{"id":3527,"date":"2005-08-20T06:33:32","date_gmt":"2005-08-20T10:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=3527"},"modified":"2024-10-27T22:29:12","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T02:29:12","slug":"the-books-paradise-lost-clifford-odets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=3527","title":{"rendered":"The Books: \u201cParadise Lost\u201d (Clifford Odets)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next in my Daily Book Excerpt:<\/p>\n

\"WaitingForLefty.gif\" Another Clifford Odets play – and this one is considered to be his best – Paradise Lost<\/a>\"\"<\/i><\/p>\n

So far – the other plays I’ve mentioned have some kind of pretty heavy theme or plot. Odets was an idea man. He was an ideal-ist. He wrote about what mattered to him. But with Paradise Lost<\/i> … It’s a play about a family named the Bergers … there’s only one set … it’s a family, sitting around the table, arguing, making up, chatting. It’s CLASSIC Odets. Sure, stuff happens – there are tensions, and – like with most of Odets’ earliest plays – you can FEEL the wolf of the Great Depression breathing at the door throughout. But unlike many of his other plays, Paradise Lost<\/i> goes right into the personal. Politics may be implied … but they are not overt.<\/p>\n

As ever, the language is good enough to eat. The language has a way of DYING in the mouths of later 20th century actors. If you don’t speak it like rat-a-tat-tat with next to no pauses then you are already dead in the water. Odets’ dialogue has to MOVE.<\/p>\n

Let’s see – brief background to the scene below:<\/p>\n

Leo and Clara Berger have 3 kids – Ben, Julie, and Pearl. Libby (the daughter of a family friend) just married Ben in a quick and secret wedding down at City Hall, blowing everyone away. Kewpie (a taxi driver) is a good friend of Ben’s. Kewpie is an awesome part. He was played in the original production by Elia Kazan. He is cynical, unsentimental, he sees EVERYthing and has a way of cutting through the bullshit. The following scene is mainly between Libby and Kewpie – who had a love affair while Ben was away.<\/p>\n

It is 1935.<\/p>\n


\nEXCERPT FROM Paradise Lost<\/a>\"\"<\/i> by Clifford Odets.<\/b><\/p>\n

LIBBY. I married a man with a big future.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Good in the receiving department, but lousy in the shipping.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Don’t pick on me!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. You and that soft juicy body, like a mushmelon.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. You’re a hundred miles away.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Suppose I tell him what happened when he went to Europe?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. He don’t believe such things about me. He’d throw you around for saying it.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Don’t you know he’s yellow in his heart? Get wise to that skyrocket: starts<\/i> with a bang!<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Ben’s the most handsome man I know.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. A burnt out spark plug?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Stop pickin’ on me!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. You’re a little squab, and you laid right down in the sand with me, under the boardwalk.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. So what?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Purely horizontal.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Did I say I was ice, with Ben running races the whole summer in Europe? It happened like that — down “the island,” the summer, the night and all that. I’m not sorry for a thing I done! Telling me — a cheap cab driver with a dozen phony side lines. You don’t drive no gold chariot, Kewpie.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. I do, only you don’t see it, Mabel!<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Dont’ call me Mabel. You’re sore because he tells me poems. You act like his best friend, but you’re the worst enemy —<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Who said —?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. You’ll knife him in the back!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Who said —?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Well, I’m telling you so you won’t start up again. For me Ben’s a home run with the bases full.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. He got everything I laid my hands on first.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Don’t tell me!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. [holding her<\/i>] A sleeping clam at the bottom of the ocean, but I’ll wake you up. I’m through with the little wars: no more hacking, making a pound in a good day. Like old man Pike says, every man for himself nowadays, and when you’re in a jungle you look out for the wild life. I put on my Chinese good luck ring and I’m out to get mine. You’re the first stop!<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Goof!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. I start with Joe the Shark next week. You could string along with me. You —<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Stop foaming at the mouth.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. [out of control<\/i>] You know I had a fever for you. You did it to spite me. [Leo enters. Sees them together this way<\/i>]<\/p>\n

