"You were dreaming." "Yes." "You were talking in your sleep." " You said, "Love."" " Oh, yeah?" "I said, "Love"?" " What else did I say?" " Nothing else." " Who were you dreaming of?" " I don't know." " Hey, I don't know." "I don't know." " Never mind." "It doesn't matter." " You're expecting someone?" " No." " Where's my T-shirt?" " I don't know." " George Matthews?" " Yeah, that's me." "My name's Fred Carlson, from the Blackstone Finance Company." "Would you like to go get me the keys to the MG there?" "Yeah, but what for?" "Well, I'm going to take it into the company, and I'd like the keys so I don't have to go to the trouble of towing it." "You have to take it, huh?" "You were notified of the repossession date through the mail." "You apparently chose to ignore it." "So, unless you can come up with the back payments on it, 100 bucks," " I have to take it in." " Yeah, well, look, I don't have it right now." "What if I, you know, bring it in tomorrow?" "If you'd shown some sign of willingness, Mr. Matthews, call into the office, made some arrangement with us, we might have been able to avoid this." "Yeah, what if I brought the money in this afternoon," " you know, it's the soonest I could get it." " What time?" "He's just stalling." "Why don't you take the keys and save us a haul back out here?" "What's the matter?" "He said he'd bring it in this afternoon." "What a pair of Draculas." "All right." "I'll give you an extension until 3:00 this afternoon." "If the payment isn't in by then, well, we'll just have to come back and pick up the car." " The bastards!" " What are you going to do?" "Well, I don't have any choice." "I've got to find 100 bucks today." "Well, don't look at me." "I already paid the gas and phone bill." " And don't do that." "It won't help." " I'm thinking." "Okay?" " Ask Rob for it." " I already owe him 50." " What about your mother?" " I don't want to call her." "You didn't have to buy that car, you know." " I liked it." " You don't buy a $1,500 car just 'cause you like it, and you don't have a cent and you don't even work." " You get a skateboard." " I was working then." "Remember?" "You could go back to Hastings." "Tell him you just got tired and needed a rest, or something." " He'll take you back." " Yeah, but I don't want to go." "Spend the rest of my life pushing pencils for some architect." "I didn't waste seven years in college to end up designing gas pipes that won't be seen." " You know what I want?" " Yes, I know what you want." "You want to rebuild the Empire State Building," " only higher and in polished aluminum." " No." "Try red copper." "Okay, so you've got ideas, but you don't become an architect overnight." "Nobody's going to give $1 million to a guy of 26," " just because he has ideas." " Oh, crap." "Crap." "That's all you can say." "Sometimes you're so unimaginative, George." "I should go back to work for Hastings, right?" "Kill a little time before the draft?" "That's real groovy." "Suppose they don't call you for six months." "You gonna sit around twiddling your thumb for six months?" "You make so many excuses for not doing anything." "It really aggravates me, George." "I really don't think you have any ambition at all." "Yeah, well, you've got a little too much of it." " As much as it takes to succeed, that's all." " I'd bet on that." " Where you going?" " To get dressed." "Gerry's picking me up at 10:00." " What's he picking you up for?" " What?" " I said, what's he picking you up for?" " He got me an interview with his uncle who happens to be an advertising executive." "They're looking at girls for television commercials, and Gerry recommended me." "If his uncle likes me, they'll probably do a test of me next week." "I think that's very nice of Gerry, don't you?" " Yeah, I don't like Gerry." " Well, I do." "At least he shows some interest in my career, which I appreciate, and which is more than you do." " Well, I'm not in show business." " You're not in anything." " Hey." "What's wrong?" " Nothing." "I'm just in a hurry, that's all." "I've been living with you for over a year, George." "I said I'd live with you for six months." "Remember?" "So I could be sure if we still loved each other, and because I wasn't that certain in the beginning." "And, after that, I asked you if you'd marry me and you said no, that marriage was an empty convention not worth the paper it was printed on." "I said, "Okay, fine, I understand."" "And then sometime later I asked you for a child." "I said, "I feel I really need a child, George." And you said, "No."" "You said you weren't prepared for the responsibilities of a child and that I'd have to wait." "Well, I have waited." "At least I should know who you are, what you want, what you're living for, who you're living for." "You reject society." "You refuse to commit yourself to anything or anybody." "Don't you?" "Not even to me." "Am I wrong?" "No, you're not wrong." "All right, that's all I wanted to know." "Now I know." "I hate this kind of conversation." " Where are you going?" " See if I can find 100 bucks someplace." " And you're not going to say anything else?" " Not on this subject." "George!" "George." "I have something else to say about