The Artist Page #11

---

107 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - PEPPY SET - 1931 - DAY 107

A screenplay lies on a table. Peppy and Zimmer are seated either side of the table and are talking animatedly. We're on the set we saw the previous day, and Peppy seems to be trying to convince Zimmer of something. She seems to be describing a film poster or the façade of a movie theater she'd love to see. He doesn't seem too enthusiastic from the looks of the negative shakes of his head and his apologetic air as he listens to Peppy. She finally stops talking and gives him a determined look. Zimmer, uncomfortable and sorry, calmly replies.

Title card:
George is a silent movie actor. He belongs to the past. Today he's a nobody.

As Zimmer's speaking, she removes her accessories and hat. Zimmer is so intrigued he stops talking.

Title card:
What are you doing?

She looks him straight in the eyes, and answers:

Title card:
I'm stopping work. It's him or me.

She looks determined. He's looking unsure of himself. He visibly isn't sure he's understood properly. She drives her point home.

Title card:
What I mean is it's either him AND me! Or neither of us!

Zimmer still isn't sure he's understood. He just looks at her.

Title card:
I'm blackmailing you, get it?!

36.

Even when she's blackmailing, she's still pretty, and Zimmer looks at her totally at a loss but at the same time it's obvious that he's going to back down. The people around them are listening in on their conversation and seem to be waiting for his decision. There's an element of déjà-vu to the situation, and Zimmer, who already backed down a few years before, gives in.

Title card:
And why not...

She smiles at him, picks up the screenplay with delight, and leaves. As he moves away she whistles at him. He turns round and she vigorously blows him a kiss.

108 INT. PEPPY'S CAR (DRIVING) - DAY 108

The screenplay lies on the front seat of a car. The camera pulls back, it's Clifton who is in the driving seat.

109 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - GEORGE'S BEDROOM - DAY 109

George is lying in bed when his former chauffeur comes in. At first, he's delighted to see him, but this turns into astonishment and he seems to ask the man a question. The chauffeur answers:

Title card:
I work for Miss Miller now.

George visibly doesn't know what to think and, although he remains pleasant, becomes somewhat reserved. It's as though something has come between them. The chauffeur places the screenplay on the bedside table. George seems to greet it with mistrust, certainly not with enthusiasm.

The chauffeur also has a box of cakes with him that he puts on a plate for George. George doesn't want any, it's all too much...

Before he leaves, the chauffeur overcomes his habitual reserve for the first time and says to George:

Title card:
She's been good to you. She's always looked out for you.

The chauffeur leaves without trying to convince George further, as the other looks on full of pride and doubt.

37.

110 EXT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - DAY 110

From the window, we see the chauffeur get into the car and drive off. We recognize the car as being the one that belonged to George.

(109) At the window, George watches him leave. Then he seems to have an idea or, more exactly, an intuition.

111 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - STOREROOM - DAY 111

George goes into the room that's full of sheets. He goes straight over to the object with the bizarre shape and lifts up the sheet. Underneath he finds his former objet d'art, the

three monkeys "hear no evil", "speak no evil" and "see no evil". He thinks for a moment, then pulls of another sheet to reveal a piece of furniture. Once again it's a piece that used to belong to him and we recognize it from having seen it at the auction room.

After taking off several other sheets, George realizes that she bought everything he had put up for sale: furniture, paintings, objets d'art, souvenirs, etc. He rips off sheets one after the other and the objects appear, even down to his suits and tuxedos. He continues and discovers the painting depicting him in a tux, waving and smiling. George looks stunned at the sight of himself looking so full of life. He's interrupted by the same ray of light which surges into the room once more. This time, at the door, are the butler and the maid.

George walks towards them when he sees them. The closer he gets to them, however, the more his expression tightens. We realize that the butler is none other than the distinguished-looking man who purchased everything at the auction, and that the maid is the woman who was bidding against him to raise the sale prices. George is looking at them as he leaves the room. He has recognized them, but doesn't say anything to them. He walks off, still shocked by what he's just realized.

112 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - GEORGE'S BEDROOM - DAY 112

He finishes putting on his burnt suit in his room, and leaves.

113 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - DAY 113

He goes down the stairs and flees the house.

114 EXT. BEGGAR STREET - DAY

38. 114

George is in the street wearing his burnt suit and damaged shoes. He is shirtless. With Jack by his side, he walks along the sidewalk. There are a few other people walking along. About twenty yards ahead of him a man is begging. He holds out his hand to passers-by. George approaches and, when there are no other passers-by between him and George, the beggar glances at him and lowers his hand. He doesn't raise it as George approaches. George stops in front of him and looks at him, but the beggar motions to him to scram. George continues on his way. For that moment at least, he has become one of them.

He buttons up the collar of his suit in an attempt to hide the fact that he doesn't have a shirt then, heads off and loses

himself in the crowd. Some distance later, he stops to check his reflection in a shop window. The image he sees is that of a bum. It's even more striking because the in the window there is a young male mannequin wearing a tux, top hat and white scarf. The image of the mannequin and that of George are superimposed.

A cop comes up to George and begins talking to him in a friendly manner. He speaks but we don't know what about. There is not Title card. George visibly has no idea what the cop is talking about. The cop seems to be talking about nothing important, just chatting... He talks and talks... George doesn't understand what he's saying, and doesn't understand why he's talking to him. He's lost.

Title card:
What did you say?

The cop smiles, carries on talking, then stops. He thinks he's talking to a madman. He doesn't persist, merely sizes George up and, once he's decided that he's harmless, the cop walks off. George, totally bewildered by the incident, seems to lose his grip on himself a little more.

115 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - DAY 115

Peppy gets home in the evening, arms laden with flowers. She's happy.

She quickly goes up the stairs and into George's bedroom. He's not there. She looks for him but can't find him. The maid says that he has left. She drops the flowers.

116 INT. GEORGE'S BURNT HOUSE - DAY

George goes into his house that has been

fire. The flames have changed everything

here again, seems ghostly and sad.

116

disfigured by the

and the atmosphere,

39.

George sits down in an armchair in the darkness. Jack sits down facing him. He wags his tail and it thumps on the ground.

117 INT. PEPPY'S HOUSE - STOREROOM - DAY 117

In the room with all the sheets, Peppy is with the maid. The maid seems to be telling her what happened with George, how he removed all the sheets, etc. Peppy listens with an inscrutable expression on her face. Then, suddenly overcome by a terrible thought, she rushes outside.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes