20 Million Sweethearts (Warner Bros.) (1934)

(SCENE II—Ten Minutes) NARRATOR: Rush sells Buady’s car—without the kid knowit—brings him to New York— takes a swanky Ritz suite braves the irate president of Consolidated Broadcasting and gets an audition. He insists that Buddy sing in falsetto and the try-out is a flop. Peggy, a successful radio singer, pities the boy and becomes chummy with him. We now see Rush and Buddy in cheaper rooms. Buddy is standing disconsolately at the window looking out at the tall buildings and the lights. Rush who has just gone out, hurries back in. Buddy wonders what’s up: BUDDY: (as door bursts open) Oh, hello, Rush—I thought you had gone out. RUSH: I did, but I came back. Yes sir, boy—the cat came back! BUDDY: (very blue) Tell me the truth, Rush. I was a flop, wasn't I? RUSH: (squirming) Well—you see— BUDDY: Don’t beat around the bush—let’s have it straight. RUSH: Well, to tell the truth, my boy—you did lay an egg! BUDDY: I thought so. RUSH: But don’t let it get you, kid—I’ve had flops before! —lI’ve seen ’em come from the sticks and lay so many eggs—lI thought I was in the poultry business! And after that they like as not got to be big stars! You wait, kid! 1 gotta perfect honey of an idea! Wait till I tell the agents about it! BUDDY: (evidently pleased) Well, look down there, who’s coming! RUSH: Whatta you know? How’d she ever find where we’d moved to. Swell kid, Peg! BUDDY: I'll say she is. RUSH: And she’s FOR ya, boy —hbetter believe she is! Ill let you do the honors. I gotta get some 0’ my old radio dope out of my trunk! You gotta show ’em, boy—(off) Gotta show ’em (door closes as there is light rapping on hall door—Buddy hurries to open it) BUDDY: Why, hello, Peggy! Gee, it’s swell to see you! PEGGY: Hi, Buddy! What happened to the Ritz suite! The good old Rush technique again! Start at the top and work down! BUDDY: (kidding) We got tired of the Ritz—Too much service. PEGGY: How’d they happen to let you get away? BUDDY: We left my bags. PEGGY: I see—WE left MY bags. Rush supplied the conversation, I gather! BUDDY: That manager NEEDED conversation! PEGGY: Well, you're all right here. Got a real piano and everything! BUDDY: Tinpanny old contrapshun—(touches keys) PEGGY: Drown it with your voice! That wasn’t really your voice—at the studio, that squeaky thing! Who ever made you sing like that? Rush, of course! Sing something! Not your ‘Flying Trapeze! Go on! Anything! And be yourself! BUDDY: For you I’d—(fingers run across the keys in flourish) PEGGY: Forget about me—It’s you, you need to be thinking about—One flop doesn’t necessarily mean anything! Well— I’m a-listenin’! BUDDY: (singing dreamily) “All my life I’ve waited for an Angel,” etc. (The song is “I'll String Along With You” from the picture. Peggy’s soprano joins in the chorus—and in the last line Rush, coming breezily from the bedroom, joins) RUSH: (singing with them) “So until the day that one comes along—T’ll string along with you” —How’d you like our new quarters, Peg?—Only temporary— thought it better to conserve our eash until we get set. Excuse me again, will you,—Got a dinner date with the Shuberts (off) and I gotta wash up! (sound of door shutting) PEGGY: I loved that song, Buddy—treally! Just one more and then let’s go out and get something to eat! BUDDY: That'd be—oh but you go ahead, Peggy—lI’m not very hungry—I— PEGGY: Well—anyway you can come along and sit with ms. I don’t like to seat alone— BUDDY: (uncomfortably) I’d like to, Peggy—but— PEGGY: No excuses. One more ditty—and then—What’s .that one? BUDDY: “What Are Your Intentions’’— PEGGY: Rather personal on such short acquaintance—aren’t you, Mr. Clayton?