Mistress

Marvin Landisman: That's it. I'm going back to the original script! I'm not making any changes. Any changes!

Stuart Stratland Jr.: Marvin, what are you talking about? They won't make the film! Don't be self-destructive.

Marvin Landisman: Help me, Stuart. I mean, you're a smart guy. There's a great story here. Just help me use these women to tell it. It's my fault. I never told you what this all came out of.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: It's about that actor comitting suicide on your film.

Marvin Landisman: No. It's about how I killed him.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: What?

Marvin Landisman: Believe it or not Stuart once I was pretty hot. From an old novel I wrote a script about a ruthless gambler who destroys someone he loves. Life changes for him and then isolated and desperate, he realizes who he is and he kills himself. Pretty grim stuff but I got Warren Zell. Warren was a very special actor. He was an original but he had been through a lot and he wasn't acting anymore. See, I had been his student. He trusted in my plan and I convinced him that I could give what he had been through meaning. Warren was amazing. The film suddenly had an incredible mystery to it. Actually it was too good. The producers loved the rushes and thought it might be a Christmas release. Oh, they had one small change. Take out the suicide. Instead have the character recite some speech like, "There's always another day." It was at four o'clock in the afternoon. I had a terrible headache. I can still hear the thud.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: God, that's sick. He was crazy!

Marvin Landisman: Of course he was or he wouldn't have jumped. But he was too weak to fight us any other way. He had to remain honest to himself and the suffering he represented. I was betraying him. Turning this into an insane farce. Don't you see, Stuart? This is what the film *needs* to be about. The fact that not everything is for sale. That some things just have to be left as they are. Help me, Stuart. I want his death to mean something.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: Marvin, they're only making this to put their girlfriends in it.

Marvin Landisman: Then take out the painter.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: He's a photographer and we can't take him out. The whole thing revolves around him!

Marvin Landisman: Okay, leave him in. But take out the suicide.

Stuart Stratland Jr.: What are you, crazy? After all the trouble we went through to sell it? That's the only element everyone agrees on!

Marvin Landisman: I can't bear him dying amidst all this crap! Let him get hit by a car. Let him leave town! Some shit!

Stuart Stratland Jr.: It's a little late for that, Marvin. The suicide stays!

Marvin Landisman: You take it out! I'm not gonna have him turned into a comic book. I'm not gonna murder him again!