The Artist Page #4

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Title card:
If you want to be an actress, you need to have

something no one else has.

He takes a make-up pencil and draws a beauty spot above her upper lip. She looks at herself in the mirror and smiles. She likes it. She turns towards him and, quite naturally, folds into his arms. The dog watches them curiously with its head leaning to one side. They are probably about to kiss when George's chauffeur comes into the room and catches them. George swiftly moves aside and there is a moment of discomfort. The chauffeur unwraps a parcel and takes out a large and beautiful pearl necklace. George is intrigued by the necklace, and turns away from Peppy. She understands that George has his own life, that their embrace was just a stolen moment and slowly leaves, looking back at George as she does so. He does not look at her. She leaves the room. Once he has studied and necklace and is satisfied, George turns back towards Peppy but she is no longer there. The chauffeur exits the room.

When he is alone, George looks at himself in the mirror. His expression shows that he things he is the stupidest man in the world. He mimes shooting himself in the temple with his fingers, but it's the dog which collapses into its play-dead pose.

23 INT. GEORGE & DORIS' HOUSE - DAY 23

The next morning, he's having breakfast with his wife. The atmosphere is still dreadful but this time he's not making any effort either. He disdainfully watches Doris eat. She is cutting up strawberries using a knife and fork. George watches her, smiles and continues to watch. Except it's not Doris he's watching. Instead it's Peppy who's tucking into her food and talking and laughing vivaciously. George is with her with an expression of love on his face. He's laughing with her when, suddenly, reality bites. He's still sitting opposite Doris, and she's staring at him because she doesn't understand why he is laughing. She visibly finds him ridiculous. He stops laughing and breakfast carries on as normal.

12.

24 INT. GEORGE & DORIS' HOUSE - DAY 24

We see several quick sequences which indicate time passing:

Breakfasts with George and Doris where the atmosphere is increasingly dreadful. Doris scribbles on photos of George in the press, draws on moustaches, large spectacles, etc.

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INT. STUDIO/STAGES - PIRATE/COWBOY/ETC. - DAY 25

Short extracts of George in various films, in which he portrays a pirate, then a cowboy, then William Tell, etc. We also see him in "Someday in July" in the sequence he shot with Peppy and the fat male dancer.

INT. MOVIE THEATER AUDIENCE, ETC. - DAY 26

Movie-goers reacting to the films, but the way the images are edited - cut with breakfast images - could mean they are reacting to them too.

Among the audience is Peppy Miller. She's trying to concentrate fully on the film and is pushing away the handsome young man she's with, who is trying to kiss her. We see her later, at the movies again, but this time alone.

INT. STUDIO/STAGES - PEPPY AS A SERVANT/DANCER/ETC. - DAY 27

We see her playing some bit parts, maid, dancer, etc. Her roles seem to get a little bigger. We notice that she now wears the beauty spot that she'll keep forever.

Her name climbs up the ranks in the title sequences of films, until it appears on its own.

INT. OFFICE - PEPPY/CONTRACT/1927 - DAY 28

We see her signing a contract in a small office, she seems happy.

INT. OFFICE - GEORGE/ZIMMER/CONTRACT - DAY

George signs a big contract with Zimmer as photographers take pictures. He smiles broadly, whereas Zimmer looks like his smile is a little forced.

The date appears on the screen: 1929

INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - TAVERN DECOR - DAY

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imperially and gestures royally to a technician

a chair. The technician doesn't miss the chance

man that he is only an extra, and not Napoleon.

INT. SCREENING ROOM - STUDIO - DAY

to bring him

to remind the

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passes on the message to the

The screening begins.

INT. VOICE TEST STUDIO - DAY

projectionist. The room goes dark.

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George, dressed as a musketeer, is sword-fighting with three middle-ages thugs in a tavern. He kills two of them, but unfortunately loses his epee when fighting the third. But when the third man attacks, George merely dodges with a sleight of body and puts his attacker out of action with a right hook! Calm restored, he smiles and waves in brotherly fashion to a mysterious man who is trying to hide underneath his long cape. The man stands up, throws aside his cape and reveals himself to be... Napoleon! He puts his bicorne hat back on and warmly thanks an astonished George. Napoleon says something to him

and George respectfully bows, walks away from him still bowing then turns and runs. Once out of the decor, he bumps right into a worried-looking Zimmer who is followed by his loyal assistants. George is in a playful mood. Zimmer tells him:

Title Card:
I want to show you something. Right now.

George seems astonished that Zimmer is leaving the set and not filming, but agrees. Napoleon walks past them very

Zimmer, his guards, and George - still dressed as a musketeer - come into a screening room in which a dozen or so very serious- looking people are waiting. They sit down and Zimmer, very proudly and self-confidently, gestures to an assistant who

indicates it's a sound shooting

On screen we see a card that

test for a talking scene. Then Constance appears, the actress from the spy film. She's standing in front of a mic and she tests it, delighted to be there. Cut. We see her again, the microphone has disappeared and she acts out a scene. It's a monologue. Her acting is terrible, very theatrical, but the audience can hear her. It is however, awful.

(31) In the screening room, the audience seems stunned by what they see/hear. They are fascinated. They then begin to congratulate each other and slap Zimmer on the back. Zimmer's pride seems to grow by the second.

George, who at first seemed very surprised, slowly begins a

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