Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 161: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BETWEEN THE LINES. still in its infancy—which it still is, for that matter, as anybody who is in the business will tell you.” That’s what I told her, and it was more or less the truth. But if I’d stopped to think, if I’d only known how much con- stant help and encouragement I was due to receive from the wife with regards to this directorship thing, why, you can lay a bet that my reply would of been something distinctly different. ‘Well, then,” says the Mrs., ‘‘ why don’t you try to get a job as a director? Think of the difference it would make to us! Not only the difference in the money, but so- cially!” “‘ Socially, eh?” I says. ‘ Well, of course, I don’t suppose you’d exactly class a cam- era man with the aristocracy of the movie world, so to say; but, still and all, a camera man ain’t exactly considered the scum of the earth, at that. And, besides, my social position, as I suppose you’d call it, was plenty good enough when you married me.” “ Certainly,” says the wife. “ But are you always going to be contented to always stick in one spot? Haven’t you got any ambition?” So about then I see which way the wind is blowing and start to hedge.. “Ambition?” I says. ‘‘ Why, I got all kinds! But listen. I was just kidding. As a matter of fact, I still got a lot of things to learn before I’d even consider myself a capable director—let alone what Mannie Eckstein, our hard boiled and exceedingly neurotical president, would consider me.” “T don’t believe it,’’ says the little wom- an flatly. ‘‘ Listen. When Ralph Brooks, or whatever that director’s name is you're working with, got sick when you were film- ing your last picture, didn’t you practically complete the picture yourself, not only the directing, but the photography?” “Why, yes,” I had to admit. ‘ But—” “Well, what more do you want?” de- mands the clinging vine. ‘‘ What you lack is self-confidence. You got plenty of abil- ity if you’d only push yourself ahead.” “ Admitting all that,” I says, “‘ 1 want to tell you that just now is a very poor time to start pushing yourself ahead in the movie business. Maybe you don’t know it, but just now the movie industry is in the throes of one of its periodical fits of economy. Salaries is being cut right and left, and all sorts of people, even the stars, are getting the gate. So I hope to tell you that just at the present stage of the game a camera crank in the hand is worth a coupla jobs as a director in the bush, and don’t let anybody kid you about that!” ‘So they’re letting people go?” says the Mrs. “ Even the stars, and some of the directors?” ‘““In bunches,” I says. ‘Well, then,” she says, ‘‘ that makes so much less competition, doesn’t it? And so now is the time for you to start after a directorship, when there aren’t so many peo- ple who are already directors to compete with.” If you can figure that one out, why, send your answer to the Puzzle Editor! ‘ Well,” I told her, “ that’s certainly one way of looking at it, though it strikes me there’s something wrong with the picture somewhere. But, anyway, even admitting that now is the time for every good man to promote himself as a movie director, why, I’m here to say that I’ve got the same chance of cheating Will Hays out of his job that I got of Mannie Eckstein giving me a job as director!” : “Why?” snaps the little lady. “Because for one thing,” I told her, ‘““Mannie’s already got plenty directors. And because for another, I’m a camera man, and a darn good one, and Mannie couldn’t see me in any other capacity, not with a telescope.” ‘You mean,” says the Mrs., “ that Mr. Eckstein is so used to considering you in the light of a camera man, as you might say, that the idea of your being a director, or the like, would never occur to him?” ‘‘ Something like that,” I says. “Well, then,” the wife suggests, “‘ the thing for you to do is get him used to the idea.” “ How get him used?” I asked. “Well,” she says, ‘first ask him if he won’t give you a job directing. Then, if he turns you down, why, keep suggesting the idea to him.” : “You mean ride him?” J asked her. COMMicoookxs TOL (S@)