Day for Night (La Nuit américaine)

DAY FOR NIGHT

Silence, please, and watch the notes carefully.

Slowly. Nice and relaxed.

The beginning again.

All together, give me a nice clean attack.

Here's where you can speed up a bit.

Keep the legato going. No breaks.

That's it.

Accent that last chord, but then hold it.

Take it from 13.

Don't get sentimental. Just play the notes.

DEDICATED TO LILLIAN AND DOROTHY GISH

Cut!

Everyone over here, please!

We're gonna do it once more.

What happened coming out of the Métro?

It was better last time.

And the bus was two seconds late.

The background action

by the beauty parlor was late too.

A lady was supposed to come out. I never saw her.

The bicyclist never came by either.

So let's do it again.

The beginning was especially off,

around the Métro.

Everyone came out together, then suddenly everyone was gone.

Feet and frames, start and finish, then circle this.

- And who's this for? - You.

You mean I keep it?

- Kill that light! - Yes, sir.

Ladies and gentlemen,

here we are at the Victorine Studios in Nice,

where we'll be watching the first day of filming on...

Meet Pamela.

Unfortunately you won't actually be meeting Pamela,

because the young actress playing Pamela, Julie Baker,

is still in Hollywood, but she's due soon.

But all the other stars are here,

and I hope to interview them shortly.

I'll have a swollen cheek for three weeks, but no big deal.

This is our male lead.

I'll leave you two. - But Mr. Bertrand!

You're the producer. Come talk to us.

No, a producer should stay out of sight.

It's the story

of a man in his '50s whose son brings

his young English bride home to meet his parents.

It's the story of a young man who marries an English girl.

Three months later, he introduces her to his parents

at their seaside villa.

My character falls in love

with his daughter-in-law, and she with him.

She falls in love with her father-in-law.

It shows this adulterous couple running off together.

Then what happens?

The film is played as a tragedy,

and each character meets with his inevitable destiny.

And now please excuse me. I'm needed on the set.

Pamela 1, take 4!

Put some life into it!

The bus!

News vendor, more energetic!

Lady with the dog, faster!

More activity around the Métro!

Now the white car!

Alphonse, get ready.

Come up out of the Métro.

Faster.

More activity on the café terrace.

Lady with the dog, keep going.

Red car.

Faster, red car.

Red car, drive off.

Get ready, Walter.

Camera, move in on Alexandre.

Closer.

Cut! Let's do it again.

Roll camera!

Cut!

- That last one was good. - But let's redo it.

Starting places again, everyone!

And go!

In Nice. Hold on, please.

I have a tub. I wanted a shower.

Could I change rooms?

- I have a shower. I prefer a tub. - Then we can trade.

Shall we go up together? Great!

Is your room quiet? - Yes, I can't stand noise.

Mine too, so it's a good trade.

Can you give him these pictures of Julie?

All right, Joëlle.

Joëlle said to give you these pictures of Julie.

Thanks, Odile.

Walter, the pictures of Julie.

Ah, I've seen her before! That movie with the car chase.

Didn't she crack up once?

She had a nervous breakdown, but that was a year ago.

I heard she didn't even finish the film.

True, but then she married her doctor,

so I think she's probably doing fine now.

- Bertrand's not worried? - I don't think so.

She's lovely. This is a good likeness.

- Any of her in the short wig? - Here's one.

It's a bit dark. - We can lighten it.

Because she'll be wearing a wig.

She has lovely eyes.

Yes, light green eyes.

Looks so much like her mother.

Her face has a pretty shape. She's lovely.

This one's good too. She looks sad...

but sexy too.

I'd like to show you the -

Fine, Bernard. Let's have a look.

The trick candle for the costume party.

You just plug it in. Could you light it?

The actress has to it keep it turned toward her face,

so the light seems to come from the candle.

She mustn't turn the light toward the camera,

or it'll give away the trick.

- Very good. - All right?

Okay, I'm sold.

And the wire goes...? - Up her sleeve and then down.

Look at this vase.

This hotel vase isn't bad.

I'd like to see it

in Séverine's dining room in the film.

- It's all cracked. - Take it. Not a word to anyone.

Hi, Liliane. Hi, Alphonse.

For you.

Thanks for the internship.

It's nothing. Think you'll enjoy being a script girl?

It's hard to say after just one day.

- It's a great job. You'll see. - I'll let you know in two months.

Okay. So long, kids.

Hey, you didn't tell me

he was stone deaf.

“Stone deaf”! His ear got a little messed up in the artillery.

- Really? - Listen...

do something for me.

Walk ahead of me so I can watch your ass.

Like this?

That's great.

- I saw that. - Saw what?

You've got your eye on the maid.

Bastard.

Just your type. A bouncy little duckling.

Don't tell me you're jealous.

Not at all. Jealousy is dumb.

Unless you're ready to go all the way and commit murder.

You're the jealous type. - Me?

It's obvious. Your eyebrows almost touch.

They do?

No, they don't.

These beds look so sad. Shall we put them together?

Yes, let's.

But we have to move the table.

You could have asked for a double bed.

That meant asking Lajoie, the production manager.

It's heavy.

Careful.

Now the other one.

This is tougher than moving an audience.

What shall we do tonight?

Pierrot, the set photographer, gave me a list

of great little restaurants up in the hills.

Great little restaurants?

We have to go eat, don't we?

You gotta be kidding.

We're in a city with 37 movie theaters.

We check the paper, pick a movie,

go to the theater, find out when it starts,

and if there's time, we grab a quick sandwich.

So your photographer can take his list

of quaint little bistros

and shove it.

You're impossible.

You kill me.

I'm not going to a movie tonight, and I'm not eating here.

You decide.

Okay. We'll do whatever you want.

On one condition.

Which is?

That you marry me.

Odile, try this on so you can be in the scene.

Hold that. Not bad, huh?

Nice. Let's see the apron.

- Sold? - Yeah, I'll buy it.

Shooting a film is like crossing the Wild West by stagecoach.

You set out hoping for a nice trip,

but soon you wonder if you'll ever reach your destination.

Sorry to bother you, sir.

I'm Lajoie, the new production manager. - Ah, of course!

Regarding the car for Pamela's accident,

you have your choice of these two.

These two?

The white one would work. Could we paint it blue?

For 2,000 francs.

Just to paint it blue? We'll use it as it is.

But it is awfully white.

What about that blue one?