The Naked Venus Page #5

You say that you have

records to prove it. How?

- I obtained affidavits to this effect.

- Who gave these affidavits?

- People who know her.

- Friends?

Yes.

Name them.

Jim Renault. Marion LaTour.

What did these "friends"

of the Dixons tell you?

That she is a nudist.

Both Miss LaTour and Mrs. Dixon belong

to the same nudist organization.

They went to nudist parks together.

And Mrs. Dixon would take

her infant daughter along.

Mr. Becker.

How did you meet Mr. Renault

and Miss LaTour?

I was...

Directed to them.

They belonged to a

group of American artists.

They are not married. Is that so?

Yes.

- But they live together, do they not?

- Objection, Your Honor.

Their private lives have no bearing on

the information gathered by the witness.

Objection sustained.

Where did you meet them?

In a caf.

You... told us that you

were directed to them?

Does that mean you introduced yourself?

Yes. And we had a few drinks together.

Did you pay for the drinks, too?

Why not? I was on an expense account.

Charged to Mrs. Dixon senior?

Correct.

And over a few drinks, the

so-called friends of the Dixons...

Told you, a complete stranger,

all about Mrs. Dixon?

- Did you pay for that, too?

- I object.

Your Honor, I'm just trying to establish

the fact that Mr. Becker's employer...

My client's mother-in-law.

Stops at nothing to taint anything that

damaged her daughter-in-law's reputation.

Objection overruled.

Answer my question.

I paid them for the affidavit.

It's being done all the time.

I am not discussing the so-called

ethics of Private Eyes, Mr. Becker.

All I want is the facts.

That's all... no further questions.

I ask the court's permission

to re-examine this witness.

Permission granted.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Mr. Becker... have you ever

been in a nudist park?

- As an investigator, yes.

- Where was that?

France.

What was the occasion?

I was investigating

the past of Mrs. Dixon.

What did you do there?

I took pictures of her with a

16 mm motion picture camera.

In the nude?

- That's right.

- I object, Your Honor.

It's unlawful in France and this country

to enter health parks without permission.

We are discussing evidence.

Not laws governing nudist camps.

Objection overruled.

You may proceed, Counsel.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Mr. Becker. Can you identify this?

This appears to be the receptacle

in which I placed the film.

The label still has my

handwriting on it.

Thank you, Mr. Becker.

I shall introduce this film as exhibit

number one to be shown in this court.

I object, Your Honor. The evidence

was obtained by trickery.

And unlawfully, in flagrant

violation of my client's legal rights.

It is in the very nature of evidence.

That it cannot always be obtained

in a strictly ethical manner.

Objection overruled.

Are you prepared to show this

court the film in question, Counsel?

I am, Your Honor.

Your Honor... I move that

the public be excluded.

To spare my client this

unnecessary humiliation.

Of a thoroughly distasteful

and inhuman procedure.

I agree, Counsel.

Mr. Bailiff, will you clear the court.

All persons not connected with

this case, please leave this court.

This has been rather startling.

Mr. Rutledge.

Exactly what is your reason for

presenting this kind of evidence?

I must impress upon you, Your Honor, the

necessity of my client getting a divorce.

And sole custody of the child.

This is somewhat of a change

from the original procedure.

Indeed it is, after

having seen this film.

With Your Honor's permission.

I intend to disprove this

so-called evidence.

And the erroneous impression that

my client is unfit to be a mother.

However, I would appreciate

a little more time.

The evidence presented

here, by Mr. Rutledge.

Is overwhelmingly against your client.

However, Counselor...

I'll continue the case on Monday.

You shall have your chance.

Thank you, Your Honor.

You don't know how

much I appreciate all this.

I enjoyed taking little

Sherie to Disneyland.

I bet she's thinking about it right now.

I wish Monday would never come.

Courtrooms depress me.

I'm sure we'll win the case.

Tell me.

You do want to win this case, don't you?

I thought so.

I do very much.

But sometimes I feel as though

I don't really know him.

You know only part of him.

The part away from his mother

The father of your child. An artist.

You don't want to know the other Bob, as

he's weak and dominated by his mother.

He told me she was always more

like a sister to him... an older sister.

Who sided with him against his father

who didn't understand his sensitive son.

I could feel sorry for her if she

weren't quite so destructive.

Then Bob isn't really to blame?

I have no use for weaklings.

Have you ever been married?

No.

Engaged?

Let's put it this way.

I tried to make myself fall in love.

None of the men measured up.

Not quite.

My specifications were pretty stiff.

What do you expect of a man?

A lot.

He should be a little bit like

my father, Judge Wingate.

In the legal profession they

called him "The Honorable".

I guess I'm asking too much.

You mean there is no-one?

I don't believe it.

Oh there is... but he doesn't know it.

- A bashful type?

- No. Let's put it this way.

He is just too considerate

- Wake him up.

- How?

Oh, that depends on the man.

For some it is a different dress.

Some like their food.

You might even go for

a startling hair-tint.

Platinum blond might do it.

Too startling for me.

Just to shock him.

Some men respond to shock treatment.

Is he sociable?

- Does he like music?

- Yes, but he can't dance.

Teach him.

Tell him he reminds you of

Fred Astaire. He'll believe you.

Why not?

Thank you. I'll try.

Doctor Hewitt.

As curator of the Museum Of

Contemporary Art in New York.

And as an internationally

known art critic.

Please state whether you are here under

subpoena or under your own volition.

I'll be happy to, Counsel.

I came to Los Angeles at my own expense.

After you had talked to me

long distance on Saturday.

What prompted your decision?

Ignorance and prejudice have always

been civilization's arch enemies.

And I help to fight them

wherever and whenever I can.

Is this the painting known

as the Naked Venus?

- Painted by Robert Dixon?

- Yes.

How did you acquire it for your museum?

I was apprised of its existence

by a Professor Marault of Paris.

And his niece, Yvonne Dixon.

Monsieur Marault is

an old friend of mine

Whom I value as a great critic as well

as a patron and lover of the arts.

Why sir, did you elect to buy a painting

of a comparatively unknown artist?

Objection.

My client had, at that time, already

got a certain amount of recognition.

Objection sustained.

Strike that from the record.

I will rephrase my question.

Simply, Doctor Hewitt.

Why did you buy Naked

Venus for the museum?

I considered Naked Venus interesting.

Not just as contemporary art,

but as... an expression of our time.

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