The Great Ziegfeld Page #5

Jolly. Good.

Please, let's start again. Jolly.

No, no, no. I won't sing today.

I can't sing today.

I'm much too much inside here.

Much too much.

Marie?

Marie.

It's so silly for Anna Held

to take singing lessons.

But Ziegfeld did not ask me

to teach you.

I simply want to help madame

to lose her French accent.

But your accent is much more than mine,

and I don't want to lose my accent.

Marie, did you try to get

Monsieur Ziegfeld again?

- He is not home, madame.

- Please try it again.

- And the reporters?

- They are still in the lobby.

Tell them to go away.

Tell the hotel to push them out.

Tell them we are going back to France.

That's what we will do.

We are going back to Paris.

- Shut up, Pierre.

- I'm too happy, madame.

- Happy about what?

- We are sailing for Paris.

- No.

- No?

No, I changed my mind.

Marie, go unpack my things.

- You see, it's true.

- It is not.

- It is.

- No.

What is true and what is not true?

Pierre says madame is in love

with Monsieur Ziegfeld.

Did you say that, Pierre?

- Why did you say that, Pierre?

- Because I'm afraid it's true.

Why are you afraid?

Don't you like Monsieur Ziegfeld?

Oui, madame, that's the trouble.

Everybody likes him,

especially the ladies.

Oh, madame, you'd never

be happy with him.

You'd never be able to hold him.

Why, he attracts women

like the flowers attract bees.

Like the flypaper attract the flies.

Well, that's all right.

I've seen the flies on the flypaper...

...and it seems to me

they stick very well.

- But, madame...

- Pierre, please.

How can I love someone who puts

terrible things in the newspaper...

...has millions of reporters annoying me?

Pardon, madame, but the newspapers

have been very nice to you.

Why don't you want

to see the reporters?

Because I know exactly

what they want to ask me.

- You do not understand, no?

- Frankly, no, madame.

Oh, then I will tell you what happened.

Two months ago,

Monsieur Ziegfeld says:

"Anna, from now on, I'm going

to send you, every day, a big present. "

I say, "Thank you so much, Flo... "

I mean, "Mr. Ziegfeld.

But already you send me orchids

every morning. "

Those are from him.

But he says, "No, Anna, this is something

much more important. "

So naturally, I cannot wait to see

what he sends me.

And the next day,

what do you think I get?

- A diamond ring?

- No.

- A bracelet?

- No. Four big cans of milk.

- Milk.

- Twenty gallons.

- Twenty gallons of milk?

- Twenty gallons of milk.

- Shut up!

- Twenty gallons of milk.

- Oh, please.

- No.

I'm so sorry. Excuse me.

Well, that night I say to Flo...

I mean, Mr. Ziegfeld:

"Flo, why do you send me

so much milk?"

And he just laughs and says,

"Anna, that's a great idea.

You get it from now on every day. "

"Every day, 20 gallons of milk?"

I say, "Flo, who can drink so much milk?"

And do you know what he says?

"Don't drink it, bathe in it.

And you will be a big success. "

- No!

- Well, I'm too angry to speak.

In Paris, I was a big success

because they liked my voice.

In London,

because they liked my singing.

But in America, to be a big success,

I need 20 gallons of milk and must sit in it!

- Well, do you bathe in it, madame?

- No, of course not.

But every day, we get the milk

and take it in...

...because Monsieur Ziegfeld says

we must carry out his idea.

And what happened?

Did you read this morning, the paper?

- No, madame.

- Please.

- "Ziegfeld sued for Anna Held's milk bill. "

- On the front page.

- Twenty gallons of milk.

- Oh, I'm so ashamed.

Marie, please call him again.

If he's not there, leave the message.

Tell him I do not want

one can more of milk from him.

And I don't want the orchids either.

- Hello?

- Oh, those reporters again.

Tell them no.

I do not want to speak to them.

Madame, it is Monsieur Ziegfeld.

I don't want to speak to him either.

I never wish to speak to him again.

Where is he?

Downstairs in the lobby, madame.

Tell him to come up.

But if he brings one of those reporters,

don't let him in.

No, Pierre. Let them on the floor.

I want him to see them there.

I make him pick them up.

He embarrasses me, I embarrass him.

Madame, if you will take my advice,

you will not appear so excited.

Yes, you are right, Pierre.

Pierre, play. Play. I sing for you, yes.

Just like he's not here.

We'll let him wait till I'm finished.

Come on, play, play, play.

- Your missus is in lovely voice today.

- Oui, monsieur. You will see.

Marie, someone has apparently

spilled the orchids.

Now, will you phone Sidney for me? Have

him send up another dozen immediately.

Well? Why do you not pick these up?

Because fallen flowers, my dear,

are like fallen stars.

They soon lose their luster.

Marie, pick them up.

No, I cannot sing today.

I'm much too angry to sing.

I'm sick of watching you

roll your eyes like I do.

Please go home. I give you your notes.

Please take them. Go home, yes?

Go.

So I'm a fallen star, yes?

I have no luster, no?

Oh, yes, you have, my dear.

- But do you know what it comes from?

- I don't care.

What?

Milk baths. Or at least that's what

you must tell the reporters.

I'm so hurt. The front page of the paper

says you are sued on my account.

If you send milk,

why don't you pay for it?

If I did, it wouldn't be in the papers.

Can't you tell them I just used the milk

without buying it and being sued for it?

They wouldn't believe it.

Now it's a matter of record.

Besides, they don't care

whether I ever pay the bill.

All that interests them is that in two

months, you've used 1200 gallons of milk.

This is terrible.

- Ask the reporters to come up.

- Do nothing of the kind.

Anna, you must not insult the press.

If they come up, I tell the truth.

No, at first, tell them nothing.

Desk, please.

Pretend embarrassment.

Pretend it? I was never so ashamed.

Are the gentlemen of the press

still waiting for Miss Held?

What are you doing?

Oh, yes, if you will, please.

I will say I never in my life

took a milk bath.

I will tell them it is all a press story.

I will go back to France.

Marie, pack the things. Quick.

This time I mean it!

You cannot make a circus of me.

I'm not a strongman like Sandow.

I'm a real artist,

and I never, never, never will say that.

Yes? Oh, ask them

to come right up, please.

No!

Anna, don't you realize

that if we put this story over...

...your name will be in headlines

from coast to coast?

Every woman in the country will be

talking about you.

I don't care.

I do not have to be a cow

to be a success.

And before I make such a fool of myself,

I tear up my contract with you. So...

...where is it?

And besides... Besides...

And besides, you do nothing

as I like to have it.

It must always be your way.

I ask you 1000 times

to have costumes like Lillian Russell.

She has not to take milk baths

to be a success. She is beautiful.

But, no, I cannot have gowns like her.

There now.

Tell the reporters about that!

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