Glengarry Glen Ross PDF

Characters
WILLIAMSON, early forties
BAYLEN, early forties
ROMA, early forties
LINGK, early forties
LEVENE, fiftish
MOSS, fiftish
AARONOW, fiftish
THE SCENE
The three scenes of Act One take place in a Chinese restaurant.
Act Two takes place in a real estate office.
-- 2 --
Act 1
Act 1, Scene 1
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS
ACT ONE
Scene 1
A booth at a Chinese restaurant, WILLIAMSON and LEVENE are seated at the booth.
SHELLY LEVENE John ... John ... John. Okay. John. John. Look:
(pause) The Glengarry Highland's leads, you're sending Roma out. Fine. He's a good
man. We know what he is. He's fine. All I'm saying, you look at the board, he's throwing
... wait, wait, wait, he's throwing them away, he's throwing the leads away. All that I'm
saying, that you're wasting leads. I don't want to tell you your job. All that I'm saying,
things get set, I know they do, you get a certain mindset .... A guy gets a reputation. We
know how this ... all I'm saying, put a closer on the job. There's more than one man for
the ... Put a ... wait a second, put a proven man out ... and you watch, now wait a second--
and you watch your dollar volumes .... You start closing them for fifty 'stead of twenty-
five ... you put a closer on the ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Shelly, you blew the last ...
SHELLY LEVENE No. John. No. Let's wait, let's back up here, I did ... will you please?
Wait a second. Please. I didn't "blow" them. No. I didn't "blow" them. No. One kicked
out, one I closed ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... you didn't close ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... I, if you'd listen to me. Please. I closed the cocksucker. His ex, John,
his ex, I didn't know he was married ... he, the judge invalidated the ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Shelly.
SHELLY LEVENE ... and what is that, John? What? Bad luck.
-- 3 --
That's all it is. I pray in your life you will never find it runs in streaks. That's what it does,
that's all it's doing. Streaks. I pray it misses you. That's all I want to say.
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(pause) What about the other two?
SHELLY LEVENE What two?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Four. You had four leads. One kicked out, one the judge, you say ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... you want to see the court records? John? Eh? You want to go down
...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... no ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... do you want to go downtown ...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... no ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... then ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... I only ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... then what is this "you say" shit, what is that?
(pause) What is that ...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON All that I'm saying ...
SHELLY LEVENE What is this "you say"? A deal kicks out ... I got to eat. Shit,
Williamson, shit. You ... Moss ... Roma ... look at the sheets ... look at the sheets.
Nineteen eighty, eighty-one ... eighty-two ... six months of eighty-two ... who's there?
Who's up there?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Roma.
SHELLY LEVENE Under him?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Moss.
SHELLY LEVENE Bullshit. John. Bullshit. April, September 1981. It's me. It isn't fucking
Moss. Due respect, he's an order taker, John. He talks, he talks a good game, look at the
board, and it's me, John, it's me ...
SHELLY LEVENE Not lately it isn't.

SHELLY LEVENE Lately kiss my ass lately. That isn't how you build an org ... talk, talk
to Murray. Talk to Mitch. When we were on Peterson, who paid for his fucking
-- 4 --
car? You talk to him. The Seville ...? He came in, "You bought that for me Shelly." Out
of what? Cold calling. Nothing. Sixty-five, when we were there, with Glen Ross Farms?
You call 'em downtown. What was that? Luck? That was "luck"? Bullshit, John. You're
burning my ass, I can't get a fucking lead ... you think that was luck. My stats for those
years? Bullshit ... over that period of time ...?Bullshit. It wasn't luck. It was skill. You
want to throw that away, John ...? You want to throw that away?
JOHN WILLIAMSON It isn't me ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... it isn't you ...? Who is it? Who is this I'm talking to? I need the leads
...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... after the thirtieth ...
SHELLY LEVENE Bullshit the thirtieth, I don't get on the board the thirtieth, they're going
to can my ass. I need the leads. I need them now. Or I'm gone, and you're going to miss
me, John, I swear to you.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... you talk to Murray ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I have. And my job is to marshal those leads ...
SHELLY LEVENE Marshal the leads ... marshal the leads? What the fuck, what bus did
you get off of, we're here to fucking sell. Fuck marshaling the leads. What the fuck talk is
that? What the fuck talk is that? Where did you learn that? In school?
(pause) That's "talk," my friend, that's "talk." Our job is to sell. I'm the man to sell. I'm
getting garbage.
(pause) You're giving it to me, and what I'm saying is it's fucked.
JOHN WILLIAMSON You're saying that I'm fucked.
SHELLY LEVENE Yes.
(pause) I am. I'm sorry to antagonize you.
-- 5 --
JOHN WILLIAMSON Let me ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... and I'm going to get bounced and you're ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... let me ... are you listening to me ...?
SHELLY LEVENE Yes.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Let me tell you something, Shelly. I do what I'm hired to do. I'm ...
wait a second. I'm hired watch the leads. I'm given ... hold on, I'm given a policy. My job
is to do that. What I'm told. That's it. You, wait a second, anybody falls below a certain
mark I'm not permitted to give them the premium leads.
SHELLY LEVENE Then how do they come up above that mark? With dreck ...? That's
nonsense. Explain this to me. 'Cause it's a waste, and it's a stupid waste. I want to tell you
something ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON You know what those leads cost?
SHELLY LEVENE The premium leads. Yes. I know what they cost. John. Because I, I
generated the dollar revenue sufficient to buy them. Nineteen senny-nine, you know what
I made? Senny-nine? Ninety-six thousand dollars. John? For Murray ... For Mitch ... look
at the sheets ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray said ...

SHELLY LEVENE Fuck him. Fuck Murray. John? You know? You tell him I said so.
What does he fucking know? He's going to have a "sales" contest ... you know what our
sales contest used to be? Money. A fortune. Money lying on the ground. Murray? When
was the last time he went out on a sit? Sales contest? It's laughable. It's cold out there
now, John. It's tight. Money is tight. This ain't sixty-five. It ain't. It just ain't. See? See?
Now, I'm a good man--but I need a ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray said ...
-- 6 --
SHELLY LEVENE John. John ....
JOHN WILLIAMSON Will you please wait a second. Shelly. Please. Murray told me: the
hot leads ...
SHELLY LEVENE ... ah, fuck this ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON The ... Shelly?
(pause) The hot leads are assigned according to the board. During the contest. Period.
Anyone who beats fifty per ...
SHELLY LEVENE That's fucked. That's fucked. You don't look at the fucking percentage.
You look at the gross.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Either way. You're out.
SHELLY LEVENE I'm out.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Yes.
SHELLY LEVENE I'll tell you why I'm out. I'm out, you're giving me toilet paper. John,
I've seen those leads. I saw them when I was at Homestead, we pitched those cocksuckers
Rio Rancho nineteen sixty-nine they wouldn't buy. They couldn't buy a fucking toaster.
They're broke, John. They're cold. They're deadbeats, you can't judge on that. Even so.
Even so. Alright. Fine. Fine. Even so. I go in, FOUR FUCKING LEADS they got their
money in a sock. They're fucking Polacks, John. Four leads. I close two. Two. Fifty per ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... they kicked out.
SHELLY LEVENE They all kick out. You run in streaks, pal. Streaks. I'm ... I'm ... don't
look at the board, look at me. Shelly LEVENE. Anyone. Ask them on Western. Ask Getz
at Homestead. Go ask Jerry Graff. You know who I am ... I NEED A SHOT. I got to get
on the fucking board. Ask them. Ask them. Ask them who ever picked up a check I was
flush. Moss, Jerry Graff, Mitch himself ... Those guys lived on the business I brought in.
They lived on it ... and so did Murray, John. You were here you'd of benefited from it too.
And now I'm saying this. Do I want charity? Do I want pity? I want
-- 7 --
sits. I want leads don't come right out of a phone book. Give me a lead hotter than that,
I'll go in and close it. Give me a chance. That's all I want. I'm going to get up on that
fucking board and all I want is a chance. It's a streak and I'm going to turn it around.
(pause) I need your help.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't do it, Shelly.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE Why?
JOHN WILLIAMSON The leads are assigned randomly ...
SHELLY LEVENE Bullshit, bullshit, you assign them .... What are you telling me?
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... apart from the top men on the contest board.
SHELLY LEVENE Then put me on the board.

JOHN WILLIAMSON You start closing again, you'll be on the board.
SHELLY LEVENE I can't close these leads, John. No one can. It's a joke. John, look, just
give me a hot lead. Just give me two of the premium leads. As a "test," alright? As a
"test" and I promise you ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't do it, Shel.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE I'll give you ten percent.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON Of what?
SHELLY LEVENE Of my end what I close.
JOHN WILLIAMSON And what if you don't close.
SHELLY LEVENE I will close.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What if you don't close ...?
SHELLY LEVENE I will close.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What if you don't? Then I'm fucked. You see ...? Then it's my job.
That's what I'm telling you.
SHELLY LEVENE I will close. John, John, ten percent. I can get hot. You know that ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Not lately you can't ...

-- 8 --
SHELLY LEVENE Fuck that. That's defeatist. Fuck that. Fuck it .... Get on my side. Go
with me. Let's do something. You want to run this office, run it.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Twenty percent.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE Alright.
JOHN WILLIAMSON And fifty bucks a lead.
SHELLY LEVENE John.
(pause) Listen. I want to talk to you. Permit me to do this a second. I'm older than you. A
man acquires a reputation. On the street. What he does when he's up, what he does
otherwise .... I said "ten," you said "no." You said "twenty." I said "fine," I'm not going to
fuck with you, how can I beat that, you tell me? ... Okay. Okay. We'll ... Okay. Fine.
We'll ... Alright, twenty percent, and fifty bucks a lead. That's fine. For now. That's fine.
A month or two we'll talk. A month from now. Next month. After the thirtieth.
(pause) We'll talk.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What are we going to say?
SHELLY LEVENE No. You're right. That's for later. We'll talk in a month. What have you
got? I want two sits. Tonight.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I'm not sure I have two.
SHELLY LEVENE I saw the board. You've got four ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I've got Roma. Then I've got Moss ...
SHELLY LEVENE Bullshit. They ain't been in the office yet. Give 'em some stiff. We
have a deal or not? Eh? Two sits. The Des Plaines. Both of 'em, six and ten, you can do it
... six and ten ... eight and eleven, I don't give a shit, you set 'em up? Alright? The two sits
in Des Plaines.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Alright.
SHELLY LEVENE Good. Now we're talking.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON A hundred bucks.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE NOW?
(pause) Now?
JOHN WILLIAMSON NOW.
(pause) Yes ... When?
-- 9 --
SHELLY LEVENE Ah, shit, John.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON I wish I could.
SHELLY LEVENE You fucking asshole.
(pause) I haven't got it.
(pause) I haven't got it, John.

(pause) I'll pay you tomorrow.
(pause) I'm coming in here with the sales, I'll pay you tomorrow.
(pause) I haven't got it, when I pay, the gas ... I get back the hotel, I'll bring it in
tomorrow.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Can't do it.
SHELLY LEVENE I'll give you thirty on them now, I'll bring the rest tomorrow. I've got it
at the hotel.
(pause) John?
(pause) We do that, for chrissake?
JOHN WILLIAMSON NO.
SHELLY LEVENE I'm asking you. As a favor to me?
(pause) John.
(long pause) John: my daughter ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't do it, Shelly.
SHELLY LEVENE Well, I want to tell you something, fella, wasn't long I could pick up
the phone, call Murray and I'd have your job. You know that? Not too long ago. For
what? For nothing. "Mur, this new kid burns my ass." "Shelly, he's out." You're gone
before I'm back from lunch. I bought him a trip to Bermuda once ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I have to go ...
(gets up)
SHELLY LEVENE Wait. Alright. Fine.

(starts going in pocket for money) The one. Give me the lead. Give me the one lead. The
best one you have.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't split them.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE Why?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Because I say so.
SHELLY LEVENE
(pause) Is that it? Is that it? You want to do business that way ...?
(WILLIAMSON gets up, leaves money on the table.) You want to do business that way ...?
Alright. Alright. Alright. Alright. What is there on the other list ...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON You want something off the B list?
-- 10 --
SHELLY LEVENE Yeah. Yeah.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Is that what you're saying?
SHELLY LEVENE That's what I'm saying. Yeah.
(pause) I'd like something off the other list. Which, very least, that I'm entitled to. If I'm
still working here, which for the moment I guess that I am.
(pause) What? I'm sorry I spoke harshly to you.
JOHN WILLIAMSON That's alright.
SHELLY LEVENE The deal still stands, our other thing.

(WILLIAMSON shrugs. Starts out of the booth.) Good. Mmm I, you know, I left my
wallet back at the hotel.
-- 11 --
Act 1, Scene 2
SCENE 2
A booth at the restaurant. MOSS and AARONOW seated. After the meal.
DAVE MOSS Polacks and deadbeats.
GEORGE AARONOW ... Polacks ...
DAVE MOSS Deadbeats all.
GEORGE AARONOW ... they hold on to their money ...
DAVE MOSS All of 'em. They, hey: it happens to us all.
GEORGE AARONOW Where am I going to work?
DAVE MOSS You have to cheer up, George, you aren't out yet.
GEORGE AARONOW I'm not?
DAVE MOSS You missed a fucking sale. Big deal. A deadbeat Polack. Big deal. How you
going to sell 'em in the first place ...? Your mistake, you shoun'a took the lead.
GEORGE AARONOW I had to.
DAVE MOSS You had to, yeah. Why?
-- 12 --
GEORGE AARONOW To get on the ...
DAVE MOSS To get on the board. Yeah. How you goan'a get on the board sell'n a
Polack? And I'll tell you, I'll tell you what else. You listening? I'll tell you what else:
don't ever try to sell an Indian.
GEORGE AARONOW I'd never try to sell an Indian.
DAVE MOSS You get those names come up, you ever get 'em, "Patel"?
GEORGE AARONOW Mmm ...
DAVE MOSS You ever get 'em?
GEORGE AARONOW Well I think I had one once.
DAVE MOSS You did?
GEORGE AARONOW I ... I don't know.
DAVE MOSS You had one you'd know it. Patel. They keep coming up. I don't know.
They like to talk to salesmen.
(pause) They're lonely, something,
(pause) They like to feel superior, I don't know. Never bought a fucking thing. You're
sitting down "The Rio Rancho this, the blah blah blah," "The Mountain View--" "Oh yes.
My brother told me that .... " They got a grapevine. Fuckin' Indians, George. Not my cup
of tea. Speaking of which I want to tell you something
(pause) I never got a cup of tea with them. You see them in the restaurants. A
supercilious race. What is this look on their face all the time? I don't know.
(pause) I don't know. Their broads all look like they just got fucked with a dead cat, I
don't know,
(pause) I don't know. I don't like it. Christ ...
GEORGE AARONOW What?
DAVE MOSS The whole fuckin' thing ... The pressure's just too great. You're ab ... you're
absolu ... they're too important. All of them. You go in the door. I ... "I got to close this
fucker, or I don't eat lunch," "or I don't win the Cadillac .... " We fuckin' work too hard.
You work
-- 13 --
too hard. We all, I remember when we were at Platt ... huh? Glen Ross Farms ... didn't we
sell a bunch of that ...?
GEORGE AARONOW They came in and they, you know ...
DAVE MOSS Well, they fucked it up.
GEORGE AARONOW They did.
DAVE MOSS They killed the goose.
GEORGE AARONOW They did.
DAVE MOSS And now ...
GEORGE AARONOW We're stuck with this ...
DAVE MOSS We're stuck with this fucking shit ...
GEORGE AARONOW ... this shit ...
DAVE MOSS It's too ...

GEORGE AARONOW It is.
DAVE MOSS Eh?
GEORGE AARONOW It's too ...
DAVE MOSS You get a bad month, all of a ...
GEORGE AARONOW You're on this ...
DAVE MOSS All of, they got you on this "board ... "
GEORGE AARONOW I, I ... I ...
DAVE MOSS Some contest board ...
GEORGE AARONOW I ...
DAVE MOSS It's not right.
GEORGE AARONOW It's not.
DAVE MOSS No.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW And it's not right to the customers.
DAVE MOSS I know it's not. I'll tell you, you got, you know, you got ... what did I learn
as a kid on Western? Don't sell a guy one car. Sell him five cars over fifteen years.
GEORGE AARONOW That's right.
DAVE MOSS Eh ...?
GEORGE AARONOW That's right.
DAVE MOSS Goddamn right, that's right. Guys come on:
-- 14 --
"Oh, the blah blah blah, I know what I'll do: I'll go in and rob everyone blind and go to
Argentina cause nobody ever thought of this before."
GEORGE AARONOW ... that's right ...
DAVE MOSS Eh?
GEORGE AARONOW No. That's absolutely right.
DAVE MOSS And so they kill the goose ... and, and a fuckin' man, worked all his life has
got to ...
GEORGE AARONOW ... that's right ...
DAVE MOSS ... cower in his boots ...
GEORGE AARONOW
(simultaneously with "boots") Shoes, boots, yes ...
DAVE MOSS For some fuckin' "Sell ten thousand and you win the steak knives ... "
GEORGE AARONOW For some sales pro ...

DAVE MOSS ... sale promotion, "You lose, then we fire your ... " No. It's medieval ... it's
wrong. "Or we're going to fire your ass." It's wrong.
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
DAVE MOSS Yes, it is. And you know who's responsible?
GEORGE AARONOW Who?
DAVE MOSS You know who it is. It's Mitch. And Murray. 'Cause it doesn't have to be
this way.
GEORGE AARONOW No.
DAVE MOSS Look at Jerry Graff. He's clean, he's doing business for himself, he's got his,
that list of his with the nurses ... see? You see? That's thinking. Why take ten percent? A
ten percent comm ... why are we giving the rest away? What are we giving ninety per ...
for nothing. For some jerk sit in the office tell you "Get out there and close." "Go win the
Cadillac." Graff. He goes out and buys. He pays top dollar for the ... you see?
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
DAVE MOSS That's thinking. Now, he's got the leads, he
-- 15 --
goes in business for himself. He's ... that's what I ... that's thinking! "Who? Who's got a
steady job, a couple bucks nobody's touched, who?"
GEORGE AARONOW Nurses.
DAVE MOSS So Graff buys a fucking list of nurses, one grand--if he paid two I'll eat my
hat--four, five thousand nurses, and he's going wild ...
GEORGE AARONOW He is?
DAVE MOSS He's doing very well.
GEORGE AARONOW I heard that they were running cold.
DAVE MOSS The nurses?
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
DAVE MOSS You hear a lot of things .... He's doing very well. He's doing very well.
GEORGE AARONOW With River Oaks?
DAVE MOSS River Oaks, Brook Farms. All of that shit. Somebody told me, you know
what he's clearing himself? Fourteen, fifteen grand a week.
GEORGE AARONOW Himself?
DAVE MOSS That's what I'm saying. Why? The leads. He's got the good leads ... what are
we, we're sitting in the shit here. Why? We have to go to them to get them. Huh. Ninety
percent our sale, we're paying to the office for the leads.
GEORGE AARONOW The leads, the overhead, the telephones, there's lots of things.
DAVE MOSS What do you need? A telephone, some broad to say "Good morning,"
nothing ... nothing ...
GEORGE AARONOW No, it's not that simple, Dave ...
DAVE MOSS Yes. It is. It is simple, and you know what the hard part is?
DAVE MOSS Starting up.
GEORGE AARONOW What hard part?
-- 16 --
DAVE MOSS Of doing the thing. The dif ... the difference. Between me and Jerry Graff.
Going to business for yourself. The hard part is ... you know what it is?
DAVE MOSS Just the act.
GEORGE AARONOW What act?
DAVE MOSS To say "I'm going on my own." 'Cause what you do, George, let me tell you
what you do: you find yourself in thrall to someone else. And we enslave ourselves. To
please. To win some fucking toaster ... to ... to ... and the guy who got there first made up
those ...
GEORGE AARONOW That's right ...
DAVE MOSS He made up those rules, and we're working for him.
GEORGE AARONOW That's the truth ...
DAVE MOSS That's the God's truth. And it gets me depressed. I swear that it does. At
MY AGE. To see a goddamn: "Somebody wins the Cadillac this month. P.S. Two guys
get fucked."
GEORGE AARONOW Huh.

DAVE MOSS You don't ax your sales force.
GEORGE AARONOW No.
DAVE MOSS You ...
GEORGE AARONOW You ...
DAVE MOSS You build it!
GEORGE AARONOW That's what I ...
DAVE MOSS You fucking build it! Men come ...
GEORGE AARONOW Men come work for you ...
DAVE MOSS ... you're absolutely right.
GEORGE AARONOW They ...
DAVE MOSS They have ...
GEORGE AARONOW When they ...
DAVE MOSS Look look look look, when they build your
-- 17 --
business, then you can't fucking turn around, enslave them, treat them like children, fuck
them up the ass, leave them to fend for themselves ... no.
(pause) No.
(pause) You're absolutely right, and I want to tell you something.
DAVE MOSS I want to tell you what somebody should do.
DAVE MOSS Someone should stand up and strike back.
GEORGE AARONOW What do you mean?
DAVE MOSS Somebody ...
GEORGE AARONOW Yes ...?
DAVE MOSS Should do something to them.
DAVE MOSS Something. To pay them back.
(pause) Someone, someone should hurt them. Murray and Mitch.
GEORGE AARONOW Someone should hurt them.
DAVE MOSS Yes.
GEORGE AARONOW
(pause) How?
DAVE MOSS How? Do something to hurt them. Where they live.
(pause)
DAVE MOSS Someone should rob the office.
GEORGE AARONOW Huh.
DAVE MOSS That's what I'm saying. We were, if we were that kind of guys, to knock it
off, and trash the joint, it looks like robbery, and take the fuckin' leads out of the files ...
go to Jerry Graff.
(long pause)
GEORGE AARONOW What could somebody get for them?
DAVE MOSS What could we get for them? I don't know. Buck a throw ... buck-a-half a
throw ... I don't know. ... Hey, who knows what they're worth, what do they pay for
them? All told ... must be, I'd ... three bucks a throw ... I don't know.
-- 18 --
GEORGE AARONOW How many leads have we got?
DAVE MOSS The Glengarry ... the premium leads ...? I'd say we got five thousand. Five.
Five thousand leads.
GEORGE AARONOW And you're saying a fella could take and sell these leads to Jerry
Graff.
DAVE MOSS Yes.

