"Bless me Father, for I have sinned." "It's been... 24 hours since my last confession." "Son, it's so late." "Yeah, Father." "Work has just..." "I lied to Connie." "Uh, to my wife." " This is very serious." " I know." "I promised her I quit smoking" "She think's it's bad for me." "And I'm trying, but..." "Well, I snuck a couple of cigarettes." "Maybe three." "Yes." "It's hard." "Yes." "But I'm trying." "It is 5.00 AM." "Still shank of night for some." "But, for Eddie Mannix, beginning of a new work day." "The movie studio for which he works manufactures stories." "Each, it's on daylit drama, or moonlit dream." "But, the work of Essie Mannix cares not for day or night." "And cares little for his rest." "That's right now." "Churn that butter for me." "Atta girl." "Oh, Jesus Christ on a scooter." "You, here?" "The studio has the rights to Gloria's likeness, Falco." "Give me the negatives and things will go easier on you." "Easy." "This is for private use, Eddie." "Come on." "Oh, boy." "Can't a girl take a few pictures, have a few laughs?" "Cheez, Eddie." "What a old sss-tick in the mud" "Now, you listen to me." "You were at a party, you had too much to drink." "Somebody brought you here, you don't remember who." "You're going home now," " you name is Mary Jo Schamroth." " Okay, Eddie." "So, Eddie Mannix, saw your heap outside." "Got a call." "Loud, disorderly..." "Possible French postcard situation." "Someone was pulling your leg." "Mary Jo here was just at a costume party." "It's not really her dirndl." "She wants to contribute something to your pension fund." "Sorry to drag you out in the rain." "Well, say, no trouble at all." "Aren't you Gloria DeLamour?" " No, no." "I'm Mary Jo... something." " Schamroth." "Say, Brian." "Can I bum a cigarette?" "Ancient Rome." "12 years into the rule of Tiberius, ruler Maximus." "Rome's legions are masters of the world, the stomp of it's sandals heard from the Iberian peninsula in the west through the halls of the great library of Alexandria in the east." "As oppressed people everywhere writhe under the Roman lash, freeman and vassal, are united in one compulsory worship." "The emperor, Caesar, is Godhead, lord of every man's body and spirit." "For those who will not submit, the galleys, the arenas, even crucifixion await." "But there is a new wind, blowing from the east, from the dusty streets of Bethlehem, that will soon challenge the vast house of Caesar, that ediﬁce wrought of brick and blood which now seems so secure!" "HAIL, CAESAR!" "HAIL, CAESAR!" "A TALE OF THE CHRIST" "There she is, Gracchus." "And ah, what a beauty!" "Aye, Autolochus!" "Rome!" "Suckled by a she-wolf and nurturing us, her sons in turn." "Tonight I bathe in Caracalla, and wash away the dust of three hundred miles of Frankish road!" "To Rome." "To Rome!" "Yes, to Rome!" "Glorious center of Caesar's rule!" "But far away, in Palestine..." "another man is coming home." "Saul, humble merchant of Tarsus, is about to be struck down by a vision." "What thing is this?" "Gloria DeLamour has been checked into Our Lady of Perpetual Rest to dry out." "You have a 10:00 a.m. with Monsignor O'Reilly at the Wallace Beery Conference Room." "And he's bringing Lester Silkwood from the Legion of Catholic Decency and we've also invited Patriarch Vlassos for the Eastern view." " Have they've read the script?" " Roger." "Let's also invite a rabbi, and a Protestant padre of some sort" " ... so we can get everybody's two cents." " Check." "How's production on "Tucumcari"?" "Principal is on schedule but second unit has been idle in Gallup New Mexico for 4 days." "Heavy rain." " Forecast?" " Not good." "Send an insert truck and have them shoot driving plates for "Came the Rain."" " Check." " "Jonah's Daughter" still behind?" "Yes, director says the problem is DeeAnna and she's getting worse." "I know what it is." "I'll drop in on her after my 10 o'clock." "All right, let's call New York." "Mr. Schenk's ofﬁce, line 2." "Hi Dorothy, Eddie Mannix." "The old man in?" "Hi, Mr. Mannix, I'll check." "Natalie, I want the box ofﬁce on "The Debonaires" and on "Blessed Event."" "Can you also..." "Yes." "Good morning." " How're you doing?" " Mr. Schenk." "Very well, thank you." " Yeah." "How's our productions." " Proceeding..." "Proceeding..." ""Merrily We Dance" starts shooing today." "Beardley Auberon gave us a draft that's extremely classy." "Joan Van Vechten is playing Dierdre, but we need a male lead" " and we need him now." " Jack Hogarth available?" "No, Jack Hogarth is drying out at Cedars." " Well, what about Gable?" " Metro won't lend us Gable unless we give them the Kemsky Twins." " Now, that ain't worth it." " Of course not, I agree." "What about that kid, Hobie?" " What?" " Hobie Doyle." "Hobie Doyle?" "!" "Do you really think so?" "After all he's-he's a dust actor!" "The man barely knows how to... talk!" " But, people like him, right?" " Yes, of course Mr. Schenk," "I agree, but I don't know if Hobie Doyle, if he has the... the... the..." "poise in a dinner jacket." " We need an actor now, am I correct?" " Yes, we do need someone pronto." " You got a better idea?" " No I don't." "That's very true." "Let me talk to Laurence Laurentz, the director." "It could work." "It could work." "Hobie Doyle is a very promising idea." "Whitey !" "And cut!" "Great, Hobie." "I can do the handstand smoother if ya gimme another shot at her." "We've got four good ones, Hobie, and Whitey is tired." "Okay, you're the bossman." "If that's lunch I'm gonna grab me a plate a beans." "All right kids, this is Rome!" "You're over at this guy's house for a revel, and in comes Antoninus." "Lots of energy!" "What're you doing at the table of viands?" "!" " Huh?" " You're supposed to be reclining, with the lyre!" " I..." "I'm sorry." " Recline with the lyre!" "Don't sit on the pediment." "Recline." " Relaxed, festive!" " Alright." " Extras, set?" " Set!" " Roll sound." " I got my eye on you." "Roll camera." "Fountain!" "Hail, Caesar!" "10A ." "Take 10." "And action!" "Autolochus!" "I had heard rumors of your return to Rome!" "More than rumors, noble Sestimus!" "I see that you are the same worshiper of Bacchus." "What gaiety." "There is still truth in the adage," ""What pleasures cannot be found in the villa of Sestimus Ainydias, cannot be found in Rome!"" "But seriously, there is talk that the senate will send our legions out again and this time not on a short march to Gaul." "What truth to these mutterings, Sestimus?" "The matter has been taken up in the Senate." "It seems that there is unrest in Palestine." "Palestine?" "That backwater!" "They'll hardly be sending the Sixth Legion to that godforsaken patch of desert!" "Palestine." " Ah hahaha..." " Ha ha ha..." "Palestine!" "Holding for a dissolve, still laughing, holding..." "and cut." "Fine, boys, that was just ﬁne." " Was I alright?" " It's a cut!" "We'll move on to the brasier scene." "Was I alright with the mutterings," " I felt a little..." " Nah, it's fine." "Moving on." "Brasier scene, 20 minutes." "Popping over to my trailer." "Okay, in the brasier scene, they changed "passion" to "ardor."" "What?" "Why?" "I like passion." "It's strong." "It's Passion!" "Such is my greeting after three months' sojourn in Gaul?" "Not so, Ursulina, my..." "my ardor... my ardor is yet as warm..." "as the embers of this brasier." "The embers of this brasier..." "brasier." " They're ready for you, Mr. Whitlock." " Not so, Ursulina." "Gentlemen, thank you all for coming" "I know you have parishes, ﬂocks and temples making enormous demands on your time." "But I'm sure you appreciate also that great masses of humanity look to pictures for information and uplift and, yes, entertainment." "Now here at Capitol Pictures, as you know, an army of technicians and actors and top-notch artistic people are working hard to bring to the screen the story of the Christ." "It's a swell story." "A story told before, yes, but we like to ﬂatter ourselves