One of the best moments in the film is one such scene and it is pivotal to the development of the plot and the characters. .
From 57:05 to 1:04:17 in the movie, which is right after the failure of a preview performance showing of The Dueling Cavalier (which is spelled incorrectly as Duelling in the screen credit inside the movie), Don is sitting at home brooding over the ridiculousness of it all with Cosmo and Kathy. He says -Well, take a last look at it; it'll be up for auction in the morning."" Cosmo retorts, "Ah, you're outta your mind. Besides, it's Saturday. No bank is going to foreclose until Monday!-.
As the scene opens, there is a slow fade from the previous scene at the theater to an open window at Don's home. It is raining outside, underscoring the general mood of doom and gloom that Don is experiencing in his life right now. Don, Cosmo and Cathy are all sitting around the dining room table, eating post show sandwiches. Gene hasn't touched his, while Cosmo and Cathy have eaten only a small portion of theirs. The body language of all three, with their elbows on the table and their hands supporting their heads gives further credence to the mood. After we pull into the room, we have a shot from the head of the table, and sitting right in front of us is a giant bowl of lemons in a beautiful silver dish, which is further visual evidence that everything is going sour for Don right now. Kelly, as the director, is also trying to say that even the wealthy and popular go through bad times in life, and that nobody's life, not even that of the rich and famous, is perfect.
As we get further into the scene, we realize that Don has had an epiphany. He has come to realize that he really is a failure as an actor, and that "never was (one), just a lot of dumb show."" Cosmo and Cathy follow Don into the kitchen, which is a symbolic area for cleaning up and beginning anew, and for "cooking- up new ideas.