LEO. What’s wrong?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. [breaking away<\/i>] Kewpie’s telling my fortune.<\/p>\n

LEO. Libby … I love my sons better than life. I know … I know you’re inclined to be a little bit wild …<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Where do you get that stuff?<\/p>\n

LEO. [painfully<\/i>] I know you’ll make a good wife, but married life brings new responsibilities and …<\/p>\n

LIBBY. You got your nerve!<\/p>\n

LEO. Excuse me for … [He exits<\/i>]<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Your shell’s lined with pearls.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Shut your face!<\/p>\n

BEN. [as he enters<\/i>] Hey, you look swell in that new coat. [embracing her<\/i>] Who loves Ben?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. [throughout aware of the effect on Kewpie<\/i>] Libby. Who loves Libby?<\/p>\n

BEN. [jokingly<\/i>] Kewpie! Hey, I love your rocks and rills, darling. How your shoulders move when you walk — I love that too.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Hon, you’re mussing me up again.<\/p>\n

BEN. Happy?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Sure, every day’s Saturday.<\/p>\n

BEN. [to Kewpie<\/i>] What do you think of her?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. [in a low controlled voice<\/i>] She’s a juicy baby, all right.<\/p>\n

BEN. [laughing<\/i>] Four stars!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. [suddenly<\/i>] But dumb — nothing between the acts!<\/p>\n

LIBBY. I’ll smack his face in a minute! He’s always making a pass for me, Ben. You shoulda heard him just now.<\/p>\n

BEN. What did he say? [She won’t answer<\/i>]<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Tell him …<\/p>\n

LIBBY. That’s your worst enemy!<\/p>\n

BEN. [amused<\/i>] Kewpie?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Yeah, a carbon copy who hates your guts.<\/p>\n

BEN. I wish … I could make you out, Kewpie … you’re changing.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Don’t talk soda water. Only take my word — I’m a better friend than she is.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. How do you get this way?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. All my life you got a square deal. Always in front smackin’ them down left and right when they got in your way. Now she says ten words — you’re ready to throw me over!<\/p>\n

BEN. Christ, life goes like the river; why get excited?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. What did she ever do for you? Did she tell you about Bill Crawford? Eddie Meyers?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. If you listen to him I’ll walk right out!<\/p>\n

BEN. Listen, Kewpie, we intend to stay married! Sore ’cause I took Libby away from you?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. In case you’d like to know, I’m sore on my whole life.<\/p>\n

BEN. Why take it out on us?<\/p>\n

LIBBY. He even said you couldn’t make a living for me!<\/p>\n

BEN. [to Kewpie<\/i>] I never expected to hear that from you. A — the future’s all mapped out. B — Anything I owe you you get back. And about Libby – X Y Z – if I stepped on your toes, I’m sorry. We fell in love. The best man won.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. [finally<\/i>] Okay …<\/p>\n

LIBBY. I notice you’re not so wise when Ben’s around.<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Shut up or I’ll poke you one!<\/p>\n

BEN. [laughing it off<\/i>] Coast to coast …<\/p>\n

LIBBY. You think he don’t mean it? I’ll<\/i> ride downtown in his cab?!<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. Crawl for all I care.<\/p>\n

BEN. Say … what the hell is this?<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. I’m outa control, Ben. Take your hand away. You know I got a temper. Whata you let her kid me for? You know you’re aces with me. Only don’t let her give me the needles. [Ben turns and looks at Libby<\/i>]<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Now it’s my<\/i> fault!<\/p>\n

BEN. You know he’s got a quick temper.<\/p>\n

LIBBY. Sure, little Barney Google! [Kewpie quickly walks over to Libby and slaps her smartly across the mouth. As quickly Ben gets between them and swings a punch to Kewpie who in turn swings over two, the second of which knocks Ben down and out for a few seconds.<\/i>]<\/p>\n

KEWPIE. I’ll take on a regiment!<\/p>\n

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