that it's never been told with this kind of distinction and panache." "Perhaps, sir, you forget its telling in the holy Bible." "Quite right, Patriarch." "The Bible of course is terriﬁc." "But, for millions of people, pictures will be their reference point for the story, the story's embodiment;" "The story's..." " Realization." " Realization." "You "realize," of course, that for we Jews, any visual depiction of the Godhead is most strictly prohibited." "Oh." "But of course, for us, the man Jesus Nazarene is not God." "Ah-ha." "Who plays Christ?" "A kid we're all very excited about, Todd Hocheiser, wonderful young actor we found in Akron, Ohio in a nationwide talent hunt." "But Hocheiser is seen only fleetingly, and with extreme taste;" "our story is told through the eyes of a Roman tribune," "Autolochus Antoninus, an ordinary man skeptical at ﬁrst but who comes to a grudging respect for this swell ﬁgure from the East." "And Autolochus is played by..." "Baird Whitlock." "Oh my." "Well, he is certainly a great talent." "Now, "Hail, Caesar!" is a prestige picture;" "our biggest release of the year." "We are devoting huge resources to its production in order to make it ﬁrst-class in every respect." "Gentlemen, given it's enormous expense we don't want to send it to market except in the certainty that it will not offend any reasonable American, regardless of faith or creed." "Now that's where you come in." "You've read the script;" "I wanna know if the theological elements of the story are up to snuff." "I thought the chariot scene was fakey." "How is he going to jump from one chariot to the other, going full speed?" "Uh-huh, well, we can look at that." "But, as for the, religious aspect... does the depiction of Christ Jesus cut the mustard?" "Well." "The nature of the Christ is not quite as simple" " ... as your photoplay would have it." " How so, Father?" "It is not the case simply that Christ is God, or God Christ." "You can say that again!" "The Nazarene was not God!" " He was not not-God." " He was a man!" " Part God." " No sir!" "Rabbi, all of us have a little bit of God in us don't we?" " Well..." " It is the foundation of our belief that Christ is most properly referred to as the son of God." "It is the son of God who takes the sins of the world upon himself so that the rest of God's children, we imperfect beings, through faith, may enter the kingdom of heaven." " So God is... split?" " Yes." "And no." " There is unity in division." " And division in unity." "I'm not sure I follow, Padre." "Young man, you don't follow for a very simple reason:" "these men are screwballs." "God has children?" "What, and a dog?" "A collie maybe?" "God doesn't have children." "He's a bachelor." "And very angry." " No, no." "He used to be angry!" " What, he got over it?" " You worship the god of another age!" " Who has no love!" "Not true!" "He likes Jews." " God loves everyone!" " God is love." "God is who is." "This is special?" "Who isn't who is?" "But how should god be rendered in a motion picture?" "God isn't in the motion picture!" "Then who's Todd Hocheiser?" "Gentlemen, maybe we're biting off more than we can chew." "We don't need to agree on the nature of the deity here:" "if we can focus on the Christ, whatever his... parentage." "My question is:" "is our depiction fair?" "I've seen worse." "Reverend?" "There is nothing to offend a reasonable man." "Father?" "The motion picture teleplay was respectful and exhibited tastefulness and class." "Who made you an expert all of a sudden?" "And, What do you think, Rabbi?" "Eh." "I haven't an opinion." "How'd we do?" " I don't... fine." "What's up?" "Can't ﬁnd Baird Whitlock." "He left the set over an hour ago, said he was going to his dressing room but he isn't there." "Out on a bender?" "Middle of the day?" "Am I crazy." "You're not crazy, but no." "I checked the Til Two, Dan Tana's, Rusty Scupper." "Not a soul." " Home, maybe?" "Called his Wife?" " Yep." "What'd Laura say?" "He's not home, he's never home, he's a louse, try one of his chippies." " Called that script girl, what's her name, Francine?" " Check." " Any of the gals missing from the set?" " Nope." "Alright, gone an hour?" "We won't worry yet." "Hobie?" "The Studio says you're finished here and you're to report back to the Lot." " How come?" " They're changing your image." "Okay." "And the Studio says you're escorting Carlotta Valdez to your premier tonight." "How come?" "I don't know her." "Studio's arranging it, they're changing your image." "Damn it!" "You have gas again, ma'am?" "Ma'am?" "Miss!" "Do I look married?" " No, miss." " No!" "Yeah, gas again." "Ask him, he knows." "Alright, scram." "How are you, DeeAnna?" "How am I?" "Wet." "I don't think I'm going to ﬁt in that fish-ass after this week." "Well, we should have the water ballet in the can after tomorrow;" "in the nightclub scene, wardrobe'll have a gown for you that's more forgetting." "Any more thoughts about who you might marry?" "I ain't doing that again." "I had 2 marriages, and it just cost the studio a lot of money to bust them up." "Well, we had to have those annulled, one was to a minor mob ﬁgure ." "Vince was not minor!" "And, Buddy Flynn was a bandleader with a long history of narcotic use." "Yes, and that's what I'm saying, they were both louses." "Marrying a third louse ain't gonna do me no good." "We've offered you some very suitable, clean young men." "Pretty boys." "Saps and swishes!" "What?" "You think if there wasn't a good reliable man I wouldn't have grabbed him?" "What about Arne Seslum?" "He is the father, isn't he?" "Yeah, yeah." "Marriage doesn't have to last forever." "But, DeeAnna, having a child without a father would present a public relations problem for the studio." "The aquatic pictures do very nicely for us..." "So you go and strap on the ﬁsh-ass and marry Arne Seslum." "The pictures do well for all of us." "And it's a tribute to you:" "the public loves you because they know how innocent you are." "That's true." "Let me see if Arne is open to matrimony." "You're sure he's the father?" "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Absolutely." "He's the father, yes." "Pretty sure." "Hey, Maxie, bring me my ass back!" "Hey, hey." "Buddy, come here." "CAPITOL PICTURES STUDIOS" " How ya doing, Hobie?" " Hello there, Scotty." "They got you shooting on the lot?" "Well, Mr. Mannix, pulled me off the Western, says I'm doing a movie on a sound stage." "They built a drawing room." "He's here, Mr. Laurentz." "Ah." "My dear boy, welcome." "Laurence Laurentz." "And you look wonderful, wonderful, how do you feel?" "Well, this here collar..." "collar is a little tight." "No no, no, it's nicely ﬁt, looks a marvel, just takes a little getting used to." "Now, Hobie." "Here is our set." "And, in fact, that's right, yes." "You enter from there, having just seen Biff's valise in the foyer, in spite of Allegra's claim that he hasn't been to the house." " I'm sweet on Allegra." " Indeed you are." " But I've seen Biff's grip." " Indeed you have." "And so here we ﬁnd you..." "Hobie, we ﬁnd you haunted by unspoken suspicions." "Haunted." "By Biffs grip." "By his valise, yes, but, but, here is Dierdre, harboring deep feelings for you, and sensing opportunity." " Dierdre." " Dierdre, yes." "So at her importuning, you join her on the couch, and conversation ensues." " So, she's-she's gonna importune, Mr. Laurence?" " Laurentz." "Oh, I'm sorry." "She's gonna importune, Mr. Laurentz?" "Is that something I should be concerned about?" "She'll simply ask you to join her on the couch, is all I mean to say, and conversation ensues." "Okay, I gotcha." "Very good, very good, let's try one shall we?" " Sure, I'll give her a go." " Wonderful." "Splendid." "The only thing I would suggest is... before your ﬁrst line, you respond to her line with a mirthless chuckle." "A mirthless chuckle." "Yes, I think given your unspoken suspicions about Allegra," " A mirthless