RKO 281 Page #4

WELLES:

(quietly)

The man doesn't allow drinking or cigars? This is

monstrous.

MANK:

The old man has his own way of doing things

WELLES:

He's nothing but a hypocrite. He preaches morality

every day in his sordid little papers for everyone

else in the world but he lives openly with his

mistress.

Mank sneaks another shot from his flask

MANK:

Buddy, when you own the largest publishing empire

in the universe you can do whatever the hell you

want. Think about it, pal. Every day one out of five

Americans picks up a Hearst publication. 30

newspapers, a dozen magazines, a bunch of radio

stations and the grand dragon of them all. Little

Miss Louella Parsons. Tends to give you some of that

ol' noblesse oblige.

Welles studies Hearst across the table.

WELLES:

Look at those hands. Those are the hands of an

artist. A modern Caravaggio.

MANK:

No, baby, those are the hands of a killer

Hearst leans down and feeds his favorite pet dachshund, Helen, table

scraps. He talks to her gently.

HEARST:

There you are, honey. Aren't you a wonderful girl?

INT. SAN SIMEON. LADIES LOUNGE_FOLLOWING

Marion and Carole Lombard escape into an ornate ladies bathroom.

Marion immediately goes to a cabinet and retrieves a bottle of Scotch

hidden under some towels. She takes a swig and then hands the bottle to

Carole Lombard. She drinks.

Marion lights a cigarette.

MARION:

God, these parties are the worst

CAROLE LOMBARD:

You need to get outta here, Rapunzel

MARION:

That's why he has the parties, he says it's like

bringing the world to me.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Why don't you come down to LA? Stay with us for a

while.

MARION:

With about twenty of his spies on my tail. No

thanks.

Marion hands the cigarette to Carole Lombard A beat.

A beat.

MARION:

(somewhat ruefully)

It's not so bad here. After all, what girl doesn't

want to live in a castle?

MARION:

Mr. Welles certainly is a caution

CAROLE LOMBARD:

(smiles)

Yeah, Orson's a real piece of work. But deep down,

he's a good kid. Real deep down.

MARION:

And attractive in a hammy sort of way.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Mm.

A beat. Carole Lombard hands the cigarette back to Marion

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Listen, you come down and stay with us for a few

days. Just tell the old man that--

MARION:

I can't

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Sure you can, just--

MARION:

He needs me here.

A beat. Carole Lombard does not respond.

INT. SAN SIMEON. BALLROOM_FOLLOWING

In the cavernous ballroom, a dance band is playing "I'LL BE SEEING

YOU."

The guests mingle and dance

Welles and Mank wander as Welles takes in the impressive surroundings.

WELLES:

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan a stately pleasure dome

decree. . . "How big is it, all told? The estate?

MANK:

The whole joint is half the size of Rhode Island.

WELLES:

Jesus

MANK:

Yeah, it's the place God would have built, if he'd

had the money.

Carole Lombard and Marion return, rather giggly

MARION:

Mankie, Mankie d-d-dance with me

MANK:

You've been naughty, haven't you, honey?

MARION:

Sh*t, can you smell it? You got any sen-sen?

MANK:

Sorry.

MARION:

Mr. Welles, you got any--? Oh f*** it.

She goes off in search of Hearst.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Meanwhile, Orson, I thought your bullfighting story

was nifty. Let's cut a rug.

She pulls Welles to the dance floor Mank wanders away and takes another

swig from his flask.

As Welles and Carole Lombard dance, Welles keeps an eye on Hearst and

Marion who are dancing nearby.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

So you ever gonna do a picture?

WELLES:

Not you too

CAROLE LOMBARD:

(smiles)

It's gonna be fine, Orson. You're gonna do great.

WELLES:

I wonder sometimes.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

You're just scared.

WELLES:

Am I?

CAROLS LOMBARD:

Sure

WELLES:

And what am I scared of?

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Of being found out. Of not being a genius

WELLES:

(smiles)

Oh, but haven't you heard? I'm the Boy Wonder.

I've been a genius since the moment I was born.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

We've known each other too long, Orson. Sling the

bullshit elsewhere.

WELLES:

Carole, you wound me! As if I could hope to pacify

you with evasions of--

CAROLE LOMBARD:

Don't insult me with your cute press quotes Save it

for Louella.

She stops and looks at him firmly

CAROLE LOMBARD:

You make your mark, Orson.

Nearby Marion pulls away from Hearst sharply, drawing Welles'

attention. He overhears:

MARION:

Goddamn it. I gotta have some kinda life!

HEARST:

There's no call for that language-

MARION:

There certainly is I There certainly is! Aw, to

hell with you!

She storms off. Welles and Carole Lombard watch her go

WELLES:

That poor woman.

CAROLE LOMBARD:

(sadly)

She knew what she was signing on for After all,

she took the money.

Welles watches as Hearst stands alone on the dance floor We hear the

sound of a lion roaring in the distance

INT. SAN SIMEON. WELLES' SUITE_NIGHT

Welles, again dressed in a tuxedo, lies on his bed

Through the open balcony doors he can hear the eerie sound of lions

roaring and elephants trumpeting in the night.

He stand and wanders to the balcony. Below him he can see bits and

pieces of Hearst's private zoo in the moonlight: a lion pacing

relentlessly back and forth; an alligator slipping into the water; a

monkey slamming into the bars of its cage.

The disquieting sounds of the menagerie float through the midnight air.

Welles leaves his suite

INT. SAN SIMEON. HALLWAYS_FOLLOWING

Welles roams the seemingly endless hallways of San Simeon. In the half-

light they begin to resemble his own cinematic dream-palace, Xanadu.

He hears the ghostly echo of a song, "WHERE OR WHEN".

He curiously follows the sound, taking in the fabulous castle

everywhere around him.

He passes by the door to the Assembly Room. Inside, shafts of light

illuminate portions of huge, uncompleted jigsaw puzzles.

INT. SAN SIMEON. BALLROOM_FOLLOWING

"WHERE OR WHEN" is now clear.

Welles stands in the shadows of a balcony overlooking the great

ballroom.

Below him a phonograph record spins lazily on a turntable standing of

the floor of the deserted ballroom.

And Hearst and Marion are enjoying a quiet dance together, her head

nestled on his shoulder.

Welles stares and stares at them And slowly smiles. We linger on Hearst

and Marion as they dance

EXT. WELLES' HOUSE. POOL_DAY

Welles, wrapped in a bathrobe, is pacing quickly around the perimeter

of his backyard pool. He is puffing on a cigar and grunting to himself

as he scribbles down notes.

Mank, wearing sunglasses and a battered fedora and looking decidedly

hung-over, comes from the house to the pool.

Welles roars up to him:

WELLES:

Mank! You scoundrel! What took you so long?!

MANK:

(pained)

Orson, please ... it's too bright

Welles takes Mank's fedora and flings it away.

WELLES:

Here you are, up with the birds for once, you

vampire!

MANK:

(settling into a deck chair)

Okay, boy wonder, what?

WELLES:

Listen ... I've got it! It came to me like a thief

in the night! Pure inspiration! Total magnificence!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes