Platinum Blonde Page #2

CONROY:

Yeah?

STEW:

You're always picking on me. It

took me three hours to get those

little gadgets in those holes, and

you screw it up in a minute. Hey,

look!

He gives the hand-puzzle to Conroy, who is immediately

captivated by the fascinating object in his hand.

CLOSE DOUBLE SHOT

STEW:

(superior)

Mmm, not as easy as it looks, is

it?

Conroy puts it down with a disgusted look.

CONROY:

Aagh! No wonder you're batty. Would

it be imposing too much upon you

if I asked you to do a little work

today? Just to sort of break the

monotony?

STEW:

With me you can always do business.

CONROY:

Do you know what to do in a drawing-

room?

STEW:

It isn't a question of knowing

what to do, it's knowing how to

get in one that counts.

The telephone rings, Conroy answers it.

CONROY:

(speaking on the

phone)

Yeah, yeah. Okay, okay.

He hangs up, turns back to Stew.

CONROY:

Now listen, we've got a tip that

the Schuyler family has finally

made a deal with that chorus dame.

STEW:

Gloria Golden?

CONROY:

Yeah, little Gloria.

STEW:

The human cash register. Got her

hooks into the Schuyler kid, eh?

CONROY:

Right - for the first time this

year.

STEW:

(modestly)

Well - it's only April.

CONROY:

Come on, get going, get going!

STEW:

(loftily)

Get going where? I can write that

yarn without stepping out of the

office.

CONROY:

Yeah - and get us into a million

dollar libel suit. It wouldn't be

the first time. Now, you get over

there and get a statement out of

the old lady, the sister, or the

kid. Any of them - but get it.

STEW:

(resigned)

All right. Give me a voucher for

expenses.

12. CLOSE DOUBLE SHOT (ANOTHER ANGLE)

CONROY:

What expenses? All you need is

carfare to Long Island. You'd better

get a shave and a shine, because

you, you're going to have a tough

time getting in there as it is.

STEW:

I know those bluenoses. Their

ancestors refused to come over on

the Mayflower because they didn't

want to rub elbows with the

tourists. So they swam over.

He turns away and exits.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. THE SCHUYLER HOUSE - DAY - MEDIUM SHOT

Someone pacing outside the mansion gates.

EXT. THE SCHUYLER HOUSE (ANOTHER ANGLE) - DAY - CLOSE SHOT

A guard dog pacing inside the gates.

INT. INSIDE THE MANSION - DAY - CLOSE SHOT

A parrot on its perch, hopping from foot to foot.

INT. SCHUYLER DRAWING ROOM - DAY - CLOSE SHOT

Michael Schuyler, a callow youth with the usual dissipated,

spoiled look. His fingers are nipping out little chunks of

a folded piece of paper, dropping the bits on the floor.

This is indicative of a habit of the individual in question

when undergoing nervous stress. He is very fidgety and

apprehensive, as he glances around.

CAMERA PANS OVER TO SHOW

Anne Schuyler, a beautiful and aristocratic, though slightly

hard girl, a few years older than Michael.

CAMERA PANS OVER TO SHOW

Mrs. Stuyvesand Van Alstyne Schuyler, mother of Anne and

Michael. A grande dame, stern and glowering. Her attitude

indicates suppressed nervousness and anger. She glares

over in the direction of Michael. Then she turns and looks

in another direction.

MRS. SCHUYLER

(viciously)

Dexter Grayson, if you were any

kind of a lawyer, you'd get those

letters back!

CAMERA PANS OVER TO SHOW

Dexter Grayson, the family lawyer standing, his hands

clasped behind his back, just completing the pacing of a

few short steps in his best courtroom manner, his head

bowed in an attitude of deepest thought. He is dressed in

striped afternoon trousers and black coat. He turns to

regard Mrs. Schuyler.

GRAYSON:

But I keep telling you how difficult

it is, Mrs. Schuyler. The last

time I asked her for those letters,

she made very uncouth noises with

her mouth.

CAMERA PANS OVER TO SHOW

Anne Schuyler, trying desperately to keep from laughing.

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