Stars Don't Die in Liverpool Page #3

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Come on, I'll show you out back.

You are joking!

Yeah. Amazing, huh?

- Yeah.

- This is incredible.

Right?

Wow.

I lived in a mansion once, right next door to Bogie and Betty.

- Did you?

- Yeah.

- Next door?

- Yeah. He was so good to me.

He gave me the best acting advice once.

He said, "Just keep it in the shadows, Gloria.

"Let the camera come to you."

Isn't that great?

You don't miss it, though?

- That life, the mansions, all that?

- No. Who needs 12 bathrooms?

Plus, I'm not good with a vacuum cleaner anyway.

Here it's just, you know, I grow my own tomatoes.

I look out at the ocean.

- And you're here.

- I know.

- I missed you.

- I missed you so much.

- I've got another view to show you.

- Oh, yeah?

Yeah.

I hope you'll find it just as desirable.

Now, this view is my favourite.

- Yeah, me, too.

- Yeah.

Oh!

That's funny.

Peter, you do know Gloria's descended from British royalty?

No!

Like "God save the Queen" royalty?

- Really?

- Oh!

Yes, her father's line descends from John of Gaunt,

the Duke of Lancaster.

The Shakespearean one.

"This royal throne of kings,

"this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty,

"this seat of Mars,

"this...

"This...

"This other..."

Eden.

Yes.

Well done, dear.

"...this other Eden,

"this

"demi-paradise..."

"...this blessed plot, this earth, this England."

Oh, bravo!

Bravo!

Oh, the Bard's always been close to my heart,

from the first time I played Ophelia.

Ooh!

Among many other roles, I should add, of course.

Yep, the Bard's the nuts, Mom.

Gloria should have played more Shakespeare, in my opinion.

- I agree.

- Lady Macbeth springs to mind.

I can't believe she's never played Juliet.

I mean, look at her.

Doesn't she just ooze tragic romance?

Hmm?

God, you must be so proud of your daughter.

Oh, it was always obvious she would be successful.

I just wish she'd tried a little bit harder.

I'm right here, by the way, Mom.

Yes, she was just as good as the, um,

well, the other blonde.

Oh... Um...

You know, the nice girl who had an affair with the President.

- Thanks, Ma.

- How old are you, by the way, Peter?

If you don't mind me asking.

- I'm 28. Yep.

- Oh.

Not that much younger than Tim, then.

Tim is your first son, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, Tim's dad was Nick Ray.

He directed Rebel Without a Cause.

- That's right, yeah.

- Hollywood big shot.

Yeah, I love James Dean.

God, he was so cool.

- Amazing, wasn't he?

- Yeah.

Kind of a strange set-up, though, don't you think, Peter?

Er, what do you mean?

Well, Gloria must have mentioned her fourth husband, Tony.

Who also happened to be Gloria's stepson.

It wasn't like Tony was a child or anything.

Not when you got married.

But what about when you first screwed him?

Hey, Mom, take this b*tch home before I take her f***ing head off!

Er...

Well...

- I suppose this is, er...

- Peter... Peter, do us a favour.

Don't marry Gloria, even if she begs.

It would be so embarrassing.

Again.

I'll go and check on her.

That sister of mine, she can be such a jerk.

Listen, I'm a good mother, Peter, OK?

You just ask any of my kids.

They'll tell you, I promise.

Is what she said true?

No. But everybody in this town has already made up their mind.

I'm just sick of the yapping.

You gotta think what you wanna think.

Look, Peter, I'm being honest with you.

Come here.

I think

that it doesn't matter what Joy says or thinks or your mum

or anyone else.

- Really?

- Not to me.

Thank you.

I'm so relieved.

Thank you.

It's beautiful, right?

I've never seen anything quite like it.

I've got something to tell you.

And I don't think I've told anyone before.

Yeah?

Only tell me if you wanna tell me.

Well,

in the past I've, er...

I've enjoyed boyfriends as well as girlfriends.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Hmm.

I've enjoyed girlfriends as well as boyfriends.

So, I guess that makes us even.

It's OK.

It's OK.

I just want to be honest with you.

You hear that?

You see those little fish? Oh, wow!

The grunions are running.

Oh, my God!

That only happens once in a while.

They swim up to the beach and go crazy for each other.

- Are they all right?

- Yeah, sure they are.

They're just making love.

They're in love, just like us, Peter.

They're in love, just like us, Peter.

They're in love, just like us, Peter.

They're in love, just like us, Peter.

Hello. Could I speak to a Dr Taylor, please?

Dr Taylor?

Yes, this is Peter Turner.

I'm a close friend of Gloria Grahame.

Well, I'd just like to know a bit more about her condition,

the gas she's been complaining of in her stomach.

The gas, yeah.

Well, I'm the closest she has to family in England right now.

Er, I mean, she's staying with me until she gets better, so...

I'm sorry, what?

Yeah, I'm still here, yeah.

- Are you awake?

- Mmm, no.

- I am.

- I can tell.

When Peter came along, I was 40 by then.

I thought my child-bearing hips had long gone.

God, you must have been one healthy mama, Bella.

So, you were shocked, right?

No, not by then.

No, nothing shocks me much anymore, love.

- Mm-hmm...

- Apart from, uh,

stopovers in bloody Manila.

- Oh. Hey, you gotta go.

- Oh, I don't know.

No, no, listen. You have got to.

A son always needs his mom,

no matter how old they get.

Billy needs you and, uh,

if you've got to stay over in Manila in order to see him, you gotta do it.

OK?

Oh, I need you, darling

I want to see you right now

Can you slip away?

Slip away

Slip away, yeah

I need apricot kernels and, uh, black grape juice.

Uh, yeah.

You should get something for yourself, too, honey. You look wiped.

Are you OK?

Uh, yeah, I'm fine, yeah.

- Ma, I'm just gonna take this down.

- Yeah.

What would I give

For just for a few moments

What would I give

Just to have you near

Tell me you will try

To slip away somehow

- Hey, Peter.

- Hey.

Yeah, your mom's been ironing me out.

She's so bloody beautiful.

Well, I was.

Don't be daft. Those movie-idol looks don't just wither away.

They're with you for life.

- Hey, Peter?

- Hmm?

Uh, could you go to the health-food store for me?

I need, uh...

- Hey.

- Hiya.

- You're all wet.

- Yeah, I know.

I know. I got caught in it.

It's still lashing it down, actually.

Oh.

Thank you.

Glo...

You know I've got a show tonight, don't you?

Oh, yeah.

Me mum's downstairs, though, if you need anything.

OK.

Oh...

Could you hand me my make-up?

Yeah.

- There you go.

- Thank you.

I spoke to the doctor.

The one who treated you in Lancaster.

He's told me what's wrong with you.

OK, well, I don't want any fuss.

- No, but we have to...

- No, I can get better, OK?

- What he said...

- No, I can get better.

I know I can. I... I can do it.

OK?

- What about your family?

- They don't need to know.

- They should know.

- No, they would be scared.

Right?

You are all I need.

You and...

Bella and Pops and Joe.

You're all I need.

But we don't really know what to do for you.

You know? You should go to a hospital

- where they can treat you...

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