Thursday's Child

Phoebe, hurry up, dear.

It's four o'clock.

Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Briggs.

You'll bring tea out into the garden will you, dear?

Oh, no, I couldn't do that.

I'll wait in the kitchen.

Here, go away, Jenny, go away.

Here you are, take her out.

Fennis, Fennis.

You'll bring tea out into the garden with you, dear?

Yes, all right, Mummy.

Hurry up and get dressed, dear.

Oh, I've still got my apron on.

This is a lovely surprise, Mr. Lennox.

Well, Mrs. Frank, after all this time.

Fen.

What, wait a minute.

What, come in my room.

Do you think this suits me better than my eau de nil?

I think so.

Let me see you.

I don't feel quite like myself in this dress.

Suits you much better than it did me.

You look sweet, darling.

Let me see myself.

I say Fen, a man like Mr. Lennox is

sure to have met lots of important film people.

I shall lead the conversation round and find out,

and get him to give me an introduction.

It's a waste of effort,

'cause Daddy would never let you go on the films.

Oh, go ahead and take the tea out, Fen.

- Phoebe. - What?

Don't be too obvious in leading

the conversation round, will you?

As if I would.

Go and hurry up with the tea, darling.

Oh, it wasn't so bad in the south of France.

I simply couldn't get home.

Took me two years to get a visa to cross into Spain.

We were afraid you'd been interned.

Ah, this is Joan, isn't it?

Hello, Miss Joan,

I don't expect you remember me?

Of course, I do.

My name's Fennis now.

And do you remember the day you sold Frank

the business, Mr. Lennox?

I can see it as if it were yesterday.

You sat just where you're sitting now,

under the rose tree, eating a piece of Dundee cake.

So sorry I'm late.

Oh, so this is Phoebe.

How are you, Phoebe?

I expect you've been thinking of me

as still a little girl.

Oh, I expect I have.

What do I find?

A walking advertisement for the beauty parlour.

Do sit down, Mr. Lennox.

Thank you.

Tuppence for the box, Phoebe?

Oh, I haven't got my bag.

Whenever the children are late for a meal,

Frank always makes them put tuppence in the Red Cross box.

Oh, well, I'll pay this tuppence for Phoebe.

Well, thank you, Mr. Lennox.

By the way, how are you getting on at the beauty parlour?

Madame Felicia is very nice to me.

I expect it was your introduction.

Oh.

But the work isn't very exciting.

One doesn't expect work to be exciting, Phoebe.

Oh, I don't know, Frank.

I wouldn't say that.

Sorry I'm dashing off, Mr. Lennox.

You've time to talk to Mr. Lennox

for a moment, haven't you?

Oh, but I'm meeting Eddie up on the heath

at half past four, Mum, and it's that now.

I didn't know you were coming, Mr. Lennox,

till it was too late to put him off.

Oh, that's all right, Jim.

Cheerio, Mr. Lennox.

Bye, Mum.

Bye, Dad.

Good-bye, Jim.

You never told me you had an airman in the family.

He's only a cadet, Mr. Lennox.

He won't be called up for another year yet.

What are you gonna do with him afterwards, Frank?

What, after the war?

Hm.

Well, he'll go into the business with me.

Is he keen on being a chemist?

Well, he won't have to sweat 12 hours a day in a factory

like I had to when I was a kid.

But do you mean you do know somebody

in the film business, Mr. Lennox?

Yes, he writes scenarios or whatever you call them.

He wrote that one, oh.

That one they're showing for a big war charity next week?

You don't mean Woman of Today with Gloria Dewey?

That's it, Woman of Today.

Isn't it funny, Mummy.

We were only talking about it last night,

and I was saying I'd give anything to see it.

I love Gloria Dewey.

I must say, I've never seen the lady.

I saw her latest film three times in one week.

Did you really?

Well, I'm seeing young Penley tomorrow.

I'll try to arrange a couple of seats for you

for Tuesday night, if you like.

Oh, if you would do, that would be sweet

of you, Mr. Lennox.

I'll tell him

to look out for you.

David Penley is his name.

He's a charming fellow.

I'm sure you'll like him.

Oh, thank you, I shall look forward to it.

Take the tray in, Phoebe.

Yes, dear.

She's mad about films now.

Last year, it was dress design she wanted to go in for.

Oh, Mother.

The year before that, it was mannequin work,

and now it's films.

It's just a passing phase.

She'll soon grow out of all that nonsense.

Phoebe.

What?

You are much too obvious.

Was I?

Yes, much.

Oh, well, I don't care.

I got what I wanted.

Mr. Penley, I did enjoy it.

Did you?

Well, I think it's a terrible film.

Oh, I didn't.

I thought the dialogue was beautifully written.

Didn't you like it, Fen?

Well, it wasn't like real life, was it?

It was too shiny.

That's it, exactly.

Like all Rudi Kauffmann's films.

You are lucky being in the film business.

I wish I were.

Oh, don't wish you were.

It's a rotten sort of life for a girl like you.

What do you mean, a girl like me?

Well, for a pretty sensitive girl

to spend their time hanging around agents'

waiting rooms and casting offices.

Oh, but once you've made a hit, that's all finished.

You have to be as hard as nails to get on.

That's how she got where she is.

I rather hoped you'd help me.

I'm sorry, I can't, honestly.

Won't you sit down?

I think it's very mean of you not to help me.

Well, if you knew as much

about film as I do, you'd understand.

Well, you might at least tell me

how to set about finding film work.

Sorry, I wouldn't help any girl I liked

to get into film, unless, of course,

I thought she was a great actress or something.

Oh, thank you.

That's charming of you.

Would you like to sit down?

I'm getting out the next stop.

Thank you so much.

Better get ready to push your way through.

Thank you.

I'll clear a path for us.

Golders Green, Edware train.

Don't push there!

Just a minute.

Come along there.

Excuse me, I want to get out.

Excuse me, excuse me, I want to get out.

- Phoebe! - Come on!

Mind the doors, please.

Well, I suppose she'll come back by the next train?

She might go home by bus from Bray.

I expect we better wait.

Well, let's sit down here, shall we?

Well, I'm afraid I've annoyed your sister.

I know.

I suppose being in films and studios must seem

awfully funny and unreal after you being in the war.

Yes, it does rather.

Mr. Lennox told me you've been in France.

Yeah.

Which book are you reading?

Oh, that's too old for you, I'm afraid.

I like books that are old for me.