The Actress Page #6

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don't make up

your mind against me.

Would you just please

give me a chance?

I got something

i can recite to you.

I'll do one comical

anone tragical.

Mama, you sit

over here by papa,

and, papa,

pull your chair up

so it will look

more like a theater.

Well, uh...

maybe i better

do it on the landing

so it will look

more like a stage.

Make... make me

a willow cabin at your gate

and call upon my soul

within the house.

Write loyal cantons

of contemned love

and sing them loud

even in the dead of night.

Halloo thy name

to the reverberate hills

and make the babbling

gossip of the air

cry out "olivia!"

Uh, hold on.

Hold on just

a minute, uh...

is this the comical one

or the tragical?

Well,

that was comical, p-papa,

but i guess it didn't

sound so.

Maybe i'll do a song.

da da da

dum dum dum

oh, bring along

the camera

fetch along the camera

do't have

any doubt about it

hurry...

hurry up the camera

got to have

the camera

can't do anything

without it

when i think,

when i talk

when i drink,

when i walk

if you want to catch it

all in total

you must be

on the spot

and of me

take a shot

for everything i do

is worth a photo

well, uh... uh...

you think

you could be heard?

Well, i can

do it louder.

oh, bring along the camera

fetch along

the camera

don't have

any doubt a...

you can be heard

all right,

but, uh...

do you think folks

would shell out

money to see it?

when i think,

when i talk

when...

i can learn it

if anybody will teach me!

Hazel dawn says

that mr. John craig

is a very

wonderful director...

hazel dawn? When did

all this take place?

Wednesday afternoon,

papa.

Well, what happened?

She said the best

thing to do

was to get a job

and begin acting.

That way, i could get

experience right away.

This was before she

talked to her friend

mr. John craig,

of course.

She said if i went

to new york to do it,

i should stay

at a place there

called

the three arts club.

It's like

the ymca.

Yw, mama.

Oh, ruth,

how could you

go out nights to

castle square?

Why, girls go out

of their front doors

and disappear

somewheres

every day

of the week.

I'll be careful, mama.

People offering them

poisoned candy

and saying they'll

show them how

to find their way.

Don't ever

inquire how

to get somewheres

from anyone but

a policeman, ruth.

It isn't only men

you have to

worry about.

Women are

worse than men.

Girls can disappear,

never be seen again,

and end up ashamed

all their life

in rio

where papa's been.

"Where papa's been. "

I ain't worried

about that, ann.

Ruth ain't gonna be

hauled off for no concubine.

Mama, i guess i can

look after myself.

The other day when

that man pinched me,

what did i do?

What man?

In boston,

a man on tremont street.

What man

on tremont street?

I'll kick him from

here to gibraltar!

Never mind, clinton.

He's gone now.

Have a glass

of root beer.

You know,

as a physical instructor,

you'd lead

a normal life.

As a actress, you know,

you're going to be

heading out

on a pretty

rough voyage.

Dear, no one has

the problems we do.

Why, mr. Craig

might want you

to commence acting

right away.

Well, i will, then.

You mean not finish

your schooling?

Have some root beer.

But, papa,

every minute counts.

Maude adams started

when she was only

6 weeks old,

and here am i

going on 17.

Education is something you

can't afford not to have.

You have it.

I got my education

practically.

There's only

a few months more.

But then you'd

graduate!

So, what's that?

They give you

an old diploma.

I'll have it myself.

What's that,

for heaven's sakes?

Nobody cares whether

ethel barrymore

or booth or lotta

got an old diploma.

Now, you listen to me,

and i'm not going

to argue with you.

I'm laying down the law.

You finish your schooling.

It ain't as if schooling

was something you could leave

and then go back to.

You can't do that.

I found that out.

I left at sea

when i was 18 years old,

went up to elmira and got

a room in the rathwell house,

spent the whole winter trying

to pick up some learning.

I was a ship's mate.

I had made

several voyages,

twice around the world.

Do you know where they put me

in school in elmira?

In the fourth grade.

Papa, education meant

something to you.

I got all i need.

I can't pick and

choose my chance.

Whatever mr. John craig

says do, then i got to.

Your chance

will come later

when you're better

equipped for it.

Now, you get word

to john craig

you're not available

for any offers.

Now get the cat out

and batten down the hatches

and go to bed.

Papa, i never stood up

to you before,

but this time

i have to!

You can hit me

or anything!

I got a right

to my opportunity!

I'm affording you the

luxury of a education.

Don't treat that

luxury too lightly.

You know i could

send you down

to houghton

and dutton's tomorrow

and make you go to work

behind the counter.

Instead of that, i'm

choosing to educate you.

Your mother and i are

choosing to do without

so you can have

an education.

Now, you respect our

efforts a little bit

and hold up your end

of the obligation.

But, papa,

you don't underst...

Oh, papa!

Hurry up, punk.

Oh, mama!

Now, just don't

start raging around.

Just be grateful he

didn't put his foot down

on your being

an actress at all.

Why, what's this?

Oh, some old candy.

Oh, mama!

From fred?

Yes.

Oh, ruth, why

couldn't you forget

all about this

being an actress

and settle down

with some good man?

Oh, please,

don't be disgusting!

Oh, dear, you had to go

and be so different.

Oh, mama, when 2:30 comes

tomorrow afternoon,

i'll never

live through it!

Oh, yes, you will.

Douse the glim.

Don't be chewing

the rag all night.

Electric light

costs money.

I'll go raving mad,

mama.

If i knew

one single man

that wanted a mistress,

i'd go in boston

and be kept!

Oh, dear.

I suppose it's

no use asking you

because you know all

about everything,

but for

the last time

before i turn

out this light,

would you, just

for all our sakes,

please consider

being normal?

I won't even

answer it, clinton,

and i'll have the

telephone company

come take it out

first thing

tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow's sunday.

Well, monday, then.

So please don't be

depressed anymore.

Is it that

you're still upset

about ruth

last night?

Where is she?

Up to

katherine follett's.

Clinton.

Hmm.

Don't feel bad

by yourself.

Word went around

the shipping room yesterday

dan weymouth is leaving.

Word is, dan's

going to retire.

You mean he's quitting

and he wants to?

Who knows?

But if they're making him

retire and take a pension,

then the question is,

where is the ax

going to fall next?

Oh, clinton.

If i was just sure

that dan was retiring

of his own accord

and his own free will,

then it would be

all right...

all right for dan,

that is.

But suppose they should

ask me to do the same thing?

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