Klute Page #9

Then he slowly raises up, shuddering, looking down

at her. He knows what she's done to him, is

helpless to do anything back. He rolls slowly out

of the embrace of her legs and lies silently --

looking upward, very much as we saw him at start of

scene.

FAVORIVG BREE:

She waits, still smiling, for a while. But she's

not done with him yet. She rolls to lie with her

upper body on his, trailing her fingers across his

face. Affectionately, as a good whore --

BREE (CONT'D)

What's the matter hon? You were

great. Terrific. A tiger.

KLUTE:

Thanks.

BREE:

Well what're you down about? You

mean because you didn't get me

there?

(pause, comfortingly)

You can't expect that. I mean

Frank, yes, he'd get me there all

the time -- but never with a John.

She sits up, gropes her pajamas from the floor,

puts them on. In the same fond tone --

BREE (CONT'D)

And I'm sorry I can't stay and

learn your special little games.

And I certainly don't want you to

feel bad about this -- losing your

virtue all of a sudden -- because I

sort of knew you would. As I said,

like everyone, right?

She has the pajamas and robe on, pauses near the

door --

BREE (CONT'D)

Besides - you can always tell

yourself you made me come

downstairs. Ta, luv.

INT. THEATRE:
READING SCENE - DAY

A WIDE SHOT. An open casting call in an Off

Broadway Theatre. Darkness, except for the work

light onstage. A small GROUP there -- onstage --

including the figure of BREE. Just offstage, the

figures of DIRECTOR (JANG) and a PRODUCER. And the

rest of the theatre, the audience section, dotted

with the heads of ACTORS, ACTRESSES waiting for

their turns. Bree's voice rings out across the

gloom.

BREE:

-- Why?

CLOSER, ONSTAGE

The others stand rigid as statues, facing dead

front -- an experimental drama, clearly -- all

holding scripts, as Bree hastens from one to

another, fiercely, imploringly --

BREE (CONT'D)

Why -- please, why? -- Why lose,

why look? Why hate and give and

want and love? Why get, grieve, g --

JANG:

(loudly, cheerfully)

Thank you very much.

All break posture, start offstage, while Bree,

caught in mid-stride, clowns it a little.

BREE:

-- gug -- gug --

-- then toward Jang, a bit succinctly, indicating

script --

BREE (CONT'D)

Why? -- I want to know what.

JANG:

(laughs tolerantly)

No, that was very good everybody.

Do we have all your resumes?

PRODUCER:

(from list)

Booth -- Osman -- Zuff -- Anjeris

Chaka.

WIDER, near stage front.

Bree shrugs, steps down off stage with the others.

Bree finds Jang's hand out for her script, smiles

wanly, turns it over, continues on out of scene.

She finds something - someone -- impeding her way.

Looks up.

PAST BREE TO KLUTE

Klute has edged out into the aisle to intercept

her.

EXT. THEATRE ENTRANCE: GREENWICH VILLAGE - DAY

Bree comes out, turns.

KLUTE:

You asked if there was anything

more you could help me with.

BREE:

When?

Pause. Impasse.

KLUTE:

I've checked the records of Jane

McKenna's death -- I can't get

anything special. But Frank

Ligourin had another girl you said,

besides McKenna and you.

BREE:

Arlyn Page.

KLUTE:

Did she and Jane McKenna know each

other?

BREE:

Frankie kept them in the same

apartment:
it cut his travel-time.

KLUTE:

Then maybe Arlyn Page knew the

Dumper too.

BREE:

Arlyn had a very big habit - heroin

- she's the one who started Frank.

She's strung out now; you won't

find her.

KLUTE:

You could help me find her. You

know the people.

(as she turns away)

I'll pay you a hundred dollars.

BREE:

I can make that in a lunch break!

(then)

Look, Hiram, you're sure it isn't

just me? -- you decided you liked

it, after all, the other night;

you'll hang around for seconds?

KLUTE:

Don't worry.

She examines him -- shrugs -- turns, proceeds along

the sidewalk, Klute accompanying --

EXT. DISCOTHEQUE - NIGHT

In the small hours. The same place seen previously,

the gathering place. KLUTE, BREE arriving and

entering.

INT. DISCOTHEQUE - NIGHT

Klute and Bree head toward the rear. Her arrival

causes a little stir. She exchanges greetings with

one or two, is watched by others.

BREE:

Joanie -- Mike, hi --

(to another, a Negro girl)

Hi Pat.

PAT:

(giggles)

Hey Bree honey, who you got?

BREE:

A new daddy. I'n he cute?

Bree leads on to where --

PAST KLUTE, BREE TO TRINA

TRINA sits alone at a rear table -- anything but a

whore in appearance -- a quietly beautiful,

immaculately dressed woman of about thirty.

BREE (CONT'D)

Trina this is Klute. I told you

about him.

TRINA:

Oh yes Mr. Klute -- won't you both

join me?

(as they sit)

And how do you like our fair city?

There's so much here don't you

think? The museums and the books

and the foreign films -- Bree, have

you seen the Godard film?

BREE:

Uh uh.

TRINA:

Oh you've got to. He does such fun

things with imagery. And I've been

reading The Fall --

(to Klute, enunciating

carefully)

-- The Fall by Ahlbair Camoo --

it's the same thing, you know the

imagery --

BREE:

(patiently)

Trina honey, he just wants to find

Arlyn Page.

Trina undergoes a change of demeanor. Flatly --

TRINA:

Why? She's a junkie.

BREE:

(prods gently)

She was with you after she left

Frank.

TRINA:

Well she's not now.

(then quavering --)

I did everything for Arlyn. I loved

Arlyn I took her right into my

apartment, my own sweet apartment

on First. But she wouldn't stay off

it -- the junk -- and I wept and I

pleaded and I held her in my arms -

and she started taking things, my

things, and selling them for horse.

My clothes.

We could've had everything

together, everything -- and then

the b*tch sold

my mink!

INT. ANOTHER LATE NIGHT SPOT - NIGHT

We dolly with KLUTE & BREE as they walk in front of

a row of tables. This night spot is totally black

except for a series of huge slide projections on

the wall in back of the tables. The slides, which

change every few seconds are elegant

representations of the beautiful people living the

good life as seen in such magazines as VOGUE, TOWN

& COUNTRY & HARPERS BAZAAR. The customers sitting

in the darkness below provide a direct contrast to

the pictures in back. The silhouette figures of

BREE & KLUTE stop at a table seating three people,

two call girls and a pimp. CAMERA moves in.

FIRST GIRL:

Arlyn Page?

SECOND GIRL:

You'll never catch up; she's

grooved out.

BREE:

Gil?

The pimp looks distrustfully at Klute who reassures

--

KLUTE:

I'm not looking for her personally

- someone she might know about.

PIMP:

(shrugs; to Bree)

Try Janie Dale.

INT. JANIE DALE'S PENTHOUSE

It is a very small penthouse. KLUTE & BREE stand in

the small living room waiting for JANIE DALE. There

are two very casually dressed prostitutes sitting

around the living room. One sits at an upright

piano playing of all things STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT.

Another one sits on a couch talking to a Wall

Street Broker who is spending his lunch hour. KLUTE

finds himself staring down into a pile of

pornography magazines on the coffee table. BREE is

amused at his discomfort.

JANIE DALE, the madame, who has been on the phone

in the back, puts the receiver down and crosses to

the girl on the couch. JANIE looks and talks a bit

like Lauren Bacall.

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