Chapter 23 Chapter Twenty Two
In November 1963, the golden autumn sunshine had already disappeared.There was a layer of gray clouds in the sky, which looked extremely cold.In the early morning, it is often white mist and cold.The first winter rains have begun.
Jill Castle was still at Schwabe's hotel every morning.Survivors are still out there talking about who lost a character and why.They gloat over every disastrous review that belittles a good actor that comes out in the press.Jill had grown weary of this prattle; and it seemed to her that the comments were an elegy for the loser.Jill begins to wonder if she's different from everyone else around her.She has always been confident that she can become a star.However, she looked at the familiar faces around her again, and she understood that they were not discouraged.Are they all impractical?Had they bet everything on a dream that would never come true?Jill couldn't accept the idea.
Jill then became the confessional godmother of the gang.Everyone came to her with questions.She listened and tried to help.For example, get an idea, raise a few dollars, find a temporary place to live for a week or two.She rarely had trysts with boyfriends because she was so absorbed in her career that she never met a man who interested her.
As soon as Jill had some savings, she sent the money to her mother, enclosing a long, warm letter telling how she was doing well.At first, Jill's mother wrote back and advised Jill to change her career and become a nun.But Jen sometimes makes movies to send more money home, so her mother grudgingly takes pride in her daughter's career.She no longer objected to Jill being an actress.However, she asked Jill to push for a role in a religious film."I am sure that if you told Mr. Dimir about your religious background, he would give you a role," she said in the letter.
Odessa is a small city.Jill's mother still works for the big boss in the oil industry.Jill knew her mother would talk about her, and that sooner or later David Kenevenin would hear about her success.So Jill made up a lot of stories about the big stars who worked with her in the letter, and pay attention.She also learned to play tricks of a little actor.When she stands next to the star, she always asks the on-site photographer to take her picture.The photographer probably printed two copies for her, so Jill sent one to her mother and kept the other for herself.The letters she wrote made it sound as though she were almost a movie star.
In southern California, there is no snow all year round.The custom there is: from the first three weeks of Christmas, there will be a parade of Santa Claus on Hollywood Avenue.Since then, until Christmas Eve, Santa's floats have passed by every night.The citizens of Hollywood, like their fellow citizens across the North, reveled in the celebration of the birth of the Holy Child.Although the temperature is as high as 85qC to 90aC, the heat is unbearable, and everyone is sweating, but in residential areas, from every home and car, people can still hear "Glory to God" and "Quiet God" on the radio. Night", "Radolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and other Christmas songs.They, like other heroic and patriotic Americans, longed for a fabulous snowy Christmas.However, they knew that God did not provide them with such a beautiful day, so they learned to create their own rituals to celebrate Christmas: all kinds of Christmas lights were hung on the streets, Christmas trees made of plastic, Paper-cut Santa Claus, their sleighs, and reindeer decorate the entire street into a sea of joy.Celebrities and actors alike vie for Santa's parade, not because they're keen to bring holiday cheer to the thousands of adults and children who watch along the way, but because the parade will be televised across the country to their faces.
Jill Castle stood alone on a street corner, watching the long procession of floats pass by, with stars waving to their adoring fans.The head coach for this year's parade is Toby Temple.The adoring crowd cheered him enthusiastically as his float passed.Jill only had time to catch a glimpse of Toby's radiant, talented face before he passed.
The procession featured the Hollywood High School band, followed by Masonic floats, a Marine Corps band, riders in cowboy outfits, a Salvation Army band, and finally, Holy Land worshipers. team.In addition, there are singing groups waving various flags, a float in Knott's fruit tree field, with flowers forming various images of birds and animals, fire brigade, clowns and jazz bands, etc.Later, these parades no longer had the atmosphere of Christmas, and became pure Hollywood performances.
Jill has worked with some of the cast members on the floats.One of them waved to her, bowed his head and called her, "Hi, Jill! How are you?"
Several people in the crowd turned and looked at Jill enviously.People knew her as someone in the film industry.This inevitably gave her a sense of pride.At this time, a low and round voice came from beside her: "Excuse me, are you an actor?"
