Grand Hotel Page #20

PREYSING:

Aha! -- The Baron. What do you want

here?

BARON:

I must have made a mistake.

PREYSING:

Made a mistake -- remarkable. We

shall soon see if you made a mistake.

(the Baron starts to

leave.)

(bellowing)

Stay here... Give me that money.

The Baron hands him the pocketbook without a word.

PREYSING:

So that's how we stand, Baron.

BARON:

Look here, sir -- I'm completely at

your mercy -- I'm desperate -- it's

a matter of life or death -- I had

to get some money -- tonight.

PREYSING:

Indeed you must, Baron -- you must.

Humm -- humm, but you must go to

jail, Baron, you're a thief.

BARON:

Be quiet.

PREYSING:

I'm going to call the police. I'm

going to watch you play the great

Baron with the police. Aristocrat!

Aristocrat!

(he picks up the

telephone)

The Baron makes for the door on the other side of the room,

pulls at the knob.

PREYSING:

The door is locked, Baron.

The Baron makes one dive across the room. Preysing grasps at

his coat and tears it. With one hand holding the telephone,

(the receiver dropping on its cord towards the ground) and

one hand holding the Baron.

PREYSING:

(into telephone)

Hello! Hello! --

BARON:

Don't do that.

(he tries to snatch

the telephone from

Preysing.)

Preysing wrenches the telephone suddenly away from the Baron.

The action excites him.

PREYSING:

Strike me, would you? Attack me would

you? Attack me --

With a terrific lunge, Preysing brings the telephone down

upon the Baron's head. The Baron sways, stunned. (as in book).

In his mad rage, Preysing, hits again with the telephone.

PREYSING:

I'll strike you -- I'll strike you --

I'll strike you -- Strike me!

By this time the Baron is a heap on the floor. We see Preysing

come out of his blind trance. He even repeats again.

PREYSING:

I strike you --

(with telephone

foolishly in his

hand, he looks down

at what he has done.)

CUT TO:

DOWNSTAIRS TELEPHONE ROOM

Sharp sound of buzzing.

Dozing night girl plugs in, lazily.

NIGHT GIRL:

Yes -- yes -- Operator -- Operator --

(she listens -- says

to herself)

They are having a nice little game

up there with the telephone.

With nonchalance she flicks plug out again, as she does so:

CUT TO:

PREYSING'S ROOM

New angle. Preysing is on his feet. He has replaced the

receiver on the telephone, he is putting it back slowly. He

is terrified.

Door opens behind him.

Flaemmchen, with a dressing gown on, light, filmy thing,

crosses and looks down at the Baron, without a word. Preysing

seizes her.

Her hand goes to her head, her eyes roll; for a moment we

think she is going to faint right on top of the Baron. She

is trying to collect her senses, it cannot be true. We can

hear nothing but the heavy breathing of Preysing and the

traffic below.

Suddenly a motor horn in the street below sounds strident,

it is the first time we have been conscious of it.

With a swift movement, Flaemmchen dashes towards the door.

It is locked. She rushes back as if to cut through her own

room. He reaches for her and rips her dressing gown from

her, leaving her almost naked. He lunges after her. She tears

through her own room.

CUT TO:

CORRIDOR:

Flaemmchen enters from her room. She looks this way and that.

After all, it is Flaemmchen and not Lillian Gish, running

across the ice in "Way Down East," -- it is Flaemmchen, a

Berlin girl. She pauses to try and clear her brain. "What

the hell is this -- what is it." The impulse naturally is to

scream in alarm. She doesn't -- Flaemmchen's don't. She looks

around. At the end of the passage is Kringelein's room. She

will go there. We watch her run down the passage uncertainly.

Without knocking she pushes open Kringelein's door.

CUT TO:

KRINGELEIN'S ROOM

It is in darkness. The only light comes through the windows.

The form of Kringelein lies prone upon the bed, the Doctor

had just thrown a coat over him. He is still in his trousers

and shirt.

Like a ghost, Flaemmchen, the shreds of her filmy clothes

hanging to her, crosses.

FLAEMMCHEN:

(hoarse whisper)

Mr. Kringelein -- Mr. Kringelein --

where are you?

She sweeps to bed. She shakes him. Kringelein starts up.

FLAEMMCHEN:

Quick -- Mr. Kringelein.

KRINGELEIN:

Oh -- what -- what --

(he is looking up at

what seems to be a

ghost.)

She pulls on the light by the bed, it flames up on their

faces.

KRINGELEIN:

Oh -- oh, Miss Flaemmchen. It's you --

FLAEMMCHEN:

Quick -- something awful -- awful

has happened. Go -- go at once, --

Mr. Preysing --

KRINGELEIN:

Preysing?

It occurs to him that this girl with her torn clothes must

have been roughly treated by Preysing. He suddenly assumes a

strength.

FLAEMMCHEN:

Oh, don't wait -- go -- it's awful --

it's awful.

She slides down to the floor, by the side of the bed.

Kringelein climbs out of bed, tries to help her up.

KRINGELEIN:

Stay here.

She waves him away.

FLAEMMCHEN:

Don't wait now -- go -- Preysing.

Kringelein assumes suddenly a strength. He is a man for a

crisis -- he forgets that he was ever ill -- he leaves.

WE GO WITH HIM. CUT HIM DOWN CORRIDOR QUICKLY. He pauses

outside Preysing's door, uncertain of the rooms, then he

knocks.

KRINGELEIN:

(calling)

Mr. Preysing -- Oh, Mr. Preysing --

He feels there must be a mistake -- he steps back, sees

Flaemmchen's door open next to it. He enters.

CUT HIM THROUGH:

FLAEMMCHEN'S ROOM

He enters. Looks around. Looks through bathroom. Goes quickly

forward.

CUT INTO REVERSE:

PREYSING'S ROOM

Preysing is still leaning against the table, his mouth is

open, he is gaping -- stunned. The two hundred and four pounds

has collapsed and sagged. He is staring, his victim lying --

a heap upon the floor, very still and quiet. His eyes come

around as Kringelein enters.

Kringelein crosses, looks down. Touches the Baron's hand.

KRINGELEIN:

Oh -- the Baron -- the Baron.

PREYSING:

He tried to rob me -- he is dead --

KRINGELEIN:

My best friend -- poor, Baron --

dead -- just like that.

PREYSING:

-- We must do something...

KRINGELEIN:

(quickly)

Yes, the police must be called.

PREYSING:

No -- no -- wait -- the man was a

burglar -- he was going to steal my

money.

KRINGELEIN:

Oh, no -- no -- not the Baron.

PREYSING:

(suddenly)

Where is that girl -- she was working

with him -- she enticed me into her

room.

KRINGELEIN:

Her room -- oh -- I see, Mr. Preysing --

I understand, Mr. General Director

Preysing.

PREYSING:

(frantically)

I can answer for this, it was self-

defense -- I can answer for this --

but that girl -- the scandal -- my

wife -- my daughters, you know them?

KRINGELEIN:

Yes, I know them --

PREYSING:

The scandal -- we are men -- you --

you could take that affair of the

young lady upon yourself -- take her

and hold your tongue. Then you can

travel -- I'll give you anything --

anything -- she was with you.

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