The Last Tycoon / Последний магнат. Книга для чтения на английском языке

Reinmund had two pictures to his account this year – but Wylie White needed a credit to start his comeback to the scene. Jane Meloney was watching Stahr closely from little skull-like eyes.

“Couldn’t you give us some clue,” Reinmund asked. “This is a good deal of a blow, Monroe.”

“I just wouldn’t put Margaret Sullavan in it,” said Stahr. “Or Colman either. I wouldn’t advise them to play it —”

“Specifically[63 - Specifically – (зд.) А подробнее], Monroe,” begged Wylie White.

“What didn’t you like? The scenes? the dialogue? the humor? construction?”

Stahr picked up the script from his desk, let it fall as if it were, physically, too heavy to handle.

“I don’t like the people,” he said. “I wouldn’t like to meet them – if I knew they were going to be somewhere, I’d go somewhere else.”

Reinmund smiled, but there was worry in his eyes.

“Well, that’s a damning criticism,” he said. “I thought the people were rather interesting.

”

“So did I,” said Broaca. “I thought Em was very sympathetic.”

“Did you?” asked Stahr sharply. “I could just barely believe she was alive. And when I came to the end, I said to myself, вЂ?So what?[64 - So what? – (разг.) Р? что?]’”

“There must be something to do,” Reinmund said. “Naturally we feel bad about this. This is the structure we agreed on —”

“But it’s not the story,” said Stahr. “I’ve told you many times that the first thing I decide is the kind of story I want.

We change in every other regard, but once that is set we’ve got to work toward it with every line and movement. This is not the kind of a story I want. The story we bought had shine and glow – it was a happy story. This is all full of doubt and hesitation. The hero and heroine stop loving each other over trifles – then they start up again over trifles. After the first sequence, you don’t care if she never sees him again or he her. ”

“That’s my fault,” said Wylie suddenly. “You see, Monroe, I don’t think stenographers have the same dumb admiration for their bosses they had in 1929. They’ve been laid off – they’ve seen their bosses jittery. The world has moved on, that’s all.”

Stahr looked at him impatiently, gave a short nod.

“That’s not under discussion[65 - That’s not under discussion – (разг.) Это не обсуждается],” he said.