Peeping Tom Page #11

CLOSE SHOT of Mrs. Stephens, a large glass of whisky - and

the bottle - beside her. It is night.

MRS. STEPHENS

No thank you.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen. 'She's Got the Key of the Door' is

overlaid.

HELEN:

What else can I read you?

MRS. STEPHENS

The label on this whisky bottle!

Are you sure it says seventy per

cent proof?

HELEN:

Certain.

MRS. STEPHENS

They're bigger liars than the press!

From Helen's POV WE SEE her reach for her glass with a

steady hand.

HELEN:

Is that your last tonight?

MRS. STEPHENS

I doubt it.

HELEN:

Your last but one?

MRS. STEPHENS

Don't haggle.

HELEN:

(producing a coin)

Toss me double or nothing?

MRS. STEPHENS

Done!

Helen spins the coin on the table Mrs. Stephens listens

intently... the coin stops spinning.

MRS. STEPHENS

Heads.

Her fingers shoot out and feel the surface of the coin.

HELEN:

Bad luck, darling.

MRS. STEPHENS

Huh.

She turns the coin over and carefully feels the other side.

Helen watches her with a smile - then looks thoughtfully

at the ceiling.

MRS. STEPHENS

What are you looking at?

HELEN:

The ceiling!

MRS. STEPHENS

Wondering if that young man is

home?

HELEN:

Yes.

MRS. STEPHENS

Well he is... I heard him come

in... four paragraphs ago.

From Helen's POV WE SEE the sightless eyes staring at her.

MRS. STEPHENS

Do you like him?

CLOSE SHOT of Helen.

HELEN:

Yes, darling.

MRS. STEPHENS

Why?

HELEN:

He has a quality...

MRS. STEPHENS

(sipping her glass)

Wish this had.

HELEN:

... and I think he could help me.

MRS. STEPHENS

With your photographs?

HELEN:

Yes...

CLOSE SHOT of Mrs. Stephens.

MRS. STEPHENS

Helen...

HELEN:

Yes?

Mrs. Stephens hesitates - which is rare.

MRS. STEPHENS

(abruptly)

It doesn't matter.

HELEN:

(quickly)

Mummy, what's worrying you?

MRS. STEPHENS

The price of whisky.

HELEN:

What else?

MRS. STEPHENS

What else matters?

HELEN:

Don't you like Mark?

MRS. STEPHENS

Haven't met him.

HELEN:

You don't like him! Now why not?

CLOSE SHOT of Mrs. Stephens. Again she hesitates.

MRS. STEPHENS

I distrust a man who walks quietly.

HELEN:

He's shy!

MRS. STEPHENS

His footsteps aren't! They're

stealthy...

HELEN:

Now darling.

MRS. STEPHENS

Are you going up to him?

HELEN:

May I?

MRS. STEPHENS

We both have the key of the door...

Mine needs oiling - and yours needs

exercise... Off you go.

HELEN:

Thank you.

She kisses her - and glances at the whisky glass.

HELEN:

remember that you lost the toss.

She walks to the door.

MRS. STEPHENS

Helen...

HELEN:

Yes, darling?

MRS. STEPHENS

If you're back in five minutes...

I won't even finish this.

HELEN:

Done!

She hurries out. Mrs. Stephens instantly refills her glass.

CLOSE SHOT of her hand. It has begun to tremble.

MARK'S DARK-ROOM

CLOSE SHOT of Mark's hands, in the green light of the dark-

room. He is busy unloading and winding film onto a

developing rack.

He puts the rack of exposed film into the tank and starts

the time clock.

CLOSE SHOT of the time clock ticking.

A knock is heard off.

Mark looks up.

MARK:

Who is it?

HELEN (O.S.)

Helen...

CLOSE SHOT of Mark. Faintly overlaid is 'She's Got the

Key of the Door'. He looks down at the clock.

MARK:

(calling)

Come in, Helen!

INT. PASSAGE - EVENING

Helen opens the door of Mark's sitting room. We hear Mark

call out from the inner room:

MARK (O.S.)

Would you... please... wait in

there?... Developing.

Helen goes in, closing the door behind her.

INT. MARK'S SITTING ROOM - EVENING

Helen enters. She speaks loudly to be heard in the dark-

room.

HELEN:

Mother heard you come in - so I

guessed you wouldn't be in bed ...

No reply from the inner room.

HELEN:

Are you sure this is conven...

MARK (O.S.)

Won't be long!

Helen glances at her watch... then looks curiously round

the room.

CLOSE SHOT of Vivian's recorder, placed on a chair.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen. She picks it up and looks at it,

curiously, fingering the stops.

MARK (O.S.)

Hallo.

Helen turns round. Mark is standing on the threshold of

the dark-room.

HELEN:

Hallo, Mark...

He walks towards her... he stops suddenly. He is staring

at the recorder in her hand.

HELEN:

I hope you don't mind - is it a

tape-recorder?

MARK:

Yes.

Gently he takes it from her - as if it is a cup with which

she has finished - and replaces it on the shelf.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen.

HELEN:

I'm sure I'm being a nuisance...

but, Mark, I very much want to...

Her voice trails away.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark. He is holding out a small package.

MARK:

Happy birthday.

HELEN:

Mark! That's very sweet of you -

but really.

MARK:

It isn't much... I don't know

anything about... presents for

twenty-one... but I saw it this

morning... so... please.

HELEN:

(gently)

Thank you...

She takes the package, and unwraps it. Inside is a slender

brooch

HELEN:

It's beautiful...

MARK:

I like the design... More milk?

HELEN:

More?... No, thank you, Mark...

and I really appreciate this...

I'm going to put it on now.

He watches her hold it against her dress.

HELEN:

There?... Or there?...

MARK:

The first place...

HELEN:

I think so too!...

CLOSE SHOT of Helen pinning it on.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark touching his lapel.

CLOSE SHOT of Helen glancing at her watch.

CLOSE SHOT of Mark glancing at his. He thinks of the ticking

clock in the dark-room.

Helen looks up, and sees him.

HELEN:

I am keeping you.

MARK:

No... I promise.

HELEN:

Mark, I'm here for some advice.

MARK:

From me? Please...

He looks as if he has just been voted the best cameraman

of the year (unanimously) - and the two films he directed

have both won Oscars (though Don Jarvis understood them).

His delighted astonishment is such that she has to smile.

HELEN:

... I work in a public library -

in the children's section... I'm

telling you that to postpone

admitting what always embarrasses

me...

She takes a deep breath.

HELEN:

In my spare time... I write.

MARK:

What's embar...

HELEN:

I write stories for children...

but so did Grimm... Hans Andersen...

Lewis Carroll...

MARK:

Had any published?

HELEN:

Some short stories.

MARK:

I'd like to read...

HELEN:

I learned today... that my first

book... has been accepted! ... For

publication in the spring...

MARK:

But that's wonderful... what's it

about?

HELEN:

A magic camera - and what it

photographs...

CLOSE SHOT of Mark.

MARK:

Whatever made you... think of that?

HELEN:

I'll tell you one day - I promise...

MARK:

Well what does it photograph?

HELEN:

I'll tell you that too - but,

Mark... this is the problem... The

children who read the book will

want to see the pictures the camera

takes - but the publishers say

they're impossible to photograph,

and suggest drawings... but I don't

agree.

MARK:

No - nothing's impossible.

HELEN:

was hoping you'd say that! There

must be photographs - however

difficult to take - and I was

wondering, Mark - if you'd...

MARK:

Oh yes.

HELEN:

discuss it with me.

MARK:

take them.

HELEN:

Mark - I can't ask you to do that...

They have cancelled his Oscar.

HELEN:

I mean... the publisher's mightn't

agree.

MARK:

I'd take them... for you.

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