Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Page #23

MRS. SEMPLE

We've been trying to—

138. MED. CLOSE SHOT - CEDAR AND THE SEMPLES

CEDAR:

(smoothly cutting

her off)

I'm so sorry to have kept you

waiting. How are you, sir? I don't

know what my secretary could

Have been thinking to keep you

waiting this long.

(to one of his

brothers)

Will you bring the chairs? Quickly.

Will you have a cigar, Mr. Semple?

MR. SEMPLE

Thanks.

Semple takes the cigar - rather flabbergasted at all the

sudden attention showered upon him.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. ROOF OF TALL BUILDING - NIGHT

139. MED. SHOT - LONGFELLOW AND BABE

From over their shoulders, looking down on the lights and

teeming activity of Times Square.

BABE:

There's Times Square.

LONGFELLOW:

You can almost spit on it, can't

you?

BABE:

Why don't you try?

He does try. The wind blows it back on him. She laughs,

takes out a handkerchief and wipes it off his coat.

BABE:

(as she wipes)

Oh! It's breezy up here.

He doesn't say anything right away.

BABE:

You're worried about those articles

they're writing about you, aren't

you?

LONGFELLOW:

I'm not worrying any more. I suppose

they'll go on writing them till

they get tired. You don't believe

all that stuff, do you?

A guilty look spreads over Babe's face.

BABE:

Oh, they just do it to sell the

newspapers, you know.

LONGFELLOW:

Yeah, I guess so. What puzzles me

is why people seem to get so much

pleasure out of hurting each other.

Why don't they try liking each

other once in a while?

An awkward pause.

BABE:

Shall we go?

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - NIGHT

MED. TRUCKING SHOT

As Babe and Longfellow walk.

BABE:

(spotting a park

bench)

Here's a nice place.

LONGFELLOW:

Yeah. Anyway, there aren't any

photographers around.

EXT. PARK - BEHIND SOME BUSHES

141. MEDIUM SHOT

Bob and Frank, sneaking around in the bushes.

142. CLOSE SHOT - LONGFELLOW AND BABE

BABE:

You know, you said something to me

when you first met me that I've

thought about a great deal.

LONGFELLOW:

What's that?

BABE:

You said I was a lady in distress.

LONGFELLOW:

Oh, that—

BABE:

What did you mean by that?

LONGFELLOW:

Nothing—

There is a pause.

LONGFELLOW:

Have you got a - are you - uh -

engaged or anything?

CLOSEUP - BABE

The corners of her mouth go up in sympathetic amusement.

BABE:

No. Are you?

LONGFELLOW'S VOICE

No.

BABE:

You don't go out with girls very

much, do you?

LONGFELLOW'S VOICE

I haven't.

BABE:

Why not?

CLOSE SHOT - THE TWO

Favoring Longfellow.

LONGFELLOW:

Oh, I don't know.

BABE:

You must have met a lot of swell

society girls since you've been

here. Don't you like them?

LONGFELLOW:

I haven't met anybody here that I

like, particularly. They all seem

to have the St. Vitus Dance.[12]

(awkwardly)

Except you, of course.

(a pause)

People here are funny. They work

so hard at living - they forget

how to live

(thoughtfully; leans

back)

Last night, after I left you, I

was walking along and looking at

the tall buildings and I got to

thinking about what Thoreau said.

They created a lot of grand palaces

here - but they forgot to create

the noblemen to put in them.

145. REVERSE ANGLE

Favoring Babe. She stares at him curiously.

LONGFELLOW:

I'd rather have Mandrake Falls.

BABE:

I'm from a small town too, you

know.

LONGFELLOW:

(interested)

Really?

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