Glengarry Glen Ross

by David Mamet

  Moss: And did they steal the contracts . . . ?

  Roma: Fuck you care . . . ?

  Levene: “I want to tell you something, Harriett . . . ”

  Moss: . . . the fuck is that supposed to mean . . . ?

  Levene: Will you shut up, I’m telling you this . . .

  Aaronow sticks his head out.

  Aaronow: Can we get some coffee . . . ?

  Moss: How ya doing? (Pause.)

  Aaronow: Fine.

  Moss: Uh-huh.

  Aaronow: If anyone’s going, I could use some coffee.

  Levene: “You do get the . . .” (To Roma:) Huh? Huh?

  Moss: Fuck is that supposed to mean?

  Levene: “You do get the opportunity. . . . You get them. As I do, as anyone does . . . ”

  Moss: Ricky? . . . That I don’t care they stole the contracts? (Pause.)

  Levene: I got ‘em in the kitchen. I’m eating her crumb cake.

  Moss: What does that mean?

  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.

  Moss: You have a mean streak in you, Ricky, you know that . . . ?

  Levene: Rick. Let me tell you. Wait, we’re in the . . .

  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.

  Roma: Who said “Fuck the Machine"?

  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 . . .

  Levene: 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 . . .

  Roma: Is that what I did? Dave? I humiliated you? My God . . . I’m sorry . . .

  Moss: Sittin’ on top of the world, sittin’ on top of the world, everything’s fucking peachfuzz . . .

  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 . . .

  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.

  Roma: What is this, your farewell speech?

  Moss: I’m going home.

  Roma: Your farewell to the troops?

  Moss: I’m not going home. I’m going to Wisconsin.

  Roma: Have a good trip.

  Moss (Simultaneously with “trip”): And fuck you. Fuck the lot of you. Fuck you all.

  Moss exits. Pause.

  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 shirt-sleeves, you can smell it. Huh? Snap out of it, you’re eating her crumb cake. (Pause.)

  Levene: I’m eating her crumb cake . . .

  Roma: How was it . . . ?

  Levene: From the store.

  Roma: Fuck her . . .

  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 . . .

  Roma: ‘’Always be closing . . . ”

  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 . . . ”

  Roma (Reflectively): Harriett . . .

  Levene: Bruce . . . “I don’t want to fuck around with you. I don’t want to go round this, and pussy-foot 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 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.

  Roma: Like you taught me . . .

  Levene: Bullshit, you’re . . . No. That’s raw . . . well, if I did, then I’m glad I did. I, well. I locked on them. All on them, nothing on 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.)

  Roma: That was a great sale, Shelly. (Pause.)

  Levene: Ah, fuck. Leads! Leads! Williamson! (Williamson sticks his head out of the office.) Send me out! Send me out!

  Williamson: The leads are coming.

  Levene: Get ‘em to me!

  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 . . .

  Levene: Did you tell ‘em my sale?

  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.

  Levene: It’s better than a good sale. It’s a . . .

  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 . . .

  Levene: All that I’m telling you: that one thing you can tell them it’s a remarkable sale.

  Williamson: The only thing remarkable is who you made it to.

  Levene: What does that fucking mean?

  Williamson: That if the sale sticks, it will be a miracle.

  Levene: Why shoul
d 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 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 . . .

  Williamson: I were you, I’d calm down, Shelly.

  Levene: Would you? Would you . . . ? Or you’re gonna what, fire me?

  Williamson: It’s not impossible.

  Levene: On an eighty-thousand dollar day? And it ain’t even noon.

  Roma: You closed ‘em today?

  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 . . .

  Roma: . . . yes . . .

  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.

  Roma: That’s right, Shel.

  Levene: And, and, and, I did it. And I put a kid through school. 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.

  Roma: He’s right, Williamson.

  Williamson goes into a side office. Pause.

  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.

  Roma (Sotto): Oh, Christ.

  Levene: The hell with him. We’ll go to lunch, the leads won’t be up for . . .

  Roma: You’re a client. I just sold you five waterfront Glengarry Farms. I rub my head, throw me the cue “Kenilworth.”

  Levene: What is it?

  Roma: Kenilw . . .

  Lingk enters the office.

  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.

  Levene: No, Mr. Roma. I don’t need the time, I’ve made a lot of investments in the last . . .

  Lingk: I’ve got to talk to you.

  Roma (Looking up): Jim! What are you doing here? Jim Lingk, D. Ray Morton . . .

