Charade Page #6

BARTHOLOMEW:

Ours.

REGGIE (she looks at him

for a moment). Oh, I see.

BARTHOLOMEW:

And I'm afraid we want it back.

REGGIE:

But I don't have it.

BARTHOLOMEW:

That's impossible. You're the only one

who could have it.

REGGIE:

I'm sorry it's impossible. It's the truth.

BARTHOLOMEW is silent for a moment, thinking.

BARTHOLOMEW:

I believe you.

REGGIE:

Thanks very much.

BARTHOLOMEW:

Oh, you've got the money all right --

you just don't know you've got it.

REGGIE:

Mr. Bartholomew -- if I had a quarter

of a million dollars, believe me, I'd know it.

BARTHOLOMEW:

Nevertheless, Mrs Lampert -- you've got it.

REGGIE:

You mean it's just lying around someplace --

all that cash?

BARTHOLOMEW:

Or a safe deposit key, a certified check,

a baggage claim -- you look for it, Mrs. Lampert --

I'm quite sure you'll find it.

REGGIE:

But --

BARTHOLOMEW:

Look for it, Mrs. Lampert -- look just as hard

and as fast as you can. You may not have a

great deal of time. Those men know you have

it just as surely as we do. You won't be safe

until the money's in our hands. Is that clear?

REGGIE nods. He writes something on a pad of paper and

tears it off, handing it to her.

BARTHOLOMEW:

Here's where you're to call me -- day or night.

It's a direct line to both my office and my apartment.

Don't lose it, Mrs. Lampert -- and please

don't tell anyone about coming to see me. It

could prove fatal for them as well as yourself.

REGGIE:

Wait a minute -- you think those three

men killed Charles, don't you?

BARTHOLOMEW:

We've no proof, of course, but we

rather think so, yes.

REGGIE:

Well, there you are! Charles had the

money with him -- so whoever killed him

has it -- they have it!

BARTHOLOMEW shakes his head.

REGGIE:

Why not?

BARTHOLOMEW (grimly)

Because they're still here.

REGGIE:

Oh.

BARTHOLOMEW:

Like I said, Mrs Lampert -- I'm afraid

you're in a great deal of danger.

Remember what happened to Charles.

REGGIE takes the last sandwich and begins eating furiously.

76.DELETED

77.EXT. ESPLANADE DES CHAMPS-ELY�ES -- DAY

MED. SHOT -- GUIGNOL. One of the French Punch and Judy

shows set up on certain days in the small park alongside

the broad avenue between the Rond Point and the Place de

la Concorde. At the moment, Judy, as always, is beating

Punch with a bat. The sound of CHILDREN laughing and

screaming can be heard.

78.VARIOUS CLOSE SHOTS -- THE CHILDREN

Sitting on small benches lined up to face the stage. Their

attention is fixed on the show, their belief totally

suspended by the play as only children's can be -- laughing

at the slapstick, booing the villain, frightened by the

perils.

79. MED. SHOT -- REGGIE

Sitting on the last bench, next to some CHILDREN. They are

laughing but she isn't -- she just watches, her attention

caught up but her face void of emotion. The bench is too

low for her, forcing her knees up almost under her chin.

After a moment, PETER comes up behind her and, stepping over

the benches, sits beside her. She doesn't seem to notice.

[Throughout the following scene the CHILDREN and the

ACTORS can be heard in the b.g.]

PETER:

Reggie -- ?

She turns and looks at him for a moment.

REGGIE (vaguely)

Hallo, Peter.

PETER:

You telephoned me to meet you. I've

been standing on the corner back

there -- waiting for you.

REGGIE:

I'm sorry -- I heard the children laughing.

A ROAR from the CHILDREN. REGGIE and PETER turn toward

the stage.

79A.MED. SHOT -- GUIGNOL

PUNCH and JUDY are arguing loudly.

80.TWO SHOT -- REGGIE AND PETER

PETER:

What's going on?

REGGIE:

Don't you understand French?

PETER:

I'm still having trouble with English.

REGGIE:

The man and the woman are married --

81.CLOSE SHOT -- GUIGNOL STAGE

PUNCH and JUDY are batting each other on the head.

PETER'S VOICE (o.s.)

Yes, I can see that -- they're batting

each other over the head with clubs.

Finally, JUDY knocks Punch out of sight and a PUPPET

wearing a three-cornered hat appears.

PETER'S VOICE (o.s.)

Who's that with the hat?

82.MED SHOT -- GRANDPIERRE

Wearing a hat, he stands off in the background, watching.

REGGIE'S VOICE (o.s.)

That's the policeman - he wants to

arrest Judy for killing Punch.

83.CLOSE SHOT -- GUIGNOL STAGE

JUDY and the POLICEMAN are batting one another.

PETER'S VOICE (o.s.)

What's she saying now?

REGGIE'S VOICE (o.s.)

That she's innocent -- she didn't do it.

PETER'S VOICE (o.s.)

She did it, all right -- take it from me.

REGGIE'S VOICE (o.s.)

I believe her.

PUNCH's head appears on the other side of the stage, says

something, then ducks out.

PETER'S VOICE (o.s.)

Who was that?

REGGIE'S VOICE (o.s.)

Punch, of course.

84.TWO SHOT -- REGGIE AND PETER

PETER:

Of course? I thought he was dead.

REGGIE:

He's only pretending, to teach her a lesson --

only -- (her face clouding) -- only he is dead,

Peter -- I saw him -- he's not pretending. Somebody

threw him off a train. What am I going to do?

Charles was mixed up in something terrible.

PETER:

I wish you'd let me help you. Whatever it is,

it doesn't sound like the sort of thing that

a woman can handle all by herself.

85.CLOSE SHOT -- GUIGNOL STAGE

JUDY has gotten the upper hand is now batting the

POLICEMAN's brains out.

86.CLOSE SHOT -- GRANDPIERRE as he winces.

87.TWO SHOT -- REGGIE AND PETER

PETER:

Have you got a mirror? (she nods)

Give it to me.

She hands it to him and he holds it in front of her face.

PETER:

Right there, between your eyes -- see?

Worry lines. You're much too young and

too pretty to have anything like that.

How about making me vice-president in

charge of cheering you up?

REGGIE (jumping at the suggesting)

Starting tonight?

88.INT. NIGHTCLUB -- NIGHT

MED. SHOT -- EMCEE. He stands on the dance floor in front

of a five piece Latin dance band, a spotlight on him,

wearing his professional smile as he speaks into a mike.

EMCEE:

Bonsoir mesdames et messieurs, good evening

ladies and gentlemen, guten Abend, meine

Damen und Herren -- ce soir, comme tous les

soirs, l'attraction ici, au Black Sheep

Club, c'est vous! Venez, mesdames et

messieurs, step right up, ladies and gentlemen,

kommen Sie her, meine Damen en Herren,

avanti, signore e signori -- avanti!

89.MED. SHOT -- REGGIE AND PETER

At their table. REGGIE is dressed in a lovely Givenchy dress.

PETER:

What was all that?

REGGIE:

Fun and games. Evidently we're the

floorshow.

PETER:

You mean you and me?

REGGIE:

No, everyone. Come on - avanti, avanti!

She rises and pulls him along.

90.WIDE ANGLE

Including the dance floor as most of the patrons go to it,

laughing self-consciously and looking around.

EMCEE:

�coutez bien - les r�gles sont tres simples

- the rules are very easy - deux �quipes --

two teams -- each with one orange -- une orange --

eine apfelsine -- un' arrancia -- held under

the chin, like so -- (does it) -- comme �a --

and passed to the player behind you -- sans

vous servir de vos mains -- using nothing but the

chin -- no hands -- and keeping the orange at

all costs from touching the floor. Commencez,

Mesdames et Messieurs -- begin, ladies and

gentlemen -- signore e signori, comminciate!

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