Just Around the Corner

Penny Hale:
I live here, my daddy and me.

Milton Ramsby:
I beg your pardon. This is my uncle's apartment. I live here with my mother and my sister and my Uncle Sam. Now kindly vacate our premises.

Penny Hale:
You think I don't know where I live? We've lived here for three years, and unless you want trouble with my daddy...

Penny Hale:
Why did Daddy move? He liked our penthouse, and I loved it.

Waters:
Questions, questions. Curiosity killed a cat once.

Penny Hale:
Your cat?

Waters:
Yes. Uh, no! And stop saying "our penthouse." It isn't yours, not anymore.

Cpl. Jones:
Retreat now, explain later!

Kitty:
Everybody's got their troubles, Penny, even little half-pints like you. You've got a good strong chin. You keep it up no matter what happens.

Jeff Hale:
You remember how hard I used to work before you went away to school? I was always planning buildings and putting them up. We hardly had any time at all to be together.

Penny Hale:
And you were tired all the time.

Jeff Hale:
That wasn't so good, was it? But it made money. We had money to live in a penthouse and have a car. But now it's awful hard to get jobs.

Lola:
It's so nice to see you again.

Penny Hale:
Thank you, Miss Lola. I'm glad I went away. It's so much fun to come home again.

Lola:
What shall you and I do first, go to the movies, or take a walk through the park, or...?

Penny Hale:
Well, I may not have much time. I have a man to take care of now, and you know how much trouble they can be.

Lola:
I certainly do. We'll talk about it later. Goodbye, darling.

Penny Hale:
Isn't she nice, Kitty? When she and Daddy came to see me at school, even Miss Vincent liked her.

Kitty:
She's all right, but believe me the rest of her tribe is wacky.

Lola:
He wouldn't even listen to what you had to say? Honestly, darling, even if he is my own uncle ...

Jeff Hale:
You can't call him anything that I haven't.

Lola:
I know what we can do.

Jeff Hale:
Oh, let's just forget about it.

Lola:
Oh, so you're quitting?

Jeff Hale:
I'm not qutting, but what else can I do?

Lola:
Listen, Jeff. I've been handling him since I was a little girl, and I've always gotten what I wanted. You won't do any good trying to fight him. You've got to go around him.

Milton Ramsby:
You have marvelous courage for a girl.

Penny Hale:
In that neighborhood, I have to have.

Penny Hale:
Why is everything so mixed up?

Jeff Hale:
Well, maybe this picture will help you understand. [showing her a political cartoon of Uncle Sam in the newspaper] You see all these people? They're all pulling on this one poor fellow.

Penny Hale:
What has he done?

Jeff Hale:
He's done everything he can, and it still isn't enough. He gives and he gives, and he tries to make everything right.

Penny Hale:
Is he the president?

Jeff Hale:
He's greater than the president. He's the most important man in the whole country, maybe in the world.

Penny Hale:
Why doesn't somebody try to help Uncle Sam instead of pulling on him?

Jeff Hale:
Lots of us try.

Penny Hale:
I'll bet you get pretty tired of it all, don't you, Uncle Sam?

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Tired? I'm sick of the whole kit and kaboodle! Who are you?

Penny Hale:
I'm Penny.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Oh, is that what you're waiting for? Here. [handing her a penny]

Penny Hale:
No, thank you!

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Why not?

Penny Hale:
There are too many people taking money from you now. I wouldn't dream of it. I'll be around about this time everyday. If you need anymore help, just call me and I'll come. Goodbye, Uncle Sam. Keep your chin up!

Mugsy:
Hiya, Bright Eyes. Where's the fancy layout you wanna swap me for?

Penny Hale:
Here on Milton. You see, Mugsy is going to help us. It's not enough to get your hair cut. You have to wear a he-man suit, too.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Young lady, did you cut Milton's curls off?

Penny Hale:
Yes, sir.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Where's his fancy pants?

Penny Hale:
Mugsy has them on now. Milton traded him. That's how he got the black eye. But you ought to see Mugsy! I guess this is an awful shock to you. You go ahead and get mad. I don't mind if you're sour and cross. Anyone would be with all these people hanging on their neck.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
What do you know about this family?

Penny Hale:
As if you hadn't enough troubles with business and the slump. But they can't lick you. You're a tough old bird! You'll come out all right!

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Well, upon my soul! Milton, here's a silver dollar, and there's one silver dollar for every black eye you get.

Milton Ramsby:
Thank you, Uncle Sam!

Lola:
Penny, what have you been doing with yourself?

Penny Hale:
I've been very busy taking care of my daddy.

Lola:
Oh, by the way, how is he?

Penny Hale:
Well, when he's around me, he acts cheerful, but I don't think he's cheerful inside. I think he's worried.

Lola:
Probably because he hasn't any more buildings to put up.

Penny Hale:
No, I think he's worried about you.

Lola:
Oh, Penny, you're just guessing! What makes you think that?

Penny Hale:
He's always asking me questions about you. Just like you're asking me questions about him.

Lola:
I love that man, and I'm going to marry him!

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Over my dead body you're going to marry him!

Lola:
I don't care if it's over everybody's dead body! I'm going to marry Jeff Hale.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Well, you wouldn't be my neice if you didn't have a will of your own.

Lola:
Uncle Sam, you don't mean that?

Samuel G. Henshaw:
You're going to live in the basement, I suppose?

Lola:
We won't have to live in the basement if you'll listen to Jeff. He has so much to offer. All he needs is someone to cooperate with him instead of fighting.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Well, maybe I could do something for him.

Lola:
[kissing him] Uncle Sam, you're a peach!

Cpl. Jones:
Don't let him in! If he sees me, I'll be flat on my Social Security!

Penny Hale:
This is a benefit for Uncle Sam.

Reporter:
Uncle Sam?

Penny Hale:
Yes. Samuel G. Henshaw. He's in a bad way, you know.

Reporter:
Samuel G. Henshaw is in a bad way?

Penny Hale:
Yes. There's a slump, and everyone's hanging on his neck.

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Did you or did you not tell this child that I was responsible for the slump? And that I was responsible for business going to the dogs, for your troubles, my troubles, everyone's troubles? Including the blessed fact that you have to go away somewhere for two years!

Jeff Hale:
Certainly not!

Penny Hale:
Why, Daddy, didn't you say that when Uncle Sam got in trouble, the people got scared, and when the people got scared, business got bad, and when business got bad, there was a slump, and when that happened, nobody built any buildings?

Jeff Hale:
Yes, but -

Penny Hale:
Didn't you say that everyone ought to get together and help Uncle Sam instead of pulling on him?

Jeff Hale:
Yes, dear, but let's get back to Mr. Henshaw here.

Penny Hale:
But I am back to him. He's Uncle Sam, isn't he?

Jeff Hale:
Him?

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Me?

Samuel G. Henshaw, Jeff Hale:
Uncle Sam?

Penny Hale:
Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness!

Waters:
[to the police] Solitary confinement for me! Lock me up and throw away the key! I come, I come happy!

Reporter:
Can we quote you on that, Mr. Henshaw?

Samuel G. Henshaw:
Verbatim! And you can tell them that's the trouble with the whole country today! Someone starts a rumor, and we're afraid. What we need is that good old American spirit! And to show just how cock-eyed this rumor is, I'm starting work on the East Gate Project tomorrow, and this is the man I'm putting in charge of that worthy project! Jeff Hale, he has vision!