Sweet Smell of Success Page #35

D'Angelo backs away, shaking his head.

D'ANGELO

No...no. Thanks.

He turns back to the elevator. Susan closes the door, but

slowly; she is watching D'Angelo. CAMERA MOVES WITH D'Angelo

as he goes to the bell of the elevator and rings it. He

remains in this position, waiting for the elevator, but now

(believing himself to be alone) he leans his head against

the wall and begins to weep, quietly. Surprisingly, Susan

is abruptly at his elbow, she seizes him forcibly by the

arm, demanding:

SUSAN:

(taut)

Something's happened. To Steve.

D'Angelo, with his face contorted in grief and bitterness,

can no longer refuse to answer her.

D'ANGELO

(in a broken voice)

He's in the hospital...He's under

arrest, too... They planted reefer

cigarettes on him...in his overcoat

pocket.

Susan is becoming hysterical.

SUSAN:

(wildly)

Where is he...I want to go to him...

D'Angelo recovers his self control. There is force and

authority in his voice as he insists:

D'ANGELO

Miss Hunsecker, if you see him

again they might...might kill him.

Susan is sobered by his seriousness.

SUSAN:

(slowly)

Who is "they"?

D'ANGELO

Don't ask foolish questions.

(then)

Tell your brother I'm a sensible

man. He understands only two

things - power-politics and homage -

tell him I came tonight to pay

homage!

INT. HALLWAY - HUNSECKER'S PENTHOUSE

The elevator door opens and Sidney steps out: He crosses to

the door of the apartment, pushes the button. The bell is

heard ringing inside. While he waits, Sidney produces a

handkerchief, dabs his face, straightens his tie; clearly he

is trying to sober up. He goes to the bell push to ring

again. Now he notices something that had escaped him

before:
the door is not quite shut. He pushes it open.

INT. HUNSECKER'S PENTHOUSE

From inside. Sidney hesitates, enters tentatively.

LONGER ANGLE:

The apartment appears empty. Only one light is lit; the

place is eerie.

RESUME SIDNEY:

Sidney closes the door, goes into the main living room,

CAMERA pans with him. Something chills him, he calls

softly, "J.J.?"

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Sidney walks towards the study, there is nobody there either.

He goes back towards the stairs to the upper floor; in doing

so he repasses the door of Susan's bedroom, sees that it is

half open, goes to look in.

INT. BEDROOM

From Sidney's viewpoint. The bed has been slept in but is

unoccupied. The room is empty.

On the seat at the foot of the bed is a drawer that has been

pulled out of the wardrobe; it contains a collection of

miscellaneous objects, a snapshot album, letters, souvenirs,

disarranged as if someone had been looking at them.

SIDNEY:

He looks at the empty room, disturbed.

RESUME BEDROOM:

The curtains of the window onto the terrace are blowing: the

window is open. Sidney walks into shot form behind CAMERA.

He calls:

SIDNEY:

Susan?

Susan steps into the room from the terrace, confronting

Sidney. She is dressed, wearing the fur coat over a skirt

and blouse. Her manner is very strange; the effect of the

drugs, no doubt.

RESUME SIDNEY:

Sidney is very uncomfortable in her presence; Susan is the

last person he wants to have conversation with.

SIDNEY:

Where's J.J.?

He retreats across the threshold of the bedroom, into the

outer room.

RESUME SUSAN AND SIDNEY

She walks forwards.

SUSAN:

He isn't here...

INT. LIVING ROOM

Sidney stands back to let her pass.

SIDNEY:

But he called and said...

Susan comes out of the bedroom, walks past CAMERA.

SUSAN:

No, I called...

He studies the girl, says nothing.

LONGER ANGLE:

She walks listlessly across the room, moving like a

somnambulist.

SUSAN:

Mr. D'Angelo phoned about Steve...I

went down to the hospital, but they

wouldn't let me in. He promised to

keep in touch with me - Mr.

D'Angelo, I mean...

RESUME SIDNEY:

He watches her cautiously, not sure of how to deal with her.

SIDNEY:

(carefully)

It's all over town about Dallas...

(moving towards her)

How is he?

SUSAN:

A CLOSE UP. Susan's expression is blank; her eyes are

unseeing.

SUSAN:

He's...unconscious...

There is a tone of great despair in her voice. Presently,

she recovers, CAMERA eases back to include Sidney beyond.

She glances at him.

SUSAN:

I...I gave Steve up...

(then)

Why did you and J.J. do it?

RESUME SIDNEY:

Sidney looks at her, tensely. Her voice is so calm, so

certain that Sidney finds it difficult to play-act innocence.

He protests a little too loudly:

SIDNEY:

Susie, if I get your meaning,

you're pitching very wild balls.

What -

RESUME SUSAN AND SIDNEY

Susan interrupts, with a simplicity which is damaging.

SUSAN:

Don't bother to lie, Sidney.

(moving away)

I don't care anymore.

LONGER ANGLE:

Sidney decides that it is wiser not to argue. He assumes a

tolerant sympathy. He moves towards her.

SIDNEY:

Listen, get a good night's sleep -

tomorrow's another day. Feeling

sorry for yourself won't help.

SUSAN:

(shaking her head)

I'm sorry about Steve, not myself.

I'm even sorry for my brother. To

be so lonely, without one real

friend in the world - to have to

hang on to a worthless rag of a

girl like me because she's his only

real family -

SIDNEY:

(moving towards her again)

Come on now, chickie, why don't you

go to bed...?

Now she turns to him.

SUSAN:

And I'm sorry for you, too, Sidney.

You're going down with the ship.

SIDNEY:

What ship?

She walks past him, still aimlessly wandering about the

room; then she turns back, indicates herself.

SUSAN:

THIS ship.

She studies Sidney.

SUSAN:

Don't you know how my brother will

see you after tonight? You'll be

the man who drove his little

stainless sister to suicide...

REVERSE ANGLE:

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