Fame (1982) s01e06 Episode Script

Mr.
Martelli, did I say something to offend you? I just can't believe you're telling us we should be writing jingles.
You think you're too good for Cookie Snaps.
That's right.
She needs a whip and a chair.
"Higher! Faster! More! Again!" Can't you do anything right? You got big dreams.
You want fame.
Well, fame costs and right here is where you start paying in sweat.
- Good morning.
- Hi.
Wait! What are you doing out here? What, I need a permit to be in the hallway? I'm a teacher here.
I thought I saw you in there.
No, that's my alter ego.
She's getting ready for her midterm choreography exam.
- Coco? - Miss Hernandez, if you please.
How's she doing? I'm trying to give her as much space as possible.
- But from what I've seen- - Cut! She's got 'em listening to her, she got 'em working- - That's half the battle won when you're- - I quit, simple as that! Get yourself somebody else.
Is that so hard? 'Cause I quit! Leroy, you can't quit.
You better change the name of this number to "The Dance of the Invisible Man" - 'cause I'm not gonna be here.
- What are you, afraid of a little work? A little work? You call that in there a little work? Miss Grant this girl is giving this place a bad rep, I'm tellin' you.
You should've seen what she was doing in there! She needs a whip and a chair.
"Higher! Faster! More! Again!" Your honeymoon night is gonna be some kind of record breaker, baby.
You- Miss Grant, I'm not gonna- Keep me out of this.
You have to keep me out of this.
This is your project from start to finish.
That's the deal.
- That's what midterms are all about.
- Not when he's- Oh, no.
English-teaching person here.
Don't even try to get me involved.
Adios.
She's right, Coco.
Adios.
He stopped that kind of stuff you're doin' years ago.
Leroy, you quit this, and your midterm grade is gonna be zero.
You tryin' to tell me Miss Grant'd give me an F for that? That's right, as in "fail.
" - Are you still gonna quit? - I'm going to the bathroom.
Can I go to the bathroom? It's my constitutional right, ain't it? Just don't start without me.
So I said to him, "Puccini is good, but Martelli is better.
" And the guy tells me that he agrees.
Says he's heard everything that Martelli has written.
Pop, you gotta stop picking up weirdos.
If I stop picking up weirdos, I'm out of business.
Shouldn't you have finished that last night? Things sort of stack up around midterms.
Hope the homework is not the only thing that's stacking up.
Aunt Beatrice's baby is due in two weeks, right? Right, and she's waited a long time for this baby, Bruno.
Having a lullaby written by you- That'll be icing on the cake.
She'd be proud, I'd be proud- Icing on the cake.
Yeah.
When the baby is born, the lullaby will be finished.
I promise.
I will not forget.
- I forgot! - Forgot what? - Look, we gotta get back home.
- Why? I left the soldering gun on while I was fixing the synthesizer last night.
It's sitting on top of the console.
Seriously, we've gotta get back now.
All right.
I'll go back after I drop you off.
Isn't that a waste of time for you? Better a waste of time for me than a late slip for you.
Especially around midterms.
Whatever they are.
All right.
All right.
Look, I'm sorry.
It won't happen again.
Forget about it.
Doesn't take much to make me happy.
Just finish the lullaby for your Aunt Beatrice's baby.
Get good grades at school.
Get plenty of sleep.
Take care of your health.
Pick your friends carefully.
Don't fall in with a bad crowd.
- Pop! - Brush after every meal.
Have a concert at Lincoln Center before I'm too old to appreciate it.
Vote Democratic except in emergencies and don't go swimming right after a heavy meal.
What about clean underwear? I'm just getting to that.
There you are.
How's he ever remember what's what? I can hardly handle a stick shift, and look at all of this.
Five minutes.
What's it gonna hurt? This is great.
Kid'd laugh himself to death if he ever saw me now.
This thing's burning.
I unplugged the wrong cord.
Five minutes.
What could it hurt? Reporting for duty! - What are you talking about? - I made the group.
I made the group that's backing you up for midterms! All right! You better be good, 'cause I'm gonna be fantastic.
Wait.
Who said that you're part of the group? Bruno.
He just told me two seconds ago.
He said that Shorofsky put me on the list.
Listen.
I don't really know if you're good casting for this.
Do you know what I mean? No, I don't know what you mean.
Maybe I better talk to Shorofsky about it.
Maybe you better talk toJulie Miller, and right now.
Don't get loud with me! Don't you think my music is good enough? Your music has nothing to do with this.
That's what I was chosen for- my music.
If that has nothing to do with it, then what has? I'm just gonna talk to Shorofsky.
- What's the matter with her? - Look, don't even pay her no mind.
I promise you.
If she kicks you out of here her lead dancer'll come down with a case of the tutu flu she won't even believe.
Know that I'm okay before you turn around.
Pop, what happened? I have a small bump, a slight burn, a tiny sprain.
No big deal.
You were in an accident.
Not behind the wheel.
I'm too good a driver.
Now, what are you gonna do after school? I was gonna help Danny and Doris with a midterm number.
- Rehearse, like? - Yeah.
- Where? - At the house.
Will you tell me what happened to you? - You shouldn't rehearse at the house.
- Why not? You had to be there.
Could someone tell me why I'm here? We're here to help Bruno buy a new synthesizer.
I don't need help, and I don't need a new synthesizer.
- Bruno, I wrecked the old one.
- Pop- Bruno, guilt is to a parent as fertilizer is to flowers.
- Fertilizer.
Right.
- I still don't know why I'm here.
Okay, kid.
Have yourself a field day.
- All right! - This is nice.
Yo! Can I get a salesman out here? Yeah, yeah.
Hi.
What can I do for you today? What have you got in the way of synthesizers? Everything.
What price range we talking about? - Money's no object.
- Yes, it is.
No, it's not.
Show us your best.
Okay.
I got a really great item for you.
It's very, very hot.
Everyone's buying it.
This one.
Top of the line.
This one features a built-in chorus and a digital sequencer.
I don't need a digital sequencer.
Yes, he does.
Will you listen to the man? Here.
Why don't you sit down and give it a try, okay? Come on.
Could you quiet the place down for a few minutes? Sorry, man.
There's nothing I can do.
Give the kid a break.
This thing's amazing! It's not the machine.
Pop, this is too expensive.
I don't want to hear another word about how much it costs.
Granted, it was a little more than I expected.
But it was worth every penny, and you saw the terms they gave me.
I could have the whole thing paid off in three months.
I just have to put a little extra work in.
- I'm gonna get a part-time job.
- That's not funny! I wasn't joking.
I gotta help you pay for this thing.
- What're you tryin' to do to me? - Look, you're working too hard.
I'm not gonna sit by and watch you work yourself to an early grave.
I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's out of the question.
I will not let you take time from your music to earn a couple of bucks.
What's the rush? Nobody's out there waiting for it.
- Yes, there is! - Who? Me! And your Aunt Beatrice's new baby, whenever it gets here.
Look, conversation is over.
There'll be no part-time job.
In my house, I make the money, you make the music.
Help me get this place cleaned up so I can drop you at school so I can start paying for it.
Girl, what you doin' in here? - You stealin' steps? - No, I'm just- I know.
I know.
You want to kick me out so you can rehearse, right? I'm going.
I'm leaving.
I'm leaving.
Well, no.
I wanted to ask you a question.
Okay.
I'm listening.
You said I was in charge of this dance number, right? Right.
Well, I want to get rid of one of the musicians assigned to us.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Calm down.
Come back.
What I said was you're in charge of the dancers.
The musicians- That's Mr.
Shorofsky's department.
Darling, he's very protective of his people.
Very protective? When it comes to his students, he's a teddy bear with teeth.
Why do you want to replace somebody? You get somebody off the B-list? No, that's not it.
Well, what is it then? And who do you want to replace? What's the point of telling you if I can't replace her? Well, of the musicians assigned to this project, only one of them is a girl so you don't have to bother telling me who anymore.
But I'd be real interested to know why.
You'd laugh.
Well, child, if I laugh at your reason, how good a reason could it be? All right.
Just forget it then.
Just forget it.
Mozart was a world-renowned celebrity by the time he was six years old.
He had gifts and praise heaped upon him wherever he went.
But unfortunately, the notoriety and riches that Mozart knew as a child completely escaped him as an adult.
In the end, Mozart died penniless and was buried in a pauper's grave.
Mr.
Shorofsky, are you saying that Mozart wasn't paid for all those symphonies and operas he wrote? At that time in Austria composers were hired and fired by one man- the archbishop.
If he didn't like you- and he hated Mozart- he made life very miserable.
What a jerk.
Too bad they didn't have commercials back then.
Mozart could've cleaned up writing jingles.
Now, I hope you all appreciate the times you live in.
You can finance your great American symphonies by dreaming up some music for Cookie Snaps.
What is he talking about? Mr.
Martelli, did I say something to offend you? I just can't believe you're telling us we should be writing jingles.
You think you're too good for Cookie Snaps.
That's right.
Mr.
Martelli, let me get two things straight.
Number one, I didn't tell you to go write jingles.
I was only pointing out that they happen to be available as a means for earning a living.
And number two, you're not too good for Cookie Snaps.
I've taught many gifted students who have moonlighted in commercial jingles.
I'm not putting this musical genre up on an artistic pedestal but I'm not putting it down either.
In fact, I'm somewhat relieved to know that a person with talent can live a decent life and not experience the humiliation and degradation that Mozart suffered.
There is no glory in begging.
That's beautiful.
Can't you do anything right? Hey, come on.
Just start again.
Start again.
All right.
Let's take it from the top again.
Same place.
Same place.
Come on.
Okay.
I didn't do anything.
That was you this time, Miss Coco.
Don't try it.
Listen, it's not my fault.
Can we get it right this time? What kind of a dance are they doing? At the moment, none.
Mr.
Shorofsky would like to see the dance from the top, if you don't mind.
- What for? It's not gonna work.
- Why not? I guess that's why not.
Danny, rehearsal after school today? Maybe.
If you're lucky.
I thought you were allowed to make mistakes during rehearsals.
I mean, what are rehearsals for? Look, don't snap at me.
It's not me.
Miss Coco "Perfection" Hernandez is in charge here.
But she doesn't seem to be coming down on anyone but me.
Do you think I'm just being paranoid? Even paranoids have enemies.
How do normal folks say that word? - Paranoid? - Yeah.
When you think people are against you when they're really not.
When you think you have enemies for no reason.
Then relax, girl.
Don't be paranoid.
Coco's on your case for a fact.
- But I don't know why.
- That's easy.
There's nothing I like more than the person who wasn't even there coming up with all the answers- the easy answers.
Listen.
We all get bent about different things.
We all have a button that can be pushed.
With you, it's dancing.
With you, it's the cello.
When people put those things down, you get ticked off about it.
Okay, okay.
So what's that button with Coco? What does it have to do with me? With Coco, it's astrology and I'll lay you 1 0-to-1 that you're the wrong sign.
She's right.
I mean, that sounds about dippy enough to be correct.
I mean, face it.
It takes a flake to spot a flake.
- Congratulations, Doris.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, darlin'.
- Wait.
So what am I supposed to do? I can't change when I was born.
I just point out the problems.
I don't do solutions.
You'll live, baby.
They don't want any comics.
I already checked.
Any ads for electronic synthesizer players? If there were, it'd probably be for a Cookie Snap commercial.
You had to be there.
- If you really want a job- - Doing what? Playing the accordion.
You know how to play the accordion, right? First instrument I ever learned.
Then look at this.
"Accordion player wanted for world-renowned Morrie Goldman Dance Band.
Forty years in the business.
Tryouts required.
" Let me see that.
You're welcome.
Anytime.
Hello.
You've reached the Morrie Goldman Band Agency.
We're not in right now, but if you leave your name and number and the time you called we'll see that Mr.
Goldman gets right back to you.
Here comes that nasty tone.
Hello.
My name is Bruno Martelli and I'm calling about the position at accordion in your band.
My number is- I can't really give you my number.
It's none of your business.
My name is Martelli, and I'm coming down tomorrow about a job with your band, period.
Have a nice- day.
Where'd it go? Bloody accordion.
Let me see.
Over here.
Yo! Down here! Not to worry.
Just a precaution.
Pop! Just a little whiplash.
No big deal.
What happened? I was coming to the line at Kennedy, and my foot slipped off the brake.
I guess I might've nodded off there a second or two.
You fell asleep at the wheel? I nodded off for a second there.
No big deal.
How long you supposed to wear that thing? - Three, four days.
No big- - No big deal.
I know.
Look, Pop, you're working too hard.
A person works hard when they get nothing back for their work.
I get back.
Got no complaints.
- Well, I've got a complaint.
- What? I'm worried about you- about your health.
Look.
I'd rather compose with wax paper and a comb and have you around than have this whole setup and not have you here to share it.
- I'd also like to know why you- - Why what? Other kids at school-They have parents who want them to succeed and they work hard to help their kids.