it." "What would you say if we went our separate ways from now on?" "What do you think?" "Well, what do you think?" "Hey, Rob." " Hey, George." "How you doing?" " How are you?" "Hey, I haven't seen you around for a while." " What have you been up to?" " Nothing much." " So tell me, how's Gloria?" " She's all right." "Can you stick around for a while?" "Hey, listen, I can't." "I came by to ask you if maybe I could..." "Well, hold on." "Let me just take care of this guy." "George, how are your parents?" "Still living in San Francisco?" "Yeah." "I never see them much." "Just talk to them by phone." "They seem okay." "Look, George, I kind of wanted to get a hold of you anyway." "I don't want to rush you or anything, but I could sure use that 50 bucks I gave you about now." "We just bought a color TV set, Jane's idea." "She just had to have it, you know what I mean." "Hey, yeah, I do." "But I just dropped by to ask you if it could wait for a while." "I'm kind of in the same bag myself, you know?" "Yeah, yeah, sure." "No, I meant if you can." "If you can't, well, that's okay." "I'd like to have my car, please." "The white Mercury." "That'll be $1, miss." "Thank you." "Thank you." " Do you know her?" " No, not at all." "She's parked here a few times, but..." "Why?" "You interested?" "Hey, watch it, friend." "Gloria wouldn't like it." "Look, hold on, huh?" "Listen, I can't." "I gotta go." "I'll see you, later, huh?" "Yeah, George." "Sure." "Take care." "Washington." "It's just been announced that Paris has been selected as the site of the Vietnamese peace talks." "A White House spokesman indicated President Johnson was enthusiastic and hopeful that the talks would result in an end to the hostilities and an honorable peace in Southeast Asia." " Where you going?" " Sunset." "That's cool." "You can drop me on the strip." "A mild earthquake was reported today in Pasadena by Caltech seismologists." "It registered 1.2 on the Richter scale, but no serious damage was reported." "Weather for Los Angeles and southern California, mostly sunny today and tomorrow, with late night and early morning low clouds near the coast." "Light to moderate smog in the basin." "Today's high around 76 with a low tonight of 63 degrees." "And that's the 11:00 report." "This is Ralph Thompson, KRLA news." " This is for you." " And now back to music on KRLA." "George!" "How you doing?" "We're expecting Grossman, our manager." "Hey, look, if you're into something, I'll go on." "No, come on in." "We're just finishing up an arrangement." " This is George." "John." " How are you?" " Cass, Randy and Mark." " Cass." " How are you?" " The complete group." "So look where studying architecture led me." " It's crazy, right?" " Yeah." " Hi, Mary." " Hi, George." "Hey, Suzie." " Would you like some coffee?" " Yeah, that'd be fine, thanks." "George!" "Here's the first album." "Just came out yesterday." " So what do you think of that cover?" " That's beautiful." " Take it." "It's yours." " Thanks." "Yeah, they liked that record so much, we just signed for a second album." " Calm down, you're making me nervous." " Yeah, don't be so optimistic, man." "Hey, where are you guys going?" "You know, Grossman's coming over, and he wants to talk about some things." "I can't make it, Jay." "I got to get something to eat." "Yeah, I gotta split, too." "If Grossman wants us to do a tour, we'll do it." " Whatever." "You can handle it." " Yeah." "Right, I can take care of it." " Let's make it." "See you." " I'll see you later." "Come here, I want to show you something I wrote last night." "I haven't got the words down yet, but I know what I want them to do." "I'd like them to be a sort of a personal testimony on the insanity of this world." "I don't know." "It's really far out, but if I could just get it down like it is in my head..." "Mary, will you take care of Suzie?" "Sorry." "She's teething or something." "Makes more sound than I do." "Anyway, forget it." "So you gotta tell me what you're doing, man." " Are you still at Hastings?" " No, I couldn't take it anymore." "It wasted me." "Which sort of brings up my problem, Jay." "I'm flat out right now." "Think you could lend me 100 bucks?" " I feel kind of funny asking." " Hey, sure I can." "Don't worry about it." "Just say so." "There's no problem." "Like I said, everything's going great for us." " You sure this is all you need?" " Yeah, it's fine." "Enough to take care of my immediate problem, anyway." "Thanks, Jay, very much." "Listen, what are you going to do with yourself now?" "I don't know." "I'm not going to give up architecture." "I really want to create something, but I just can't seem to wait out the 15 or 20 years it takes to establish a reputation." "And then, for what?" "To design service stations and luxury motels." "I keep going around in circles, I guess, trying to find out what the choices are, wasting a lot of time." "Like this morning, I did an incredible thing." "I was in my car, and I started to follow this..." " Nothing." "It's not very interesting." " No, no, come on, tell me." "I was driving down Sunset, and I turned on one of those roads that leads up into the hills." "And I stopped at this place that overlooks