Les Girls Page #2

Nobody could see me behind

all those feathers.

lt's important to be seen

if you want to get ahead.

You will. We saw you dance.

You are very kind.

-Not everyone has been kind to me.

-So l notice.

-That's old.

-Yes, but this isn't old.

That's my fiance, Pierre Ducros.

Fiance! You told Barry

you weren't engaged.

They'll never meet.

Pierre lives in La Porte.

What if he came to Paris

and to the theater?

Never. Pierre thinks

l'm studying to be a nurse.

he's so sweet. he gave me this watch.

lt cost his grandfather 100,000 francs.

-You know why?

-Why?

Listen.

[Bell tinkling]

So sweet.

[Whistling]

Blimey, there's dear old Dad.

Girls!

-hurry it up, kids. You got half an hour.

-Right.

he lives here?

Yes. And if he finds out you're engaged,

you're a canned frog.

how will he find out?

Surely neither of you...

We are friends and

one doesn't betray a friend, no?

No. One does not betray a friend.

l want you to know when the bell rings

we'll be in your corner, honey.

-Bring the soup.

-l will.

Do you want some bread?

[Playing dramatic instrumental music]

[Singing Les Girls by Cole Porter]

[Audience applauding]

Wonderful!

All right, hurry, girls.

hurry, please.

You got one quick change, Angele, here.

Feel my heart,

you can almost hear it pounding.

-Does it chime the hour?

-Oh, Joy, really.

EMCEE:
[ln French] Be ready

for the final act.

Curtain in five minutes.

Do you think Mr. Barry

was pleased with me?

Yes, l think he was pleased.

You'll know when he's not.

ls he unhappy to be away from his wife?

he fell in love with himself

the first time he looked in a mirror.

-he's been faithful ever since.

-That's not fair.

What she really means is Barry's very

ambitious and the act always comes first.

You are in love with him maybe?

Are you kidding?

-he belongs to you, then.

-What a question.

-l like him.

-What about Pierre?

Pierre is in La Porte. And l'm in Paris.

-l mustn't allow myself to be despondent.

-vive la France.

We're gonna go to the flat

and have some cheese or something.

-Do you want to come with us?

-You buy your own food?

We don't grow it.

With Paris full of men

who are rich and hungry?

That's such a bore.

Besides, there's the old language barrier.

To say nothing of the moral barrier.

To me it's immoral for a beautiful girl

to eat alone.

Tonight, l rescue a poor banker

from loneliness.

Better wind Pierre's watch.

l think it's running down.

No, you don't understand.

Pierre loves me,

we might get married one day.

lf his parents consent.

But that's not tomorrow.

-And tonight is tonight.

-What you do is none of our affair.

lf you have a dinner date, keep it.

l hope you have a wonderful dinner.

-l intend to.

-Good.

Don't you ever knock

before you walk into a room?

What for? You got secrets?

l think we finally got it.

A real act. No complications.

You stick around,

you and l got to rehearse.

-Tonight?

-Sure. You don't know those routines.

But it's not possible. l have

an engagement tonight. With an uncle.

Make it tomorrow.

-But he leaves Paris tomorrow.

-And tonight is tonight.

-l've got a reputation at stake.

-So has she.

The poor girl's exhausted,

can't you rehearse her tomorrow?

My uncle, he would be very sad.

Your uncle ain't running the act.

On stage. 10 minutes.

All right. We'll take it once again

from where you pull the rope.

Did l do wrong?

honey, it was nothing.

There was no excitement.

l'm not a potato. l'm a man

you're supposed to be in love with.

l wish you were a potato. l'm hungry.

And tired. lt's been already two hours.

-Do you want this job?

-Yes.

Then we'll rehearse until you do it right.

Don't pull so hard on the rope.

The last time l almost went on my ear.

Okay. Start the music.

[Dramatic instrumental music]

-That's more like it.

-Now, may l go to eat?

Tell you what. l'm gonna break a rule.

l never mix business with anything else.

But, you've done so well,

l'll buy you some supper.

With wine?

The sky's the limit. A whole glassful.

SYBlL:
And so, Barry paid for her supper.

he even bought her wine.

Not a good wine.

But quite good enough for a beginning.

l wouldn't mention this to any of the girls.

Rehearsal at 11:
00.

SYBlL:
ln the weeks that followed, it might

have struck certain people as odd...

certainly not me,

that Angele needed so much rehearsal.

l decided to have a talk with her.

[humming]

Would you mind if l said something

very personal?

You tell me what it is

and l'll tell you if l mind.

l should hate to see you hurt.

-And who will hurt me?

-Are you seeing Barry?

Why?

You see...

some men take very casually

what you and l...

and possibly your friend from La Porte,

regard as rather serious.

You English.

When will you learn that love is a souffle,

not a pudding?

l didn't say that l'm meeting Barry.

Well, that got you nowhere.

-At least my conscience is clear.

-Your conscience?

Do not talk like the pudding.

Love is a souffle.

So sweet.

And if our little friend,

she eat too much...

believe me, she get very, very sick.

-Bonjour.

-Bonjour, Barry.

[ln French] have fun!

Come on.

That's our Barry. Strictly business.

No complications.

-Where do you suppose they're headed?

-To the woods, if you ask me.

But l've done my duty.

l think l'll write home to Gerald.

What a dear, sweet, patient darling he is.

l'd write home to my darling,

but he isn't quite so patient.

he's marrying my cousin.

[Knocking on door]

-We've paid the rent, haven't we?

-l'll get it.

Bonjour.

[ln French] Can you tell me

if Miss Angele lives here?

Yes, Miss Angele lives here.

She's not in.

-Do you expect her soon?

-She didn't say.

Say, you're Pierre What's-his-name,

aren't you?

-Yes, l am.

-Come in.

Come on.

[ln French] After you.

Thank you.

l arrived this morning to surprise Angele.

lt's too bad you didn't come

a minute earlier...

or you would have succeeded.

-Monsieur.

-Do you know where Angele has gone?

Yes, of course.

Every Sunday she...

does volunteer work.

-Well, that's good for her.

-Yes.

Do you know that

when l first met Angele she was very shy.

She was even afraid of men.

Now she has more courage.

-You don't mind--

-Would you like some wine?

Thank you. You don't mind if l stay here,

do you?

Not at all.

lt's been such a long time

since we have seen each other, you know.

-Would you like some wine?

-l never touch it.

You have known Angele long?

l never feel as if it's a question

of hours and days, do you?

-You are nurses?

-l beg your pardon.

l mean, do you work with Angele

at the hospital?

Oh, no.

No, we flunked out, couldn't tuck a sheet.

l'm sorry. But Angele, she goes ahead?

By leaps and bounds.

She has such a gift for applying herself.

Good.

l have come to Paris today.

Yes?

She may have told you.

We hope some day to get married.

No!

Oh, that sly little pussycat.

She has not shown you

the watch l gave her?

-She adores it.

-She even sleeps with it.

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