Sunset Boulevard Page #31

E-46 NORMA'S BEDROOM

The interrogators are still firing questions at Norma

who sits lifeless, staring at herself. Max watches.

HEAD OF HOMICIDE

Did the deceased ever threaten you?

Were you in fear of bodily injury?

HOLMBY HILLS CAPTAIN

Did you hate him? Had you ever thought

of doing something like this before?

HEAD OF HOMICIDE

Was theft involved? Did you catch

him trying to steal something, or

find he had stolen something?

A police lieutenant has entered, goes to the Head of

Homicide.

LIEUTENANT:

The newsreel guys have arrived with

the cameras.

HEAD OF HOMICIDE

Tell them to go fly a kite. This

is no time for cameras.

A word has pierced the mists that surround Norma.

NORMA:

Cameras? ...What is it, Max?

MAX:

The cameras have arrived, Madame.

NORMA:

They have? Thank you, Max. Tell

Mr. DeMille I will be on the set

at once.

Max flashes a look at the Head of Homicide.

HEAD OF HOMICIDE

What is this?

MAX:

Please ...

HOLMBY HILLS CAPTAIN

(sotto voce, to Head of Homicide)

Well, it's one way to get her down stairs.

HEAD OF HOMICIDE

Okay. And let's have the car right

outside.

7-1 NORMA

You will pardon me, gentlemen.

I have to get ready for my scene.

She takes a comb and runs it through her hair, then

starts applying some wild makeup.

E-47 STAIRCASE AND LOWER HALL

Max makes his way down the stairs through the crowd

of newsmen to the newsreel cameras, which are being

set up in the hall below.

MAX:

Is everything set up, gentlemen?

Are the lights ready?

From the stairway comes a murnur. They look up.

Norma has emerged from the bedroom and comes to the

head of the stairs. There are golden spangles in

her hair and in her hand she carries a golden scarf.

The police clear a path for her to descend. Press

cameras flash at her every step.

Max stands at the cameras.

MAX:

Is everything set up, gentlemen?

CAMERAMAN:

Just about.

The portable lights flare up and illuminate the

staircase.

MAX:

Are the lights ready?

2ND CAMERA MAN

All set.

MAX:

Quiet, everybody! Lights!

Are you ready, Norma?

NORMA:

(From the top of the

stairs)

What is the scene? Where am I?

MAX:

This is the staircase of the palace.

NORMA:

Oh, yes, yes. They're below,

waiting for the Princess ...

I'm ready.

MAX:

All right.

(To cameramen)

Camera!

(To Norma)

Action!

Norma arranges the golden GILLIS' VOICE

scarf ebout her and proudy So they were grinding

starts to descend the stair- after all, those cam-

case. The cameras grind. eras. Life, which can

Everyone watches in awe. be strangely merciful,

had taken pity on Norma

Desmond. The dream she

had clung to so des-

perately had enfolded

her...

At the foot of the stairs Norma stops, moved.

NORMA:

I can't go on with the scene.

I'm too happy. Do you mind,

Mr. DeMille, if I say a few words?

Thank you. I just want to tell

you how happy I am to be back in

the studio making a picture again.

You don't know how much I've missed

all of you. And I promise you

I'll never desert you again, because

after "Salome" we'll make another

picture, and another and another.

You see, this is my life. It always

will be. There's nothing else -

just us and the cameras and those

wonderful people out there in the

dark... All right, Mr. DeMille,

I'm ready for my closeup.

FADE OUT.

THE END:

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