Once Upon A Time In America Script IV a

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- To the hottest newcomer...

...in American unions, Jimmy Conway.

- Now you're talking.

Roll out the barrel.

- And God bless.

- Drink up, Jim. Suck it right down.

You must be crazy giving him drinks.

We're going to operate.

What's the rush? They already told me

I'd be a gimp the rest of my life.

Don't worry, with one leg a little shy,

you're gonna take giant steps.

Yeah. And always one step

right behind you, Sharkey?

Make sure they work on

the right leg, Jim.

It's only blood, huh?

You boys got yourself a real martyr

for a friend. Make it work for you.

Yeah, but what are we going

to do with a martyr?

Times change. Prohibition won't

last much longer. Take it from me...

...a lot of you will be out of work.

- Go on, Mr. Sharkey. We're interested.

You ever think of setting

yourselves up in business?

All those trucks used to haul liquor,

soon be selling them for nothing.

I'm talking about hundreds of vehicles

controlled by a national organization.

And supported by a powerful union

headed by Jimmy.

Whatever you ask,

there's no way he can turn you down.

You gotta be kidding, Sharkey.

Jimmy "Clean Hands"

in business with us?

They won't be clean for long,

with the hands he'll shake.

Everything in good time.

- We're not interested.

- What's the matter, you got a problem?

We got plenty of money tucked away.

Why not invest it?

I'll put the party behind you.

And I got friends in high places.

I'm not interested,

and I don't trust politicians.

You still think

like some street schmuck.

If we'd listened to you,

we'd still be rolling drunks.

- You broke?

- Don't bust my balls.

I am talking about real money.      

This is real money to me. It's a lot

of money. You want any of it?

- You carry that stink of the street.

- I like that. It makes me feel good.

I like the smell of it.

It opens up my lungs.

And it gives me a hard-on.

You're carrying dead weight, Maxie.

One of these days,

you're gonna have to dump it.

Let me know

when you're gonna dump me.

Meanwhile, I'll be in Florida.

I got a yen for the seashore.

Listen, I was thinking it over...

...and I guess I kind of got a yen

for the seashore myself.

You wanna go swimming?

Yeah. Yeah, let's go for a swim.

Read all about it!

Read all about it!

Hey, Maxie.

Max.

How much money we got put away?

Why?

Because we're unemployed.

About a million bucks.

- Oh, yeah? Where'd you put it?

- In my underwear.

I'd have found it there.

We gotta reorganize, Max.

And I got a couple of good ideas.

Me too.

If I had a million bucks,

I'd take it easy.

We'll take it easy when we got   .

- Fifty.

- Where you gonna get that?

Right here.

What's that?

It's a dream.

A dream I've been dreaming

all my life.

I swear to God, you and me together,

we can make it come true.

What is it?

The Federal Reserve Bank.

It's the biggest step

we can take, Noodles.

You're really crazy.

Don't you ever say that to me.

Don't ever say that to me again!

What chance is there that a crazy

thing like this might succeed?

Don't ask me, ask Max.

You know as well as I do that this is

suicide, pure and simple, for everyone.

Yeah, well, don't tell me, tell him.

You got your own methods.

I tried.

He doesn't want to screw anymore.

All he thinks about is this job.

Tear gas, hostages,

now he's gonna do this.

He's gonna do it with or without you.

Noodles, we've never liked each other.

We put up with each other for Max.

So why don't we get together once...

...and do something for him.

And after that...

...we can go back to being enemies.

You know,

if you were all in jail first...

...there wouldn't be any bank job.

I got the idea from your friend Max.

What do you mean?

He laughs at you. He makes fun of you.

He says Eve has got you by the balls.

Every time you walk past this place,

you shit in your pants.

You'd do anything for the cops to pick

you up so you wouldn't have to do this.

Well, then do it.

Do it. Put him in jail.

Put him in jail. Not long.

