Love and Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day' Page #2

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...and I prefer to keep distractions

to a minimum.

Would you call flowers

a distraction, then?

I appreciate your kindness.

I prefer to keep things as they are.

But since you are here, there is a

small matter I wanted to mention.

I happened to be walking past

the kitchen yesterday morning...

...and I heard you call

to someone named William.

May I ask who you were

addressing by that name?

I should think I was

addressing your father.

There are no other Williams

in this house.

True.

May I ask you in future to address

my father as Mr. Stevens?

If speaking of him

to a third party, you may call him...

...Mr. Stevens Sr.

to distinguish him from myself.

So I would be most grateful to you,

Miss Kenton.

I don't quite understand

what you're getting at.

I am the housekeeper in this house,

and your father is the under-butler.

I am accustomed to addressing under-

servants by their Christian names.

If you would stop to think for a moment,

you'd realize...

...how inappropriate it is for one such

as yourself to address as William...

...someone such as my father.

It must have been very galling for

your father to be called William...

...by one such as myself.

My father is a person from whom...

...if you'd observe him more,

you may learn things.

I'm grateful for your advice,

but do tell me...

...what things might I learn from him?

I might point out that you're...

...often unsure of what goes where

and which item is which.

I'm sure Mr. Stevens Sr.

is very good at his job...

...but I can assure you

that I'm very good at mine.

- Of course.

- Thank you.

If you will please excuse me.

Oh, well.

My compliments to cook.

What a lovely piece of crackling.

I'm sure you said something witty.

Share it with the rest of us.

I said the sprouts is done the way

I like them. Crisp-like, not mushy.

Sprouts "are" done, not "is" done.

Isn't that right, George?

Yes, Mr. Stevens.

Forgive the correction,

as I would have done...

...at your age for the sake

of my education.

I'm sure even you have ambitions

to rise in your profession.

Oh, yes. I want to be

a butler, to be called Mister...

...sit in my own pantry by my own fire,

smoking my cigar.

I wonder if you realize what it takes

to be a great butler?

Takes dignity, that's what it takes.

Thank you, Mr. Stevens.

Dignity, that's right. Dignity.

The definition from our quarterly

"The Gentlemen's Gentleman":

A great butler must be possessed

of dignity...

In keeping with his position.

There was this English butler

in India.

One day, he goes in the dining room

and what's under the table?

A tiger.

Not turning a hair,

he goes to the drawing room.

"Excuse me, my lord," and whispering,

so as not to upset the ladies:

"I'm sorry. There appears to

be a tiger in the dining room.

Perhaps His Lordship will permit

use of the twelve-bores?"

They go on drinking their tea.

And then, there's three gunshots.

They don't think nothing of it.

In India, they're used to anything.

When the butler is back

to refresh the teapots...

...he says, cool as a cucumber:

"Dinner will be served

at the usual time, my lord.

And I am pleased to say there will

be no discernible traces left...

...of the recent occurrence

by that time."

I'll repeat it. "There will be

no discernible traces left...

...of the recent occurrence

by that time."

- Wonderful, Mr. Stevens.

- Thank you, Mr. Stevens.

Wonderful story. That's the ideal

that we should all aim for. Dignity.

For you, Mr. Stevens.

Thank you.

It's for Mr. Stevens Sr.,

Mr. Stevens.

Thank you, Miss Kenton.

Put Mr. Stevens Sr. 's plate

with cook to keep it warm.

Yes, Miss Kenton.

Thank you.

Not at all, Mr. Stevens.

If you're searching for your dustpan,

it is out on the landing.

My dustpan?

You've left it on the landing.

- I haven't used a dustpan.

- Really? It must be somebody else.

- I don't follow you.

- My mistake, no doubt. One of many.

Morning, sir.

I've invited Giscard Dupont D'Ivry

as the French delegate.

He'll never come!

I just had word of his acceptance.

Dupont is fanatically anti-German.

His speech in Geneva in '33...

...made me ashamed to be

an ally of the French.

It's not the English way.

No, it is not.

This is the purpose of our conference,

to discuss these matters informally...

...far from the to-do

of an international conference...

...in the friendly and relaxed...

...atmosphere of one's home.

We may bring round the French

to our point of view.

And that of the Germans.

I'm sorry to interrupt, but how can we

associate with the Germans?

With the Nazi Party! They have torn

up and trampled every treaty...

...and are a growing threat to Europe,

not to mention a brutal dictatorship.

My dear boy, when I was in Berlin,

I saw at last a happy German people...

...with jobs, bread, pride in their

country and love of their leader.

And what about the Jews?

Did His Lordship wish to exchange

the Chinaman in the cabinet room...

...with the one outside the door?

- Chinaman?

- Yes.

The Chinaman from the cabinet room is

outside this door. See for yourself.

I'm busy at the moment.

Just pop your head outside this door

and see for yourself.

- I'll look into the matter later.

- You think it's a fantasy?

A fantasy on my part

due to my inexperience?

I'm busy in this room, Miss Kenton.

I shall wait.

Outside.

Look!

- Is that not the wrong Chinaman?

- I am very busy.

Have you nothing better to do

than stand around?

Look at it and tell me the truth.

Keep your voice down.

What would the other servants think...

...of us shouting about a Chinaman?

And I would ask you...

...to turn around

and look at the Chinaman.

It is a small mistake.

Your father is entrusted with more

than he can cope with.

Let me pass.

Your father left the dustpan

on the floor.

He left polish on the cutlery

and confused the Chinaman.

Recognize this before he commits

a major error!

- You can't talk to me like this.

- I'm afraid I must.

I'm giving you serious advice.

Your father should be relieved of a

number of his duties for his own good.

Whatever he once was, he no longer

has the same ability or strength.

I thank you for your advice.

Perhaps now I can go about

my business.

I never meant to keep you

from your business.

Thank you.

It's vital that we've agreed a common

policy before the arrival of...

...your Frenchman. What's his name?

- Giscard Dupont D'Ivry.

We also expect the

American delegate...

...Congressman Lewis,

to arrive on the same day.

Who is he, this American?

He's an unknown quantity. A young

congressman from Pennsylvania.

Sits on some sort of powerful

Foreign Affairs Committee.

Heir to one of those

American fortunes.

- Meatpacking?

- Trolley cars?

Or dry goods?

What are dry goods?

Something that Americans make

a lot of money in.

No, I think Mr. Lewis' fortune

comes from cosmetics, actually.

It's old Mr. Stevens!

Get a cushion, quickly.

A blanket!

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