The Country Girl Page #2

No, we don't let him go

without real cause,

a binge, or if he can't retain lines.

Give him a run-of-the-play contract.

- Wait a minute!

- I need his complete confidence.

No! I'll take a $40,000 loss before I

give him a run-of-the-play contract.

- OK, two weeks. Agreed, Paul? Henry?

- OK with me.

Frank? Frank Elgin?

- Elgin left.

- What do you mean?

- He left.

- Where? Coffee? What?

He just walked out. He didn't say.

Try the nearest bar.

- Mr Elgin in?

- No, he's not.

Mrs Elgin? I'd like to talk

to Frank. I'm Bernie Dodd.

I don't know when Frank will be back.

Mind if I wait?

- Would you like some coffee?

- No, thanks.

- Did Frank say when he'd be back?

- He didn't say where he was going.

- Didn't he say he had an audition?

- No.

I looked around after it was over,

but he'd gone.

- Will he do?

- That all depends.

If you're wondering if you can get

Frank for very little money, you can.

It doesn't depend on that.

Does he still drink?

Just what did you think

I would answer to that?

- Touch.

- What?

- Touch. In French, that means...

- Everybody knows what it means.

You're even younger than I thought.

You try to look like an old lady.

You shouldn't do your hair like that.

Some women pay too much attention to

themselves and some don't pay enough.

That's quite a pearl of wisdom.

May I quote you?

- How long have you been married?

- Ten years.

- Did you meet in a show?

- Look, Mr Dodd...

- Were you ever an actress?

- Not me, thank you.

I'm just a girl from the country.

The theatre and its people have

always been a complete mystery to me.

They still are.

Dreiser, Balzac, Montaigne.

Who reads these books?

I do.

I'm afraid to ask if you enjoy them.

Montaigne's too polite for me.

- That doesn't surprise me.

- Frank's old recordings?

Some new. There's one on the machine

he did last week.

A man with his talent.

It's degrading.

So is not eating.

Why didn't you wait?

I figured the boat had sailed.

The producer didn't like me.

Since when does a producer

have to love an actor?

I can't go to battle unless

everybody is rooting for me.

- Cook thinks you're a drinker.

- Not on a show.

Not according to Maxwell.

You worked for him in '46.

After a couple of months,

he had to replace you.

While I was playing in that show,

our son died.

What about this show? I need an actor

who can stay sober and learn lines.

Are you that actor or not?

Make up your mind.

Give me time. Cook wasn't

the only reason I left the theatre.

I wouldn't take a part like this

without talking it over with Georgie.

- I'll be back in ten minutes.

- He's afraid of the responsibility.

But the gamble's all on my side!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes