Charade Page #4

40.CLOSE SHOT -- GRANDPIERRE

The INSPECTOR sits quietly, eyes downcast, staring at his

hands in a prayer-like attitude. CAMERA PULLS BACK,

revealing row after row of empty wooden bench-like seats in

the large, dimly-lit, high-ceilinged room. Finally, in the

first row, REGGIE and SYLVIE are discovered. Besides

GRANDPIERRE, they are the only ones present. REGGIE turns

around to look at the empty room. They speak in whispers.

REGGIE:

It's not exactly what I'd call a large

turn-out.

SYLVIE:

Didn't Charles have any friends?

REGGIE:

Don't ask me -- I'm only the widow.

(indicating GRANDPIERRE) If Charles

had died in bed we wouldn't even have

him.

SYLVIE:

At least he knows how to behave at funerals.

41.CLOSE SHOT -- GRANDPIERRE

His eyes still lowered. CAMERA PANS DOWN to feature his

hands -- he is methodically trimming his nails with a

small clipper.

42.TWO SHOT -- SYLVIE AND REGGIE

SYLVIE:

Have you no idea who could have

done it?

REGGIE:

Until two days ago all I really knew

about Charles was his name -- now it turns

out I didn't even know that.

The front DOOR of the Chapel is heard opening and a shaft

of daylight streams in. The WOMEN turn.

43.MED. SHOT -- CHAPEL DOOR

The short, heavy-set figure of a MAN is outlined against

the bright outdoor light. He stands for a moment, then

closes the door after him. LEOPOLD GIDEON, short-sighted,

bald, in his middle forties, glances around nervously,

like a barnyard bird. Then he walks down one of the side

aisles of the Chapel.

44.CLOSE SHOT -- GRANDPIERRE

As he watches GIDEON.

45.CLOSE SHOT -- REGGIE

As she watches him.

46.MED. SHOT -- THE BIER

GIDEON arrives at the coffin. He stops, looks down at

LAMPERT's body for a moment. Then, suddenly, in rapid

succession, he sneezes six times. He takes a small bottle

from his pocket, shakes a pill from it and swallows it dry.

He turns and walks back up the aisle, looking for a place

to sit. He comes face to face with GRANDPIERRE, stops,

turns to sit somewhere else.

47.TWO SHOT -- REGGIE AND SYLVIE

SYLVIE:

Do you know him?

REGGIE:

I've never seen him before.

SYLVIE:

He must have known Charles pretty well.

REGGIE:

How can you tell?

SYLVIE:

He's allergic to him.

SYLVIE turns and glances at GIDEON. Again, the sound of

the DOOR opening interrupts them. They turn to look.

48.MED. SHOT -- CHAPEL DOOR

Again the figure of a MAN is outlined in silhouette against

the outside brightness. When he closes the door we can see

"TEX" PENTHOLLOW, a slim, rangy man with sandy-colored hair,

a weatherbeaten face, washed-out blue-eyes -- also in his

forties. He wears a velvet-corduroy suit, string tie and a

bright yellow flower in his lapel. A bulldurham tag hangs

from his outside breast pocket, dangling from its string.

He starts down the aisle toward the bier, CAMERA LEADING

him, and we notice his unsteady gait. He turns to look at

the others present.

49.TRAVELING SHOT -- TEX'S P.O.V.

MOVING down the aisle. GRANDPIERRE's face, then GIDEON's,

then REGGIE's and SYLVIE's -- all staring at CAMERA.

50.MED. SHOT -- THE BIER

As TEX arrives. He stands staring at LAMPERT's body,

swaying on his feet until he reaches out and grabs the

side of the coffin to steady himself. Then he takes the

flower from his lapel and throws it into the open box.

51.CLOSE SHOT -- TEX

TEX (heavy Texas accent)

Ariva durchy, Charlie.

52.WIDER ANGLE

As TEX turns away from the coffin and approaches REGGIE and

SYLVIE, addressing the latter -- after having first reached

for his hat which he discovers he isn't wearing.

TEX:

Miz Lampert, ma'am . . .

SYLVIE points to REGGIE. Unruffled, TEX starts over.

addressing REGGIE this time.

TEX:

Miz Lampert, ma'am . . .

REGGIE:

Yes?

TEX:

Charlie had no call to handling it this-a-way.

He sure didn't. No siree.

REGGIE:

I don't understa--

But TEX has nodded his head and moved off to find a seat.

When he spots GIDEON, the two men stare at each other.

Finally, TEX chooses a seat away from him and sits.

53.MED. SHOT -- CHAPEL DOOR

It flies open, this time with a bang, and the large MAN

who appears almost fills the frame.

54.CLOSER SHOT -- TEX

As the loud noise awakens him with a snort, mid-snore.

55.MED. SHOT -- THE DOOR

Closing the door, we see HERMAN SCOBIE, a heavy-weight --

tall and wide, but not fat -- with black hair combed straight

back and heavy bushy eyebrows of a matching color, which

meet over his nose and join up. About the same age as the

first two men, SCOBIE is dressed in a battered raincoat, his

hands thrust deep in the pockets. He marches down the aisle.

looking straight ahead, CAMERA PANNING with him. He stops

before the coffin and stares into it.

56.CLOSE SHOT -- SCOBIE

As he stares down into the coffin, his tongue trying to

dislodge a bit of food caught in his teeth. He stares hard

at the body, squinting his eyes. Then he removes one hand

from his pocket, removes a pin from the inside of his lapel,

picks his teeth with it, then slowly lets the hand down,

into the coffin.

57.CLOSE SHOT -- SCOBIE'S HAND

The pin held between thumb and forefinger, he jabs it slowly

but positively deep into the back of one of the dead man's

hands. There is no reaction.

58.CLOSE SHOT -- SCOBIE

He watches the dead man carefully, still squinting. Then

finally satisfied, he returns the pin to his lapel and walks

back up the aisle and out of the door, slamming it after him.

59.CLOSE SHOT -- REGGIE

Having watched SCOBIE exit. Suddenly a hand falls on her

shoulder. She jumps in alarm and utters a little cry of

fright.

60.ANOTHER ANGLE

Featuring a funeral ATTENDANT, a cadaverous type (aren't

they all) with a black cut-away coat and an over-solicitous,

unctuous manner. He is eternally bent at the waist, in a

sort of half bow. He offers REGGIE a letter which she takes.

REGGIE:

Merci, Monsieur.

ATTENDANT:

Pas du tout, madame, pardon -- pardon -- pardon.

He backs off and is gone. REGGIE looks at the letter, back

and front, then starts to open it.

SYLVIE:

Who is it from?

REGGIE:

The American Embassy.

She pulls out the letter and starts to read it.

61.INSERT -- THE LETTER

It bears the Great Seal as a letterhead and the typed

message reads:

"Dear Mrs. Lampert:

Please drop by my office tomorrow

at noon-thirty. I am anxious to

discuss the matter of your late

husband's death.

Sincerely,

(signed) H. Bartholomew."

62.TWO SHOT -- REGGIE AND SYLVIE

SYLVIE has been reading over REGGIE's shoulder.

SYLVIE:

What is it about?

REGGIE:

I don't know. But if this is a sample of

American diplomacy I'm buying a fallout shelter.

63.EXT. THE AMERICAN EMBASSY -- ESTABLISHING -- DAY

The fine old building in the Rue Gabriel.

64.-DELETED

68.

69.INT. EMBASSY CORRIDOR -- DAY

As REGGIE leaves the elevator two young DIPLOMATIC TYPES

step in, immersed in conversation.

1ST DIPLOMATIC TYPE

I bluffed the Old Man out of the last pot --

with a pair of deuces.

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