Les Girls

Paper, sir? Paper, lady? Paper?

Paper, sir? Paper, governor?

Feature's a society scandal.

''Lady Wren to 'tell all' in libel defense.''

Paper, governor?

Darling, do stop going on and on.

[ln French] We'll have lunch at the club.

That terrible Angele.

hurry, Pierre, there's that terrible Sybil.

All clear now, darling.

One more, please. One more.

Could you autograph this copy, please?

My wife and l love it.

One more.

Silence. Silence in court.

-Are you ready to resume, Sir Percy?

-Perfectly, My Lord.

l was in the course of

my cross-examination of Lady Wren.

Thank you.

Now, Lady Wren, you have acknowledged

authorship of this biography...

entitled Les Girls.

l have.

This is your first venture into literature?

how kind of you to call it literature,

Sir Percy.

l'd only aspired to write

a few amusing anecdotes.

When you wrote that the plaintiff,

Angele Ducros, attempted suicide...

for the love of a man who rejected her,

was that little anecdote...

intended to amuse?

lt seemed to me to be readable.

And it was true.

lf that's what you're getting at.

Do not concern yourself with what

l'm getting at. Just answer my questions.

You are aware, Lady Wren,

are you not, that if certain statements...

made in your book

are false or misleading...

then Madam Ducros has been

most cruelly libeled...

for which she can justly claim damages.

The story of my life

in the theater may read like fiction...

but everything l've written in that book

happened exactly as l remembered it.

That is not for us,

but for the jury to decide.

Wasn't that last observation a comment

rather than a question, Sir Percy?

lf Your Lordship so wishes.

Now, in Chapter Seven,

which you've entitled ''All For Love''...

you suggest that Madam Ducros not only

attempted suicide for the love of a man...

but for a man who was not then,

and is not now, her husband.

Do you swear under oath that

that is to be the truth?

l'm not a flighty woman who deliberately

fabricates something...

to injure the reputation of Madam Ducros.

had l realized she was going to materialize

out of the past, claiming damages...

l might have omitted the chapter.

But it did happen.

l must defend my statement.

She did attempt suicide.

-ln Chapter Seven, which you've entitled--

-''All For Love.''

Thank you.

The opening sentence reads:

''Our valiant little musical act

had decided to conquer Paris.''

-''lt was spring.''

-Yes, it was spring.

Spring is a chronological truth,

it happens once every year.

l can remember what l wrote.

We were in Paris, that was true.

We were playing

at the Music hall Parisien...

in an act called

Barry Nichols and Les Girls.

SYBlL:
lt happened some years ago.

lt was our first engagement in Paris

and l can recall the excitement we felt...

at being in this gay city

in the world of the theater.

Everything to us about Paris was exciting.

The smells, the sounds,

the taxi noises, everything.

l was sharing a little flat...

with an American dancer

called Joy henderson.

hey, Sybil!

There's a message from Barry,

he wants us at the theater right away.

-What for?

-Gee, l don't know.

Come on down, l'll wait for you.

Madame, would you hold on

to these things for me, please?

-Oh, but yes.

-Thanks.

[Playing lively piano music]

MAN:
[ln French] Georgette, hurry up.

Be quick.

Please dance, miss.

-l'm replacing Mimi.

-What for?

-Sit down.

-But why?

l don't like complications.

She's been carrying on

with that Romanian necktie salesman.

[ln French] Thank you. They'll call you.

What do you mean by ''carrying on''?

he's going to give her a ring.

Oh, so you knew it all the time.

You didn't tell me.

That's what l call loyalty.

Mr. Manescu wants to marry Mimi.

She wants a home, it's not a felony.

You want a home, you go to

a real estate agent. You don't come to me.

-Please--

-l don't ask for gratitude.

But when l hired Mimi,

she crossed the stage like...

her rear end was

made out of old venetian glass.

have you any idea how much time...

l put in day and night

teaching her how to dance?

-Especially nights.

-lf l need jokes, l'll hire a comedian.

[ln French] Come on, come on,

what's holding us up?

lt's your turn, miss.

What do you do? Do you sing, dance?

l am Angele.

Well, go right ahead.

[Singing in French]

[ln French] That's enough.

But l didn't finish it yet.

lt was bad because l was nervous.

Can l take it from the beginning again?

Come here, please, dear, come here.

Please, it's all right.

-l know it was bad, but--

-Are you good at picking up routines?

-l think, very good.

-Good. Show me some chaines.

Come here, kids.

[ln French] -Oh, these heels. They hurt me.

-Take off your shoes. l understand.

Yes, that's fine. Would you try for me

the glissade assemble?

slowly, with a smile.

Yes, very good.

Why do you want this job with me,

an American act?

l've seen you dance.

Then you know what the act is.

-Come here, kids. You free to travel?

-Yes.

Get in the middle, tall one.

Let's see. Nope. Take it the other way.

And back again.

We're gonna travel around Europe.

l want someone who can stick with us.

-l can.

-You can?

-You married?

-No.

-Engaged?

-Oh, no.

[ln French] That's all, everybody.

That's all. That's all.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

That's all.

Well, you're now one of Les Girls.

Oh, merci!

-Oh la la--

-This is Sybil and this is Joy.

-hello.

-how are you?

We got to work fast. Let's grab

some lunch and come back and rehearse.

l was looking for a place to live

because l was on tour.

have you kids got room for Angele?

The flat isn't exactly elegant

but if Joy doesn't mind--

l never mind saving rent.

You're both dolls.

We got to grab some lunch.

Get back quickly.

1:
15 sharp.

-Come.

-You can change in there.

Girls, listen.

There's only one thing l have to insist on.

No complications.

But she's right.

l don't interfere with

my girls' private life...

but l don't let it

interfere with their work.

l have a few simple rules.

And l have to insist on them.

l call them my ''Three P's.''

The girls have to be prompt,

persistent and perfect.

Everyone's born with two legs.

Being a good dancer isn't good enough.

[humming]

[Knocking on door]

-She's here.

-Open the door.

l've got it. You made it.

hello. Welcome to Liberty hall.

Oui. ls there a place

where l can put my little things?

Of course there is.

Just push something aside.

-l have a few little luggage.

-Bring them in.

Remove those things over there.

[ln French] hurry up.

lf you please.

Oui, madame.

-Quite a load of clothes you have.

-My mama makes them.

how sweet.

Does your mama make perfume, too?

These? lt's a little weakness of mine.

l love to collect perfume.

-You may help yourselves if you wish.

-Where were you working before?

l was last in a ballet called Le Coquerico.

All about chickens.

-Did you lay an egg?

-l do not understand.

Joy means, ''did you get fired?''

Oh, no. l quit.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes