Battle of the Sexes Page #9

Disgusted, the Therapist throws his cards down.

THERAPIST:

The point is, not only is Margaret

going to be Number One, she’s a

different kind of woman.

BOBBY RIGGS:

You think she’d play me?

THERAPIST:

She’s a nice, old-fashioned girl,

Bobby:
she’ll do as she’s damn well

told.

44A INT. SEAPORT MOTEL. BILLIE JEAN’S ROOM. MORNING. 44A

Marilyn sits on the bed, dressed, while Billie Jean tearsaround the room. She is in a total panic.

*

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 50

BILLIE JEAN:

I knew I shouldn’t have drunk so

much last night. Car keys. Carkeys.

*

*

MARILYN *

You hardly drank anything. *

She carries on blundering around looking for her keys. *

BILLIE JEAN:

Well, something happened. If anyonefound out, I’d be finished.

Finished. There are plenty ofpeople just waiting for me to messup, you know. God, what if myparent’s found out? Dammit, where

are my car keys?!

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

MARILYN *

In your hand. *

Billie Jean looks down at her own left hand. She’s holding

her sunglasses- and her car keys.

*

*

BILLIE JEAN *

Oh. Thank you. *

MARILYN *

Nobody’s going to find out, okay?

It was one night. You’re going yourway, I’m going mine.

*

*

*

BILLIE JEAN *

Okay. Okay. *

She puts her sunglasses on. *

BILLIE JEAN (CONT’D)

You go out now. I’ll wait five

minutes and follow. No, that’ll

look suspicious. Maybe you shouldjust stay here.

*

*

MARILYN:

You were going to give me a ride? *

BILLIE JEAN:

Right. Right. Right. Right on.

45 EXT. SEAPORT MOTEL PARKING LOT. DAY. 45

Overseen by Gladys, the Virginia Slims Girls throw their bagsinto their cars. Margaret Court holds her baby while herhusband packs up their car.

Billie Jean strides into the parking lot late anddishevelled, Marilyn trailing a few steps behind.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 50A

46 INT./EXT. TED’S CAR / SEAPORT MOTEL PARKING LOT. DAY. 46

Ted Tinling, sits in his Lincoln Continental convertible withHenry his assistant. Beautifully dressed, the mannequin sitsin the back.

Ted’s huge hands are dextrously sewing sequins onto a dress.

He looks up as he sees Billie and Marilyn.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 51

TED:

Well, look who we have here.

HENRY:

Late and a little deshabillé,

wouldn’t you say?

TED:

I would, Henry, I most definitelywould.

HENRY:

And what do you think Larry wouldsay? He must know.

TED:

Well there’s knowing and there’s

knowing.

He leans out of the window.

TED (CONT’D)

(Loud, to Billie Jean)

Good morning, darling. Sleep well?

He waves a casual hand at Billie Jean. Billie Jean gives hima short wave, trying to act normal. Gladys is handing outpacks of cigarettes to everyone.

GLADYS:

Nobody later than four. Rosie, nomore speeding tickets. We’re

tennis, not NASCAR. And girls, forGod’s sake, some Slims at the photo-

call? We need them to renew their

contract. They’re good to us and

c’mon, they’re not so bad. Me, I

love ‘em!

She takes a massive drag on one to prove her point and nearlydies. A couple of cars pull out on their way to the nexttournament. Recovering, Gladys eyes Billie Jean.

GLADYS (CONT’D)

You’re late. Who’s this?

BILLIE JEAN:

Nobody. A friend.

Marilyn extends her hand to Gladys.

MARILYN:

Marilyn. From the Gene Shawcove *

Salon in LA. Remember?

Gladys eyes her dubiously.

GLADYS:

LA? Well, you’ve come a long way,

baby.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 51A

Rosie comes up and claps a hand on Marilyn’s shoulder.

