Movie Character Memoir 3

The editor sat behind his large desk with a scow upon his face. “I don’t think your memoir is a fit for me.”

“Why not?” the character pleaded.

“It’s an old story. Some might say clichéd.”

“The fundamental things apply……..never out of date. On that you can rely.”

“Yeah, right.”

“It’s got everything. Hearts full of passion, jealously, and hate.”

“It’s still the same old story. Look, I don’t want to get personal,” the editor squirmed in his seat, “but you don’t fit the role of a hero figure.”

“Whatdaya mean?”

“For one, you hid out in some backwater town during a world crisis. Some hero.”

“Other than that?”

“Don’t make me go on.”

“No, tell me.”

“You spent most of the time not taking a stand and playing both sides against the middle. Besides you drank too much.”

“So?”

“Oh, spare me. Also in today’s world, the way you treated that black man would never fly.”

“But that was in another time. And time goes by.”

The editor peered over his wire rim glasses and wrinkled his brow. Clearly he wanted to end this encounter. “I’m sorry, the answer is still no.”

“It’s a fight for love and glory; a case of do or die.”

“The answer is still no.”

“But the world will always welcome lovers.”

“OK, you asked for it. Some lover! You didn’t even get the girl. She left with another guy.”

“But”

“Don’t ‘but’ me. You’re too short, and you have a lisp.” The editor broke eye contact and looked down. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” An embarrassing silence followed. “The market is just not ready for a foreign title.”

“What’s wrong with ‘Casablanca’?”

--Wes