Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough

What time is it?

Past noon.

Noon?

Why'd you get me up so early?

You said early.

Two o'clock appointment, you said.

Oh. Hell, yes.

It's a very heavy appointment.

Did I tell you that?

You don't tell me everything, you know.

It's not because I don't love you, Mabel.

Talk to me while I take a shower, will ya?

Sure.

I won't have time for breakfast.

Gotta rush.

Why don't you get up at 8:00 or 9:00

like most everybody else?

Because I'm not like most everybody else.

Would you like a little company in your shower?

Ah. Goes to prove what I've said all along.

Between and irresistible man and a beautiful woman,

a purely platonic relationship is impossible.

Step right in, Mabel.

Thank you, Mr. Wayne,

but I was referring to the redhead in the guest room.

Oh, there's a redhead in the guest room?

First redhead that's been there in more than two weeks.

Mabel, what makes you so color conscious?

I wonder.

Stop splashing that water all around.

Who do you think is gonna mop it up?

I won't.

I doubt if the redhead will,

so I guess that leaves you, my love.

Funny. I came to the same conclusion.

Mike Wayne to see Mr. Rheingold.

You don't remember me, do you, Mr. Wayne?

Scotty. My God!

Are you still here?

Three presidents, four production heads

and two conglomerates, and I'm still here.

You must be the only one.

You know the old directors building.

Mr. Rheingold's office is just at the end of the hall.

You can't miss it.

Don't see how I can. Used to be my office.

Mr. Rheingold's office.

Yes, I'm sorry. He's busy right now.

Can he get back to you later? All right.

I think Mr. Rheingold's expecting me. Mike Wayne.

Oh, yes, Mr. Wayne, go right in.

Thank you.

You should know how to deal with it.

You've been in the business long enough.

A friend of yours just walked in, Mike Wayne.

Frankie Short says to say hello

and how are you.

Tell Frankie how I am is none of his business.

Mike says, "Go screw yourself."

Ha-ha. Okay.

Poor Frankie.

He's shooting a picture with that French broad--

What's her name?

She wants her part built up.

Keeps yelling, "Meat, give me more meat!"

She's driving Frankie crazy.

Tell him to fire her and hire a vegetarian.

The scripts they send me.

This one belongs in intensive care.

Well, not this one.

How's your wife?

I don't know. I never ask.

She never volunteers.

I heard from New York.

What was your deal with the publisher?

Five-thousand dollars for a 6-month option

against $80,000 and 2 1/2 percent?

Three percent.

Well, New York says they'll give you $7,500

for your rights,

even though you got less than 20 days to go on the option.

And no renewal clause.

So cutting the bullshit,

they want the property, but not me.

Well, you know New York.

They feel that because of the nature of the property,

it needs, well, a younger man to produce it.

Yeah, preferably a bearded younger man.

Well, I guess there's only one thing left

for you to say.

What's that?

Let's have lunch someday.

Tell the boys in New York two things for me, will you?

One, tell them to go screw themselves.

Two...

I accept the offer.

Hello.

Dr. Peterson is calling Mr. Wayne from Geneva.

Will you accept? Yes, I'll accept charges.

Go ahead, Dr. Peterson, I have Mr. Wayne on the line.

Mr. Wayne, this is urgent! Can you come here immediately?

Taxi.

This is the fifth operation

in almost three years.

I'll take a room at the inn in the village.

I'll see her every day.

No, you will go home.

We will send her back to you in three months,

maybe less. Why?

I'm gonna stay here and see her.

Every waking moment must be spent in therapy,

in striving to get well.

There is nothing else. Nothing.

No, please take me back to my hotel.

Impossibile, Signorina January.

Why impossibile?

Because in the hotel,

your papa's in bed with Mel Battalito.

How do you know that? That's a damn lie!

Signorina, it is an ancient Roman law.

The producer is making love with the leading lady,

and the daughter of the producer

is making love with the leading man!

Can't you stop talking about my father?

Ha-ha. It is your father

you have anger with, signorina, huh? Avvero!

Can't you go any faster than this, Franco?

Hold on, signorina. Hold me tight.

Stop, Franco!

You must realize how protected

she has been in our world of the clinic.

She must be easedback into your world,

not thrown into it.

You're afraid I'm gonna spoil her.

She's told me many times of those weekends

when she came back from school.

Dr. Peterson, from the time she was 7,

she had no mother. Sure, I spoiled her.

I hope to go on spoiling her

for the rest of her life.

I've never waited this long

for a woman in a beauty parlor.

Ha-ha. Oh, you look beautiful, darling.

Louis, here. There you are.

You have me wondering.

Oh.

What about?

Well, you were in Switzerland.

Why did you stop off in Marbella

instead of going straight home?

I've been wondering about you.

Yes?

Are you the third or fourth richest woman in the world?

As of a week ago Tuesday, the fifth.

An airline deal went sour.

Oh, I'm sorry. I was going to ask

if you had some cheese to go with these crackers,

but considering your reduced circumstances, forget it.

When did we first meet?

The Academy Awards, eight years ago.

Ha-ha-ha. Oh, yes!

You were quite drunk

and told me the story of your life.

Fortunately, I was a little tipsy myself

and didn't have to listen.

Well, I was younger then. There wasn't much to tell.

I must send this to January.

How did you ever come

to saddle your daughter with a name like that?

Because she was born on New Year's Day.

And I swore I would give her the world.

When January was 4,

I went to California to produce my first movie.

When January was 5,

I produced two hit pictures in one year

and was nominated for an Oscar.

When she was 6, I won the Oscar.

When January was 7, I did my--

Ha-ha! It's so strange. What?

Well, I mean you're telling the story of your life

in terms of your daughter.

"When January was 4, I so and so.

When January was 5..."

Well, obviously, you have no children.

Four husbands. Nary a child.

Why?

Now you certainly can't mean

that all four of them shot blanks?

The truth is, I was never

on good enough terms with any of my husbands

to get that productive.

This is the only part I really enjoy.

The first encounter.

Four husbands,

very expensive, I can tell you.

Why do you keep on marrying?

'Cause after six, I get one for nothing.

For the last two weeks,

you've danced attendance on me, Mr. Wayne.

Well, actually, we haven't danced at all.