look, hitting a scab is one thing.
But robbing the damn mail, that's something else, ain't it?
Yeah, I guess it is.
Just see that stuff gets in the strike fund, you hear?
- All you socialist bastards are just alike. - In the strike fund!
Anything goes.
What are you doing with that dog?
What's it look like I'm doing? I'm feeding' it.
Oh.
I had a dog in New York once.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
What'd you do? Lose him in a crap game?
No, as a matter of fact I didn't lose him in a crap game.
He started a union.
Bill?
What?
It's gonna be all right.
Sure. Union don't want me.
Railroad goes on starving kids, busting heads, making money.
And I'm here.
Bill, to get back at the Reader, you don't need no union.
Ain't that so, Rake?
You don't need no union to go for more Reader payrolls.
Yeah. Payrolls, ticket offices...
What else we gonna do?
Put an extra $10 in them pay envelopes. Just keep calm, and keep working.
Don't you do anything funny now.
You want to just put something on the tray, ma'am?
Yes, ma'am, that's fine. That's fine, thank you.
And you, sir, you got something here for me?
Thank you. Oh, my goodness! Oh, that's... Thank you.
Y'all sure was nice to this old nigger. What you got for me, ma'am?
That's a nice-looking watch you got on there.
Uh-huh, yes, ma'am, all that's good.
Uh-uh, all that. Yes, yes. Thank you. You ain't got nothing for me, huh?
Oh, my goodness. How about you? You got something for this old nigger?
Thank you, I'm doing real well here. Thank you, ma'am, that's very kind.
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
What? Some what? Some with what?
I said I think there was something wrong...
(ALL LAUGHING)
Whoo-hoo! Give me these.
Well, let's don't stop now. Let's just keep going, huh?
You take care of the others, Rake.
Get over there. Watch it, now.
- Okay, now, drop that. - Move over.
Put them down.
I'll just take those, boys.
You all get on the floor, fast.
I said hit the ground.
All right, sit down.
Stand up.
Sit down.
Fast.
Now up.
- (LAUGHS) Fast. Fast. - Come on, Bertha, get on with it.
Stand up. Up. Up. Down.
Up. Get up.
Down, down.
Down, up, down.
Down. Come on, now.
Sit down.
Sit!
Well, how many?
Well, they've got four bosses, but they got plenty of others.
What about that commie son of a bitch Shelly?
He used to plague me with wildcat strikes. What about him?
- He gets his orders from abroad. - Of course.
We got more than a security problem here.
We know how to handle him when we get him, don't we?
And it'll be the exception, won't it?
Because in the words of the lord,
"I shall vomit forth that which is lukewarm."
(CHUCKLING)
We, uh, know what to do.
Of course. What about the other one, Brown? What about him?
He would... He'd cook you.
(CHUCKLES) You mean he'd try.
Fellows, the way things are, this railroad's losing money every day.
I'm losing money every day.
You add Bill Shelly to that, and I got myself a situation.
- Ain't there another man with him? - Uh, just a nigger.
Oh.
Well, what about her? What can you tell me about this here Boxcar Bertha?
BILL: Aw.
(BERTHA GIGGLING)
(BILL CHUCKLING)
What's the matter, honey? You tired?
Well, how could I be tired? I ain't done an honest day's work in months.
I think it's honest work.
You think it's better to pick up a pay envelope each week with a few bucks in it,
working for them?
I don't think that's more honest.
That's being a slave, and you know it.
I'm just not used to this kind of life, that's all.
I'd do anything you want.
You want to quit, we'll quit. We'll go away.
I ain't a quitter.
If you want to leave, there are no chains on you, honey.
- You're dumb. - How do you mean?
I ain't leaving.
(BERTHA GIGGLING)
(GUNSHOT IN THE DISTANCE)
Stay down.
- You see anything? - No.
Goddamn.
It's Rake and Von.
BERTHA: Damn!
(SIGHS)
- Trouble? - No, ain't no trouble.
What the hell you firing off your gun for,
with the sheriff breathing down our necks?
You got to tell us you got a new pair of shoes or something?
- Yeah, I got a new pair of shoes. - Great.
What else am I going to do with the dough?
- Anyway, that ain't why I'm shooting. - Well, what, then?
We got ourselves a little piece of fortune coming.
There's a big party Sartoris is throwing for all his buddies.
- So, he's having a party? So what? - So what?
So, everybody from the railroad will be there. Von, what do you say?
It sounds good to me.
I want to see the look on their faces when we take them goodies.