chuckle." " Uh-huh." " Okay, Mr. Laurence, I'll give it a shot." " Laurentz." "Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Laurentz." "I'll give it a shot." ""MERRILY WE DANCE" 27A, Take 1" "Action." "Oh, Monty." "Come join me on the divan." "It seems Allegra's a no show;" "which is simply a bore." "But, I'll partner you in bridge." "Why the pout?" "Would that it were so simple." "And cut." "That's a cut." "Very good." "Wonderful in fact." "But let's try it a little differently this time." " Sure." " Let's try." "Well, let's see, ﬁrst of all why don't we dispense with the mirthless chuckle." " No mirthless chuckle." " No, no need, really." "It was a bad idea, bad directorial, my fault, over thinking the thing." "Well if you say so, but I'm happy to do another, maybe try her one more time." "I mean if you want that chuckle I sure wanna give her to ya." "No no no, completely unnecessary under the circumstances," "I think the audience can to that extent they can read your thoughts, and they, they will assume your mirthlessness." " Okay, you're the bossman, Mr. Laurence." " Laurentz." "Oh, gosh, I'm sorry, Mr. Laurentz." "Also, this time, let's try, actually looking at Dierdre as we speak, looking into her eyes, and speaking our line with a certain... ruefulness." " Ruefulness, okay." " Yes." "Because it's not so simple, you see." " Not so simple as she suggest." " Okay." "And..." "Your feelings are not so simple." "No, sir." "Okay." "Roll camera." ""MERRILY WE DANCE" 27A, Take 2" "Action." "Oh, Monty." "Come join me on the divan." "It seems Allegra's a no show;" "which is simply a bore." "But, I'll partner you in bridge." "Why the pout?" "Would that?" "It were so simple." "Cu..." "Cut." "Very good." "Very good." "Umm." "Come." "Come." "All right, let's try this, your line, just say it as I say it, say your line exactly as I'm about to." " Just as I'm about to do." " Sure, okay." "Would that it'were so simple." "Would that it'wuuuhs so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it'wuuuhs so simple." "My dear boy, why do you say that?" "Why do you say, "twuuuuuh"?" " Well, you said, say it like I say it." " Yes, but..." "Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." "Would that it..." "Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." "No, no." "Watch my mouth." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." "Keep your head still." "Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." "Would..." "I'm trying to say that, Mr. Laurentz." "Laurence." "Mm." "I thought..." "a minute ago it was Laurentz." "No." "We can use Christian names, my good dear boy, Laurence is fine." " Just as I call you Hobie?" " Okay." "So." "Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it twuu..." " Put your hand down." ""Would that it'were so simple." Trippingly." "Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." "Trippingly." "Don't say trippingly." "Say the line trippingly." "Would that it twuuuuuuh..." "Would..." "Would..." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." "Rueful, rueful, rueful." "Hmm." " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would..." " Rueful, simple." " Would that it twuuu..." " Sorrowful simple." "You can say sorrowful." "Rueful." "Sorrowful." " Would that it'were so simple." " Would that it tw..." " Would that it twuuuuuuh," " Why?" "Why are you doing this?" " Would that it twuuuuuuh, so simple." " Keep still." "Stall?" "!" "For how long?" "What do I tell the director?" "That we're looking for him." "But we don't want it in the gossip columns." "Baird on a bender or in a love nest or wherever we end up ﬁnding him." "As far as the set is concerned it's business as usual." "Tell the A.D. Baird is out brieﬂy with a high ankle sprain." "Fine, but what do we shoot without him?" "We got the brasier scene up this afternoon." "Could you get through it shooting around him?" "Maybe use his stunt double, Chunk Mulligan." "Chunk can't act." "Get the writer to trim his speeches." "Well maybe, but then what do we do?" "All we got left is the ﬁnal scene." "Autolochus's speech at the feet of the penitent thief." "It's the emotional climax of the entire picture!" "We got to see Autolochus has absorbed the message of the Christ!" " Yeah, I can see that." " We need Baird's star power, his charisma." "Sure, his emotional..." "This can't be faked!" "It's the heart and soul of the picture!" " I understand." " End of the film, we can't just give that speech to some... some..." "Roman schmoe." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "I got it." "But his benders can last a day or two." " What does it cost to shut down?" " Plenty." "You know how big the picture is, we're on Stages 5 and 14, if we're carrying everybody in the final scene who's up on cruciﬁxes that's 340 an hour hardship pay, 8 hour minimum." " Yeah." "Yeah." " Plus, we lose..." " Mr. Mannix, I'm sorry." " Not now." "... we lose Todd Hocheiser to Fox at the end of the week." "Shoulda made him exclusive; who knew." " Sorry, sir." "It's..." " Not now!" "It's Mr. Laurentz, I can't stop him!" " Mannix, I won't have it!" " No, no." "For two decades the words "Laurence Laurentz presents"" " has meant something to the public!" " It's alright, Natalie." "Okay, Walt, let me know." "What's on your mind, uh..." "Laurence?" "Hobie Doyle cannot act!" "Hobart Doyle is one of the biggest movie stars in the world." "On horseback!" "But this is a drama, Mannix." "A real drama, it's an adaptation of a Broadway smash!" "It requires the skills of a trained thespian, not a rodeo clown." "I begged you for Lunt!" "Mr. Mannix, I'm sorry, but, you wanted me to make sure you didn't miss your lunch at the Imperial Gardens." "You never told me who with." "Nuts." "Look, no one wants to see Lunt." "We're not recasting, this came from Mr. Schenk himself, it's Hobie Doyle." "Is the boy game?" "Oh, he's game." "And gamey!" "Well, if he need help, it's your job to help him." "I'll have a talk with Hobie and take a look at what you've shot, but right now, I've got a lunch." "What truth to these mutterings, Sestimus." "Quiet, Engels." "How pleasant to see you, Mr. Mannix, your table is right over here." "Thank you, Arthur." " How ya doing, Mannix?" " Mr. Cuddahy." "They mix a hell of a Mai Tai." "I like this place." "Sorry to keep you hanging, it's a tough decision." "Nothing to apologize for, we said the deal was on the table for a week." "Go ahead." "Nah, I'm..." "I'm trying to quit." "I just wanted to visit again to see if there was some impediment we could help with, or if something in the offer isn't clear?" "The offer's very clear." "And very generous." "We want to make it easy for you to say yes." "Look Mannix, we need a guy with your talents in management, problem-solving." "And you need to think about the future." "Lockheed is booming." "Everyone is riding in airplanes, and we're moving into jet airplanes." "It's a new age, Mannix, and we're part of it;" "the industry you're in, what's the future there?" "What happens when everybody owns a television set?" "Will they still be going to pictures every week?" " Well, we like to think that family..." " I don't mean to denigrate." "I'm sure the picture business is pretty damned interesting." "But it's also pretty frivolous, isn't it?" "Aviation is serious;" "serious business, serious people." "You won't be babysitting a lot of oddballs and misﬁts, shouldering a lot of crackpot problems." "We have some kooks, sure, but..." "Of course they're kooks, it's all make-believe." "I told myself I wasn't gonna badmouth the competition, and look at me." "Sorry, Mannix, I'll stick to what we're about." "Let me show you something." " Ever heard of the Bikini atoll?" " No." "A test site, just a couple of rocks in the middle of the Paciﬁc until a few weeks ago." "When we blew the Aitch erino." "Shouldn't be telling you this." "It's the real world." "Hydrogen bomb." "Fusion device." " Armageddon." " And Lockheed