The Collected Shorter Plays
Page 15
make impossible for the spectator a clear apprehension of either. The solution might be in a succession of images of different quality, corresponding on the one hand to E’s perception of O and on the other to O’s perception of the room. This difference of quality might perhaps be sought in different degrees of development, the passage from the one to the other being from greater to lesser and lesser to greater definition or luminosity. The dissimilarity, however obtained, would have to be flagrant. Having been up till now exclusively in the E quality, we would suddenly pass, with O’s first survey of the room, into this quite different O quality. Then back to the E quality when O is shown moving to the window. And so on throughout the sequence, switching from the one to the other as required. Were this the solution adopted it might be desirable to establish, by means of brief sequences, the O quality in parts one and two.
This seems to be the chief problem of the film, though I perhaps exaggerate its difficulty through technical ignorance.
Suggestion for room.
This obviously cannot be O’s room. It may be supposed it is his mother’s room, which he has not visited for many years and is now to occupy momentarily, to look after the pets, until she comes out of hospital. This has no bearing on the film and need not be elucidated.
10. At close of film face E and face O can only be distinguished (1) by different expressions (2) by fact of O looking up and E down and (3) by difference of ground (for O headrest of chair, for E wall). Hence insistence on headrest and tattered wall.
11. Foolish suggestion for eviction of cat and dog. Also see Note 6.
12. Chair from front during photo sequence.
13. Description of photographs.
1. Male infant. 6 months. His mother holds him in her arms. Infant smiles front. Mother’s big hands. Her severe eyes devouring him. Her big old-fashioned beflowered hat.
2. The same. 4 years. On a veranda, dressed in loose nightshirt, kneeling on a cushion, attitude of prayer, hands clasped, head bowed, eyes closed. Half profile. Mother on chair beside him, big hands on knees, head bowed towards him, severe eyes, similar hat to 1.
3. The same. 15 years. Bareheaded. School blazer. Smiling. Teaching a dog to beg. Dog on its hind legs looking up at him.
4. The same. 20 years. Graduation day. Academic gown. Mortar-board under arm. On a platform, receiving scroll from Rector. Smiling. Section of public watching.
5. The same. 21 years. Bareheaded. Smiling. Small moustache. Arm round fiancée. A young man takes a snap of them.
6. The same. 25 years. Newly enlisted. Bareheaded. Uniform. Bigger moustache. Smiling. Holding a little girl in his arms. She looks into his face, exploring it with finger.
7. The same. 30 years. Looking over 40. Wearing hat and overcoat. Patch over left eye. Cleanshaven. Grim expression. 14. Profit by rocking-chair to emotionalize inspection, e.g. gentle steady rock for 1 to 4, rock stilled (foot to ground) after two seconds of 5, rock resumed between 5 and 6, rock stilled after two seconds of 6, rock resumed after 6 and for 7 as for 1–4.
THE OLD TUNE
An adaptation
Background of street noises, in the foreground a barrel-organ playing an old tune. 20 seconds. The mechanism jams. Thumps on the box to set it off again. No result.
GORMAN
[old man’s cracked voice, frequent pauses for breath even in the middle of a word, speech indistinct for want of front teeth, whistling sibilants] There we go, bust again. [Sound of lid raised. Scraping inside box.] Cursed bloody music! [Scraping. Creaking of handle. Thumps on box. The mechanism starts off again.] Ah about time! [Tune resumes. 10 seconds. Sound of faltering steps approaching.]
CREAM
[old man’s cracked voice, stumbling speech, pauses in the middle of sentences, whistling sibilants due to ill-fitting denture] Well, if it isn’t—[the tune stops]—Gorman my old friend Gorman, do you recognize me Cream father of the judge, Cream you remember Cream.
GORMAN
Mr. Cream! Well, I’ll be! Mr. Cream! [Pause.] Sit you down, sit you down, here, there. [Pause.] Great weather for the time of day Mr. Cream, eh.
CREAM
My old friend Gorman, it’s a sight to see you again after all these years, all these years.
GORMAN
Yes indeed, Mr. Cream, yes indeed, that’s the way it is. [Pause.] And you, tell me.
CREAM
I was living with my daughter and she died, then I came here to live with the other.
GORMAN
Miss Miss what?
CREAM
Bertha. You know she got married, yes, Moody the nurseryman, two children.
GORMAN
Grand match, Mr. Cream, grand match, more power to you. But tell me then the poor soul she was taken then was she.
CREAM
Malignant, tried everything, lingered three years, that’s how it goes, the young pop off and the old hang on.
GORMAN
Ah dear oh dear Mr. Cream, dear oh dear.
[Pause.]
CREAM
And you your wife?
GORMAN
Still in it, still in it, but for how long.
CREAM
Poor Daisy yes.
GORMAN
Had she children?
CREAM
Three, three children, Johnny, the eldest, then Ronnie, then a baby girl, Queenie, my favourite, Queenie, a baby girl.
GORMAN
Darling name.
CREAM
She’s so quick for her years you wouldn’t believe it, do you know what she came out with to me the other day ah only the other day poor Daisy.
GORMAN
And your son-in-law?
CREAM
Eh?
GORMAN
Ah dear oh dear, Mr. Cream, dear oh dear. [Pause.] Ah yes children that’s the way it is. [Roar of motor engine.] They’d tear you to flitters with their flaming machines.
CREAM
Shocking crossing, sudden death.
GORMAN
As soon as look at you, tear you to flitters.
CREAM
Ah in our time Gorman this was the outskirts, you remember, peace and quiet.
GORMAN
Do I remember, fields it was, fields, bluebells, over there, on the bank, bluebells. When you think. . . . [Suddenly complete silence. 10 seconds. The tune resumes, falters, stops. Silence. The street noises resume.] Ah the horses, the carriages, and the barouches, ah the barouches, all that’s the dim distant past, Mr. Cream.
CREAM
And the broughams, remember the broughams, there was style for you, the broughams.
[Pause.]
GORMAN
The first car I remember I saw it here, here, on the corner, a Pic-Pic she was.
CREAM
Not a Pic-Pic, Gorman, not a Pic-Pic, a Dee Dyan Button.
GORMAN
A Pic-Pic, a Pic-Pic, don’t I remember it well, just as I was coming out of Swan’s the bookseller’s beyond there on the corner, Swan’s the bookseller’s that was, just as I was coming out with a rise of fourpence ah there wasn’t much money in it in those days.
CREAM
A Dee Dyan, a Dee Dyan.
GORMAN
You had to work for your living in those days, it wasn’t at six you knocked off, nor at seven neither, eight it was, eight o’clock, yes by God. [Pause.] Where was I? [Pause.] Ah yes eight o’clock as I was coming out of Swan’s there was the crowd gathered and the car wheeling round the bend.
CREAM
A Dee Dyan Gorman, a Dee Dyan, I can remember the man himself from Wougham he was the vintner what’s this his name was.
GORMAN
Bush, Seymour Bush.
CREAM
Bush that’s the man.
GORMAN
One way or t’other, Mr. Cream, one way or t’other no matter it wasn’t the likes of nowadays, their flaming machines they’d tear you to shreds.
CREAM
My dear Gorman do you know what it i
s I’m going to tell you, all this speed do you know what it is has the whole place ruinated, no living with it any more, the whole place ruinated, even the weather. [Roar of engine.] Ah when you think of the springs in our time remember the springs we had, the heat there was in them, and the summers remember the summers would destroy you with the heat.
GORMAN
Do I remember, there was one year back there seems like yesterday must have been round 95 when we were still out at Cruddy, didn’t we water the roof of the house every evening with the rubber jet to have a bit of cool in the night, yes summer 95.
CREAM
That would surprise me Gorman, remember in those days the rubber hose was a great luxury a great luxury, wasn’t till after the war the rubber hose.
GORMAN
You may be right.
CREAM
No may be about it. I tell you the first we ever had round here was in Drummond’s place, old Da Drummond, that was after the war 1920 maybe, still very exorbitant it was at the time, don’t you remember watering out of the can you must with that bit of garden you had didn’t you, wasn’t it your father owned that patch out on the Marston Road.
GORMAN
The Sheen Road Mr. Cream but true for you the watering you’re right there, me and me hose how are you when we had no running water at the time or had we.
CREAM
The Sheen Road, that’s the one out beyond Shackleton’s sawpit.
GORMAN
We didn’t get it in till 1925 now it comes back to me the wash-hand basin and jug.
[Roar of engine.]
CREAM
The Sheen Road you saw what they’ve done to that I was out on it yesterday with the son-in-law, you saw what they’ve done our little gardens and the grand sloe hedges.
GORMAN
Yes all those gazebos springing up like thistles there’s trash for you if you like, collapse if you look at them am I right.
CREAM
Collapse is the word, when you think of the good stone made the cathedrals nothing to come up to it.
GORMAN
And on top of all no foundations, no cellars, no nothing, how are you going to live without cellars I ask you, on piles if you don’t mind, piles, like in the lake age, there’s progress for you.
CREAM
Ah Gorman you haven’t changed a hair, just the same old wag he always was. Getting on for seventy-five is it?
GORMAN
Seventy-three, seventy-three, soon due for the knock.
CREAM
Now Gorman none of that, none of that, and me turning seventy-six, you’re a young man Gorman.
GORMAN
Ah Mr. Cream, always a great one for a crack.
CREAM
Here Gorman while we’re at it have a fag, here. [Pause.] The daughter must have whipped them again, doesn’t want me to be smoking, mind her own damn business. [Pause.] Ah I have them, here, have one.
