Cat People Page #12

She grabs her coat and starts putting it on. She turns out

the last remaining light and starts to leave the office. At

the door she pauses and calls through to the cat.

ALICE (cont'd)

Good night, John Paul.

(closes door)

EXT. A ROOFTOP OPPOSITE IRENA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Along the rooftop of the building opposite Irena's apartment

glide a couple of mangy alley oats. They lead into the

scene. Seeing Irena's lighted window, they seat themselves on

the parapet side and look down into the lighted square of the

window. Through it Irena can be seen on her knees, her hands

folded in prayer. Her lips are moving.

ANOTHER ANGLE SHOOTING

:fI*bm^;:VohlMv;th6?ae^h^1M'V/�::,iV^ cat in line; a little

further to one side than the other. From this vantage point

we can see down into Irena's apartment. We now see the

object of Irena's adoration and her plea: the statue of

King John of Serbia. Suddenly, Irena rises swiftly to her

feet, and with a quick, violent movement she sweeps the

statue to the floor. The cats, frightened, scamper away

over the rooftops.

The CAMERA MOVES toward the window, as we see Irena catch up

her hat and coat and leave.

INT. LOBBY - OFFICE BUILDING - NIGHT

Alice comes out of the elevator. Mrs. Agnew is in the lobby

and has risen to a sitting position on her knees. She has

Just finished lighting a fresh cigarette. Alice reaches In

her pocketbook and takes out a couple of match books.

ALICE:

Here, Mrs. Agnew, I've got a couple

of new match books for your

collection.

MRS. AGNEW

Thanks, Miss Moore.

(admiring a particular

one)

Chartreuse. My, ain't that

elegant!

Alice smiles and starts out.

MRS. AGNEW (cont'd)

Too bad you wasn't here a minute

ago. Mr. Reed looked in.

ALICE:

(stopping)

Oh? Where'd he go?

MRS. AGNEW

Said he was going around the corner

to Sally Lunn's.

ALICE:

(starting off)

I'll see if I can catch him, Good

night.

MRS. AGNEW

Good night, Miss Moore.

The ash of her cigarette falls down on her dress again.

Almost automatically she brushes it off with her customary

ladylike gesture.

INT. SALLY LUNN'S TEAROOM - NIGHT

Alice enters the tearoom and stands beside Oliver. She

signals to Minnie.

ALICE:

Could you squeeze the coffee pot

for me, Minnie?

OLIVER:

(turns and sees Alice)

Hello !

MINNIE:

I sure could. Only this coffee's

been workin' so long, it's got

muscles.

Alice smiles at Oliver as she sits down beside him.

ALICE:

What are you doing in this part of

town at this hour of night?

Oliver shrugs his shoulders. Alice nods.

ALICE (cont'd)

Hmmm. Stormy weather.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Irena as SHOT in the reflection of a florist shop window.

She is walking with fast, soft steps.

INT. SALLY LUNN'S TEAROOM - NIGHT

Alice and Oliver have finished drinking their coffee. She Is

looking very seriously at him.

ALICE:

Ollie, you're going to have to

solve your problems your own way.

(picking up her cup)

I'm going to drink up and go

home. You'd better go home,

too, and make it up with Irena.

OLIVER:

(leaning over and patting her hand)

You're very swell.

ALICE:

(lightly)

That's what makes me dangerous. I'm

the new type of other woman.

They leave the counter, calling "good nights" to Minnie, who

turns and nods to them.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

As SHOT through the plate glass window of the florist shop,

with a grouping of tiger lilies in the f.g. Irena stands in

an alcove-entrance, watching Oliver and Alice as they go by.

TWO SHOT - Oliver and Alice. Alice stops, shivers, and draws

the collar of her coat higher. Oliver turns to her.

OLIVER:

Cold?

ALICE:

(shaking her head)

A cat just walked over my grave.

They smile at each other and move on.

CLOSE SHOT of Irena through the tiger lilies, as she looks

after them.

EXT. TRANSVERSE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Alice and Oliver pause at the entrance to the transverse,

which stretches away from them, Its darkness punctuated with

pools of widely spaced street lights. Alice looks up the

street and turns to Oliver.

OLIVER:

Don't you want me to walk you home?

ALICE:

I'm a big girl now, and I'm not

afraid.

OLIVER:

Well, good night.

ALICE:

Good night.

They shake hands. Oliver turns and starts off across the

street, Alice waves good night to him as he reaches the other

side; then she draws a deep breath of the cold, crisp night

air, and turning, starts toward the transverse walk.

EXT. PARK WALL - NIGHT

Irena steps out from the shadows around the park wall. She

draws up her fur collar over the lower part of her face and

turns toward the transverse walk. On the sound track the

music for "Berceuses du Chat" begins in an eerie, minor key.

EXT. TRANSVERSE ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Irena pauses at the entrance to the transverse. Ahead of her,

walking briskly about one hundred feet in advance is Alice.

There are no other pedestrians on the narrow transverse walk.

The street and sidewalk are glistening wet and reflect the

pools of light from the street lamps. The melting snow drips

down the stone walls. Irena turns into the transverse and

starts to walk after Alice.

EXT. TRANSVERSE. WALK - NIGHT

SHOT of Alice, as she walks along. On one side of her are the

high, rock walls of the transverse; on the other is the

street.

SHOT of Irena, as she, too, walks along.

MED. SHOT - street lamp on transverse. It throws a circular

pool of light, Alice emerges from the darkness, crosses the

area of light, and continues on into the darkness. The soft

click of her heels fades into the distance. Even as the sound

of her steps fades, the sound of Irena's steps comes into the

scene. Irena comes from the darkness, crosses the area of

light, and continues oh after Alice into the darkness.

CLOSEUP of Alice's feet as they walk along, the heels

clicking on the wet pavement.

CLOSEUP of Irena's feet as they walk along, her heels

likewise clicking on the pavement.

MED. SHOT of a lighted area, as Alice again walks through a

circle of light. She walks directly through and into the

darkness beyond, her footsteps clicking on the pavement. As

her footsteps fade, we would logically hear Irena's steps

coming onto the scene. But we do not. There is nothing, only

the sound of Alice's heels fading into the distance. The

music of the "Berceuses du Chat" rises and fades.

SHOT of Alice as she walks along, the CAMERA TRUCKING with

her. There is the sound of her feet on the pavement. She

stops in a pool of street light, frowning, sensing the

presence of something behind her. She glances over her

shoulder, then looks around. The music is growing louder.

LONG SHOT of the glistening wet transverse walk, as Alice

sees it -- a dark, deserted walk, fading off to a perspective

line. It is lighted by regularly spaced street lamps.

SHOT of Alice, as she peers more closely into the darkness.

She is troubled. The silence is ominous. She frowns

apprehensively, turns, and starts to walk on a little faster.

She turns her head slightly, but does not dare look behind

her. She increases her pace and walks very rapidly through

the next area of light and on into the darkness. The sound

of her own steps is loud, and she begins to run. She reaches

the next pool of light, stops stock still, panic-stricken,

afraid to move. Outside the circle of light is only blackness

and silence, Alice's frightened eyes poor into the darkness.

She shrinks against the lamp post. Sheer terror crosses her

face. Suddenly there is a roaring sound that fills the sound

track, completely drowning the loud music. A pattern of light

cuts across Alice's face. She throws up one arm, almost as if

to defend herself. There is a hissing, screeching sound.

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