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Episode |
Three |
Alan: We went through this before with the production of Fire and Spit. I cannot have interference in what I am trying to do. I know there are compromises, I know we have to adjust to budgets, but when the camera rolls I am in charge and it's my vision that is on the screen. Mine. Not yours. Not the board’s. Mine.
Arthur: Absolutely, Alan.
Alan: The cast is with me on this. Did you hear them? Did they not cheer when I stood up for the art of the actor against the suits that try to run this business? They don't usually like me, Arthur. Respect yes, fear even, but they were with me today.
Arthur: This isn't like you, Alan, we're not trying to interfere. There's no disagreement here, you can handle the love scenes any way that you want. It's just that with the advance word out and with a lovely new star like Suzanne… well there are expectations.
Alan: I'll not have her exploited. She's a jewel, Arthur. I tell you she shines on the screen.
Arthur: And we should use that. Give her the range, let her show the public what she can do.
Alan: No, I've quit. I told the cast, I told the crew, it's over. If I go back now I will have no integrity.
Cynthia: Can I come in? Alan, the cast wants to know if we're done for the day. Suzanne's standing around in a silk dress and Peter's down to a shirt, and it is still March.
Alan: Didn't they hear me quit? They applauded me!
Cynthia: Oh, were you serious? I mean, I think they appreciated the sentiment and all that, but I don't think that they actually thought you'd quit.
Alan: I can't put Suzanne through the scenes with that old hack Willey. And then tomorrow putting her with Archer. I'm just not sure he has the range to match her passion.
Suzanne: Alan, I cannot be left like this. Oh, hello Mr. Daily, Cynthia.
Alan: I know, I know. We'll change the script. We'll do the scenes with Gary and Peter off-camera or something.
Suzanne: Are you kidding? This is my career! Those scenes are in, or I'm out!
Arthur: Look, I'll go and explain to the cast that you're in charge and we'll carry on.
Alan: That's all I wanted. Ms. Toussand, let us continue.
Ann: This place is like Grand Central
Station!
Simon: Look Ann, I’m really sorry.
Ann: Don’t be sorry—it was easy to fix. Be happy—we’re getting married in one, two, three, four, five months!
Simon: I’m just a bit stressed. Not about the wedding, though. Really. It just seems things are getting away from me. Look, I probably should talk to you about the guest list.
Ann: Tomorrow. Enjoy life while you can, Tinsley. It’s all going to get more hectic. What have you been doing that's so stressful?
Simon: Well, I’ve been stuck in the office helping them with the fax machine.
Ann: So I’ve heard.
Simon: And it got me thinking...What are you doing in, say, five minutes?
Ann: I have an idea. Do I need a double?
Simon: Never!
Woman’s Voice: She’s not happy, you know. All this talk about nipples and demographics, whatever that means. She just wanted someone to tell her story.
Frank: Well, they are telling her story. Just making it a bit more, um, up-to-date.
Woman’s Voice: That’s not what they called it in my day! Have you seen the shameful goings on in this house?
Frank: Well, they were rehearsing the love scenes this week. Between Loretta and Reginald, and Loretta and Arthur. She can hardly object—she wrote them herself.
Woman’s Voice [indignantly]: She most certainly can! I wasn’t born yesterday, young man! I know the difference between make-believe and the real thing. There are people here carrying on that have nothing to do with your mother’s silly book. And some combinations of characters she never envisioned, I can tell you that!
Frank: We’re all adults. Times do change.
Woman’s Voice: That’s not the way she sees it. She blames you, you know.
Frank: What did I do?
Woman’s Voice: You could have stopped it. You still can. You own the rights.
Frank: No, I can’t stop it.
Woman’s Voice: Why not?
Frank: Because I think I’m in love.
Woman [snorts]: And that is relevant because….?
Frank: She's helping shoot the film. I can’t interfere with her job. It’s important to her.
Woman [snorts again].
Frank: Are you still there?
[Silence]
Irene: Frank, is that you?
Frank: Irene? Hello. You look…quite beautiful today.
Irene: Thank you. So do you.
Frank: The poem you read to me last night was glorious.
Irene; I’ve written another if you’d like to hear it. Why don’t we go back to the Hermitage--that is, if you’re done here?
Frank: I guess I am.
Woman’s voice [snorts]
Shirley: Martin, what are you doing up?
Martin: I’m coming to the meeting, woman.
Shirley: Don’t be daft. You don’t need
to be sitting around listening to this load of rubbish. Go lie down.
Martin: I told you, I feel fine. There’s nothing wrong with me.
Shirley: You don’t have your strength back.
Martin: That’s not what I remember hearing from last night.
Shirley: For goodness sake, man, go back to bed.
Martin: Save your breath, Shirley, I’m
going.
Cynthia: Everything all right then, Suzanne?
Suzanne: Hardly. I’m frozen. I probably already have influenza, I’m just too cold to know it yet.
Cynthia: You both did a nice job with that scene. Alan was really pleased.
Suzanne: Well he bloody well should have been. If I had to kiss that old lech again, I was going to throw up. His breath is disgusting. Poor Karen.
Cynthia: Don’t worry about her. She’s just glad to have the work.
Suzanne: Well, I’m glad my body-double days are behind me. It’s so much more fulfilling to be a serious actor.
Peter: So you think I’m disgusting, do you? How refreshing! Most women find me irresistible.
Suzanne: Which women would those be, Peter? The grannies that come to watch you perform? Oh, I seem to recall that even they stayed away from your last effort. What was the name of it, Cynthia? You know, the one that closed after three weeks?
Peter: Are you ready for the scene with
Gary tomorrow? I suppose you two didn’t need much rehearsing, did you?
No, wait. Gary said that you
might need more practice. Bit of a cold fish and all of that.
Frank: Oh, hello. Sorry to interrupt. I thought I heard voices, and popped
in to see if anyone was here.
Suzanne: I was just leaving. I’ve got to go get some clothes on.
Frank: Let me make you some tea. You don’t look well.
Suzanne: Forget the tea. Can you get me some Scotch?
Frank: I’ll see what I can do.