Souls for Sale

Los Angeles Review of Books
Rupert Hughes, introduction by Sarah Gleeson-White
Buy Book

On the wedding night of Remember "Mem" Steddon and Owen Scudder the bride has a change of heart. Abandoning her new husband, she impulsively gets off a Los Angeles-bound train in middle of the desert. Severely dehydrated, she sees an unusual sight: an Arab on a camel. When she recuperates, she comes to realize she's stumbled on a film set and is given a role as an extra. Just as Mem is rising to fame, Scudder - now known as a murderer who marries and kills his new brides - returns and sneaks into her bedroom. When Scudder sees two warmly autographed photographs - one from director Frank Claymore and another from actor Tom Holby - he flies into a jealous rage. When Claymore shows up to propose marriage to his protegee, Scudder tries unsuccessfully to him. Tragedy strikes during the filming of Claymore's next movie, in which Mem stars, when lightening sets a Big Top tent ablaze. Scudder takes advantage of the panic to try to kill an unsuspecting Claymore by driving a deadly wind propeller machine at him. When Mem stumbles into the machine's path, Scudder rushes to save her and loses his own life, apologizing to Mem first. Afterward, Mem chooses Claymore over Holby.