the whole city." "It was fantastic." "I suddenly felt exhilarated, you know." "I was really moved by the geometry of the place, its conception, its baroque harmony." "It's a fabulous city." "To think some people claim it's an ugly city, when it's really pure poetry." "It just kills me." "I wanted to build something right then, create something." " You know what I mean?" " Yeah, I do." "I understand." "That's probably Grossman." "Just a minute." " Reg, man, how are you doing?" " Good." "How you doing?" " Fine." " Hi." "You're leaving?" "Hey, I don't know when I'll be able to pay you back." "Hey, forget it." "I told you, everything's fine for the time being." "Okay." "I'll see you." "What do you want?" "I want to talk to the lady who came here this morning." "There's nobody home." "Nobody came." " Hamburger and coffee." " Hamburger and coffee." "Two coffees." " How much?" " 65 cents." " Hello." " Hi." " Do you want to take some pictures?" " Yeah, sure." "Here." "Take your pick." "I like this one." "Lola." "Okay." "You know our terms?" "$20 for a half hour, $12 for 15 minutes," " camera and film included." " $12." "You can have the film developed by our regular photographer." "Selma Avenue." "Here's the address." "They'll be ready in a couple of hours." "Come back and see us." "What kind of setting do you want?" "Bedroom or living room?" " Bedroom." " Fifteen minutes?" " Right." " You pay now." "Don't you have anything smaller?" "Now, it's all set." "You press here, and you turn there." "Well, you know how to use it, I guess." "This way." "She'll be in, in a minute." " Hi." " Hi." "What would you like?" "Boots?" "Hat?" "Or whip?" "Take your choice." "No, nothing." "At least you aren't difficult." "All right." "Whenever you're ready." "The bed or the armchair?" "It doesn't matter." "You are not very demanding." "Not very talkative either." "But it's all right with me." "Would you like to have the bed now?" "Whatever you want." "I don't care." "It's for you." "You have only one left." "If you want me to do anything?" "I like what I've got." "You don't seem particularly interested in photography." "I'm not." "I'm more interested in you." "Besides, I don't think that guys who come here give a damn for the art of photography, do they?" "I don't judge the customers." "It's not my concern." "It's kind of degrading work, isn't it?" "Why do you do it?" "To make my living." "But I don't like this word "degrading."" "After all, I don't know what you do to make your living." "Me?" "Nothing right now." "Then you don't run the risk of degrading yourself by working." " You're French." " As you can hear." " I followed you this morning." " Yes, I know." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." "You can have the film developed at our regular photo shop." "Selma Avenue." " Yeah, I know." " Fine." "Thank you." "Come back and see us again." " Yes?" " Hello." "Come back around 5:30." "I'll have it ready for you." " Was she pretty?" " What do you care?" "I just prefer when they're pretty, that's all." " Good afternoon." " Hello." "Can I help you?" "Excuse me." "Blackstone Finance." "No, I'm sorry, he's in a meeting at the moment." "Well, if you'll leave your number, I'll have him return your call as soon as possible." "Yes." "All right." "Thank you." "Did you want to see Mr. Blackstone?" "No, no." "Don't disturb him." "It's not that important." " Could I have your name, please?" " George Matthews." "He'll be free in a moment." "Have a seat, Mr. Matthews." "I thought I'd be able to bring in some money today, but I ran into a little difficulty." "Yes, I see here where you're two months behind, Mr. Matthews." "I believe you were supposed to bring in the full 100 this afternoon." "I was thinking of coming back first thing tomorrow." "Well, there are already two notations on previous extensions." "I'm afraid Mr. Blackstone won't be able to extend your credit beyond today." "Well, see, I'd be able to bring in the full amount by then, in the morning." "Well, you see, after 3:00 this afternoon it goes back into repossession proceedings." "I'm afraid he'll want the car picked up." "Didn't Mr. Carlson inform you of that this morning?" "Yes." "Well, it would be best for you to try to get the payment in before we close this evening." "I know that'll be Mr. B's position, but I'll let you talk to him about it." "No, I'll pay you this evening." " We'll be here until 6:30." " Thanks." "Goodbye." " Did he pay?" " He's going to come back this evening." "That'll be a surprise." "We'll have to get his car in the morning." " Hey, George!" " Hey, what are you doing?" "We're going to go to the paper." "You want to come?" " Well..." " Come on." "All right." "Hey." " Tony." " All right." "So what have you guys been doing?" "Allan's been up in Berkeley on a march." "I've been here putting together the love-in." "You know, it'll be at Griffith Park Sunday." " Hey, how about the paper?" " It's beautiful, man." "Better all the time." "In fact, our circulation ought to hit about 40,000 next month, but that won't take us out of the red." "Money is still the main problem." " Hey, you guys make me feel right at home." " You too?" " What happened to your job?" " I