Hollywood Cavalcade Page #7

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go round in my head...

and- and I got a crazy idea.

Would you mind if l-

if I kissed you good night?

Oh, Dave.

[Sobbing]

No, no, no. Shh.

No, no. That-That don't help.

[Chattering]

- Hello, Mr. Connors. Thanks for asking for me.

- Wouldn't be my crew without you.

- Hello, Mr. Connors. Glad to see you back.

- Thanks. Good to see you.

- Hello, Sid.

- Mr. Connors, glad to see you.

- Hello, Mr. Connors.

- Good to see you.

- Hello, Lee. Stubby.

- Nice to see you, boss.

- [Men Shouting]

- How are ya, boys?

- Good morning, Mr. Connors.

- How are you? It's good to see you.

- Pete.

- Hi, Mike.

Long time no see.

- How you been, you old worrier?

- Fine.

Gotta make a good one, you know.

- We've made plenty of good ones, Mike.

- That's right.

Uh, Chick,

place everybody for rehearsal.

- Principals and extras, on the set!

Let's go, everybody!

- Hit 'em, Ronnie.

- You wanna take a look at it?

- No smoking in there, now!

Let's have a lot of pep this morning!

You're way ahead of me on the setup,

I see.

Let's rehearse dollying in, boys.

- Hello, Mike.

- Hello, Molly.

It's wonderful being together again.

- Yeah.

- Just like old times.

That's right.

I'm sorry I was late, Mike,

but the wardrobe had to alter my dress...

and Emily didn't get to me

until 10 minutes ago.

That's all right.

There are always hitches the first day.

- Let's rehearse

the first scene on the witness stand.

- Right down here, Molly.

- All right, heat 'em up, boys!

- Okay!

- Light these up here!

- How 'bout this one?

- Light 'em all!

- Places!

Start your music, boys.

- # [Orchestra]

- All right, let's go.

All right, fellas. Come on! Faster!

- All right, hold it.

- Whoa!

[Mike]

All right, Miss Adair, read your subtitle.

No, I didn't go to that speakeasy

to do anything wrong.

I went there to have a good time and dance.

That's no crime, is it?

Now read yours, Paul.

Confine yourself to the question, please.

I merely asked you-

Yes, I know what you asked me.

And if I answered the way you wanted,

I'd have said something that wasn't true.

- [Mike] Quick! Yours, Paul.

- That's all we want, just the truth.

Well, you don't act like it...

trying to twist things around,

trying to make me look like a bad girl.

I'm not ashamed of anything I've done.

I want everybody to know

the truth about this.

His family, the Fullertons, have everything

on their side- they beat me every way I turn.

I came to this court expecting everything

to be open and aboveboard and-

Such opinions

are not allowed in this court.

- No, no, no. Stop the music. No, no, no.

- # [Ends]

- Paul, please, don't cross on your line.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Connors.

And, Miss Adair, please keep your face

toward the camera.

- All right, everybody,

let's get fixed up for a take.

- Mike.

Don't you think it'd be good if, at the end

of the scene, I turned away from the camera?

No, I don't think it'd be a good idea.

The public pays to see your face,

not the back of your head.

[Crew Chattering]

- Save 'em all!

- All right, cover up!

Don't leave the set, now!

- Come on, move your dollies.

- Okay. Dolly coming back.

Move that arc in.

- Hello, Dave.

- Hello, Molly.

Say, you were great out there...

even if the director

didn't seem to think so.

- Well, he isn't exactly using

the velvet glove technique.

- [Laughs]

Want me to tell him he's got to

handle our star more gently?

No. He's only acting like that to keep

reminding me that this is strictly business.

And like everything else Mike ever did

in his life, he goes completely overboard.

But I don't mind.

I always understand him.

That is, most always.

#[Orchestra]

#[Continues]

All right, hold it, boys.

Save your energy till the scene.

Rest those horses!

- Who gave Miss Adair the call?

- I did, sir. Gave it to her myself- 9:00 sharp.

Sit down, Mike.

Might as well take it easy.

Nothing else we can do, boss,

till she gets here.

Last picture I was on,

the star didn't show up till after lunch.

Molly Adair never does that.

She doesn't, huh?

She was late yesterday. She's always late.

- Where's Mr. Connors?

- Here he is here.

Mr. Connors, there's been an accident.

Miss Adair and, uh-

- What?

- Miss Adair and Mr. Hayden.

They must have been driving at an awful clip,

judging from the wreck.

Mr. Hayden was killed.

- And Miss Adair?

- I don't know.

They took her away in the ambulance.

Santa Monica Hospital.

- Where'd it happen?

- About three miles up the road.

Hello.

Hello, honey.

We were trying to-

trying to get there...

so I wouldn't be late.

Is-

Is Nicky all- all right?

No.

He- He isn't-

Molly darling...

I wish I could say something.

Don't say anything.

It's too late.

Go away.

Please.

Say, listen, fellas.

We can't get anyplace sitting around

like a bunch of crows glooming.

We've got to snap out of it,

make some kind of a move.

Sure. Pass it off as though

nothing had happened.

Now, don't talk like that, Mr. Connors.

Well, then don't tell me

to snap out of it and make moves.

Molly in the hospital...

her husband dead,

whole world in pieces.

Yes, I know all about that.

I feel just as badly about it as you do.

But I've got a million dollars

in cold cash at stake...

so this problem's gotta be solved.

Mighty tough problem, Mike.

Did you see the papers this morning?

You read what happened

in New York last night?

- What happened?

- Talking pictures.

That's what happened.

What I've been prophesying all along.

But you two boys pooh-poohed me.

"TheJazz Singer,

first feature-length picture with songs...

"opened last night at Warners.

Smash hit."

Had to keep the theater open all night

to accommodate the crowds.

- I tell you, it's the end of silent pictures.

- Oh, bunk.

I've got a fortune tied up

in a silent that isn't finished yet.

Three months' time,

my investment won't be worth a nickel.

Oh, you sound like a child.

People don't want

to hear their idols talk.

Takes away all the mystery

and the glamour.

Makes them ordinary a-and commonplace.

What's more, they go to the theater

to relax, not to strain and listen.

- That's what you say.

- No, you're wrong, Mike.

I was talking to Zukor and Schenck

last night.

They tell me that theaters throughout

the country are working 24 hours a day...

installing sound equipment.

We've gotta get this picture finished quickly.

Get on it without a moment's delay.

L- I've gotta shoot

the whole last reel, the climax.

- Then change the climax.

- And spoil the story.

We could get a double for Molly,

fake it somehow.

- For all you know,

Miss Adair might never work again.

- That's a lie!

She'll be all right in two or three months.

The doctor said so.

And I told you in two or three months

you won't be able to give a silent away.

Mike, do as we say.

Get a double for Molly.

Steal a couple of scenes from one of

her other pictures. It's been done before.

[Roberts]

Only get it done.

No, l- I can't.

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