Cassie McCullagh

He kind of is credited with teaching her how to be in front of a camera.

And he does that wonderfully.

He evokes these people and the milieu, the spirit of the times.

Actually, just a bit on the structure.

So it begins, I think it's the 60s, it's a television show and this old man's being dragged out of a sanatorium to appear on this live television show called What's New on Sunday?

Yeah.

Yeah, at one point he sort of exclaims, but I invented the art of the moving camera.

You know, he's trying to, you know, establish his credentials again.

Well, look.

There's three main parts inside the brackets of this very old man, Franz Wilczek, who's appeared on this show.

And we say we have a little snippet at the end of him back in the sanatorium.

But the main body is outside, which is Los Angeles, Hollywood, then inside and then after.

And so it's free, indirect style, I guess, but we're following the life of Pabst, although he's not speaking to us directly.

But when he's in Hollywood, that is a fabulous evocation of the poolside scene with the flamingos.

And we open at a party where I think it's at an MGM boss's house and there's drinks and there's stars.

Billy Wilder's over near the lounges.

And Pabst is trying to get this story up that he thinks will be brilliant.

And it's called War Has Been Declared.

And it's set on a boat that's going across the Atlantic.

And news comes in.