Sunset Boulevard Page #26

GILLIS:

(Examining her nose

by the flame of his

lighter)

Nice job.

BETTY:

Should be. It cost three hundred

dollars.

GILLIS:

Saddest thing I ever heard.

BETTY:

Not at all. It taught me a little

sense. I got me a job in the mail

room, worked up to the Stenographic.

Now I'm a reader...

GILLIS:

Come clean, Betty. At night you

weep for those lost closeups, those

gala openings...

BETTY:

Not once. What's wrong with being

on the other side of the cameras?

It's really more fun.

GILLIS:

Three cheers for Betty Schaefer!

I will now kiss that nose of yours.

BETTY:

If you please.

Gillis kisses her nose. As he stands there, his

face close to hers -

GILLIS:

May I say you smell real special.

BETTY:

It must be my new shampoo.

GILLIS:

That's no shampoo. It'smore like

a pile of freehly laundred hand-

kerchiefs, like a brand new auto-

mobile. How old are you anyway?

BETTY:

Twenty-two.

GILLIS:

That's it -- there's nothing like

being twenty-two. Now may I suggest

that if we're ever to finish this

story you keep at least two feet

away from me ... Now back to the

typewriter.

They start walking in the direction of the office.

DISSOLVE TO:

E-13 THE GARAGE

Gillis gets out. From the seat next him he takes a

batch of script, folds it and puts it in his pocket.

He suddenly becomes aware that he is watched, turns.

Max stands in the moonlight, evidently waiting for

him.

GILLIS:

What is it, Max? Want to wash

the car, or are you doing a little

spying in your off hours?

MAX:

You must be very careful as you

cross the patio. Madame may be

watching.

GILLIS:

How about my going up the kitchen

stairs and undressing in the dark.

Will that do it?

MAX:

I'm not inquiring where Mr.

Gillis goes every night...

GILLIS:

Why don't you? I'm writing a

script and I'm dying to finish

it, no matter what.

MAX:

It's just that I'm very worried

about Madame.

GILLIS:

Sure you are. And we're not help-

ing her any, feeding her lies and

more lies. Getting herself ready

for a pioture ... What happens when

she finds out?

MAX:

She never will. That is my job.

It has been for a long time. You

must understand I discovered her

when she was eighteen. I made her

a star. I cannot let her be destroyed.

GILLIS:

You made her a star?

MAX:

I directed all her early pictures.

There were three young directors

who showed promise in those days:

D.W. Grirrith, C.B. deMille, and

Max von Mayerling.

GILLIS:

And she's turned you into a

servant.

MAX:

It was I who asked to come back,

humiliating as it may seem. I

could have gone on witn my career,

only I found everything unendur-

able arter she divorced me. You

see, I was her rirst husband.

DISSOLVE TO:

E-14 NORMA DESMOND'S BEDROOM

One lamp lit. Norma, in a white negligee, with the

patches on her face, is pacing up and down -- a

small, tormented, pitiable woman. Finally she opens

the door to:

E-15 GILLIS' ROOM (MOONLIGHT)

Gillis lies in bed asleep, Norma in the doorway.

NORMA:

You're here, Joe ... When did

you come home? Where were you?

Is it a woman? I know it's a

woman ... Who is she? Oh Joe,

why can't I ask you? I must know,

I must!

Her eyes fall on Gillis' coat, which hangs over a

chair. In a pocket is part of the script. Norma

takes it out, looks at it. She can't see it in the

moonlight. She hurries with it into:

E-16 NORMA'S BEDROOM

Carrying the script Norma goes to the lamp and looks

at it. On the first page she sees something which

confirms all her suspicionso It reads:

UNTITLED LOVE STORY

by

Joseph C. Gilliss

and

Betty Schaefer

DISSOLVE:

E-17 BETTY'S CUBICLE (NIGHT)

Betty is typing. Gillis sits on the couch, proof-

reading a scene. Betty stops typing and Gillis

becomes aware of her eyes fixed on him.

GILLIS:

Hey, what's the matter...

Betty, wake up!

(He whistles and

catches her attention)

Why are you staring at me like that?

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