Nellie	Gee, Joey -- you promised we'd go out tonight. I ain't  been out in over a week.
Joey	Yeah? Well I can't, see? Got a meeting tonight. Business.
Nellie	Oh Joey -- not -- not Brett? There's trouble coming… I can sense it.
Joey	You dames ain't got no sense.
Nellie	I mean it, Joey. He's bad medicine.
Joey	Well I ain't sick, and I don't need no medicine.
	(Brett enters carrying a large machine gun. He is dressed in sharpest gangster
	fashion.)
Brett	Hallo, Joey.
Joey	Well if it ain't the man himself. We got a certain matter to settle, you and me.
Brett	That's right, pal.
	(He turns his head to one side and spits. There is a "Ding!" from an invisible
	spittoon.)
	And it's gonna be settled right here... and right now.
Nellie	Now look, fellers... can't we settle this right friendly?
Brett	Get lost.
	(He spits. There is the same "Ding!")
Nellie	Joey --
Joey	You heard the man -- get lost.
Nellie	I'm staying!
Brett	Suit yourself.
	(He spits again. They all listen, but the "Ding!" comes very late.)
Brett	Could you move that thing a little closer?
Joey	Quit stalling, Brett. You come to get your dough,  right?
Brett	You been holding out on me, Joey.
Joey	Now would I do that? It's here, Brett. Right here in this case.
Brett	It's all here?
Joey	Count it.  Here, let me hold your gun.
Brett	(Handing it over) I knew you'd see sense. You're a bright kid, Joey.
Joey	Brighter than you think.
Nellie	Joey!  No!
	(Joey fires the gun, Brett gasps, staggers and thrashes around in an orgy of ham
	dying.  Finally he falls.)
Brett	You -- you dirty rat!
	(He drums his heels and lies still. Nellie approaches him fearfully.)
Nellie	Is he -- dead?
Joey	He ain't very well.
Nellie	Joey, what have you done?
Joey	He was on his way out, anyhow. Too soft. Now someone smarter'll move in on
	his operation. Like me.
Nellie	You?
Joey	That's right, kid. And if you're smart, you'll stick with me.  'Cos Joey O'Neill's
	gonna be a big-shot, see? He's going places… to the top.
	(But he trips over Brett's body and falls flat. Brett sits upright, winded, then
	realises the camera's are still rolling and lies flat again. Joey picks himself up.
	Nellie cries.)
Herbie	And -- cut!
Nellie	Hey, you got a best friend?
Joey	Sure. Why?
Nellie	Has he ever mentioned your breath?
	(They go. Lights down on the film set, up on the office.)
Herbie	Whatta you say, J.B.?
Susie	Wuz that terrific, or wuz that terrific?
J.B.	It had a certain gut feeling.
Junior	Indigestion.
J.B.	Junior, shut up. What happens next?
Herbie	Nellie can't take it. She's out in the cold, and the music comes up, real sad…
	(Brief snatch of sad but tasteless music over the next few lines.)
Herbie	With Brett gone, Joey's career really takes off. He's tough and ruthless, and in
	a hurry.
Susie	He makes a start by running Brett's fairground rackets, but pretty soon he's muscling
	in on the night-clubs too.
J.B.	Wait! I got it! I got it!
Herbie	Susie, he got it.
Susie	So give him pennicillin.
J.B.	You know what really sells movies?  Sex!
Herbie	No kidding?
J.B.	And what does sex mean? Monika Chutzmeyer!
Both	Monika who?
	(Monika enters in tight blouse and skirt. She blows a kiss and wiggles over in her
	stiletto's. She folds J.B. in a hug.)
Monika	Hi, J.B. sweetie.
J.B.	Not here, Monika.
Monika	Anything you say, J.B.
Herbie	"Anything you say, J.B." Who is this dame?
Monika	I'm J.B.'s...like...protege.
Susie	Protege...
J.B.	Yeah, well... we got a major new talent here, right? So you guys better write her
	in a good part, understand?  No garbage.
Monika	Yeah, no garbage.
Junior	No garbage.
Monika	Junior... like... shut up?
J.B.	And another thing -- Disaster at Coney Island. Get rid of it. Let's call it -- Death
	in the Dark. Okay?
Herbie	Okay. No garbage, huh? We got just the part for you.
Monika	Wow!  I'm gonna be a star!
	(The lights fade on the office and go up on the film set. The cast of the next scene
	take their place. They are Sam, the bar tender, Monika and several "flappers",
	all holding drinks, party streamers, cigarette holders, etc.)
Herbie	The scene is a little speak-easy, not yet under Joey's control.  But our hero aims
	to change all that...
	(Klatski enters with clapperboard.)
Klatski	Death in the Dark. Scene twenty, take six!  Oww!
	(He has shut the board on his finger. He exits,  cursing.  Klatski will become
	increasingly accident-prone with his clapper-board.)
Herbie	Music!
	(Recorded piano blues.)
Herbie	And action!
	(The cast break into a "spontaneous" babble of conversation.  Sam polishes a
	glass. Joey bursts in, waving his machine gun.)
Joey	Okay, this joint is closed!
	(He fires the gun over their heads. Screams and panic. All exit except for Sam and
	Monika, who is trying hard to look nonchalent.  Music stops abruptly.)
Joey	The show's over, folks. Go on home. You the owner?
Sam	Th -- that's right. Sam. Sam Bartelski.
Joey	Gimme a bottle of Bourbon.
Sam	Sure, sure. Coming up. Say, ain't you Joey O'Neill, the big-shot?  I heard a lot
	about you.
Joey	You ain't heard nothing yet. You got a nice place here, Sam. Real nice. Too bad
	if somp'n should… happen to it.
Sam	What could happen to it?
Joey	Accidents, Sam. Like maybe it could suddenly -- fall apart.  Know what I mean?
	You need...insurance.
Sam	You're from the Prudential?
Joey	Somp'n like that.
Sam	Insurance I got, already. The East Side Mob offered me best terms. All risks,
	including the joint spontaneously bursts into flames.
Joey	Yeah? Well now you got me. I'm taking over the policy.
Sam	But the East Side Mob --
Joey	They all died. Too bad they weren't insured. But it's gonna cost you Sam.
Sam	And if I can't pay?
Joey	Then this...
	(He grabs Sam by the shirt-front, which comes away in his hand. Joey drops
	the shirt-front and sprays it with a burst from his machine gun.  He stops, and
	tucks the gun under his arm. It goes off again in a wild clatter.  Everyone reacts.
Joey	Answer your question?
Sam	Yeah, sure. Just come in any time, help yourself.
	(Sam turns away and Joey catches sight of Monika.)
Joey	Hey, maybe you don't hear too good. The joint's closed. Am-scray.
Monika	(Completely awfully.)  Yeah but you'll need.  Someone to manage. It right for
	you. Joey.
Joey	Managers, I got.
Monika	Not like me, you haven't. I got ideas. I got style. I got scene twenty continued.
Joey	You what?
Monika	I got scene twenty continued.
Joey	No, no, you only learn the dialogue, see? Not the page headings.
Monika	Yeah, well, it's a lousy... like... script.
Joey	Yeah, look -- er --
Herbie	Keep 'em rolling! Keep going!
Joey	Say, maybe I could use you, at that.
Monika	I mean, like, now I'm a star, I get to approve the script, right, J.B.?