Stage Door

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1–6 EXT. FOOTLIGHTS CLUB—DUSK

FADE IN:

LONG SHOT of a row of brownstone-front houses in New York. From one of the houses we see girls entering and leaving the house—general street activity—

DISSOLVE:

“FOOTLIGHTS CLUB”—on the front of this house.

DISSOLVE:

7 INT. LOWER HALL AND LIVING ROOM—FOOTLIGHTS CLUB

Dust pan—broom—as dust being swept into pan, we hear voice singing “IL BACIO” by L. Arditi—as Hattie stoops down into scene, CAMERA PULLS BACK AND PANS UP—we see maid, Hattie singing; girls scattered over b.g. in living room CAMERA PANS WITH Hattie as she crosses, dumps an ashtray into dust pan—on table beside Judith who sits reading—Olga is playing the piano. Bernice enters to mail rack.

JUDITH:
Do you have to do that?

ANN:
Oh, pipe down...

Hattie continues singing. Phone rings.

JUDITH:
(without looking up from magazine) Get that customer, Hattie.

EVE:
If it’s for me, I’m in...

Hattie, still singing—CAMERA PANNING WITH her—crosses to phone at desk in hall, picks up receiver as Linda comes down stairs.

HATTIE:
(sings) It rings and it sings—tra-la... (into phone) Hello...

LINDA:
Is it for me?

HATTIE:
I dunno. (into phone) Miss Judith? Oh, Miss Judith...

CAMERA PANS WITH Linda as she comes on down stairs. Mary Frances enters and goes up. Linda comes down into living room as we hears, off:

LINDA:
(stopping beside Judith) It’s yours, Judy.

Judith rises and crosses out to phone. Linda turns to girls in room.

LINDA:
Hello, hags...

Some look up. Linda glances out window. Mary Lou enters with bag of pecans.

MARY LOU:
Look what Mother sent me from Louisiana.

EVE:
(rising) What are they?

MARY LOU:
Pecans.

EVE:
Pecans? Let’s open one—maybe there’s a check in it.

BOBBY:
Give me one.

Linda now seated. Girls crowd around, getting pecans.

8 DIFFERENT ANGLE

A very determined and angry Jean comes whooping down stairs—Judith trying to talk over the phone.

JUDITH:
(over phone) Well, I had a date, but I guess I can get out of it...Sure, I can get a girl...

Jean reaches newel post near Judith.

JEAN:
Where is she?

JUDITH:
(Into phone) Okay! (to Jean) Who?

Jean goes on by.

JUDITH:
(into phone) Not you.

CAMERA PANS WITH Jean on into living room. She stops before Linda.

JEAN:
Oh, there you are!

LINDA:
I beg your pardon.

JEAN:
Come on—take ‘em off!

LINDA:
Are you speaking to me?

JEAN:
You heard what I said—take off my stockings...

LINDA:
(overlapping Jean) What stockings?

JEAN:
If you don’t take ‘em off, I will and I’ll take off the hide right with them. (starts removing Linda’s stockings)

LINDA:
Wait a minute! These are my stockings.

JEAN:
Oh, no, they’re not If you think I’m going to give up my lunch to buy you stockings, you’re crazy!

LINDA:
Well—you owe me a pair, anyway. (starts to remove other stocking)

ADELE:
Oh, Mrs. Orcutt, Linda’s doing a strip-tease.

LINDA:
Oh, is that so!

The ad lib here is all overlapped.

SUSAN:
You’d get a bigger crowd in the street.

EVE:
Why don’t you split ‘em—a stocking a piece?

JEAN:
From now on, you wear your own stockings or go bare-legged. The places you go, it doesn’t make any difference, anyway.

LINDA:
(rises) Is that so?

JEAN:
Yes that’s so. Stretching my size eight over your big clodhopper twelves.

LINDA:
Can I help it if I get a Singer’s midget for a roommate?

9 CLOSE SHOT

Luther seated crocheting. Mrs. Orcutt hurries in—looks o.s. to girls.

MRS. ORCUTT:
What’s the trouble?

LUTHER:
Are you running a theatrical boarding house or a gymnasium?

MRS. ORCUTT:
Girls! (rushing off to them)

10–12 PAN SHOT

Mrs. Orcutt comes rushing in to Linda and Jean who are still going about stockings.

MRS. ORCUTT:
Girls! Please! What’s going on here?

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