The Saxon Charm Page #3

specialty here. It's exquisite.

But cabbage murders me.

I'd be perfectly happy

with a boiled steak. Rare.

Oh.

Five orders of stuffed cabbage.

And ask that bus-boy to

stop rattling those dishes.

Where'd you get him?

In boiler factory?

For dessert, we'll have

some Apfel Kuchen.

They have the world's

best pastry-chef here.

If I ever ate anything that sounded

like that, I'd regret it in the morning.

And I think I'd prefer sherbet.

I will have Apfel Kuchen.

Me too. I could eat anything.

Right now, I'd be more interested

in selecting an entree.

Eric, I would like to remind

you that I am ordering for you.

Ah, the lowly cabbage, lifted to

the heights of heavenly cuisine.

You lied. This stinking mess. It's

unbelievable the old chef has gone.

I told you he's still here.

That's the proof.

Take it away.

I am the owner, sir.

We'll get you something else.

You'll get me nothing.

I bring my friends here for a decent

meal, and what do you serve them? Swill!

Get his check this minute.

Charge him for what has been served.

It's a pleasure to pay for this garbage

and donate it to the rats in the kitchen.

Give me a blank check.

Sorry, we do not cash checks.

Do you know who I am?

I'll take the check.

No you won't. Do you know who I am?

This is Matt Saxon, the

famous theatrical producer.

I don't know anything about

Matt Saxon or theatrical producers.

All I know is ..

Let's get out of here!

Get out of this fascist pest-hole.

Can we leave through a side exit?

I'll get my hat.

Would you like to go someplace and eat?

No thanks, dear. I couldn't.

I wish you wouldn't be upset, darling.

A person who acts like

he did, just can't help it.

Anyone can help that.

Exposing a whole table full

of people .. strangers at that.

To such rotten behaviour.

He was terrible, wasn't he?

Eric, I've never tried to influence

your writing in any way, but ..

This once, would you mind

if I made a suggestion?

Of course not.

Why don't you tell Saxon that you

don't want to be associated with him?

That you want him to release you.

That's a very unusual thing to do.

Do you want to work with him?

I suppose not, actually.

He is a brilliant man of the theater,

and I could learn a lot from him, but ..

He's had me on edge since the day I

met him, and now he's humiliated you.

I'd be an idiot to become

involved with a man like that.

Now you're talking.

What do you think he'll do about it?

Oh .. I'll just go to him tomorrow

and ask him for a release.

But he's such a tricky talker.

Well, he can't talk any better than

you can write. Send him a letter.

That's a better idea.

I'll write him tonight and he'll

get it tomorrow morning.

[ Buzzer ]

Is this the Eric Busch residence?

And is this Mr Eric Busch?

I'm delighted to meet you.

I've always admired writers.

I've .. tried a little writing

myself, as a matter of fact.

You been working?

Not exactly, no.

May I come in?

You are in.

There are one or two

things to discuss with you.

My name is "Saxon", "Matt Saxon".

I'm in the theatrical business.

Come into the den.

Thank you.

Ah, success.

Is it any wonder these days that first

novels are always the best ones.

Written when poor.

Put down after hours as an

escape from the ordeals of life ..

As a haberdashery clerk.

Haberdashery clerk. Haberdashery.

That's supposed to be your cue.

For what?

To offer me a brandy.

Don't make it important.

Just throw the line away.

Don't tell me you came all the

way up here just for a drink.

As a matter of fact I came up here to

discuss with you our joint venture.

"The Comic Spirit".

Where is your charming wife?

Where any wife would be after your

actions tonight. In bed with a headache.

Oh, please. No important

lines yet. It's far too early.

What do you mean by that?

Why do you think I've been

indulging in all this small talk?

I've been demonstrating something

about the theater that no ..

Novelist understands.

What don't I understand?

Haven't you noticed? I've been

demonstrating the leisurely opening.

Of the play form.

In a novel, your opening

line can have terrific impact.

Take as an example the first

line of Kafka's Metamorphosis.

Remember? Quote:

"As Gregor Samsa awoke one

morning from a troubled dream."

"He found himself changed in his bed .."

"To some monstrous kind of vermin."

Unquote.

I remember.

And, how would you do that in a play?

Well, let's say a novelist

had written the play.

Lights down. Curtain up.

The sudden shriek from Samsa's

mother as she looks into the bedroom.

Her daughter rushes in

asking what the matter.

"Your brother" says the old lady.

"Has turned into a cockroach".

And she faints dead away.

I don't say that's good,

but what's wrong with it?

What's wrong with it? Never throw

your opening punch so quickly.

As you did just now, about my

horrible behaviour tonight.

Let your audience become part

of the theater, part of the play.

Let them become

accustomed to the actors.

And then .. slip them

the hotfoot .. see?

I see.

That means that the opening

of my play is wrong.

That I shouldn't introduce my

principals in the middle of an argument.

You are a bright student, Eric.

Assignment for tomorrow.

One opening scene.

Rewritten and double-spaced.

I'll get at it first thing.

Saxon.

Trouble?

Yes. I ..

Janet and Alma got along

very well, didn't they.

So I heard.

What did you think of Alma?

Alma? I liked her. Very much.

"Alma Wragge".

Isn't that a terrible name?

Did you ever hear an

uglier name in your life?

I knew a man named Wragge.

In my home town. New Mexico.

New Mexico? Oh, that accounts for

your being out of the mainstream.

What do you mean? This play is the only

un-contemporary thing I've ever done.

But you write of issues only

among, and between, individuals.

You never write of group problems.

The more concerned a writer becomes

with a group, the worse he gets.

The material of fiction is the unique

character, not collective man.

Very easy to say. But some individuals

defy you to put them down on paper.

I've never met a person

I couldn't write about.

I have.

Who?

A kid from .. from 10th Avenue.

A kid by the name of Joe Sveck.

You .. couldn't write about a child?

I couldn't write about the child

when he became a man.

If you understood him as a child ..

I couldn't understand him.

You wouldn't. Nobody could.

He was a violent, rebellious kid.

He was ashamed of his parents.

Ashamed of their poverty.

He stole money from the till in his

mother's little stationary store.

And when they argued with him about it.

He wrecked the store.

A nice kid.

I told you he was

difficult to understand.

When he grew up, he borrowed every penny

his family had to go into business.

He made a fortune for

them and then lost it.

When they complained, he left home.

He's never seen his parents since.

What happened to the parents?

I wouldn't know.

As for Sveck.

He's convinced that the world

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