Ninety-six proof.
- What day is it?
- Sunday.
Are these yours? You and the colored fellow
were being undressed at the same time.
They fell out of somebody's pants.
They're mine.
- Are you a doctor?
- I'm a nurse.
Name of Nolan. They call me Bim.
You can call me Bim.
- What's your name?
- Birnam.
- What kind of Birnam?
- Don Birnam.
- Where do you live?
- Two-o-nine East Fif...
- What do you need that for?
- For the post card.
What post card?
To your folks, so's they'll know where honey-boy is
and can pick him up when he's feeling better.
No address.
Okay. We'll get it out of the phone book,
or the directory, or your wallet.
Look, no postcard. Understand? Nobody's going to pick me up.
The management insists.
If we let you guys go home alone a lot of you don't go home.
You just hit the nearest bar and bounce right back again.
What we call the Quick Richochet.
Look, I'm as well as you are. I can get out of here right now.
- Think so?
- Where are my clothes?
- Downstairs.
- How do I get out of this place?
Right through there.
Well, where do you think you're going?
To get my clothes.
- Got you discharge?
- My what?
- Your release?
- I'm all right. Let me out.
Get back there, go on.
Keep your hands off me.
Birnam!
Come here, Birnam.
Is this a jail?
Well, this department...side of a halfway hospital, halfway jail.
Listen, Bim, in my clothes there's five dollars.
That's all for you if only you won't send that post card.
Nothing doing.
I don't want anybody to know.
Your folks might as well get used to our little post cards.
What are you talking about?
There'll be more of 'em. You'll be back.
Oh, shut up.
Listen, I can pick an alky with one eye shut.
You're an alky...
You'll come back. They all do.
Him, for instance,
shows up every month, just like the gas bill.
And the one there, with the glasses,
another repeater. This is his forty-fifth time.
Big executive in the advertising business. Lovely fellow.
Been coming here ever since nineteen twenty-seven.
Good old prohibition days.
Say you should have seen the joint then.
This is nothing.
Back then we really had a turnover. Standing room only.
Prohibition! That's what started
most of these guys off. Whoopee!
Now be a good boy and drink this.
I don't want it.
Better take it.
Liable to be a little floor show later on around here.
Might get on your nerves.
- Floor show?
- Ever have the D.T.'s?
No.
- You will, brother.
- Not me.
Like to make a little bet? After all, you're just a freshman.
Wait'll you're a sophomore
that's when you start seeing the little animals.
You know that stuff about pink elephants, that's the bunk.
It's little animals.
Little tiny turkeys in straw hats.
Midget monkeys coming through the key-holes.
See that guy over there?
With him it's beetles.
Come the night, he sees beetles crawling all over him.
Has to be dark, though.
It's like the doctor was just telling me,
"Delirium is a disease of the night."
Good night.
Get the restraints and get the doctor.
Get him to the violent ward.
Over here doctor.
Violent ward, get the elevator.
Good morning.
Anything wrong up there?
Anything wrong?
- Are you all right?
- Oh. I'm fine, thank you.
- Have you been there all night?
- I've been waiting for Mr. Birnam.
I suppose he stayed over night with some friends.
He has some friends in Long Island.
- Now, now. What kind of story is that?
- I beg your pardon.
I'm his landlady. I know what goes on in this house.
I know Mr. Don Birnam.
I knew all about him the first week they moved here,
five years ago.
Heard those bottles rattle in the garbage can.
I know all about you. You're Helen St. James.
Your working on the Time Magazine and you're his best girl.
Well, I also know he's not staying
with any friends in Long Island,
he's off on another toot and you know I'm darned right.
Now come on down and I'll make you some breakfast.
I don't care for any breakfast, thank you.
Nor do