Deathtrap Page #3

down the aisle screaming,

Closely followed by

The quogue and easthampton

police departments.

[Flips turn signal]

Hi, mr. Bruhl.

Ohh.

Wow.

This is beautiful.

I frequently fantasize

about high-Tech--

Something

you just hose down.

Hello.

Oh, thank you.

Here we are,

darling.

This is clifford anderson.

My wife myra.

Hi. Pleasure

to meet you.

So nice of you to come,

mr. Anderson.

No, no. I am very proud

to be asked.

Oh, boy!

[Clifford whistles

in amazement]

Clifford:

is--Is this the mace

That was used

in murderous child?

Sidney:
yes.

And this here--

See this small one here?

That's the dagger

from the murder game.

Wow.

Be careful.

It's sharp.

The prop one was substituted

in the second act.

Mmm.

Oh, g--

In for the kill,

right?

Yes.

Myra:
the train

must've been late.

Was it?

Uh, no,

mr. Bruhl was.

Train

was on time.

I had to get

some gas,

And frank insisted

on poking around

Under the hood

for 10 minutes.

Oh, my god.

Gunpoi--

Do you know

that gunpoint

Is the first play

that i ever saw?

I was 12 years old.

Young man, if you're

trying to depress me,

You're right

on target.

Oh, i'm sorry.

But really, that's how

i got hooked on thrillers.

Angel street

did it to me.

"Bella, where is

that grocery bill?

"What have you done

with it...

You poor, wretched

creature?"

I was 15.

Sounds like

some awful disease

That's passed down

From generation to

generation, doesn't it?

Yes, it's called

thrilleritis malignus.

The fevered pursuit

of the one set,

Oh, hmmph. I'm not pursuing

money, mr. Bruhl.

Well, i mean, i might

like to have some

If i could have a place

like this to work in,

But that isn't the reason

that i wrote deathtrap.

You're infected,

all right.

But you're still

in the early stages.

Would you like something?

Would you like a drink?

Yes, please. Can i

have some ginger ale?

Of course.

Sidney, would you

like a scotch?

I believe i'll have

a ginger ale, too, darling.

These aren't all

from your plays, are they?

Good god, no.

I haven't written

that many.

Friends give me things,

you know,

And i, um, prowl

the antique shops.

Now there's

a disease.

I found that one

the other day

In, uh, sag harbor.

Oh, boy,

that is beautiful.

As you can see,

I'm taking

very good care

Of my spiritual child.

Lock and key.

Oh, i've got

the original.

It's not in a binder,

though--For the xeroxing.

Makes no nevermind.

Thank you.

I've got the first draft

here, too.

How many did you do?

Uh, just the one.

It's kind of a mess,

but i think you can decipher it.

There are some scenes

i've cut.

I had a feeling there was

a diane and carlo scene

I wasn't seeing

before the murder.

That's right!

See, i thought the act

might run too long.

Good instinct.

What have you got

in there?

Uh, let's see,

i've got the outline,

From which i've departed

considerably, though.

I made it the way

that you suggested,

Page per scene,

loose leaf.

Thank you.

And i've got some notes

that i've jotted down

But never got to use.

Everything was just

in one envelope,

So i just grabbed it.

It's a 2-Hour walk

to the train station,

So i had to leave

right after we talked.

To deathtrap.

Deathtrap.

Deathtrap!

And it'll be toasted with

more than ginger ale someday

If sidney's right about it,

and i'm sure that he is.

I'll be quiet.

Darling,

This is clifford's

first play,

And i am

its first reader.

I wonder if he wouldn't rather

this discussion was just...

Between us two hacks.

Of course.

This ok?

Don't be embarrassed

to say so, clifford.

No. No, i don't mind

mrs. Bruhl being here.

In fact, i like it.

Makes me feel

a little bit less

As though i've been summoned

to the principal's office.

Uh, you're welcome to read

the play, too, mrs. Bruhl,

If you'd like to.

I'd like to.

Thank you.

I wish you'd mentioned

on the phone

That you wanted myra

to read it.

I'd have asked you

to bring another carbon.

I don't have another one,

but she can read this one,

And we could pass the pages

back and forth.

I can move over here

next to you.

You don't have

another carbon?

No, i just have the one.

See, i thought i'd be

xeroxing the originals--

Wait a second.

I want to think.

Let me think

for a moment.

Mr. Anderson,

sidney is simply bursting

With creative ideas

about your play.

I've never seen him

so enthusiastic.

He gets so many plays

from aspiring playwrights,

Plays that are supposedly

ready for production,

And usually

he just laughs

And says the most

disparaging things.

I know he could improve

your play tremendously.

He could turn it

into a hit

That would run

for years and years

And make more

than enough money

For everyone concerned.

Is this what you meant

by "i'll be quiet"?

No, i won't be.

I will not be quiet.

I'm gonna say something

that's been on my mind

Ever since your

telephone conversation.

It is very wrong of you

to expect sidney

To give you the fruit of

his years of experience,

His hard-Earned knowledge,

without any quid pro quo,

As if that stupid seminar

were still in session.

But he offered--

It's wrong of you to have

made that offer, sidney!

I am the one

in this household

Whose feet

are on the ground,

Whose eyes

are on the checkbook.

I'm gonna make a suggestion

to you, sidney,

And it's gonna come

as a big shock to you,

And i want you to give it

your grave and your earnest

And your thoughtful

consideration.

Sidney, will you

do that for me?

Will you promise that you'll

do it for me, sidney?

[Exhales]

Put aside the play

you're working on.

Yes.

Yes,

Put aside the play

about helga ten dorp

And how she finds keys

Under clothes dryers

and murderers.

Just put it aside.

Put it aside

And work with mr. Anderson

on his play.

Collaborate with him.

That's the suggestion

i'm making, sidney.

That's what i think

is the fair,

The sensible,

the rational thing to do.

Deathtrap by clifford anderson

and sidney bruhl.

Put aside

the drowning wife?

I thought

it was "frowning."

Frowning? What sort of title

would that be?

The drowning wife.

No, sidney,

it will keep.

Sidney, people are

always interested

In psychics who can

point at someone

And say, "that man

murdered that man!"

[Breathing heavily]

Anyway, sidney, please,

put it aside.

Please, sidney.

Do for mr. Anderson

what...

What george s. Kaufman

did for you.

That was a very

persuasive speech,

And obviously

sincerely felt.

Although how it

must have sounded

To clifford--

Well, i sort of feel as though

i'm on the spot here.

Yes, you are, really.

Myra has put you there.

As a matter of fact,

she has put us both there.

I just thought i should

bring it up now.

Right now

before anything--

Um, may i just say,

Um, first of all,

i'm overwhelmed.

I mean, i'm really

honored and staggered

That sidney bruhl would

actually consider the--

You know, there i was,

i was 12 years old.

I was sitting in that

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