GEORGE AARONOW How do you know he'd buy them?
DAVE MOSS Graff? Because I worked for him.
GEORGE AARONOW You haven't talked to him.
DAVE MOSS No. What do you mean? Have I talked to him about this?
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Yes. I mean are you actually talking about this, or are we just ...
DAVE MOSS No, we're just ...
GEORGE AARONOW We're just "talking" about it.
DAVE MOSS We're just speaking about it.
(pause) As an idea.
GEORGE AARONOW As an idea.
DAVE MOSS Yes.
GEORGE AARONOW We're not actually talking about it.
DAVE MOSS No.
GEORGE AARONOW Talking about it as a ...
DAVE MOSS No.

GEORGE AARONOW As a robbery.
DAVE MOSS As a "robbery"?! No.
GEORGE AARONOW Well. Well ...
DAVE MOSS Hey.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW So all this, um, you didn't, actually, you didn't actually go talk to
Graff.
DAVE MOSS Not actually, no.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW You didn't?
DAVE MOSS No. Not actually.
GEORGE AARONOW Did you?
DAVE MOSS What did I say?
-- 19 --
GEORGE AARONOW What did you say?
DAVE MOSS Yes.
(pause) I said, "Not actually." The fuck you care, George? We're just talking ...
GEORGE AARONOW We are?
DAVE MOSS Yes.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Because, because, you know, it's a crime.
DAVE MOSS That's right. It's a crime. It is a crime. It's also very safe.
GEORGE AARONOW You're actually talking about this?
DAVE MOSS That's right.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW You're going to steal the leads?
DAVE MOSS Have I said that?
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Are you?
(pause)
DAVE MOSS Did I say that?
GEORGE AARONOW Did you talk to Graff?
DAVE MOSS Is that what I said?
GEORGE AARONOW What did he say?

DAVE MOSS What did he say? He'd buy them.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW You're going to steal the leads and sell the leads to him?
(pause)
DAVE MOSS Yes.
GEORGE AARONOW What will he pay?
DAVE MOSS A buck a shot.
GEORGE AARONOW For five thousand?
DAVE MOSS However they are, that's the deal. A buck a throw. Five thousand dollars.
Split it half and half.
GEORGE AARONOW You're saying "me."
DAVE MOSS Yes.
(pause) Twenty-five hundred apiece. One night's work, and the job with Graff. Working
the premium leads.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW A job with Graff.
DAVE MOSS Is that what I said?
GEORGE AARONOW He'd give me a job.

DAVE MOSS He would take you on. Yes.
(pause)
-- 20 --
GEORGE AARONOW Is that the truth?
DAVE MOSS Yes. It is, George.
(pause) Yes. It's a big decision,
(pause) And it's a big reward.
(pause) It's a big reward. For one night's work.
(pause) But it's got to be tonight.
DAVE MOSS What? What? The leads.
GEORGE AARONOW You have to steal the leads tonight?
DAVE MOSS That's right, the guys are moving them downtown. After the thirtieth.
Murray and Mitch. After the contest.
GEORGE AARONOW You're, you're saying so you have to go in there tonight and ...
DAVE MOSS You ...
GEORGE AARONOW I'm sorry?
DAVE MOSS You.

(pause) GEORGE AARONOW Me?
DAVE MOSS You have to go in.
(pause) You have to get the leads.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW I do?
DAVE MOSS Yes.
GEORGE AARONOW I ...
DAVE MOSS It's not something for nothing, George, I took you in on this, you have to go.
That's your thing. I've made the deal with Graff. I can't go. I can't go in, I've spoken on
this too much. I've got a big mouth.
(pause) "The fucking leads" et cetera, "blah blah blah" ... "the fucking tight ass company
... "
GEORGE AARONOW They'll know when you go over to Graff ...
DAVE MOSS What will they know? That I stole the leads? I didn't steal the leads, I'm
going to the movies tonight with a friend, and then I'm going to the Como Inn. Why did I
go to Graff? I got a better deal. Period. Let 'em
-- 21 --
prove something. They can't prove anything that's not the case.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Dave.
DAVE MOSS Yes.

GEORGE AARONOW YOU want me to break into the office tonight and steal the leads?
DAVE MOSS Yes.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW NO.
DAVE MOSS Oh, yes, George.
GEORGE AARONOW What does that mean?
DAVE MOSS Listen to this. I have an alibi, I'm going to the Como Inn. Why? The place
gets robbed, they're going to come looking for me. Why? Because I probably did it. Are
you going to turn me in?
(pause) George? Are you going to turn me in?
GEORGE AARONOW What if you don't get caught?
DAVE MOSS They come to you, you going to turn me in?
GEORGE AARONOW Why would they come to me?
DAVE MOSS They're going to come to everyone.
GEORGE AARONOW Why would I do it?
DAVE MOSS You wouldn't, George, that's why I'm talking to you. Answer me. They
come to you. You going to turn me in?
GEORGE AARONOW NO.

DAVE MOSS Are you sure?
GEORGE AARONOW Yes. I'm sure.
DAVE MOSS Then listen to this: I have to get those leads tonight. That's something I have
to do. If I'm not at the movies...if I'm not eating over at the inn...If you don't do this, then I
have to come in here...
GEORGE AARONOW ...you don't have to come in...
DAVE MOSS ...and rob the place...
GEORGE AARONOW ... I thought that we were only talking...
-- 22 --
DAVE MOSS ...they take me, then. They're going to ask me who were my accomplices.
GEORGE AARONOW Me?
DAVE MOSS Absolutely.
GEORGE AARONOW That's ridiculous.
DAVE MOSS Well, to the law, you're an accessory. Before the fact.
GEORGE AARONOW I didn't ask to be.
DAVE MOSS Then tough luck, George, because you are.
GEORGE AARONOW Why? Why, becuase you only told me about it?
DAVE MOSS That's right.
GEORGE AARONOW Why are you doing this to me, Dave. Why are you talking this way
to me? I don't understand. Why are you doing this at all...?
DAVE MOSS That's none of your fucking business...
GEORGE AARONOW Well, well, well, talk to me, we sat down to eat dinner, and here
I'm a criminal...
DAVE MOSS You went for it.
GEORGE AARONOW In the abstract...
DAVE MOSS So I'm making it concrete.
GEORGE AARONOW Why?
DAVE MOSS Why? You going to give me five grand?
GEORGE AARONOW DO you need five grand?
DAVE MOSS Is that what I just said?
GEORGE AARONOW YOU need money? Is that the...
DAVE MOSS Hey, hey, let's just keep it simple, what I need is not the...what do you
need...?
GEORGE AARONOW What is the five grand?
(pause) What is the, you said that we were going to split five...
DAVE MOSS . I lied.
(pause) Alright? My end is my business. Your end's twenty-five. In or out. You tell me,
you're out you take the consequences.
GEORGE AARONOW I do?
-- 23 --
DAVE MOSS Yes.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW And why is that?
DAVE MOSS Because you listened.
-- 24 --
Act 1, Scene 3
SCENE 3
The restaurant. ROMA is seated alone at the booth. LINGK is at the booth next to him.
ROMA is talking to him.
RICHARD ROMA ...all train compartments smell vaguely of shit. It gets so you don't
mind it. That's the worst thing that I can confess. You know how long it took me to get
there? A long time. When you die you're going to regret the things you don't do. You
think you're queer...? I'm going to tell you something: we're all queer. You think that
you're a thief? So what? You get befuddled by a middle-class morality...? Get shut of it.
Shut it out. You cheated on your wife...? You did it, live with it.
(pause) You fuck little girls, so be it. There's an absolute morality? May be. And then
what? If you think there is, then be that thing. Bad people go to hell? I don't think so. If
you think that, act that way. A hell exists on earth? Yes. I won't live in it. That's me. You
ever take a dump made you feel you'd just slept for twelve hours...?
JAMES LINGK Did I...?

RICHARD ROMA Yes.
JAMES LINGK I don't know.
RICHARD ROMA Or a piss...? A great meal fades in reflection. Everything else gains.
You know why? 'Cause it's only food. This shit we eat, it keeps us going. But it's only
food. The great fucks that you may have had. What do you remember about them?
-- 25 --
JAMES LINGK What do I...?
RICHARD ROMA Yes.
JAMES LINGK Mmmm...
RICHARD ROMA I don't know. For me, I'm saying, what it is, it's probably not the
orgasm. Some broads, forearms on your neck, something her eyes did. There was a sound
she made...or, me, lying, in the, I'll tell you: me lying in bed; the next day she brought me
café au lait. She gives me a cigarette, my balls feel like concrete. Eh? What I'm saying,
what is our life?
(pause) It's looking foward or it's looking back. And that's our life. That's it. Where is the
moment?
(pause) And what is it that we're afraid of? Loss. What else?
(pause) The bank closes. We get sick, my wife died on a plane, the stock market
collapsed....the house burnt down...what of these happen...? None of 'em. We worry
anyway. What does this mean? I'm not secure. How can I be secure?
(pause) Through amassing wealth beyond all measure? No. And what's beyond all
measure? That's a sickness. That's a trap. There is no measure. Only greed. How can we
act? The right way, we would say, to deal with this: "There is a one-in-a-million chance
that so and so will happen.... Fuck it, it won't happen to me...." No. We know that's not
the right way I think.
(pause) We say the correct way to deal with this is "There is a one-in-so-and-so chance
this will happen...God protect me. I am powerless, let it not happen to me...." But no to
that. I say. There's something else. What is it? "If it happens, AS IT MAY for that is not
within our powers, I will deal with it, just as I do today with what draws my concern
today." I say this is how we must act. I do those things which seem correct to me today. I
trust myself. And if security concerns me, I do that which today
-- 26 --
I think will make me secure. And every day I do that, when that day arrives that I need a
reserve,
(a) odds are that I have it, and
(b) the true reserve that I have is the strength that I have of acting each day without fear.
(pause) According to the dictates of my mind.
(pause) Stocks, bonds, objects of art, real estate. Now: what are they?
(pause) An opportunity. To what? To make money? Perhaps. To lose money? Perhaps.

To "indulge" and to "learn" about ourselves? Perhaps. So fucking what? What isn't?
They're an opportunity. That's all. They're an event. A guy comes up to you, you make a
call, you send in a brochure, it doesn't matter, "There're these properties I'd like for you
to see." What does it mean? What you want it to mean.
(pause) Money?
(pause) If that's what it signifies to you. Security?
(pause) Comfort?
(pause) All it is is THINGS THAT HAPPEN TO YOU.
(pause) That's all it is. How are they different?
(pause) Some poor newly married guy gets run down by a cab. Some busboy wins the
lottery.
(pause) All it is, it's a carnival. What's special... what draws us?
(pause) We're all different.
(pause) We're not the same.
(pause) We are not the same.
(pause) Hmmm.
(pause, sighs) It's been a long day.
(pause) What are you drinking?
JAMES LINGK Gimlet.
RICHARD ROMA Well, let's have a couple more. My name is Richard Roma, what's
yours?
JAMES LINGK Lingk. James Lingk.
RICHARD ROMA James. I'm glad to meet you.
(They shake hands.) I'm glad to meet you. James.
(pause) I want to show you something.
(pause) It might mean nothing to you...and it might not. I don't know. I don't know
anymore.
(Pause. He takes out a small map and spreads
-- 27 --
it on the table.) What is that? Florida. Glengarry Highlands. Florida. "Florida. Bullshit."
And maybe that's true; and that's what I said: but look here: what is this? This is a piece
of land. Listen to what I'm going to tell you now:
-- 28 --
Act 2
ACT TWO
The real estate office. Ransacked. A broken plateglass window boarded up, glass all over
the floor. AARONOW and WILLIAMSON standing around, smoking. Pause.
GEORGE AARONOW People used to say that there are numbers of such magnitude that
multiplying them by two made no difference.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON Who used to say that?
GEORGE AARONOW In school.
(pause)
(BAYLEN, a detective, comes out of the inner office.)
BAYLEN Alright...?
(ROMA enters from the street.)
RICHARD ROMA Williamson...Williamson, they stole the contracts...?
BAYLEN Excuse me, sir...
RICHARD ROMA Did they get my contrats?
JOHN WILLIAMSON They got...
BAYLEN Excuse me, fella.
RICHARD ROMA ...did they...
BAYLEN Would you excuse us, please...?
RICHARD ROMA Don't fuck with me, fella. I'm talking about a fuckin' Cadillac car that
you owe me...
JOHN WILLIAMSON They didn't get your contract. I filed it before I left.
RICHARD ROMA They didn't get my contracts?
JOHN WILLIAMSON They--excuse me...
(He goes back into inner room with the detective.)
RICHARD ROMA Oh, fuck. Fuck.
(He starts kicking the desk.) FUCK FUCK FUCK! WILLIAMSON!!! WILLIAMSON!!!
-- 29 --
(Goes to the door WILLIAMSON went into, tries the door; it's locked.) OPEN THE
FUCKING... WILLIAMSON...
BAYLEN
(coming out) Who are you?
(WILLIAMSON comes out.)
JOHN WILLIAMSON They didn't get the contracts.
RICHARD ROMA Did they...
JOHN WILLIAMSON They got, listen to me...
RICHARD ROMA Th...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Listen to me: They got some of them.
RICHARD ROMA Some of them...
BAYLEN Who told you...?

RICHARD ROMA Who told me wh...? You've got a fuckin', you've...a...who is this...?
You've got a board-up on the window.... Moss told me.
BAYLEN
(looking back toward the inner office) Moss ...Who told him?
RICHARD ROMA HOW the fuck do I know?
(to WILLIAMSON) What...talk to me.
JOHN WILLIAMSON They took some of the con...
RICHARD ROMA ...some of the contracts...Lingk. James Lingk. I closed...
JOHN WILLIAMSON You closed him yesterday.
RICHARD ROMA Yes.
JOHN WILLIAMSON It went down. I filed it.
RICHARD ROMA You did?
RICHARD ROMA Then I'm over the fucking top and you owe me a Cadillac.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I...
RICHARD ROMA And I don't want any fucking shit and I don't give a shit, Lingk puts me
over the top, you filed it, that's fine, any other shit kicks out you go back. You
-- 30 --
...you reclose it, 'cause I closed it and you...you owe me the car.
BAYLEN Would you excuse us, please.
GEORGE AARONOW I, um, and may...maybe they're in... they're in...you should, John, if
we're ins...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I'm sure that we're insured, George...
(going back inside)
RICHARD ROMA Fuck insured. You owe me a car.
BAYLEN
(stepping back into the inner room) Please don't leave. I'm going to talk to you. What's
your name?
RICHARD ROMA Are you talking to me?
(pause)
BAYLEN Yes.
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA My name is Richard Roma.
(BAYLEN goes back into the inner room.)
GEORGE AARONOW I, you know, they should be insured.
RICHARD ROMA What do you care...?
GEORGE AARONOW Then, you know, they wouldn't be so ups...

RICHARD ROMA Yeah. That's swell. Yes. You're right.
(pause) How are you?
GEORGE AARONOW I'm fine. You mean the board? You mean the board...?
RICHARD ROMA I don't...yes. Okay, the board.
GEORGE AARONOW I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm fucked on the board. You. You see how...I...
(pause) I can't...my mind must be in other places. 'Cause I can't do any...
RICHARD ROMA What? You can't do any what?
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW I can't close 'em.
RICHARD ROMA Well, they're old. I saw the shit that they were giving you.
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
RICHARD ROMA Huh?
GEORGE AARONOW Yes. They are old.
-- 31 --
RICHARD ROMA They're ancient.
GEORGE AARONOW Clear...
RICHARD ROMA Clear Meadows. That shit's dead.

(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW It is dead.
RICHARD ROMA It's a waste of time.
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
(long pause) I'm no fucking good.
RICHARD ROMA That's...
GEORGE AARONOW Everything I...you know...
RICHARD ROMA That's not...Fuck that shit, George. You're a, hey, you had a bad month.
You're a good man, George.
GEORGE AARONOW I am?
RICHARD ROMA You hit a bad streak. We've all...look at this: fifteen units Mountain
View, the fucking things get stole.
GEORGE AARONOW He said he filed...
RICHARD ROMA He filed half of them, he file the big one. All the little ones, I have, I
have to go back and...ah, fuck, I got to go out like a fucking schmuck hat in my hand and
reclose the...
(pause) I mean, talk about a bad streak. That would sap anyone's self confi...I got to go
out and reclose all my...Where's the phones?
GEORGE AARONOW They stole...
RICHARD ROMA They stole the...

GEORGE AARONOW What. What kind of outfit are we running where...where anyone...
RICHARD ROMA
(to himself) They stole the phones.
GEORGE AARONOW Where criminals can come in here... they take the...
RICHARD ROMA They stole the phones. They stole the leads. They're...Christ.
(pause) What am I going to do this month? Oh, shit...
(starts for the door)
GEORGE AARONOW You think they're going to catch... where are you going?
-- 32 --
RICHARD ROMA Down the street.
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(sticking his head out of the door) Where are you going?
RICHARD ROMA To the restaura...what do you fucking...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Aren't you going out today?
RICHARD ROMA With what?
(pause) With what, John, they took the leads...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I have the stuff from last year's...

RICHARD ROMA Oh. Oh. Oh, your "nostalgia" file, that's fine. No. Swell. 'Cause I don't
have to...
JOHN WILLIAMSON ... you want to go out today...?
RICHARD ROMA 'Cause I don't have to eat this month. No. Okay. Give 'em to me...
(to himself) Fucking Mitch and Murray going to shit a br...what am I going to do all...
(WILLIAMSON starts back into the office. He is accosted by AARONOW.)
GEORGE AARONOW Were the leads...
RICHARD ROMA ...what am I going to do all month...?
GEORGE AARONOW Were the leads insured?
JOHN WILLIAMSON I don't know, George, why?
GEORGE AARONOW 'Cause, you know, 'cause they weren't, I know that Mitch and
Murray uh...
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON What?
GEORGE AARONOW That they're going to be upset.
JOHN WILLIAMSON That's right.
(Going back into his office, pause; to ROMA:) You want to go out today...?
(Pause, WILLIAMSON returns to his office.)

GEORGE AARONOW He said we're all going to have to go talk to the guy.
RICHARD ROMA What?
GEORGE AARONOW He said we...
RICHARD ROMA To the cop?
GEORGE AARONOW Yeah.
RICHARD ROMA Yeah. That's swell. Another waste of time.
-- 33 --
GEORGE AARONOW A waste of time? Why?
RICHARD ROMA Why? 'Cause they aren't going to find the guy.
GEORGE AARONOW The cops?
RICHARD ROMA Yes. The cops. No.
GEORGE AARONOW They aren't?
RICHARD ROMA No.
GEORGE AARONOW Why don't you think so?
RICHARD ROMA Why? Because they're stupid. "Where were you last night..."
GEORGE AARONOW Where were you?

RICHARD ROMA Where was I?
GEORGE AARONOW Yes.
RICHARD ROMA I was at home, where were you?
GEORGE AARONOW At home.
RICHARD ROMA See...? Were you the guy who broke in?
GEORGE AARONOW Was I?
RICHARD ROMA Yes.
GEORGE AARONOW No.
RICHARD ROMA Then don't sweat it, George, you know why?
GEORGE AARONOW No.
RICHARD ROMA You have nothing to hide.
GEORGE AARONOW
(pause) When I talk to the police, I get nervous.
RICHARD ROMA Yeah. You know who doesn't?
GEORGE AARONOW No, who?
RICHARD ROMA Thieves.

GEORGE AARONOW Why?
RICHARD ROMA They're inured to it.
GEORGE AARONOW You think so?
RICHARD ROMA Yes.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW But what should I tell them?
RICHARD ROMA The truth, George. Always tell the truth. It's the easiest thing to
remember.
(WILLIAMSON comes out of the office with leads. ROMA takes one, reads it.)
RICHARD ROMA Patel?. Ravidam Patel? How am I going to
-- 34 --
make a living on these deadbeat wogs? Where did you get this, from the morgue?
JOHN WILLIAMSON If you don't want it, give it back.
RICHARD ROMA I don't "want" it, if you catch my drift.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I'm giving you three leads. You...
RICHARD ROMA What's the fucking point in any case...? What's the point. I got to argue
with you, I got to knock heads with the cops, I'm busting my balls, sell your dirt to
fucking deadbeats money in the mattress, I come back you can't even manage to keep the
contracts safe, I have to go back and close them again.... What the fuck am I wasting my
time, fuck this shit. I'm going out and reclose last week's...
JOHN WILLIAMSON The word from Murray is: leave them alone. If we need a new
signature he'll go out himself, he'll be the president, just come in, from out of town...
RICHARD ROMA Okay, okay, okay, gimme this shit. Fine.
(takes the leads)
JOHN WILLIAMSON Now, I'm giving you three...
RICHARD ROMA Three? I count two.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Three.
RICHARD ROMA Patel? Fuck you. Fuckin' Shiva handed him a million dollars, told him
"sign the deal," he wouldn't sign. And Vishnu, too. Into the bargain. Fuck that, John. You
know your business, I know mine. Your business is being an asshole, and I find out
whose fucking cousin you are, I'm going to go to him and figure out a way to have your
ass...fuck you--I'll wait for the new leads.
(SHELLY LEVENE enters.)
SHELLY LEVENE Get the chalk. Get the chalk...get the chalk! I closed 'em! I closed the
cocksucker. Get the
-- 35 --
chalk and put me on the board. I'm going to Hawaii! Put me on the Cadillac board,
Williamson! Pick up the fuckin' chalk. Eight units. Mountain View...
RICHARD ROMA You sold eight Mountain View?
SHELLY LEVENE You bet your ass. Who wants to go to lunch? Who wants to go to
lunch? I'm buying.
(slaps contract down on WILLIAMSON's desk) Eighty-two fucking grand. And twelve
grand in commission. John.
(pause) On fucking deadbeat magazine subscription leads.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Who?
SHELLY LEVENE
(pointing to contract) Read it. Bruce and Harriett Nyborg.
(looking around) What happened here?
GEORGE AARONOW Fuck. I had them on River Glen.
(LEVENE looks around)
SHELLY LEVENE What happened?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Somebody broke in.
RICHARD ROMA Eight units?
SHELLY LEVENE That's right.
RICHARD ROMA Shelly...!
SHELLY LEVENE Hey, big fucking deal. Broke a bad streak...
GEORGE AARONOW Shelly, the Machine, Levene.
SHELLY LEVENE You...
GEORGE AARONOW That's great.
SHELLY LEVENE Thank you, George.

