continued from previous blog....
This
time when Julie came out she was dressed as a dairy maid with a little cap. She
was so very tired, but still lively. She walked with her toes turned in, hands
on hips and elbows turned in so it looked like her arms were on the wrong
way. As she walked, she watched the
monitor so she could trip at the right moment on the cartoon path. She was in
such a funny mood, and spoke with a high cockney accent. It was perfect. In one
night I have never seen, nor could I have imagined Julie, or any actress for that
matter, playing so many different characters for which a complete change was
necessary. She is quite amazing.
While
they waited for the next scene to be shot, Julie stood on the side talking to
one of the cameramen. She was telling him about a navy blue jacket in Emma’s
closet and wondering what she should do about sleeping on the plane. She wanted
to be awake for the family, but she was so tired, she was thinking of taking a
sleeping pill and sleeping all the way to Gstaad. She said they would be gone a
full three weeks, not two. The plane would fly as far as Lake Geneva , and then…
Julie
was finished and left to change, so we got up to go. Kelly was going to drive
both myself and Elizabeth home.
“Oh,
no!” said the camera men, “We’re going to loose our audience.”
“We’ve
got a lot more to do. You’re not giving up and leaving us!”
“We’re
leaving when Julie does,” said Elizabeth
Yes,
truly, we had been staying there so she’d have an audience. We would have felt
we had deserted her had we left earlier.
As
we walked out, we got a chorus of goodbyes.
When
we got outside, I learned that Kelly had decided that we should go talk to
Julie...
We
went and stood by the car to wait. I felt so dumb. It was 5:30 in the morning and I
was holding the cue cards in one hand and holding a pile of school books on my
other arm. I felt very out of place.
“I
hear someone coming,” one of the girls said.
Julie
was way down the passage, but talking away in her stage voice, I don’t know
about what. I was so tired and I afraid
she’d be angry seeing us standing there.
A
man walked by to open the car door for us and said, “This is not the right
time.”
Julie
had her arms full, but I was even afraid to look at her. I crossed over to the
other side of the car, but stayed aloof while the other two girls went right up
to her.
“May
we speak to you,” asked Kelly.
“Why
certainly,” said Julie.
“Did
you see your blanket?” asked Melinda.
“Oh,
yes! It was lovely.” Now, Julie was
getting into the car.
“Well,
have a good time and be careful. Merry Christmas,” said the girls.
Expressions
like that were exchanged between them, but it is all a blur now, but for the
remembrance of sounds and feelings in the air. The car door slammed, the motor
was on.
As
the car passed us, we ran and waved...
Note: This blog has been edited down toward the release of a new book.
Next: A commentary on The Julie Andrews Hour Christmas Show –
December 20th.
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