The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Page #13

Don't forget, sir, you've to be up at six.

- Early parade, eh?

- Aye.

How lucky you are, Clive.

Yes, they put me on the retired list in '35,

but I knew they'd want me again.

Back I went on the active list like a shot.

I mean...

Why don't you stay? I've 1 8 rooms.

- Murdoch, rally round.

- Thank you.

I'd better not.

I would need a special permit anyway.

All right, Murdoch, as you were.

Stay a little longer. I'll send you home by car.

Murdoch, tell Miss Cannon to be here

by quarter to twelve.

- Very good, sir.

- Who is Miss Cannon?

Miss Cannon? My driver. MTC.

Do you remember, Clive, we used to say,

"Our armies are fighting for our women,

our children and our homes"?

Now the women are fighting beside the men.

The children are being trained to shoot.

What's left is the home.

But what is the home

without women and children?

You never met my wife.

Would you like to see a picture of her?

Very much.

Do you remember when that was

all I was able to say in English?

Very much.

- You got further with them than I ever got.

- In what respect?

Dash it, don't tell me you didn't know.

Knew what?

Well, you make me blush.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I thought it was written all over my face

when I left Berlin in '02.

Don't forget, I never saw your face after you left.

I was in love with her. Your wife.

She never told me.

She never knew.

But I seem to remem...

Oh, Clive, that last day in Berlin when I told you,

you seemed genuinely happy.

Dash it, I didn't know then.

But on the train I started to miss her.

On the boat it was worse.

By the time I got back to London,

well, I'd got it properly.

My Aunt Margaret got onto the scent right away.

Women have a nose for these things.

Besides, I did a stupid thing.

The first night back, I took out her sister.

- Aunt Margaret's?

- Edith's.

- Who? Martha?

- Yes.

What's stupid about that?

Thinking her sister would be like she was.

Like Edith?

Yes.

Well...you got over it.

That's just it. I never got over it.

Theo, this may sound a damned silly thing

to say to you, but...

I never got over it.

You may say that she was my ideal...

if you were some sort of

sickening long-haired poet.

All my life

I've been looking for a woman like her.

So now you know.

Well, er...I never thought it possible

that an Englishman could be so romantic.

And your wife?

You don't mind me asking you...

but you loved her?

Yes...dreadfully.

She was exactly like Edith. I'll show her to you.

Oh, she's very lovely.

But isn't she like Edith, eh?

See the resemblance?

Yes, there's something very striking.

But you must not forget,

I saw Edith 31 years later than you.

We grew old together.

- You understand?

- Ah, yes, of course.

But she was exactly like her.

Mm.

It's a strange place to hang such a lovely picture.

She wanted it. I call this my den, you know.

She always knew why I used to come back here.

We had a joke about it.

All my stuffs here.

It'd be an awful gap without her.

Have a peg, what?

It must be terrible to lose someone

very dear to you in a foreign country.

It wasn't a foreign country, it was Jamaica.

Bye, Clive. Have a nice journey.

Don't worry about anything. It's under control.

- Can you close the door, sir, please?

- Shut up, Murdoch.

Good luck, Murdoch.

Thank you, sir,

but I'm staying behind to look after things here.

- You know the way, Angela?

- Yes, sir.

(Engine starts)

The door, sir, please.

- Did you see the warden?

- I'm the warden of this district, sir.

It must be very difficult to drive in the blackout.

It's not as bad as it looks, sir.

I suppose you've done a lot of night driving.

No, sir. I never drove before the war.

- What made you learn it?

- My boyfriend taught me.

But not at night.

Is he a good driver?

First-rate. He's one of the Bentley boys.

Just now he walks on his two flat feet.

He's a private in training.

What was your job before the war,

Miss Cannon?

- Photographic model.

- Oh, interesting work.

Not bad. A bit hard on the feet.

How did you know my name, sir?

The General talked about you.

Oh, did he?

- Mind if we try and beat the light, sir?

- No, not at all.

Oh... Sorry, sir, couldn't make it.

Do you like being the General's driver?

Of course. Who wouldn't?

He's such an old darling.

I could have done a handstand

when he asked for me.

Do you know, he chose me out of 700 girls.

Some odds, isnt it, 700-1?

For crying out loud, look at that light.

He ought to be reported.

Come on, don't be all night.

Ah.

That's what causes accidents.

- Long odds, weren't they, sir?

- I beg your pardon?

700-1.

Makes me a bit of an outsider.

What is your first name, Miss Cannon?

Angela.

That's a lovely name.

Comes from angel, doesn't it?

I think it stinks. My friends call me Johnny.

Is it this crossing or the next, sir?

Oh, this will do here.

- Good night, Angela.

- Good night, sir.

- I'd like to see your boyfriend one of these days.

- Me too.

Good night, sir.

(Buzzer)

He's on his way down now.

For the love of Gielgud, go and stop him.

If you let him put one whisker in the studio,

you are out.

- This way, General.

- Thank you.

- General Wynne-Candy?

- This way to Studio 5, sir.

- Mr Marsh wants to see you.

- Never heard of him.

- He's heard of you, sir.

- Has he? Good.

- This way to Studio 5.

- What time does my broadcast start?

- Almost at once, sir.

- At 21 :
20, sir.

- Plenty of time.

- Excuse me, miss.

Oh, shut up.

- A regular warren, eh?

- Yes.

- Beehive of industry.

- Yes, sir.

- Do you like it here?

- Yes. You meet such interesting people.

You can tell that from the programmes.

General Wynne-Candy.

Phew.

- I don't think we've met.

- No, I've not had that pleasure.

- Do sit down.

- Thank you.

- Cigarette?

- Thank you.

Very snug quarters you've got here. And deep.

- Yes, we have to be deep these days.

- I quite agree. Back to the Stone Age.

I don't think I'll light this at the moment.

Bad for speaking. Makes my throat dry.

General, I'm afraid we've been having

some trouble about your broadcast.

Well, I'm used to trouble. I'm a soldier.

Yes, the er...authorities...

..think that it's a little ill-timed

and might be better postponed.

Think it's a little ill-timed?

Who has been saying that? Why?

Well, General, you know in times of war...

Don't talk to me about war.

No, of course, that would be...grotesque.

I have been asked to describe in this broadcast

my views on the cause of the retreat

and its aspects for the future. There they are.

I've served my country for 44 years.

What was your position before this?

- I was a lawyer.

- What?

- A lawyer.

- A lawyer? Well, I was a soldier.

And before that I suppose you were at college.

And I was a soldier.

And I was a soldier when you were a baby.

And before you were born, sir,

when you were nothing but a toss-up between

a girl's and a boy's name, I was a soldier.

I'm deeply sorry, sir. I know it's not you.

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