Love of the Last Tycoon: The Authorized Text (No Series) (25 page)

There was, for example, a man who in all seriousness asked him this favor: Stahr was to say, “Hello, Tim,” and slap him on the back in front of the commissary one morning. Stahr had the man’s record traced, and then slapped him on the back. The man ascended into Heaven.

Almost literally, for he was taken into one of the best agencies—which is what George Gershwin referred to when he said, “It’s nice work if you can get it.” He sits there today, with a picture of his wife and children on the wall, and has his nails manicured at the Beverly Hills Hotel. His life is one long happy dream.

Stahr remembered how they had used the three freaks back in 1927. X was being bothered by a really appalling woman. The day before the case came to trial, he sent a dwarf and [two other freaks] to her with messages. His counsel opened by stating that the woman was crazy. On the stand she told about her visitors—the jury shook their heads, winked at each other and acquitted.

Cecilia’s uncle is an idiot like—–’s brother.

“—the rugged individualism of Tommy Manville, Barbara Hutton and Woolie Donahue.” Never forgiven Wylie for slipping it into his speech when he was supporting Landon.

There is a place for a hint somewhere of a big agent, to complete the picture.

A tall round-shouldered young man with a beaked nose and soft brown eyes in a sensitive face.

The awful reverberating thunder of his absence.

[
Airplane Trip
]

My blue dream of being in a basket like a kite held by a rope against the wind.

It’s fun to stretch and see the blue heavens spreading once more, spreading azure thighs for adventure.

Girl like a record with a blank on the other side.

There are no second acts in American lives.

Tragedy of these men was that nothing in their lives had really bitten deep at all.

Bald Hemingway characters.

wily plagiarist

exigent overlordship

not one survived the castration