was there." "We had a..." "Call for you, Mr. Mannix." "Thank you." " Hello." " Mr. Dubrow has a telegram on a kidnapping." " He has it now?" " Yes, he does." "Shall he bring it to you?" "No, have him stay on the set, I'll go to him." "Okay, good bye." "Sorry, Cuddahy, work emergency." "Still do work there, for the day anyway." "You make a good case." "I'll let you know." "You one of the Hollywood people?" "Maybe." "They're in there." "Please!" "Enter!" "All are welcome!" "Ah!" "Those things are a nuisance." "Thank you." "We'll have sandwiches in a minute." " Tea?" " Tea?" "Uh." "Okay." "Yeah." " And, uh..." " And what's going on?" " Yeah." " Well, we've just read the minutes and Tom was about to bring up new business." "I missed the minutes." " I wouldn't worry about it." " They're usually pretty boring." "What kind of a meeting is this?" "Well it's not a "meeting," so much as a, a..." "It's a... more of a, a study group." "And you're studying?" "Oh, all sorts of jolly stuff." " History." " Economics." "Same thing, isn't it?" "History, economics?" "Don't you agree?" "Well..." "I 'm..." "I'm not really a student of history." "Quiet, Engels." "So..." "Thank you." "... man is split?" "Well, man's functions are split." "There's the little guy, the regular Joe, who works for a living." "He's the body, uh. . body politic." "Then there's the brain, the boss, the owner..." " The boss is not the brain!" " No, no!" "The boss is parasite!" "Well it's true that the boss doesn't work, but he has a function." "He controls the means of production, sure, but that's not a function, that's..." " Parasitism!" "On the body!" " Shut up!" "On the body politic!" "Of the regular Joe!" "It's..." "Man is oddity, a simple economic agent." "Man's institutions are split, expressing contradictions that must be worked through." "And they are worked through in a causative, predictable way:" "history is science." "This is the essence of the dialectic." "You see, if you understand economics, you can actually write down what will happen in the future, with as much conﬁdence as you write down the history of the past." "Because it's science." "It's not make believe." "We don't believe in Santa Claus." "Another ﬁnger sandwich?" "Oh... thank you." "But if I follow this correctly..." "Who's that guy?" "Mr. Smitrovich takes pictures for our newsletter." "Our understanding of the true workings of history, give us access to the levers of power." "Your studio, for instance, is a pure instrument of capitalism." "As such it expresses the contradictions of capitalism, and can be enlisted to ﬁnance its own destruction." "Which is exciting!" "It can be made to help the little guy, the regular Joe." " The body politic!" " Shut up!" "Even though it's purpose is to exploit the little guy." " And the body politic." " You are for the little guy." "For the little guy, against, it doesn't matter, history will be what it will be, and we already know what it will be," " but, yes, we're for the little guy." " Aren't you?" " Shut up!" " Are you joking?" "Me, for the little guy?" "Of course I'm for the little guy!" "Is this guy a comedian?" "Listen." "I better get back, the studio's got to be going nuts." "Can we cut it off now and pick it up right here at the next study session?" "Okay, well, See." "I'm afraid it's not that simple." "And so Baird Whitlock found himself in the hands of Communists." "Meanwhile, far from the crashing surf of Malibu," "Eddie Mannix, torn from his lunch with the Lockheed man." "hurries back to the vastness of Capitol Pictures, whose tireless machinery clanks on, producing this year's ration of dreams for all the weary peoples of the world." "Hey, numbskull, didn't you see the "Rolling" light was on." "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix." "Can I help you ﬁnd someone?" "No." " Autolochus." " Yeah?" "Why do you present yourself in my chambers in such humble fashion?" "Do not look upon me, Ursulina." "The ﬁres of the brasier of Sestimus have latterly burned my face!" "Though the unguents of Arkimideus promise shortly to undo the damage." "Autolochus, you knew that my love is for you, not for your station." "And my ardor for you is yet as warm as the embersh of thish bras... this... this ember..." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "You know, I'm sorry." ""We are the future."" " What does that mean?" " Beats me." "Somebody slipped it under my door some time after we broke this morning." " You mention it to anyone?" " Nope." "Okay, Walt, let's keep it that way." "Hey, by the way." "Chunk sounded good in there." "EDWARD MANNIX HEAD OF PHYSICAL PRODUCTION" "Natalie, could you please get me Stu Schwartz, Accounting?" "Stu Schwartz on two." " Stu, how are you?" " Good, Eddie." " I need some petty cash." " Okay." " A hundred thousand." " A hundred thousand?" " I'm sorry, did I say "petty"?" " You did." "Well, it's a long story and I'll tell it to you sometime." " You have that much in the ofﬁce?" " Yeah." "How much space will that take up?" " Mr. Mannix." " Okay, this might do it." "Uh." "Thora Thacker just came in, wonders if you have a moment?" "Thora Thacker." "Tell her I'm stuck on a call." "I'll leave through the patio." "Call didn't take so long, then." "Yes... no." "Fast talkers." "What can I do for you, Thora?" "Well, I'll be fast too." "I only wanted to notify you as a courtesy that I'm running my very Whitlock story." "Yeah?" "What's the story?" "The story." "I have a credible source and I'm going to run it, and I think you know what story I mean." "I have no idea." "There's nothing going on With Baird." " I would know, wouldn't I?" " Don't play dumb, Eddie." "I'm talking about..." ""On Wings as Eagles."" " What?" " Running it tomorrow." "First of all." "First of all, there's nothing to that story." "I've heard it, it's been around forever, and it's never been conﬁrmed." "And secondly, you can't print that." "Even if you could print it, you couldn't print it." "And you wouldn't want to." "Thora, it's beneath you." "The facts are never beneath me." "People don't want the facts, they want to believe." "That's our great industry, mine and yours too." "They want to believe that Baird Whitlock is a great star, and a good man." " You're admitting he isn't." " No." "I'm saying he is, though it's beside the point." "There's nothing to it, nothing to the gossip." " I AM NOT A GOSSIP COLUMNIST!" " No, no, no." "Of course not." "Don't confuse me with my sister!" "Hardly." "But look..." " Do you have to run it tomorrow?" " It's my entire column." "I'm happy to talk to Baird for comment, but it'll have to be this afternoon." "Baird is unavailable right now." "Wait one day." "Thora, wait one day and I'll give you a true story for tomorrow's column." "A little something..." "about Hobie Doyle." "My readers don't care about Hobie Doyle." "He wears chaps." "Do they care about Carlotta Valdez?" "They're sweet on each other." "You should see the two of them together, like peas in a pod." "Trade the story of my career for a puff piece on Hobie Doyle?" " I don't think so." " You're not trading anything, you're waiting one day on a story that's years old." "Wait one day, I can let you talk to Baird and show you your story's the bunk, and if I'm wrong no skin off your nose, you run the column." "In the meantime you have an exclusive, no one else knows about Hobie and Carlotta." "No kidding." "You're it." "What kind of name is Thora, anyway?" "It's a name that 19 million readers trust." "Don't play games with them, Eddie." "Oh, no body's playing games here." "Is that big enough?" "Hello Eddie, I'm notifying you as a courtesy before I run tomorrow's story." "Thessaly, I just saw your..." "never mind." " How're you doing?" "What's the story?" " It's about Baird Whitlock." "There is absolutely no truth to that old story, believe me!" " Old ?" " Old." "Stale." "Rotten." "I'm talking about today." "What?" "A little bird told me that he disappeared from the set today." "Oh!" "That." "No, no, yes, he did have to take a break." " Minor injury, high ankle sprain." " What did you think I meant?" "No, nothing." "I saw your sister earlier, she was trying to resurrect some old gossip about Baird." "Oh, I'm sure she was." "That cow." "She wouldn't know a news story if it bit her on the posterior." " Yeah." "Well, she's..." " High ankle sprain?" "Is that really the best you could come up with?" "We all know about the womanizing and the drinking jags and the trips to San Berdoo." "Baird is a good family man." "He has a high ankle sprain." "Mr. Mannix!" " What's up, Peanut?" " Natalie told me to ﬁnd you PDQ." "I know it sounds screwy, but she said someone's calling from the Future." "The futh..." "Good lord." "Thessaly, I have to run." "If you do know where Baird is, you must let me talk to him." "Sure, I'll find out where he is, right away, Thessaly, and I'm sure..." "Say, what kind of name is Thessaly, anyway?" "It's a name that 20 million readers trust." "They want the truth, Eddie." "The Truth." "Yes." "We're going to give it to them." " On 3." "And Hobie Doyle is in there." " Right." " Hello, Mr. Mannix." " Thanks for coming, Hobie." "One second." "Hello, Mannix..." "Damn." "Hung up, Natalie." "Tell me the second they call back." "Yes, sir." "What's going on there, Mr. Mannix?" "Looks like you're expecting rain." "Nah, it's... nothing." "How's the ﬁrst day on the picture?" "Getting comfortable?" "Oh, I guess it's going pretty good, that Mr. uh..." "Laurentz, he's an awful good man, he's helping me get through it," "I give him all the credit in the world, me the new hand in the bunkhouse, they got me talking a lot which takes a little... getting use to, talking with the camera looking at me but heck I enjoy." "Oh, good, that's fine." "Usually on a picture I just say "Whitey!" or "Whoa, there,"" "but, this-here it's talking, and it's people listening, that threw me little at ﬁrst but I think I got my leg up onner now." "That's ﬁne." "Laurence came in this morning to tell me how well you're doing." "You just continue to do whatever he says." "He knows how to make a quality picture." "That is true, he will not quit on a take until it has quality." "Is that them?" "Sorry sir, no, do you want Mrs. Mannix on 1?" " Hi, hon." " Hi." "Oh, you know, busy." "Uh-huh." "Uh-huh." "I thought he asked to play inﬁeld." "I see." "Well maybe we should make him honor that commitment." "That's true." "Of course you're right." "Okay." "Okay, I'll call the coach." " Sure." " Love you." "I love you too." "Mr. Mannix, you want me to run out and get you a bigger grip?" "That one looks a little bit snug." "Hobie." "There's a hundred thousand dollars in that attache case." "Ransom money." "Baird Whitlock has been kidnapped." "This is bad." "Bad for movie stars everywhere." "And you got no idea who's mixed up in this thing?" " I would look at the extries." " The extras." "Why?" "Well, you just never know about an extrie." "They come and go." "Every one else, I'm on the set," "I see the guy setting the 5K I think, "Why, there's old Bud, setting the 5K."" "Script girl, wrangler, same thang." "Extries, that's different." "Not making a blanket call here, I mean, there's good extries and bad extries." "All I'm saying." "You look at an extrie, you got no idea what he's thinking." "He's back, line 2." " Hello." " Do you have the money?" " Yes, I have it." " Stage 8." " Stage 8." " Behind the electrical box." "Behind the electrical box." " Just leave it there?" " Right." " When do I get Baird?" " When we have the money." "I'll do it right now." "Can I use your belt?" "SWINGIN' DINGHY" "The 'SWINGIN' DINGHY' is closing, folks." "Time for me to clean up." "Time for you to clear out." "So long, fellas." "See you in 8 months." " See you later." " Later, boys." "8 months?" "Yeah, we're shipping out in the morning." "Golly!" "8 months without a dame." " Can you beat it?" " You gonna have to beat it." "♪ We are heading out to sea ♪" "♪ and however it will be, ♪" "♪ it ain't gonna be the same. ♪" "♪ cause no matter what we see, ♪" "♪ when we're out there on the sea, ♪" "♪ we ain't gonna see a dame. ♪" "♪ we'll be searching high and low ♪" "♪ on the deck and down below ♪" "♪ but it's a crying shame. ♪" "♪ Oh, we'll see a lot of fish ♪" "♪ but we'll never clock a dish. ♪" "♪ We ain't gonna see a dame. ♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪" "♪ we might see some octopuses ♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪" "♪ or a half a dozen clams ♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪" "♪ we might even see a mermaid ♪" "♪ But mermaids got no gams!" "♪" "♪ No gams!" "♪" "Hey, get off of there." "Hey, come one." "Hey!" "Come on." "Hey!" "Oh, come on." "Oh, Christ." "Oh, come on!" "♪ Have I got a girl for you. ♪" "♪ out there on the sea!" "♪" "♪ Here's how it will be ♪" "♪ I'm gonna dance with you, pal ♪" "♪ you're gonna dance with me!" "♪" "♪ When we're out there on the sea ♪" "♪ we'll be happy as can be ♪" "♪ Or so the Captain claims!" "♪" "♪ But we have to disagree. ♪" "♪ Cause the only guarantee ♪" "♪ Is I'll see a lot of you ♪" "♪ And you'll see a lot of me!" "♪" "♪ And it's absolutely certain ♪ ♪ That we'll see a lot of sea. ♪" "♪ But we ain't gonna see ♪ ♪ no dames. ♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪ ♪ We're going to sea!" "♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪ ♪ We're going to sea!" "♪" "♪ No dames!" "♪ ♪ We're going to sea!" "♪" "♪ We ain't gonna see ♪" "♪ No... ♪" "This place looks open!" "What the..." "You, out." " Stop." " Hey!" "Cut that out." "This ain't that kind of a place." "Cut!" " Ah, okay." " Okay, kids, back to one." "Okay." "Come here, Burt Gurney." "We go again." "Anything different, Mr. Seslum?" "Yah, yah, yah, No, no, no." "Mostly pretty good, but this time..." "Don't put dish rag on bartender's head." "You're a big star, Burt Gurney." "Who cares about the bartender." "You are the star." " That's my whole character, this little bird." " Mr. Seslum, I don't mind if he..." " It is decided." " Hello, Burt." "Hello, Mr. Mannix." " Arne." " Hello." "Listen, I don't want to stick my nose in other people's business, but, uh, I understand you've been..." "associating with DeeAnna Moran?" " Yah, yah." "We associated." " Yes." "But no more." "No more." "Don't you worry, Eddie Mannix." "But Arne, you are aware that she's..." "This must not be in movie magazines, that we associated." " No, no, of course not." " My wife cannot read this." "Your...excuse me?" "Ilsa Pﬂug." " Ils..." " Ilsa Pﬂug Seslum." "In Malmo." " I was not aware of that." " Yah, two children." "Well, a third on the way, apparently." "Do you enjoy physical culture, Eddie Mannix?" "Do you ski?" "No, I, uh, never took it up." "Seems like a lot of fun." "I no more associate with DeeAnna Moran." "I hug you." "Good bye." "I spent the night." "So I feel somebody poking at me and I wake up and it's Clark." "And he says," ""Well, your keys aren't in there, so I guess we're walking."" "This was back before Gable was Gable." "We used to go to San Berdoo every weekend," "Bob Stack would come up sometimes, the Blue Grotto was still open." "Dave Chasen was a busboy." "Quite a place!" "Yours?" "Oh, gracious no." "It belongs to a member of our study group." "He couldn't be here this afternoon" "He'll be sad to have missed you." " He's a fan." " Uh-huh." "That's swell." "So, I black out, I wake up here and I say to myself," "Baird, you got to stop doing this, but you're saying, actually, technically I was kidnapped." "Well... technically, yes." " And there's gonna be a ransom." " I'd hardly call it a "ransom."" "Benedict there, that's Benedict de Bonaventure, he wrote "The House of Ahasuaris."" "Enormous hit." "Made the studio millions of dollars." "Did you see any of those millions of dollars, Ben?" "I did not." "Dutch over there, Dutch Zweistrong wrote "All The Way To Uruguay"." "I wrote all the "All The Way" pictures." "All successful." "You see any of the proﬁts, Dutch?" " HA!" " All of us here are writers." "The pictures originated with us, they're our ideas, but they're owned by the studio." "I'm not saying only writers are being exploited, I mean, look at yourself, Baird." "Oh, you know, the studio takes pretty good care of me." "What're you, a child?" "I think what Herschel's trying to say is— just because the studio owns the means of production," "Why should it be able to take the money... our money, the value created by our labor, and dole out what it pleases?" "That's not right." "So, no." "No, I wouldn't call it "ransom."" " Payback." " That's right." "Now, until quite recently our study group had a narrow focus." "We concentrated on getting communist content into motion pictures." "Always in a sub Rosa way, of course." "And we've been pretty darn successful." "You remember, in "Kerner's Corner", the Town Hall scene, where the aldermen overturn the rotten election and make Gus the mayor?" "Yeah." "I like to think we've changed a few minds." "But, then." "Well." "Then Dr. Marcuse came down from Stanford, joined the study group." "And started teaching us about direct action." " Praxis." " Action." "We each pursue our own economic interest, we ourselves are not above the laws of history." "But in pursuing our interest with vigor, we accelerate the dialectic, and hasten the end of history and the creation of the New Man." " Plus, we make a little dough." " Shut up !" "We're not even talking about money, we're talking about economics." "Sure." "Good." "Good stuff." "So... now, do I get a... share of the ransom?" "Well, no, Mr. Whitlock." "You could hardly share in your own ransom." "That would be unethical." "Well, it doesn't seem fair, fellas!" "I mean, the whole set-up only works if I play along, right, if I don't let on that I know who kidnapped me?" "Yes, that's right." "What if I named names?" "Mmm." "If I..." "Just I... tell the truth?" "I don't think you'll do that, Mr. Whitlock." "What if we told the truth about..." ""On Wings as Eagles"?" "Sid." "we have to work something out for DeeAnna Moran." " She get married again?" " No, that's the problem." " Having a child, not married." " Tough." "Yeah." "No father." "Well, of course there is one, somewhere..." " But who knows." " Exactly." "So, is there any way," "I'm just spitballing here, any way she could adopt her own child?" " Interesting." " As a single..." " She disappears for a while, reappears." " Uh-huh." "And she wants to share her blessings, adopt a child." "Sure, she's always..." "yearned to be a mother." " That's it." " Well I don't see why not." "Nothing in California statute prohibits adoption by one's own parent." "This is new ground." "Technically, she'd have to give up the baby to a third party." " Joe Silverman." " Joe Silverman." "Exactly." "He's the foster father, for a few days." "She hands the kid to Joe, he hands it back." " I'll do some research." " Alright." " Mr. Mannix, it's 5:30." " This is exciting." "... and asked all the assistant directors." "One of them said that an extra in the courtyard of Sestimus-Aniydias scene seemed jumpy." "All right, get Walt the name of the extra so he can bring him in and sweat him." "Walt should tell him we won't press charges" " if he tells us where Baird's been taken." " Check." "If he plays dumb, or if the A.D.'s wrong and he is dumb," " ...check the other extras" " Check." "Thessaly Thacker called, said you promised her an interview with Baird today." " Check that, it was Thora Thacker." " No, it was Thessaly." "Tell her, he was at the doctor longer than expected, she can see him on the set bright and early tomorrow." " Check." "And is that last part true?" " Let's hope so." "That reminds me:" "I need a list of everyone who worked on "On Wings as Eagles" who's still at the studio." ""On Wings as Eagles", that's a while ago, now." "Aside from Baird and the director it won't be a long list." " Yeah, get it for me." "That it?" " No." "One more thing:" "a Mr. Cuddahy called, said you know him." " Yeah yeah." " Said it's urgent he see you one last time." "Suggested same place, seven this evening." "Why?" "Never mind." "Okay, tell him I'll be there." " Back to your place?" " Oh..." " Hello, CC." " I rather thought we might go to..." "Oh, hi, Eddie." "Wanna lace up what you got on "Merrily We Dance"?" "It's up now." "I'll put some music on it." "Laurence Laurentz presents" "Merrily We Dance" "Taxi!" " Back to your place?" " Oh, what a bore." "I rather thought we might go to Lake Onega for the weekend." "Just the two of us." "I don't have my valise I left it in your foyer." " Oh, you'll get by without a change." " Suits me." "If you don't mind skipping out on your own party, Allegra." " Suits me." " And skipping out on Monty." "That suits me as well." "Oh, poor Monty." " What Monty doesn't know." " Won't hurt Monty." "Oh, Monty." "Come join me on the divan." "It seems Allegra's a no show, which is simply a bore." "But, I'll..." "Reverse..." "Reverse." "Reverse." "I shouldn't wear scarves." "It seems Allegra's a no show, which is simply a bore." "But, I'll partner you in bridge." "Why the pout?" "It's... complicated." "How pleasant to see you again, Mr. Mannix." " Thanks for coming back, Mannix." " Sure." "You're taking us down to the wire, aren't you?" "It's not a ploy." "It's a big decision." "Absolutely!" "No foul." "But the board was concerned when I couldn't give them a yes this afternoon, so, they've authorized me to say this." "You sign on, your term of contract is 10 years." "Yeah." "You get it, right?" "That means your stock options are guaranteed to vest." "You'd never have to work again, if you chose to retire after your term." "Think about it." "Life time employment." "You wouldn't be a glorified working stiff like you are now." "You'll be running a business, not a circus." "Drink?" "Cigarette?" "No, no." "I got to run." "I should talk this over with my wife." "Of course, talk it over, think about your family, let us know in the morning." "Oh!" "If you think this is a bribe, you're absolutely right." "You have two kids, right, a boy and a girl?" "That's right." "They love this stuff." "Used to be trains." "Hello, Hobie." "Oh, hello, Carlotta." " Am I late?" " Oh no, it ain't nothing." "Thanks an awful bunch for coming to this picture with me," "I don't know if you like livestock but I think it's got moments" "I really do." "You look very pretty" "Well, thank you, Hobie." "I'm sure I'll like the picture I like all of your pictures." "Well, I like yours too, they are just the craziest things" "Is it hard to dance with all them bananas on your head?" "Oh, no." "Anyone can do it." "It's all in the hips and the lips and the eyes and the thighs." "Little Eddie wanted me to tell you about his baseball game." "They won." "That's terrific." "I should've never called the coach!" "Eddie played at shortstop?" "Mm, and he did so well, he wants to stay there now." "Great, it took care of itself." "And Darlene did very well on her Spanish test." "That's good, she was worried about that." "Thanks for heating up the roast, hon." " Warm glass of milk?" " No, thanks, hon." "Coffee." "I gotta run back to the studio, a few things to take care of." "Gee, another late night." "Mm." "You know..." "Lockheed improved their offer." "Darned good money." "And the hours wouldn't be crazy like this, either." "It's nice to be wanted." "Yeah, sure, but... what do you think?" "They wanna know tomorrow." "I like the shorter hours." "But what do you think, honey?" "You know best." "How's it going with the smoking, dear?" "Oh, you know..." "The denizens of Los Angeles make ready for nightlife, or for sleep." "But Eddie Mannix will have neither." "Even in westerly Malibu the sun has moved on, leaving the vast and tireless sea to heave itself blindly upon the shore." "The communists welcome a rare moment of leisure." "A brief surcease from struggle." "Baird Whitlock has become their acolyte, a convert to their cause, his belief compelled but not grudging." "He now seeks to learn more from professor Marcuse and becomes ever more committed to the quest to hasten an end to history and bring on the New Man." "That's exactly what I was talking about that's what happened to me when I went to Reno with Danny Kaye and he asked me to shave his back!" "Exact same thing!" "Because I'm thinking, who benefits?" "Also, I got to tell ya, everybody thinks Danny is a jerk he's not really a jerk, it's just the theory generating its own anti-theory." "Anyway, there we were, it's me and Danny, and I'm wondering what the hell am I doing with a razor in my hand he says it's for a Norman Taurog picture but Judy Canova is there and she knows Norman." "She says, "Danny is not doing a Norman Taurog picture, he just wants you to shave his back."" "And that's who benefits." "HOBIE DOYLE "Lazy OL' MOON"" "In livelier precincts, the swells of Dreamland gather to inspect the completed weave of another piece of gossamer." "Another movie, another portion of balm for the ache of a toiling mankind." " Where is she?" " Hold your horses, I'm right here." "What's on your mind, Curly?" "Not my fault you saw me take that pie off the sill," "Not your fault?" "Who's fault was it, Curly?" "Why that..." "crazy lazy full moon!" "2 weeks ago, you'd never see me take it." "Darn you, moon." "What good are you anyway." "Don't know about this part, they only gave me one shot at the song." "I wished there never was no moon." "I wished there weren't no bossy ol' women." "Don't blame that moon, Curly." "She can't do nothing but shine." "Lazy ol' moon keep shining." "Darn you." "You turn Curly Stirling in to the authorities for the last time." "Lazy ol' moon keep shining." "pining just to be" "On that old plantation, where I used to roam" "Light my weary way back home." "Darn, where'd she go?" "Lazy Old Moon keep shining, shining down for me" "Another part of town, another cast of characters." "Another task, for Eddie Mannix." "JOSEPH SILVERMAN SURETIES BONDS ." "ESCROW ... done before, which is not to say they were..." "Ah, we're just getting started, I've been taking DeeAnna through this." "So Joseph has done... well, just a whole lot of good work for us in the past" "Whenever we've needed a witness or a third party for," "I don't know, a petition of grievance or alienation of affection." " And he's reliable?" " I'm bonded, miss." "Joseph Silverman is the most reliable human being on the planet, in our experience." "When Chubby Cregar was intoxicated and hit that pedestrian on Gower, we had that vehicle title transferred to Joe's name and Joe did 6 months in LA County lock-up." "But you're off the sauce now?" "I never touch it." "It was a legal ﬁction." "That's right." "When the studio needs someone who meets the legal standard of..." " how did you put it, Sid?" " Personhood." "Joe steps in and acts as the, uh... person." "So you're a professional... person?" "That's right, miss." "Initial here, and here." "Joe will be the foster parent until such time as you adopt the child, which you can do as soon as Joe takes possession of it," " And he's reliable?" " I'm bonded, miss." "The release papers you're signing will not be a matter of public record." "all these documents will be sealed, until the year 2015." " And no one's the wiser." " No one the wiser" "No fans." "No press." "No court officials." " Not even a notary public." " Joe himself is the notary." "You must have very strong forearms." "Is it hard, squeezing it like that?" "It's part of the job, miss." " Late night, Mr. Mannix?" " A late night for both of us." "Will you call Projection 7 and have them lace up yesterday's dailies on "Hail, Caesar!"" "Sure thing." "Yesterdays" "Thanks, Scotty." "Roman before slaves!" "Make room!" "You fools!" "Roman before slaves!" "Roman before slaves!" "Make room!" " How's that, what'd you think?" " Cut!" " "Hail Caesar, 27 Baker Two."" " Action!" "Go ahead, I'm listening." "Walt talked to the extra, right guy, no info, doesn't know where they took Baird, but described the truck they put him in." "Cut!" "Walt found the guy who owns the truck and is talking to him." "Baker 4." " Walt's a problem-solver, he's a good man." " Action!" "What else?" "PR just called in their report on Hobie Doyle premier:" "Warm reception." "I felt something like I had some spittle." " Baker 6." " Action!" "Okay, he's terrific." "Squint!" "Squint against the grandeur." "He's blinding, blinding!" "Right." "Let's see what we can do here." "Okay." "Well, I don't think it's regulation size but, it'll have to do." "You ever hear of origami the Japanese do?" "Uh-huh." " This here is Italian origami." " Yeah." "See." "Now, you just..." "Let's see how she does now." "Oh, she's peeking back." "Hoh, there she goes." "Oh, she's bawling." "Clear!" "This is why I never order it with meat sauce." " How'd you get into pictures, Hobie?" " Got roped into it." "Stop." "Stop... playing..." "with your... food." "food!" " You're the one playing with it." " Stop it." "Pictures." "Well, I wrangled for a while and then they saw I could say a line or two." "and I was Bad Clem or Deppity Number Two or the guy's buddy for a couple of years and then someone heard me singing, they made me the guy." "You're awfully cute." "Aw heck, you ain't seen the half of it" "I'll show you cute, just a second here a little." "souvenir from my rode days." "Tell ya what, I was steer busting and I went down, the steer went up, and my teeth headed off for east Texas." "Here, it's coming round again." " You got to give a little." " Take a little." " And let your poor heart break a little" " And let your poor heart break a little" "That's the story of, that's the glory of love" "(Attache case with my belt..." "Ransom money)" "You've got to laugh a little, cry a little, let the clouds roll by a... (Thessaly Thacker) Well now, this is interesting." "(Thessaly Thacker) I didn't know you two were friends." "Aw heck yeah, we-we just caught my picture, "Lazy Ol' Moon"" "And I guess we're..." "Yes, we're friends, we're..." "Well, we're ﬁxing to be friendly, tell you that." "That's good: "Fixing to be Friendly" That can be my column headline." " Well, I guess that'd be okay." " Have a good evening." "I mentioned the name of my picture, I think we're supposed to do that." "(Thora) Well now, this is interesting." "(Thora):" "I thought I was getting an exclusive on this." "I'd like to know what the hell is going on here." "Well, like I said, we just saw "Lazy Ol' Moon", and..." "And Hobie and I are ﬁxing to be friendly." "WHAT?" " We're just..." " (Thora):" "Friends, my foot." "What's the matter, Hobie?" " I got to skedaddle, so sorry." " Oh." "I had to catch one of your pictures next time, I'm looking forward to it." "Goodbye, Hobie." "Hey, toss me them keys, pard." "I'm taking the car." "LOCKHEED INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT" "Hobie Doyle." "You're a communist too?" "So it's commies?" "You ever been in this place?" "Pretty nice, huh?" "It's Burt Gurney's!" "He sings, he dances." "He's got taste." "You here alone?" "Everyone else went down to the beach." "Well, all right, pard." "Let's us head on back to town." "You got Mr. Mannix worried sick." "Easy." "Easy." "Here." "Take care of him." " Tell him." " Give it to him." "Comrade!" "Comrade!" "We salute you." "You are going to Moscow to become Soviet Man." "and help forge the future." "We stay behind, continuing to serve in our disguise as capitalist handmaiden." "But, the money should go to the cause not to the servant of the cause." " Yes!" " That's right." "We..." "Well..." "Our modest contribution to the Comintern." "They will be pleased." "No!" "No!" "Eng...!" "Engels!" " Oh." " Oh..." "Oh, oh, no..." "Why did you do that?" "Why did you do that?" "Hoh." "Oh, boy, it's late." "I am in the doghouse." "Better