“A trifle unsteady at the odd moment but it has all the makings.”
Why it's great
A tiny fault followed by total praise is how an insider says a script is exceptional.
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Use it yourself
Her pitch is rough, but it has all the makings.
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Sidney Calls Clifford About His Play, Explained
Deathtrap · 1982
Chapter 5 of 30 · 3'07"
Sidney phones the young playwright whose script he has just read, and the praise is smooth: the draft has 'all the makings.' But the call isn't only flattery — he invites Clifford to come that night and asks him to bring the original manuscript with him.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:10–0:43
❝ Monologue · 8 lines Sidney Praises the First Draft
33s - 1:43–2:43
❝ Monologue · 17 lines Sidney Invites Clifford Over
60s
Sidney Calls Clifford About His Play, explained
What happens
Sidney Bruhl calls Clifford Anderson after reading his manuscript. He praises it as a promising first draft with all the makings, mentions how a mentor once helped him revise, and asks who else has seen it. Then he invites Clifford to come that evening by train to Easthampton, saying he will pick him up — and asks him to bring the original copy.
What's really going on
On the surface this is a friendly call between two writers. Underneath, Sidney is already steering. He flatters the script, then probes how many people have seen it — 'No one at all?' — as if measuring how easy the manuscript would be to take. His advice about bringing a second copy is practical on its face: 'I think it's best that we have two copies to read from,' he says, and slips in that the carbon is hard on his 'weary old eyes.' The detail that he will pick Clifford up himself, in a brown Mercedes, sounds generous, but it also keeps the visitor dependent on him. Even the closing excuse about running errands, which a listener immediately questions, is a small sign that nothing he says is quite straight.
Key lines & what they mean
- “A trifle unsteady at the odd moment but it has all the makings.”
- Sidney's assessment of the draft: slightly uneven now and then, but everything it needs is already there — flattering enough to keep the young writer interested.
- “I hate to think what would've happened if I had sent it out in its original form.”
- Sidney frames his earlier career as a warning, implying the raw first version would have failed without a mentor's help — a hint that he wants control of the text.
- “And the carbon's a little bit hard on these weary old eyes.”
- A small, fussy excuse for wanting the original manuscript rather than a copy, dressed up as concern about his eyesight.
- “So wait for me by the station and I'll be along eventually.”
- The instruction that leaves Clifford waiting and dependent, while Sidney keeps control of when the meeting actually starts.
Theme
- Deception — Sidney flatters the manuscript and makes a warm invitation, while his questions quietly measure how vulnerable its author is.
- Ambition — A playwright's hunger for a strong new script shapes every line of a call that only sounds like praise.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level2/5
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“I hate to think what would've happened if I had sent it out in its original form.”
Why it's great
A shudder about the past lets him sell his advice without boasting outright.
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Neutral
Use it yourself
I hate to think what would've happened if we had missed that train.
“And the carbon's a little bit hard on these weary old eyes.”
Why it's great
A plea for the original is dressed up as tired eyes, hiding the real reason.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Small print is hard on these weary old eyes.
“So wait for me by the station and I'll be along eventually.”
Why it's great
One casual promise of showing up later conceals the whole trap being set.
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Informal
Use it yourself
Wait for me at the cafe and I'll be along eventually.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Sidney's phone flattery
Yes, I have and I must say, in all sincerity... This is a very promising first draft. A trifle unsteady at the odd moment but it has all the makings. Yes. I know that feeling so well. I thought The Murder Game was finished the first time around... But I gave it to someone with real theater experience. They took it in hand and helped me revise it. I hate to think what would've happened if I had sent it out in its original form.
The praise keeps climbing, with a humblebrag tucked in, every word setting a trap.
❝ Sidney's train invitation
As a matter of fact, I'm free this evening. Yes. Why don't you drive over? It's not very far. Sidney exclaiming: I tell you what, you get a train... And I'll come and pick you up at the Easthampton station. All right? The what? The 7:29. That'll be fine. Stammering: And would you bring the original copy with you? Yes. I think it's best that we have two copies to read from. And the carbon's a little bit hard on these weary old eyes. Yes, we'll make that 7:29. Yes. Well, I 'll see you then. And, Clifford, I may be a few minutes late... I have some errands to run. So wait for me by the station and I'll be along eventually. I'll be in a brown Mercedes. Yes. All right. Bye-bye, then. I'll see you later.
From a lucky free evening to a brown Mercedes, the plan is seamless and quietly sinister.
Up next · 06got hooked onThe scene: Clifford Anderson Visits the BruhlsTakeaways
What you walk away with- Praise is used here as a tool, not a compliment.
- Asking who else has read it tests the writer's isolation.
- The promise to pick him up hides where they are really going.
- The brown Mercedes is the first detail that should worry Clifford.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Sidney call Clifford Anderson?
He has just read Clifford's manuscript, calls to praise it as a promising draft, and invites him over that evening — though the real aim is to get the young writer and his script to his house.
What does "all the makings" mean?
It means the script already has everything it needs to succeed — the ingredients are all there, even if a few moments are still rough.
Why does Sidney want the original copy?
He says they should have two copies to read from and that the carbon copy strains his eyes, but asking for the original brings the unedited manuscript into his hands.
How does Clifford get to Sidney's house?
Sidney tells him to take the 7:29 train to Easthampton station and wait, promising to pick him up in a brown Mercedes after running some errands.
Who questions Sidney after the call?
Someone in the house asks what errands he has to run and mentions the library books, catching Sidney in an excuse he then stumbles over, insisting he never said it.