Jill turned and the speaker was a tall, fair-haired, handsome lad of about mid-twenties.His face was very tanned and his teeth were white and even.He was wearing a pair of old jeans and a blue denim top.The arms and elbows of the jacket were patched with leather in fashion.
"Me too. I mean, an actor too." He smiled and added, "Struggling."
Jill pointed to herself and said, "Struggling too."
He laughed. "Have a cup of coffee, please?"
His name was Alan Preston, and he was from Salt Lake City.His father was an elder in the local Mormon Church. "I grew up with too many religious disciplines to even crack a joke," he said frankly to Jill.
It was almost foreshadowing, Jill thought.We have exactly the same characteristics.
"I'm a good actor," Alan said sullenly, "but this city is a tough place to fight. Back home, anyone could come over and give you a hand, but here, it seems like everyone wants to get out of you." Just scrape off some oil and water."
They talked about the coffee shop being closed.By this time the two had become close friends.When Alan asked her, "Do you want to go back to where I live?" Jill hesitated and said, "Okay."
Alan Preston lived in a boarding house on Highland Road, two blocks from the Hollywood Arena.Alan lived in a small room at the back of the inn.
"People should call this place a dump," he said to Jill. "You should look at these weirdos who live here. They all think they're going to make it in film and television."
Like us, Jill thought.
The furniture in Alan's room was only a bed, a wardrobe, a chair and a wobbly table. "I am looking forward to one day, moving into my palace."
Jill laughed. "Me too."
Alan wanted to hug her, but she put on a straight face: "Please don't do this!"
Alan looked at her for a while, then said softly, "Okay." Jill suddenly felt embarrassed.Anyway, why would she come into a man's room?She knew the answer to it: she was lonely as hell.She longed for someone to chat with, for a man's arm to wrap her around her, to inspire her confidence, to tell her that everything was going to be fine.It's been that long.She missed David Keneven all the time, but that was another life, another world.She needed him so much that sometimes it hurt her heart to think about him.After a while, when Alan Preston put his arms around her again, she closed her eyes, as if David Kennevan was kissing her, undressing her, making love to her...
Jill stayed at Alan's that night.A few days later, Alan moved into her tiny apartment.
Alan Preston was the most innocent man Jill had ever met.He is lazy and loose all day long, living one day at a time, never caring about what will happen tomorrow.Jill would just talk to him about his way of life, and he'd say, "Hey, do you remember the movie Samara Date? What's coming, it's going to happen. Luck will find you, you use Don't look for it."
Alan was often in bed long after Jill had gone out to look for work.When she came home, she saw him sitting in an armchair reading a book, or drinking beer with friends, and she never took a penny back.
"You're a fool," one of Jill's girlfriends told her. "He uses your bed, eats your food, drinks your wine. Get him out!"
But Jill didn't listen to her.
Jill understood Harriet for the first time, and understood all those women who desperately wanted to live with men they didn't like, and even hated.
That is the fear of being alone.
Jill doesn't have a job.Christmas is just a few days away.She had only a few dollars left in her hand, but she still had to send her mother Christmas presents.This time it was Alan who solved the puzzle.He left home early one morning without saying where he was going, but when he came back he said to Jill, "We've got a job."
"What kind of job?"
"Acting, of course, we're actors, aren't we?"
Jill watched him, suddenly filled with hope. "Are you serious about what you say?"
"Of course. I met a friend. He's a doctor. He's asking a guy to make a movie tomorrow. There's us in it. One day, a hundred dollars each."
"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Jill. "One hundred dollars!" With that she could buy her mother some nice English wool and knit a blouse; and leave enough to buy a fine leather purse.
"It's just a little studio. It's in the back of a garage."
Jill said, "What does this have to do with us? Just give it a role."
The garage is on the south side of Los Angeles.That area used to be a settlement for middle-class gentlemen a generation ago.
A small dark man came out to meet them at the door.He took Alan's hand and said, "It's really done, good friend, you are amazing."
He turned to Jill and whistled with satisfaction. "You're talking about the facts. She's worth seeing."
Alain said, "Jill, this is Peter Tarraglio. Jill Castle."
"Hello!"
"Peter is the director," Alan added.
"Director, producer, head bottle washer. I do a little bit of everything. Come in and get started." He led them both through the empty garage and into a passage that had once been the servants' quarters.There were two bedrooms off the corridor, one with the door open.As they entered, voices were heard.Jill went to the door, looked in, and was so startled that she froze in disbelief.Inside the house were four naked people, lying on a bed: one man was black and the other was Mexican.There are also two girls, one white and one black.The cameraman is setting the light.A girl on a Mexican.
Jill felt dizzy.She circled around the door and retreated into the passage.She felt weak in her legs, and Alan put his arms around her, supporting her body.
"can you?"
She could not answer him.Her head seemed to split open, and her stomach hurt like a knife.
"Wait here." Alan ordered her.
He came back soon, with a bottle of Red Pills and half a liter of vodka in his hand.He took out two pills and handed them to Jill. "They can make you more comfortable."
Jill felt dizzy and put the pill in her mouth.
"Swallow it," Alain told her.
She did as he was told.
"Here." Alan gave her another pill.She sent it down again with vodka. "You need to lie down for a while."
He takes Jill into an empty bedroom.She lay down on the bed slowly, very slowly.The pills are starting to work.She felt a little better.There is no longer bitter water coming up in the mouth.
Fifteen minutes later, her headache was gone.Alan gave her another pill, which Jill swallowed again without thinking, taking another sip of vodka.The pain is gone, which is a blessing.But today Alan's behavior was weird, he always circled around her bed.
"Sit down quietly!" she said.
"I'm sitting."
Jill thought it was funny, so he laughed.She laughed until tears flowed. "Those pills are—what are they?"
"For your headache, dear."
Tarraglio peered into the room and said, "How are we doing? Everyone's happy, aren't they?"
"People—everybody's happy," Jill muttered.
Taraglio looked at Alan and nodded. "Five minutes." Taraglio finished and hurried away.
Alan leaned over Jill and patted her breasts and thighs.
"Look, honey," said Alan, "I'm not asking you to do anything nasty, you're just fucking with me. That's what we do anyway, but this time we can make money with it. Two hundred dollars, It's all yours."
She shook her head, but it seemed that she would never be able to move her head from one side to the other. "I can't do such a thing," she said hurriedly.
"Why not?"
She had to concentrate and think: "Right, because I'm—because I'm going to be a star, and I can never do porn."
Alan said a few words and laughed.He grabs Jill's hand and pulls her out of bed.Jill felt her body float.
They walked into the passage, and then into another room.
"Okay," Taraglio said, seeing them, "no need to change the set, we've got something new this time."
"Do you want to change the sheets?" one of the assistants asked.
"No, where do you think we are, at MGM?"
Jill snuggled up to Alan: "David, there's someone here."
"They're leaving," Alan reassured her. "Here." He took out another pill and gave it to Jill.He brought the vodka to her lips and she swallowed the pill.From then on, everything seemed to be in the clouds.David undressed her and said something affectionate.He went to bed with her...
The light made her uncomfortable, and the sounds of talking around her.She tried to ask David to stop them, but she was wild with excitement...David loved her, not Sasse, he came to her again, and they were married.How wonderful they are on their honeymoon!
"David..." she said.She opened her eyes, and she saw the Mexican lying on top of her.She wanted to ask him where David was, but couldn't tell... Jill closed her eyes and lost consciousness.
Two men stood there, looking down at the human body on the bed.
"Is she all right?" Tarraglio asked.
"No problem," Alan said.
"You've really helped them," Taraglio admired. "She's wonderful. By far the most attractive woman."
Taraglio pulled a large pile of pills from his pocket and took out two. "Here, will you come to Christmas dinner? Styler will be glad to see you."
"No way," Alan said. "I'm going to spend Christmas with my wife and kids. I'm going to catch the next plane to Florida."
"We're going to make a fantastic film," Taraglio nodded at the unconscious girl. "What shall we name her on the cast?"
Alain grinned. "Why not use her real name? Her name is Josephine Zinski. Might really give her friends a little thrill when it's shown in Odessa."
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