Johnny Lingo: Building Self Worth In Others (1969)

[Music] Johnny [Music] Lingo. Heat. Heat. [Music] Lingo, he come. He comes. Johno, he come. Johnny Lingo. He comes. He come. Johnny. Johnny Lingo. Where's our seat? How far? [Music] Too low. Yes, Mr. Harris. I don't pay you to stand around gossiping. There's goods to be unpacked. But Mr. Harris, Johnny Lingo. Oh, well, he comes often when he's through trading, but not to bargain for a wife. Johnny Lingo will ask Moi for his daughter. Well, it's time. The girls in the village flutter like birds when he passes. But Mr. Harris's Mocha's daughter, Mahana. Mahana? You mean the little shadow who comes in once in a while for a spool of thread? That's the one. She has a face like a stone and she looks as though she missed too many meals. She's not young either. She's maybe 19 or even 20. Moi long ago gave up hope of finding a husband for her. Why would Johnny Lingo take himself such a wife when he could have any girl on the island? He's a shrewd traitor. None shrruder. And they whisper it is because he can get her for nothing. I can't believe he'd take a wife like Mahana just to save himself a few cows. I only know what they're saying. Well, it's none of our business anyway who Johnny Lingo marries. Here's the poppplan Lonnie ordered. Take it away. She's waited a long time for it. Would you like me to tell her it is here? Tulo, you're the conniving scoundrel. You know very well she'll be at the bargaining. Why sir, I had not thought. Oh, come now, Tulo. That's exactly where you want to be. Well, I don't suppose you'll be any good to me until a matter of bride for Johnny Lingo settles. All right, you may go. Thank you, Mr. Harris. But don't forget to tell Lonnie. Do not worry, Mr. Harry. Mahana. Mahana. Mahana. Where is that girl? She knows today's the bargaining day. Mahana, I beat her. She's as foolish as she is ugly. Sh. You don't want to let Johnny Lingo hear you say that? He has eyes, hasn't he? But he must think he's getting a bargain. He will get a bargain. He wants a woman to mend his roof, to fix his supper, and doesn't want to pay more than a three-legged cow for her. You do not know what it means to have a homely daughter. May I? I'm ready to give him a cow just to have him take her off my hands, and I will count myself fortunate to be rid of her. She is no comfort hugging the corners of the hut, speaking only in whispers and never looking at me. This is what comes mayhi of buying a twocow wife. Look at you. You paid four cows for your wife. Five. And she gave you beautiful daughters. Your investment has been doubled. I see her. Mahana, you ugly. What are you hiding up there for? Today is a day of bargaining. Come down and be ready to greet your husband to me. Mahana, I will not have this. Shall I follow you up there with a stick? Do you want me to put bruises all over you so that Johnny Lingo will see what a disobedient daughter you are? Let me Mahana, you are a very fortunate girl. All the other girls in the village envy you. They mock me. They would change places with you. Every one of them. Look, be a good girl and come down for the bargaining. I hear them. They come. [Music] What the hell? [Music] Where is Mana? [Music] Would you believe it? The ustrious girl is gathering branches to mend the roof of her father's hut. She never stops working. Is that not so, Mo? It is so. She would not stop even for the bargaining and asked that we go ahead without her. Shall we begin? I seek the father of Mahana. I am Mahana's father. What is it you want? I wish to take Mahana for my wife. It is hard for a man to give his daughter to another. I am prepared to pay. How many cows do you wish for Mahana? One cow is all he can ask. One cow. I will consult with my counselor. If he asks for two cows, Johnny Lingo will settle for one. If he asks for one cow, Johnny Lingo will settle for the horns and the tail. He is the sharpest trader in all the islands. They'll think I'm crazy. You are crazy if you do not listen to me. I am your counselor. I'm a four carow wife myself. Really? My husband paid five cows for me. One cow. [Applause] Three [Laughter] cows. Three cows is many, but not enough for Mahana. I will pay eight cows. Eight cows. I will bring them in the morning. Tomorrow night will be the wedding festival and then Mahan and I will leave for the honeymoon place. Is it agreeable? Agreeable. [Music] Well, did you find Lonnie? Oh, I forgot Mr. Harris. Oh, that doesn't surprise me at all. Here I am doing your job. Get busy. But Mr. Harris. What now? Eight cows, Mr. Harris. What are you talking about? Johnny Ling was offered eight cows for Mahana. Oh no, you must be mistaken. Wife for two or three cows. A man can buy quite a decent wife on this island. Four or five brings a superior one. But Mr. Harris, I heard it myself. Eight cows. But why? It can be only two things. Either he is crazy or he is blind. You should have seen Mo. He looked as though a coconut had fallen on him. And all the while Mahana set up on a tree. Quiet. Johnny's coming. Hello, Johnny. Hello, Mr. Harris. Well, I understand you're getting married. Yes. To Mahana, the daughter of Moki. I brought you something. What's this? It is the shell of a tufi. Yes. Very rare and very valuable. How do you know? I worked one summer for a man who came from a school in America to hunt for