Double Indemnity Page #5

KEYES:

What kind of an outfit is this anyway?

Are we an insurance company, or a

bunch of dimwitted amateurs, writing

a policy on a mugg like that?

NEFF:

Wait a minute, Keyes. I don't rate

this beef. I clipped a note to that

Gorlopis application to have him

thoroughly investigated before we

accepted the risk.

KEYES:

I know you did, Walter. I'm not

beefing at you. It's the company.

The way they do things. The way they

don't do things. The way they'll

write anything just to get it down

on the sales sheet. And I'm the guy

that has to sit here up to my neck

in phony claims so they won't throw

more money out of the window than

they take in at the door.

NEFF:

(Grinning)

Okay, turn the record over and let's

hear the other side.

KEYES:

I get darn sick of picking up after

a gang of fast-talking salesmen dumb

enough to sell life insurance to a

guy that sleeps in the same bed with

four rattlesnakes. I've had twenty-

six years of that, Walter, and I --

NEFF:

And you loved every minute of it,

Keyes. You love it, only you worry

about it too much, you and your little

man. You're so darn conscientious

you're driving yourself crazy. You

wouldn't even say today is Tuesday

without you looked at the calendar,

and then you would check if it was

this year's or last year's calendar,

and then you would find out what

company printed the calendar, then

find out if their calendar checks

with the World Almanac's calendar.

KEYES:

That's enough from you, Walter. Get

out of here before I throw my desk

at you.

NEFF:

I love you, too.

He walks out, still grinning.

A-35 EXT. OFFICES - TWELFTH FLOOR

Neff comes out of Keys' office and walks back along the

balcony. Activity of secretaries going in and out of doors,

etc. Neff enters his own office.

NEFF'S VOICE

(Over scene)

I really did, too, you old crab,

always yelling your fat head off,

always sore at everyone. But behind

the cigar ashes on your vest I kind

of knew you had a heart as big as a

house... Back in my office there was

a phone message from Mrs. Dietrichson

about the renewals. She didn't want

me to come tomorrow evening. She

wanted me to come Thursday afternoon

at three-thirty instead. I had a lot

of stuff lined up for that Thursday

afternoon, including a trip down to

Santa Monica to see a couple of live

prospects about some group insurance.

But I kept thinking about Phyllis

Dietrichson and the way that anklet

of hers cut into her leg.

A-36 INT. NEFF'S OFFICE

Anderson, a salesman, sits at one of the desks, filling out

a report. Neff enters, goes to his own desk. He looks down

at some mail. On top there is a typewritten note. He reads

it, sits down and leafs through his desk calendar.

A-37 INSERT - CLOSEUP - CALENDAR PAGE

Showing date:
THURSDAY 23 May and five or six appointments

penciled in tightly on the page.

DISSOLVE TO:

A-38 DIETRICHSON HOME - ENTRANCE HALL - (DAY)

THE CAMERA PANS with Phyllis Dietrichson's feet and ankles

as she comes down the stairs, her high heels clicking on the

tiles. The anklet glistens on her leg as she moves. THE CAMERA

PANS ON. Phyllis has reached the entrance hall, and as she

walks toward the front door her whole body becomes visible.

She wears a gay print dress with a wide sash over her hips.

She opens the door. Outside is Neff, wearing a sport coat,

flannel slacks. He takes his hat off.

PHYLLIS:

Hello, Mr. Neff.

He stands there with a little smile.

PHYLLIS:

Aren't you coming in?

NEFF:

I'm considering it.

He comes in.

PHYLLIS:

I hope you didn't mind my changing

the appointment. Last night wasn't

so convenient.

NEFF:

That's okay. I was working on my

stamp collection.

She leads him toward living room.

A-39 DIETRICHSON LIVING ROOM

Phyllis and Neff come through archway. She heads toward a

low tea table which stands in front of the davenport, with

tall glasses, ice cubes, lemon, a pot of tea, etc.

PHYLLIS:

I was just fixing some iced tea.

Would you like a glass?

NEFF:

Unless you have a bottle of beer

that's not working.

PHYLLIS:

There might be some. I never know

what's in the ice box.

(Calls)

Nettie!...

She pours herself a glass of tea.

PHYLLIS:

About those renewals, Mr. Neff. I

talked to my husband about it.

NEFF:

You did?

PHYLLIS:

Yes. He'll renew with you he told

me. In fact, I thought he'd be here

this afternoon.

NEFF:

But he's not?

PHYLLIS:

No.

NEFF:

That's terrible.

PHYLLIS:

(Calls again,

impatiently)

Nettie!... Nettie!... Oh, I forgot,

it's the maid's day off.

NEFF:

Don't bother, Mrs. Dietrichson. I'd

like some iced tea very much.

PHYLLIS:

Lemon? Sugar?

NEFF:

Fix it your way.

She fixes him a glass of tea while he is looking around. He

slowly sits down.

NEFF:

Seeing it's the maid's day off maybe

there's something I can do for you.

She hands him the tea.

NEFF:

Like running the vacuum cleaner.

PHYLLIS:

Fresh.

NEFF:

I used to peddle vacuum cleaners.

Not much money but you learn a lot

about life.

PHYLLIS:

I didn't think you'd learned it from

a correspondence course.

NEFF:

Where did you pick up this tea

drinking? You're not English, are

you?

PHYLLIS:

No. Californian. Born right here in

Los Angeles.

NEFF:

They say native Californians all

come from Iowa.

PHYLLIS:

I wanted to ask you something, Mr.

Neff.

NEFF:

Make it Walter.

PHYLLIS:

Walter.

NEFF:

Right.

PHYLLIS:

Tell me, Walter, on this insurance --

how much commission do you make?

NEFF:

Twenty percent. Why?

PHYLLIS:

I thought maybe I could throw a little

more business your way.

NEFF:

I can always use it.

PHYLLIS:

I was thinking about my husband. I

worry a lot about him, down in those

oil fields. It's very dangerous.

NEFF:

Not for an executive, is it?

PHYLLIS:

He doesn't just sit behind a desk.

He's right down there with the

drilling crews. It's got me worried

sick.

NEFF:

You mean a crown block might fall on

him some rainy night?

PHYLLIS:

Please don't talk like that.

NEFF:

But that's the idea.

PHYLLIS:

The other day a casing line snapped

and caught the foreman. He's in the

hospital with a broken back.

NEFF:

Bad.

PHYLLIS:

It's got me jittery just thinking

about it. Suppose something like

that happened to my husband?

NEFF:

It could.

PHYLLIS:

Don't you think he ought to have

accident insurance?

NEFF:

Uh huh.

Rate this script:3.5 / 8 votes