forget about my place." "Drop me off at the Beverly Hills Hotel." "Alright then." "Huh!" " Who're you?" " Todd." "Todd..." "You have a hot breakfast or a box breakfast?" "I..." "I don't know." "Are you a principal or an extra?" "I think I'm a principal." "Yeah." "I'm thinking, "What the hell!"" "I've woken up in strange houses before but never without a broad next to me." " Uh-huh." " These guys were pretty interesting, though." "They've actually ﬁgured out the laws that dictate... everything." "History, sociology, politics, morality." "Everything." "It's all in a book called "Kapital", with a K." " That right?" " Yeah." "You're not gonna believe this, these guys even figured it out what's going on here at the studio." "Because the studio is nothing more than an instrument of capitalism." "Yes, so we blindly follows these laws like any other institution." "The laws these guys've ﬁgured out." "The studio makes pictures to serve the system, that's it's function, that's really what we're all up to, here." " Is it?" " Yeah, we're just conﬁrming what they call the "status quo."" "I mean, we might tell ourselves that we're "creating" something of artistic value, that there's some sort of spiritual dimension to the picture business, but what it is, is this fat cat," "Nick Schenk, out in New York running this factory that's serving up these lollypops to the... what did you use to call the a brand circuses for the..." "What?" "Wait..." "Now, you listen to me, buster." "Nick Schenk and this studio have been good to you and to everyone else who works here." "If I ever hear you bad mouthing Mr. Schenk again it'll be the last thing you say before I have you tossed into jail for colluding in your own abduction." "Eddie!" "I wouldn't, I would never do that." "Shut up." "You're going to go out there and you're going to finish "Hail, Caesar!"" "You're gonna give the speech at the feet of the penitent thief and you're gonna believe every word you say." "You're gonna do it because you're an actor and that's what you do." "Just like the director does what he does, and the writer and the script girl and the guy who claps the slate." "You're gonna do it because the picture has Worth and you have Worth if you serve the picture and you're never gonna forget that again." "Okay, Eddie, okay." "I won't forget it, Eddie." "You're damn right you won't." "Not as long as I run this dump." "Baird." "Go out there and be a star!" "Mr. Mannix!" "Since you're going to your car, I thought you might want to take this." " What is it?" " From DeeAnna Moran." "Thank you, and she doesn't need to adopt her baby after all." "Huh!" "She asked Joe Silverman out for dinner last night, and I guess it went well, they drove to Palm Springs and were married at three this morning." "Huh." "Will you be gone long?" "Today's call list." "No, less than an hour, personal errand." " Ah." " It's a nice arrangement." " She charged it to the studio." " Right." " (Thora):" "Just coming to see you." " Good morning." "Sorry about last night, Thora," "I didn't know your sister would show up." "Well that's as may be, but I certainly learned my lesson." "Whatever you say today, Eddie Mannix, my column tomorrow is about..." ""On Wings as Eagles."" " Thora, I wouldn't do that if I were you." " I'm sure you wouldn't." "No, no, no, you don't understand." "Let's sit down." "I'm telling you not to run the column, Thora, for your own good." "I can judge my own interest." "This will be the story of the year" "And it so happens, the Hearst Syndicate is looking to pick up a Hollywood column." " And you think this'll cinch it for you." " You know it will." "Baird Whitlock, your biggest star, got his ﬁrst major part in "On Wings as Eagles"" "by engaging in sodomy with the picture's director, Laurence Laurentz." "We've all heard the story." "But here's something you haven't heard:" "your source is a communist." "If you print it it'll be dismissed as a commie smear tactic and you'll be dismissed as a commie stooge." "Burt Gurney has left the country, the cell he was part of has been smashed by the police." "You might've thought he was credible because he's Mr. Laurentz's current... protege, but, you don't want to be seen as Burt Gurney's mouthpiece after this." "How did you know Burt was my source?" "Late last night, I talked to Laurence, put two and two together." "Well, no reason to send this since I ran into you." "It's by way of apology for Thessaly homing in last night." "I do value our friendship, Thora." "And I'm late for something important." "Why on your knees before this Hebrew, Autolochus?" "I encountered him before, Gracchus, beside the well of Jehosaphat." "And what manner of man." "He is a priest of the Israelites, despised even by the other priests." "No." "On yesterday's march, punished by the dust of the road," "I sought to drink ﬁrst at the well, before the slaves and my charge who's thirst was far greater than my own." "A Roman drinks before a slave." "This man was giving water to all." "He saw no Roman and he saw no slave." "He saw only men." "Weak men and gave suckle." "He saw suffering which he sought to ease." "He saw sin and gave love." "Love, Autolochus?" "He saw my own sin, Gracchus, and greed." "But in his eyes, I saw no shadow of reproach." "I saw only light." "The light of god." "You mean, of the gods." "I do not, friend Gracchus." "This Hebrew is a son of the one God, the God of this far-ﬂung tribe." "Why shouldn't God's anointed appear here, among these strange people to shoulder their sins." "Here, Gracchus." "In this, sun-drenched land." "Why should he not take this form." "The form of an ordinary man." "A man bringing us not the old truths." "but a new one." "A new truth." "A truth beyond the truth that we can see." "A truth beyond this world." "A truth told not in words but in light." "A truth that we could see if we have but... if we have but..." "Cut." "Cut!" "Faith." "Have but faith." "Faith." " Faith!" "Faith!" "God damn it!" " Roll it again." " Is it the..." " They changed it." "You got most of it, man." "You're alright." "Alright, hang on." "Could I get a pat down, I'm sweating like a pig in this thing." "Ah, son of a bitch!" "Bless me Father, for I have sinned." "How long since your last confession, my son?" "It's been..." "27 hours." "It's really too often, my son." " You're not that bad" " I don't know, father." "I snuck a cigarette or two." "I didn't make it home in time for dinner." "And I..." "I struck a movie star in anger." "All right." "Five Hail Marys." "Okay." "Okay." "Father." "Yes, my son?" "May I ask you something, father." "Of course, my son." "If there's something that's easy." "Is that..." "wrong?" " Easy?" " Uh... easy to do." "Easy to..." "Like an easy job." "No, it's not a bad job, it's not bad." "But..." "then..." "There's this other job." "That's..." "It's not so easy." "In fact, it's hard." "It's..." "It's so hard, Father, sometimes I don't know if I can keep doing it." "But, it..." "it..." "But it seems right." "I don't know how to explain." "God wants us to do what's right." "Yeah." "Yeah, course He does." "The inner voice that tells you what's right, it comes from God, my son." " Yeah, got it." " That's His way of saying that..." "Yeah, yeah, I got it." "Thanks." "Still raining in Gallup, New Mexico and the "Tucumcari" crew has shot all the plates we need for "Came the Rain."" "Well, just shoot the showdown in the weather and we'll retitle it." ""Tucumcari tempest"." ""Desert Squall". "Hold Back the Storm"." "The stories begin." "The stories end." "I don't know, bounce it off the writers." "So, it is be." "Here's today's call list." "Add a call to a Mr. Cuddahy at the Lockheed Corporation." "Long call, short?" ""Thanks but no thanks", how long was that?" " But the story of Eddie Mannix..." " Who do we call first?" "... will never end." "New York ﬁrst." "Time to check in with Mr. Schenk." "For his is a tale written in light everlasting."