Just long enough so he can get

the idea out of his mind.

If you can't stand being away

from him, put yourself there too.

Better off than being dead.

You know what to do.

And if you don't, I will.

Get out!

Take a cab. I'm busy.

I got things to do. Get out.

Noodles.

Make up your mind fast, huh?

What's the matter?

Aren't you having a good time?

Why are you going out tonight?

Why bother now that prohibition

is almost over?

Everybody's selling. We got friends

who wanna get rid of booze.

Practically nothing.

So we figured, why not.

I'm gonna be gone for a while.

I'll be waiting at the hotel.

I like it when you come home

late and wake me up.

I'm not gonna be home tonight.

I'm not gonna be home tomorrow either.

I thought these things

only take a couple of hours.

Ladies and gents, I drink to the demise

of Fat Moe's speakeasy.

Who the hell wants to drink

here legally anyway, am I right?

Okay. Come on, Moe, set them up.

Go on, get in there.

Here's mud in your eye.

Boys.

Let's drink to our last shipment.

There's more onboard

tonight than just booze.      

It's    years of our lives. Ten years

that were really worth living.

Yeah.

Noodles.

Noodles.

- L 'Chaim.

- L 'Chaim.

How long will I have to wait?

A year and a half, more or less.

Six months off for good behavior.

- What are you gonna do?

- Don't ask.

Operator.

Police, please.

Fifth Precinct. Sergeant Halloran.

Hello.

Who 's speaking? Can I help you?

Hello.

I got a good tip for you.

- Yeah, who is it?

- It's Max. Open the door.

- What's the matter with you? You sick?

- No, I'm fine.

You don't look it.

Maybe you'd better

stay home tonight, huh?

Why?

You know, I've been

watching you all night.

And you've been drinking like a fish.

Trying to get your courage up?

We're only bringing in

a shipment of booze.

It's got so you're even

scared to do that.

Maybe you just better

stay home tonight.

With Eve.

Hey, Maxie, everywhere you go,

I go too. Remember that.

Maybe Sharkey was right.

Maybe I ought to just dump you.

- You're really crazy.

- Never say that.

Don't say it!

Max made fools of us, Noodles.

He wanted to die.

Did you know his old man

died in the nut house?

Max didn't want to

end up the same way.

So he put the idea

in our heads to tip off the cops.

And when they stopped the truck,

Max started shooting first...

...just to get himself killed.

What is this?

Opening night.

Fifteen years ago.

Who's this?

Patron saint of the place.

And some actress.

Do you know her?

No.

Hello, Deborah.

Aren't you gonna say anything?

What is someone

supposed to say after...

...more than    years.

Well, how about, "How you doing?

You're looking good."

Or, "I was hoping I'd never

see you again."

I never thought I would.

There's a difference.

At least you recognized me,

that's something.

Actresses have good memories.

You want a drink?

I'm having one.

Margo.

- Yes, miss?

- That's all for now. You can go.

All right, miss.

She called you "miss."

You never got married?

No.

You live alone?

No.

Where were you?

I was out of town.

Have you been back long?

A couple of days.

Are you staying?

That depends.

Why do you want to see me?

Two reasons.

Wanted to see if you did the right thing,

turning me down to become an actress.

Well?

You did. You're terrific.

"Age cannot wither her."

It's like the play

was written for you.

What was the other reason?

The other reason...

...is to decide whether I should go

to a party tomorrow night

Party?

Yeah, on Long Island.

A Secretary Bailey.

Do you know Secretary Bailey?

No.

But I was invited anyway.

If you don't know each other,

why were you invited?

I don't know.

I thought you might know why.

Me?

Why me?

Because you know him.

- Who is it?

- It's me, David.

- No, David.

- Can I come in?

No. Just wait outside, I'll call you.

Okay, I'll be right here.

- What does Bailey want from me?

- You came to ask me that?

- Why'd he send me an invitation?

- I don't know.