But you-you're hyper.
How come? Bruno, the one thing about driving a cab is you can get just so good at it.
There's good cab drivers, bad cab drivers- no great cab drivers.
I'm a so-so piano player.
I can carry a tune singing.
The only thing I can be great at is being your father.
That's what I'm shooting for.
But maybe I'm overdoing it a bit.
A bit.
Morrie Goldman Band Agency.
Be with you in a second.
Yes, can I help you? Oh, yes, of course we do children's parties.
How old will she be? Five.
Well, then I'd recommend what we call the Spaniel Special.
All the band members wear cute little hats with long, floppy ears.
The children love it.
You call us back after you've talked to little Patty Lynn and let us know.
Right.
- You're Martelli.
- Yeah.
How'd you know? I had two messages on the machine yesterday.
You don't look like a stripping xylophonist named Tempest so you must be an accordion player named Martelli.
Yep.
That's me.
What's your suit size? You about a 36 regular? - Yeah, something like that.
Why? - Well, that's what Benny was.
Be senseless to throw out the suit just because he choked to death on a chicken croquette.
Benny is the reason why there's an opening in the band.
I'm Minnie Goldman.
You play that thing in there, you got yourself a job.
I gotta warn you.
I'm not one for wearing hats with long, floppy ears.
We never have accordion players at children's parties.
The kids always think there's something trapped in there trying to get out.
Trapped.
Okay.
After I audition for you will I have to audition for Mr.
Goldman? If you want to audition for Mr.
Goldman, you have to hold a séance.
He's been gone eight years now.
That's Morrie there- the picture above the penguins.
Taken at Leone's, 1 948.
The Donato wedding.
He had a mustache back then.
What a devil with the ladies he was.
Next to him there, that's Fast Eddie Needleman.
He sat in with Louis Armstrong once.
Never let ya forget it.
And next to him there, that's little Benny Davis prince of the polka.
We all had a good time for a lot of years.
What would you like me to play? Anything but "Lady of Spain.
" We are not supposed to butt in.
This is the kids'dance project.
What kind of a dance without a choreographer? Mr.
Johnson, where is Miss Hernandez? I don't know.
I'm not her keeper.
This is your midterm.
Don't you care about it? Sure I care.
But there's other dancers in the school who could put this together.
That's pretty cold-blooded, Leroy.
I thought you and Coco were friends.
Yeah, well, me and the old Coco was friends.
I don't even know this new one, and I'm not sure I wanna.
- What's he talking about? - I don't know.
But just give me some time, Mr.
Shorofsky.
I'll find out.
The time is not mine to give.
Midterms are midterms.
If this group is ready, whoopee.
If they're not ready, that's too bad.
The amount of time is not gonna change.
Good luck.
All right.
I'm gonna ask about three questions, and I want some answers.
Now, Julie, I know there's something going on between you and Coco.
What is it? Is it some kind of personal thing, some kind of argument? No.
Not the way you mean.
Well, what is it then? Is it some kind of prejudice thing? Not exactly.
All right.
Do you think you have the skill and talent to be a part of this project? - Yes! - Well, so does Mr.
Shorofsky.
And in this school, skill and talent are the only things any student is ever gonna be judged on.
I don't know what kind of trash is getting in the way here but you all better clean it up and clean it up fast.
Exit.
It is Coco, isn't it? Yeah.
I wasn't sure.
The Coco I know usually barges right in.
Well, maybe this isn't the Coco you know.
Well come on in anyway.
Come on.
Do you believe in astrology? But I know that you do.
Yeah, I do.
Bad horoscope? I'm not making fun of you.
Okay.
Can I talk to you about some stuff I believe? - I think it's absolutely ridiculous.
- Not to Coco.
I'm sure there are musicians and dancers who disagree, as well as some teachers.
None of that is important.
What's important is that we help Coco resolve this thing.
Before midterms, I hope.
Elizabeth, if you're gonna cater to this kind of nonsense- This isn't catering.
This is acknowledging her feelings.
Oh, no.
Thank you.
Where's your monkey and the tin cup? What are you dressed for? I don't suppose you'd believe a school concert.
Not at 5:00 Saturday afternoon.
Come on, Bruno.
What? - What's that? - It's Grandpa's accordion.
I can see that, but what are you doing with it? I was just going out for a while.
Bruno, what's going on? - I'm going to work.
- Work? What kind of a job is it? A dance band.
You playing for who? Moose lodges, Elks? - Yeah, among other places.
- I don't believe it.
Whether you believe it or not, I've got to get going.
You haven't exactly been leveling with me, have you? I'm only trying to help.
Bruno, you dressing like this- That's not helping.
You staying away from your music- That's not helping.
I don't want you to take this job.
I gotta go.
I gave her my word.
You give your word to strangers, and you lie to your old man.
Kids.
Basically, a dramatist has two major responsibilities.
Number one, to write a line that makes sense and number two, to write a next line that makes sense.
Now, this is a little bit difficult when you stop to consider all the different things that next line can say.
I'm going to try an experiment.
I'm going to read you a few lines from a play and then I want you to think about what the next line should be.
Don't try to guess what the author wrote.
Just think about what you would write.
Remember, I'm not an acting teacher.
"Ben, angrily- 'This family's home is a proud one.
We're special people.
' Joseph- 'Not true.
Not for me.
I'm as average as they come.
' Ben- 'You're my son.
That makes you special.
"' Yeah, yeah.
All right.
Now, who wants to write the next line? Well, when the father says, "We're special" I'd say, "Dad, you're adopted.
" No, I don't think the character would say that.
Doris Schwartz would say that.
Hey, I'm a comedy writer.
Do we have any dramatists here? No hands? All right.
I'll pick someone.
Since I don't plan on ever writing a play you should really pick on someone else.
I will.
Soon as you are done.
And you take the toothpick out of your mouth.
I guess I'd have the son tell his father to take his goldfish out for a walk.
Why would you have him say that? He sounds like a typical father you know, treating his son like he doesn't have the right to his own feelings.
Okay.
Good.
I'd haveJoseph turn to his father and say "You know, I'm sorry, Dad.
You're right.
We're not a dime a dozen.
But we're not just father and son either.
We're friends and friends are so important to each other even when they're a royal pain.
" Go on, Julie.
You know, Joseph is lucky.
He has his father right there with him and some people don't and they really depend on their friends.
If there's a hassle, these kind of friends- they ought to work it out.
They have to talk about it.
They can't just ignore each other.
People, there'll be a quiz tomorrow.
Bring workbooks and plenty of pencils.
It's an essay question.
- Coco.
- Yeah? Here.
The new astrology book.
I've heard about this.
Where did you get it? A little place in the village on Jane Street.
I underlined a passage on page 1 25 I think you ought to read.
"Above all, allow nothing, not even your stars to rule your better judgment.
" Why did you buy this for me? Well, I'm not a big football fan either but if I could get a friend into the Super Bowl, I think I would.
But you still think astrology's a lot of mumbo jumbo- magic.
I don't know about what you call mumbo jumbo but there is a kind of magic I believe in.
I believe in it very deeply and I've seen it happen around here more than once.
It's the magic of you kids onstage.
I've seen someone plain become beautiful.
I've seen grace bestowed on a klutz.
I've seen you, barely a hundred pounds grow and fill an auditorium seating hundreds.
I can believe in that kind of magic forever.
All right, Miss Hernandez.
We're ready.
Our dance is the Mozartean with music by Mozart, of course.
The Sonata Number 1 5 in C major was arranged for us by Mr.
Bruno Martelli.
And one, two- - You can do it.
- I can't.
- Yes, you can.
- I can't.
- Will you try it again? - Yes, I'll try.
- That hurts my finger.
- I'm sorry.
- Okay.
- This time, you be the man.
Okay.
Where's my kid? I said, where's my kid? - Upstairs in the dance room.
- Thanks.
You can't go up there.
They're having midterms.
You can't go up there! I knew you wouldn't be home for a while and I didn't want you to find out by a note, so- Hi there.
What is it you didn't want Bruno to find out from a note, Mr.
Martelli? You sure it's okay if I interrupt? It's fine.
Your Aunt Beatrice had the baby.
Little girl.
Named it Angela.
She had a rough time of it.
She's okay, but she'll be in the hospital till the end of the week.
You'll have more time on doing the lullaby.
It's done.
It's done? Even with the band job? Even with the band job.
Well, let me hear it.
Come on.
Yeah.
Why don't we all hear it? - I'd like to hear it.
- Yeah.
Come on.
Mr.
Martelli, the baby was born today? Hey, Coco, what sign does that make her? Capricorn.
They're real strong too.
Kids.