A girl like me with only three hundred dollars in her wallet in 1936 is the greatest luck anyone could ever have ask for. Last night when I finally found a hotel for me to check into, I excited the owner of the place to give me a suite after I showed him the money I had.
Right now, I'm waiting outside of A. Howard's Studio for about an hour. I managed to get a suitable outfit in a store after getting a light lunch in a drug store. I didn't like very much options they had in the store; I was tempted to buy something expensive yet I forced myself to only spent ten dollars for an entire outfit to save cash.
Who knows when I'll run out?
My outfit is simple but at least comfortable – gray wool slacks, a black blouse tucked in (the sleeveless ones were a lot cheaper), and a pair of old black T-Strap heeled shoes (actually stole these from a flea shop I passed by after heading to the studio). As for my hair, I just gave those curls a brush with my fingers. I'll buy a hairbrush if I ever settle for a job around here. But in the mean time, I'll stick with having my lipstick – the only cosmetic I bought – and nothing more.
Ashley is not coming out. The only other option I must do now is to go in there. I look quite suitable to pull off as some stranger looking for work, so no worries to explain my reasons to enter that place if anyone questions me. I rubbed my lips together to smooth the lipstick color, then after straightening my pants and blouse, I headed straight to the doorway of the studio.
When I entered, I walked ahead through the beige painted floor. The sound of voices from two people started. I followed the voice, the sound of my heels echoing throughout the large room. When I reached where the voices are coming from, I stopped once I saw a set of crew members standing behind an actress rehearsing some lines while being seated in a chair.
My guess is that the company is searching for an actress for a certain role. I scanned through the crew in silence and spotted Ashley sitting on the director's chair, focusing deeply on the actress with a copy of the script on his hand. When the actress finished with the last line, she lowered the script and took a breath, it tells me her audition is over.
But then a man appeared and went beside her. The actress stood up from her chair and the two stood face to face with no script on their hands.
He must be the leading actor.
The man is quite handsome with a slight tan glow on his cheek and a fine mustache nested above his upper mouth that gives a mind-catching twist to his looks. Comparing my observation with the slightly short actress and the actor, he is very tall and his sense of fashion of choosing to wear a simple suit tells me he "speaks Prada" – if my memory serves me correctly, the clothes he wears compares nothing to the one I saw on the cheap side of all the stores I stopped by to.
The man drove a hand through his hair, looking back at Ashley. Ashley placed his script down on his lap, closing his hands together. "Okay let's start the scene. Again, this is when Sarah meets Peter for the first time and they exchange a memorable moment. Now let's begin. Action."
The cameraman rolled the camera before the two actors started the scene.
(Sarah and Peter looked deeply into each others' eyes)
Peter: You're a sly one, aren't you? Far different from all the girls back home.
Sarah: Say whatever you want, stranger. You got your wish. You discovered at last who I am and where I come from. But sorry to disappoint you dearly that I'm not some random girl living in a cabin all alone doing her nails all day. You see, I see my future far different than that.
Peter: There's no disappointment here.
Sarah: (inches her face closer to his) Then explain to me, Peter Warn. Why are two simple strangers gazing so closely like this? Is this possibly love in first sight?"
Peter: (smiles) I don't believe in fairytales. The only explanation I can think of to this is too disturbing for a woman to hear.
Sarah: Oh, I'm not just a woman nor a lady, Mr. Warn. (steps back from him with her eyes still gazed at him) I'm simply just a mystery.
Peter: (takes her arm) A mystery can't hide from the truth forever.
Sarah: But it can. You'll see. (takes his hand and pull it off her arm) Goodnight, Mr. Warn. I trust you keep this meeting secret.
Peter: Peter.
Sarah: I don't intend to remember strangers by the time I greet them "goodbye". So long. (turns around and leaves)
"Cut!" Ashley called out.
Besides most of my attention to this small scene, I caught Ashley's expression to this actress during these actors' small performance. It was no disappointment or a face people make to approve someone, instead it was simply a dull unreadable look. But for some reason, I can tell behind that mask he does not think the actress is cut out to play the character.
As everyone, now free to move around, raised the usual volume in the room, the actor walked toward Ashley. The two men discussed something that I cannot hear. But by the judge of their faces they simply are not proud of the actress's performance, and the actress herself knows that now when she caught a glimpse of them before taking a seat from an open chair to take a glass of water.
I looked down at my nails, feeling completely bored for a moment. Then lifted my head right back up to return my long focus at Ashley. But right then, another pairs of eyes looked straight at me, yet it is not Ashley. I held my breath and prepared myself to leave when someone approached me. But when I turned around, a voice forced me to stop.
"Wait. Come back here." A light masculine voice started.
I froze right then. "I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong department. Good day."
"I said come back here, miss."
I slowly did as he said. As I looked up at the man, I can tell he's a crewmember. He has red flaming hair with a filthy dress shirt tucked in his brown slacks. He crossed his arms across his chest, his red eyebrows furrowed together.
"Who are you?"
"Uh Ka-Scarlett. Scarlett."
"What are you doing here, miss? It is restricted for anyone to enter hear during this private audition."
"I'm sorry, sir. I had no idea."
