merton of the movies-第24节

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y；　same　clothes　and　make…up。〃　There　was　a　quick　breaking　up　of　the　revelry。　The　Broadway　pleasure…seekers　threw　off　the　blight　and　stormed　the　assistant　director　for　slips　of　paper　which　he　was　now　issuing。　Merton　Gill　received　one；　labelled　〃Talent　check。〃　There　was　fine　print　upon　it　which　he　took　no　pains　to　read；　beyond　gathering　its　general　effect　that　the　Victor　Film…art　Company　had　the　full　right　to　use　any　photographs　of　him　that　its　agents　might　that　day　have　obtained。　What　engrossed　him　to　the　exclusion　of　this　legal　formality　was　the　item　that　he　would　now　be　paid　seven　dollars　and　fifty　cents　for　his　day's　workand　once　he　had　been　forced　to　toil　half　a　week　for　this　sum！　Emerging　from　the　stage　into　the　sunlight　he　encountered　the　Montague　girl　who　hailed　him　as　he　would　have　turned　to　avoid　her。

〃Say；　trouper；　I　thought　I'd　tell　you　in　case　you　didn't　knowwe　don't　take　our　slips　to　that　dame　in　that　outside　cafeteria　any　more。　She　always　pinches　off　a　quarter　or　may　be　four　bits。　They　got　it　fixed　now　so　the　cash　is　always　on　tap　in　the　office。　I　just　thought　I'd　tell　you。〃

〃Thanks；〃　he　said；　still　with　the　jaded　air　of　the　disillusioned。　He　had　only　the　vaguest　notion　of　her　meaning；　but　her　intention　had　been　kindly。　〃Thank　you　very　much。〃

〃Oh；　don't　mention　it。　I　just　thought　I'd　tell　you。〃　She　glanced　after　him　shrewdly。

Nearing　the　office　he　observed　a　long　line　of　Broadway　revellers　waiting　to　cash　their　slips。　Its　head　was　lost　inside　the　building　and　it　trailed　far　outside。　No　longer　was　any　blight　to　be　perceived。　The　slips　were　ready　in　hand。　Instead　of　joining　the　line　Merton　decided　upon　luncheon。　It　was　two　o'clock；　and　though　waiters　with　trays　had　been　abundant　in　the　gilded　cabaret；　the　best　screen　art　had　not　seemed　to　demand　a　serving　of　actual　food。　Further；　he　would　eat　in　the　cafeteria　in　evening　dress；　his　make…up　still　on；　like　a　real　actor。　The　other　time　he　had　felt　conspicuous　because　nothing　had　identified　him　with　the　ordinary　clientele　of　the　place。

The　room　was　not　crowded　now。　Only　a　table　here　and　there　held　late　comers；　and　the　choice　of　foods　when　he　reached　the　serving　counter　at　the　back　was　limited。　He　permitted　himself　to　complain　of　this　in　a　practised　manner；　but　made　a　selection　and　bore　his　tray　to　the　centre　of　the　room。　He　had　chosen　a　table　and　was　about　to　sit；　when　he　detected　Henshaw　farther　down　the　room；　and　promptly　took　the　one　next　him。　It　was　probable　that　Henshaw　would　recall　him　and　praise　the　work　he　had　done。　But　the　director　merely　rolled　unseeing　eyes　over　him　as　he　seated　himself；　and　continued　his　speech　to　the　man　Merton　had　before　seen　him　with；　the　grizzled　dark　man　with　the　stubby　gray　mustache　whom　he　called　Governor。　Merton　wondered　if　he　could　be　the　governor　of　California；　but　decided　not。　Perhaps　an　ex…　governor。

〃She's　working　out　well；〃　he　was　saying。　〃I　consider　it　one　of　the　best　continuities　Belmore　has　done。　Not　a　line　of　smut　in　it；　but　to　make　up　for　that　we'll　have　over　thirty　changes　of　costume。〃