—Well—don’t be coaxed— ; BUDDY: (Sings “What Are Your Intentions,” from the picture—as it ends he speaks as if some idea has suddenly struck him) Pardon me, Peggy, will you, just a moment (off) I: want to see Rush about something—(door opens) PEGGY: Why, surely, I’ll entertain myself (door shuts, she touches keys lightly playing the air of “Out For No Good’—background for scene between Buddy and Rush—) BUDDY: (in eager, low tones) Say, Rush—Peggy wants me to go out with her and have a bite —and I—well, you know! How about a couple of bucks? RUSH: Sure! Ah—(his mind working quickly) — I— ah—left my money in my coat. Wait here, willya, kid! BUDDY: Bet your life I'll wait. RUSH: I’ll be back in a— (door opens and shuts) PEGGY: (with final light tinkling of the piano keys) Morning, Rush— RUSH: (low, confidential tones) Morning, sweetheart, howya fixed for cash— PEGGY: I’ve still got a little. RUSH: How about a fiver— for a couple days? PEGGY: (snap of purse) Here you are. opening RUSH: Thanks—oh—one bill —you—ah—haven’t got five ones, have you! PEGGY: I don’t know—wait till I look—yes—here. RUSH: Thanks again. You're an angel, Peg—I’l] keep track of this. PEGGY: That’s all right. Oh, by the way—anything in sight for Buddy?— RUSH: IN SIGHT! girl—that boy is gonna— Listen, PEGGY: (breaking in) You don’t have to make any predictions, Rush—just the plain unvarnished truth will do!— RUSH: (a trifle sadly, for him) As sorry as I am to say it, Peg, I’m forced to admit that the entertainment world is presenting a united front against “Blake-Clayton, Ltd.”—At the present moment that is. (voice fading but still confidential) But in the words of another great American—‘I’ve just begun to fight!” (door opens and shuts) PEGGY: (again running over “Out For No Good” and singing few bars lightly) “What’s that twinkle in your eye? Did I hear you heave a sigh? What’s it all about and why? (fading) What are you up to?”— RUSH: (to Buddy—the bigguy again—low tones) Here’s two bucks, kid. Make it last now. We’re running pretty low! BUDDY: (delighted) Thanks, Rush. See you later (door opens and shuts) Sorry I kept «you waiting, Peggy—I had some business to talk over with Rush— where do you want to eat? PEGGY: Any name it— BUDDY: Now I come to think of it—I believe I am hungry— Let’s go—(door opens) PEGGY: Okay. (door bangs) BUDDY: Boy, it’s a grand night, isn’t it— PEGGY: Swell. There’s a little place I know— BUDDY: Yes? Lead me to it! PEGGY: (breaking in) Y’know, I like little restaurant, little hotels, and little things in general— BUDDY: So do I—TI like little pig sausages and— PEGGY: How women? BUDDY: Lemme look! No! 1 like medium-sized women—and medium well-done steaks—with hashed brown potatoes and— PEGGY: Your mind seems to run to food. BUDDY: It has for the last ecuple of days—so let’s splurge. PEGGY: young man. place. You about little Youwre a_ reckless BUDDY: It’s the gypsy in me. My great-great-grandfather was a pirate. PEGGY: Oh! BUDDY: (suddenly) What I can’t understand is why a girl like you isn’t dining and wining at the Waldorf, with some young blue-blood holding your hand under the table. PEGGY: The only blue-bloods I ever met, wanted to hold both hands, and not under the. table either. BUDDY: The dogs! PEGGY: Depressing, isn’t it? BUDDY: It’s got me down. Say, where’s that little restaurant you spoke about—we—we could take a taxi—if it isn’t too far— PEGGY: Here we are now. BUDDY: WHAT! This skyscraper! PEGGY: It’s where I live. BUDDY: No kiddin’. PEGGY: Let’s go on up. Helga ean find plenty in the frigidaire -—Good idea? BUDDY: The idea’s not only good, but reasonable. PEGGY: It seems’ so to me. It’s on the roof—(door opening) BUDDY: Not A Penthouse?