Humoresque Page #4

- Paul Boray?

- Yes, he's my son.

- Sign here, pappy.

- What else, Mrs. Cline?

- I'll have a box of soap flakes.

- Soap flakes.

And a dozen of eggs.

Thanks, pappy.

Eggs.

A bottle of milk.

Paul!

- Paul!

- Yeah.

- Come down. Package for you.

- Coming.

All right.

- And a box of salt.

- Okay. Need anything else?

I think that's all.

- Well, open it up.

- What is it?

- Cigarette case.

- For you?

Well, where did

it come from? What for?

I played at a party last night.

You got it for playing the violin?

Partly.

They liked the way I play.

Who liked your playing?

What party?

People named Wright.

Wright, who are they?

Oh, the Wrights.

They know everybody.

They can help me a lot, Mom.

- I hope you've forgiven me.

- I don't hold grudges.

They're a waste of time.

You shouldn't have sent this.

I spend my life doing penance for things

I never should've done in the first place.

Don't you like martinis?

Not particularly.

They're an acquired taste,

like Ravel.

I never had much time for

acquired tastes, except for Ravel.

You make it all sound very grim.

What do you do for amusement?

Play the violin.

- Is that all you do, play the violin?

- Almost.

- Go to concerts?

- Not much.

When they're good, I'm jealous.

When they're bad, I'm bored.

Hobbies, pleasures or fun?

It's there in the violin for me.

- Girls?

- A few.

That's all?

That's all.

You're a very strange creature.

No stranger than you.

Me? There's nothing

very strange about me.

I was married twice before.

Once at 16, once at 21.

One was a crybaby,

the other a caveman.

Between them,

I said goodbye to girlhood.

You're still very young.

Take that glint out of your eye.

- Glint?

- That gleam.

I don't know how men get that way.

Every time you meet a woman...

...you begin to plan on how

and where you can club her wings down.

I'm different, remember?

I'm the fella that's gonna

split the world into two camps.

Besides, I thought I was

your favorite unknown talent.

You are.

You're a very talented violinist.

I like to help talent when I can.

I'm interested in you as an artist.

And not as a person?

Only as an artist.

By the way, you don't have

a manager, do you?

- No, no.

- You should have one, you know.

Do you know Bauer? Frederick Bauer?

Well, I've never met him.

- Yes, Mr. Bauer?

- Check open dates at Manhattan Hall...

...for a recital, violin.

Mrs. Wright will pay for it.

Esther, people are watching.

You must not do that.

He sounds better here

than he does in the kitchen.

Ask Mr. Boray to join us.

Gee, l... I don't know, I...

I never thought I'd be so nervous.

I feel as if I've been

through a six-day bike race.

I'm all in.

If you don't sweat, it's not good.

That's when you begin to worry.

You know, I thought I was

better in the second half.

I kind of got warmed up a little.

Don't you think I was a little cold

in the beginning? You know...

...the first few minutes

I didn't have any control.

Forget it. It was only perceptible

to the whole audience.

On the level, Paul,

it was really first-rate.

- You left them in a quiet frenzy.

- I don't know. I don't know.

I'd give anything to do

the concert all over again.

No matter how many concerts, you'll always

have the penalty of not satisfying yourself.

Preserve that feeling

of dissatisfaction and you'll be okay.

Hey, wait a minute. This has to go

on a headwaiter tomorrow night.

I'd like to go hide.

I don't wanna see anyone.

I tell you, you're in.

Ask me, an actual eyewitness.

I found the concert completely stultifying.

What more do you want?

Let's talk about something else.

What about ancient Greece?

What's your opinion of Greek civilization?

Quit it, will you?

Did you see the house out there?

Half empty. Some debut.

Rows of empty seats

staring me in the face.

And then I fluffed that

fast passage in the Brahms.

Don't worry.

You won't hear from Brahms.

Cut the gags out, will you, Sid.

Cut it out or get out!

I can't afford it.

You're the only friend I've got.

He has fire, this Boray.

Rather like what you

find in a Van Gogh painting.

A touch of the savage.

Good for art.

That's why I was

never an artist, my dear.

I'll go backstage and get Paul.

- We'll see you at home, Gina.

- All right.

- Let's go, Rudy. I wanna get things ready.

- Esther.

Maybe we can take

the picture for a souvenir.

- There'll be other pictures.

- But it's a beautiful picture.

You wouldn't want to offend her. Helen

would be disappointed if you didn't show.

- My family's having a party. Thanks.

- Oh, come along.

- You should go.

- For an hour. How about it?

Okay, just for an hour.

Another one, Paul.

"The debut of a violinist...

...of uncommon power and integrity

is the news this morning.

It is difficult to remember

a first concert equal to it for vir..."

- Virtuosity.

- "Virtuosity, musicianship...

...and the highest type

of interpretation.

Paul Boray is a young

violinist of great gifts."

You hear? He's talking about you.

- Bunk.

- I'll take the bunk for an appetizer.

Don't believe everything

you read in papers.

- You came home late last night.

- Oh, yeah.

I'm sorry, Mom.

I couldn't get away. Honest.

That's all right. It was nothing.

Just cake and wine.

Makes no difference.

Where were you?

At the Wrights. Mr. Bauer

thought I ought to go.

- Those are nice flowers.

- Gina brought them.

Oh, she did?

- Oh, I'll call her later.

- Paul, this is important.

Daily Progressive,

high-class newspaper.

"Boray is undoubtedly

a gifted young man.

But his tone has an unfortunate tendency

to go off pitch in moments of climax.

Time and experience

will perhaps correct this fault."

Yellow journalism.

- I saw them at the concert.

- What?

I said I saw Mr. and

Mrs. Wright at the concert.

Oh, you did?

She's a very beautiful woman.

Listen to this:

"The concert was notable

for the unfailing beauty of tone."

See, I told you.

The other one was jealous.

Statistics show 80 percent

of jealous critics...

...are broken-down,

disappointed musicians anyway.

- Customers. I must show them the papers.

- Here.

No, no. This one is prejudiced.

It's nice of the Wrights

to show such an interest in you.

It's the fiddle, Mom.

They like the way I play the violin.

I hate to take up your time

like this, Mrs. Wright.

- I appreciate it.

- Nonsense. It wasn't my idea.

Bauer thought of it. I have the reputation

for good clothes, food and wine.

Bauer said something conservative.

Yeah, conservative and dark.

The curse of classics. They demand

respectability. Not that. Take the serge.

- Mrs. Wright knows value.

- You mean that?

Yes. A suit mustn't have bones

like ribs in an umbrella.

It's the drape that does it.

I wouldn't know. I just have time

to get dressed in the morning.

Mrs. Wright knows quality

when she sees it.

I like the stripe better.

You can be a very obstinate man.

I began young. I once had a very bitter

argument about a baseball bat or a violin.

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