quit." "Well, hey, come work here on the paper." "I need help with editing." "I know it's not much related to architecture, but it will give you enough bread to get by on." " Why are you giving up architecture?" " I'm not giving it up." "I mean, it's a fairly competitive field, and I don't know how things are going to turn out." "Why don't you come give it a try at the newspaper?" "If you like it, you stay." "If you don't, you're free." "Yeah, that sounds like a good thing." "I need something loose like that, you know." "I got the draft hanging over my head." "Makes it kind of tough to plan anything." " You been in, Tony?" " No." "I was exempted because I'm considered sole support of my family." "Well, I mean, I still am." "I'm taking care of my mother." "They didn't dig me, either." "They thought I was psychologically off-type, plus too tall and skinny for the haul." "Lucky for me, I didn't dig them either, you know?" " How about you?" " Me?" "Nothing." "They haven't called me yet." "I don't know." "I just hope they get the thing settled before they get to me." "I'll take whatever they give, but I'm not gonna fight." "I think that's what I have to do." "You know that latest bulletin is really beautiful." "They're actually gonna sit down and talk." " I heard it." " It's the closest we've ever come." "Yeah, but the Korean talks took two years." "These guys may take six months just to sharpen their pencils." "Hey, is it all right if I use the phone, Tony?" "Sure, go ahead." "Operator." "Hello, operator." "I'd like to make a long-distance phone call to San Francisco" " and charge it to my home phone, please." " What is your home number, please?" "It's 3-2-1-1-3-2-1." "In San Francisco that's area code 4-1-5-3-6-2-9-2-9-6." "Okay?" "Yes, sir." "What is the number you're speaking from, please?" "4-6-2-0-7-9-9." " Hello, Mom?" " George?" "Hi." "How are you?" "A bit tired, as usual." "Your dad still likes to run me ragged it seems." "Yeah, I know." "Why don't you just ignore him and do a little something for yourself, like rest?" "Well, you know him, he doesn't make it that easy." "Everything I do is wrong, including getting tired." "How's your work, George?" "Did you go back to Hastings yet?" "No, Mom." "I thought I explained all that." "I'm not going back just now." "As a matter of fact, I've found something else, but I'll need a little money to get started with." "I already sent you as much as I can, George." "Yeah, I know." "But could you?" "Your father told me not to send you any more." "How much do you need?" "150, 200." " You're not in any kind of trouble, are you?" " No, no, it's nothing like that." "Hold on, George." "Your father wants to talk to you." "A letter from the draft board came in the mail this morning." "He thought it best to open it." "George?" "Are you there?" " Yeah, I'm here." " Hello, George." " Hi, Dad." " Now here's the word." "You're to report up here in San Francisco this coming Monday." "George, I want you to think about making the best job you can out of the army." "It's all up to you." "With the right attitude you can even make it." " Be a damn good time for you." " I can just imagine that." " What did you say?" " I said, "I can just imagine that."" "You don't have to imagine it." "I had some good times during the war in the Pacific, you know that." " Yeah, I know I could die." " That sounds like a coward, George." "I just prefer to live, that's all." "Your brother fought in Korea." "It didn't kill him." "Hey, Dad, don't compare me with Mark." "We're not the same person." "We don't feel the same way about anything." "If he wants to go, I'll gladly give him my place." "Hey, anyway, this whole conversation is ridiculous." "I just don't think we're ever going to be able to understand one another." " I'm going to get off." " George!" "Bye." "What's wrong, George?" "I just called home." "My draft notice came." "I have to report in San Francisco Monday morning." " Oh, no!" "Bummer." " What are you going to do?" "I don't know." "I'm scared." "Like it's really a death sentence or something." "It's funny, but it's the first time I've ever really thought about it." "Death." "You know?" "It's insane." "Look, you know where I'll be if you want to talk it out." " Just come by the paper anytime." " Yeah, I will." "If there's anything I can do, George, let me know." "Thanks." "Hey, see you all later." " Okay." " Take care, George." " $2." " Premium?" "Regular." "$2." " Hi." " Hi, George." " Have you been home long?" " I just came in." " I think I got it." " What's that?" "The part." "I mean, they're going to test me tomorrow." "Isn't that fabulous?" " Well, you don't seem very pleased about it." " Well, no, I am." "I'm happy you got it." "You bought a new album." "Gerry was really beautiful and so was his uncle." "He liked me a lot." "I was a little nervous at first, you know." "He's this real distinguished type, 50, gray hair, crew cut, sort of like that." "Three phones." "You know what I mean?" "You know that building on Sunset, right past Doheny?" "He owns the whole building." "It's the largest advertising agency in town." " What are you looking for?" " An ashtray." "Well, Gerry's coming back in a few