The Great Ziegfeld Page #10

Fine. Get this.

"Look for the Silver Lining. "

See what I mean?

That's what I want.

A story just as simple and sweet

as that tune.

Sing it, Jerry, will you?

Ziegfeld, these gentlemen

are pestering me...

...about money for scenery,

costumes and whatnot.

And I wanna tell you in their presence,

I have no interest in this show...

...and in no way am I concerned with it.

Our agreement is for Ziegfeld Follies

and nothing else.

You understand that, gentlemen?

Nothing else.

Mr. Ziegfeld, this is very unpleasant

at a rehearsal...

...but we insist on at least 50 percent

of our money before opening.

- We are selling a lot of tickets.

- Sampston, that's our best proposition.

- Mr. Ziegfeld, we're ready for the finale.

- All right, Benny.

Boys, what are you worried about?

Have I started anything I couldn't finish?

Don't my curtains always go up?

Why, if I owed you 100 times

the amount I do, you'd get it.

- Come to me tomorrow, I'll pay you.

- 50 percent, Mr. Ziegfeld.

A hundred percent if you want it.

Maybe I can give you an advance

on the Eddie Cantor show.

I'm doing a story with him too.

Eddie Cantor?

How are you gonna do it?

- I don't know.

- Finale.

Mr. Ziegfeld, Audrey Dane

is visiting backstage...

...and she brought a lot

of champagne with her.

- Well...

- Yes, sir?

Never mind.

- It looks very good, the show, huh?

- Yes, it's wonderful, really.

- I'll be back in a moment, darling.

- All right.

Hello.

I wanna see every one of you

in my office in the morning.

Get out.

Audrey, you know I've forbidden

drinking in the dressing rooms.

Oh, Flo, don't be mad at me.

I just asked the girls up

to have a drink.

It isn't their fault.

You see, it's my f...

Now, Audrey, please.

Please stand up now.

I can't. I wanna get down,

but I can't get down.

Lift me, Flo.

Audrey.

Oh, don't put me down.

Don't put me down.

Audrey, you've broken

your last promise to me.

Flo!

You should have at least

closed the door.

Wait!

Anna!

Anna, please don't misjudge me.

I couldn't help it.

She's drunk.

Do you always do that

when she's drunk?

The members of your company

must enjoy that very much.

Oh, Anna, don't say that.

Don't you understand, dear?

When one of my girls...

Poor Flo. You have so much trouble

with your girls, oui?

Anna!

Aren't you going to eat

your grapefruit, sir?

No, nothing, Sidney.

Well, we know now why she didn't

come home last night.

I'm sorry, sir.

- Did you send the flowers?

- The minute I learned the address.

- A dozen orchids as usual.

- Good.

Mr. Sampston called again, sir.

He says the bank positively refuses

to increase your loans.

- Thank you, Sidney.

- Yes, sir.

- Miss Dane, sir.

- Here?

Undoubtedly she's read the paper, sir.

Show her in, Sidney.

Well, Flo, congratulations.

- On what?

- I just saw the headline.

I don't think I'm to be congratulated,

Audrey.

Little Audrey is speaking

out of turn again.

- And I was a bad girl last night too.

- I don't think you should have come here.

So that's how you feel.

- Going to Atlantic City tonight?

- No.

- Isn't the show opening there tomorrow?

- No.

Broke again?

Yes, broke again.

- Please don't turn the elephant, Audrey.

- Afraid I'll spoil your luck?

So...

...nobody thinks enough of your new star

to loan you money.

I don't blame them.

Why didn't you star me in the show?

You, with all your promises.

"Audrey, if you'll just behave yourself,

I'll put your name on Broadway. "

"Audrey, if you'll only stop drinking,

I'll have great shows written for you. "

Why didn't you make me

a great star?

- I couldn't depend on you, as I could on...

- Yes!

Well, all right. Depend on her now.

Go on, star her.

Do anything you like with her.

I hate you!

I'm never gonna see you again.

I'm quitting you and your show.

I hope you don't get the money to open it.

And if you do, I hope it's a flop!

That's how I feel about you!

And this is how I feel

about your elephant!

- Sidney?

- Yes, sir?

Take a wire to Mr. Billings.

Will that be all, Mr. Billings?

Yes, that'll be all, thank you.

- Miss Jones, take care of that right away.

- Yes, sir.

I got another telegram from Ziegfeld. He

can't open his show unless we help him.

We won't help him.

I told him so yesterday.

I'm not interested,

and I won't loan him 5 cents.

- Send him a wire...

- I just did.

- Did what?

- Wired him the money.

Isn't that Mr. Ziegfeld?

Say, Flo, why don't you go

put on the costume...

...and get into the spirit of the dance.

- I'm tired, Gene.

Come on, Flo.

Don't lose interest in everything.

No, I'm going home.

Good night.

- Let me have that megaphone, honey.

- Yes, sir.

- Willie.

- Flo, you're not leaving.

- Yes, I am.

- We're starting a Paul Jones inside...

...and I promise whenever you get

a pretty girl, I'll blow the whistle.

Not tonight, Willie.

Say, who is that girl

with the gorgeous red hair?

Why, that's Billie Burke.

Thanks, Willie.

- Good evening, Jack.

- How do you do? Come on.

Willie.

- Yes, Flo?

- I'm staying for the Paul Jones.

Whenever you see me with Miss Burke,

blow the whistle.

Okay.

Take your places for the Paul Jones,

everybody.

The Paul Jones!

- Well, do you think we ought to? L...

- Oh, yes. I love the Paul Jones.

- Perhaps we could both go the same way.

- No, we can't do that!

Oh, Well, I...

Miss Burke.

Mister...?

It doesn't matter.

Oh, no, I'm supposed to...

I've got to... We're not...

- Oh, no, this is our dance.

- Oh, is it?

- Miss Burke.

- We meet again, Mister...?

It still doesn't matter.

Won't you tell me?

- Tell you what?

- Your name.

- Why don't you ask Mr. Billings.

- I will, if I can find him.

But you seem to stand in

with the whistle.

Oh, yes, when I was a little boy,

I used to love to whistle...

...and a whistle never forgets.

- Aren't you getting bored?

- No. Are you?

- I'm afraid not.

- Tired?

- Are you?

- No, but I'd much rather just talk.

- Would you mind?

- No.

Don't you love the lights of New York?

For me, they're more beautiful

than any landscape.

- More beautiful than the mountains?

- Yes, I think so.

- Are you too cold out here?

- No, indeed. I'm enjoying it.

That is, I...

I mean, the electric signs fascinate me.

"Wrigley's Chewing Gum, Fleischmann's

Yeast, Ziegfeld's Follies."

- Do you know Ziegfeld?

- No, I don't want to.

- I understand he's a horrible person.

- Horrible?

Yes, they say he's a terrible lady's man.

Well, I suppose that's forgivable.

He's surrounded by so many

beautiful women.

Yes, yes.

Strange you've never met him.

I don't want to. I love his shows.

They're beautiful and in such good taste.

It would disappoint me to meet him...

...and find him to be a fat, pudgy man

with a big stomach.

He's not fat

and not really so pudgy.

- No? You know him?

- Oh, yes.

Yes. He would like you.

- How do you know?

- Didn't you just say he had good taste?

Well, you're sort of a lady's man yourself,

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