All About Eve Page #6

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Bill pauses and pulls her to one side. Some passengers go

by.

A pause.

MARGO:

Take care of yourself out there...

BILL:

I understand they've got the Indians

pretty well in hand...

MARGO:

Bill...

BILL:

Huh?

MARGO:

Don't get stuck on some glamour

puss-

BILL:

I'll try.

MARGO:

You're not such a bargain, you know,

conceited and thoughtless and

messy-

BILL:

Everybody can't be Gregory Peck.

MARGO:

You're a setup for some gorgeous

wide-eyed young babe.

BILL:

How childish are you going to get

before you quit it?

MARGO:

I don't want to be childish, I'd

settle for just a few years-

BILL:

(firmly)

And cut that out right now.

MARGO:

Am I going to lose you, Bill? Am I?

BILL:

As of this moment you're six years

old...

He starts to kiss her, stops when he becomes aware of Eve

standing near them. She has his ticket in her hand.

EVE:

All ready.

She hands Bill his ticket, they start toward the gate.

INT. BOARDING GATE - LAGUARDIA - NIGHT

The D.C. 6 in the b.g. A few visitors. Bill hands his ticket

to the guard, turns to Eve.

BILL:

Thanks for your help... good luck.

EVE:

Goodbye, Mr. Sampson.

Bill puts his arms around Margo.

BILL:

Knit me a muffler.

MARGO:

Call me when you get in...

They kiss. Margo's arms tighten desperately. Bill pulls away,

kisses her again lightly, starts for the plane. Margo turns

away. Eve puts her arms through Margo's.

Bill pauses en route to the plane.

BILL:

Hey - junior...

Margo turns to look at him with Eve.

BILL:

Keep your eyes on her. Don't let her

get lonely. She's a loose lamb in a

jungle...

Eve looks at Margo. Margo smiles.

EVE:

Don't worry...

Bill waves, climbs aboard. The door is closed behind him,

the departure routine starts...

Margo and Eve turn to go. They walk down the passage. As

they walk, Eve gently disengages her arm from Margo's and

puts it comfortingly about her...

MARGO'S VOICE

That same night we sent for Eve's

things, her few pitiful possessions...

she moved into the little guest room

on the top floor...

INT. DINING HALL - NIGHT

MARGO slides her fingers reflectively up and down the sides

of the almost empty highball glass.

MARGO'S VOICE

...she cried when she saw it - it

was so like her little room back

home in Wisconsin.

ADDISON eyeing her quizzically. He offers her the whiskey.

MARGO shakes her head, absently. She looks down at her glass

again. Then, she raises her eyes to look at Eve.

MARGO'S VOICE

...the next three weeks were out of

a fairy tale - and I was Cinderella

in the last act. Eve became my sister,

lawyer, mother, friend, psychiatrist

and cop - the honeymoon was on...

INT. MARGO'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

It's one floor above street level. A long narrow room, smartly

furnished - including a Sarah Siddons Award.

MARGO'S NARRATIVE overlaps into the scene which is a SILENT

ONE.

Eve sits at a smart desk. She is just arranging a stack of

letters which she carries to Margo with a pen. Margo sits

comfortably by the fire with a play script. She hands the

scripts up to Eve, shakes her head and holds her nose. Eve

smiles, takes the script, hands Margo the letters to sign.

Birdie comes in with a tea tray which she sets on a low table

before the fire.

The phone rings.

Birdie and Eve both go for it. Eve gets there first. By her

polite but negative attitude, we know she is giving someone

a skillful brush-off.

Birdie glares first at her, then at Margo.

Margo leans her head back, closes her eyes blissfully...

Birdie slams the double door to the landing on her way out...

INT. BACKSTAGE - CURRAN THEATER - DAY

From the wings. The audience is never visible. Eve in the

f.g. Margo and company taking a curtain call. Tumultuous

applause... the curtain falls. The cast, except for Margo

and two male leads, walk off. The curtain rises again...

EVE, watching and listening to the storm of applause. Her

eyes shine, she clasps and unclasps her hands...

THE STAGE, Eve again in the f.g., but closer. Again the

curtain falls. This time the two men go off. Curtain rises

on Margo alone. If anything, the applause builds...

EVE, that same hypnotic look... there are tears in her eyes.

The curtain falls offscene, then rises again -

MARGO, the curtain falls again between her and CAMERA...

BACKSTAGE, the curtain just settling on the floor. Margo

starts off.

STAGE MANAGER:

One more?

MARGO:

(shakes her head)

From now on it's not applause - just

something to do till the aisles get

less crowded...

She walks as she talks and winds up at Eve - still in the

wings. Eve's eyes are wet, she dabs at her nose.

MARGO:

What - again?

EVE:

I could watch you play that last

scene a thousand times and cry

every time-

MARGO:

(grins)

Performance number one thousand of

this one - if I play it that long -

will take place in a well-padded

booby hatch...

She takes Eve's arm, they stroll toward her dressing room.

EVE:

I must say you can certainly tell

Mr. Sampson's been gone a month.

MARGO:

You certainly can. Especially if

you're me between now and tomorrow

morning...

EVE:

I mean the performance. Except for

you, you'd think he'd never even

directed it - it's disgraceful the

way they change everything around...

MARGO:

(smiles)

Well, teacher's away and actors will

be actors...

EVE:

During your second act scene with

your father, Roger Ferraday's supposed

to stay way upstage at the arch.

He's been coming closer down every

night...

MARGO:

When he gets too close, I'll spit in

his eye.

They're at her dressing room by now. Margo's been unhooking

her gown, with Eve's help. They go in.

INT. MARGO'S DRESSING ROOM - NIGHT

It's undergone quite a change. A new carpet, chintz covers

for the furniture, new lampshades, dainty curtains across

the filthy barred window.

Birdie waits within. She's listening to a fight; she shuts

it off as they enter.

MARGO:

(entering)

You bought the new girdles a size

smaller. I can feel it.

BIRDIE:

Something maybe grew a size bigger.

MARGO:

When we get home you're going to get

into one of those girdles and act

for two and half hours.

BIRDIE:

I couldn't get into the girdle in

two an' a half hours...

Margo's out of her wig and dress by now. She gets into her

robe, sits at the dressing table. Eve's on the chaise, by

the discarded costume.

EVE:

You haven't noticed my latest bit of

interior decorating...

MARGO:

(turns, looks)

Well, you've done so much... what's

new?

EVE:

The curtains. I made them myself.

MARGO:

They are lovely. Aren't they lovely,

Birdie?

BIRDIE:

Adorable. We now got everything a

dressing room needs except a

basketball hoop.

MARGO:

Just because you can't even work a

zipper. It was very thoughtful,

Eve, and I appreciate it-

A pause. Eve rises, picking up Margo's costume.

EVE:

While you're cleaning up, I'll take

this to the wardrobe mistress-

MARGO:

Don't bother. Mrs. Brown'll be along

for it in a minute.

EVE:

No trouble at all.

And she goes out with the costume. Birdie opens her mouth,

shuts it, then opens it again.

BIRDIE:

If I may so bold as to say something -

did you ever hear the word "union"?

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