(BAYLEN sticks his head out of the room; calls in, "Aaronow.")
SHELLY LEVENE Williamson, get on the phone, call Mitch...
RICHARD ROMA They took the phones...
SHELLY LEVENE They...
BAYLEN Aaronow...
-- 36 --
RICHARD ROMA They took the typewriters, they took the leads, they took the cash, they
took the contracts...
SHELLY LEVENE Wh...wh...Wha...?
GEORGE AARONOW We had a robbery.
(goes into the inner room)
SHELLY LEVENE
(pause) When?
RICHARD ROMA Last night, this morning.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE They took the leads?
RICHARD ROMA Mmm.
(MOSS comes out of the interrogation.)

DAVE MOSS Fuckin' asshole.
RICHARD ROMA What, they beat you with a rubber bat?
DAVE MOSS Cop couldn't find his dick two hands and a map. Anyone talks to this guy's
an asshole...
RICHARD ROMA You going to turn State's?
DAVE MOSS Fuck you, Ricky. I ain't going out today. I'm going home. I'm going home
because nothing'g accomplished here.... Anyone talks to this guy is...
RICHARD ROMA Guess what the Machine did?
DAVE MOSS Fuck the Machine.
RICHARD ROMA Mountain View. Eight units.
DAVE MOSS Fuckin' cop's got no right talk to me that way. I didn't rob the place...
RICHARD ROMA You hear what I said?
DAVE MOSS Yeah. He closed a deal.
RICHARD ROMA Eight units. Mountain View.
DAVE MOSS
(to LEVENE) You did that?
SHELLY LEVENE Yeah.

(pause)
DAVE MOSS Fuck you.
RICHARD ROMA Guess who?
DAVE MOSS When...?
SHELLY LEVENE Just now.
-- 37 --
RICHARD ROMA Guess who?
DAVE MOSS You just this morning...
RICHARD ROMA Harriet and blah blah Nyborg.
DAVE MOSS You did that?
SHELLY LEVENE Eighty-two thousand dollars.
(pause)
DAVE MOSS Those fuckin' deadbeats...
SHELLY LEVENE My ass, I told 'em.
(to ROMA) Listen to this: I said...
DAVE MOSS Hey, I don't want to hear your fucking war stories...
RICHARD ROMA Fuck you, Dave...

SHELLY LEVENE "You have to believe in yourself... you"--look--"alright...?"
DAVE MOSS
(to WILLIAMSON) Give me some leads. I'm going out...I'm getting out of...
SHELLY LEVENE "...you have to believe in yourself..."
DAVE MOSS Na, fuck the leads, I'm going home.
SHELLY LEVENE "Bruce, Harriet...Fuck me, believe in yourself..."
RICHARD ROMA We haven't got a lead...
DAVE MOSS Why not?
RICHARD ROMA They took 'em...
DAVE MOSS Hey, they're fuckin' garbage any case.... This whole goddamn...
SHELLY LEVENE "...You look around, you say, ‘This one has so-and-so, and I have
nothing...’"
DAVE MOSS Shit.
SHELLY LEVENE "‘Why? Why don't I get the opportunities...’"
DAVE MOSS And did they steal the contracts...?
RICHARD ROMA Fuck you care...?

SHELLY LEVENE "I want to tell you something, Harriett..."
DAVE MOSS ... the fuck is that supposed to mean...?
SHELLY LEVENE Will you shut up, I'm telling you this...
(AARONOW sticks his head out.)
-- 38 --
GEORGE AARONOW Can we get some coffee...?
DAVE MOSS How ya doing?
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Fine.
DAVE MOSS Uh-huh.
GEORGE AARONOW If anyone's going, I could use some coffee.
SHELLY LEVENE "You do get the..."
(to ROMA) Huh? Huh?
DAVE MOSS Fuck is that supposed to mean?
SHELLY LEVENE "You do get the opportunity.... You get them. As I do, as anyone
does..."
DAVE MOSS Ricky?...That I don't care they stole the contracts?
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE I got 'em in the kitchen. I'm eating her crumb cake.
DAVE MOSS What does that mean?
RICHARD ROMA It means, Dave, you haven't closed a good one in a month, none of my
business, you want to push me to answer you.
(pause) And so you haven't got a contract to get stolen or so forth.
DAVE MOSS You have a mean streak in you, Ricky, you know that...?
SHELLY LEVENE Rick. Let me tell you. Wait, we're in the...
DAVE MOSS Shut the fuck up.
(pause) Ricky. You have a mean streak in you....
(to LEVENE) And what the fuck are you babbling about...?
(to ROMA) Bring that shit up. Of my volume. You were on a bad one and I brought it up
to you you'd harbor it.
(pause) You'd harbor it a long long while. And you'd be right.
RICHARD ROMA Who said "Fuck the Machine"?
DAVE MOSS "Fuck the Machine"? "Fuck the Machine"? What is this. Courtesy class...?
You're fucked, Rick--are you fucking nuts? You're hot, so you think you're the ruler of
this place...?! You want to...
SHELLY LEVENE Dave...
-- 39 --
DAVE MOSS ... Shut up. Decide who should be dealt with how? Is that the thing? I come
into the fuckin' office today, I get humiliated by some jagoff cop. I get accused of...I get
this shit thrown in my face by you, you genuine shit, because you're top name on the
board...
RICHARD ROMA Is that what I did? Dave? I humiliated you? My God...I'm sorry ...
DAVE MOSS Sittin' on top of the world, sittin' on top of the world, everything's fucking
peachfuzz...
RICHARD ROMA Oh, and I don't get a moment to spare for a bust-out humanitarian
down on his luck lately. Fuck you, Dave, you know you got a big mouth. And you make a
close the whole place stinks with your farts for a week. "How much you just ingested,"
what a big man you are, "Hey, let me buy you a pack of gum. I'll show you how to chew
it." Your pal closes, all that comes out of your mouth is bile, how fucked up you are...
DAVE MOSS Who's my pal...? And what are you, Ricky, huh, what are you, Bishop
Sheean? Who the fuck are you, Mr. Slick...? What are you, friend to the workingman?
Big deal. Fuck you, you got the memory a fuckin' fly. I never liked you.
RICHARD ROMA What is this, your farewell speech?
DAVE MOSS I'm going home.
RICHARD ROMA Your farewell to the troops?
DAVE MOSS I'm not going home. I'm going to Wisconsin.
RICHARD ROMA Have a good trip.
DAVE MOSS
(simultaneously with "trip") And fuck you. Fuck the lot of you. Fuck you all.
(MOSS exits. Pause.)
RICHARD ROMA
(to LEVENE) You were saying?
(pause) Come on. Come on, you got them in the kitchen, you got the stats spread out,
you're in your shirtsleeves, you can smell it. Huh? Snap out of it, you're eating her crumb
cake.
(pause)
-- 40 --
SHELLY LEVENE I'm eating her crumb cake...
RICHARD ROMA How was it...?
SHELLY LEVENE From the store.
RICHARD ROMA Fuck her...
SHELLY LEVENE "What we have to do is admit to ourself that we see that

opportunity...and take it.
(pause) And that's it." And we sit there.
(pause) I got the pen out...
RICHARD ROMA "Always be closing..."
SHELLY LEVENE That's what I'm saying. The old ways. The old ways...convert the
motherfucker...sell him... sell him...make him sign the check.
(pause) The... Bruce, Harriett...the kitchen, blah: they got their money in government
bonds.... I say fuck it, we're going to go the whole route. I plat it out eight units. Eighty-
two grand. I tell them. "This is now. This is that thing that you've been dreaming of,
you're going to find that suitcase on the train, the guy comes in the door, the bag that's
full of money. This is it, Harriett..."
RICHARD ROMA
(reflectively) Harriett...
SHELLY LEVENE Bruce ... "I don't want to fuck around with you. I don't want to go
round this, and pussyfoot around the thing, you have to look back on this. I do, too. I
came here to do good for you and me. For both of us. Why take an interim position? The
only arrangement I'll accept is full investment. Period. The whole eight units. I know that
you're saying ‘be safe,’ I know what you're saying. I know if I left you to yourselves,
you'd say ‘come back tomorrow,’ and when I walked out that door, you'd make a cup of
coffee...you'd sit down...and you'd think ‘let's be safe...’ and not to disappoint me you'd go
one unit or maybe two, because you'd become scared because you'd met possibility. But
this won't do, and that's not the subject...." Listen to this, I actually said this. "That's not
the subject of our
-- 41 --
evening together." Now I handed them the pen. I held it in my hand. I turned the contract,
eight units eighty-two grand. "Now I want you to sign."
(pause) I sat there. Five minutes. Then, I sat there, Ricky, twenty-two minutes by the
kitchen clock.
(pause) Twenty-two minutes by the kitchen clock. Not a word, not a motion. What am I
thinking? "My arm's getting tired?" No. I did it. I did it. Like in the old days, Ricky. Like
I was taught ...Like, like, like, I used to do...I did it.
RICHARD ROMA Like you taught me...
SHELLY LEVENE Bullshit, you're...No. That's...that's ...well, if I did, then I'm glad I did.
I, well. I locked on them. All on them, nothing no me. All my thoughts are on them. I'm
holding the last thought that I spoke: "Now is the time."
(pause) They signed, Ricky. It was great. It was fucking great. It was like they wilted all
at once. No gesture...nothing. Like together. They, I swear to God, they both kind of
imperceptibly slumped. And he reaches and takes the pen and signs, he passes it to her,
she signs. It was so fucking solemn. I just let it sit. I nod like this. I nod again. I grasp his
hands. I shake his hands. I grasp her hands. I nod at her like this. "Bruce ...Harriett..." I'm
beaming at them. I'm nodding like this. I point back in the living room, back to the
sideboard.
(pause) I didn't fucking know there was a sideboard there!! He goes back, he brings us a
drink. Little shot glasses. A pattern in 'em. And we toast. In silence.
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA That was a great sale, Shelly.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE Ah, fuck. Leads! Leads! Williamson!
(WILLIAMSON sticks his head out of the office.) Send me out! Send me out!
JOHN WILLIAMSON The leads are coming.
SHELLY LEVENE Get 'em to me!
-- 42 --
JOHN WILLIAMSON I talked to Murray and Mitch an hour ago. They're coming in, you
understand they're a bit upset over this morning's...
SHELLY LEVENE Did you tell 'em my sale?
JOHN WILLIAMSON How could I tell 'em your sale? Eh? I don't have a tel...I'll tell 'em
your sale when they bring in the leads. Alright? Shelly. Alright? We had a little... You
closed a deal. You made a good sale. Fine.
SHELLY LEVENE It's better than a good sale. It's a...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Look: I have a lot of things on my mind, they're coming in, alright,
they're very upset, I'm trying to make some sense...
SHELLY LEVENE All that I'm telling you: that one thing you can tell them it's a
remarkable sale.
JOHN WILLIAMSON The only thing remarkable is who you made it to.
SHELLY LEVENE What does that fucking mean?