What we have here is a trap. That's what it is, it's a trap.
I'm telling you, it's a good thing.
The only thing is we don't want to go in shooting.
So, we got to come up with something.
- I ain't a criminal, you know. - It makes me the criminal, right?
Aw, Rake, no, I didn't mean that. All I mean is...
Listen, if we're going to hit Sartoris, we got to hit him so he doesn't get up again.
Huh?
Damn, you just go for anything. This ain't no easy war you're figuring on.
Honey, I never thought it was going to be easy. I never said that, did I?
You're right, though.
Bertha, you just stay here. We'll go on ahead without you.
Like hell I will.
Wait, where are you going?
I'm trying to get out. What do you think?
I go first. Ladies first, remember?
(SIGHS) All right, all right. Come on, get out.
Get out the car, Bertha. Come on.
Hurry up, Rake.
- Do I look all right? - You look great.
But I just saw a guy wearing tails, and I'm wearing a tux.
I told you I should have bought tails.
- Oh, Rake, you're so silly. - Yeah? What's so silly about it?
I'll be the only one in there in a tux. I'll look like an idiot.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS)
Invitations, please.
Oh, uh, invitations...
- You must have them. Don't you, Bertha? - I don't have it.
- I think I left it on my desk after... - Henry, you have it.
I do believe I does have them tickets.
- Uh, yes, I do. - I think we got them.
- Here they is. - That ain't it.
- Look again. - That's it, that's it.
Yeah.
- Come on, Bertha. - Give me that gun.
Now, be careful, now.
Yes, the Reader Railroad's seen a great deal in its day.
Wars, strikes, and now, the indignity of it all,
gangs of communists, whores, pardon me, ma'am, and niggers.
Nevertheless, at this very moment, my agents are...
Out cold and tied up in the kitchen. Up against the wall, ma'am.
How's that feel for you? That's too tight? That too tight for you?
Uh-huh.
That's good.
Folks, may I have your attention? Folks?
(SHUSHES)
The lady would like to say something. Go ahead, kid.
Thank you.
I'd just like to say that this is a hold-up. We've come for your money and jewels.
So, if you'd just line up against that wall, Bill, Rake and Von won't have to shoot you.
Come on, move over there. Come on, move it over there.
Come on, hurry up.
Hey, you.
You there, with what you think is a cuspidor.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasure on Earth."
"Where thieves break through and steal."
- I see you sort of know your Bible. - What do you mean "sort of"?
Well, you forgot something.
The passage goes, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on Earth,
"where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal."
"But lay yourselves up treasures in heaven."
- This here's my Bible. - Hmm.
- That's real pretty, honey. - Can't stick it in.
- Hey, Von. - Uh-huh.
Here, pick that up.
Just put it in here, sir. Pick that up.
- Put it in here, son. - Pick that up.
Pick it up.
Not my tiara.
Ah, it ain't so special.
I got even better ones at home.
Come on, Bertha, let's get going.
- My dear Bill... - Cut it out, now.
You're Bill Shelly.
I had a sort of respect for you.
I thought you were some sort of crazy Bolshevik.
But, hell, you're just a common crook.
You just don't understand.
Here, I don't want your watch. I don't want to steal your watch.
I just want to smash your railroad.
Let's git.
Okay, just stay where you are.
Just stay where you are. That's it.
(HORN BLARING)
I'm taking this to Washington.
We'll see what the FBI has to say about all this.
Thank you, boy.
Now, I expect if J. Edgar don't do something mighty fast,
I just might have to have a talk with FDR.
Yes, sir.
That's a joke, son.
Hi.
All right, you slimy son of a bitch, you're coming with us.
Yeah, a couple of your buddies are going to pay $100,000 for you, that's all.
VON: Mmm-hmm. Now, how you gonna like that?
Sure enough.
(SHOTGUN COCKS)
Drop it, Billy boy. Don't make me do what I want to do.
I believe I could use a drink, boy.
No, Goddamn it, not again!
Rake!
- I'm gonna help him. - Hold it, Shelly.
I'm gonna help him.
Run, Bertha!
Goddamn that bitch.
That damn bitch. Cover Shelly, I'll get her.
Goddamn.
(TRAIN HORN BLOWING)
(BELL RINGING)
Are you sporting, baby?
Do I look like I'm sporting?
Well, I just...
- Sister, what have you been drinking? - Not a thing.
Well, move on, or I'll have to take you in.
I wouldn't want that to happen.
