Starbright (43 page)

“Did you two get your remaining costumes taken care of?” Kazan asked as they joined him in Joe and Mary’s living room.

“We just came from the seamstresses’ building,” Aidan replied, eyeing the set. “All’s good.”

Beth noticed several blushing female extras whispering and pointing at her beau. As usual, he was oblivious to the attention.

Kazan gave a curt nod. “Good. After you get changed into today’s outfits, meet me back here and we’ll start the first scene.”

Aidan took off to the men’s dressing rooms and Beth traveled to the women’s dressing rooms at the opposite end of the soundstage. As she approached a door adorned with a plaque professionally engraved with her name, a proud smile crossed her face.

In the scenes she was filming today, she wore a cotton dress similar to the one Olivia pinned for her earlier, no makeup—aside from foundation to eliminate shine and create an even skin tone—and her hair was set in curls.

As she stepped back onto the set, Aidan paced the hallway outside their characters’ apartment, perusing his script. He was dressed in dark gray trousers and a blue sports shirt. Excitement surged through her, along with first-day jitters, as she surveyed the spotlights hanging from the scaffolding and the film equipment scattered about the floor. Her eyes roamed back to Aidan when a busty, female extra approached him, smiling attentively.

“Excuse me, Mr. Evans,” the woman said in a sultry voice.

Aidan stopped pacing and looked up from his script. “Yeah, what?”

The woman gave a flirty toss of her blond hair. “I came over to introduce myself. My name is Joan Yearly. I’m playing your neighbor.” She extended her hand and pushed out her chest. Her low-cut wool sweater clung to her ample bosom. “We have one scene together where our characters run into each other in the corridor and you assist me with my groceries.”

Although Joan looked stunning with her plump red lips, cat-like eyes, and voluptuous curves, Beth was secure enough in her relationship with Aidan that she didn’t feel at all threatened. Instead, she watched their exchange in amusement.

Aidan shook Joan’s hand warily. “Yeah, I know the scene.”

“Oh my, look at those biceps.” Joan placed her free hand to her chest. “I can tell you’ve thoroughly prepared for your role as a boxer in this film.”

Aidan pried his hand from her grip, his expression lacking interest.

Joan batted her eyelashes. “I look forward to working very intimately with you today, Aidan.”

He regarded her in annoyance, but she seemed too enamored with him to notice.

“Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your reading.” Joan clasped her hands together. “I apologize for interrupting your genius.”

Beth suppressed an eye roll. Aidan didn’t. He returned his focus to his script, ignoring Joan’s strut over to her fellow extras. Beth couldn’t help but feel smug that he only had eyes for her.

Olivia arrived soon after with Nathan. She gave Beth a hug so dramatic it was as though they hadn’t seen each other in ages.

Aidan joined the trio with a welcoming grin. “Nate, how’s it going?” He rolled up his script and tucked it into the back pocket of his pants.

“I’m good. I thought I’d come inside and see what’s going on. The sets look great.” Nathan gestured to Joe and Mary’s apartment. “Although I’m sure you’ll like filming much better when you’re on location in Chicago.”

Aidan looked to the floor. “Uh, yeah… for sure.”

Beth frowned.

“I have an additional matter to discuss with you, though.” Nathan motioned for them to come closer. “Luther is sending some of his men over to the set today to check up on you two.”

Beth shot Aidan a panicked look. She was certain this was only the beginning of what they’d have to endure throughout filming.

Aidan folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t worry. Gadg won’t let anyone who doesn’t belong hang around, no matter who sent them, and I sure as hell won’t put up with it, either.”

“Come on, golden boys and girls,” Kazan called. “Wardrobe tests under the lights in two minutes!”

Olivia smiled. “That’s our cue.”

Aidan shook Nathan’s hand. “Thanks for the warning.”

“No problem. Enjoy your morning.” Nathan tipped his hat and exited the soundstage.

Beth and Aidan walked to their character’s apartment and stood with their cast mates and the extras. Olivia stood by the camera with Kazan. The actors’ outfits had already been coordinated for each scene, but it was also important to see what they looked like through the camera lens in case there were combinations that didn’t translate well to film.

“Aidan, Beth, please step forward and look at me,” Olivia instructed as Kazan looked on. She studied their outfits and nodded approvingly. “All right, looks good. Beth, you can take a step back. Ms. Yearly, please take her place.”

With a seductive sway of her hips, Joan joined Aidan’s side, wearing more censor-appropriate attire than her personal wardrobe from earlier. She stood so close to him that their arms touched.

Aidan stepped to the right, putting some distance between them. Joan followed him without delay. Beth smiled as Aidan took another step, and then another, with Joan copying his every move. His avoidance attempt reminded her of a Charlie Chaplin routine. All that was missing was the derby hat, moustache, and cane.

Kazan emerged from behind the camera. “Joan, can you stand half a foot away from Aidan, please?”

With a pout, Joan did as she was told and Olivia was able to assess their costumes.

After every outfit was given the green light, they began filming the first scene, where Joe stopped to help Joan’s character, Thelma, unlock her apartment door, as she was loaded down with groceries. The scene was supposed to highlight Joe’s gentlemanly manner outside of his relationship with Mary, in contrast to his tough boxing reputation.

Although only some actors were filming this morning, the rest of the principle cast remained on set to watch, learn, and lend support. Kazan’s method of directing was very different from what Beth was used to, but he was easy to work with. His approach was logical and multi-layered. He knew exactly what actors needed to feel in relation to the scene and how to get it out of them—
an actor’s director who constructed his film around the performers.

For the first time since joining Starlight Studios, Beth felt like a real actress. In fact, she learned more during her first scene than she had in all of her acting lessons since signing her contract.

In the second scene of the day, Joe entered his apartment after a long shift at the factory and Mary had dinner ready for him. Amidst their conversation at the kitchen table, Aidan darted his eyes across the soundstage and halted his lines. Kazan officially stopped the scene as two men dressed in black suits made their way toward him. Beth knew who they were immediately.

Aidan stormed off the set, leaving her sitting alone under the hot stage lights. She raised her hand to touch her angel pendent but remembered she had left the necklace in her dressing room because it conflicted with her character.

“What’s going on?” Kazan called after him.

“Mertz sent his goons to spy on us,” Aidan replied on his journey toward their unwelcome visitors.

Kazan was quick to follow him as the rest of the cast and crew looked on curiously.

Aidan marched right up to the men, barking profanities. Kazan and a burly sound technician leapt between them and held him back.

“Get out of here,” Aidan shouted, struggling against his restraints. “And tell your boss you ain’t comin’ back!”

The men answered with something Beth couldn’t make out from her current position.

Kazan pointed to the door. “I don’t care who the hell you are. This a closed set!”

The men crossed their arms and squared their shoulders, which only made Aidan more aggressive.

Kazan turned to his temperamental star. “How about you take a breather, Aidan?”

His face tightened in fierce dispute. “No fucking way, Gadg.”

Kazan placed a hand on Aidan’s shoulder and spoke to him in a low, gentle murmur. Beth couldn’t hear what the director said, but whatever it was convinced Aidan to back off and return to Joe and Mary’s kitchen.

Beth watched Aidan pace the set for a few moments, waiting for his shoulders to lose their tension before she made her way over to him.

“Are you all right?”

Aidan didn’t respond, but scornfully observed Mr. Mertz’s henchmen, who were now having a quiet discussion with Kazan.

“Would you like a drink of water?” she asked, hoping to get his mind off their visitors. “I don’t know about you, but I’m parched after our scene.”

He still didn’t acknowledge her.

“Aidan, please?”

He exhaled deeply. When he finally turned to her, he no longer looked hostile. “I apologize for my behavior, but you know how much I hate Mertz.”

“I know.” Beth smiled reassuringly. “Come, let’s have a drink.”

After another irate glance at the two men, Aidan accompanied her to the cooler and filled two paper cups with water. Luckily, everyone else was too busy focusing on the discussion between Kazan and Mr. Mertz’s spies to pay them any attention, so Beth could speak to him without interference.

“Is this going to ruin our day?” She kept her voice at a whisper.

Aidan shook his head. “It won’t. I’m cool, I promise.”

Concern drifted across Beth’s face. “I don’t want you doing anything drastic on account of me.”

“If I’m defending you, it’s worth it.” Aidan’s expression remained insistent, stubborn.

Beth had no choice but to let the matter drop. A conversation like this deserved complete privacy. She didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing them.

“Actually, Beth, I wanted to ask you something.” Aidan downed his water quickly. “Will you go somewhere with me tonight when we’re finished here instead of going directly home?”

Beth’s eyes brightened. “Of course I will. Where are you taking me?”

Aidan tossed his empty cup into a nearby garbage can. “I don’t really wanna say in advance. To tell you the truth, I’ve been debating whether I should actually go through with it.”

“So it’s a surprise?”

“I guess you can say that. It’s… well…” He looked to the floor. “Listen, it’s best if I don’t say anything. I just hope… ah, hell, never mind. You’ll see tonight.”

Beth frowned. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Aidan cast a pensive gaze across the set. “I’ll be fine.”

While Beth finished her water, Mr. Mertz’s men left the soundstage and Kazan apologized to the cast and crew for the interruption.

They spent the rest of the day filming another interior apartment scene as well as a scene with Joe and Sal conversing in a drugstore, with Joan’s fellow extras acting as counter girls—roles reminiscent of Beth’s time at Schwab’s Pharmacy.

As the drugstore scene progressed, Beth noted some aspects that were not true to reality. When she mentioned them to Aidan during a break in filming, he encouraged her to voice her opinions to Kazan. At first, she was nervous their director would believe she was intruding on his job. Instead, he welcomed her input and made the changes she suggested.

The scene was short, and the counter girls were not even the focus, so initially, Beth wasn’t sure if her concerns were important. After speaking with Kazan, she realized that cutting corners or deeming some scenes more vital than others was where films went wrong. No detail was too small. Once the changes were implemented, the scene played out beautifully.

By the end of her fifteen-hour day, Beth’s feet hurt and she felt exhausted, but it was hands-down the best experience she’d ever had since joining Starlight Studios. Working with Aidan played a big part in it, as well as her joy in working with Kazan.

What thrilled her most about Aidan’s acting style was that with multiple takes he never did the same thing twice, nor did he follow the script word for word. The additions he made were always so instinctive—so right—for the scene.

Like all actors trained at Starlight Studios, Beth was told that sticking to the script was imperative, but she liked his way much better. He kept her on her toes and gave her something to react against, which improved her performance instead of throwing her off.

Aidan’s technique was much less stressful than focusing on striving to repeat the exact same performance every take. It allowed her to approach a scene as she saw fit, according to the emotions she felt while tapping into her character in that particular moment, instead of concerning herself with memorizing specific actions and deliveries, and running the risk of coming across as unnatural or unauthentic. The best part was Kazan encouraged this approach while many other directors found it frustrating. This was what made Kazan extraordinary.

In her opinion, a great director was part visionary, part showman, part critic, and part father. Kazan was all of these things. His greatest gifts were his abilities to highlight and release the interior drama of conflicting desires and cast roles with intuitive brilliance by decoding his actor’s core. He stressed that energy was not a substitute for emotion, and actors must analyze their script and characters to play a role well. It couldn’t be faked.

Given these qualities, Beth now understood that she and Aidan were not cast as Mary and Joe for superficial reasons. Even without auditioning them, Kazan knew they had the feelings of their characters in them, which he could draw out—that they possessed the emotional and imaginative ranges needed to play Mary and Joe effectively. This was why he chose them.

On set, Kazan objectified their personalities and exploited their good parts and bad in order to get the best performances out of them. On the other hand, when things were going right with a scene, he stayed out of the way, which helped them act it out naturally instead of trying to guess what he wanted and focusing on satisfying him.

When Kazan had something important to tell an actor, he huddled with the person privately rather than instruct before others. He had a highly developed understanding of structure and psychology, and a strong ability to motivate performers. Beth was astounded by his complexity, his dedication to his craft, and his thorough understanding of the single encompassing motive that powered
Golden Gloves
and every character: the core sentiment, or what he termed the
spine
.