The Film Society To Ulu Grosbard
The Film Society was originally produced in English by The Los Angeles Actorsâ Theatre/Los Angeles Theatre Center, Bill Bushnell, Artistic Producing Director.
Original New York Production by the Second Stage Theatre, July, 1988.
Characters
JONATHON BALTON
NAN SINCLAIR
TERRY SINCLAIR
NEVILLE SUTTER
MRS. BALTON
HAMISH FOX
Time
Act One
September, 1970.
Act Two
December, 1970
Place
Durban, Natal Province, South Africa.
âThe consciences of the English are unnaturally agitated by Africa.â
Evelyn Waugh
A Tourist in Africa, 1959.
The Film Society
ACT ONE
Scene One
Jonathonâs classroom. Jonathon sits in the dark, watching the last moments of Touch of Evil.
MAN (V.O.): âWell. Hank was a great detective all right.â
WOMAN (V.O.): âAnd a lousy cop.â
(The door is flung open and Hamish Fox enters.)
FOX: What the bloody hell is going on in here! Turn on the lights!
BALTON (Turning off the projector): Just watching a film, is all, Hamish!
(He turns on the lights.)
FOX: What do you mean âwatching a filmâ? Where are they?
BALTON: The boys? They didnâtâitâs not really film society now, I was just watching it again, you see.
FOX: Not the boys! Nan and Terry Sinclair!
BALTON: Not here. I donât know, really, with all the fuss and all, when it was over, I just came in here, you see, andâ
FOX: You have anything to do with this fiasco, Balton?
BALTON: Really, I was . . . no! I was in charge of the iced tea, I didnât have anything to do with it.
FOX: Well, theyâre your friends! Youâre always giggling together, itâs always no good from you lot!
BALTON: No! Thatâs not fair, is it?
FOX: Whyâre you sitting about in the dark watching a film at a time like this, when weâve got policemen all over the place, hey?
BALTON: I donât know why itâs such a bother, itâs not like we were invaded, Hamish. Terry brought up one African speaker, I donât see why you had to call the entire Durban military out.
(Pause.)
FOX (staring incredulously at Jonathon): Thatâs very good! You defend them then and weâll see what happens when weâre overrun! This is not some commie summer camp! Itâs Blenheim! The nerve! Bloody outrageous!
BALTON: I had nothing to do with it, donât shout at me!
(Neville Sutter enters.)
SUTTER: Any sign of the Sinclairs?
FOX: Theyâre hiding.
SUTTER: Calm down, Hammy.
FOX: Donât tell me to calm down. Thereâs been a lot of lefty nonsense going on here lately . . .
SUTTER: Jonathon, I expect you didnât have anything to do with this business, did you? Iâve just spent the past hour with a roomful of angry parents and itâs an awful bore.
BALTON: No, I didnât at all! Because, you see, I had iced tea and meringues and all to organize for after the speeches and prizes and then, in all the fuss and all, I just came back here because, you see, I had ordered Touch of Mink, but they sent Touch of Evil . . . which I quite liked.
SUTTER:âJonathon, itâs all right, you neednâtâ
BALTON:âand I wanted to see it again, because the boys didnât quite get it.
FOX: Stop going on about your film society this second!
BALTON: It was all about Mexicans and corruption.
SUTTER (Sighing): Jonathon, if any of the parents come looking for me, or the Sinclairs for that matterâ
FOX:âNot bloody likely. Theyâre retreating to Moscowâ
SUTTER: Tell the Sinclairs, I want to see them up at my house. Joyce tripped over a chair during the commotion. (He starts to exit) Come along, Hammy, weâd better finish up with the parents.
FOX (Following Sutter): I told you not to put Sinclair in charge of Centenary Day, but you refused to listen, well, all I can say is . . .
SUTTER (To Fox, off): Tell the girl to bring the parents a drink in my office and some ice for Joyceâs leg, would you? Thereâs a good chap.
(Pause. Balton sighs. Looks outside after them. Turns off the lights, turns on the projector, and watches the remaining moments of the film.)
MAN: âIs that all you have to say for him?â
(Pianola theme on soundtrack.)
WOMAN: âHe was some kind of man. What does it matter what you say about people?â
MAN: âGoodbye, Tanya.â
WOMAN: âAdios.â
(Pianola theme on soundtrack. The door opens. Nan enters as the film credits begin.)
NAN: Jonathon? Jonathon? Whereâs Terry?
BALTON: Get in here! Theyâre looking all over for you and theyâre mad as hornets!
NAN: Terryâs not here? God, he just disappeared.
BALTON: He went down to Durban jail to see if he could bail out that black priest you two brought up to the podium.
NAN: Me? Christ, I had nothing to do with it! You think Iâd allow a stupid gesture like that? He got this man arrested! I had nothing to do with it!
BALTON: Youâll have to tell Neville and Hamish that and then itâll all die down, Iâm sure. If you explain that . . . as for Terry, well. My. My. You know?
NAN: Jonathon, heâs done us in! Theyâre going to sack us this time! Itâs over.
BALTON: No they wonât! Just tell them how terribly sorry you both are and start to cry for a bit and itâll all be fine. Just like all the other littleâepisodes.
NAN: Heâs been so furtive, like one of the boys, I knew something was up! Damn it!
BALTON: I have a bit of whisky, you know!
NAN: Oh hell, sure.
(Jonathon takes two teacups and a bottle of Scotch out of his desk, pours.)
BALTON: Yes, thisâll calm you down. I was quite rattled by the whole business myself, I must admit. But itâll all blow over, donât you worry. Storm in a tea-thingie, eh?
NAN: But you know what this town is like! If they fire us, weâll be dead as cold mutton! I canât stand it anymore, he lies, goes off to these ludicrous little meetings, comes back with new wo...