The Great Ziegfeld Page #11

aren't you?

I think with you as the lady,

I could make Ziegfeld look like an amateur.

- You haven't told me your name yet.

- Lf you don't mind, Mr. Ziegfeld...

...Miss Burke, with the permission

of her producer...

...came here with me tonight.

And if you've no objection,

I'd like to have one dance.

Mr. Ziegfeld? Well, you were right.

He isn't pudgy.

- Shall we go in?

- Yes!

- Don't I get one more dance?

- I'm afraid not.

I imagine it's Mr. Frohman

you're really afraid of, isn't it?

- Oh, I'm...

- Perhaps.

He doesn't want you to appear

too much socially.

Frankly, no, he doesn't.

And you don't like me

very well anyway, do you?

- Frankly, no, I don't.

- No. She doesn't!

You put him in his place, all right.

What would Gen. Grant think

if he knew we were using...

...the very shadow of his tomb

as our meeting place?

Well, I never knew the general personally,

but I have an idea he'd approve.

I don't know. Nobody else seems to.

At least, Mr. Frohman doesn't.

And why not?

Why can't we meet where we like?

Go where we want?

Just because he has you

under contract...

...is no reason he should

dictate your personal life.

- I'm here.

- Yes, and so am I.

But it must seem like

kindergarten to you.

Why?

The great Mr. Ziegfeld,

producer of the Follies...

...surrounded by hundreds

of beautiful women...

...sitting on a bench, holding hands...

...watching the riverboats

go back and forth.

- Doesn't sound a bit like you, does it?

- No, it doesn't.

But here I am, sitting on a bench...

...holding hands and watching

the riverboats go back and forth.

And regretting all the years

I haven't known you.

Didn't Anna Held take up a few

of those years?

Yes, Billie, she did.

She was truly a wonderful woman.

I love you for saying that.

Look, there's another ferryboat going

across to the Palisades.

Will you keep your eyes on it

while I tell you something?

Must I look at a ferryboat

to listen to you?

Yes, or I won't be able to tell you.

You mean the great lady's man

is bashful?

Strange as it may seem,

in your presence, he is.

All right, I'm looking.

I love you, Billie.

The ferryboat.

I haven't anything to offer you, because

there's nothing you really seem to need.

You've made the most of yourself

unassisted, and that's grand.

Ferryboat.

You're a great star already,

so there's little I can offer you.

Nothing I can give you,

except my love.

That isn't enough.

I'd expect part of your ambition,

half of your trouble...

...two-thirds of your worries

and all of your respect.

Here's your medicine, madame.

No, thank you, Marie.

I'm tired of it.

- But, madame...

- No, no, no, no.

Perhaps you would like

to go to Paris?

No, I'm too tired to go anywhere

and to do anything.

Marie...

Look at the paper...

...and tell me where did they go

on their honeymoon?

But they couldn't go anywhere,

madame.

Miss Burke is appearing in a play here.

We saw her only two weeks ago.

You insisted, madame.

You remember.

Oui, I know. And we enjoyed it

very much too.

She's a lovely actress, Marie, oui?

She has such twinkling eyes...

...and such a funny little twitter

when she speaks.

Yes, I can well imagine

Flo being in love with her.

Marie?

Call his office.

I will congratulate him.

Hello? Brian 3093, please.

I should wish him luck, oui?

- Oui, I should.

- Mr. Ziegfeld, please.

- Miss Anna Held speaking.

- No, Marie, hang up!

- I cannot speak with him today!

- Mr. Ziegfeld?

He's on the telephone, madame.

He is?

Hello, Flo.

Yes, here's Anna.

I'm so happy for you today.

I could not help but call on you

and congratulate you.

Wonderful, Flo.

Never better in my whole life.

I'm so excited about my new plans.

I'm going to Paris.

Yes, for a few weeks,

and then I can get back...

...and then I'm doing a new show,

and I...

Oui, it's all so wonderful.

I'm so happy.

Yes, and I hope you are happy too.

Yes?

I'm so glad for you, Flo.

It sounds funny for ex-husband

and ex-wife...

...to tell each other

how happy they are, oui?

Yes, Flo.

Goodbye, Flo.

Goodbye.

If you love him so much,

why did you divorce him?

Because I thought it would

bring him back to me.

I was sure that it would

bring him back to me.

Goody, goody, goody!

Is that all for me?

That certainly is, every bit for you.

And that isn't all. Sidney?

Yes, sir?

Now, if you don't like the view

from this side...

...then...

- I don't.

- That's the chimney Santa came down.

- Yes!

- That's where the reindeer stopped.

- I wonder how they kept from sliding off.

Probably the bricks stopped them.

See, Mommy, it's almost big enough

for me to get in.

- It is!

- It's almost big enough for us all to get in.

- Oh, yes! Sidney...

- Yes, sir?

Hasn't Santa Claus brought

the elephant yet?

Not yet, sir, but he, she... It may

be here at any moment, sir.

- You didn't buy an elephant?

- I did.

- A live elephant, Daddy?

- A great big, live elephant.

I beg your pardon, sir, madam.

In behalf of the help,

and as their spokesman...

...I wish to express our thanks

for your thoughtfulness and generosity...

...and to wish you a very

merry Christmas.

- Thank you.

- That's very nice, Sidney.

And may we wish a very

merry Christmas to all of you.

Thank you, sir. Thank you, madam.

Merry Christmas.

And to you, Miss Patricia.

Same to you, Sidney.

Now, how about opening

your presents?

With all this extravagance,

I'm a little afraid to.

Nonsense, darling,

that's what Christmas is for.

Come on, now.

- Oh, Flo.

- Now.

- This isn't all for me?

- Well, who else?

- I don't know which one to open first.

- Well, suppose you try this one.

Oh, Flo!

A crown of diamonds.

How beautiful.

This proves that America

is not a republic.

Because you are the queen,

and queens always wear crowns.

A bracelet for the regal wrist.

A pendant for the royal throat.

- And...

- Flo!

A cloak for Her Majesty's shoulders.

- Darling!

- And...

- Oh, no, Flo. Nothing else!

- Yes.

A kiss from her most humble subject.

Darling!

Oh, everything's so lovely.

- But you shouldn't have done so much.

- Oh, well, I...

I hadn't anything to do with it.

It was Santa Claus.

He brought everything.

Yes, I know, but Santa Claus

was far too extravagant.

You should take some of it back.

Oh, Mama, I don't want Santa Claus

to take back any of my presents.

Don't worry, he won't.

No, and he won't take back

any of your mama's either.

I'd cry if he took my circus back.

- You would?

- Why, darling?

- Like it better than your other presents?

- But I wish it was a real, live circus.

Well, I guess you'll have to do

a circus, Flo.

Could you, Daddy?

Well, I don't know. Let's see.

I've never had any experience

with circuses.

But I can try.

I'll tell you what. Let's make a chorus

in front of these two wagons.

Who's this fellow? That's the ringmaster

in the center, where he should be.

Now, we'll put these two acrobats

up next to him...

...then we'll put this Tyrollean fellow

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