Chase The Rabbit: Gretch Bayonne Action Adventure Series Book #1 (21 page)

              When we were finished, Bela and I turned to look at the director. Victor sat there wide eyed, and then slowly, a slight smile came across his face.

              “What is your name?” Halperin asked.

              “My name is Gretch Bayonne. But everyone calls me Bay,” I answered. 

              “Bay?” the director asked. “Like the writer?”

              “Yes,” I said. “Like the writer.”

              “I love that guy,” he replied. “I read all of his articles.  You should consider changing your name so people don’t get the two of you confused. Just a suggestion.”

              Lugosi began laughing in his deep baritone and looked at me as if to ask,
Are you going to tell him or am I?

              “I am not worried about the writer,” I said.

              “If you can do the other scenes the way you just did that one,” the director said, “then you have saved this picture. I don’t care what your screen name is. We are on a very tight schedule. Let’s do it again. And this time, we will roll film.”

              Bela and I repeated our performance, and I felt it was even better the second time around. Following the adrenalin rush after that first scene was shot, we all took a break. Before I could even sit down, one of the director’s assistants came up to me with a contract to sign. 

              “Mr. Bay,” he said. “We have to have you sign off on this.”

              I took the papers and glanced at the first page and began flipping through them. I’d never seen anything like it.  I looked around the room for Bela to help me interpret, but he was nowhere in sight.

              “When do you need me to sign this?” I asked.

              “We need you to sign it now,” the man said.

              “I can’t do that,” I replied, “I can’t sign this until I understand what it means.”

              “It means you are being paid $850 to appear in this motion picture,” he responded. 

              “Give me your pen,” I replied.

                                                                      ***

              Making a movie was much more complicated than I expected. The light had to be just right. There was only one camera, so it had to be moved around a lot. The director was constantly looking through the viewfinder of the camera and giving the crew orders. And scenes were being shot out of order from as they appeared in the script. It was confusing, but altogether fascinating at the same time.

The strangest thing was no one on the set talked to each other during all the scene set ups. It was dead silent.  Lugosi was reading a book, and the others sat, for the most part, without expression, watching the crew ready the set for the next shot. It dawned on me that these actors were somewhat like the zombies that were portrayed in the film.  They sat there, obediently, without making a sound. Then when called upon, they came to life and acted swiftly. It was amazing to see. They had to wait, and then at the drop of a hat on command, they had to perform.

             
This is why they sit in silence like zombies,
I thought.
They are waiting for their cue to act. And they have to be perfect the first time.

              I lost track of how many scenes we shot. We had been there a long time, and everyone was getting tired. So as interesting as it was, I was relieved when the director finally dismissed us.

              “We will resume tomorrow morning,” Halperin announced. “Thank you all. It has been a very productive day. And please, if you all wouldn’t mind, sign this card for Mr. Robert Frazer’s family. He was a friend, and a great actor, and losing him in this way is a huge loss to this industry.”

              The director’s remark about the sudden death of one of his costars seemed genuine. The zombies suddenly came to life and there was sadness all around. They started talking amongst each other as the card was passed from one to the other.  Some tears were shed. Hugs were shared. It had been a long, strange day. I’d left Hoboken and the solitary existence of a writer behind me. I was an actor now.

Chapter Eighteen

W
e got word from our driver as he was taking us home that night. The Shortridge Committee was planning to make an announcement.

              “The ‘What’ Commission?” I asked.

              “You know!” the driver said. Senator Samuel Shortridge. The investigation into the Graf. It’s all over the radio! They are going to release their findings tomorrow!”

              “Already?” Bela asked. “That is interesting. I suppose we should listen to the radio this evening and catch up on what is going on.”

              “I can catch you up!” the driver said. “Those men from Washington, Senator Shortridge, and Mr. Hearst and the stars, they are going to reveal why she went down! At three o’clock tomorrow! And the Olympics, they will start next week! The President said the games must go on!”

              “Whoa, wait a minute,” I said. “Hoover talked about this today?”

              “Why, yes, sir,” the driver said. “On the radio! It was an amazing speech! He said the games must go on!”

              “Thank you, driver,” Bela said, cutting him off.

              “They are shutting this thing down,” Bela whispered to me, “so they can all get back to work. I am a bit surprised they are doing it so quickly though.”

              “I must admit,” I said. “I am curious to hear what they have to say.”

              “It will be a whole lot of nothing, my friend,” Bela replied. “Well-scripted, acted and directed.”

