Phone Call from a Stranger Page #7

- No. It's- It's not that.

Well, the fact is,

I didn't come here about the divorce.

I knew nothing about that

until you mentioned it.

Nor did Mrs. Carr

when I spoke to her.

I don't believe she even

dreamed of such a thing.

Then what was it?

Well, as it turned out,

you seem to have been in some error.

- At least on one point.

- Which one was that?

Binky's professional talent.

- You ever hear her?

- No, I never did.

- You're lucky.

- Then I, uh, take it you haven't heard about the audition.

- Audition for who?

- Rodgers and Hammerstein, is it?

Binky auditioned for

Rodgers and Hammerstein?

For the Mary Martin part

in South Pacific.

Miss Martin's leaving

to go into the London production.

Ha! Well, that must have

been a beaut.

- They asked her to audition after seeing her in Let's Go.

- What'd they say?

Well, for a couple of days, nothing.

They had lots of others

to listen to, I imagine.

And so she just had to

sit and wait...

until last Thursday afternoon.

Hello.

Oh, why, yes.

This is Miss Binky Gay.

Rodgers and Hammerstein?

They do?

Both of them?

- You're a pretty lucky gal, really.

- Oh, don't I know it?

There isn't a dame in this place

who wouldn't give up...

half her alimony to be

in your shoes tonight.

Did you say there's going to be

some more cast changes?

Just a few.

Not everybody.

- What about Bloody Mary?

- We're going to get someone for her too.

- That's a nice part.

- Nice?

It's the kind of a part that comes along

once in a generation.

For an old doll, that's dream stuff.

Remember Sally Carr?

Sally Carr?

You bet your life I do.

Now there really was a trouper.

- When she played the Palace-

- Oh, what about her for Bloody Mary?

- Sally Carr?

- Why not?

But holy smoke, is she still alive?

Oh, very much so. And still belting

them out as good as ever.

Oh, Mr. Sawyer, in that part

she'd be real terrific. She really would.

- Where did you dig her?

- She's my mumsy- my mother-in-law, that is.

We've had our little differences...

but she's still a grand old gal

with a heart of gold.

And as Bloody Mary

she'd be sheer heaven.

Sally Carr as Bloody Mary.

- How can I get in touch with her?

- Oh, you needn't bother.

I'll, uh, phone a friend of mine out there tonight,

and he'll go talk to her about doing it.

But under the circumstances...

I have no intention of embarrassing you

with Mrs. Carr's suggestion.

I had no way of knowing

how inexcusably she'd treated you.

Or, believe me, I wouldn't have come out here

and wasted so much of your time.

- You're Mr. Carr, aren't you?

- Binky's husband.

- Uh-

- Yes?

Nothing.

Oh, uh, could I see you

outside for a moment?

Just what I was

about to suggest to you.

Good night, Miss Carr.

What was the idea?

The idea originally was to bring you

a piece of very tragic news.

This?

- I got it just a few minutes ago.

- I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Carr.

Thank you.

- When did you see her?

- I was on that plane.

Did you talk to her... much?

Quite a bit. We were

seated together.

Did she say anything- anything about

why she was coming back?

She, uh, hadn't received the divorce notice,

if that's what you mean.

- Are you sure?

- I'm positive.

As far as she knew,

she was coming home to you as ever.

Thank you very much for that.

As for that nonsense

to your mother, I-

- Skip it. Just don't be in town when she finds out.

- Thanks. I won't.

The reason I didn't

stop you myself-

I mean really stop you-

you were giving Binky

such a beautiful success...

the kind she always dreamed about,

never could have...

till you gave it to her.

- Good night, Mike.

- Good night, sir.

Get me Valley 48269, please.

Mrs. Hoke? You don't know me, but I was

a passenger on that plane with your husband.

- I'm calling on Mrs. Hoke.

- Oh, yes, sir. Will you come in?

Thank you.

You can go right in.

She's expecting you.

Thank you.

- Mr. Trask?

- Mrs. Hoke?

He showed you the picture, I see.

Yes. And it was greatly

admired, of course.

But he didn't tell you

how old it was.

- No.

- He never did, but you can see why.

- Sit there, will you?

- Thank you.

- It's very kind of you to do this.

- Not at all.

It was Eddie who was responsible,

as a matter of fact.

There were four of us who spent a good deal

of time together during the night.

The Four Musketeers, he called us.

The name seemed to establish

some kind of bond between us- still.

And are you going to see

the other families too?

- I have already.

- How grateful they must have been.

That I'm not so sure of.

Why not?

I came in on people whose lives were not

as uncomplicated as they might have been.

Oh, good heavens!

Whose is?

- I don't know.

- Is yours?

Of course not.

Nobody's is.

That's what Binky said.

One of the other Musketeers.

I'm sure that every single solitary person

we see every day of our lives...

is trying to find his way out of

one kind of problem or another.

- I suppose so.

- And in time, of course, they will.

- All of them?

- I imagine so, in time.

I wish I could agree with you.

You mean your own?

Forgive me.

This is hardly the moment to-

- Is it really so serious?

- To me, it couldn't be more so.

Only to you?

- What do you mean?

- Not to your family too?

Well, to my children, of course.

But not to your wife.

You can't be interested in my problems.

You know you can't.

Where is she now?

- At home.

- Back home, you mean.

That's it.

And does she want to stay there now?

She says she does.

- You doubt it?

- No.

But I don't know

that I care to be there with her.

Even though you're

still in love with her?

- Why do you assume that?

- You must, or there wouldn't be any problem.

Janey, my wife,

fell in love with another man.

After 12 years and two children,

that's what happened to our marriage.

And it happened

without my even suspecting it-

without my knowing anything about it at all-

until it was all over-

- and she told me.

- She told you herself?

That was a month ago.

And I tried. I tried very hard

to understand what had happened...

and to find some way

to accept a fact...

which I couldn't think of

without dying a little.

But it was no use.

I couldn't do it.

Have you ever thought of it

the other way around?

That's always the woman's argument.

And that's always the man's way

of dodging an answer to it.

It's different.

I wish it weren't, but it is.

Have you talked to her

since you went away?

- Once, on the phone.

- What did she say?

She cried.

But it's the memory of that mistake.

It's the memory of someone else

always between us.

And I don't believe

I'd ever be able to support it.

Few men can.

- I know.

- Only the strongest.

Many, many wives, of course,

but only a few very strong husbands.

Perhaps.

I'm sorry.

I had no right to say that.

Would you care for a drink?

No, I don't think so.

Thank you.

How did you like Eddie?

Quite well.

He was a lot of fun.

- Too many jokes, you mean.

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