Good Morning, Babylon Page #2

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Thompson, will you bring Mrs. Griffith?

Is it true that you plan to stop

production of your present film?

It is!

A disaster!

- Stroke of luck!

- How's that, sir?

I shall transform it!

You write this down!

It will become part of a fresco.

Then you resume production...

...along the lines of the

Italian "Cabiria", sir?

Three hundred times

greater than "Cabiria"!

Are you thinking about your old idea?

"Intolerance", I can always tell

when it crops up in your head.

Get closer!

David, what are you doing?

It's pouring!

Who built this?

The Italians!

It's the Italian pavilion,

Mr. Griffith!

Italians, M. Griffith!

It's always the Italians!

Those endowed Italians!

I want them.

They must be gone

by now, Mr. Griffith!

They finished build

the expo a month or so!

I want the man who built this!

He'll have to go to work for me!

I want the construction

foreman, Mr. Grass!

"Intolerance!"

The two artists you want

they're leaving for Italy today

with most of their workers!

I know because they are

members of this Italian club.

The two foremen who worked in the expo!

Look! If you leave your number

I will try to get in touch.

You are calling from where?

Hollywood?

To make elephants?

For whom?

Griffith?

One moment, hold on.

No good! They got as many

workers as they need.

They just want the two foremen!

Alright, if I happen to find anything,

who should I call?

Ah, sent them to Frisco...

- And then?

- They want Teodoro and Amilcare.

We can find them!

They sail for Seattle in an hour.

Maybe we can stop them.

We'll be too late.

Better.

If they've left,

we can try ourselves.

Then my shoe came untied...

Both mine are too.

God, I'm sorry!

But I'm glad too!

- Well, you guys are...

- The foremen the director wants!

The director's name is Griffith, right?

Your names?

Amilcare Martini.

Teodoro Benvenuti.

Okay, hop in "paisans"!

The day after tomorrow

you'll be in Hollywood.

Don't forget to fill up in Salinas!

I leave you here. The tram will take

you straight to Mr. Grass's office.

He's the production manager

of Mr. Griffith. See you around!

My sons, oh my sons!

Yes, my sons I awaked you.

Where are we?

Alright, all the dead get down!

Perfectly still!

The King to the throne!

Slowly, slowly!

Get the sons on horseback!

Alright, roll it!

Action!

Go, my sons!

I shall wait for you here.

We have been defeated

but when you return

you will win back my kingdom.

Look, Andrea.

The old king is crying.

You kids new?

- Have a piece!

- Thank you!

Please, listen, give us a chance!

We're dancers.

Yes, and very good ones.

We can't be extras all our lives!

Look girls, it's not up to me.

Even you don't believe us.

Well, can you do a split?

It's Griffith!

He's trying a new machine.

Where's Griffith?

It's the man upon the crane

with the big white hat.

Good morning to you, Mr. Thompson.

We are the Italians!

Destroy it! Mr. Griffith says he

doesn't even want the tail!

So you two are the

famous Italian builders?

You're here to make elephants

for "Intolerance".

Not one of our drawings has met with

the approval of Mr. Griffith.

But you Italians think

you can do better.

Great.

Remember what they did

up in Frisco!

I know, I know.

I see Hollywood agrees with you

my dear architects.

You look thirty years younger...

We thought we...

Can we sit down?

Have you been in the service?

Then on your feet. About face!

Forward, march!

Actors and extras on set!

Take your positions!

No, enough! Come on!

Hurry up, please!

You two, girls!

Aren't you extras?

Extras! Extras!

I'm sorry I got you in trouble!

I always go and open my big mouth.

Steve, finish up here by tonight.

Tomorrow I'm pulling it.

I got to get the new

sets for Griffith ready.

You're still here.

We were wrong, Mr. Grass.

We have to pay.

We need the job!

Any kind of job.

Sure.

No, no!

I know you "wops"!

Liars, swindlers,

allergic to work...

Belly in the sun

and hands on your belly!

These hands have restored the cathedrals of Pisa,

Lucca and Florence!

Whose son are you...

We are the sons

of the sons of the sons

of Michelangelo and Leonardo!

Whose son are you?

No, excuse us!

We're only here to ask for jobs.

Viva Firenze!

Viva Firenze!

We were in Florence once!

It's the most beautiful place

in the world!

Viva Firenze!

- The sun's going!

- Will you take your places?

You go by the train station?

No, next car!

After midnight.

There those two boys again.

It's them.

Do you guys take care birds?

Birds?

Then I got a job for you!

Hop in!

We got a hundred birds for a scene

we're shooting in a couple of weeks.

Just feed them and clean

the cages, morning and night.

During the day I'll try to find you

some more jobs around the set.

On night you can sleep

in the birdhouse.

This is it. You can get out.

The door is open.

What's the matter?

You're scared?

We ain't even

the time to thanks!

What the stink!

I'd die of pity for

somebody like you and me.

Good morning, father.

Movies are light.

You're not on a stage.

When the light hits your face

not from a light bulb

but natural, true sunlight,

when you feel it, the audience

has to feel it with you.

Now, get up.

And take your places.

- The sun? Where's going to be coming from?

- I don't know.

From up above. There are two

people in front of those panels.

Is it time?

Roll it!

"Air is the thing around

your head that...

"becomes...

lighter when you laugh."

Shut up!

For you, it's night!

"You're as beautiful...

as a snowy mountain."

"Beautiful as a snowy mountain."

"I'll put you in my shadow,

to keep you from melting."

How're we going to deliver them?

"Sometimes I fall in...

"Sometimes I fall in to your eyes...

who knows where I end up."

Oh, we're all friends...

Edna!

Oh, read another one!

"I should like to be the

petal of a giant flower

where you rest your head."

"You are as beautiful...

as a snowy mountain."

"I should put you

in my shadow...

to keep from melting."

Shakespeare!

Two snowy mountains,

coming up!

Not the wrong color!

Get them out of here!

I said white horses!

White!

Like two snowy mountains!

It's Okay?

Yeah, now get down here,

we will shoot it!

David, watch out!

You'll melt like a snowy mountain!

Come here!

Stay close where I am,

let me keep in my shadow!

"Keep you in my shadow"?

Are we speaking in verse today?

Eh, my dear?

"Andrea and Nicola invite Edna

and Mabel to lunch tomorrow

in the birdhouse."

Remember what we promised

each other...

We only go out with...

directors or producers.

What a lot of laughs!

They're here.

Mr. Grass and company,

rather on the dot.

Listen, what if we asked

them for a rain check?

We can still get to

the woods some time...

Oh, forget it Mabel.

Getting involved with Nicola

and Andrea would be like...

like building houses on quicksand.

Those two are losers!

Poor guys.

- We're late.

- Oh, let them wait!

Oh, just look at those lips!

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