JOHN WILLIAMSON That if the sale sticks, it will be a miracle.
SHELLY LEVENE Why should the sale not stick? Hey, fuck you. That's what I'm saying.
You have no idea of your job. A man's his job and you're fucked at yours. You hear what
I'm saying to you? Your "end of the month board..." You can't run an office. I don't care.
You don't know what it is, you don't have the sense, you don't have the balls. You ever
been on a sit? Ever? Has this cocksucker ever been...you ever sit down with a cust...
JOHN WILLIAMSON I were you, I'd calm down, Shelly.
SHELLY LEVENE Would you? Would you...? Or you're gonna what, fire me?
JOHN WILLIAMSON It's not impossible.
SHELLY LEVENE On an eighty-thousand dollar day? And it ain't even noon.
-- 43 --
RICHARD ROMA You closed 'em today?
SHELLY LEVENE Yes. I did. This morning,
(to WILLIAMSON) What I'm saying to you: things can change. You see? This is where
you fuck up, because this is something you don't know. You can't look down the road.
And see what's coming. Might be someone else, John. It might be someone new, eh?
Someone new. And you can't look back. 'Cause you don't know history. You ask them.
When we were at Rio Rancho, who was top man? A month...? Two months...? Eight
months in twelve for three years in a row. You know what that means? You know what
that means? Is that luck? Is that some, some, some purloined leads? That's skill. That's
talent, that's, that's...
RICHARD ROMA ...yes...
SHELLY LEVENE ...and you don't remember. 'Cause you weren't around. That's cold
calling. Walk up to the door. I don't even know their name. I'm selling something they
don't even want. You talk about soft sell ...before we had a name for it...before we called
it anything, we did it.
RICHARD ROMA That's right, Shel.
SHELLY LEVENE And, and, and, I did it. And I put a kid through school. My
daughter...She...and...Cold calling, fella. Door to door. But you don't know. You don't
know. You never heard of a streak. You never heard of "marshaling your sales force...."
What are you, you're a secretary, John. Fuck you. That's my message to you. Fuck you
and kiss my ass. You don't like it, I'll go talk to Jerry Graff. Period. Fuck you. Put me on
the board. And I want three worthwhile leads today and I don't want any bullshit about
them and I want 'em close together 'cause I'm going to hit them all today. That's all I have
to say to you.
-- 44 --
RICHARD ROMA He's right, WILLIAMSON.
(WILLIAMSON goes into a side office. Pause.)
SHELLY LEVENE It's not right. I'm sorry, and I'll tell you who's to blame is Mitch and
Murray.
(ROMA sees something outside the window.)
RICHARD ROMA
(sotto) Oh, Christ.
SHELLY LEVENE The hell with him. We'll go to lunch, the leads won't be up for...
RICHARD ROMA You're a client. I just sold you five waterfront Glengarry Farms. I rub
my head, throw me the cue "Kenilworth."
SHELLY LEVENE What is it?
RICHARD ROMA Kenilw...

(LINGK enters the office.)
RICHARD ROMA
(to LEVENE) I own the property, my mother owns the property, I put her into it. I'm
going to show you on the plats. You look when you get home A-3 through A-14 and 26
through 30. You take your time and if you still feel.
SHELLY LEVENE No, Mr. ROMA. I don't need the time, I've made a lot of investments
in the last...
JAMES LINGK I've got to talk to you.
RICHARD ROMA
(looking up) Jim! What are you doing here? Jim Lingk, D. Ray Morton...
SHELLY LEVENE Glad to meet you.
RICHARD ROMA I just put Jim into Black Creek...are you acquainted with...
SHELLY LEVENE No...Black Creek. Yes. In Florida?
RICHARD ROMA Yes.
SHELLY LEVENE I wanted to speak with you about...
RICHARD ROMA Well, we'll do that this weekend.
SHELLY LEVENE My wife told me to look into...
RICHARD ROMA Beautiful. Beautiful rolling land. I was telling Jim and Jinny, Ray, I
want to tell you something.
(to LEVENE) You, Ray, you eat in a lot of restaurants. I
-- 45 --
know you do....
(to LINGK) Mr. Morton's with American Express...he's...
(to LEVENE) I can tell Jim what you do...?
SHELLY LEVENE Sure.
RICHARD ROMA Ray is director of all European sales and services for American Ex...
(to LEVENE) But I'm saying you haven't had a meal until you've tasted...I was at the
Lingk's last...as a matter of fact, what was that service feature you were talking about...?
SHELLY LEVENE Which...
RICHARD ROMA "Home Cooking"...what did you call it, you said...it was a tag phrase
that you had...
SHELLY LEVENE Uh...
RICHARD ROMA Home...
SHELLY LEVENE Home cooking...
RICHARD ROMA The monthly interview...?
SHELLY LEVENE Oh! For the magazine...
RICHARD ROMA Yes. Is this something that I can talk ab...

SHELLY LEVENE Well, it isn't coming out until the February iss...sure. Sure, go ahead,
Rick.
RICHARD ROMA You're sure?
SHELLY LEVENE
(nods) Go ahead.
RICHARD ROMA Well, Ray was eating at one of his company's men's home in
France...the man's French, isn't he?
SHELLY LEVENE No, his wife is.
RICHARD ROMA Ah. Ah, his wife is. Ray: what time do you have...?
SHELLY LEVENE Twelve-fifteen.
RICHARD ROMA Oh! My God...I've got to get you on the plane!
SHELLY LEVENE Didn't I say I was taking the two o'...
RICHARD ROMA No. You said the one. That's why you said we couldn't talk till
Kenilworth.
SHELLY LEVENE Oh, my God, you're right! I'm on the one. ...
(getting up) Well, let's scoot...
-- 46 --
JAMES LINGK I've got to talk to you...

RICHARD ROMA I've got to get Ray to O'Hare...
(to LEVENE) Come on, let's hustle....
(over his shoulder) John! Call American Express in Pittsburgh for Mr. Morton, will you,
tell them he's on the one o'clock.
(to LINGK) I'll see you.... Christ, I'm sorry you came all the way in.... I'm running Ray
over to O'Hare.... You wait here, I'll...no.
(to LEVENE) I'm meeting your man at the back....
(to LINGK) I wish you'd phoned.... I'll tell you, wait: are you and Jinny going to be home
tonight?
(rubs forehead)
JAMES LINGK I...
SHELLY LEVENE Rick.
RICHARD ROMA What?
SHELLY LEVENE Kenilworth...?
RICHARD ROMA I'm sorry...?
SHELLY LEVENE Kenilworth.
RICHARD ROMA Oh, God...Oh, God...
(ROMA takes LINGK aside, sotto) Jim, excuse me.... Ray, I told you, who he is is the
senior vice-president American Express. His family owns 32 per.... Over the past years
I've sold him...I can't tell you the dollar amount, but quite a lot of land. I promised five
weeks ago that I'd go to the wife's birthday party in Kenilworth tonight.
(sighs) I have to go. You understand. They treat me like a member of the family, so I
have to go. It's funny, you know, you get a picture of the Corporation-Type Company
Man, all business...this man, no. We'll go out to his home sometime. Let's see.
(He checks his datebook.) Tomorrow. No. Tomorrow, I'm in L.A.... Monday...I'll take
you to lunch, where would you like to go?
JAMES LINGK My wife...
(ROMA rubs his head.)
SHELLY LEVENE
(standing in the door) Rick...?
-- 47 --
RICHARD ROMA I'm sorry, Jim. I can't talk now. I'll call you tonight...I'm sorry. I'm
coming, Ray.
(starts for the door)
JAMES LINGK My wife said I have to cancel the deal.
RICHARD ROMA It's a common reaction, Jim. I'll tell you what it is, and I know that
that's why you married her. One of the reasons is prudence. It's a sizable investment. One
thinks twice...it's also something women have. It's just a reaction to the size of the
investment. Monday, if you'd invite me for dinner again...
(to LEVENE) This woman can cook...
SHELLY LEVENE
(simultaneously) I'm sure she can...
RICHARD ROMA
(to LINGK) We're going to talk. I'm going to tell you something. Because
(sotto) there's something about your acreage I want you to know. I can't talk about it now.
I really shouldn't. And, in fact, by law, I ...
(shrugs, resigned) The man next to you, he bought his lot at forty-two, he phoned to say
that he'd already had an offer...
(ROMA rubs his head.)
SHELLY LEVENE Rick...?
RICHARD ROMA I'm coming, Ray...what a day! I'll cal you this evening, Jim. I'm sorry
you had to come in... Monday, lunch.
SHELLY LEVENE Rick, we really have to go.
RICHARD ROMA Monday.
JAMES LINGK She called the consumer...the attorney, I don't know. The attorney
gen...they said we have three days...
RICHARD ROMA Who did she call?
JAMES LINGK I don't know, the attorney gen...the... some consumer office.
RICHARD ROMA Why did she do that, Jim?
-- 48 --
JAMES LINGK I don't know
(pause) They said we have three days.

(pause) They said we have three days.
RICHARD ROMA Three days.
JAMES LINGK To...you know
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA No, I don't know. Tell me.
JAMES LINGK To change our minds.
RICHARD ROMA Of course you have three days.
(pause)
JAMES LINGK So we can't talk Monday.
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA Jim, Jim, you saw my book...I can't, you saw my book...
JAMES LINGK But we have to before Monday. To get our money ba...
RICHARD ROMA Three business days. They mean three business days.
JAMES LINGK Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
RICHARD ROMA I don't understand.
JAMES LINGK That's what they are. Three business...if I wait till Monday, my time limit
runs out.
RICHARD ROMA You don't count Saturday.
JAMES LINGK I'm not.
RICHARD ROMA No, I'm saying you don't include Saturday... in your three days. It's not
a business day.
JAMES LINGK But I'm not counting it.
(pause) Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. So it would have elapsed.
RICHARD ROMA What would have elapsed?
JAMES LINGK If we wait till Mon...
RICHARD ROMA When did you write the check?
JAMES LINGK Yest...
RICHARD ROMA What was yesterday?
JAMES LINGK Tuesday.
RICHARD ROMA And when was that check cashed?
RICHARD ROMA What was the earliest it could have been cashed?
(pause)
-- 49 --
RICHARD ROMA Today.
(pause) Today. Which, in any case, it was not, as there were a couple of points on the
agreement I wanted to go over with you in any case.
JAMES LINGK The check wasn't cashed?
RICHARD ROMA I just called downtown, and it's on their desk.
SHELLY LEVENE Rick...
RICHARD ROMA One moment, I'll be right with you.
(to LINGK) In fact, a...one point, which I spoke to you of which
(looks around) I can't talk to you about here.
(DETECTIVE puts his head out of the doorway.)
BAYLEN Levene!!!
JAMES LINGK I, I...
RICHARD ROMA Listen to me, the statute, it's for your protection. I have no complaints
with that, in fact, I was a member of the board when we drafted it, so quite the opposite.
It says that you can change your mind three working days from the time the deal is
closed.
BAYLEN Levene!
RICHARD ROMA Which, wait a second, which is not until the check is cashed.
BAYLEN Levene!!
(AARONOW comes out of the DETECTIVE's office.)
GEORGE AARONOW I'm through, with this fucking meshugaas. No one should talk to a
man that way. How are you talking to me that...?
BAYLEN Levene!
(WILLIAMSON puts his head out of the office.)
GEORGE AARONOW .... how can you talk to me that...that ...
-- 50 --
SHELLY LEVENE
(to ROMA) Rick, I'm going to flag a cab.
GEORGE AARONOW I didn't rob...
(WILLIAMSON sees LEVENE.)
JOHN WILLIAMSON Shelly: get in the office.
GEORGE AARONOW I didn't...why should I..."Where were you last..." Is anybody

