Akaba. I like the idea of the dissolve from the end of the charge to the red sun over the sea In spite of the fact that I wouldn't take most critics advice as to how to shoot an insert. I do know that several of them have remarked on too many sun shots. I think this shot may be the one that breaks their back.

Therefore I suggest for your consideration that we dissolve from the end of the charge to the rioting in the town which pans to Lawrence on his camel going into the sea. Again this is not done from a footage-length point of new but an attempt to eliminate criticisms of repetition. I would hat to cut my other sun shots as all the others have a real point--while this is solely mood.

Cairo. I have had two separate face-face criticisms about the scene between Allenby, Lawrence, Dryden and Brighton by the goldfish pool. The people say they cannot believe that Allenby would discuss military matters with Lawrence in front of a lot of gooping. I got in a mess with the scene, Robert, and I know I didn't put over your intention which was that Allenby was doing this on purpose.

I think two shots particularly do the damage: The first shot of the Club secretary which is a dissolve from the scene in the bar. The final shot of the first goldfish sequence with the officers peering downwards from the courtyard windows.

I therefore suggest that we dissolve from the bar to the shot of the group around the fountain, thus cutting out the Club secretary shot. (this may cause trouble as we will have to add to the front of the group shot in order to have enough dissolve footage but as there is no violent movement I don't think the loss of 2 pictures will show.) In the case of the second shot which ends with the spin to the feet I would suggest trying a direct cut from Allenby saying "Certainly!" to the tracking shot of the feet a foot before the first line. (This would cut out Lawrence's close up which ends with him looking up in addition to the spinning shot which I know Sam loathes anyhow. Would have to try this on the cutting copy. My guess is that it will work.

Loss of Interval. Yes please. Ann [V. Coates-editor] will be able to time this, but my guess is that we should fade out on a 6 footer starting the fade where the fade in on the Interval title now begins. We should have, of course, to loose the music and have only footsteps.

If the interval cutting idea works in whatever place Sam is going to try it out I think we may have to examine the idea of fading in a few feet later on the shot of Bentley coming up over the hill. We have got to take care here as this is the only fade out in the picture and will therefore have a punctuation all of its own. Added to this I shot it (the Bentley shot) as a curtain raiser. Don't' take a lump off it but consider a 6 foot fade in so that Bentley's head can be seen on about the fourth foot. We don't want to replace a major hiatus with a minor.