Sunset Boulevard Page #29

BETTY:

Come on, Joe.

GILLIS:

Come on where? Back to a one-room

apartment that I can't pay for?

Back to a story that may sell and

very possibly will not?

BETTY:

If you love me, Joe.

GILLIS:

Look, sweetie -- be practical.

l've got a good thing here.

A long-term contract with no options.

I like it that way. Maybe it's not

very admirable. Well, you and Artie

can be admirable.

BETTY:

Joe, I can't look at you any more.

GILLIS:

Nobody asked you to.

Betty turns from him, to hide the fact that she is

crying.

GILLIS:

All right, baby. This way out.

He leads her in the direction of the door.

E-33 UPPER LANDING, DESMOND HOUSE

Sitting crouched behind the balustrade is Norma,

peering down into

E-34 THE LOWER HALL

Betty and Gillis have reached the entrance door.

Gillis opens it.

GILLIS:

Good luck to you, Betty. You can

finish that story on the way to

Arizona. When you and Artie get

back, if the two of you ever feel

like a swim, here's the pool ...

He switches on the light.

E-35 THE PATIO

The lights go on in the pool, which shines brilliant-

ly in the dark garden.

E-36 BETTY

She doesn't even look. Her eyes filled with tears,

she runs down the entrance porch toward her car.

E-37 THE ENTRANCE HALL

Gillis looks after her, closes the door. From the

upper landing comes the sound of soft sobbing. He

looks up.

E-38 NORMA, ON THE UPPER LANDING

Gillis ascends the stairs.

NORMA:

Thank you, Joe -- thank you, Joe.

She tries to take his hand to kiss it as he passes.

He doesn't stop. Norma catches his coat. Gillis

moves right on into his room. Norma lies on the

floor looking after him. She crawls toward a con-

sole, pulls herself up by it, starts towards Gillis'

door, passes a mirror, realizes how she looks, moves

back to the mirror and takes the patches off her

face and does a hasty job of removing the cream with

her handkerchief, readjusts her expression to a poor

travesty of a smile and goes to the door of Gillis'

room.

NORMA:

May I come in? I've stopped cry-

ing. I'm all right again. Joe,

tell me you're not cross -- tell

me everything is just as it was,

Joe.

She opens the door.

E-39 GILLIS' ROOM

In the foreground, open on the bed, is a half-packed

suitcase, Gillis just putting some of his old shirts

in. Norma stands staring, speechless, for a second.

Gillis moves out of the shot towards the closets.

NORMA:

What are you doing, Joe? What

are you doing? You're not leaving

me?

GILLIS:

Yes, I am, Norma.

NORMA:

No, you're not.

(Calling)

Max! Max!

GILLIS:

Max is a good idea. He can help

with my luggage.

(He gestures in the

direction of the closet)

Thanks for letting me wear the

handsome wardrobe. And thanks

for the use of all the trinkets.

He takes the cigarette case and throws it on the

chaise longue. Then he throws the lighter, the

wrist watch, the platinum key-chain and the tie clip.

GILLIS:

(Indicating the bureau)

The rest of the jewelry is in the

top drawer.

NORMA:

It's yours, Joe. I gave it to

you.

GILLIS:

And I'd take it in a second, Norma --

only it's a little too dressy for

sitting behind the copy desk in

Dayton, Ohio.

NORMA:

These are nothing. You can have

anything you want if you'll only

stay. What is it you want --

money?

GILLIS:

Norma, you'd be throwing it away.

I don't qualify for the job, not any

more.

NORMA:

You can't do this! Max! Max!

... I can't face life without you,

and I'm not afraid to die, you

know.

GILLIS:

That's between you and yourself,

Norma.

NORMA:

You think I made that up about

the gun...

She rushes into her room. Gillis closes the suitcase

calmly, notices that he is still wearing some cuff-

links Norma gave him, takes them off.

Norma reappears in the door, carrying the revolver.

NORMA:

See, you didn't believe me!..

Now I suppose you don't think I

have the courage!

GILLIS:

Oh. sure -- if it would make a

good scene.

NORMA:

You don't care. do you? But

hundreds of thousands of people

will carel

GILLIS:

Wake up, Norma. You'd be killing

yourself to an empty house. The

audience left twenty years ago.

Now face it.

During the preceding. Max has entered. He stands

listening, paralyzed.

NORMA:

That's a lie! They still want me!

GILLIS:

No, they don't.

NORMA:

What about the studio?

What about De Mille?

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