Chasing Salomé by Martin Turnbull

Author:Martin Turnbull
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Martin Turnbull

“Abrams is a philistine,” Dorothy Arzner said, helping herself some more rum. “But let’s be honest, aren’t all men?” She remembered Rudy was sitting next to her, and Paul next to him. “Present company excluded, of course.”

“No offense taken,” Paul said.

Rudy pouted “Philly—philis—what is this word?”

“PHIL-IS-TINE!” Dorothy barked. “It means an uncultured, unrefined, uncivilized, uncouth barbarian with no more brains in his head than he has in the tip of his teeny tiny—” she paused for shock value “—toe.”

Adela Rogers St. Johns burst into a shower of wine-oiled giggles. A good pal of June Mathis and Rudy, Adela was a journalist for Photoplay magazine whom Alla hadn’t met until June had insisted on bringing her to tonight’s party.

Alla had forgotten about the dinner until she had arrived home to find Scobie setting the table for eight. Playing hostess was the last thing she felt like doing, but that had changed now that the meal was in full swing and they had plowed through most of her Bordeaux, some halfway decent gin that Paul had unearthed, and the bottle of Barbados rum that June had brought with her.

“You’re absolutely right,” she told Adela. “Joe Farrington is a philistine. If I didn’t have to work with him, I would have slapped him from here to Easter.”

Adela clapped her hands. “Bravo, Madame. You stuck to your guns. Pictures are the new vaudeville? Absolute tommyrot. Camille, A Doll’s House, and now Salomé—by filming the classics, you shall inspire other filmmakers to lift their game. Truly, you should be heralded for your efforts and not dismissed like a Galatea. Who does he think he is? Pygmalion?” She gave an involuntary snort. “The man’s a pig without the malion.”

Adela was different from the typical movie magazine journalists like Maybe-Shirley with the jiggling petunias. Daughter of the famous trial lawyer Earl Rogers, Adela had a sharp tongue and a sharper mind, and the smarts to know when to use them and when to keep them concealed.

“Thank you!” Alla lifted her near-empty glass. “You’re all such fine and dear friends who know how to boost a girl’s spirits when they’re in dire need of uplifting.”

“I try not to look at this world with an ‘us versus them’ mentality,” Natacha said, “but those men do their utmost to guarantee that we women can only view it one way.” She turned to Rudy and Paul. “Present company still excluded, naturally.”

“Thank you, my love.” Rudy drained the last of his Cuba Libre and pushed his chair back. “And speaking of filming, I have my first Blood and Sand bullfighting scenes tomorrow, so I must have the good sleep.”

People retrieved their coats, claiming to have a full day ahead of them, too. Alla didn’t mind. First that interview with a journalist who wanted to probe into her personal life. Then the revelation that had come with putting on Natacha’s Salomé wig. And then dealing with those two studio churls before subjecting herself to long, tedious lighting tests.

As her guests kissed her good night, Alla regretted having told Scobie she was free to leave.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.