"What brings you here, though?"
"I'm looking for a job," I looked behind him and saw Ashley come this way, "...Who's the director here?"
"There are no more jobs available, miss. Now please exit this building before I call for someone to escort you out."
Ashley finally came this way. With his reading glasses resting in the center of his shirt, he looked at me with his tired eyes, a smile curving his mouth until it reached his eyes.
I wonder what he's thinking?
"I'll take care of this, John," Ashley said to the red head man without even looking at him.
John just nodded and return back to the other crewmembers to assist them. Ashley extended his hand out to me and I took it, giving it a shake.
"I apologize about John. It's mandatory to take precautions around here. I'm Ashley Howards, the director."
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Katie Scarlett O – I mean..Leigh. Leigh."
I have to take precautions too. Who knows when exactly I'll return back to where I came from.
"What brings you here, Miss Leigh?"
"I actually came here for a job. I recently got fired from a previous job I've been working since the age of sixteen. I just grew tired of it and gave it up. Acting is something I've been quite fond of, so I figured you might offer me any possible roles for your next film."
"I'm sorry, Miss Leigh. But I'm afraid there are no more roles left."
"Isn't there a small role I can take? I really don't care if you have to cut me off from the camera. I just really need some money. Please, Mr. Howard, you must help me."
"Well, the idea of providing you a small role won't be much trouble actually," he took his reading glasses and slipped them on, "Please some follow me."
"So you'll give me a job?"
"Most certainly. Please come this way."
He took me to a room that's near a large stack of towers of boxes. I entered the room once he opened it. The room appears to be a small office with a single window curtained to block the sun. Ashley went toward his desk and picked up a folder filled with papers. He removed a sheet out from it and handed it to me.
"The part that's available for you to take is a brief role in the middle of the film. You see after Peter, that's the leading actor's character, sees you, a random woman, sitting by the rocks near the beach with a short dress on. He comes up to you and warns you to be always present with a chaperon and then he points his finger back at a few of the gentlemen, who are keeping a wandering on you, to prove his point. Then Peter walks away, leaving you to straighten your dress and decide to leave."
"What's the whole story about, Mr. Howard?"
"The story is basically about a wealthy man, Peter Warn, who lives the wild life of hunting. He travels to a tropical destination with a married couple who has the occupation as archaeologists. Due to his appetite for adventure, the village they settled in is a wild background of two separate rivals of ethnic villagers. But while Peter explores about the forest, he meets a mysterious enemy whom the villagers have been trying to capture. The whole story becomes a turning point once he discovers the enemy is an American woman with the skills of a thief."
"Then they fall in love and consequences arises? How romantic."
Ashley snapped his fingers. "That's exactly what I want the audience to think."
"Is that actress out there going to take the lead, Mr. Howard?"
"Please call me Ashley. And I'm afraid I have no choice but to choose Miss Kendal. She doesn't fully fit the character that I'm looking for. But the crew and I are to leave here as soon as possible until about three weeks. So we have no more time to go through another audition."
"Oh. Leaving, huh? Am I to join as well?"
"Of course, you're an extra after all. Let me write down the schedule for the day of our leave."
He turned around and walked behind his desk. While he wrote down something on a piece of paper, I took that short moment to think things through.
Huh. A tropical destination? Where could that be?..Do I have enough money to afford a plane ticket? Oh there's no way plane rides are safe at this time of year.
Ashley placed his pen back down and returned back to me. He handed me the piece of paper. "Here it is. Now I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I must return back to my crew."
"Of course, thank you very much."
The two of us went out the door to leave. I slipped the piece of paper in my pocket and gave a slight smile to him.
"Goodbye, Miss Leigh."
"Scarlett, please. Good day, Ashley."
~ Upon arriving the hotel I'm staying in, I entered the building and headed to the elevator. As a door man opened the door for me, I stepped inside and he took me to the floor I'm staying in.
Oh, the paper.
I slipped my hand in my pocket and took out the piece of paper Ashley wrote for me. In strong pressed ink words it is written the location and the time. But the two words that I am most shocked at is where exactly I'm supposed to go to.
Anawhata, New Zealand? Oh God...
Don't know much about the history of New Zealand besides its beautiful residence. So I appreciate if you all don't correct it history. I only chose Anawhata because it was the area - I think it was - where Clark Gable filmed Mogambo, a rewritten film based on Red Dust - loved Jean Harlow in that, such a sexy and talented woman; God rest her soul from dying so young.
As matter of fact, this movie Ashley is making is based on Mogambo. So to those who didn't watch it, I hope you do and also enjoy the fake movie I'm trying to type out on this fanfiction.
I respect Clark Gable for offering such an incredible performance as the dashing Rhett Butler who lived throughout a long famous novel in a long journey to make a stubborn brat fall in love with him. Although fanfictions are meant to be based on the books and movies and etc. we're big fans of. But I try to balance my love for both the plot line of my favorite movies and shows with the actors that plays the characters. So I dearly apologize from not giving you the best GWTW fanfiction. But I hope you at least enjoy this and also try to understand my reasons of not being the best, perfect writer or a knowledgeable fan who knows about the long story by heart.
~ A.