Sunset Boulevard Page #21

OLD POLICEMAN:

Miss Desmond can. Come on.

They fling open the gate.

OLD POLICEMAN:

(As the car drives through)

Stage eighteen, Miss Desmond.

NORMA:

Thank you, Jonesy. And teach

your friend some manners. Tell

him without me he wouldn't have

any job, because without me there

wouldn't be any Paramount Studio.

(To Max)

Go on.

They drive through the gates. The old policeman

goes to wall phone beside the gate, dials a number.

OLD POLICEMAN:

(Into phone)

Norma Desmond coming in to

see Mr. deMille.

D-10 STAGE 18

A scene from SAMPSON AND DELILAH is being rehearsed

in the background. The usual turbulent activity

surrounds it:
extras. makeup men, grips,

assistants, etc., etc. In the dim foreground a

stage hand is answering a stand telephone. He

puts down the phone and moves (CAMERA WITH HIM)

to a second assistant.

STAGE HAND:

Norma Desmond is coming to see

Mr. deMille.

The second assistant walks (CAMERA WITH HIM)

to the first assistant.

2nd ASSISTANT

Norma Desmond coming in to

see Mr. deMille.

The first assistant (CAMERA WITH HIM) hurries

to the set. Sitting with his back toward us

is C.B. himself. He is rehearsing a scene with

Hedy Lamarr.

1ST ASSISTANT

Norma Desmond is coming in to

see you, Mr. deMille.

C. B. turns his head.

DEMILLE:

Norma Desmond?

lst ASSISTANT

She must be a million years old.

DEMILLE:

I hate to think where that puts

me. I could be her father.

1ST ASSISTANT

I'm terribly sorry, Mr. de Mille.

By this time de Mille is on his feet.

DEMILLE:

It must be about that appalling

script of hers. What can I say

to her? What can I say?

1ST ASSISTANT

I can tell her you're all tied

up in the projection room. I

can give her the brush ...

DEMILLE:

Listen, thirty million fans

have given her the brush.

Isn't that enough?

1ST ASSISTANT

I didn't mean to --

DEMILLE:

Of course you didn't. You didn't

know Norma Desmond as a plucky

little girl of seventeen, with

more courage and wit and heart

than ever came together in one

youngster.

1ST ASSISTANT

I hear she was a terror to

work with.

DEMILLE:

She got to be. A dozen press

agents working overtime can

do terrible things to the human

spirit.

(to the set)

Hold everything.

He leaves, accompanied by his entourage.

D-11 EXT. STAGE 18

Norma's limousine drives up. Max dismounts

and opens the door.

NORMA:

(taking Gillis's hand)

Don't you want to come along,

darling?

GILLIS:

I don't think so. It's your

script. It's your show.

Good luck.

NORMA:

Thank you, darling.

She presses his hand against her cheek, descends

from the car and walks toward -

D-12 THE DOOR OF STAGE 18

The first assistant is holding it open. In the door-

way stands Mr. deMille. Seeing Norma, he stretches

out his arms.

DE MILLE:

Hello, young fellow.

NORMA:

Hello, Mr. deMille.

She has reached him. They embrace.

NORMA:

Last time I saw you was someplace

very gay. I remember waving to you.

I was dancing on a table.

DE MILLE:

Lots of people were. Lindbergh had

just landed in Paris. Come on in.

He leads her into

D-13 STAGE 18

During the ensuing dialogue, Mr. deMille walks Norma

towards the set.

DE MILLE:

Norma, I want to apologize for

not calling you.

NORMA:

You'd better. I'm very angry.

DE MILLE:

I'm pretty busy, as you can see...

NORMA:

That's no excuse. You read the

script, didn't you?

DE MILLE:

Yes, I did.

NORMA:

Then you could have picked up the

phone yourself instead of leaving

it to one of your assistants.

DE MILLE:

What assistant?

NORMA:

Don't play innocent. Somebody

named Gordon Cole.

DE MILLE:

Gordon Cole?

NORMA:

And if you hadn't been pretty

darned interested in that script,

he wouldn't have tried to get

me on the phone ten times.

DE MILLE:

Gordon Cole... Look, Norma,

I'm in the middle of a rehearsal.

(Indicating his

own chair)

Make yourself comfortable.

He walks onto the set, accompanied by his assistants.

DE MILLE:

(Sotto voce, to his

first assistant)

Get me Gordon Cole on the phone.

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