About Mrs. Leslie Page #5

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Who taught you

how to laugh, vivi?

You must have

had wonderful parents.

I had a wonderful mother.

If she'd been married

to anybody else but my father,

she might still be alive.

I had to teach myself to laugh.

I was pretty well cried-out

before I was 15.

I had to come here;

You didn't.

But you came,

and I'll be eternally grateful.

You've done more for me

than my doctors,

my pills, my everybody.

How can I thank you?

For the first time in my life,

somebody's made me feel

as if I had a purpose.

That's thanks enough.

Sunday, I'm going

to that little church in town,

try to take up

where I left off 15 years ago.

Oh, I just...

I just saw his face,

and I almost died.

I think the funniest thing is,

"so what are you

gonna do with it?"

May I get you something?

Oh, yes, I'd like some coffee

up in my room.

There was a long-distance call

for Mr. Leslie,

and I wanted to tell him

not to answer it,

at least not that night.

Funny how you get hunches

about some things.

Yes?

Oh, come on in.

- Vivi.

- Coffee?

No, thanks.

I'm afraid I'll have to go back.

You mean now?

Tonight?

Jim'll drive me

into Los Angeles.

I have to make a 6:00 plane

in the morning.

I tried to stall them.

Oh, that's all right.

I understand.

Why don't you stay on?

I have the house till the 15th.

No, I'll go back with you.

On another plane, of course.

I hope we can do this again.

Maybe next year.

Vivi, you're the best companion

I've ever known.

And Lee was the best general,

Mr. Leslie,

but they paid off on grant.

Please, vivi.

It was wonderful,

really wonderful.

That's what makes

saying good-bye so much harder.

Yes, an engagement

starts out one thing

and ends up another, all right.

This I hadn't expected.

He'd given me

less than six weeks,

and I knew then

that I'd given him all my life.

Mrs. Leslie?

Mrs. Leslie?

Mrs. Leslie, Mrs. Leslie?

Yes?

I wonder if I could ask

a favor of you.

Nothing ventured;

Nothing gained.

The piano in the living room...

I was wondering if you'd mind

if I used it this afternoon.

Oh, that old thing?

It hasn't been used in so long.

I don't even know

whether it's in tune anymore.

But you're welcome to use it.

I didn't know

you were a musician, Mr. McKay.

I'm not,

but I can get an accompanist.

Oh, you sing?

I had no idea

you were in show business.

You don't seem like the type.

I dance.

At least I'm trying to.

Ballroom stuff,

anything to make

a couple of bucks.

Oh, well, dancing's nice too.

I used to love to dance.

Well, now we'll see

how this sounds.

I usually rehearse

at my partner's house,

but her mother's sick today.

If it's out of tune,

we can use the record player.

Sounds all right to me.

Sound okay for you?

My partner's no paderewski.

He won't mind.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Oh, don't you look nice,

miss roland?

You know Mr. McKay,

don't you?

Hi.

I did tell you to remind me

to meet you sometime, didn't I?

Now we've met again.

Aren't you going to be late

for your appointment,

miss roland?

- I'll get a cab at the corner.

- Maybe I can drop you off.

Oh, thanks,

but I'm going to Hollywood.

Well, I'm going

to Hollywood myself.

Come on, it's the least I can do

after this morning.

All right.

Why don't you

go through the kitchen?

It's shorter.

Good luck.

Thanks.

See you later.

TV center, you said?

Yes, please.

You doing a show there?

No, I'm auditioning.

Casland's starting a new series,

private eye stuff.

They're looking for a secretary.

Secretary?

Well, you know,

those private eye secretaries.

Well, here.

"She walked in,

and her hips moved like swans"

on a silver lake,

"her blue-black hair

gleaming like a raven's wing."

How about that?

That kind of secretary

you could be.

I'll buy a 21-inch set

if you get the part.

If I get the part?

I'd better get the part.

Thank you so much, Mr. McKay.

Let me know how you make out.

Good luck!

Hey, McKay.

Hey, Fred,

what are you doing around here?

Agents can't sell talent

to television?

And speaking of talent,

who was that?

She lives at my place.

It's a rooming house.

Yeah, sure.

What's her name?

Nadine roland.

Say, Fred, remember that act

I was telling you about?

We've got it in good shape now,

I think good enough to show.

Nadine roland,

sure, used to hang around

with gillis kemp.

Real crazy dames, kid.

What happened to her?

Gilly's got a penthouse

on the strip.

Say, when do you think

you can have a look at it, Fred?

- At what?

- My act.

Oh, anytime you say, kid,

if you bring

the roland doll along.

Really?

How about this afternoon?

No, make it tonight.

Okay, there's a room

at the house we can use.

About 7:
30 okay?

Yeah, 7:
30, 8:00.

Just be sure roland's there.

Oh, she has an agent...

Harry willey.

Look, I ain't always an agent.

When the sun goes down,

believe it or not,

I turn into a man.

Okay.

Look, I'll phone the landlady.

If it's all right,

I'll call you.

I can't promise you nothin'.

Don't forget roland.

Oh, I have to get this part,

Mr. willey.

I've just got to.

It means so much.

You just relax, honey.

Relax.

You'll be fine.

We know you can act, don't we?

I'll be in the control booth

with Mr. casland.

- All right, miss roland.

- Stu harkness, please.

Miss roland,

this is stu harkness,

your leading man.

We're ready anytime now.

All right, now let's not worry

about your moves,

just the lines.

Stu, you're at the desk, please.

Miss roland,

you'll make an entrance.

All right, standby, everybody.

Stu, take it.

What's the deal on corpeau,

willey?

We'll talk about him later,

Mr. casland.

Let's look at miss roland

now, eh?

Was that a shot?

Nobody's popping champagne

this time of day, sweetheart.

The gringold mob,

they sent a torpedo

to rub you out.

Oh, big Joe,

you gotta get out of town.

Blow this berg

before they blast you.

- Have a close-up on the girl.

- Yes.

Sam, remind Maria

to get another note off

before I leave for the Springs.

When big Joe takes on a caper,

sweetheart,

he sticks till it's cracked

or it cracks him.

Look, big Joe,

I'm only a secretary,

but I got a nose for trouble.

Reminds me of that girl

who did the glomall commercials.

What was her name, Sam?

Oh, yeah, Farrell, that was it.

Did commercials

and drove a big convertible.

You still driving yours, Jay?

I traded in one

of those little foreign cars

to race around town in.

Uh, never mind about Lorena.

I better call New York direct.

Mr. casland,

what about the girl?

She's not the type.

Cut it.

Okay, kids, thank you.

Wrap it up, Lloyd.

Casland,

you're missing a bet.

Roland looks the part.

She can play it, I tell you.

Tell her what you want.

Let her try it again.

If she had it,

it'd come through to me, willey.

I want a whole woman

for this part,

no starlet stuff,

all angles and chest, no heart.

Your girl's fluff.

That's all, just fluff.

Sam, get ahold

of that Farrell dame.

Maybe she can play it.

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