(theme music playing)
NARRATOR: Man lives in the sunlit world
of what he believes to be reality.
But... there is,
unseen by most, an underworld.
A place that is just as real
but not as brightly lit.
A darkside.
(electronic music playing)
Cut the concert, will you?
You're giving me a headache.
MAN: Yeah, boss.
What, are you practicing for Carnegie Hall?
I got this for you.
Well, that's very sweet of you, Horace.
Only I don't trust them things.
I've been calculating for 31 years with this and this.
It's the modern age, boss.
You got to keep up.
No one's phoned in a bet in three days.
It's getting pretty quiet in here lately.
I keep up.
I never been cheated, I never been broken.
I'm still the best.
(sighs)
I need a soak.
You want one?
Yeah, I want a soak, yeah.
Now, take that with you.
All right, I got it.
Mm-hmm.
(sighs)
(footsteps retreating)
Hey, a couple of soaks, eh?
(wind whistling)
Hey, Phil?
Cut the fan bit, huh?
You're freezing me out.
PHIL: I didn't even hear the door open.
Somebody tickling your leg or what?
$500 on Ryan's Daughter to win.
First race at Belmont.
Try again, kid.
She's 40 to one.
I don't want you to get hurt.
$100, $200,
$300, $400,
$500.
Don't worry, it's a nickel.
They're uncirculated.
(electronic tones play)
Stop playing with that thing when I'm doing business.
I didn't. It's the clock.
It does that every hour.
Too high for you, Tommy?
Tommy Vale.
Too high?
That phrase ain't in my dictionary.
Try "too late."
Post time at Belmont's at 2:00.
Philly, turn on the race.
Let's hear what Mr. Sunshine missed.
ANNOUNCER: The horses are moving into the starting gate
for the first race here.
We've had a slight delay for the opener
on this sweltering Saturday afternoon at Belmont Park.
The flag is up and they're off!
(hooves clattering)
Snowbird on the outside going for the early lead.
Lucy Girl is second, Tammy Shanter third,
followed by Native Princess and First Lady,
Bold Dancer is seventh and Ryan's Daughter is last.
As they move past the half-mile pole,
Lucy Girl charging up on the outside to take command,
with Native Princess, Bold Dancer, First Lady
and Ryan's Daughter is still the trailer.
As the field moves to the far turn,
Native Princess makes her move and quickly takes the lead.
Tammy Shanter takes up the chase from the second spot, (plays funeral dirge)
Lucy Girl fades to third.
After that, it's Snowbird, First Lady, Bold Dancer
and Ryan's Daughter seventh, but starting to move.
Here comes Ryan's Daughter from the back of the pack.
As the field turns for home,
Native Princess leads by one length.
Snowbird second, Ryan's Daughter on the outside, now third.
And down the stretch they come!
Native Princess is trying to hold on.
Ryan's Daughter flying on the outside.
It's a two-horse race to the wire!
Native Princess in front by a head.
Ryan's Daughter challenging.
It is stride for stride, Native Princess and Ryan's Daughter.
Here's the finish!
It's Ryan's Daughter, the winner by a nose!
Native Princess second. Far back, it's Snowbird third.
What a race! The long shot, Ryan's Daughter,
last on the backstretch, but up to win it...
I'll have your 20 grand tomorrow.
What's the line on Detroit?
There's no big payoff.
It's one-to-three.
I like big payoffs and little birdies.
So, I'm gonna put my money on the Orioles-- $20,000.
That's suicide, mister.
Boss, that's 60 thou.
You ain't got time to lay that off.
I've never refused a bet.
(ringing)
Yeah? Yeah, but how much you in for?
$75? Got ya.
(phone rings)
Yeah? Okay, T.J.
(tones play)
Horace!
Yeah, I got ya.
Horace, how in the heck do you use this thing?
(tones playing)
Put T.J. down for $50 for the Orioles.
You know, boss, someone's passing hunches.
Tell me something I don't know.
Look, it's 8:00.
You want to watch the game?
No. You gonna show me how to do this thing, will ya?
Well, look, you turn it on over here.
Yeah? Press the "clear.
Hurt pretty bad, huh, Tommy?
Philly, let's just say business has been better.
My business has never been better.
You always share your hunches
with the general public?
I like to spread the good word.
I like to make people happy.
I see happy people,
I'm happy. (laughing)
Son of a gun.
Horace,
get over here. Yo.
Well, if it ain't the walking public service message.
Horace,
Mr. Sunshine here, he remind you of someone?
I've been thinking he looks real familiar,
but I can't place the face.
Horace, try way, way back.
Maybe you remember Bill Lacey?
HORACE: Oh, yeah!
Sure, I, I remem...
So, you're Bill Lacey's kid, huh?
Nice box.
I like to box.
I like boxing.
I like Jorge Ramirez tonight at the Garden.
HORACE: Ramirez? He's an eight-to-one shot.
Ramirez, the Bold Avenger.
Very apropos.
You trying to put me out of business, kid. Huh?
I mean, the Bold Avenger's a long shot all right,
but you're so hot,
that I'm gonna cut your odds in half.
In addition, you're on rolling odds.
If you announce your choices,
the odds go down with the others.
You understand?
Now, maybe you wanna go to someone else.
Sounds like you're chickening out.
I've never turned down a bet, kid.
But those are the odds.
You're on.
How much?
You're looking at it.
I've gotta make a call.
You're not broken yet, are ya, Tommy?
You got a dime?
(man laughs)
Add it to the bet, Tommy.
60 grand and a dime.
Oh, I don't extend credit.
But that's your policy, right?
(musical tones play)
HORACE: It's a new technology.
Cratch!
No wonder Tommy had to go to the phone.
Guess I'm lucky.
I guess so.
That's one thing
you didn't get from your old man.
One thing Bill Lacey wasn't was lucky.
He was a nice guy, though.
That's another thing you didn't inherit from him neither.
He was a fool.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
You should respect the dead.
Yeah, he shouldn't be dead.
Tommy Vale should be dead.
Is that what you have in mind, kid?
There's ways of doing things,
and there's ways of doing things.
Listen, kid, I didn't kill Bill Lacey.
I didn't throw him off the bridge.
He took an easy way out of a bad situation.
You wouldn't see him a dime.
You had his back to the wall.
He put his back to the wall!
No one told him to bet over his head!
And I don't muscle no one.
You just have my money here tomorrow.
If you win.
You can't go wrong it seems.
You want to go on taking bets?
I told you I never turn away a bet.
That's my reputation. I stick with it.
Of course, I get to choose the odds,
and for you, the odds are getting shorter.
How about even money?
One for one.
Double or nothing.
Now you're talking, now you talk.
On your life.
(coughs)
I see.
The Bold Avenger.
What's the bet, kid?
I bet that you're dead by 8:00 tomorrow morning.
Well, that's easy.
Shoot me dead, take the money.
No...
At your autopsy,
the coroner will find you've died of natural causes.
That's fair.
I'm in good health.
You get your dough, and I'll bring mine.
You come back tonight, and we'll sit it out till morning.
Hey, boss, he ain't never lost a bet yet.
I know.
(electronic musical tones playing)
Horace, I'm touched at how well you're playing that thing.
Now, if I should lose the bet,
I want you to play at my funeral.
Oh, boss!
(laughing)
(laughing continues)
(wind whistling)
That guy gives me the creeps.
¶ ¶
I gave up cigars.
They can be hazardous to your health.
What are you doing?
I'm relaxing.
Ain't that okay?
The bet is, I won't die.
I'm allowed to sleep.
Look, I don't know about you guys,
but I'm gonna get some shut-eye.
Horace,
wake me up if I die.
He always sleeps sitting up.
(rhythmic beeping)
(steady electronic tone)
(rhythmic beeping)
(steady electronic tone)
(rhythmic beeping)
(steady electronic tone)
(snoring)
Boss, don't die.
Don't die, boss!
(chuckles)
Horace, get me some coffee.
You're still smiling.
You must know something I don't.
I know it's 7:55.
I still got five minutes.
That ain't much.
You should be sweating by now.
Five minutes.
I don't sweat the small stuff.
Well, you used to.
You used to sweat the small stuff.
And you choked on the big stuff.
And now you're gonna choke again,
when I don't die by 8:00.
You think I don't know who you are?
How you got here?
And how come you're so hot?
I knew you as soon as you walked in here, Bill Lacey.
Lacey's dead.
I went to his funeral.
That may be, but he's sitting right there.
And he's still a cheap little coward.
A cheat.
Still pulling cheap tricks,
trying to cheat me, trying to break me...
trying to be the big shot.
Oh, sure, he found out from the other side
when I was gonna croak.
And he took that inside dope and tried to make it pay.
It ain't 8:00, Tommy Vale.
You know, Lacey, you should never underestimate
the powers of the human will.
That's the one thing I learned
sitting in this seat for the last 30 years.
It's the doggonedest thing, the human will.
Either you've got it, or you don't.
You were a scared rabbit.
You're gonna be a scared rabbit again.
Leaving a wife with T.B.
and two little girls 'cause you were scared to face the music.
I lost everything.
You sure did, you dumb jerk.
And you're gonna lose it all again.
(rhythmic beeping)
(steady electronic tone)
(door opening)
(door closing)
Never underestimate the power of the human will.
Horace, quick, hand me the book.
The last will
and testament of Tommy Vale.
But, you beat the odds, boss.
You're alive.
That dumb jerk, Lacey.
He was always a loser, Horace.
You're a loser, Lacey!
My time has come, I know that.
My number's up.
But I made a monkey out of that guy, didn't I, Horace?
When you're up, remember to set the clock back.
He fell for the oldest trick in the book.
Setting the clock ahead.
(laughing)
This is good.
I'm gonna die laughing.
Come on, come on,
don't worry, pal.
I'm leaving plenty for you.
That is, if you promise me you'll play at my funeral.
And remember to set that back, too.
I particularly like the sound effects.
But the calculating...
Horace, I've still never been cheated
and never been broken.
I'm still the best.
Horace, get me a soak, will ya?
It's hot in here.
(chuckles)
(sobbing)
TOMMY: I'm gonna die laughing.
(rhythmic beeping)
(steady electronic tone)
Hey, boss.
Boss?
(calculator playing musical tones)
NARRATOR: The darkside is always there.
Waiting for us to enter.
Waiting to enter us.
Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.