My Sister Eileen

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-Your kid sister?

-My sister Eileen.

What`s this Doll`s House,

a kid show with fairies?

It`s a well-known classic.

-``Not since the debutt of the...``

-Debut.

Debut. Okay, ``Not since the debut

of the great Sarah Bernhardt

``has an audience been held

so spellbound as

``that which witnessed the remarkable

performance of lbsen`s A Doll`s House

``by a young Columbus girl,

Eileen Sherwood.``

You`re sure pouring it on, ain`t ya?

When did this happen?

-lt`s happening tonight at 8:.30.

-What? Hey, something new.

Now they`re writing them

before they see them.

I won`t have time to write it after the show.

We`re having a party tonight

at the house for Eileen.

-A party! With the dolls?

-Will you scram?

Say, I thought the boss` daughter

was the star of that thing.

That`s tomorrow. They`re alternating,

tonight Eileen, tomorrow Annie.

Here it is, Mr. Hawkins,

and here`s Eileen`s picture.

You blow it up big, like you promised.

Jerusalem, this blurb

for an amateur theatrical?

And I want it in every edition,

beginning with the one

that goes on the streets tonight.

What are you trying to do,

push the war out of the paper?

You promised me you`d give Eileen a break,

now didn`t you?

Yeah, provided you take care

of the boss` daughter tomorrow night.

-Okay.

-And just as many adjectives

or there`ll be trouble.

-Believe me, l`ll do Annie up just fine.

-Well, see that you do.

Leave it to me. I`ll give her the works.

Two more minutes.

But, George,

I still say I should have played the doctor...

Curtains.

Hello, Billy. You look great. Dad, Grandma,

you wait till you see the crowd outside,

and wait till you see the review l`ve written.

It`s absolutely marvelous.

Where`s Eileen? I`ve got to see her.

-Pardon me.

-Pardon me.

-What`s the matter? What`s happened?

-We don`t know.

We were in there and all of a sudden

Mr. Heller came in with Annie.

-lt looks like dirty work at the crossroads.

-Dirty work? What kind of a...

-Hello.

-What happened?

A last-minute change.

Annie Wilkinson`s playing the part tonight.

What?

-Remember, we`re very, very late.

-I said how come?

-My sister won the toss, didn`t she?

-Yes, but...

Yes, but Annie`s father owns a newspaper

and he put the pressure on.

-Quiet, please.

-Quiet nothing. I`ll tear this place apart.

-Mr. Heller, you can`t do this.

-lt`s all settled.

-What`s... You`re not going to...

-Annie, on stage.

-Annie. Annie!

-Miss Wilkinson, if you don`t mind.

-Well, get her.

-Now, folks,

for the last three weeks

l`ve been telling you that...

Mr. Heller, I want to tell you what`s going on,

and you`re not...

Now, folks, all of you,

you`ll have to get out front.

-Yes, you try and put us out. I`m not...

-Will you please listen to me?

Eileen`s review is already written.

-lt`s in the paper now.

-Ready, everybody. Please.

That paper`ll be on the streets in an hour.

It says she`s sensational in A Doll`s House.

-Curtain! Curtain!

-Her picture`s in the paper...

Hide the Christmas tree carefully, Helen.

Well, that... You little...

-Eileen, are you going to cry all night?

-Yes!

Then take that black stuff off your eyes.

It`s getting all over the pillow.

Holy smoke, you`re a sight.

Nice piece of writing anyway, Ruth.

You`re getting better and better.

You`d better frame it, Grandma.

That`s fini for me on the Courier.

I`m the laughingstock of Columbus.

That paper is all over town,

and everybody knows I didn`t play the part.

I`ll never be able to show my face

in this town again.

Neither will l, Eileen,

if that`s any comfort to you.

Now, girls, there`s nothing we can do

about this anyway. Let`s get to bed.

-lt`s 2:
00.

-Dad,

now that l`ve lost this job,

l`ve always felt that...

Ruth, l`m not going to discuss New York

all over again.

Why, you can get another job

right here in Columbus.

You can go back to teaching.

-But l...

-She doesn`t want to go back to teaching.

She wants to write, and she ought to be

where magazines and publishers are.

-Mother, are you encouraging this insanity?

-Sure!

You`re just talking

a lot of old-fashioned twaddle.

What`s a girl to do,

sit around home just because it`s home

until some local dope decides to marry her?

Columbus boys are not dopes. Why,

I was born and brought up here myself.

Now, Son, be reasonable.

She wants a career,

and she`s got plenty on the ball, and

if she thinks New York is the place to be...

Why, certainly, it`s where Ruth should be.

That`s where all the publishers are.

That`s where everybody is.

I certainly think we ought to go.

-You, too?

-Well, naturally,

that`s where all the theaters are, too.

And what kind of a career

can I have around here?

Ruth wouldn`t think of going without me,

would you? Well, of course not.

No. No, of course not, Eileen.

Dad, there`s no reason

why she shouldn`t go with me.

I won`t hear of it. Won`t hear of it.

Good night.

Jeez.

Girls, you can start packing

right after breakfast.

-Grandma.

-Grandma.

I wonder what those boys

at the Little Theater will think

when l`m an actress in New York.

Well, that`s the advantage

of not leaving any men behind.

I don`t have to worry what becomes of them.

I know, dear, it`s different with you.

-Boys never meant anything in your life.

-Not after they got a load of you they didn`t.

Gee, l`ve got more of your junk in there

than my own.

-Eileen, where`s my typewriter?

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