Sweet Bird of Youth Page #4

when I was speaking on the menace...

...to the chastity of womanhood,

a heckler almost caused a riot.

You know what he hollered?

"Hey, Boss Finley, how about your

daughter? How about her chastity?"

An honest question, Papa.

What was your honest answer?

That was my answer.

You have got an illusion of power,

Boss.

I have power, and that is no illusion.

You just won't realize

that I'm fighting for my life.

I won't embarrass you any more, Papa.

- I'll go away. Tonight, if you like.

- You're going nowhere.

- You're marrying George Scudder.

- No, Papa, I'm not.

- We'll discuss it tomorrow.

- No.

- All right.

- Not tomorrow, not ever.

All right. Tomorrow night, you're coming

to the TV rally with me, missy.

You're gonna wear the white of a virgin.

You're gonna wear a smile on your face.

You're gonna face that crowd and

TV audience with pride and defiance.

- That's gonna stop all those ugly rumors.

- I won't do it.

Then you won't.

And I'm gonna remove Chance Wayne

from your life finally and for the last time.

Now, sugar, how do you want him

to leave St. Cloud?

In that fishtail Cadillac he come in,

or in the garbage scow...

...that dumps its filth in the gulf?

The choice is yours.

Sergeant, get my car out.

Did you have another attack, princess?

What was that strange noise?

- Oh, you mean the radio?

- Yes, it frightened me.

Well, some more oxygen?

No. No, I must look hideous in it.

No, honey. You just...

You just look exotic.

Yeah, like a princess from Mars,

or a big, magnified insect.

Oh, thank you very much.

- Well, maybe I ought to call a doctor?

- No. No, no doctors.

Get me my robe.

When something disturbs me,

I just get a little short-winded, that's all.

What is this place? A private hospital?

And you. What are you?

Are you one of those male nurses?

I take care of you,

but I'm not your nurse.

But you're employed by me, is that it?

For some purpose or other?

- Yep, you're footing the bills.

- I see.

- Do you, princess?

- Yes, I see.

I'm used to footing the bills. Hey.

Is your money there?

The jewels accounted for?

I'm looking for a pill.

May I have something

to wash it down with?

You're not going to give me water.

Hello?

Oh, yes, Mr. Hatcher.

I'm afraid I made a mistake,

Mr. Wayne.

Those rooms you're in,

they're reserved for the TV rally.

Well, I'm sorry too, Mr. Hatcher.

You see, Miss Alexandra Del Lago...

- Don't use my name.

...is sound asleep.

- But Miss Del Lago is in no con...

- Don't use my name.

Ask him how long he intends to stay.

- Well, that depends.

- Hang up.

Well, Mr. Hatcher, you wouldn't wanna

bear the responsibility...

...for what might happen

to Miss Del Lago if she is...

I said, hang up.

I wanna forget who I am.

Well, I only used your name to stop

them from evicting us.

Will you please shut up?

I'm trying to forget.

Forgetting.

What are you trying to forget, princess?

What're you trying to hide?

You're all out of focus.

Don't I have any glasses?

Where are my glasses?

Well, you had a little accident.

- Oh, what was that?

- You fell flat on your face with them on.

- Where'd you put them?

- Lf I was in that condition...

...I wouldn't know

where anything I had with me was.

Or anything I did.

By the way, did we do anything?

Mostly you've been

knocking yourself out...

...with one thing or another.

Did we spend the night together?

Oh, yes, ma'am.

But I did not molest you.

Well, should I thank you for that

or accuse you of cheating?

I like you. You are a nice monster.

Well, I was born a monster. And you?

One lens cracked.

I don't mind waking up in an intimate

situation with someone...

...but I do like to see who it is.

So I can make whatever adjustment

seems called for.

Well.

I may have done better...

...but God knows I have done worse.

Do you remember where we met?

Well, this much I do remember:

That I like bodies...

...to be silky-smooth, hard gold.

- Do you remember where we met?

- No.

- And the circumstances?

- No.

All I remember is us...

...driving through a town

called Tallahassee.

- And before that?

- That water. Is that the Pacific Ocean?

No, ma'am, that's the gulf.

What gulf?

The gulf of misunderstanding

between you and me.

- It's not that funny.

- Oh, yes, it is.

That's exactly what Bennie Taubman

said to me.

"Sweetie, sweetie," he said...

- No more gulfs between you and I.

- Bennie.

This comeback will be

the greatest success in history.

- Miss Del Lago.

- I'm worried, Bennie.

You leave the worrying to me.

Excuse us for a minute.

You've been a top star for 15 years.

You've got millions of fans.

Loyal, devoted.

Devoted to the way I used to be,

the way I used to look.

Bennie, I am scared.

- You? Never.

- Miss Del Lago!

You're a professional, an artist,

a personality.

Alexandra Del Lago is the sex symbol

of America.

- Say, Charlie, how about it?

- She's coming.

- Thank you.

- Playback.

Get me a little something, will you?

- God, no.

- What's the matter?

I remembered the thing

I wanted to forget.

The stupid, senseless end of my life,

that's all.

No wonder I didn't want

to remember. I was no fool.

- You want some oxygen?

- No.

Where is it? Where is the stuff?

Did you leave it in the car?

I want it now.

Those pills aren't any good.

It's right here.

Well, that is a brilliant place to put it.

Hotel maid sometimes do clean

under mattresses, you know.

Wouldn't that be pretty?

A year in one of those model prisons

for distinguished addicts.

This is pretty high-class pot.

Where'd you get it?

You beautiful, stupid young man.

That is not pot.

It's hashish. Moroccan, and the finest.

Pop star. It's insanity.

The legend of Alexandra Del Lago was...

Was youth.

I was right. I told him I was right.

Why...?

Why didn't I trust my instincts?

They've stood me in good stead

for many, many a year.

Where does one retire to?

There is no place to retire to

when you retire from the movies.

No place except oblivion.

One thing that'll help you

forget oblivion is...

This. It's this.

If I had just been old.

But, you see, I wasn't old.

I just wasn't young. Not young.

I just wasn't young anymore.

Nobody's young anymore.

Stars in retirement

sometimes give acting lessons.

They give beauty hints,

they write gossip columns.

Princess, just smoke.

Oh, yes.

Smoke.

And after this...

...the mercenary young lovers.

- Like me?

- Yes, like you.

Your comeback. I mean, what happened?

You just didn't have it anymore?

Oh, I had it. I had the will

and I had the talent to go with it.

But the camera.

The camera doesn't know how to lie.

The screen is a very clear mirror.

There is a thing, God help us,

called a close-up.

Camera number one in position.

Finish your candles, there, boys.

Playback.

The camera dollies in.

And you, your head, your face...

... are caught in the frame

with the lights blazing.

And all your terrible history

screams while you smile.

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