              “Like
White Zombie
?” I asked.

              “Yes,” Bela laughed. “It will be exactly like
White Zombie
, but with a much larger budget!”

              It was a funny remark, but I was too exhausted to laugh.

              “What time is it anyway?” I asked.

              “Time to retire,” Bela said. “We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

                                                                      ***

              We were back on the set of
White Zombie
before I even had a chance to think about Patricia and what I was supposed to be doing in Hollywood to begin with. Then the extras arrived. There must have been thirty of them. 

              “Get these men into zombie makeup,” the director said. “We will shoot their scene down in building four when they are ready!”

              I pulled the photo of the missing husband out of my wallet and walked up to each of the men, studying their faces. No dice! None of them were Mark Anthony. 

              I need to find this man, I thought. And I can’t very well do that if I am on the set here.

              The first scene I was in that day was with Bela and all of these men made up as zombies. It took a long time because the camera had to move along in front of us as we walked down stairs. 

Thoughts of Patricia ran through my mind as we were going through the scene. I was personally relating to the character I was playing, who was also in love and obsessed with a woman. It was crazy. I was Charles Beaumont.  Patricia was Madeline. I was crossing the line between reality and the movie. Life didn’t seem real to me until I was in front of the camera and film was rolling.

                                                                      ***

              Later that day, the entire cast and crew were driven to yet another set that had been used in the motion picture,
Dracula
. 

              “I am a bit concerned about this,” Bela confided to me.

“This movie may be too much like
Dracula
, and quite frankly, I want to get out of horror.”

              “It’s just one more movie,” I replied. “And you are a great actor. You will get other roles that are different.”

              “I hope so,” he replied. “In the meantime, are you going to take Jean up on her offer?”

              “No,” I said. “I have my own job to do here, and I don’t want to get involved any further with that kind of trouble.”

              “You don’t have to get involved with her,” he said, “outside of as a friend. But I think you should consider that role. You are a good actor, too.”

              “What the hell are you talking about?” I asked.

              “You didn’t read the message that was left in your room last night?” he asked.

              “I went into my room and collapsed on the bed,” I answered. “No, I did not see any message.”

              “Yioko mentioned it to me,” he said. “Apparently Jean has offered you a role in her new movie, and has strong armed Warner Brothers into hiring you.”

              “And you are just now telling me this?” I asked.

              “I thought you got the message,” Lugosi said. “Word got out right away that you can act, and Jean got wind of it.  She wants you to be in
Red Dust
with her and Clark Gable as soon as we wrap
White Zombie
.”

              “No,” I said. “I did not get the message.” My adrenalin shot through the roof of the car. “Jean wants me to be in her movie? Really?”

              “Yes,” Bela said. “I will take credit for launching your acting career, of course,” he said smiling. “And if you did not see that message, then I am assuming you missed the one from Marion as well.”

              “Marion Davies, I presume,” I replied.

              “There is no other,” Bela said. “She has a role for you in her motion picture as well, if you are interested.”

              “If I am interested!” I shouted. “Bela, if you are putting me on…”

              “No,” he answered. “It is serious.
Peg O’ My Heart
, the next Marion Davies movie. I forget the character they want you to play…Captain someone.”

              I sat stunned as we pulled up to the set. Bela had to prompt me to get out of the automobile. 

              “Bay,” he said, tugging my jacket. “We are here. We have to go to work now.”

              I stared up at him in shock. “Bela?” I asked.

              “Yes, Bay?”

              “Do you think I should do it?”

              “You are asking a question that you already have the answer to,” he said. “Now let’s go to work and pretend.”

                                                                      ***

              The days blurred together and shot by faster than a rabbit being chased by a pack of wild cats. We finished
White Zombie
under schedule. It only took eleven days. 

                                                                      ***

              I didn’t have time to blink before I was on the set of
Red Dust
, chatting with Jean Harlow and Clark Gable. 

Lugosi’s agent was representing me, and it appeared I would be busy for some time to come. 

              Half of the stars from the Graf were insisting that I appear in at least one of their motion pictures. As soon as I was finished with
Red Dust
, I was scheduled to play Captain Christopher Brent in the Marion Davies film,
Peg O’ My Heart
.

              Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, Gary Cooper, and Marlene Dietrich were all guaranteeing me future roles. And on my first day on the set of
Red Dust
, Groucho Marx sent me a telegram.

             
Considering adding a fifth Marx Brother. You will be Bayo. But hold the Mayo. But it won’t be that much Payo.  Okayo?