You keep that mouth shut, you hear?
You dumb son of a bitch, you know better than to talk to that guard like that.
(COUGHING)
It hurts when you laugh, huh?
You're gonna get out of here some day.
- Maybe. - (SIGHS)
You'll make it.
There's something you could do for me.
If you could find Bertha...
Tell her I'm not gonna see her again...
Because I'm finished.
You might...
You might tell her I love her.
She knows you love her, Bill.
You won't need a woman if you don't get out of here now.
She'll be around, if she's around.
Honey? Do you have a place to stay?
No, ma'am, I ain't.
- I just made this town. - Well, you come along with me.
I got a place where you can clean up, get some rest.
(PLAYING PIANO)
How long's this gonna go on for?
MAN: Now, stop talking and watch this.
Can't nobody show you this but me.
How about that?
I don't know the end of what that old bastard can do.
When he gets drunk enough... (WHISPERS INDISTINCTLY)
- That's disgusting. - MAN: You all watch this, you hear?
Ain't nothing to it.
- Tastes great this way. - Stop it. You're gonna hurt yourself.
No, not me.
Now, watch this.
Mrs. Mailler, Mrs. Mailler, he's doing it again.
Mrs. Mailler. Mrs. Mailler.
Oh.
- It's okay. Come on in. - No, I'll see you later.
What's...
Oh, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Are your parents alive?
Are you a cop?
No, no.
As Mrs. Mailler explained downstairs, I'm an anthropologist.
- Your parents, are they alive? - You sure you're not a cop?
- I'm positive. - You wouldn't lie to me?
No.
- Now, your parents? - No.
They're not? Good. Now, have you been in love before?
Sure. I'm in love now.
- He's one of the local boys here in town? - No.
I see. Did you go to church much as a child?
No.
- Did you? - Yes, I did.
- It shows. - Thank you.
- You're welcome. - Was your mother a whore?
- No. Was your mother a whore? - No, no.
Uh...
What are the areas that you find have the maximum...
Maximum erogenous, stimulation, like...
- All over. - Here?
That's...
That's $2 if you want to touch me.
- Fine. How about down... - It's $10 below there.
Well, now...
All right.
You can put away your pencil now.
Sorry.
If I give you $15, can I stay? I don't want to sleep alone tonight.
Sure.
See you later, sugar.
We'd better git if we're going.
We'd never have a day off if they had their way about it.
They'd just keep on working us to death.
Oh, Tillie, look at the baby doll. Daddy gave me one like that once.
- She lost her head. - Probably over some no-good man.
(HARMONICA PLAYING)
(MAN SHOUTING INCOHERENTLY)
(VON SINGING INDISTINCTLY)
Bertha.
(LAUGHING)
Bertha, I'm so glad to see you.
- How you been? - Oh. How is he? Von, Von, how is he?
Well, last I heard, he wasn't doing too good.
He broke out of jail about a month ago. Didn't you hear nothing about it?
- He's out? - Yeah.
No, I hadn't heard. I ain't read a paper in months.
Bertha, sit down. Sit down.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
Oh, my goodness.
I'm so glad to see you. I've wondered what you been doing.
Von, you know what I've been doing while you all was in prison?
Don't tell me nothing, lessen I ask you about it.
Well, Bill's got to know.
I guess you been doing just about the best you know how, Bertha.
- Where is he? I got to go to him. - That's easy enough.
Did I see some railroad tracks just down the street?
- There's tracks, okay. - Well,
was you in need of a week to pack or what? Come on, girl.
(LAUGHING)
Well, we got him this house. Down by the yard.
He don't sleep much at all now.
So, let's walk kind of easy. I don't want to come up on him all of a sudden or nothing.
Bill.
Hey, Bill.
You in there?
Who's there?
Let me hear you.
Who's there?
Me, Bill. It's Von.
(SOBBING)
Damn. I'm lovely, ain't I?
I always was.
You look just the same.
(LAUGHS)
The fighting's really over for you now, huh?
Hell, no, not till I'm dead.
You don't have to rush it.
It's appointed each man to die. Till judgment.
You don't have to rush it.
Honey, they've hurt you so much.
Let's get out of here.
I want to take care of you.
(BERTHA SHRIEKS)
(GRUNTING)
Say, Mac, what do you think we ought to do with this here fellow?
(SCREAMING LOUDLY)
Bill!
(GRUNTS)
No.
Don't take him.
Stop it.
No, don't take him.
Don't take him.
No.
(HARMONICA PLAYING)