Life

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1

And now, if you dig that

new country blues sound

that's got everyone talking,

don't touch that dial,

'cause here at KFVD Los Angeles,

we've got Lightnin' Hopkins...

with "I'm Wild About You Baby".

Yeah, she made me mad

You don't know, baby,

what I got on my mind

You can't quit me,

there's no need to try

I'm wild about you

I'm wild about you, baby

I'm wild about you, baby

As wild as I can be

Whoo! Been a long time

Whoo-ooh

Good evening.

Uh, Dennis Stock

for Nicholas Ray's party.

Excuse me sir.

Uh, Mr. Ray?

Huh?

Dennis Stock.

I, uh, I...

I took some, uh,

publicity photos

for you on "Johnny Guitar".

Yeah, Dennis!

Great. Great.

I remember.

So, uh, you on to the next one?

Yeah...

Pretty much casting

"Rebel Without a Cause".

Uh, I'd love to show you the photos

sometime. They turned out pretty great, so...

Um, this is Natalie.

She's my "Rebel" lady.

Yeah.

Uh, nice to meet you.

You having fun?

Sure.

Come on, honey.

Nice to see you again.

- Enjoy it.

- Thanks.

Hello.

Hey.

Hey! Why have you

been dodging my calls?

- Take our photo!

- Excuse me?

Oh, you're the guy

from "Photo Play", right?

Huh... Uh,

"National Geographic", actually.

"Photo Play". Yeah.

Good luck with that.

And er... "The trouble ain't that

there's too many fools,

but that the lightning

ain't distributed right."

Exactly.

That was Mark Twain.

Who do you work for?

I'm kind of a self-assigned

assignment photographer.

Alright.

That's what you all say.

I create my own assignments

for "Life", "Look",

"Ladies' Home Journal"...

I'm guessing that you're

one of Nick Ray's actors?

Or want to be?

You play the Conga?

Uh, no.

Mm.

I'm Jimmy.

Uh, Dennis.

Hey, Jimmy!

Oh, hey, Nick.

I got some people

I want to introduce you to.

Yeah, alright.

Alright, yeah.

I, uh, I got a little part

in the new Kazan film.

There's a preview at the Electra

tomorrow morning at 11:00,

if you wanna come.

Yeah, sure.

We could meet at Googies after.

Jimmy!

- Come on!

- Yeah, I'm comin'.

I-I-I'm comin'.

You won't get the role

hanging out there.

I'm more like you.

Who is that guy?

How's Adam?

How's your father?

I don't wanna talk about him.

- Oh, you don't, huh?

- No.

Hey, Jim.

God damn, you didn't tell me

you're the star of it

Oh, I don't know about that.

Hey, uh... we should, we should

definitely take some photos.

It was a bit overdone, no?

Not too melodramatic for you?

No! Um ...no it's great.

I mean, maybe throwing the money

to your dad was a bit...

Yeah, I know what you mean.

Believe me, I was there.

But they weren't fake

tears in the end.

No, I'm just kidding.

You're good.

It's Hollywood.

You're doing something else.

It's... it's

not Hollywood.

Scrambled eggs for table 7!

Wow, they let you on set,

you must be well-behaved.

I mean I... I'd rather be doing

my own assignments.

I am one of those

red carpet gorillas.

Yeah, so, what are you ...what are you

going to do with all this talent?

I think I'll just

keep ignoring it.

It's worked so far.

Are you married?

No! No.

My... my ex-wife's in New York.

You got a steady girl?

Nah . No, I'm...

I mean, not one...

Yeah.

You?

What, don't you

read the gossips?

Pier Angeli is currently

making my life a misery.

You got much of a family?

Nah, I just got crazy mom

out in Long Island.

You?

I grew up on a farm in Indiana.

With my aunt and uncle.

So you wanna take some photos?

Oh, I don't know. I'm mean,

I'm planning on going back to New York.

I can come to New York.

Get "Life" to pay.

You wanna go for

a ride on my 'cycle?

Uh...

not really.

Jesus!

Hi, Jimmy.

Hey, Pier.

That's Dennis.

- Hi.

- Uh, he doesn't like my driving.

Do you mind if I

use your bathroom?

Sure. Let me show you.

And he's a photographer.

OK.

Oh, look...

That's who he works for.

For "Life"?

That's big.

Everything alright?

Didn't we meet when you

photographed Paul Newman?

Uh, yeah, we... we took

some photos on set last year.

And who do you

think will be bigger?

I mean, Jimmy or Paul?

Well, definitely Jimmy.

- Have you seen his film?

- Uh, yeah.

Yeah, it's...

it's very good.

It is.

When your film comes out,

then your life will become horrible.

Now what are you going to do about a

girl who says a thing like that, huh?

Maybe she knows

a little more than you do.

- Always your life is horrible.

- It's a nightmare!

Yeah, maybe that's just because

your English is lousy

and you never understand

what's going on.

- Shut up or I'll kill you!

- I kill you back!

Jimmy, Jimmy!

Elope and marry me.

What?

Marry me.

This is a proposal in America?

Yeah, why not, huh?

Dennis can be the wedding photographer.

How does that sound Dennis?

Yeah, that's my aim in life.

I got to tell

a compelling story,

alongside an exemplary cast.

I've been asked to mention

the new boy, James Dean,

whose unconventional approach

some may appreciate.

I got to work with Elia Kazan,

a wonderful director.

Ever since I saw

"A Streetcar Named Desire"...

I thought here is a man...

a genius I simply

must work with.

Here's a man

who interprets

Tennessee Williams,

- John Steinbeck...

- I am so sorry.

Mr. Massey will only be five

more minutes, and then it's you.

...a great literature, even.

For example, you know,

" On the Waterfront",

Kazan delved into our,

our urban soul,

and I like to think of

" East of Eden"

as a kind of companion piece,

only, of course, this time it's...

"Magnum", New York.

John Morris.

Hey, John, it's Dennis.

My favourite menace.

Listen, you know Kazan's got

his new movie coming out?

- Kazan...

- Yeah, Elia Kazan. "On the Waterfront".

Oh yeah . Kazan.

I-I never saw it.

Yeah, well, there's this kid

in it, he's interesting.

In "Waterfront"?

No, in, uh, in the new movie.

It's, uh...

from a Steinbeck book.

The kid's name is James Dean.

You heard of him?

Dennis, I am very busy.

What's he been in?

I mean, nothing yet.

But, uh...

I think he might be

starting something special

and I want to get in early,

do a photo-essay on him.

A photo-essay on

an unknown actor.

The way he looks,

the way he acts...

He won't be unknown for long.

You lose me here, Dennis.

Sell it like he's the symbol of the new

movement or something.

A movement? Like, what,

like a political movement?

John, I've been busting my gut doing

red carpets and set stills,

and I finally find what

might be a good story,

and I want to chase it! I want get

it on people's radar.

That's our job radar.

- Just leave that to us.

- Yeah, well, if leave it to you,

I'm going to be doing

this sh*t in ten years.

I've got to push

things along, John.

You're doing good stuff.

You're building your portfolio

one job at a time...

Yours is coming . It's coming.

Yeah, but you get these good jobs

for Elliot Erwood and Ernest Hass.

You know, Hass

had an exhibition.

I want to get an exhibition.

One day, you will have the body

of work for an exhibition.

This is my ticket out of here.

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