His Girl Friday Page #44

Hildy takes the flask and takes a drink. There is a knock on

the door. Burns takes the flask from her, restores it to his

pocket and goes to the door.

BURNS:

Who is it?

LOUIE'S VOICE

It's me, Boss -- Louie.

BURNS:

(opening the door)

It's Louie!

Louie slips in and Burns relocks the door.

BURNS:

(seeing Louie's

disarray)

What's the matter?

Hildy crosses to Louie.

HILDY:

(frantically)

Where's Mrs. Baldwin?

BURNS:

What did you do with her?

HILDY:

(almost afraid to

speak)

What happened?

CLOSE SHOT - THE THREE

BURNS:

You been in a fight?

LOUIE:

(still out of breath)

Down Western Avenue. We were going

sixty-five miles an hour. You know

what I mean?

BURNS:

Take that mush out of your mouth!

HILDY:

Where's the old lady?

LOUIE:

I'm telling you!

CLOSEUP - LOUIE

as he gets breath and blurts:

LOUIE:

We run smack into a police patrol.

You know what I mean? We broke it in

half!

BACK TO GROUP:

HILDY:

(moaning)

Oh-h-h... was she hurt?

BURNS:

Where is she? Tell me!

HILDY:

Louie!

LOUIE:

I'm telling you. Can you imagine

bumping into a load of cops?! They

come rollin' out like oranges!

HILDY:

(seizing him)

What did you do with her?

LOUIE:

Search me! When I come to I was

running down Thirty-fifth Street.

HILDY:

-- You were with her. You were in

the cab, weren't you?

LOUIE:

(exposing his bruised

scalp)

Was I? The driver got knocked cold.

BURNS:

Butter-fingers! I give you an old

lady to take somewhere, and you hand

her over to the cops!

LOUIE:

What do you mean, I handed her? The

patrol wagon was on the wrong side

of the street.

BURNS:

Now everything's fine. She's probably

squawking her head off in some police

station.

CLOSEUP - LOUIE

LOUIE:

I don't think she's talking much...

You know what I mean?

He winks reassuringly.

BACK TO GROUP:

HILDY:

(paralyzed)

Don't tell me -- was she killed?

BURNS:

(hopefully)

Was she? Did you notice?

LOUIE:

Say, me with a gun on my hip and a

kidnapped old lady on my hands, I

should stick around asking questions

from a lot of cops! You know what I

mean?

Hildy sinks into a chair.

CLOSE SHOT HILDY IN THE CHAIR

HILDY:

Dead... dead! That's the end!

Burns comes into scene to her.

BURNS:

It's Fate, Hildy. What will be, will

be.

HILDY:

(wildly)

What am I going to say to Bruce?

What'll I tell him?

BURNS:

If he really loves you, you won't

have to tell him anything.

(whacking her on the

shoulder)

Snap out of it! Would you rather

have had the old dame dragging the

whole police force in here?

HILDY:

I killed her. I'm responsible. Oh-

h... what can I do now? How can I

ever face him? Oh, I hope he never

comes back!

She buries her face in her hands.

BURNS:

Look at me, Hildy --

HILDY:

(springing up)

I'm looking at you -- you murderer!

BURNS:

If it was my own mother, I'd carry

on! You know I would. For the paper!

HILDY:

(calling off to Louie)

Louie, where'd it happen? I'm going

out!

MED. SHOT GROUP

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