(MAGNOLIA sits with her guitar across her knees, throws her head back,
closes her eyes and starts to sing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man." At first
her voice falters, then she gets into it and sings it with fine feeling
and sincerity. JIM, JAKE and FRANK listen, spellbound. No-one moves an
inch. As MAGNOLIA sings, JULIE enters quietly up stage, passes behind the
piano, and recognizes MAGNOLIA. She takes a couple of steps up to her,
but directly behind her. She stands there during the song until the next to
last line, when she seems to arrive at a decision. She makes a shy, hesitant
little gesture, which is half throwing a kiss. She disappears quickly and
softly up stage. Nobody on stage has seen her. MAGNOLIA finishes the song)
MAGNOLIA
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
I gotta love one man till I die,
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
Tell me he's lazy, tell me he's slow,
Tell me I'm crazy, maybe I know.
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine.
When he goes away, dat's a rainy day,
And when he comes back dat day is fine,
De sun will shine!
He kin come home as late as kin be,
Home widout him ain't no home to me,
Can't help lovin' dat man of mine!
(There is a pause)
FRANK
Whaddaya say, boss?
JIM
Lousy! What kind of a coon song do you call that?
(to MAGNOLIA)
You don't sing bad - but that song -
MAGNOLIA
(her temper aroused)
That song is the most beautiful song I know. And if
you don't like it, I'm sorry for you.
JIM
You're sorry for me? Say!
FRANK
Say, Mr. Greene, this little girl ain't so bad.
Can't you use her?
JIM
I can't afford to take chances on amachoors with a two thousand
dollar production. Now wait a minute, will ya, lemme think!
(He stands pondering the problem and running his fingers
through his hair. He looks MAGNOLIA over appraisingly)
Her poisenality is all right - if we could only teach
her some up-to date numbers.
JAKE
Well, that song she sang ain't so bad, boss. Ya know,
we could trick that - like this -
(He plays and sings in ragtime tempo)
Da da da de dum dum dum
Dum dum dum de dum dum dum!
FRANK (eagerly)
Oh, you mean rag it!
JAKE
Yeah! 'Course, we gotta change the words too, see, and then,
near the finish, put in a couple o' gags, like this...
Dum dum dum de dum dum dum - catch line!
Dum dum dum de dum dum dum - 'nother catch line!
See what I mean?
JIM
Say, that's all right!
FRANK
Come on, Nolie, try it this way.
MAGNOLIA
(bewildered)
How do you mean?
FRANK
Follow Jake.
(JAKE and MAGNOLIA start the song together -
but he soon leaves her far behind)
JIM
(interrupting)
No - no!!! Rag it, he means.
FRANK
Rag it, honey, look...
(He sings to show her)
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly,
Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly!
MAGNOLIA
(willing to try)
Oh, I know! Alright, go ahead.
(JAKE plays. As MAGNOLIA sings in ragtime, FRANK
starts to dance like mad)
FRANK
(dancing frantically)
What do you say, Boss, what do you say?
JIM
All right! FRANK
Does she get the job?
JIM
Sure!
FRANK
Great!
(FRANK falls to the stage dancing so fast and continues
twitching his head, body and legs with the music until
the curtain falls)
