Mina listened as director Porter and Peter, who was still on the phone, tried to convince her of why she should fill in as the rival pianist. The rival only appeared in six scenes and all of them could be shot in one day, but Mina was completely uninterested.
Director Porter tried to think of a way to tie filling in for the actress who quit, to Mina's contractual duties, but there was nothing he could think of offhand. He was forced to turn to the universal motivating factor, cash.
"Mina, if you take on the role, I will pay you and give you a return on the amount you were paid as an investment," Director Porter said. He could tell that his statement caught Mina's attention by just a little.
"How much?" Mina asked, she already knew the actress who had quit was only being paid $1,000, and the woman had to remain on set, unpaid, for most of the production.
