Beloved Infidel Page #5

You'll go to Chicago

and you'll do the show yourself.

And I'm going with you.

Oh, Scott...

Oh, that'd be wonderful.

I feel so completely different

when I'm with you.

But, Scott, you can't leave your work

for four whole days.

They can have conferences

until I get back. All they want.

I'm no good in conferences anyway.

I was with them for seven hours today.

Talk, talk, talk. Nothing but confusion.

I'm going with you. I'll arrange it.

Oh... Oh...

What would I do without you?

- Hello, Miss Clayton.

- Hello, Mr. Fitzgerald.

Mr. Harris in?

Yes, but Mr. Foster is with him

right now.

I wonder if I might see him

for a minute.

I'm sure he'll see you.

Mr. Fitzgerald is here and would like

to see you for just a moment.

Thank you.

- You may go right in.

- Thank you.

- Hello, Stan.

- Come in, Scott.

- Hi, Scott.

- Sam.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

I wanted to tell you

I'm going to Chicago for a few days.

Oh?

I'd like to get away

from the script for a few days.

I'm a little too close to it.

But I'll be back on Thursday.

I'll check with you.

Oh, Scott.

Sit down a minute, will you?

- Will you excuse us, Sam?

- Surely, Stan.

Sit down.

I was going to talk to you tomorrow.

But since you're going away,

I think I may as well tell you now.

I've had to make a decision, Scott.

I'm taking you off the picture.

Are you shelving the picture?

Not going ahead with it?

No, we're going ahead with the picture,

but with another writer. I'm sorry.

You mean I'm fired?

You're a great novelist,

but screenwriting, well...

Frankly you just don't seem

to have the knack for it.

You've had four assignments

and you've failed on every one.

Four scripts, but not a single picture.

You write beautiful prose, Scott,

but we can't photograph adjectives.

I like having you around, but

I can't justify keeping you on salary.

Take my advice.

Go back to writing novels.

But you said that you loved...

you loved what I was doing.

Sure. Some of it reads great, but...

it doesn't sound like dialogue,

like people talking.

If there's one thing

in this world I do know,

it's the voice and sound

of my generation.

I thought so too on some of it,

but it just doesn't come off.

- But I'm almost through. Let me finish.

- Scott, I've got a deadline to meet.

A starting date on the picture.

I can't take that risk.

All right. You just tell me how

you want it written and I'll write it.

Me tell F. Scott Fitzgerald how to write?

All right, Stan. I'll be seeing you.

Scott.

As a novelist, in my opinion,

you still have no equal.

Sure.

Well, thanks for everything, Stan.

Best of luck.

- Goodbye, Miss Clayton.

- Goodbye, Mr. Fitzgerald.

Miss Sheilah Graham. Miss Sheilah Graham.

Will you come

to the TWA ticket desk, please?

Miss Graham?

This message just came in for you.

- Oh.

- You may use the phone in my office.

Oh, that's very kind of you.

Darling, it's long distance

from New York.

It shouldn't take a minute.

United Airlines flight 3

to Bakersfield,

Fresno, Oakland and San Francisco

now loading at gate 1.

All aboard, please.

It was John Wheeler, darling.

He'll meet us in Chicago.

And he's so glad you're coming.

He said it would be like old times.

I'll have a brandy, please.

For the takeoff.

I'll have another double gin.

For the takeoff.

Scott, what are you doing?

I've never seen you drink.

Well, you're seeing me now.

Scott, what's the matter with you?

Please tell me.

Nothing's the matter. Everything's

for the best in the best of worlds.

- Another time around, Charlie.

- Oh, no, please, Scott.

Please, darling, tell me what's wrong.

No, don't... don't.

TWA flight 6 to Albuquerque,

Kansas City and Chicago

now loading at gate 3.

All aboard, please.

Come on, Sheil-o. Let's go.

Let's fly.

Let's fly.

Oh, Scott. Please, if you're going

to be any help to me at all...

Shh...

Would you like a magazine?

No, but I'd like to sell something

to one of them. Do you know who I am?

No, sir.

I don't have my passenger list.

Never mind, I'll tell you.

I am F. Scott Fitzgerald,

- and she is Sheilah...

- Scott, please. For heaven's sake.

Scott, stop it.

Sir, do you know who I am?

- No. Who are you?

- I am F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Surely you've heard of my books,

The Great Gatsby...

uh... plenty of others, haven't you?

Oh, yes. Of course I've heard of you.

You see that? He's heard of me.

He's heard of me.

And how about you, sir?

Have you heard of me?

Can't say as I ever have.

You're fired. You're fired!

F. Scott Fitzgerald...

I'm so thrilled to meet

my favourite author in person.

I never thought I'd be

speaking to you of all people.

I've always visualised you

as being just as handsome,

daring and romantic a figure

as any of the heroes in your books.

And, you know, you haven't

disappointed me one bit.

You're even more so. Even more so.

You know my works, do you?

Every single line you ever wrote.

You silly brat.

Scott, I wish you would get off here

and catch the next plane

back to Hollywood.

It was a mistake for you to come.

You're in no condition to help me.

I can get on much better

in Chicago on my own.

Oh, please, Scott, you're making me very

unhappy. Please get off here and go home.

Fine, Sheil-o, fine.

I shall get off as you suggest.

No problem. No problem.

You fight your battle

and I'll fight my battle - alone.

All alone.

Lone wolves, you and me, Sheil-o.

Lone wolves.

Lone wolves.

TWA flight 6... Kansas City,

Chicago... aboard, please.

- Hello.

- Oh, Scott...

Oh, Scott, I'm so glad you're back.

I shouldn't have said that.

Darling, I'm sorry.

I love you, I love you.

Oh, I'm so glad you didn't get off.

Oh, I got off.

- I got another bottle.

- Oh, Scott...

- Scott!

- Really! Mr. Fitzgerald, please!

- Oh, Scott...

- Please, Mr. Fitzgerald.

- Sheilah!

- John, darling.

- Good to see you. You look wonderful.

- Thank you.

- This is Ted Robinson from the network.

- Oh, yes. The enemy.

- Come in, Mr. Robinson, and sit down.

- Thank you.

You mustn't think of Ted as the enemy.

Let's see if we can't work this out.

Yes, fine. I, um...

I just know I can do

the broadcast beautifully, Mr. Robinson,

if I don't have

that terrifying half-minute wait.

Miss Graham, as programme director

I am responsible for maintaining...

- Hiya, Scott.

- Hey, John-o.

Uh...

Mr. Robinson, this is Mr. Fitzgerald.

How do you do?

Just go right ahead, Mr. Robinson.

Go right ahead.

The problem, of course, is your delivery.

Yes, I know. I was very, very nervous.

But I still say that half-minute wait -

it seems like an eternity...

Your nervousness is not what disturbs us.

If I may be so frank,

the large part of our audience

is Western and Midwestern.

Their ear is not attuned

to a British accent.

Why don't you try sticking

an ear of corn in your mouth?

We require of our broadcasters

a language that is reduced to its purest

and most understandable level.

Oh, that is a very heavy responsibility,

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