Hollywood Cavalcade Page #8

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I won't! L-It'll be a bust.

It'll ruin Molly. It'll ruin us all!

Mike, it puts us in an awful spot.

Oh, you just think you're in a spot.

You're both panicky because of TheJazz Singer,

becausejolson put over a couple of songs.

Well, I'm not panicky!

You know what one bad picture

can do as well as I...

and I'm not gonna ruin her

for you or anybody else!

Look, Connors...

I'm no genius, no creator.

I just represent

the financial side of this business.

But I've made up my mind

this picture's gonna be finished. Now.

Not with me it isn't.

- No?

- No.

Seems to me that I've heard it said...

that you're the bright genius

that turned down Rin Tin Tin.

Well, we all make mistakes sometimes.

Then make 'em on your own time.

You finish the picture with a double,

or get out. Now.

Then I'll get out. Now.

Mike. Mike, wait-

Wait a minute! Mike!

Mike. Mike!

Mike, listen to me.

Think what you're doing.

I can't see you walk out this way.

It would mean curtains for you.

- I can't help that, Dave.

- But you've got to help it.

You know I'd do anything I could,

but... he has the say.

He controls the money strings.

Please, Mike, go on back.

Patch it up with him.

Oh, I wish- I wish I could, Dave.

It's not only you I'm thinking of, Mike.

I'm thinking of Molly too.

I know you're not the kind that can

humble himself before anyone else...

but please, Mike, for all our sakes-

All right, shrimp.

Mm-hmm.

- Mr. Roberts.

- Yes?

I want to apologize.

I'm sorry for the things I said.

But I want to urge you,

please reconsider.

Why don't you wait just a week or two

and see how she gets along?

I tell you what-you can take me off salary.

I'll work for nothing.

I've made up my mind I'm gonna

finish this picture the way I said.

You might as well know that

I never wanted you in the first place.

It was just a charity job.

Molly and Dave talked me into it.

As far as I'm concerned, you're out.

You understand? You're fired.

Don't you think

you'd better get some sleep?

I can't sleep.

Won't you just try?

- Evening, Father.

- Good evening.

Wonder who that guy is.

I've seen him around here two or three nights

now just standing around.

- Oh, some movie director.

- Yeah?

Where you go now, master?

Just drive. Anywhere.

[Engine Starts]

[Horns Honking]

- How are you?

- Oh, hello, Connors.

- Any, uh-Any chance of getting in here?

- Standing room only.

If you wanna stand, go ahead.

Thanks.

#[Man Singing In Hebrew]

#[Continues]

#[Continues In Hebrew]

[Cheering]

You can go in now.

[Knocks]

How are you, honey?

Oh, I'm getting on, I guess.

Molly, l- I had to see you.

Yes? What about?

About the picture.

They're gonna finish it without you,

with a double.

Yes, I know.

Dave phoned me.

Well, what did you say?

I told him to go ahead.

But, Molly, that'll- that'll ruin it.

They'll make hash of it.

Oh, please, Mike. I'm tired.

It doesn't matter. Really, it doesn't.

Now go. Please.

Nothing matters?

That's right.

Go. Please.

All right, Molly...

I'll go.

Look, Molly...

I know what it is to be tired...

the way you're tired...

when your whole world topples and...

nothing seems to matter anymore.

It'll lick you, that feeling...

if you let it.

You've got to fight back...

get well.

Then things'll-

things'll look different, Molly.

What happened to you

wasn't your fault.

What happened to me

I was to blame for.

I was wrong, Molly...

about you...

about everything, I guess.

Bullheaded and blind.

Through all those years, the only-

the only thing

that really mattered to me was-

was you.

When I was down at the bottom,

on my way out...

you gave me a chance to...

come back-

you and Dave and Nicky.

I didn't want to take it.

I didn't want to take anything from you.

I had to.

I had to see you.

Had to be near you again.

From that first day on the picture, I...

began to live again.

And what we did was great, Molly...

every scene, every foot of it.

I treated you badly on the set...

just because I didn't want you

to know how I felt...

what was going on inside.

Didn't want myself to know.

But now l-

I want you to know everything.

Please don't tell me any more.

Please listen. Just a little bit more.

Last night I saw something.

I saw a crowd

such as I've never seen before...

in front of a theater.

Traffic was tied up for blocks.

Inside I saw an audience that-

that was spellbound.

You could have heard a pin drop.

They were looking at shadows on the screen

that were no longer shadows.

They were flesh and blood

human beings.

Al Jolson in Thejazz Singer, singing.

I've said all along

that the public didn't want talk.

They didn't want their movie idols

dragged down to ordinary human beings.

But I was wrong. I knew that the minute

I heard that voice, those songs.

I went-

I went out of that theater like-

like a drunk.

All I could think of was-

was what I'd seen on that screen.

And then I got an idea.

They're not gonna butcher our picture.

That's ours-yours and mine.

We made it.

And they're not

gonna ruin it or ruin you.

But what can you do?

I went back to the studio...

and took away the negative.

- You stole it?

- Every bit of it.

And they're not gonna get it back unless

they promise to let me finish it my way.

They say they're afraid

to hold it up until you get well.

They're scared it might be old-fashioned,

out of date. But it won't be.

I've figured out a way

to make that a sock hit...

a hit just as modern and new

as- as TheJazz Singer.

I studied that picture carefully.

Ninety percent of it is silent film.

Only 10% has singing and music in it,

and just a few words of talk.

Our picture is 90% finished.

Now, what I'm gonna do is put in

two or three sound sequences.

You're gonna talk, Molly. Talk!

Just like you did when-

when I first saw you...

and you knocked me dead.

That's where you're from- the stage.

You've had the training, the background.

And remember, we'll be doing a play.

Common Clay

was a terrific hit on the stage.

It's all there for us, made to order.

Whatjolson did with song

we can do with talk.

If ever there was a perfect setup,

this is it!

- Oh, Mike.

- Aw, honey, you-

your career has only just begun.

But- But, Mike, where are you

gonna get the money from?

From Dave and Roberts, of course.

They'll put it up. They'll have to.

But suppose they won't.

Roberts might do anything.

Have you arrested or put you in jail.

Let him put me in jail.

He'll never get that film. I'll burn it first.

It's gonna be made the way we want it- great!

The greatest picture ever made!

- It was a lovely picture, Mr. Spingold.

- Glad you liked it.

- Congratulations, Dave.

- Thank you very much.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- A beautiful picture, Dave.

- I'm glad you liked it.

- [Woman] It was grand. It was really marvelous.

- Awfully nice of you to say so.

- Good night.

- Good night.

Well, how'd you like it?

Like it?

It got me right here.

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