Merton　Gill　coughed　violently；　then　stared　moodily　at　his　plate　of　baked　beans。　He　hoped　that　this；　at　least；　would　recall　him　to　Henshaw　who　might　fix　an　eye　on　him　to　say：　〃And；　by　the　way；　here　is　a　young　actor　that　was　of　great　help　to　me　this　morning。〃　But　neither　man　even　glanced　up。　Seemingly　this　young　actor　could　choke　to　death　without　exciting　their　notice。　He　stared　less　moodily　at　the　baked　beans。　Henshaw　would　notice　him　sometime；　and　you　couldn't　do　everything　at　once。

The　men　had　finished　their　luncheon　and　were　smoking。　The　animated　Henshaw　continued　his　talk。　〃And　about　that　other　thing　we　were　discussing；　Governor；　I　want　to　go　into　that　with　you。　I　tell　you　if　we　can　do　Robinson　Crusoe；　and　do　it　right；　a　regular　five…thousand…　foot　program　feature；　the　thing　ought　to　gross　a　million。　A　good；　clean；　censor…proof　picturegreat　kid　show；　run　forever。　Shipwreck　stuff；　loading　the　raft；　island　stuff；　hut　stuff；　goats；　finding　the　footprint；　cannibals；　the　man　Fridaycan't　you　see　it？〃

The　Governor　seemed　to　see　it。　〃Finethat's　so！〃　He　stared　above　the　director's　head　for　the　space　of　two　inhalations　from　his　cigarette；　imbuing　Merton　Gill　with　gratitude　that　he　need　not　smoke　again　that　day。　〃But　say；　look　here；　how　about　your　love　interest？〃

Henshaw　waved　this　aside　with　his　own　cigarette　and　began　to　make　marks　on　the　back　of　an　envelope。　〃Easy　enoughBelmore　can　fix　that　up。　We　talked　over　one　or　two　ways。　How　about　having　Friday's　sister　brought　over　with　him　to　this　island？　The　cannibals　are　going　to　eat　her；　too。　Then　the　cannibals　run　to　their　canoes　when　they　hear　the　gun；　just　the　same　as　in　the　book。　And　Crusoe　rescues　the　two。　And　when　he　cuts　the　girl's　bonds　he　finds　she　can't　be　Friday's　real　sister；　because　she's　whitesee　what　I　mean？　Well；　we　work　it　out　later　that　she's　the　daughter　of　an　English　Earl　that　was　wrecked　near　the　cannibal　island；　and　they　rescued　her；　and　Friday's　mother　brought　her　up　as　her　own　child。　She's　saved　the　papers　that　came　ashore；　and　she　has　the　Earl's　coat…of…arms　tattooed　on　her　shoulder　blade；　and　finally；　after　Crusoe　has　fallen　in　love　with　her；　and　she's　remembered　a　good　deal　of　her　past；　along　comes　the　old　Earl；　her　father；　in　a　ship　and　rescues　them　all。　How　about　that？〃　Henshaw；　brightly　expectant；　awaited　the　verdict　of　his　chief。

〃　WellI　don't　know。〃　The　other　considered。　〃Where's　your　conflict；　after　the　girl　is　saved　from　the　savages？　And　Crusoe　in　the　book　wears　a　long　beard。　How　about　that？　He　won't　look　like　anything　sort　of　hairy；　and　that's　all。〃