minutes." "There's this Czech film he wants us to see." "He says the girl in it sort of reminds him of me, the kind of role I should play." " What's her name?" " Who, the girl?" " I don't remember." "Some Czech name, so..." " So what?" "So, you don't understand Czech." "When his uncle saw my picture he called the director immediately." "It was incredible." "I mean, I was this, I was that." "It was almost embarrassing to sit there and listen to it." "I was just the type they were looking for." "So, they decided to test me tomorrow." " He was really excited." " Who?" "The director?" "No, his uncle." "I didn't see the director." "I'll see him tomorrow." "What's his proposition?" " What do you mean "proposition"?" " Well, what kind of part?" "Well, it isn't really a part." "It's a series of commercials for a new soap, a revolutionary soap." "It's a soap that makes bubbles." "Not foam, but bubbles." " And you believe that?" " I told you it's revolutionary." "Well, anyway, bubbles or not, you'll be sitting naked in a bathtub." "I can see it now." "I'm not in the habit of taking baths with my clothes on." "It wouldn't be as good for your career, would it?" "I can name you lots of well-known actresses who started out that way." "And I don't see what we're arguing about." "Thank God I'm still pretty enough to be seen naked in a bathtub." "Who knows, maybe someone important will notice me." "Somebody could also notice you playing Shakespeare." "Yes, I know, but so far nobody's asked me to play Juliet." "And what about you?" "What did you accomplish today?" "Nothing much." "I tried to dig up 100 bucks but..." "Did you pay off those creeps at the loan company?" "No, no." "I went by to see Rob, and nothing." "In fact, he asked me to pay him back." "Then I bumped into David and Allan, and they're all broke." "Instead of bumming off your friends, you'd do better to find yourself a job." "David offered me one." "They need somebody on the newspaper, but it's too late anyway." "I haven't told you what else happened today." "Yes, I can see." " Whose little trick is this?" " Hey, give me that." "What are you playing around with whores now, George?" " Come on, give it to me!" " Let go of me!" " It's disgusting." "And I trusted you." " Will you calm down and let me explain it?" "A slut!" " Hey." " Get away from me, George." " I don't want to see you again, ever!" " Well, don't worry about it." "I'll be leaving tomorrow morning anyway." "I received my draft notice." "I have to be in San Francisco Monday morning." "What a mess." " Why?" "You wanted us to break up." " Yeah, but I'd hoped..." "Never mind." " Gloria, would you let me explain..." " No!" "I don't want to hear any of your details, and I'm not interested in your lies." "It's all perfectly clear to me." "Hey, folks, ready to go." "The film starts at 7:00." "Hi." "We'd better be going if we're going to make it in..." " ls something wrong?" " No." "George won't be going with us." " I wish you'd come." "It's really worth seeing." " No, I don't feel like it." "If you'd rather stay with George, we could make it tomorrow night." " No, I'm ready to go." "Let's go." "Bye, George." " Bye." "Bye, George." " Hi." " Hi." "I'd like to take some pictures." " Of me?" " No." "Well, that's okay." "I wasn't ready anyway." "So what would you like?" "It's $20 for half hour and 12 for..." "For 15 minutes." "I know." "Okay. 15 minutes?" "Okay." "You pay now." "I love the smell, don't you?" " Look?" " No, no." "Is Lola here?" "I think so." "At least, I didn't see her leave." "So she's your type, huh?" "Don't you like blondes?" " Maybe next time." " Okay." " Do you know how to work this?" " Yeah." "Okay." "Here you go." "You know, you're cute." " It's you." " Yeah." " Don't look so grim." " What did you expect?" "I don't know." "A smile, maybe." " Something like that?" " Well, that's better." "For a start, anyway." " Why have you come back?" " I wanted to see you again." "Your picture must have been awful." "How do you know?" "You looked so awkward." "I hope this time will be better." "I didn't come here to take pictures." "I'm not paid to make conversation." "Sit down." "Why did you follow me this morning?" "Well, I wanted to know who you were." "Now you know." "If you knew I was following you why didn't you look at me?" "You are kidding." "You know very well that most of men who follow girls in the street are sadist or maniacs or nuts." " Or cops." " You don't look like a cop." "Do I look like a nut?" "No, not really." "But you understand, I couldn't tell." "Well, at first when I saw you coming in this tart factory I was surprised." "I wondered what kind of a woman you were." "And then I thought, what the hell does it matter, you know?" "If you came here to insult me, you can leave right now." "I thought I told you why I was doing this work, but you don't want to understand." "Whether I get undressed here in this room in front of you, or on the beach, what's the difference?" "Men look at me in the same way, don't they?" "In any case, that's the only job I could get without a work permit." "Besides, what does it matter?" "I'm going back to France." "I simply needed to earn enough money for my return