Grand Hotel Page #11

DOCTOR:

(with a deprecating

gesture)

The Grand Hotel.

KRINGELEIN:

Oh, but Doctor. The music -- the

champagne -- girls when they dance --

all the shining ice in those big

silver things -- That's life --

DOCTOR:

Life! -- Mr. Kringelein, you are

drunk -- good night.

(he leaves)

KRINGELEIN:

(to doctor)

But Doctor --

But the Doctor has gone.

Kringelein re-enters his beautiful room. He crosses to the

mirror, regards himself. Business ad lib.

He looks at himself in the mirror and raises his hat.

Imitating the doctor, he repeats:

KRINGELEIN:

Mr. Kringelein -- you are drunk --

good night.

He puts his hat on the knob of the bed.

He takes off his coat, holds it up and carefully takes the

carnation out of his buttonhole. With the coat over his arm

and the carnation in his hand he looks around for a glass

and some water which he sees standing on the night table by

his bed.

He puts the carnation in the glass, having filled it with

water and then his eyes fall upon his small group of medicine

bottles.

His demeanor changes. He immediately becomes a thing of pain.

He glances at his watch -- it is long past his medicine time --

his spirit droops -- he might almost be in pain.

He picks up a small bottle and carefully counts eight drops

into the glass. He is about to take it, he smells it, a sudden

impulse of well-being surges over him. He flings the medicine

away.

With a great wave of optimism he commences to sing the song

that we have heard during the evening -- the chambermaid

song - the Preysing radio song -- the love song. He saunters

around the room, undressing.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO PASSAGE

His voice is still heard in the passage.

Rows of shoes outside the doors. The dozing night clerk hears

the voice and looks up, startled.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO A WATCHMAN

with his clock, hears the voice.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO A CORNER OF DOCTOR'S ROOM

He is dozing in a chair with his clothes on. He looks up

suddenly, hearing the voice.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO PREYSING'S ROOM

He is snoring. The distant voice disturbs him. He turns in

his sleep.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO GRUSINSKAYA'S ROOM

A beautiful picture -- the distant voices -- shadows.

BARON'S VOICE

I've never been as happy.

GRU'S VOICE

What did you say?

BARON'S VOICE

I've never been as happy!

GRUSINSKAYA'S VOICE

Say it again -- say it!

BARON'S VOICE

I have never been so happy!

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE INTO KRINGELEIN'S ROOM

He is now dressed in an absurd night dress. He crosses to

the bed, still singing, climbs into the huge bed -- the great

pillows. His hand goes out -- he pulls out the light. He

might be an Emperor as he turns with a happy, tired sigh.

DISTANT CLOCK CHIMES.

FADE OUT:

END OF SEQUENCE "#2"

SEQUENCE "#3"

FADE IN:

TELEPHONE ROOM:

It is the first time we have seen it. There are about eight

girls very busy. Morning confusion. (parts to be written)

We pick up essential lines as we PAN DOWN SHOOTING AT THE

GIRL'S FACES, assuming the CAMERA to be the board.

GIRL ONE:

Grand Hotel -- good morning -- no,

Baron von Gaigern's room does not

answer... Yes,... all right... Baron

von Gaigern's chauffeur calling.

CAMERA PANS TO:

GIRL THREE:

Good morning, nine-thirty Doctor

Otternschlag... No, Doctor, no

messages... No, Doctor.

CAMERA PANS TO:

GIRL FIVE:

Grand Hotel -- good morning... who

is calling Madam Grusinskaya?... Oh,

Mr. Pimenov. Madam Grusinskaya is

not to be disturbed, sir... no, sir...

yes, sir --

The word passes down repeated.

VOICE:

Mr. Preysing's calls to one sixty

two for today.

CAMERA PANS TO:

GIRL EIGHT:

-- good morning... Mr. Preysing --

(she plugs through)

CUT TO:

CONFERENCE ROOM:

Telephone bell ringing.

General shot.

Gerstenkorn, an old business man and Doctor Waitz, counsel

for the Saxonia organization are sitting at a gree table,

smoking and waiting.

GERSTENKORN:

(glances at watch)

Nine-thirty, Mr. Preysing keeps us

waiting.

SCHWEIMANN:

(who has returned)

He likes to play the great man.

WAITZ:

(glancing at market

report from table)

The Preysing stock is holding its

own today on the market.

SCHWEIMANN:

Ask Preysing what it's costing him

to keep it up.

GERSTENKORN:

And ask me what it's costing us to

hammer it down.

WAITZ:

Exactly.

GERSTENKORN:

If the Preysing people get the

Manchester contract, we shall

certainly merge with the Preysing

company -- but if they haven't they're

ruined -- Preysing will have to

declare himself.

WAITZ:

Shhh -- here he is now.

The door opens and Flaemmchen enters. She is agreeably

surprised to see the room full of men. She likes men.

FLAEMMCHEN:

(beams)

Good morning, gentlemen -- Mr.

Preysing will be here in a minute.

Business of Schweimann and Flaemmchen.

Gerstenkorn, making notes, glances at his watch again.

Door opens suddenly.

PREYSING:

(enters)

Good morning, gentlemen.

MEN:

Good morning.

PREYSING:

Sorry I'm late, I've been waiting

for Justice Zinnowitz, my legal

advisor.

WAITZ:

Oh -- ho -- you want legal aid against

us? -- The whole thing seems to me

to be very simple.

GERSTENKORN:

Very simple -- I've always liked the

way you dressed, Preysing -- English,

isn't it?

PREYSING:

(disturbed)

What?

GERSTENKORN:

(quickly)

They turn out marvelous material in

Manchester.

PREYSING:

Manchester -- yes. Yes, yes, they

do. Yes -- Now gentlemen shall we

begin at the beginning? -- Have we

cigars -- water and everything?

Flaemmchen, who has been busy preparing her little table for

work is seen in several CLOSEUPS:

SCHWEIMANN:

(with a wink to

Gerstenkorn)

Manchester is a very interesting

city, don't you think so, Preysing?

PREYSING:

(stalling)

Manchester -- yes -- yes. A man in

the textile industry naturally has

to know Manchester.

GERSTENKORN:

There's a lot of business to be done

with the Manchester Cotton Company.

They've the whole English market

right in their hands. Have you any

connections with -- Manchester?

PREYSING:

(quickly)

We have a good many connections in

England, naturally.

GERSTENKORN:

I mean with the Manchester people?

PREYSING:

(looking at Gerstenkorn

impudently)

We are here to discuss our merger.

Naturally I can make no statement at

this time. We must begin at the

beginning.

GERSTENKORN:

(winking at Schweimann)

All right.

PREYSING:

(far-away commencing

to read his report)

Since, on the eleventh of June, this

year -- when the first negotiations

for a merger between our respective

firms was entered into -- both parties

have fully agreed that this merger

can result only in mutual advantages.

INTERCUT this speech, which if played by Beery will be

interesting, with signals, winks and signs between the other

three men.

GERSTENKORN:

Oh -- yes -- I beg your pardon!

PREYSING:

I'm laying before you the last general

statement of our concern. Active

capital, plant and machinery, raw

material and finished product -- for

instance -- mop rags --

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