Henshaw　from　the　envelope　on　which　he　drew　squares　and　oblongs　appeared　to　gain　fresh　inspiration。　He　looked　up　with　new　light　in　his　eyes。　〃I　got　itgot　the　whole　thing。　Modernize　it。　This　chap　is　a　rich　young　New　Yorker；　cruising　on　his　yacht；　and　he's　wrecked　on　this　island　and　gets　a　lot　of　stuff　ashore　and　his　valet　is　saved；　toosay　there's　some　good　comedy；　see　what　I　mean？valet　is　one　of　these　stiff　English　lads；　never　been　wrecked　on　an　island　before　and　complains　all　the　time　about　the　lack　of　conveniences。　I　can　see　a　lot　of　good　gags　for　him；　having　to　milk　the　goats；　and　getting　scared　of　the　other　animals；　and　no　place　to　press　his　master's　clothesthings　like　that；　you　know。　Well；　the　young　fellow　explores　the　island　and　finds　another　party　that's　been　wrecked　on　the　other　side；　and　it's　the　girl　and　the　man　that　got　her　father　into　his　power　and　got　all　of　his　estate　and　is　going　to　make　beggars　of　them　if　the　girl　won't　marry　him；　and　she　comes　on　the　young　fellow　under　some　palms　and　they　fall　in　love　and　fix　it　up　to　double…cross　the　villainBelmore　can　work　it　out　from　there。　How　about　that？　And　say；　we　can　use　a　lot　of　trims　from　that　South　Sea　piece　we　did　last　year；　all　that　yacht　and　island　stuffsee　what　I　mean？〃

The　other　considered　profoundly。　〃Yes；　you　got　a　story　there；　but　it　won't　be　Robinson　Crusoe；　don't　you　see？〃

Again　Henshaw　glanced　up　from　his　envelope　with　the　light　of　inspiration。　〃Well；　how　about　this？　Call　it　Robinson　Crusoe；　Junior！　There　you　are。　We　get　the　value　of　the　name　and　do　the　story　the　way　we　want　it；　the　young　fellow　being　shaved　every　day　by　the　valet；　and　he　can　invite　the　other　party　over　to　dine　with　him　and　receive　them　in　evening　dress　and　everything。　Can't　you　see　it？　If　that　story　wouldn't　gross　big　then　I　don't　know　a　story。　And　all　easy　stuff。　We　can　use　the　trims　for　the　long　shots；　and　use　that　inlet；　toward　the　other　end　of　Catalina　for　the　hut　and　the　beach；　sure…　fire　stuff；　Governorand　Robinson　Crusoe；　Junior　is　a　cinch　title。〃

〃Well；　give　Belmore　as　much　dope　as　you've　got；　and　see　what　he　can　work　out。〃

They　arose　and　stood　by　the　counter　to　pay　their　checks。

〃If　you　want　to　see　the　rushes　of　that　stuff　we　shot　this　morning　be　over　to　the　projection　room　at　five；〃　said　Henshaw　as　they　went　out。　Neither　had　observed　the　rising　young　screen　actor；　Clifford　Armytage；　though　he　had　coughed　violently　again　as　they　left。　He　had　coughed　most　plausibly；　moreover；　because　of　the　cigarettes。

At　the　cashier's　window；　no　longer　obstructed；　he　received　his　money；　another　five…dollar　bill　adorned　with　the　cheerfully　prosperous　face　of　Benjamin　Harrison　and　half　that　amount　in　silver　coin。　Then；　although　loath　to　do　this；　he　went　to　the　dressing　room　and　removed　his　make…up。　That　grease　paint　had　given　him　a　world　of　confidence。

At　the　casting　office　he　stopped　to　tell　his　friend　of　the　day's　camera　triumph；　how　the　director　had　seemed　to　single　him　out　from　a　hundred　or　so　revellers　to　portray　facially　the　deadly　effect　of　Broadway's　night　life。

〃Good　work！〃　she　applauded。　〃Before　long　you'll　be　having　jobs　oftener。　And　don't　forget；　you're　called　again　to…morrow　morning　for　the　gambling…house　scene。〃

She　was　a　funny　woman；　always　afraid　he　would　forget　something　he　could　not　possibly　forget。　Once　more　in　the　Patterson　kitchen　he　pressed　his　suit　and　dreamt　of　new　eminences　in　his　chosen　art。

The　following　morning　he　was　again　the　first　to　reach　the　long　dressing　room；　the　first　to　be　made　up　by　the　grumbling　extra；　the　first　to　reach　the　big　stage。　The　cabaret　of　yesterday　had　overnight　been　transformed　into　a　palatial