Presenting Lily Mars

Hello, Charlie.

So be it, Ms. Lily Mars. Have your old career.

Go to New York City! Go on the stage!

All I got to say is good luck and goodbye!

Aah!

Ah.

- Good morning, Charlie. - Good morning.

Oh.

Aah!

- Hello, Charlie. - I forgot my hat.

- Got any more bubblegum? - No.

Oh, Lily! Charlie's back!

- Lily, Charlie's back already! - Shh..

- Alright.. - Lily! Ms. Lily!

No, no, I don't wanna see her! I just want my hat!

- Oh, it's not here. - 'Ms. Lily..'

Davey, have you seen my hat?

I don't collect hats. I collect doorknobs.

Ain't she a beauty?

Oh, Lily! Charlie's back!

I am not! I am not!

Oh, there it is.

- Oh, excuse me. - Hello, Charlie.

- Look, mama. - Oh, you got it. It's lovely.

Davey, get me the top for this.

- Well, goodbye, Mrs. Mars. - Goodbye, Charlie.

I'll be sorry not to see you again, Mrs. Mars.

Oh, now, now, Charlie.

People shouldn't be mad at people. Goodbye, Charlie.

Charles.

Hey, Charlie, wait for me!

Never again, you, you actress!

Oh..

Poor Charles.

He's so young.

So very young.

And it hurts me to hurt him

but, ugh, what can I do?

- Mama? - Oh, go on, dear.

I'm not laughing at you. I like to see you act.

- Mother. - Oh, now, I'm not mother.

I'm mama, and here's the hat for Mrs. Thornway.

Davey, where's the top to this?

Here it is, mama.

Lily, can I go to Mrs. Thornway's house with ya?

No, Davey dear. Her doorknobs might tempt you.

Oh, they already have.

- Lily, please take me. - No.

Well, then, could you sort of maybe get one for me?

Of course not.

Oh, but they're such super-dupers.

- Alright. - Here you are, dear.

Mama, I may not be back for quite some time

but when I do come back, I may have a big surprise for you.

- Mm. - That's for luck.

- Good luck, dear. - Thank you.

- Good luck, Lily. - Thank you. Bye!

Goodbye.

- Good morning, Ms. Lily. - Good morning, Andrew.

I've brought Mrs. Thornway's hat.

- I'll take it, please. - Oh, well, uh..

I know how-how busy she must be this morning

but, Andrew, I, I simply must see her.

- Huh? - Yeah, yeah, come right in.

- Alright. - She's in the doctor's office.

Well, thank you.

Well, I'll tell John just as soon as he gets here.

- Come in, Lily. - Hi.

'Um, well, he should be here in a few minutes'

'if his plane's on time.'

'Uh-huh? Yes, Mr. Vail.'

Yes, Mr. Vail, I understand.

You and Ms. Rekay are motoring here.

You'll arrive early this afternoon.

And you think it would be a good idea

to shoot Irene in the first act.

Yes, I'll tell John. Goodbye.

Mrs. Thornway, I've brought your hat.

It isn't exactly what you wanted, but--

Just a minute, Lily.

And wants to shoot..

Oh, bother.

He wants to shoot some girl

but what girl and in what act?

- Irene, in the first act. - Thank you.

Mrs. Thornway, when you ask your son about a part for me

will you tell him I'd rather not play Irene?

Oh, you wouldn't?

Not if she gets killed in the first act.

Let's see the hat.

- Will you tell him about me? - Yes.

And if he says no, will you try

and make him give me a part?

Even a little one.

Maybe...Irene?

Lily dear, the last time I was able

to make John Thornway do anything, he was ten.

He wanted to join a circus.

I persuaded him not to by locking him in the cellar.

Well, if-if I could just meet him

and maybe act for him a little--

Lily dear, he's going to be frightfully busy.

He always is.

Here today to close an old show

gone tomorrow to open a new one.

That's John.

Never a minute for anything but show business.

Well, I-I'm show business.

- My dear, but.. - Oh.

My dear child. Oh, my dear child.

Well, I just know you'll love it after you get used to it.

The fashion magazine said it's the latest thing. I know..

Oh, well, I-I wouldn't cut the feather if I..

- Oh. - Ah.

That's John, I know his slam.

- 'Mimi!' - Oh, dear.

- 'Mimi!' - Oh, dear.

- You better wait in here. - Alright.

And-and don't come out

till I have John all nicely buttered up.

Alright.

- John. - Hello, Mimi!

- Welcome home, dear. - Oh, you..

- Do you like it? - Mm, well, i-it..

- Do you? - Mm, yes.

Well, then that's good enough for me.

Oh, Mimi, it's good to see you again.

I hope you had a nice restful trip, dear.

Oh, I did, I worked on the script for the new play

all the way from New York to Indiana.

Any telegrams come for me?

Five so far, but the day is young yet.

They're on the desk. John?

Oh, John, it's beautiful.

- Oh, but, John-- - Yes, I know, I know, I know.

'I shouldn't have done it.'

I have a message for you from Owen Vail.

- Oh, he phoned? - Mm-hmm.

Asked me to tell you that Isobel

is not coming by train with the company.

She's motoring here from Chicago with him.

Oh, that's fine.

And Isobel is, well..

Well, Isobel is Isobel.

Now, look, Mimi, I don't care what Isobel does off the stage.

I love her as an actress, I adore her as a leading lady.

I'll do anything I can to keep her happy in the theater

but I definitely, flatly, am not going to humor Ms. Rekay

by becoming one of her husbands.

John, do you remember Henry Mars?

He used to come here often to tune the piano.

- Aha, that's the man. - Yeah.

John, he died several years ago.

Oh, he did? I'm sorry to hear that.

He left a wife and five children.

Nobody knows how they manage, but they do.

Everybody in Midhaven worries about the Marses

except the Marses.

The oldest child's name is Lily.

That's Lily.

She's such a remarkable child and so talented.

- She acts? - Yes.

- Experience? - Oh, loads of it.

"Peter Pan," "Macbeth," the "Follies."

- Oh, really? - Well, the..

Midhaven High School Follies.

John. John! John!

Mimi, you ought to know by now there's only one thing

in the world I will not do for you and that is it!

- I have seen my last amateur. - But Lily's unusual!

Unusual. Oh, mother.

There's a Lily Mars in every town and they're all alike

'so full of hope and so hopeless.'

'Now, I'll tell you what you do, mother.'

Let her down easy, but do it so she'll stay down!

But she won't. She'll bounce right up again.

You don't know Lily.

I don't know her and I'm not going to.

Oh, dear, it won't hurt you just to meet her.

You can't just meet 'em! She'll start acting on me!

Well, let her play a scene for you.

Not a scene, not a line

not a word, not a syllable!

Alright, but you'll be sorry.

- Lily dear. - It's alright.

You don't have to let me down easy.

- I heard. - I'm sorry.

- He is pig-headed, isn't he? - Yes.

Mrs. Thornway, do you mind if I take the box?

- It's the only one we've got. - Of course.

Alright.

- Lily, you know.. - Hm?

I'm getting used to the hat.

It does rather grow on one, doesn't it?

Oh, yes! I think it's beautiful.

I love it. It looks lovely on you.