Marty Page #8

DR. KEEGAN

Hey!

The girl turns. Recognition floods her face.

GIRL:

Herbie! Wadda you doing here?!

DR. KEEGAN

I came up to dance, wadda you think?

You here with somebody?

GIRL:

I'm just here with another girl.

DR. KEEGAN

Where you going now?

GIRL:

I'm just gonna get my cigarettes. I

left them in my coat.

DR. KEEGAN

I'll see you around.

GIRL:

I'll see you.

She turns and continues on to the cloak room. Dr. Keegan

turns to Clara.

DR. KEEGAN

That's a girl used to know.

BALLROOM, LOUNGE.

A fairly long room, lined on one side by a bar and on the

other by cheap leatherette booths. It is brightly lit and

crowded. There is a constant movement in and out of the

lounge. At the far end of the lounge, there are two large

iron fire doors open to allow the heat to flow out. Dance

MUSIC from dance floor.

Clara, Dr. Keegan, Millie and Andy come into the lounge and

form a little group in the midst of moving PASSERSBY around

them. A kind of strange excitement has begun to enter Dr.

Keegan. He stands with the others, but his attention is

devoted to ogling the passing GIRLS, occasionally looking

back to the doors leading to the anteroom.

ANDY:

Boy, it's packed in here.

MILLIE:

(to Clara)

Some of these kids are awful young.

Aren't you afraid you'll bump into

one of your students?

CLARA:

(nervously looking at

Dr. Keegan)

I wouldn't think so. I teach out in

Brooklyn.

ANDY:

You been up here before, Clara?

CLARA:

Yeah, twice.

MILLIE:

Shall we try to get a table and get

something to drink or shall we just

go in and start dancing?

ANDY:

Hey, Herbie...

Dr. Keegan doesn't seem to hear.

ANDY:

(continues)

Hey, Herbie...

DR. KEEGAN

What?

ANDY:

You wanna have a drink before we

start dancing?

DR. KEEGAN

Listen. You people go grab a table.

I'll be back inna minute. I'll be

right back.

He turns and moves quickly through the crowded lounge, back

to the swinging doors leading into the anteroom. CAMERA STAYS

with Clara, Millie and Andy staring after him.

ANDY:

So what do you say, Clara? Wanna see

if we can get a table?

CLARA:

All right.

They turn and move toward the booths.

BALLROOM.

The dance floor is fairly dark. A romantic effect is achieved

by papier-mâché over the chandeliers. Around the walls are

the stag lines -- the MEN and waiting GIRLS. They stand singly

or in small uneasy groups. There is constant flux and

movement.

CAMERA DOLLIES slowly past the stag line, moving past faces,

short, fat, tall, thin stags. Some pretend indifference.

Some exhibit patent hunger.

CAMERA HOLDS ANGLING to include Marty, Angie near the end of

the stag line. They are freshly shaved and groomed.

MARTY AND ANGIE.

They are leaning against the wall smoking, watching their

more fortunate brethren on the floor in the background.

ANGIE:

Not a bad crowd tonight, you know?

MARTY:

There was one nice-looking one there

inna black dress and beads, but she's

dancing now.

ANGIE:

(looking off-screen)

There's a nice-looking little short

one for you right now.

MARTY:

(following his gaze)

Where?

ANGIE:

Down there. That little one there.

REVERSE ANGLE PAST Marty and Angie across the dance floor

toward the wall opposite, where three GIRLS are standing.

Two are leaning against the wall. The third is facing them

with her back to the dance floor. This last girl is the one

Angie has in mind. She is a cute little kid about twenty and

wears a bright smile.

MARTY AND ANGIE.

They stare off toward the three girls across the room.

MARTY:

Yeah, she looks all right from here.

ANGIE:

Well, waddaya say, you wanna ask

them? I'll take the one inna green

dress.

MARTY:

I think this number is a little fast.

Wait a minute.

He tries a few tentative steps, testing for tempo.

MARTY:

It's all right, I think. They still

there?

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