In a Lonely Place

Dix Steele! How are you?

- Don't you remember me?

- No, I'm sorry. I can't say that I do.

You wrote the last picture I did

at Columbia.

I never see pictures I write.

You. Stop bothering my wife!

You shouldn't have done it. No matter

how much money that pig's got.

- Pull over!

- What's wrong with right here?

- Evening, Mr. Steele.

- Hi, Dave.

- I'll put her right up front.

- Okay.

- Can I have your autograph?

- Who am I?

- I don't know.

- Don't bother, he's nobody.

She's right.

Dix! We'd about given you up.

- Hi, Mel.

- Where've you been?

- Come on. Buy us a drink.

- He's somebody.

Lloyd Barnes, big director. Made all

his money before the income tax.

- We've been calling for three days.

- You know me...

...if I don't answer the third ring,

I'm not home.

- Hello, Dix. Lloyd.

- Hi, Max.

Honey, let me have that book I left

here for Mr. Steele.

I'm almost finished.

Say " I like it, " and you go on

salary tomorrow.

Then I like it.

I think it'll make a dreamy picture.

An epic.

- What do you call an epic?

- A picture that's real long...

- ...and has lots of things going on.

- Could we have some matches?

Here you are. Mr. Steele, could I keep

the book till you come out?

I only have a few pages to go.

- Sure, take your time.

- Thanks.

- Good evening, Mr. Steele.

- Evening.

- Remember, she's your audience.

- Say that again...

...l'll get another agent.

How are you, Charlie?

- Let's sit at the other end.

- What's wrong with right here?

- How are you, noble prince?

- Right well, thespian. Greg?

Gin and tonic.

What do you fellows want?

- A stinger.

- Glass of milk.

And a brandy for Mr. Waterman.

- Are you dining here or browsing?

- How's everything, Paul?

Just like show business,

there is no business. Ex cuse me.

- Who's producing this?

- Bert Brody. Lloyd's directing.

You've got to work. You've

been out of circulation too long.

I need money,

you need the 10 percent.

For me, you don't have to go to work.

I've got my apartment, car, ulcers.

- Gasoline doesn't cost much.

- I won't do something I don't like.

- Dix, how many times must I tell you--?

- lt's just another picture.

Can you really be choosy? You haven't

had a hit since before the war.

Everybody makes flops ex cept you.

You've remade the same picture...

...for 20 years.

You're a popcorn salesman.

That's right. So are you.

The difference is, I don't fight it.

- One day I'll write something good.

- Althea Bruce will do it.

- Althea Bruce--

- You just have to follow the book.

- Remind me to buy you a new tie.

- Hi, kiddies!

What a picture I made!

Just back from the preview.

- Pasadena's out of its mind about it.

- Hello, Junior.

- No one walked out!

- Don't you shake hands with an actor?

You call this an actor?

He hasn't remembered a line

for 10 years.

Made your father- in- law

a couple of million.

- Pop made a star out of a drunkard.

- That is a menace.

Movie idol of the Roaring '20s.

Look at him.

Gazing into his crystal ball!

You have set the son- in- law business

back 50 years.

- That's a dirty thing to-

- Stop! Hey, stop, Dix!

What's the matter with you?

Quiet down!

There goes Dix again.

- I'm leaving.

- Mel, take Charlie home, will you?

Come on.

Maybe I'd better stay.

No.

- You will read that book tonight?

- Yes, yes.

I'll drop by and wake you up in

the morning. Around 10.

Make it about 11 .

He had it coming, but next time will

you please do it in the parking lot?

- I'll have some ham and eggs.

- I shall select the eggs personally.

Sit here and take it easy.

Dix on Steele!

- Hello, Fran. How are you?

- Between pictures.

Last night I couldn't sleep.

So, what did I do?

- Called up a lot of people.

- Just you. Where were you?

- Home.

- Don't you like to talk anymore?

- Not to people who have my number.

- Why don't you come over?

- I've got to read a book.

- Remember how I used to read to you?

Since then, I've learned to read

by myself.

That's all. Do you look down on all

women or just the ones you know?

I was pretty nice to you.

No, not to me. But you were

pretty nice. I'll call you.

Thanks for letting me read it.

- What's your name?

- Mildred. Mildred Atkinson.

- Where do you live?

- ln Inglewood, with my aunt.

- You got a car?

- No, I usually catch the bus.

- I'll drive you home.

- Thank you, but I have a date.

- Well, break it.

- I can't.

Besides, it's my policy

never to go out with customers.

I didn't mean I was

going to take you out.

- I was going to take you home.

- I have a date.

My home.

Mr. Steele.

You can help me. I've gotta read

this book tonight and I'm tired.

- Maybe you could tell it to me.

- ls that what you had in mind?

You make me feel real important.

Just think. When I go to see

Alathea Bruce with Aunt Cora...

...I can say I told the story to the

screenwriter. Let me call my date.

Maybe I can still

catch him at home.

There's no sacrifice too great

for a chance at immortality.

Yes, sir.

My, what a pretty place!

Sort of hacienda- like.

Ex cuse me.

Neighbour of yours?

No, I never saw her before.

I'll be right with you.

Make yourself at home.

It must be wonderful to be a writer.

Thrilling.

- Make yourself a drink.

- I don't drink.

Before I worked at Paul's, I used to

think actors made up their own lines.

When they get to be big stars

they usually do.

What? Change your mind?

You asked me here to tell you

the story of Alathea Bruce.

Althea.

If that was just a pretence

to lure me--

- You want to go now?

- Well, no. Not unless--

I changed because I like to be

comfortable when I work.

Oh. Well.

I'll have a ginger ale with a twist of

lemon. That's known as a horse's neck.

- How do you want me to tell the story?

- Just how you'd tell your Aunt Cora.

Well, it's about this woman,

Alathea Bruce. She's very rich.

She owns this big mansion

on Long Island.

She's got sailboats and cars and jewels

and everything. And she's a widow.

Lucky Althea.

She's got many men in her life, and they

take her to lots of different clubs.

- But they don't send Alathea.

- Althea.

One day she looks out and sees

a new lifeguard outside her window...

...and it's very beautifully described.

He looks like a bronzed Apollo.

- I hope it's gonna be in Technicolor.

- I'll suggest that to the producer.

Alathea sends her butler to ask

the lifeguard to have breakfast.

But instead, they have whiskey sours.

It's a very risky scene.

- Did I tell you about her husband?

- You told me he was dead.

I mean about the way he died.

He fell out of a boat while sailing,

and there's an investigation going on.

Did she kill him?

That's kind of left open.

She falls in love with Channing...

...who's not really a lifeguard but is

studying to be a bachelorterologist.

You know, they look into the microbes.

She tells him she didn't do it.

- Who didn't do what?

- Kill Lester!

Lester's her husband, I presume?

- Are you sure you haven't read it?

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