listening to me...? Where's Moss...? Where...?
BAYLEN Levene?
(to WILLIAMSON) Is this Lev...
(BAYLEN accosts LINGK.)
SHELLY LEVENE
(taking BAYLEN into the office) Ah. Ah. Perhaps I can advise you on that....
(to ROMA and LINGK, as he exits) Excuse us, will you...?
GEORGE AARONOW
(simultaneous with LEVENE's speech above) ...Come in here...I work here, I don't come
in here to be mistreated...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Go to lunch, will you...
GEORGE AARONOW I want to work today, that's why I came ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON The leads come in, I'll let...
GEORGE AARONOW ...that's why I came in. I thought I...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Just go to lunch.
GEORGE AARONOW I don't want to go to lunch.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Go to lunch, George.
GEORGE AARONOW Where does he get off to talk that way to a working man? It's not...
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(buttonholes him) Will you take it outside, we have people trying to do business here...
GEORGE AARONOW That's what, that's what, that's what I was trying to do.
(pause) That's why I came in...I meet gestapo tac...
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(going back into his office) Excuse me...
GEORGE AARONOW I meet gestapo tactics...I meet gestapo tactics.... That's not right....
No man has the right to
-- 51 --
..."Call an attorney," that means you're guilt... you're under sus..."Co..." he says,
"cooperate" or we'll go downtown. That's not...as long as I've...
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(bursting out of his office) Will you get out of here. Will you get out of here. Will you.
I'm trying to run an office here. Will you go to lunch? Go to lunch. Will you go to lunch?
(retreats into office)
RICHARD ROMA
(to AARONOW) Will you excuse...
GEORGE AARONOW Where did Moss...? I...
RICHARD ROMA Will you excuse me please?
GEORGE AARONOW Uh, uh, did he go to the restaurant?
(pause) I...I...
(exits)
RICHARD ROMA I'm very sorry, Jimmy. I apologize to you.
JAMES LINGK It's not me, it's my wife.
RICHARD ROMA
(pause) What is?
JAMES LINGK I told you.
RICHARD ROMA Tell me again.
JAMES LINGK What's going on here?
RICHARD ROMA Tell me again. Your wife.
JAMES LINGK I told you.
RICHARD ROMA You tell me again.
JAMES LINGK She wants her money back.
RICHARD ROMA We're going to speak to her.
JAMES LINGK No. She told me "right now."
RICHARD ROMA We'll speak to her, Jim...
JAMES LINGK She won't listen.
(DETECTIVE sticks his head out.)
BAYLEN ROMA.
JAMES LINGK She told me if not, I have to call the State's attorney.
-- 52 --
RICHARD ROMA No, no. That's just something she "said." We don't have to do that.
JAMES LINGK She told me I have to.
RICHARD ROMA No, Jim.
JAMES LINGK I do. If I don't get my money back...
BAYLEN Roma!
(to ROMA) I'm talking to you...
RICHARD ROMA I've... look.
(generally) Will someone get this guy off my back.
BAYLEN You have a problem?
RICHARD ROMA Yes, I have a problem. Yes, I do, my fr...It's not me that ripped the
joint off, I'm doing business. I'll be with you in a while. You got it...?
(DETECTIVE goes back into inner office. Looks back, LINGK is heading for the door.)
Where are you going?
JAMES LINGK I'm...
RICHARD ROMA Where are you going...? This is me.... This is Ricky, Jim. Jim, anything
you want, you want it, you have it. You understand? This is me. Something upset you. Sit
down, now sit down. You tell me what it is.
(pause) Am I going to help you fix it? You're goddamned right I am. Sit down. Tell you
something...? Sometimes we need someone from outside. It's...no, sit down.... Now talk to
me.
JAMES LINGK I can't negotiate.

RICHARD ROMA What does that mean?
JAMES LINGK That...
RICHARD ROMA ...what, what, say it. Say it to me...
JAMES LINGK I...
RICHARD ROMA What...?
JAMES LINGK I...
RICHARD ROMA What...? Say the words.
JAMES LINGK I don't have the power.
(pause) I said it.
RICHARD ROMA What power?
-- 53 --
JAMES LINGK The power to negotiate.
RICHARD ROMA To negotiate what?
(pause) To negotiate what?
JAMES LINGK This.
RICHARD ROMA What, "this"?
(pause)
JAMES LINGK The deal.
RICHARD ROMA The "deal," forget the deal. Forget the deal, you've got something on
your mind, Jim, what is it?
JAMES LINGK
(rising) I can't talk to you, you met my wife, I ...
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA What?
(pause) What?
(pause) What, Jim: I tell you what, let's get out of here...let's go get a drink.
JAMES LINGK She told me not to talk to you.
RICHARD ROMA Let's...no one's going to know, let's go around the corner and we'll get
a drink.
JAMES LINGK She told me I had to get back the check or call the State's att...
RICHARD ROMA Forget the deal, Jimmy,
(pause) Forget the deal...you know me. The deal's dead. Am I talking about the deal?
That's over. Please. Let's talk about you. Come on.
(Pause. ROMA rises and starts walking toward the front door.) Come on.
(pause) Come on, Jim.
(pause) I want to tell you something. You life is your own. You have a contract with your
wife. You have certain things you do jointly, you have a bond there...and there are other
things. Those things are yours. You needn't feel ashamed, you needn't feel that you're
being untrue...or that she would abandon you if she knew. This is your life,
(pause) Yes. Now I want to talk to you because you're obviously upset and that concerns
me. Now let's go. Right now.
(LINGK gets up and they start for the door.)
BAYLEN
(sticks his head out of the door) Roma...
-- 54 --
JAMES LINGK ... and...and...
(pause)
RICHARD ROMA What?
JAMES LINGK And the check is...
RICHARD ROMA What did I tell you?
(pause) What did I say about the three days...?
BAYLEN Roma, would you, I'd like to get some lunch ...
RICHARD ROMA I'm talking with Mr. Lingk. If you please, I'll be back in.
(checks watch) I'll be back in a while.... I told you, check with Mr. Williamson.
BAYLEN The people downtown said...
RICHARD ROMA You call them again. Mr. Williamson...!
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(coming out of his office) Yes.

RICHARD ROMA Mr. Lingk and I are going to...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Yes. Please. Please.
(to LINGK) The police
(shrugs) can be...
JAMES LINGK What are the police doing?
RICHARD ROMA It's nothing.
JAMES LINGK What are the police doing here...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON We had a slight burglary last night.
RICHARD ROMA It was nothing...I was assuring Mr. Lingk ...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Mr. Lingk. James Lingk. Your contract went out. Nothing to...
RICHARD ROMA John...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Your contract went out to the bank.
JAMES LINGK You cashed the check?
JOHN WILLIAMSON We...
RICHARD ROMA ... Mr. Williamson...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Your check was cashed yesterday afternoon. And we're completely
insured, as you know, in any case.
(pause)
JAMES LINGK
(to ROMA) You cashed the check?
RICHARD ROMA Not to my knowledge, no...
-- 55 --
JOHN WILLIAMSON I'm sure we can...
JAMES LINGK Oh, Christ...
(starts out the door) Don't follow me.... Oh, Christ.
(pause, to ROMA) I know I've let you down. I'm sorry. For...Forgive...for... I don't know
anymore.
(pause) Forgive me.
(LINGK exits. Pause.)
RICHARD ROMA
(to WILLIAMSON) You stupid fucking cunt. You, Williamson...I'm talking to you,
shithead.... You just cost me six thousand dollars.
(pause) Six thousand dollars. And one Cadillac. That's right. What are you going to do
about it? What are you going to do about it, asshole. You fucking shit. Where did you
learn your trade? You stupid fucking cunt. You idiot. Whoever told you you could work
with men?
BAYLEN Could I...
RICHARD ROMA I'm going to have your job, shithead. I'm going downtown and talk to
Mitch and Murray, and I'm going to Lemkin. I don't care whose nephew you are, who you
know, whose dick you're sucking on. You're going out, I swear to you, you're going...
BAYLEN Hey, fella, let's get this done...
RICHARD ROMA Anyone in this office lives on their wits....
(to BAYLEN) I'm going to be with you in a second.
(to WILLIAMSON) What you're hired for is to help us--does that seem clear to you? To
help us. Not to fuck us up...to help men who are going out there to try to earn a living.
You fairy. You company man... I'll tell you something else. I hope you knocked the joint
off, I can tell our friend here something might help him catch you.
(starts into the room) You want to learn the first rule you'd know if you ever spent a day
in your life ...you never open your mouth till you know what the shot is.
(pause) You fucking child...
(ROMA goes to the inner room, followed by BAYLEN.)
-- 56 --
SHELLY LEVENE You are a shithead, Williamson...
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON Mmm.
SHELLY LEVENE You can't think on your feet you should keep your mouth closed.
(pause) You hear me? I'm talking to you. Do you hear me...?
(pause) I hear you.
SHELLY LEVENE You can't learn that in an office. Eh? He's right. You have to learn it
on the street. You can't buy that. You have to live it.