ROSIE:

Hey! Marilyn, right? You did afabulous job on my hair.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

52

MARILYN:

Who wouldn’t? It’s great hair.

PEACHES:

Oh my gosh, Gladys! Is she comingon the tour with us?

GLADYS:

No, she is not.

General consternation.

VALERIE:

Please, Gladys? With all the photoshoots we’re doing, we need ahairdresser.

GLADYS:

That’ll be an “N” followed by an

“O”. How’s your spelling, Val?

ROSIE:

Oh, come on. I’m sure we’d all be

willing to pay a little.

General agreement. Billie Jean shakes her head.

BILLIE JEAN:

No, Marilyn has to get back to thesalon in LA-

MARILYN:

They won’t miss me for a few days.

That is, if you’ll have me?

Marilyn looks directly at Billie Jean, who stares back, torn.

Only Margaret, in her car, clocks this look between them.

PEACHES:

Oh please, Gladys, I haven’t had a

minute to get these bangs done.

JULIE:

Mom, please? Imagine having our ownstylist!

A chorus of pleading. Gladys is besieged.

GLADYS:

Can you do anything with this?

She indicates her own slightly crazy hair.

MARILYN:

Of course.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 53

GLADYS:

Get in the car.

A cheer from the Nine. Gladys stomps off. Marilyn looks atBillie Jean.

Okay?

MARILYN:

Billie Jean gives a nod of assent. Marilyn gets in BillieJean’s car. Billie Jean gets in and they all drive off.

Only Margaret Court, sitting in her car, feeding baby Daniel,

is unimpressed.

47 INT./EXT. MARGARET COURT’S CAR/SEAPORT MOTEL PARKING LOT.

DAY.

47

MARGARET COURT:

You know what she is, don’t you?

That woman with Billie Jean?

BARRY:

A hairdresser?

MARGARET COURT:

Her lover. *

BARRY:

That girl? And Billie Jean?

MARGARET COURT:

I heard them last night, Barry. Andif that was cramp, then I’m Arthur

Ashe.

*

*

*

*

BARRY:

But- but she’s married.

*

*

MARGARET COURT:

They usually are. This is whathappens on an all-women circuit,

Barry. Licentiousness. Immorality.

Sin.

BARRY:

She shouldn’t be allowed on the

tour.

*

*

MARGARET COURT:

On the contrary.

BARRY:

What? Isn’t she ashamed of herself?

MARGARET COURT:

She is ashamed. That’s exactly whatshe is. And her game’s going to go

to pieces.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16 54

INT/EXT. BILLIE JEAN’S CAR/COASTAL HIGHWAY. DAY.

48 48

The top is down on the Dodge Coronet. Billie is driving.

MARILYN *

Thanks for letting me come along. *

BILLIE JEAN:

What happened last night can’t everhappen again. We have to stopfooling around.

MARILYN:

Is that what it was? Fooling *

around? *

BILLIE JEAN *

Yes. No. *

Silence for a moment. *

BILLIE JEAN (CONT’D) *

Look, I’m a tennis player, Marilyn. *

On tour. It’s my job. I’m serious *

about it. Even Larry knows not to *

get in the way of that. *

MARILYN *

I promise not to distract you.

BILLIE JEAN:

But you do distract me! Youdistract me just being here.

(Half-joking)

I mean, who are you? What are youeven doing with me? *

Marilyn puts her arm across Billie Jean’s shoulder and leans *

in.

MARILYN:

We don’t have to do anything you

don’t want to do. Okay? Friends.

BILLIE JEAN *

Sure. Okay. *

MARILYN *

Really good friends. *

She raises her eyes suggestively at Billie. Billie looks over *

at Marilyn, and shakes her head.

BILLIE JEAN:

I swear, I don’t know what to do

with myself around you.

MARILYN:

Right now? Just drive.

BATTLE OF THE SEXES -Simon Work File -4/7/16

55

Marilyn flips the radio on. The car accelerates away.

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