them. We found only two. Well, I don't know. And then I will save it for the captain of a supply ship. Wait, what do you want for it? Not very much. A gift for Mahana. A gift for Mahana. Yes. Let's see. A comb, a bracelet, a mirror. A mirror. Let's see. And I have some right here. How's that one? Not like this. I want a nice one with a handle. Gold carved with birds and flowers. Sorry. This is all I've got. Do you have any idea what a mirror like that would cost? Why the shipping alone is costly, you know, and it's preposterous. Gold he wants. Of course, I might be able to order one from the States. It'll take months to get it. Oh, that is fine. Mahana and I will be away visiting many islands. I will pick it up when we come back. Johnny Lingo, you drive a hard bargain. That's why I can't understand. They say you were paying eight cows for Mahana. Oh, they told you. It's all over the village. So they know all about the eight cows. They know. Then always and forever. When they speak of marriage settlements, it will be remembered that Johnny Lingo paid eight cows for Mahana. I expect. So that's it. He's neither crazy nor blind. He's just vain. Poor vain fool. Ungrateful girl. It was bad enough at the bargaining, but how will it look this morning if you're not there waiting for him when he comes at the cows? He will not come. I would not blame him. If he had offered me a cow that gave sour milk, I would have accepted it gratefully. Did you hear them? They laughed. They mocked me. He mocked me. You will see. You will not come. Could it be? Never in the history of our island has a bridegroom changed his mind after the bargaining. Never in the history of our island has anyone paid eight cows for a wife and for Mahana. I will admit it seemed incredible. No, Mahana has a head filled with straw. But this one's maybe maybe she's right. You gave up too easily, my friend. This morning is not yet over. Eight cows and I could have been a rich man. [Music] Mana. Mana. He comes. It is only a stray. Come on. [Applause] H four. [Applause] Five. Six. Seven. Eight. That's it. That's it. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mahana. Mahana. [Applause] [Music] I come in. [Music] [Applause] Uh now [Music] [Music] [Music] Johnny one legal married now. [Music] It's true. [Music] Evening Moy Mr. hers. I came to congratulate the newlywed over there. Johnny Lingo and my Mahana. I own eight cows, you know. I'm a rich man. Stun. Have some bait. Thank you. I'll join you later. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Mr. Harris. Yes. Nico tells me he saw a candle flicker in Johnny's hat late last night. Oh, well then they're back. It's about time. They've been gone longer than I expected. And that mirror of his has been here gathering dust on my shelf for months. It's a beauty. [Applause] How do you like that, Tul? Ah, it is beautiful. My face will crack the glass. Maybe I'll pay them a call. You know, Johnny was right about the shell. It was worth a small fortune. The least I can do is deliver his gift myself. I'll watch the store for you. I know how you'll watch it. You'll curl up in a corner and sleep while the children rob the candy jar. Oh no, Mr. Harris. Tuluo will good. [Music] You cheat me. She's worth 10 cows. You cheat me. You cheat me. [Music] Hello, Johnny. Hello, Mr. Harris. I brought the gift you ordered. Good. Good. Hey, come in. Come in. It's been on my shelf several months. Good. Let's have a look at it. It is just as I wished. No other woman on the island will have anything so fine. No, it's a gift truly fit for the Nate cow wife. Yes. Excuse me. I will take it in to show Mahana. Mr. Harris brought the gift I ordered. That was kind of him. Look. [Music] Oh, it's like it. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I wish I had a gift for you. Your gift to me can be seen by all who look at you. [Applause] I must say hello to Mr. Harris. Good morning, Mr. Harris. Mahana. Welcome to our home. I thank you. Mahana Mahana must go for some water. Will you excuse her? [Music] Johnny, I can't get over it. She's beautiful. I have loved her ever since we were children. She was always beautiful. But tell me, do you think eight cows was too high a price for her? Oh, no. Neither does Moki. In fact, he was just here before you came to accuse me of cheating him. Bahana, he says, is worth 10 cows if she is worth a hoof. I don't understand what happened. It was the cows. The cows? Think what it must mean to a woman. her future husband meeting with her father to discuss the lowest price for which he can be bought. And later when the women of the village gather, they boast of what their husbands paid for them. Three cows or five. How does she feel? The woman who was sold for one or two. This could not happen to my mahana. Johnny, I've misjudged you. I thought you were thinking only of how important you would look to your friends. Giving eight cows for a wife. I didn't know you wanted to make Mahama happy. More than happy, Mr. Harris. I wanted her to be an eight cow woman. Many things can happen to make a woman beautiful. The thing that matters most is what she thinks of herself. I see. In her father's hut, Mahana believes she was worth nothing. Yes. And now she knows she is worth more than any other woman on the island. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause]