"If You Don't Marry Me, I'll Kill Myself" The girl sat on the window ledge and threatened to commit suicide if Bobby Rydell didn't marry her. What could Bobby do? How could he save this lovely young girl? Paul Denis Modern Screen
The pretty, blonde girl in the forest-green blouse and white pleated skirt sat on the sill of the window, six floors up. She leaned back just enough to make Bobby Rydell gasp. A little slip, and she would plunge to her death. He he'd his breath as she said, "If you don't marry me, I'll kill myself!" Bobby couldn't believe his eyes, nor his ears. It was like a nightmare. Here he was in a new town in Illinois, with his first show only a couple of hours away...in his hotel room...and this frantic, poor, misguided girl was threatening him to kill herself! How had this whole thing happened? Bobby remembered that his manager Frank Day had just phoned room service to send up their lunch. Suddenly, they heard some sounds near the window. They turned around and saw this lovely blonde girl step out from behind the drapes and stand by the open window. Frankie Day yelled, "How did I you get in here?" and Bobby said, "You'll get into trouble, breaking into somebody's room!" But the girl half-smiled, as though she didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Day became annoyed and told the girl, "Ease at once, or we'll call the manager and he'll have you arrested!" "Don't you know you'll get into trouble?" Bobby asked. She finally spoke. "I know," she admitted, as if resigned to her fate. "Do you think it's proper to break into a man's room?" Frankie wanted to know. "I had to do it, she explained, dully. "Why?" "Because I wanted to see Bobby alone." She was trembling. "Why?" That's when Bobby tried to be especially understanding. "I'll see you after the first show. We'll take you out for coffee and we'll talk." She shook her head. "Now!" she demanded. Frankie decided he'd enough of her nonsense and snapped, "Leave! Or I'll call the manager!" Instead of moving toward the door, the girl sat back on the open window sill. She had swayed back slightly and Bobby was terrified. "You're six floors up!" he cautioned her. "You can get killed if you fall!" "I know," she said impassively. "Well, get of hat window sill!" Bobby cried. But she smiled in a vacant way, and Day started to walk toward her, exclaiming, "Bobby and I have business here! Now you go!" But she said, evenly, her voice twinged with determination, "If you touch me, I'll jump!" That's when Frankie decided he couldn't threaten her. He would have to sweet-talk her. This is no criminal, he told himself. This sit a highly agitated, disturbed girl. "Bobby," he called out. "Let's calm down and see what this girl wants." He and Bobby sat down. "Now what's wrong?" Day asked her. "Everything!" she ground out, bitterness coming to her eyes. "What everything?" Bobby asked. I"m in love," she said, imply, like you'd ask for a glass of water. "Don't be sat about it," Bobby cried. "It's wonderful to be in love. Does the boy love you?" "I don't know," she and replied, and he asked, "Why don't you ask him?" "That's what I'm going to do, right now!" Suddenly, he understood what she meant. "You mean you're in love with me?" "Yes," she admitted, her long lashes framing the loveliest blue eyes. "Well," Bobby fumbled, trying to figure out what to say to keep her from jumping out of that window. "Well, you're not doing my nerves any good by threatening to kill yourself!" Day cut in, "Sure Bobby loves you! He loves all his fans! Where would he be without them?" She looked at Day scornfully. "I didn't mean it that way!" Bobby said, "I appreciate your loving me, but what do you expect me to say now?" "Say you love me too," she replied and Bobby said, "I think you're very sweet. Perhaps if you'd let me know you better, maybe I can learn to love you too." He thought to himself, "Now maybe she'll get off that window." But she didn't. "If you love me, you'll have to prove it," she told him, and he asked, "How?" "Marry me!"
And here they were now, caught in this desperate plight to save a young girl's life. Bobby wondered if they should leap across the room and try to grab her. It was only nine or ten feet, but it was long enough to give her a chance to just let herself fall back into space...and death! She repeated again, "If you don't marry me, I'll kill myself!" Bobby had been with fans in tough situations before, but this was the toughest one yet. He felt relieved when his manager started to talk slowly, softly to the girl. "You look like a nice girl, a smart girl," he said. "You look 14 or 15 to me, and Bobby's close to 19. Neither of you could marry without parental consent. Now since you couldn't marry, isn't all this talk silly?" She hesitated, and he knew he had scored. The three remained silent, each trying to read the thoughts of the other, when suddenly there was a knock on the door, and a brisk waiter came in, rolling a food table. Without looking up, he brought the table in, uncovered the food, presented the tab to Day, who signed it, and then vanished. Day looked at the girl. "I could have written on the tab to send the house detective up, but I didn't...because I don't think you're a bad girl. I think you're just confused. Now, why don't you be a sport and sit down with us and share our lunch?" "Please," said Bobby. "For my sake...please!" She watched them, stonily, trying to evaluate their sincerity, then she came off the sill and took one forward step, and Bobby said, "I don't want you to hurt yourself. You seem to be such a nice girl. Now tell us...What's wrong?" "If you let me sit in a chair by the window, all right," she said, eying them suspiciously. "Okay," said Bobby. "Here's a chair, sit in it, and we'll push the table near you." He and Day placed the table near her by the window, and they took opposite chairs. Bobby and Day sipped coffee; the girl nibbled on a piece of toast. Bobby wondered if this was the time to jump and close the window. But he restrained himself. Maybe they could win her over with sympathy and understanding. "Feeling better?" he asked. "A bit," she admitted. "What's your name?" "Alice...Alice Jones." "Live in town?" "Yes...out that way...the small white houses," she pointed out the window. "Brothers and sisters?" "Four of them! And that's the trouble. Mother likes them better than she likes me!" "Why do you say that?"
Bobby agreed, "14 is pretty big...it's a time when you feel much bigger, but usually nobody else thinks so." "You know?" she a gasped. "Why not?" Bobby asked. "I was 14 once. When I was 14, I suffered from two broken hearts. Loved the girls, but I had to give them up because I wanted to concentrate on my career. Yes, I had some miserable times!" She started to cry, and Bobby offered her his handkerchief. "Keep it, if you wish," he said, and she kissed the handkerchief and sighed, "Yes...I will keep it forever!" Frankie Day got up and closed the window. She jumped up, frightened, and he explained, "We don't want you to get hurt; we want to help you." She sat down, and he went on, gravely, "Alice, I don't know how you managed to sneak into our room, but don't ever try it again. The police can put you in jail. Did you know that?" "Yes," and she hung her head, embarrassed. "Another thing," Day continued, "I'm Bobby's manager, and I know Bobby appreciates your feeling. But you're wanting to marry Bobby. You're too young. He's too young..." "I know," she admitted, sniffling into the handkerchief. Bobby reached out and took her hand. "Alice, think hard. You're probably in love with love. I'm just a fellow you heard about. You don't really know me...I don't really know you, so how could we marry? Let's be sensible. You must know a boy in your neighborhood...a boy you see all the time, and get to know, and he gets to know you. That's the boy to fall in love with. Not me. I'm a stranger in town. Tomorrow we're on our way to Chicago. Do you understand?"
Then she said, "I guess you're right." Bobby asked, "Tell the truth. Don't you have a special boy? After all, you're such an attractive girl. Nice honey-blonde hair! The clearest blue es I've ever seen! Your blouse and skirt, fresh and clean. I like girls who are neat! You know...no wrinkles, no spots...clean fingernails, hair in place...." "Thank you, She wispered. "Well, don't you have a boy friend?" Bobby persisted. "Well, yes. He's George," she admitted. "Lives four doors away. He's 16-1/2 and a senior. But he was teasing me yesterday, and I said I was going to see my friend Bobby Rydell. I was just showing off. I don't know why I did it. And George laughed, and said he didn't believe I knew you. So I chased him out of the house." She became embarrassed. "I guess it sounds so silly...I'm so confused!" No," said Bobby. "Not silly. But confused, yes. But most of us are confused at times. You thought doing something wild would solve a problem. We all do that some time. But it usually doesn't work. You've got to calm down and think clearly." Day said, "Let's all do some thinking." And they did. Eventually Alice took heart and once again became the sensible girl she'd been before her emotional upset. Seeing her new calmness, Bobby said, "Now Mr. Day and I will escort you to you home." Day protested, "But Bobby, you're supposed to rest before rehearsals."
They went out of the room, took the elevator down, and in the lobby the manager saw them and asked, "Everything all right? We saw dome girls on your floor, and chased them away. If any girls annoy you, just call us!" Then he looked suspiciously at Alice, but Bobby hastily said, "Everything's fine! This young lady is our local fan club president." In the taxi, Bobby said, "Give us your address, and we'll send you credentials and rules of the fan club." When they got to the address, they saw it was a small white stucco house, with pink shutters, a little garden in front, with rose bushes on either side. They got out as a handsome tall young fellow came running over. "Hello, George," said Alice sweetly, and she introduced him, "This is Bobby Rydell and his manager, Mr. Day...Bobby and Mr. Day, this is George Holmes." George gasped. "Gosh, you are Bobby Rydell! Alice told me and I thought she was kidding." Bobby stepped forward. "Alice is the president of our new local fan club. We're so impressed by her, we thought we'd drive her back and say hello to you too." George asked Bobby, "May I have your autograph?" and Bobby explained, "Ask Alice; she's the new local fan club president, and she'll get all autographs." "Well," asked George humbly, "could I be secretary of the club?" "Ask Alice," said Bobby. "She's the club leader." George looked at Alice and exclaimed, "Gosh, Alice, I didn't know you were such a big wheel!" Frankie Day and Bobby kissed Alice on each cheek, and said goodbye and got into the cab. "You missed your nap, Bobby," said Frankie. "Now you'll be tired for the show." "No," said Bobby firmly. "I feel great!...This little side trip was worth it...well worth it!" |
