Stars Don't Die in Liverpool Page #2

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- Uh-huh?

- What are you gonna see?

- Krapp's Last Tape by Beckett.

- Hope it's better than it sounds.

- It's a one-man play.

- Oh, I love those things.

- Why?

You get to say all the lines.

OK, well, pop by any time.

We can talk about the craft.

Swap notes and stuff.

And maybe we could, er...

- More disco?

- Sure, you bet.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

It was, er...

It was really lovely to meet you, Gloria.

And you, Peter.

See you around.

Is this like a date or more...

Well, I thought you could do with a break from rehearsals.

Oh, gosh, you're so kind.

You were sending me spare with all that "laa, poo, bah, mah" shite.

Oh, honesty! I like that in a fella.

- Are you OK?

- I'm all right, yeah.

Wow, blood and guts everywhere.

Isn't that something?

That was f***ing terrifying.

I could use a drink after that.

Er, pint of bitter for me, please.

- And you'll be having?

- I'll have the same.

- Two pints, please, mate.

- I'll be right with you.

Yeah, it's when the small aliens pop out

from between your legs that things get complicated.

Oh, yeah? How many times has that happened to you, then?

Oh, uh, only the four.

Four?

Yeah.

What, you didn't think I'd have any kids?

No, I just didn't expect you to have four.

You know. That's like, er, well...

One more than three.

Yeah.

- So, where are they now?

- Oh, I keep them safe.

With my four ex-husbands.

I am going to go powder my nose.

Oh, right. I, er...

Howdy.

Howdy.

That's, uh, 90 pence, mate.

Um, listen, I don't mean to pry, but, um, that's not Gloria, um...

Oh, what's-her-face.

...Grahame, is it?

She says she is, yeah.

I recognise that pout.

She was in loads of things, in the '50s.

- Proper film star she was.

- Apparently so, yeah.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Thanks.

Won an Oscar, too, if memory serves.

What?

What?

What, what?

You, that's what.

- You've gone all quiet on me.

- Oh.

No.

I'm just the strong, silent type, that's all.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah. Yeah.

You should be thinking, you know,

Robert Redford.

You know? Sundance Kid, that's what you should be thinking.

- OK, I'm thinking.

- Yeah?

Yeah, I like it. I like that thought.

- What's your play called?

- Rain.

What's it about?

Oh, you know, sex, sin, salvation.

Yeah, just another day in the Gloria Grahame office, honey.

Becoming a bit of a habit, this.

Yeah, I guess it has.

I like habits, especially bad ones.

Hey, I got a question for you.

How do you join the Royal Shakespeare Company?

Er...

Well, I'm sure you don't just fill out a form, you know.

I think you, er...

- I think you get invited to apply.

- And how do you get invited?

Um...

I don't know.

- No?

- I think it's through your agent.

I'll have my agent check.

Why do you... why do you ask?

Because I really wanna play Juliet for the RSC.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

- Juliet?

- Yeah.

You mean the nurse, don't you?

No, I... do you think I'm... I'm too old to play Juliet?

Well...

Wait, you just think I'm an old lady?

I...

I'm just too old for you, that's what you're saying.

No. No, I'm sorry, um, I shouldn't have...

No, no. No, well...

I'll tell you something.

You're wrong.

OK?

And I am going to go down to the theatre right now

and I am going to see one of their shows

and I am going to check out the competition.

Yeah. Hey, thanks.

Thanks a lot.

- I'm sorry.

- You know what?

At least I have a chance of joining the RS goddamn C

because at least I'm an actor who works.

I'm sorry. I really...

- I didn't mean to...

- Move!

- No. It's OK. Just move!

- I'm not even sure

- if the RSC even has a show tonight.

- They do have a show.

It's at the Aldwych Theatre.

It's The Merchant of Venice and it's...

Whoo! Whoo!

Whoo!

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thanks for coming back, Gloria.

- It was brilliant.

- Oh, thank you.

- Georgie!

- Darling.

- Mwah, mwah.

- Oh.

Superlatives are redundant.

- This is my good friend Peter.

- Hi.

- This is Georgie, who produced this gig.

- Hi.

There's an exquisite brasserie in Soho.

We can stay up, wait for the rave reviews.

Gloria, it's time for the photo shoot.

Oh, OK. Just give me a minute.

- Georgie, thank you.

- Darling.

- You were so beautiful.

- Oh, gosh.

- Congratulations, Miss Grahame.

- Thank you. Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- Thank you.

Georgie wants to f*** you.

Darling, everybody here wants to f*** me.

Gloria, you're great!

There's card men and crap-shooters

They congregate around the Metropole

Wearing flashy ties and collars

But where they get their dollars

They've all got an ace down in the hole

- How's she doing?

- Oh, she's all right.

She's still sleeping.

She looks in a bad way.

She has gas in her stomach.

Gas?

It's American for indigestion.

Well...

I don't know anything,

but I hope it's that, son.

I do hope so.

- I'll take this up.

- All right.

Dumped in the skip on Lark Lane.

That's probably for a reason.

Help us into the shed with it.

I'll treat you to a pint.

Your ma's here if Gloria wakes up.

She'll sort her out.

Come on, have a pint with your old fella.

Spitting feathers here.

Here you go.

Hold on!

Go on! There you go!

We saw all her films, you know, me and your ma.

- Big fans of Gloria we were.

- Yeah?

I knew you'd seen all her films.

I didn't know you were fans.

Well, we didn't know what to say when she turned up the first time.

We expected the sort of Gloria Grahame from Birkenhead or Penny Lane,

not that Gloria Grahame from the Woolton Picture Palace.

We never expected that Gloria Grahame in our kitchen,

necking a bacon butty, asking for tommy sauce.

Bit of a shock, huh?

- She were a bloke's actress, though.

- Mmm.

- That one with Bogart?

- Er, In A Lonely Place.

Gorgeous mouth.

You knew you'd get sore lips walking her home.

She needs to see a doctor.

Well, she won't. She won't.

And, er, she doesn't like 'em anyway.

Nobody likes them when they bring bad news but...

We'll care for her, though. It's just...

She needs her family if she's sick.

She needs to be with her own.

Operator?

Er, international, please.

United States, California.

And the number is 2-1-3-5-5-5...

Peter?

Peter!

Peter! Peter! Peter!

Peter! Peter!

White zone is for loading and unloading only.

Oh! Oh!

Well, baby...

Oh, my!

Look at that.

- Incredible, right?

- It's unbelievable.

God, everything just feels so sunshiney!

It's like the air is just full of, um...

Yeah, Hollywood horseshit. I know.

On a winter's day...

I'm so glad.

I, I'd be safe and warm

If I was, if I was in LA

Mmm, yeah

California dreamin'

Dream on

Oye, mira, yo quiero gozar en California

Porque yo me siento tan bien

Y por eso yo te quiero porque tu me tratas...

I'm so excited for you to meet my mum and sister later.

Come on in.

- Wow!

- The east wing.

The west wing.

- This is great!

- The north, the south.

That pretty much covers it.

I'll get some wine.

It's great, isn't it? I love it.

- Oh, cheers, cheers.

- Cheers.

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