Ed Wood Page #19

BUNNY:

(very catty)

I can't imagine why. I wouldn't put

up with a boyfriend who sold me out

for three-hundred dollars...!

ON ED:

Ed stands with a circle of POTENTIAL BACKERS. He has an edge

of desperation we've never seen before.

ED:

...lemme tell you, you can't lose.

It's scary! And if you don't like

that, it's romantic! Bela Lugosi

portrays Dr. Vornoff, and lovely

ingenue Loretta King is reporter

Janet Lawton.

POTENTIAL BACKER

Hmm. Lugosi looks pretty old.

(he squints across the room)

Which role is Vampira playing?

ED:

Vampira...?

(bewildered)

Why do you ask??

POTENTIAL BACKER

Well I see her standing over there.

The guy points. Ed turns and looks and Vampira is standing

in the next room. She's at a different party.

ED:

Well... she's playing --

(beat)

Could you excuse me one moment??

Ed dashes from the room.

NEXT ROOM OVER:

Vampira is drinking with a bunch of artsy-fartsy types. She's

in street clothes, but clearly recognizable. Ed runs up.

ED:

Excuse me, Miss Vampira?

VAMPIRA:

Yes?

ED:

(sweaty)

You don't know me, but my name is Ed

Wood. I'm a film producer. I'm

currently in production on a

science-fiction piece, with Bela

Lugosi and Swedish wrestler Tor

Johnson. And I saw you here, and I

thought:
Kismet!

Vampira stares, totally uncomprehending.

VAMPIRA:

I don't understand. Do you want my

autograph?

ED:

No. I think my film is perfect for

you.

VAMPIRA:

You want me to show it on my TV

program? Well I got nothing to do

with that. You should call up the

station manager at Channel Seven --

ED:

(unyielding)

No! I don't want you to show the

movie, I want you to be in it! See,

maybe I should explain: We started

shooting, but then after three days

we got shut down. So we're having

a backers party, to raise some more

money. Perhaps you'd like to come

next door and meet some of the

backers...?

Vampire glances at her friends. They uncomfortably turn away.

VAMPIRA:

Uh, look, I'm with some friends, and

we're about to eat --

ED:

(begging)

Please! It'll only take a minute.

You can have some hors d'oeuvres, and

meet my backers! There's a really

nice dentist from Oxnard...

VAMPIRA:

(pissed off)

Look buddy, I'm a big star. I've got

real offers from real studios. I

don't need to blow some dentist for

a part. So forget it!

BACK AT THE PARTY

The backers glance into the next room. Ed is in front of

Vampira, begging on his hands and knees.

BACKER:

(to another backer)

I'm getting a bad feeling about this.

Let's get out of here.

The backers pick up their coats. Through the doorway, Ed sees

this. He jumps up and frantically runs back in.

ED:

Where are you guys going?! You can't

leave!

BACKER:

(running out)

Goodbye, Mr. Wood.

ED:

(insane)

You can't go! You haven't seen the

storyboards!

The backers run out of the room. They're gone.

Ed shouts after them.

ED:

Fine! SCREW YOU! If you don't have

the balls to roll the dice, then I

don't want your stinking money!!

No response.

ED:

Please, come back!

CUT TO:

EXT. ED AND DOLORES' HOUSE - DAY

Ed and Dolores are being evicted. Their belongings are

scattered in front. They bitterly carry furniture out of the

house. Ed stumbles and slurs his speech. He is drunk.

ED:

Goddamn landlord.

DOLORES:

I told you this was gonna happen.

ED:

Maybe if you'd come to the backers

party, I would've gotten the money.

DOLORES:

That's moronic. Why would a bit

player impress a backer?

ED:

(he starts yelling)

Look, how many times can I say I'm

sorry? I blew it! I thought she was

rich.

DOLORES:

That's a good reason to dump your

girlfriend.

ED:

I didn't dump you! Get it through

your skull -- I just recast the part!

Ed drops the furniture. He flops onto the sidewalk.

DOLORES:

You're a f***in' mess.

ED:

So WHAT?? Look, we gotta figure out

where we're gonna stay.

DOLORES:

I'm going to my mother's.

ED:

Does she have room for me?

Dolores shakes her head.

DOLORES:

I think you should stay with one of

your friends.

CUT TO:

EXT. TOWERING TEMPLE - NIGHT

Ed and Bela stroll through a parking lot. Ed is sobered up and

remorseful. Bela wears a beret and smokes a huge cigar.

ED:

Bela, I don't know what I'm doin'

anymore...

BELA:

Stop worrying. This is going to

raise your spirits.

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