Sunset Boulevard Page #17

GILLIS:

Hungry? After twelve years in

the Burmese jungle. I am starving,

Lady Agatha -- starving for a

white shoulder --

BETTY:

Phillip, you're mad!

One of the girls who was on the phone comes to

the door.

GIRL:

You can have the phone now.

GILLIS:

(Paying no attention)

Thirsting for the coolness of

your lips -

BETTY:

No, Phillip, no. We must be

strong. You're still wearing

the uniform of the Coldstream

Guards! Furthermore, you can

have the phone now.

GILLIS:

O.K.

(He gets up, starts

out, turns)

I find I'm terribly afraid of

losing you.

BETTY:

You won't.

(She takes the glass

out of his hand)

I'll get us a refill of

this awful stuff.

GILLIS:

You'll be waiting for me?

BETTY:

With a wildly beating heart.

GILLIS:

Life can be beautiful!

He leaves.

C-21 THE MAIN ROOM

Gillis squeezes himself through some guests to

the phone. He has to stand in a cramped position,

holding the instrument close to him as he dials

a number.

GILLIS:

Max? This is Mr. Gillis.

I want you to do me a favor.

C-22 NORMA DESMOND HOUSE

Max is at the phone, in the lower hall.

MAX:

I am sorry, Mr. Gillis.

I cannot talk now.

C-23 GILLIS ON THE PHONE

GILLIS:

Yes you can. I want you to get

my old suitcase and I want you

to throw in my old clothes --

the ones I came with, and my

typewriter. I'll have somebody

pick them up.

C-24 MAX AT THE PHONE

MAX:

I have no time to talk. The

doctor is here.

C-25 GILLIS ON THE PHONE

GILLIS:

What doctor? What's going on?

C-26 MAX AT THE PHONE

MAX:

She got the razor from your

room. She cut her wrists.

Max hangs up, moves toward the staircase.

C-27 GILLIS AT THE PHONE

GILLIS:

Max ! Max !

He hangs up the dead receiver, stands numb with

shock. Betty elbows her way up to him, carrying

the two punch glasses filled again.

BETTY:

I just got the recipe: take

two packages of cough drops,

dissolve in one gallon of

lukewarm grape juice --

Gillis looks up at her. Without a word he pushes

her aside so that she spills the drink. He makes

his way through the guests to the Vicuna coat, pulls

it from the shelf, some books tumbling with it, and

rushes towards the door and out. Betty stands look-

ing after him, completely bewildered.

DISSOLVE TO:

C-28 EXT. DESMOND HOUSE - (NIGHT, RAIN)

The doctor's car is parked in the driveway. A taxi

pulls up. Gillis, in his Vicuna coat now, jumps

out, throws a couple of dollars to the rdriver and

runs toward the house.

C-28a DOORWAY, NORMA DESMOND HOUSE>

Max is opening the door to let out the doctor, a

professional looking man carrying a black bag.

Gillis runs into the SHOT.

GILLIS:

How is she?

MAX:

She is upstairs.

Gillis starts to push past Max. Max grabs his arm.

MAX:

Be careful. Do not race up the

stairs. The musicians must not

know what has happened.

Gillis goes into the house.

C-29 ENRANCE HALL AND STAIRCASE

Gillis crosses the hall and starts up the stairs.

C-3O INT. NORMA DESMOND'S ROOM

Only one alabaster lamp lights the big, cold room.

On the bed lies Norma in her evening dress. She is

white as a sheet. Her wrists are bandaged. Her eyes

are wide open, staring at the ceiling. One of her

shoes has halt slipped off her foot. The other is

on. Gillis opens the door and stands there tor a

second. Then he slowly moves to the toot of the bed.

He takes the shoes from her feet and puts them on

the floor.

NORMA:

Go away.

GILLIS:

What kind of a silly thing was

that to do?

NORMA:

To fall in love with you -- that

was the idiotic thing.

GILLIS:

It sure would have made attractive

headlines:
Great Star Kills Her-

self for Unknown Writer.

NORMA:

Great stars have great pride.

She puts one bandaged forearm over her eyes, sobbing.

Gillis walks slowly over to the mantelpiece, stands

there for awhile.

NORMA:

Go away. Go to that girl of yours.

GILLIS:

Look, I was making that up because

I thought the whole thing was a

mistake. I didn't want to hurt you.

You've been good to me. You're the

only person in this stinking town

that has been good to me.

NORMA:

Why don't you just say thank you

and go, go, go --

GILLIS:

Not until you promise to act like

a sensible human being.

NORMA:

I'll do it again, I'll do it again,

I'll do it again!

Gillis stands looking at her helplessly.

C-31 LIVING ROOM, THE DESMOND HOUSE

The candles burned down, the orchestra playing to

the emptiness. The orchestra leader looks at his

watch, rises, silences the orchestra, then starts

them in on Auld Lang Syne.

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