so there you are. it seemed odd, suddenly, your not being there. why should you be? after all, six nights a week - for weeks - of watching even margo channing enter and leave a theater- not at all. to speak to just a playwright's wife? i'm the lowest form of celebrity. bill sampson? he's - he's a director. he'll agree with you. tell me, what do you between the time margo goes in and comes out? just huddle in that doorway and wait? you see the play? you've seen the play every performance? but, don't you find it - i mean apart from everything else - don't you find it expensive? i'm going to take you to margo. she's got to meet you- there isn't another like you, there couldn't be- you look just fine. . by the way. what's your name? you wait a minute. . now don't run away- hi. hello, darling- loud. no thanks, birdie. margo does not play a lunatic, birdie. i find these wisecracks increasingly less funny! 'aged in wood' happens to be a fine and distinguished play- the critics thought so, the audiences certainly think so - packed houses, tickets for months in advance - i can't see that either of lloyd's last two plays have hurt you any! it's just that you get me so mad sometimes. of all the women in the world with nothing to complain about- yes, it is! you're talented, famous, wealthy - people waiting around night after night just to see you, even in the wind and rain. they're your fans, your audience- well. there's one indoors now. i've brought her back to see you. she's just outside the door. you can't put her out, i promised. margo, you've got to see her, she worships you, it's like something out of a book- if you'd only see her, you're her whole life - you must have spotted her by now, she's always there. not at all. margo, this is eve harrington. my husband. harrington. i was telling margo and lloyd about how often you'd seen the play. tell us about it - eve. try. eve. why don't you start at the beginning? bill. bill- bill! this is eve harrington. you've already met. right here. a minute ago. you're not going, are you? lloyd, we've got to go- margo, good night! i'll call you tomorrow! good luck, genius. good night, eve. i hope i see you again soon- not just that way. as a friend. now who's show up at this hour? it's time people went home - hold that coat up. . whose is it? discouraging, isn't it? women with furs like that where it never gets cold. tell me, eve - how are things with you? happy? lloyd says margo compensates for underplaying on the stage by overplaying reality. . next to that sable, my new mink seems like an old bedjacket. . you've done your share, eve. you've worked wonders with margo. karen. nobody's done so much, eve, you've got to stop thinking of yourself as one of the hundred neediest cases. what is it? you want to be margo's new understudy. don't worry too much about that. margo just doesn't miss performances. if she can walk, crawl or roll - she plays. no, dear. margo must go on. as a matter of fact, i see no reason why you shouldn't be margo's understudy. i think she would cheer. they'll do as they're told. of course. i won't forget. but she just got here. what did you expect - live sables? bill says actors out there eat just as infrequently as here- margo, really. as a nonprofessional, i think it's an excellent idea. undramatic, but practical. then stop being a star - start treating your guests as your supporting cast! it's about time we did! it's about time margo realized that what's attractive on stage need not necessarily be attractive off. in a minute. you mustn't mind margo too much, even if i do. the reason is margo and don't try to figure it out. einstein couldn't. eve. i'm fond of margo too. but i know margo. and every now and then there is nothing i want to do so much as to kick her right square in the pants. no, eve, i won't forget. don't bother, i can take it up myself. margo, nothing you've ever done has made me as happy as your taking eve in. this is the most ghoulish conversation. we know you, we've seen you before like this. is it over - or just beginning? lloyd, what happened? margo, again. that's on time for margo. it's just possible she didn't. - don't run out of adjectives, dear. margo hasn't done badly by it. it's going to be a cozy weekend. we're driving out to the country tomorrow night. just the four of us. bill, margo, you and i. hello. will you call miss eve harrington to the phone, please? not at all. thank you. what time is it? i just don't want margo to miss her train. as it is, she'll barely make the theater. of all people you should know what it means to want some peace and quiet- lloyd, be careful. i guess i didn't look. you know i don't pay attention to those things. roughly ten minutes. three or four miles. none in sight, there aren't many along this back road. you'll break your neck on that ice. don't joke about such things. he