The scene opens on a foggy evening. The camera pushes through wisps of mist thick as smoke. A faint light is revealed, hanging over a doorway and dangling sign, “Red Lobster Inn.” In the background lie ships at dock, hulking masses nearly shapeless in the fog. The disquieting camera dolly is broken by a seamless dissolve to inside the building, as Honest John jubilantly sings “An Actor’s Life For Me.” The camera continues to push forward through a veritable maze of architecture, woodwork, and cigar smoke. Finally, the image rests on Honest John, joined by Gideon and the evil Coachman, tucked away in a corner booth of the establishment.
Truly incredible.