While on these three scenes let us remember that we could cut the map room before that scene has ended--for example, after Lawrence say's [sic] "The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts"--straight to Murray's office somewhere before Lawrence enters or before the end of the billiard scene to Murray's office somewhere before Lawrence enters.

Entrance of the Desert. Now [that] I have seen the film with several audiences, I am very doubtful about cutting out the Harith country scene with the little caravan in the distance. Very doubtful.

Entry of Ali. The whole of this scene works even better than I had hoped. Please do not let us change it.

Echo scene. Sam is very anxious to make a cut here. I am not entirely against it if one of us can think of a good and smooth transition into Brighton. We can't, for instance, just dissolve from Ali's "God be with you." to Brighton yelling, "Hey !! You!!" Very clumsy from my, the director's, point of view.

We can't dissolve to the clapping unless we have some singing--and I think the singing is all or nothing. The only thing I can suggest is that we dissolve from the sky as Ali moves out picture after his, "God be with you." to Lawrence on his camel in the long shot which is now the first shot of the singing sequence. (This would mean that we cut out the extreme long shot which follows Ali at present.) And from this long shot cut straight to Brighton saying "Hey! You !!."--thus cutting out all the singing shots.

No good pretending. I'm not very happy about this and am very sorry to give up the pan down the rock-face which introduces Brighton. This sort of cutting takes away the hand-made-article something that this film has. I just don't know. Perhaps we could have a bit of singing and echo what we have left. Unhappy.

Day Exodus. Alright. I know the opening long shot is too orderly, but something tells me that it's not good to go straight into Brighton looking around for planes. Before finally deciding lets look at the second camera which had a long focus lens--and I did not use--which, I believe gives a more disorderly effect and could be held shorter. Must tell you that I'm sorry to say goodbye to the woman's hand in the howdah. Perhaps we could start with this shot instead of the present long shot. Think we have got to start with some sort of orientation shot after the night shot and before Brighton.

As a second thought. Suppose we started with the second camera long shot or the howdah shot--then went to Brighton looking round--and then directly to the last shot of the sequence with Imps saying "Aurens?" "You have no servant" etc. and as is--thus cutting out the first attempt to get a cigarette from Lawrence, the orderly and the cigarette business, plus the goosing of the came and the fall off.

Note. I write all this in great trust. I know it's dangerous. We must be very careful not to make sequences into featherweight lantern slides which just tell the plot. This Exodus scene is a case in point. Don't let's jump. The film has a certain something which we must be careful not to destroy. Be warned.