  Levene: Glad to meet you.

  Roma: I just put Jim into Black Creek . . . are you acquainted with . . .

  Levene: No . . . Black Creek. Yes. In Florida?

  Roma: Yes.

  Levene: I wanted to speak with you about . . .

  Roma: Well, we’ll do that this weekend.

  Levene: My wife told me to look into . . .

  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 know you do. . . . (To Lingk:) Mr. Morton’s with American Express . . . he’s . . . (To Levene:) I can tell Jim what you do . . . ?

  Levene: Sure.

  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 Lingks’ last . . . as a matter of fact, what was that service feature you were talking about . . . ?

  Levene: Which . . .

  Roma: “Home Cooking” . . . what did you call it, you said it . . . it was a tag phrase that you had . . .

  Levene: Uh . . .

  Roma: Home . . .

  Levene: Home cooking . . .

  Roma: The monthly interview . . . ?

  Levene: Oh! For the magazine . . .

  Roma: Yes. Is this something that I can talk ab . . .

  Levene: Well, it isn’t coming out until the February iss . . . sure. Sure, go ahead, Ricky.

  Roma: You’re sure?

  Levene (nods): Go ahead.

  Roma: Well, Ray was eating at one of his company’s men’s home in France . . . the man’s French, isn’t he?

  Levene: No, his wife is.

  Roma: Ah. Ah, his wife is. Ray: what time do you have . . . ?

  Levene: Twelve-fifteen.

  Roma: Oh! My God . . . I’ve got to get you on the plane!

  Levene: Didn’t I say I was taking the two o’ . . .

  Roma: No. You said the one. That’s why you said we couldn’t talk till Kenilworth.

  Levene: Oh, my God, you’re right! I’m on the one. . . . (Getting up.) Well, let’s scoot . . .

  Lingk: I’ve got to talk to you . . .

  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 bank. . . . (To Lingk:) I wish you’d phoned. . . . I’ll tell you, wait: are you and Jinny going to be home tonight? (Rubs forehead.)

  Lingk: I . . .

  Levene: Rick.

  Roma: What?

  Levene: Kenilworth . . . ?

  Roma: I’m sorry . . . ?

  Levene: Kenilworth.

  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?

  Lingk: My wife . . . (Roma rubs his head.)

  Levene (Standing in the door): Rick . . . ?

  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.)

  Lingk: My wife said I have to cancel the deal.

  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 . . .

  Levene (Simultaneously): I’m sure she can . . .

  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 t
hat he’d already had an offer . . . (Roma rubs his head.)

  Levene: Rick . . . ?

  Roma: I’m coming, Ray . . . what a day! I’ll call you this evening, Jim. I’m sorry you had to come in . . . Monday, lunch.

  Lingk: My wife . . .

  Levene: Rick, we really have to go.

  Lingk: My wife . . .

  Roma: Monday.

  Lingk: She called the consumer . . . the attorney, I don’t know. The attorney gen . . . they said we have three days . . .

  Roma: Who did she call?

  Lingk: I don’t know, the attorney gen . . . the . . . some consumer office, umm . . .

  Roma: Why did she do that, Jim?

  Lingk: I don’t know. (Pause.) They said we have three days. (Pause.) They said we have three days.

  Roma: Three days.

  Lingk: To . . . you know. (Pause.)

  Roma: No, I don’t know. Tell me.

  Lingk: To change our minds.

  Roma: Of course you have three days. (Pause.)

  Lingk: So we can’t talk Monday. (Pause.)

  Roma: Jim, Jim, you saw my book . . . I can’t, you saw my book . . .

  Lingk: But we have to before Monday. To get our money ba . . .

  Roma: Three business days. They mean three business days.

  Lingk: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

  Roma: I don’t understand.

  Lingk: That’s what they are. Three business . . . if I wait till Monday, my time limit runs out.

  Roma: You don’t count Saturday.

  Lingk: I’m not.

  Roma: No, I’m saying you don’t include Saturday . . . in your three days. It’s not a business day.

  Lingk: But I’m not counting it. (Pause.) Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. So it would have elapsed.

  Roma: What would have elapsed?

  Lingk: If we wait till Mon . . .

  Roma: When did you write the check?

  Lingk: Yest . . .

  Roma: What was yesterday?

  Lingk: Tuesday.

  Roma: And when was that check cashed?

  Lingk: I don’t know.

  Roma: What was the earliest it could have been cashed? (Pause.)

  Lingk: I don’t know.

  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.