"In what way?"
"You have told this Court that neither Mr. Edelson nor Miss Blake had anything to do with your production of The Paper Dragon."
"Correct."
"Yet Mr. Langford swears they were employed by the studio…"
"That may be so, but—"
"… as story editors on The Paper Dragon."
"I'm telling you they had nothing to do with my film."
"Were they or were they not story editors?"
"I don't know what they were. This is the first time I'm hearing of this credit. Was it in the titles?"
"What?"
"Of the film. Did this credit show in the titles? I never heard of it before today."
"Mr. Langford swears…"
"Well, he ought to know who was hired or who was not hired by the studio. But even if they were story editors, would you mind telling me what that has to do with my movie?"
"That's what I'd like you to tell me, Mr. Knowles."
"I've already told you. Neither of them had anything to do with The Paper Dragon."
"Yet you knew Mr. Edelson personally?"
"Yes, I did."
"If I told you that Mr. Constantine knew both Mr. Edelson and Miss Blake, would you take my word for it?"
"Why not?"
"But you yourself never heard of Mr. Constantine before this action began?"
"The only Constantine I'd ever heard of was the Roman emperor," Ralph said, and smiled.
"But not Arthur Constantine?"
"No. Not Arthur Constantine."
"Are you familiar with a film called Area Seven?"
"I am."
"In what way?"
"I saw the film, and I know the man who wrote the screenplay."
"Which man are you referring to?"
"Matthew Jackson."
"Was it a good film?"
"It was nominated for an Academy Award. Whether that makes it a good film or not is open to debate."
"Has Mr. Jackson ever mentioned Arthur Constantine to you?"
"Never."
"Were you aware of the fact that Arthur Constantine worked on the film?"
"I was not."
"Yes. He adapted it."
"I didn't know that."
"Will you take my word for it?"
"Certainly."
"Do you know a man named Rudy Herdt?"
"No, sir."
"A woman named Betty Alweiss?"
"No, sir."
"They are both presently employed by API, and have been working there since 1949. Are you sure you do not know them?"
"I am positive."
"You don't seem to know too many people at the studio, do you, Mr. Knowles?"
"I'm not gregarious," Ralph answered.
"How about Mr. Silverberg?"
"Who?"
"Mr. A. Silverberg. Or it may be Miss A. Silverberg, I can't tell from this. Mr. Genitori, would you know…?"
"It's Mr. Silverberg," Genitori said. "Abraham Silverberg."
"I don't know him," Ralph said.
"Have you ever read any synopses prepared by Mr. Silverberg?"
"I do not read synopses."
"And therefore you have not read the synopsis Mr. Silverberg prepared on Catchpole?"
"No, I have not."
"Have you ever read any synopsis of the play Catchpole?"
"Never."
"But you have read the play itself."
"No, I have not."
"No one at API gave you a copy of the play to read?"
"That's correct."
"I am referring now to the period of time since this action began."
"I have never read Catchpole, nor do I intend ever to read it."
"Didn't your attorneys suggest that you read it before coming here to testify?"
"They did."
"But you chose not to read it?",
"I am too busy to read anything that does not personally interest me."
"And I take it that Catchpole does not personally interest you?"
"Correct."
"How can you tell this without reading it?"
"I've read transcripts, or depositions, or whatever they were, and I knew from those that the play would not interest me."
"Do you mean transcripts of the pretrial examinations?"
"Correct."
"And I take it you were not overly impressed with Mr. Constantine's work?"
"I was not."
"Are you ever impressed with anyone's work other than your own?"
"Objection, your Honor."
"Sustained. Let's leave off with this, shall we, Mr. Brackman?"
"Mr. Knowles, did Matthew Jackson work with you on the filming of the motion picture The Paper Dragon?"
"He did."
"In what capacity?"
"As assistant director."
"What does an assistant director do, can you tell us?"
"Certainly. It's his job to see that everything is functioning properly, actors have their scripts and know their lines, props are ready, extras are in place, quiet and order are maintained on the set. An A.D. is an invaluable person on a film, and Matthew Jackson is a good one."
"Does an assistant director ever direct?"
"Sometimes."
"Did Matthew Jackson direct any of the scenes in The Paper Dragon?"
"He may have."
"Which scenes?"
"Second-unit stuff, I would imagine."
"Was the bayonet charge second-unit stuff?"
"It may have been."
"Who directed the bayonet charge?"
"I'm sure I directed the sequences involving the principals."
"And the other sequences?"
"Matt might have. Mr. Jackson."
"Was the montage second-unit stuff?"
"Which montage?"
"The one containing vignettes of the soldier being shot out of a tree, and the soldier crying…"
"I directed all of that."
"Mr. Jackson did not help with it?"
"Only as A.D. on the sound stage, that's all, his normal function."
"Let's talk about Private Colman for a moment, shall we?"
"Certainly."
"You portrayed him as wearing eyeglasses…"
"Yes."
"… and you testified that you did this because the actor playing the part, Mr. Olin Quincy, wore glasses in real life?"
"Correct."
"And would not be able to see unless—"
"No, I didn't say that. He's as blind as a bat, that's true, but I wouldn't have given him glasses if the part didn't call for him to read something. There was a very complicated scene in the film where the positions on a map are being traced, just preparatory to heading into enemy territory, the same as in the book, and Olin thought it would be a good idea if he could see all these Oriental place names and actually read them from the map, rather than trying to memorize them."
"Do you remember the character of Colman well?"
"Yes, sir."
"As presented in the book?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"Was he wearing eyeglasses in the book?"
"No, sir."
"Was there a character named Corporal Finlay in the book?"
"No, sir."
"Was there a Corporal Finlay in the movie?"
"Yes, sir."
"Would you say that he possessed some of Private Colman's characteristics?"
"What do you mean?"
"Column's characteristics from the book."
"Yes, sir, I would say so."
"Would you say that Private Colman and Corporal Finlay in the movie were both derived from the single character of Private Colman in the book?"
"I would say so, yes."