Why should I know about your

invitations? I don't know anything.

What do you want?

Why did you come here? I know nothing.

Now you're a lousy actress.

Who is Secretary Bailey?

Secretary Bailey is a rich businessman.

He came to the United States as

an immigrant and made a lot of money...

...in San Francisco and L.A.,

where he's lived for    years.

I know all that. It's all in the papers.

What else is there?

He married a very wealthy woman.

They had a child.

She died when the child was born.

A few years ago, he went into politics.

Moved here.

That's history. I'm not talking

about that. I'm talking about now.

Right now he's in trouble.

Just tell me you've been living with him

all these years, and you're his lover.

Age can wither me, Noodles.

We're both getting old.

All that we have left now

are our memories.

If you go to that party on Saturday

night, you won't have those anymore.

Tear up that invitation.

There's an exit back this way.

Noodles, go through it.

Keep walking.

Don't turn around.

Please, Noodles.

I'm begging you. Please.

Are you afraid that I'll turn

into a pillar of salt?

If you go out that door, yes.

This is Secretary Bailey's son.

His name's David, just like yours.

Please go in.

What are you waiting for?

I don't understand, Mr. Bailey.

Sit down, Noodles.

Make yourself comfortable.

I'm glad you accepted my invitation.

Well, I was curious.

So many important people in one place.

Yes. Well, the rats usually

desert a sinking ship.

But in my case, they appear to be

flocking onboard.

Yeah, well, I read about

your troubles in the newspapers.

But a man in your position, with all

your power and all your privileges...

...has to assume a certain amount

of responsibility...

...a certain amount of risk.

Why'd you ask me

to come here, Mr. Bailey?

That invitation doesn't mean

a goddamn thing, and you know it.

All that counts is what

was in that suitcase.

The money and the contract.

It didn't say who the contract

was on, though.

Haven't you figured that out yet?

You, Mr. Bailey?

I haven't had a gun in my hand

for many, many years.

My eyes aren't too good,

even with my glasses. My hands shake.

- And I wouldn't want to miss.

- Cut the bullshit, Noodles.

I'm already a dead man.

At least give me the chance

to settle the debt that I owe to you.

I'll never make it before

the investigating committee.

They're scared I'll implicate

the whole bunch of 'em.

They gotta get rid of me.

Today is as good a day as any.

You do it, Noodles.

You're the only person

I can accept it from.

You see, I found out where you were.

I brought you back here for this.

To even the score between you and me.

You can get out through there.

It leads right down to the street.

Nobody will see you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

You don't owe me a thing.

Your eyes were too full of tears to see

it wasn't me burned up on that street.

It was somebody else.

You were too shocked to realize

that the cops were in on it too.

That was a syndicate

operation, Noodles.

You're crazy.

You said that to me once before,

a long time ago.

My mind was never as clear

as it was at that moment.

I took away your whole life from you.

I've been living in your place.

I took everything.

I took your money.

I took your girl.

All I left for you was    years of grief

over having killed me.

Now, why don't you shoot?

It's true,

I have killed people, Mr. Bailey.

Sometimes to defend myself.

Sometimes for money.

And many people used to come to us.

Business partners, rivals...

...Iovers.

Some of the jobs we took,

and some we didn't.

Yours is one we would never touch.

Is this your way of getting revenge?

No.

It's just the way I see things.

It's   :  ...

...and I've got nothing left to lose.

When you've been betrayed by a friend,

you hit back.

Do it.

You see, Mr. Secretary...

...I have a story also.

A little simpler than yours.

Many years ago I had a friend,

a dear friend.

I turned him in to save his life...

...but he was killed.

But he wanted it that way.

It was a great friendship.

It went bad for him,

and it went bad for me too.

Good night, Mr. Bailey.

I hope the investigation

turns out to be nothing.

It'd be a shame to see

a lifetime of work go to waste.

Special help by SergeiK