GORMAN
I wouldn’t leave you short.
CREAM
Short for God’s sake, here, have one.
[Pause.]
GORMAN
They’re packed so tight they won’t come out.
CREAM
Take hold of the packet. [Pause.] Ah what ails me all bloody thumbs. Can you pick it up.
[Pause.]
GORMAN
Here we are. [Pause.] Ah yes a nice puff now and again but it’s not what it was their gaspers now not worth a fiddler’s, remember in the forces the shag remember the black shag that was tobacco for you.
CREAM
Ah the black shag my dear Gorman the black shag, fit for royalty the black shag fit for royalty. [Pause.] Have you a light on you.
GORMAN
Well then I haven’t, the wife doesn’t like me to be smoking.
[Pause.]
CREAM
Must have whipped my lighter too the bitch, my old tinder jizzer.
GORMAN
Well no matter I’ll keep it and have a draw later on.
CREAM
The bitch sure as a gun she must have whipped it too that’s going beyond the beyonds, beyond the beyonds, nothing you can call your own. [Pause.] Perhaps we might ask this gentleman. [Footsteps approach.] Beg your pardon Sir trouble you for a light.
[Footsteps recede.]
GORMAN
Ah the young nowadays Mr. Cream very wrapped up they are the young nowadays, no thought for the old. When you think, when you think. . . . [Suddenly complete silence. 10 seconds. The tune resumes, falters, stops. Silence. The street noises resume.] Where were we? [Pause.] Ah yes the forces, you went in in 1900, 1900, 1902, am I right?
CREAM
1903, 1903, and you 1906 was it?
GORMAN
1906 yes at Chatham.
CREAM
The Gunners?
GORMAN
The Foot, the Foot.
CREAM
But the Foot wasn’t Chatham don’t you remember, there it was the Gunners, you must have been at Caterham, Caterham, the Foot.
GORMAN
Chatham I tell you, isn’t it like yesterday, Morrison’s pub on the corner.
CREAM
Harrison’s. Harrison’s Oak Lounge, do you think I don’t know Chatham. I used to go there on holiday with Mrs. Cream, I know Chatham backwards Gorman, inside and out, Harrison’s Oak Lounge on the corner of what was the name of the street, on a rise it was, it’ll come back to me, do you think I don’t know Harrison’s Oak Lounge there on the corner of dammit I’ll forget my own name next and the square it’ll come back to me.
GORMAN
Morrison or Harrison we were at Chatham.
CREAM
That would surprise me greatly, the Gunners were Chatham do you not remember that?
GORMAN
I was in the Foot, at Chatham, in the Foot.
CREAM
The Foot, that’s right the Foot at Chatham.
GORMAN
That’s what I’m telling you, Chatham the Foot.
CREAM
That would surprise me greatly, you must have it mucked up with the war, the mobilization.
GORMAN
The mobilization have a heart it’s as clear in my mind as yesterday the mobilization, we were shifted straight away to Chesham, was it, no, Chester, that’s the place, Chester, there was Morrison’s pub on the corner and a chamber-maid what was her name, Joan, Jean, Jane, the very start of the war when we still didn’t believe it, Chester, ah those are happy memories.
CREAM
Happy memories, happy memories, I wouldn’t go so far as that.
GORMAN
I mean the start up, the start up at Chatham, we still didn’t believe it, and that chamber-maid what was her name it’ll come back to me. [Pause.] And your son by the same token.
[Roar of engine.]
CREAM
Eh?
GORMAN
Your son the judge.
CREAM
He has rheumatism.
GORMAN
Ah rheumatism, rheumatism runs in the blood Mr. Cream.
CREAM
What are you talking about, I never had rheumatism.
GORMAN
When I think of my poor old mother, only sixty and couldn’t move a muscle. [Roar of engine.] Rheumatism they never found the remedy for it yet, atom rockets is all they care about, I can thank my lucky stars touch wood. [Pause.] Your son yes he’s in the papers the Carton affair, the way he managed that case he can be a proud man, the wife read it again in this morning’s Lark.
CREAM
What do you mean the Barton affair.
GORMAN
The Carton affair Mr. Cream, the sex fiend, on the Assizes.
CREAM
That’s not him, he’s not the Assizes my boy isn’t, he’s the County Courts, you mean Judge . . . Judge . . . what’s this his name was in the Barton affair.
GORMAN
Ah I thought it was him.
CREAM
; Certainly not I tell you, the County Courts my boy, not the Assizes, the County Courts.
GORMAN
Oh you know the Courts and the Assizes it was always all six of one to me.
CREAM
Ah but there’s a big difference Mr. Gorman, a power of difference, a civil case and a criminal one, quite another how d’you do, what would a civil case be doing in the Lark now I ask you.