SHELLY LEVENE Yes. "Mmm." Yes. Precisely. Precisely. 'Cause your partner depends
on it.
(pause) I'm talking to you, I'm trying to tell you something.
JOHN WILLIAMSON You are?
SHELLY LEVENE Yes, I am.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What are you trying to tell me?
SHELLY LEVENE What Roma's trying to tell you. What I told you yesterday. Why you
don't belong in this business.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Why I don't...
SHELLY LEVENE You listen to me, someday you might say, "Hey..." No, fuck that, you
just listen what I'm going to say: your partner depends on you. You partner...a man who's
your "partner" depends on you...you have to go with him and for him...or you're shit,
you're shit, you can't exist alone...
JOHN WILLIAMSON
(brushing past him) Excuse me...
SHELLY LEVENE ... excuse you, nothing, you be as cold as you want, but you just
fucked a good man out of six thousand dollars and his goddamn bonus 'cause you didn't
know the shot, if you can do that and you aren't man enough that it gets you, then I don't
know what, if you can't take some thing from that...
(blocking his way) you're scum, you're fucking white-bread. You be as cold as you want.
A child would know it, he's right.
-- 57 --
(pause) You're going to make something up, be sure it will help or keep your mouth
closed.
(pause)
(LEVENE lifts up his arm.)
SHELLY LEVENE Now I'm done with you.
(pause)
JOHN WILLIAMSON How do you know I made it up?
SHELLY LEVENE
(pause) What?
JOHN WILLIAMSON How do you know I made it up?
SHELLY LEVENE What are you talking about?
JOHN WILLIAMSON You said, "You don't make something up unless it's sure to help."
(pause) How did you know that I made it up?
SHELLY LEVENE What are you talking about?
JOHN WILLIAMSON I told the customer that his contract had gone to the bank.
SHELLY LEVENE Well, hadn't it?
JOHN WILLIAMSON No.
(pause) It hadn't.
SHELLY LEVENE Don't fuck with me, John, don't fuck with me...what are you saying?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Well, I'm saying this, Shel: usually I take the contracts to the bank.
Last night I didn't. How did you know that? One night in a year I left a contract on my
desk. Nobody knew that but you. Now how did you know that?
(pause) You want to talk to me, you want to talk to someone else...because this is my job.
This is my job on the line, and you are going to talk to me. Now how did you know that
contract was on my desk?
SHELLY LEVENE You're so full of shit.
JOHN WILLIAMSON You robbed the office.
SHELLY LEVENE
(laughs) Sure! I robbed the office. Sure.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What'd you do with the leads?
(Pause. Points to the DETECTIVE's room.) You want to go in there? I tell him what I
know, he's going to dig up something... You got an alibi last night? You better have
-- 58 --
one. What did you do with the leads? If you tell me what you did with the leads, we can
talk.
SHELLY LEVENE I don't know what you are saying.
JOHN WILLIAMSON If you tell me where the leads are, I won't turn you in. If you don't, I
am going to tell the cop you stole them, Mitch and Murray will see that you go to jail.
Believe me they will. Now, what did you do with the leads? I'm walking in that door--
you have five seconds to tell me: or you are going to jail.
SHELLY LEVENE I...

JOHN WILLIAMSON I don't care. You understand? Where are the leads?
(pause) Alright.
(WILLIAMSON goes to open the office door.)
SHELLY LEVENE I sold them to Jerry Graff.
JOHN WILLIAMSON How much did you get for them?
(pause) How much did you get for them?
SHELLY LEVENE Five thousand. I kept half.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Who kept the other half?
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE Do I have to tell you?
(Pause. WILLIAMSON starts to open the door.) Moss.
JOHN WILLIAMSON That was easy, wasn't it?
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE It was his idea.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Was it?
SHELLY LEVENE I...I'm sure he got more than the five, actually.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Uh-huh?

SHELLY LEVENE He told me my share was twenty-five.
SHELLY LEVENE Okay: I...look: I'm going to make it worth your while. I am. I turned
this thing around. I closed the old stuff, I can do it again. I'm the one's going to close 'em.
I am! I am! 'Cause I turned this thing a...I can do that, I dan do anyth...last night. I'm
going to tell you, I was ready to Do the Dutch. Moss gets me, "Do this,
-- 59 --
we'll get well...." Why not. Big fuckin' deal. I'm halfway hoping to get caught. To put me
out of my...
(pause) But it taught me something. What it taught me, that you've got to get out there.
Big deal. So I wasn't cut out to be a thief. I was cut out to be a salesman. And now I'm
back, and I got my balls back...and, you know, John, you have the advantage on me now.
Whatever it takes to make it right, we'll make it right. We're going to make it right.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I want to tell you something, Shelly. You have a big mouth.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE What?
JOHN WILLIAMSON You've got a big mouth, and now I'm going to show you an even
bigger one.
(starts toward the DETECTIVE's door)
SHELLY LEVENE Where are you going, John?...you can't do that, you don't want to do
that...hold, hold on... hold on...wait...wait...wait...
(pulls money out of his pockets) Wait...uh, look...
(starts splitting money) Look, twelve, twenty, two, twen...twenty-five hundred, it's...take
it.
(pause) Take it all....

(pause) Take it!
JOHN WILLIAMSON No, I don't think so, Shel.
SHELLY LEVENE I...
JOHN WILLIAMSON No, I think I don't want your money. I think you fucked up my
office. And I think you're going away.
SHELLY LEVENE I...what? Are you, are you, that's why...? Are you nuts? I'm...I'm going
to close for you, I'm going to...
(thrusting money at him) Here, here, I'm going to make this office...I'm going to be back
there Number One.... Hey, hey, hey! This is only the beginning .... List...list...listen.
Listen. Just one moment. List...here's what...here's what we're going to
-- 60 --
do. Twenty percent. I'm going to give you twenty percent of my sales....
(pause) Twenty percent.
(pause) For as long as I am with the firm.
(pause) Fifty percent.
(pause) You're going to be my partner.
(pause) Fifty percent. Of all my sales.
JOHN WILLIAMSON What sales?
SHELLY LEVENE What sales...? I just closed eighty-two grand....Are you fuckin'...I'm
back...I'm back, this is only the beginning.
JOHN WILLIAMSON Only the beginning...
SHELLY LEVENE Abso...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Where have you been, Shelly? Bruce and Harriett Nyborg. Do you
want to see the memos...? They're nuts...they used to call in every week. When I was with
Webb. And we were selling Arizona... they're nuts...did you see how they were living?
How can you delude yours...
SHELLY LEVENE I've got the check...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Forget it. Frame it. It's worthless.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE The check's no good?
JOHN WILLIAMSON You stick around I'll pull the memo for you.
(starts for the door) I'm busy now...
SHELLY LEVENE Their check's no good? They're nuts...?
JOHN WILLIAMSON Call up the bank. I called them.
SHELLY LEVENE You did?
JOHN WILLIAMSON I called them when we had the lead... four months ago.
(pause) The people are insane. They just like talking to salesmen.
(WILLIAMSON starts for door.)
SHELLY LEVENE Don't.
JOHN WILLIAMSON I'm sorry.
SHELLY LEVENE Why?

JOHN WILLIAMSON Because I don't like you.
-- 61 --
SHELLY LEVENE John: John:...my daughter...
JOHN WILLIAMSON Fuck you.
(ROMA comes out of the DETECTIVE's door. WILLIAMSON goes in.)
RICHARD ROMA
(to BAYLEN) Asshole...
(to LEVENE) Guy couldn't find his fuckin' couch the living room...Ah, Christ...what a
day, what a day...I haven't even had a cup of coffee....Jagoff John opens his mouth he
blows my Cadillac....
(sighs) I swear... it's not a world of men...it's not a world of men, Machine... it's a world
of clock watchers, bureaucrats, officeholders ...what it is, it's a fucked-up world...there's
no adventure to it.
(pause) dying breed. Yes it is.
(pause) We are the members of a dying breed. That's ...that's...that's why we have to stick
together. Shel: I want to talk to you. I've wanted to talk to you for some time. For a long
time, actually. I said, "The Machine, there's a man I would work with. There's a man...."
You know? I never said a thing. I should have, don't know why I didn't. And that shit you
were slinging on my guy today was so good...it...it was, and, excuse me, 'cause it isn't
even my place to say it. It was admirable...it was the old stuff. Hey, I've been on a hot
streak, so what? There's things that I could learn from you. You eat today?
SHELLY LEVENE Me.
RICHARD ROMA Yeah.
SHELLY LEVENE Mm.

RICHARD ROMA Well, you want to swing by the Chinks, watch me eat, we'll talk?
SHELLY LEVENE I think I'd better stay here for a while.
(BAYLEN sticks his head out of the room.)
BAYLEN Mr. Levene...?
RICHARD ROMA You're done, come down and let's...
BAYLEN Would you come in here, please?
-- 62 --
RICHARD ROMA And let's put this together. Okay? Shel? Say okay.
(pause)
SHELLY LEVENE
(softly to himself) Huh.
BAYLEN Mr. Levene, I think we have to talk.
RICHARD ROMA I'm going to the Chinks. You're done, come down, we're going to
smoke a cigarette.
SHELLY LEVENE I ...
BAYLEN
(comes over) ... Get in the room.

RICHARD ROMA Hey, hey, hey, easy friend, That's the "Machine." That is Shelly "The
Machine" Lev ...
BAYLEN Get in the goddamn room.
(BAYLEN starts manhandling SHELLY into the room.)
SHELLY LEVENE Ricky, I ...
RICHARD ROMA Okay, okay, I'll be at the resta ...
SHELLY LEVENE Ricky ...
BAYLEN "Ricky" can't help you, pal.
SHELLY LEVENE ... I only want to ...
BAYLEN Yeah. What do you want? You want to what?
(He pushes LEVENE into the room, closes the door behind him. Pause. ROMA starts
adjusting his clothes preparatory to leaving the office. AARONOW enters.)
GEORGE AARONOW Did they find the guy who broke into the office yet?
RICHARD ROMA No. I don't know.
(pause)
GEORGE AARONOW Did the leads come in yet?
RICHARD ROMA No.
GEORGE AARONOW
(settling into a desk chair) Oh, God, I hate this job.
RICHARD ROMA
(simultaneous with "job," exiting the office) I'll be at the restaurant.

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Characters

WILLIAMSON, early forties

BAYLEN, early forties

ROMA, early forties

LINGK, early forties

The three scenes of Act One take place in a Chinese restaurant.

Act Two takes place in a real estate office.

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS

JOHN WILLIAMSON Shelly, you blew the last ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... you didn't close ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Shelly.

(pause) What about the other two?

SHELLY LEVENE What two?

SHELLY LEVENE ... do you want to go downtown ...?

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... no ...

SHELLY LEVENE ... then ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... I only ...

(pause) What is that ...?

JOHN WILLIAMSON All that I'm saying ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Roma.

SHELLY LEVENE Under him?

JOHN WILLIAMSON Moss.

SHELLY LEVENE Not lately it isn't.

JOHN WILLIAMSON It isn't me ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... after the thirtieth ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray ...

SHELLY LEVENE ... you talk to Murray ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON I have. And my job is to marshal those leads ...

SHELLY LEVENE Yes.

(pause) I am. I'm sorry to antagonize you.

JOHN WILLIAMSON Let me ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... let me ... are you listening to me ...?

SHELLY LEVENE Yes.

JOHN WILLIAMSON You know what those leads cost?

JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray said ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Murray said ...

SHELLY LEVENE John. John ....

SHELLY LEVENE ... ah, fuck this ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON The ... Shelly?

JOHN WILLIAMSON Either way. You're out.

SHELLY LEVENE I'm out.

JOHN WILLIAMSON Yes.

JOHN WILLIAMSON ... they kicked out.

(pause) I need your help.

JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't do it, Shelly.

SHELLY LEVENE Why?

JOHN WILLIAMSON The leads are assigned randomly ...

SHELLY LEVENE Then put me on the board.

JOHN WILLIAMSON I can't do it, Shel.

SHELLY LEVENE I'll give you ten percent.

JOHN WILLIAMSON Of what?

SHELLY LEVENE Of my end what I close.

JOHN WILLIAMSON And what if you don't close.

SHELLY LEVENE I will close.

JOHN WILLIAMSON What if you don't close ...?

SHELLY LEVENE I will close.

JOHN WILLIAMSON Not lately you can't ...

JOHN WILLIAMSON Twenty percent.

SHELLY LEVENE Alright.