Percy Pembroke, who wishes to be a great director, and will act for a time as his manager, offers to help him out.
The comedian Joe Rock has progressed from stunt doubling, to acting, to producing pictures. Percy Pembroke knows Joe Rock, and intercedes with Joe Rock on his behalf. Joe Rock offers him a twelve-picture deal at fifteen percent. He informs Hal Roach that he is leaving. Hal Roach tells him he is free to go.
He is hurt. He tries to hide it, but he fails.
That’s it? he says. You’re not going to put up a counter-offer?
—No.
—Why not?
—Because you’ll be back. Now go make dime pictures for Joe Rock. You know where to find us when you’re done.
Hal Roach’s words hang over him.
They hang over him as he makes Mandarin Mix-Up, and Detained, and Monsieur Don’t Care.
They hang over him as he makes West of Hot Dog, and Somewhere in Wrong, and Twins.
They hang over him as he makes Pie-Eyed.
By the time he makes The Snow Hawk, he knows that Hal Roach is right. Twelve and a half percent of one Hal Roach picture is worth more than fifteen percent of twenty Joe Rock pictures. He will return to the Hal Roach lot, just as soon as he can finish these damn pictures for Joe Rock.
Joe Rock will not give Mae roles in his pictures, not even as a villager, not even as a tree. This is stipulated in the contract he signs with Joe Rock. He knows that in signing it, he is hurting Mae. He does not inform her until after the deal is concluded.
What’s in it for me? she asks, as she always does.
—I don’t know. We’ll work it out with Joe.
—But I don’t know Joe.
—Joe’s a good guy.
—But I don’t know him.
In his heart, he acknowledges that he did not sign with Joe Rock solely because of the percentages. He signed because of Mae. He signed because Mae will not tolerate being sidelined. Mae will either be forced to change or to leave. But Mae cannot change, and so Mae must leave.
And Joe Rock has introduced him again to Lois Neilson. He remembers her from a picture they made together for Hal Roach back in 1919. Lois Neilson was twenty-four then, and beautiful. She is thirty now, and still beautiful.
The picture they made together was called Do You Love Your Wife?
He tries to put the title out of his mind the first time he takes Lois Neilson to bed.
The Snow Hawk films at Arrowhead Lake, in the mountains of San Bernardino. Mae has insisted on accompanying him. They are sharing a cabin, and in the cabin they fight. Joe Rock can hear them. Everyone can hear them. The cast and crew of The Snow Hawk are bearing witness to the death of a marriage. It does not matter that it is a common-law marriage. It does not matter that no two people bearing these names have ever truly existed. It is mortality nonetheless.
Mae is screaming and crying. Mae claims that Joe Rock tried to fuck her—here, in their cabin. Mae says this because she wants to hurt him. Mae says this because she wants him to believe that someone might still want to fuck her even if he does not.
Joe Rock did not try to fuck Mae. Joe Rock does not want to fuck Mae. Even if Joe Rock did want to fuck Mae, Joe Rock’s wife would not let him.
Joe Rock takes him to an empty cabin. Joe Rock opens a bottle of liquor. Joe Rock pours two glasses, and then pours another two glasses, because he has swallowed the contents of the first two glasses before Joe Rock can even put the bottle down.
She’s killing your career, Joe Rock tells him.
—I know.
—People are talking.
—I know.
—Why do you think Hal Roach let you go? Hal Roach was sicker of Mae than you are.
—I know.
—It’s over between you.
—I know.
Joe Rock informs Mae that her common-law husband will be sleeping in another cabin that night. Joe Rock tells Mae that she should go back to Los Angeles. When they’re done with The Snow Hawk, everyone will sit down and talk.
Mae does not argue. Mae has no arguments left. Mae has seen the change in him. Mae believes that he is sleeping with someone else, the taint of this woman on his mind and his body.
Mae knows that she has lost him.
Later, stories will be told: that Mae is put on a boat back to Australia with a ticket paid for by a loan from Joe Rock; that Mae is given her jewelry to take with her; that cash is left in the care of the purser and handed over only when the ship is at sea, just to ensure that Mae cannot renege on the deal.
Perhaps there is no ship. Perhaps there is no purser.
But there is money—not as much as Mae wants, not as much as she is worth, but better than the alternative.
Mae takes the money, and Mae vanishes.
For a time.