The Purple Rose of Cairo Page #4

What`s the problem?

What?

They`re all sitting around

up there on the screen.

Rita, the Countess,

Larry Wilde, the playboy.

People are demanding

their money back.

The theater

is nine-tenths empty.

Take a walk, will you?

Look, he just walked out!

Baxter.

The Communist is screaming...

the priest in reel five

is in reel two.

How can he come off the screen?

lt`s impossible.

lt`s never happened

before in history.

Just because a thing

never happened before...

doesn`t mean it can`t

happen for first time.

That`s all you need--hundreds

of Tom Baxters on the loose.

Hundreds?

As your lawyer,

l advise you to control it fast.

A character from one of

your productions on the loose?

Who knows what he`s capable of?

Robbery, murder. l see lawsuits.

l`d charter a plane right away,

and l`d get down there fast.

Get me Gil Shepherd.

l`m sorry l`m not

too light on my feet.

You`re a feather in my arms.

Monk never took me dancing,

not even when we first met...

not even if l begged him.

Really?

So it`s been bad for you?

lt`s been hard for everyone.

Living in a world

with no jobs and wars.

You probably never even

heard of the Great War.

Sorry. l missed it.

People get old and sick

and never find true love.

Where l come from,

people don`t disappoint.

They`re consistent.

Always reliable.

You don`t find that kind

in real life.

You have.

ls it true they`re talking to

you about the life of Lindbergh?

lt`s nearly set, but don`t

print it till it`s firm.

You were great

in ''The Purple Rose of Cairo.''

Thanks. Did you know...

l was singled out by all

the East Coast critics?

The New York Times

said l had almost...

too smoldering a quality

just to play comedy.

Would you play Lindbergh

the way you played Tom Baxter?

Of course not.

Tom was kind of a change of pace

from my earlier roles.

l played Tom Baxter

with a kind of a poetic...

idealistic quality that just--

Lindbergh was a loner.

He was self-reliant.

l`d have to work it out

with my dialogue coach.

He`s a genius.

Can l see you for

a minute alone, please?

-Excuse me. l`m sorry.

-What`s up?

Baxter`s come off the screen and

is running around New Jersey.

What are you talking about?

l just spoke to Raoul Hirsch.

Nobody knows how it happened,

but he`s done it.

How could he do that?

lt`s not physically possible.

ln New Jersey,

anything can happen.

But l created the character.

That`s my point!

As your agent...

l`d hate anything for happen

to your career now.

-Like what?

-Who knows?

Your double is on the loose.

What`s he up to?

ls he robbing banks?

Raping broads?

-ls he?

-Who knows?

The last thing we need

is for you to get a rep--

Last thing we need is for you

to get a difficult reputation.

lt`s not my fault!

Raoul Hirsch said if you can`t

control your own creation...

nobody`s gonna risk

a picture on you.

l worked so hard

to make him real.

-Maybe you overdid it.

-l`ll sue my dialogue coach.

You`ve got to fly down there

and check into this quick.

Right now it`s only

one movie house, but who knows?

l`m afraid to fly.

This is the scandal of all time.

You know what happened

to Fatty Arbuckle`s career?

l`ll fly.

Good.

This is how they drink

champagne in Cairo.

l never had champagne before.

lt makes me feel silly.

lt`s supposed to.

The check,

as you requested, sir.

lt`s so much!

l hope you found it

to your liking, sir.

lt was superb.

My compliments to the chef...

and keep 20% for yourself.

No, make that 30%.

Quite amusing.

What is?

The fake money.

Fake money?

ls it play money, sir,

or stage money?

Keep 30% for yourself

and stop looking so serious.

l`ll get the Maitre D`.

That`s not real money!

What do you mean,

it`s not real money?

Oh, my God!

Do you have any money?

No! What are we gonna do?

We`ll have to run for it.

l can`t run.

My ankles are bad

from waitressing.

Get up. Follow me.

Quick, get in the car!

Tom, this is not our car.

We don`t have a car.

We came by foot.

lt doesn`t go.

Of course it doesn`t go.

There`s no key!

l don`t understand.

They always go in the movie.

This is real life.

They don`t start without a key!

They don`t? Let`s go!

Get back here!

You can`t run out on this check!

A couple of deadbeats!

Get back here right now!

l`m sorry about the money.

l had no idea.

That`s OK.

lt`s not gonna be so easy...

to get along without it

in this world.

l guess l have to get a job.

That`s not gonna be

so easy, either.

Right now the whole

country`s out of work.

Then we`ll live on love.

We`ll have to make some

concessions, but so what?

-We`ll have each other.

-That`s movie talk.

You look so beautiful

in this light.

But you`re not real.

Was that real enough for you?

You kiss perfectly.

lt`s what l dreamed

kissing would be like.

Come away with me to Cairo.

Cairo?

We`ll live in the desert.

The blue-gold light of sunset

falling over your hair.

l`m sorry. l`m a little

tipsy from the champ--

Where`s the fade-out?

What?

Always when the kissing

gets hot and heavy...

just before the lovemaking,

there`s a fade-out.

Then what?

Then we`re making love

in some private, perfect place.

That`s not how it happens here.

There`s no fade-out?

No. But when you kissed me,

l felt like my heart faded out.

l closed my eyes,

and l was in some private place.

How fascinating. You make love

without fading out?

l can`t wait to see this.

Listen, l...

l`m not that kind of girl.

l`m married.

lt`s clear how miserable

you are with your husband.

lf he hits you again,

you tell me.

l`d be forced

to knock his teeth out.

l don`t think that`d be

such a good idea. He`s big.

l`m sorry.

lt`s written into my character,

so l`d do it.

Listen. l think

l`d better go home now.

lt`s late.

lt`s been a whirlwind of a day.

What are you going to do?

l`ll sleep here at the carousel,

then walk around...

drink in the night air...

enjoy my freedom...

and dream of you.

You got in late last night.

You were out like a light.

l took a hot bath to relax me.

You want to get me

a cup of coffee?

Sure.

There was some big deal

going on at the movie house.

A big crowd when l went

to buy cigarettes.

l couldn`t get

the story straight.

Some guy ran out the side exit

with a customer.

Who?

A woman, a guy--an actor.

l don`t know what the hell

the cop was talking about.

He didn`t know.

They didn`t know

who the woman was?

Some woman dragged out

in the dark.

They got those real

Geronimos at movie houses.

That`s why l don`t like you

staying out so late.

l know. l couldn`t help it.

The Lorenzos didn`t get back

till late. l couldn`t leave.

l hope you got paid overtime.

Sure.

Good. Let`s have it.

They didn`t have any cash.

l`ll have to come back

for it later today.

l told you to get paid in cash.

l know, but all

they had was big bills.

l was getting late.

They`re gonna fork it over

today, right?

They will.

Leave something to you...

you can bet

you`re gonna get fouled up.

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