Crazy Ellens

- 16 -
Mustang and Mercedes
At six o'clock the next morning, buses took the technicians, extras, and most 
of the other people who were needed that day, to the Topkapi Palace. There, a 
hundred Turkish workers were waiting for us, and the crew started to prepare 
the sound system, the lighting and the cameras. A row of trailers was parked 
outside the palace. These were the mobile dressing-rooms and the make-up 
department. Soon, dozens of policemen were needed to keep the crowd away 
from the crew. Even at this early hour, many people wanted to watch what was 
happening. As it was a Tuesday, the palace itself was closed to visitors all day.
The crowd became excited at seven o'clock, when Gail and Brent arrived in a 
long black limousine. Carla was already on the set, working with the lighting 
cameraman. I was just leaving one of the make-up trailers when the two stars 
arrived. Julie Grant had been repairing my make-up. I wasn't needed for that 
day's shooting, but Carla wanted to see me standing next to Brent. She wanted 
to check that we looked the same. Carla thought that I was a double called Alan 
Davies, of course, and I wanted her to go on believing that!
'Hey, man!' a voice said and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around 
and saw that it was the real Brent Foster.
'Well, I just can't believe this!' Brent said as he looked at me. 'I've had lots of 
doubles in my time, but none of them looked as good as you.' He held out his 
hand.
I took his hand and shook it. 'The name's Davies - Alan Davies,' I said. 'It's a 
great pleasure to meet you.'
At that moment, Carla came over and looked at the two of us carefully. For a 
few seconds, I was worried.
'Wonderful!' she said. 'Which of you is the double?'
'I'll see you later, Alan,' Brent said, and walked off towards his dressing-
room.
The morning passed slowly. Carla was shooting some outdoor scenes of Gail 
and Brent running through the courts of the Topkapi, being chased by two men 
in red T-shirts. I wasn't in any of the scenes. I didn't think Gail was in any 
danger that morning. Arabella and Annie were with her when she wasn't on the 
set. I was pleased that neither of them recognized me.
I had never really found out what the story of the movie was, so I asked Julie 
about it.
'I don't know either,' she replied. 'None of us knows really, not even the 
actors. That's Carla's way of working - she shoots lots of scenes and then puts 
the story together during editing, back at the studios in L.A.'
'I see,' I said, although I really didn't understand at all. 'But the actors must 
know who they are playing. For example - the two men in red T-shirts. What