Chapter 9 chapter eight

Toby Temple tried five or six times to find Sam Winters, but he just couldn't get past his ghostly secretary.In the end, he gave up on the idea of ​​seeing Sam Winters.One by one, Toby tried unsuccessfully to find work in nightclubs or movie studios.During the second year, he found several jobs to support himself, working in real estate companies, insurance companies, and men's services companies.In his free time, he performed in bars and out-of-the-way nightclubs.However, he was still unable to step into the gate of the film studio. "You're not on the right track," one of his friends told him. "You're going to let them come to you."

"How can I get them to come to me?" Toby asked disapprovingly. "At the Actors' House of Westerns." "Is it a school for learning acting?" "It's more than that. They act, too, and they're frequented by every movie studio in the city." The Western Actor's House has a somewhat professional taste.Toby could feel the touch of Da as soon as he walked through the door.Hanging on the walls are all photos of the graduates of the school.Toby recognized many of them as established actors. A blond receptionist sat behind the desk and said, "Can I help you?"

"Of course. My name is Toby Temple. I want to apply." "Do you have any hands-on acting experience?" she asked. "Well, no," said Toby, "but I—" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Mrs. Tanner wouldn't like to meet anyone without practical acting experience." Toby watched her for a while: "Are you kidding me?" "No, that's our rule. This school never—" "That's not what I said," Toby said, "I mean—you really don't know who I am?" The blue-eyed blonde took one look at him and said, "I don't know."

Toby let out a slow breath. "My Jesus," he said, "Leland Hayward was right. If you work in England, Hollywood doesn't even know you're alive," he said, smiling apologetically. "I'm kidding. I guess You will know me." The receptionist was confused, she didn't know what to believe. "That is to say, have you ever been a professional actor?" Toby laughed and said, "I can say, I did." The blue-eyed blonde holds up a form: "What roles did you play and where did you play them?" "Not here," Toby answered promptly. "I've been in England for the last two years. Playing the repertoire."

The blue-eyed blonde nodded. "I see. Well, then, I'll speak to Mrs. Tanner." The blue-eyed blonde walked into the inner office and came out a few minutes later. "Mrs. Tanner wants to see you. Good luck." Toby winked at the receptionist, took a deep breath, and walked into Mrs. Tanner's office. Alice Tanner was a dark-haired woman with a very attractive dame's face, who looked to be about thirty-four or five years old, ten years older than Torbia.She sat behind her desk, but Toby could still see that she had an attractive figure.It's a nice place, Toby made up his mind.

Toby smiled charmingly and said, "I'm Toby Temple." Alice Tanner got up from behind the table and came over to Toby.Her left leg is fitted with a kind of metal brace.She came slowly, with a practiced gait, the walk of someone who has lived on supports for a long time. Polio, Toby understood, but he didn't know whether to say a word of comfort. "So, you are willing to join our training class." "I'd love to," Toby said. "May I ask why?" He said in an earnest tone: "Because, wherever I go, people talk about your school and the wonderful plays you put on here. Mrs. Tanner, I'm sure you don't know much about where you are." reputation."

She looked Toby up and down: "Of course I know. The reason why we are cautious is to prevent counterfeit goods from getting in." Toby felt his face heat up.However, he said with a childish smile: "I dare say that there must be a lot of fake liars nowadays, and they are all trying to get in." "It's quite a lot," Mrs. Tanner agreed.She glanced at a card in her hand: "Toby Temple." "You probably haven't heard the name," he explained, "because, for the last two years, I've been—" "Performing repertoire in England."

Toby nodded: "Yes." Alice Tanner looked at him, and then said slowly: "Mr. Temple, Americans can't do British repertoire. The British Balancing Act doesn't allow it." Toby felt a chill all of a sudden. "You should probably clear this up first to avoid this embarrassment between us. I'm sorry. We only accept professionals here." She began to back away from her desk. The meeting is over. "Wait a minute!" His voice was like a whip. She turned back in surprise.In that split second, Toby didn't know what he was going to say, or do.All he knew was that his future career depended on this close call.The woman standing in front of him was his stepping stone.Everything he wanted, everything he worked for, sweated for, had to go through her.He must not let her stop his progress.

"Ma'am, you can't judge a man's talent by the rules and regulations! Yes - I haven't acted. Why? It's because people like you, wouldn't give me a chance. Do you know what I mean?" ?” This is imitating the voice of WC Feld. Alice Tanner was about to interrupt Toby, but Toby would never give her the chance to speak.He was Jimmy Cagney, and Cagney was telling Alice to do the poor lad a little face; he was James Stewart, and he agreed with Cagney; Willing to work with this lad; he's Jerry Grant, and he thinks this lad is brilliant.Suddenly the room was full of famous Hollywood stars, and they were telling some ridiculous things.Toby Temple had never thought of it before, but his words, his jokes, spewed from their mouths in a desperate struggle and struggle.He was like a man who jumps into the water and drowns, and those words were his life-saving driftwood, by means of which he kept afloat.His whole body was drenched with sweat.He walked up and down the room, imitating the looks and movements of various people.He became anxious and restless, he completely forgot himself, forgot where he was, and why he had come here.Until he heard Alice Tanner say, "Stop! Stop!"

Tanner laughed with tears running down his face. "Stop!" she repeated, panting. Toby gradually regained his composure.Mrs. Tanner took out a handkerchief and was wiping her eyes. "You—you're crazy," she said, "you know that?" Toby took one look at her, slowly feeling elated and inspired, feeling inspired: "You like this, huh?" Alice Tanner shook her head, took a deep breath to control her laughter, and said, "No—not very much." Toby glared at her, furious.She wasn't laughing with him, she was laughing at him.She fooled him. "So, what are you laughing at?" Toby pressed her.

She smiled and said slowly, "You. This is the most exciting performance I've ever seen. There is a talented young man rising out of a star-studded crowd. You don't have to imitate others, You're inherently funny yourself." Toby felt his anger slowly disappear. "I think if you're willing to work hard and do your job well, you'll do well someday. Is that right?" Toby grinned slowly at her and said, "Let's roll up our sleeves and do it." On Saturday morning, Josephine worked very hard, helping her mother clean up the house.At noon, Xi Sai and several other friends came to her and took her to a picnic. Mrs. Zinski watched Josephine drive off in a limousine full of children from the oil industry.Someday, she thought, something would happen to Josephine.I shouldn't have let her be with these people.They are the children of the devil.She didn't know if Josephine would learn to be bad.She was going to speak to Reverend Damoan, who knew what to do.