— well—well! PEGGY: Here’s the elevator now—(click of starter’s clicker —doors of elevator closing—purr of ascending ear) BUDDY: (to make talk) There isn’t much to do in New xork when you're broke, is there? PEGGY: (knowing more than ‘she pretends to know) Are you bored? BUDDY: No (laughs) I was afraid you might be. PEGGY: (as car stops) Here we are—(door opening and closing) BUDDY: (thrilled at the view) BOY—What a view of the City—Lights—lights—must be a billion lights— PEGGY: You like it? (off)— Excuse me till I parley with Helga about food! BUDDY: (alone, still overcome) Boy, oh boy—what a view— Peggy (off, calling back) Just as quickly as you can, Helga— ‘Well, Mr. Clayton! BUDDY: Peggy! PEGGY: (innocently) Yes? BUDDY: Would you mind if Pes ae PEGGY: If you what? BUDDY: Would you mind if 1 told you I was rapidly going nuts about you—? PEGGY: I don’t think so. BUDDY: Supposing I wanted to make love to you? PEGGY: Your great-greatgrandfather would never have just WANTED to do something! BUDDY: Peggy — (pause — SHOW!—AND THE BEST YET! then in muffled tones) Peggy— PEGGY: (kiddingly) Ah, you Westerners! BUDDY: (meaning it terribly) Ah, you Easterners! PEGGY: (being honest about it) Truth to tell—I hail from Carson City, Nevada. BUDDY: And me—I was born in Waterville, Maine. PEGGY: Ah, you Easterners— BUDDY: Ah, you Westerners— PEGGY: (pause) Heavens, Buddy—enough’s enough of anything— BUDDY: Except this! PEGGY: Do you still think youre boring me? BUDDY: Am I—? (in muffled tones) PEGGY: Do you know, Buddy, yowre awfully amusing— BUDDY: Oh, so you're laughing at me, are: you— PEGGY: Not exactly— BUDDY: (sings “Out For No Good” musical background) Then —‘What’s that twinkle in your eye? Did I hear you heave a sigh? What’s it all about and why? What are you up to?” (and so on, fading to voice of narrator) NARRATOR: And this, friends is but a glimpse of the many gay twists of “20,000,000 Sweethearts.” Did Buddy get to be the Romeo of the Air? Did Rush come back with a bang? What part did pretty Peggy have in the thrilling working out of it all! If you don’t come out of the 2S tramd sane teen tenga. next Fick MO ES humming the tunes and feeling that the world’s a good place to live in—we miss our guess! Till then—good bye and GOOD. LUCK. THE END (Publicity For Radio Broadcast) High School Actors Will Broadcast Film Success **20 Million Sweethearts” To Be Played Over Air From Station WPQ Friday Night Talented pupils of the SEE TOG cise he High School will make their radio dramatic debut on...........0....000..0.8. ; when a group of selected amateur thespians will broadcast the First National musical hit over Station WPQ at .............. ‘‘90 Million Sweethearts’’ o’cloek. ‘*20 Million Sweethearts,’’ which deals with the lives and loves of radio performers, lends itself particularly well to broadcasting, and the song hits, made famous by Dick Powell and Ginger Rogers, will not suffer by the rendition of the high school vocalists. React ee will be heard as Pat O’Brien, the radio talent scout who is a real “trouble CATTYOLS ISS = oa ee will enact the part of Ginger ROPOTS and err ec Sersts easton eae will have the role of Buddy Clayton, taken in the screen play by Dick Powell. Others who will have important parts are (Insert names of pupils and roles taken). Musie will be furnished by the WPQ orchestra under the leadership: of: jassaqeseoa (or, ELE STUO OF CU OS LLtt 9 f0e: tr pack acna see will be at the piano). The pupils have been trained Dis MISS 9b yarcccoes.. aan peace : teacher of dramatics at the High School. **20 Million Sweethearts,” which opens at the .............0.... Phiestre son wast i contains five outstanding song hits of the year, in addition to a revival of the ancient lament “The Man on the Flying Trapeze”’ which will also be broadcast. The fifteen minute radio adaptation of the musical contains the highlights of the film play, which is filled with screamingly funny situations as well as moments of tense dramatic interest. WPQ broadeasts on a fre GReNey Ol 3a: and the sketch will go on the air at? éxactly=....2.25. o’clock, East ern Standard Time. Arrangements to see the broadcast may be made through WPQ. The actors will be the guests Ofer ee stare sane , Manager of Orc. ence eae theatre, on atasg eae when “20 Million Sweethearts” will be shown. Page Twenty-one