ticket." "In three or four days I'll have what I need." "I must say I was completely broke." "That's an old story." "Well, it's too bad you're leaving." "I would have liked to have seen you again." "Another time." "In Paris, perhaps." "I was in Paris two years ago, not for long, maybe three weeks." "I met a girl there who had a voice like yours, I mean, the same kind." "It first struck me when I heard you, you know, in the parking lot." "As I understand, our romance is going to be rather short." "But I'm not going tonight." "I'll be here tomorrow and the day after." "Yeah, but I won't." "I'm leaving tomorrow." "I'm going into the army." "I'll be out of circulation for a few precious years." "But that's stupid." "Let's not leave on that note." " Let's have a drink, huh?" " You're sweet, but I really can't." "I wanted to go to the hairdresser." "Look at this." "What time is it?" " About 7:30." " I'm running late." "I started packing, and I never find time to finish." " You know what I mean." " Are you anxious to get back to France?" "Yes." "But in the same time it makes me sad." "I made good friends here, and I love the city." "Well, that's surprising." "You know, most people hate it." "Well, now there's two of us that like it." "And that's a good enough reason to go out in it and have a drink, isn't it?" " If it make you happy." " I think it might." "Okay." "For five minutes." "I'll meet you in the parking lot." " Hey, you forgot your pictures." " Put them in your family album." " Where do you want to go?" " I don't know." "Wherever you want." "I've no idea." "I must tell you, I feel a little stupid." "Well, not really, but..." "I'm here, waiting, ready to follow you, and I don't even know your name." "Very well, my name is George Matthews, and I was born in the State of California, in San Francisco to be exact, 26 years ago." "And I studied architecture in Berkeley and came to Los Angeles about a year ago to look for work." "And that's it." "Except that Monday I go into the army, as I told you, which doesn't particularly delight me." "Well, let's see, what else?" "I have an unbearable father and a mother who's lived under his thumb for 40 years, and a fat cat older brother whose only distinction in life is that he happens to be the spitting image of my father." "Well, now you know everything." "My real name is Cecile." "Lola is a stage name." "I was born in France, near the river Loire, a few years before you." "But really, very few." "I live in a port city, in Nantes, a long time, then in Paris." "I moved around a lot." "I traveled everywhere with my husband before we divorced." "I've got a son almost grown." "He's waiting for me in Paris." " How old is he?" " He's almost 14." "I have not seen him for two years." "I miss him very much." " Is he the reason you're going back?" " Yes." "He's all that's really waiting for me." "Hey, Cecile." "I want to say something." "I know it'll sound totally crazy, and I never said it before to anyone, but..." "Because I never really, you know, felt it before, but I love you." "You're very nice, and what you say is very moving, but you don't know me at all." "You saw me in the streets, you followed me, you took pictures of me, you insulted me, and now you love me." "It can't be very serious, can it?" " Maybe I needed you." " Me, or someone else." "You needed to talk." "I needed to say "I love you," and that's true." "But I guess that's a sentiment you don't have room for in the kind of life that you live." "Here you go insulting me again." "No." "Forget it." "I was mistaken." "Excuse me." "Goodbye." "There's been a misunderstanding." "Will you come to my place?" "We can have a drink there." "I live here with Barbara, a friend of mine." "I had to be back before 8:00 to give her her car." "I'm always afraid to be late." "She works at night at the Red and Blue on Sunset in a topless show." "During the day, while she's sleeping, she lends me her car." "Thanks to her I've been able to stay here." "She found me the job at the Model Shop." "Cecile, I didn't think you'd get here." "I got frantic and called a cab." " Will you send it back?" " Of course." "Barbara, let me introduce you to George, a friend." "Pleased to meet you, George." "I've got to run." " Did you get by Harris' this morning?" " Yes." "Here are the pictures, and the car key," " and I bought that for you." " It's beautiful." "I love it." "Thank you." " See you in the morning." " Okay." " Bye, George." " Bye." "There's some Scotch behind the bar." " Have a good time." "Bye." " Bye." "She's marvelous, isn't she?" "Please, sit down." "She helped me very much when Michel left me, my husband." "That was last summer, in New York." "I couldn't stop crying." "Night and day, for six months, I cried." "I never left the hotel room," "I couldn't speak to anyone, a friend, a waiter in a restaurant, even a taxi driver without starting to cry." "Do you want a Scotch?" " With water?" " No, no, no." "Just ice." "Okay." "You see, I could no longer eat." "I didn't want to get up." "I was living like a dead person." "You understand what I mean?" "It's strange." "I was very unhappy, and yet I never thought of killing myself." "It never occurred to me." "Did you love him that much?" "If the word love has any meaning at all, it's not strong enough to express what I felt for him." "You see, I had waited a long time for Michel." "I gave him everything." "I never mistrusted him." "Then three years ago we came to America." "It was then that I found out he had met another woman." " Do I bore you?" " No, no." "Please go on." "Not very much for me." "That's too much." "You were saying he met this other woman." "Yes, that's right." "I'm stupid." "I forgot the ice." "He'd met a girl named Jackie." "Jackie Demaistre, a Frenchwoman who was living in Las Vegas." "He spent every hour gambling." "I thought he was taking business trips every week." "Actually he was gambling with this woman, but he was not in love with her." "No." "Michel gambled for the money." "He..." "He loved money." "Perhaps more than anything else in the world." "I understood that later." "Then he lost everything." "We didn't have a cent." "So I started to work again." "I had sent my son back to France, and Michel and I settled in a hotel, a little hotel in 44 Street." "It was hell." "We fought constantly." "We decided to call it quits." "Without any question, it was the greatest disappointment of my life." "But you can meet someone else, build some kind of life for yourself." "But you don't believe me." "Michel took everything." "I'm empty." "I have no strength left." "I don't want to love anyone ever again." "You understand?" "You're going to become a sad, old gal." "I didn't mean I won't have affairs." "That's different." "Excuse me." " Did you call a cab, miss?" " I'm sorry." "My friend is gone." "She couldn't wait any longer." "Do I owe you anything?" "No." "That's okay." "There was a pile-up on the freeway, held me up for 15 minutes." "No, it's fine." "I'll pick up another fare." " Good night." " Good night." "It was the cab driver." " Is this him?" " Yes." "That's Michel." "And that is my son when he was seven years old." "They look very much alike, huh?" "That's me, in Nantes." "I was working in a nightclub then." "I used to sing." " You used to sing?" " Not very well, but, you know..." "And who's this?" "That's Frankie, an American friend." "He's dead." "He was killed in Vietnam, at the beginning of the war just a few days before his discharge." "It's horrible, isn't it?" "I had met him in France." "When I came to America I wanted to see him, so I called at his home in Chicago and his mother told me he was dead." "Well, you see." "I started to pack." "Do you think you'll ever come back here again?" "Yes, perhaps." "I don't know." "I've learned not to look ahead, not to make plans, to live from day to day." " Don't you ever feel like this?" " I'm luckier than that." "My life's been beautifully organized for me." "A well-planned trip, all expenses paid, and the sales tax included." "Only they can't guarantee my return ticket." "That's the only problem." "Your friend Frankie had the same problem." "You know, it's crazy, but I'm afraid of death." "I realized it for the first time in my life today." "I don't know." "I never really thought about it before." "I mean, never really conceived of it as a possibility." "It's not that I'm a coward, but what's more beautiful than life?" "Maybe the reflections of life, a book, quartet, film, paintings, sculpture." "I decided to become an architect because I wanted to build, to construct." "But what a hideous joke when you consider that man's only driving passion is to destroy." "It's pointless." " I wonder if it's worth the struggle." " But that is cowardly." " Thank you." " I've spent my whole life struggling, hoping, and life has tried to destroy those hopes." "But it doesn't matter, I never give up." "Yeah, but you won't let yourself love anymore." "That's giving up." "You decided it wasn't worth the trouble." " I was shattered." " Well, there you see, I was right." "No, I'm the one who is wrong, and I know I'm wrong." "If I said, even though we can't believe in love anymore, you and I, if I said let's try to create something for each other," "I need you, you can help me, would you refuse?" " But I don't love you." " Answer my question." "Would you refuse to help me?" "No." "I wouldn't refuse." " I need help." "I'm asking you to help me." " You're a child." "All right." "Then I need your help like a child." "I need to be loved like a child." "Please, leave now." "I don't want to leave." "I want to stay with you." "I want to spend the night with you." "You don't love me." "You don't have to love me." "Let's just chalk it up as one more affair for you." "You've had affairs since your divorce, haven't you?" "Please, don't speak to me about that." "Go away." "Answer me." "You've had affairs since your divorce." "Yes or no?" " Yes." " Then why not me?" "Because I told you, I don't want to love you." "Because you're afraid." "Yes." "I'm afraid." "I'm afraid of one more affair." "I'm afraid of one more love." "I don't want neither you nor anyone else anymore." "George!" "Serenity, fullness, it's like perfection." "I can't explain it." "It's the way your shoulder curves, the straight line of your neck." "It's like pure joy." "Yesterday I didn't know where I was, and then I saw you, and here I am with you." "You make me believe everything's possible." "You really speak as if you were just discovering love, as if you never loved anyone before." "I never loved anyone." " I don't believe you." " And why not?" "Because you bite your nails." "How much more do you need for your ticket?" "How much what?" "Money?" "Let me think... 