always looks so pathetic whenever he does anything physical- i just never think of lloyd as anywhere but indoors and anything but sitting down. it doesn't matter. we've all seemed a little tense lately. we're never deeply angry, we just get sore. the way you do. we know you too well. you're margo. just - margo. what about bill? he's in love with you. why should he - and why should you? margo. bill is all of eight years younger than you. not to you. not to bill. silly, isn't it? you'd think they'd fix it so people could just sit in a car and keep warm. well. margo. margo, i want you to know how sorry i am about this. this. i can't tell you how sorry i am! has miss channing come in? eve. i've heard the most wonderful things about your performance- then you've heard too. you were there? at the play - last night? they certainly don't waste much time. margo. it's new margo. but she's just as late as the old one. i just can't believe it. i can't believe eve said those things! lloyd says it's a publicity release. i guess at this point i'm what the french call 'de trop'. where'd you get all that information? eve? that was a pity. i wonder why. that's quite a change of subject. i'm trying hard to follow you. i'm beginning to catch up. maybe get some younger actress for the part? someone who'd look the part as well as play it? now you're quoting addison. or eve. eve would ask abbott to give her costello. with gestures, of course. lloyd richards, you are not to consider giving that contemptible little worm the part of "cora." margo channing has not been exactly a compromise all these years, half the playwrights in the world would give their shirts for that particular compromise! it strikes me that eve's disloyalty and ingratitude must be contagious! on her knees, i have no doubt! very touching, very academy-of-dramatic arts! the cynicism you refer to, i acquired the day i discovered i was different from little boys! margo in the cub room. i couldn't be more surprised if she'd said grant's tomb. they'd die without each other. such as? that's fine. fine and dandy. i'd enjoy nothing more. just refer all of miss harrington's future requests to me. margo! when? when are you going to do it? what are you going to wear? yes? this beats all world's records for running, standing and jumping gall! i have no possible interest in anything she'd have to say. well. all right. don't get up. and don't act as if i were the queen mother. i don't intend to be. there can't be very much- - and easy or not, i won't believe a word. - and you felt just like that talking to addison. do you expect me to believe that you didn't say any of those things - that they were all addison? let's not get over-dramatic. eve. don't cry. tell me. how did your lunch turn out - with the man from hollywood? but the raves about your performance- well. i think you're painting the picture a little darker than it is, really. if nothing else - and don't underestimate him - you have a powerful friend in addison. he can help you. eve. i - i don't think you meant to cause unhappiness. but you did. more to yourself, perhaps - as it turned out - than to anyone else. yes, you will. you theater people always do. nothing is forever in the theater. love or hate, success or failure - whatever it is, it's here, it flares up and burns hot - and then it's gone. give yourself time. don't worry too much about what people think, you're very young and very talented. . and, believe it or not, if there's anything i can do- i think i know. you want to play "cora." you want me to tell lloyd i think you should play it. after all you've said. don't you know the part was written for margo? you talk just as addison said you did. i don't think anything in the world could make me say that. over my dead body. a part in a play. you'd do all that - just for a part in a play. nothing much. she apologized. with tears. check. not much. i remember. what? nothing. everything. everything's so funny. hello. who?. who's calling mr. richards? did miss harrington tell you to call mr. richards? aren't you. broadening the duties of a playwright just a bit? rushing off in the middle of the night like a country doctor? what would you do if, instead of eve, the leading man had called up to say her was hysterical? lloyd, i don't want you to go! i'm a human being, i've got some! have you forgotten about eve? what she is, what she's done? then tell me this isn't true! that your concern for your play and career is one thing - and that poor frightened hysterical girl another - and that your concern for her has nothing to do with either your play or your career! that first, last, and foremost - your reason for going now is that you want to be with eve! three in the morning or high noon - play or no play - wife or no wife! isn't it true, lloyd? she knows enough not to be here. congratulations, eve.