100, about $110." "I have $75." "I'll give it to you." " I don't want your money." " It's not my money." "Somebody gave it to me." "If I accept this money you'll lose me." "I can leave tomorrow." "Barbara will lend me the rest and I would go." "I'll lose you anyway, won't I?" "Here's my address and phone number." "Will you write me?" "Of course." "You know, last night when you asked me if I had any affairs since I divorced," "I said yes, but it was not true." "I lived alone." " Why'd you say it, then?" " I don't know." "I think that if I had told the truth, you wouldn't have believed me." "So why me?" " What do you mean, you?" " Why did you decide to sleep with me?" "Why?" "Why?" "Do you always find answers to your questions," " a reason for everything you do?" " Yes." "You're lucky." "Don't leave tomorrow." "What good would that do?" "You're leaving tomorrow yourself." "If you stay, I'll stay, too." "I'll find some way to work it out." "Would you desert from the army for me?" "Yes, one can desert for love." "Love is a good cause." "Here, take this money." "I feel like you're paying me for the night." " Why are you doing this?" " Why?" "Do you always find answers to your questions?" "Please leave now." " Will you call me?" " Yes." "Can I see you this afternoon?" " Tonight would be better." " I'll drop by the Shop around 5:00." "The President further announced today that our country will be represented at the Paris Peace table by Ambassador-at-Large Averell Harriman." "Hanoi has designated Xuan Thuy as its official representative." "Since the announcement of the Paris Peace Talks, unofficial sources are speculating that the bombings will be halted and perhaps even a cease-fire will be called." "In the capitals of the world, indications are that an end to the Vietnamese War is now within sight." "Hopefully, these meetings will result in a lasting peace." "And that's the 9: 00 report." "This is Ralph Thompson, KRLA news." " Gloria!" "Gloria!" "You leaving?" " Yes." "I waited all night for you." "You could have called me." "I was worried until I realized you'd probably found something better." " You were with that chick, weren't you?" " Shut up, will you?" "No, I won't shut up." "I want you to know just how much you..." "You've really hurt me, George." "You've really hurt me." " Come on, Gloria, please." " Never mind." "It doesn't matter." "It's over with." "It's just hard getting used to the idea of not seeing you anymore." "Maybe it's good you did it this way, because I don't think I'd have ever had the courage to leave you otherwise." " No, I know I wouldn't." " I never meant to hurt you, you know." "Anyway, it'll work out, won't it?" "I'll end it by forgetting..." "Hello?" "Yeah, yeah, she's here." "Wait a minute." "It's Gerry." "Hello, Gerry." "No, not at all." "Yes, I'm ready." "No, he knows." "Yes." "Okay." "I'll see you in a minute." "Bye." " You leaving with him?" " Yes." "He's coming to pick me up." " I mean, are you going to live with him?" " I'm moving into his place." " You love him?" " What do you care?" " Don't be tough." " I'm not being tough." "I'm just disappointed." "I expected a lot from you, George." "I don't know why." "I thought you'd make an effort so that things could work out." "I really thought it was possible, a simple, happy life." "I didn't know that you didn't want it, that you didn't love me anymore." "I'm a little bit stupid, huh?" "Hey, Gloria, you don't have to leave like this." "It's your place, and I'll be leaving tomorrow morning anyway." "I need a change of scenery, and I couldn't live here without you." "You can understand that, can't you?" " Goodbye, George." " Goodbye, Gloria." "Hello?" "Who?" "You've got the wrong number." "Hello, Cecile?" "Barbara, hi." "This is George." " George." "Yeah, I met you last night." " Yes." " Yeah, that's right." "Did I wake you up?" " I remember." "No." "That's okay." "No." "I wanted to speak with Lola." "She left already?" " You mean to France?" " Yes, Paris." "When?" "Yeah, sure, I understand." "I know that she was in a hurry to get back." "I gave her the rest of the money." "Yeah." "That was nice of you to have lent her what she needed." " What?" " Was there something..." "No, no." "Yeah." "No." "I..." "No, I didn't have anything special to say." "I just wanted to wish her good luck, that's all." "No, she didn't say that she was coming back." "She said she'd write to me, though." "Yeah, that's good." "Yeah." "Yeah, she made me very happy." "No, I just wanted to tell her that I loved her." "I just wanted her to know that I was going to try and begin again." "You know what I mean?" "That I was..." "I just wanted her to know that I was going to try." "Yeah, it sounds stupid, doesn't it?" "But I can, you know?" "I mean, a person can always try, you know?" "Yeah, always try." "Yeah, always try."