The Artist Page #8

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Title card:
Take me home. I'd like to be alone.

George watches the car leave, then goes and sits on a bench next to the front door. But the bench breaks and George finds himself on the ground next to the dog. George remarks evenly to Jack:

Title card:
See, could be it just wasn't my day...

FADE TO BLACK.

68 EXT. MOVIE THEATER - "TEARS OF LOVE" - DAY 68

In the rain, a worker is taking down letters from the facade of a theater. Of Tears of Love, only the word Tears remains.

69 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - PEPPY'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY 69

Peppy is facing her mirror and putting her make up on. She takes a break, looking a little sad. Someone (some kind of assistant) opens the door to her dressing room and says something like you need to hurry up. She nods and gets back to work.

70 EXT. MOVIE POSTERS - LOS ANGELES - DAY 70

71

Alternate shots of three or four film posters and frames from them which illustrate Peppy's rising fame. Her name moves higher up the posters and into bigger letters. The films are called "The Rookie", "The Brunette ", "The Girl Next Door" and, finally, "On the Roof ".

71

OMITTED:

72 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - PEPPY'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY 72

We catch up with her in a close up, applying her make up. The camera pulls back and we see that not only is she not putting the make up on herself - a make up artist is doing that - but there are in fact four pairs of hands getting busy around her; two make up girls, a hairdresser and a wardrobe assistant. Peppy, fortunately, has stayed completely natural and doesn't seem to take any of it seriously. As the last touch is put in place, Peppy gets to her feet and turns round.

26.

At her feet lie a dozen pairs of shoes, each pair as magnificent as the next, and all in their swanky boxes. Peppy tries on a pair. Close up of her feet.

73 INT. GEORGE'S HOUSE (1931) - DAY 73

Crossfade to a man's pair of shoes with used heels and uppers. George's dog comes to sit at his feet. The date is superimposed on the screen: 1931.

The camera climbs up his legs to reveal George lying fully dressed in his bed, obviously at home in view of his attitude. He's changed. And even if his suit is still pretty smart, he's become more "common", less unattainable. He seems to have lost whatever it was that made him so superb. Primarily he's a bit drunk, somewhat hesitant. George gets up and closes his Murphy bed, the kind of bed that slots up into the wall to look like a closet. Then he walks across the living area. His home has changed too, it's fallen in class and is a lot more modest than the one we were used to seeing him in. We do however recognize some of the objects, furniture and paintings from his old house, notably the huge portrait of him smiling. He goes into the kitchen which is open onto the rest of the apartment. There's nothing in the refrigerator. He looks for something to drink but there's only one bottle left in the rack. He lifts it up. It's empty.

He opens a closet. Inside, a tuxedo hangs among a number of bare hangers.

74 INT. PAWNSHOP - DAY 74

In a pawnshop, George, still a little drunk, is selling his tuxedo. The pawnbroker and he are visibly disagreeing on the price, but of course it's George who folds first and hands over the tuxedo. The pawnbroker counts out the bills and hands them to George who, in a fit of pride, leaves a tip as he leaves - his dignity intact even in the face of adversity.

75 INT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - DAY 75

At home, George is drinking and watching his chauffeur fix some food. He seems preoccupied.

Title card:
How long's it been since I paid you last,

Clifton?

The chauffeur answers as he carries on doing what he's doing.

Title card:
Been one year now, Sir.

George gets up, visibly thinking that he shouldn't have done that, that it's wrong. He go gets the keys and a jacket, comes back and gives them to the chauffeur.

Title card:
You're fired. Keep the car. Get yourself a job someplace else.

The chauffeur refuses, George insists. They don't agree but George ends up throwing him out, even though we've understood that he's doing it for Clifton's benefit and not through any unkindness.

76 EXT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - DAY 76

Once outside, the chauffeur doesn't move. He stays next to the car. George watches him through the window. The chauffeur still doesn't budge. George pulls the curtains.

77 EXT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - EVENING 77

In the evening, George looks out between the curtains, the chauffeur is still there. George turns on his heels and gets into his Murphy bed.

78 INT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT 78

Night time. George is in bed with his eyes open.

79 EXT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - NIGHT 79

Outside, the chauffeur is still in the same position.

80 INT. GEORGE'S HOUSE - DAY 80

The next morning, George gets up and goes to look from the window. The chauffeur has gone. George is a little sad, but that's just the way it is... He looks around at his home.

A little later, George looks at himself in a mirror. We pass from him to his reflection, which he hides by placing his drink against the mirror.

27.

81 INT. AUCTION ROOMS - DAY 81

A sign says that the effects of George Valentin are to be auctioned. Furniture, costumes, objets d'art and paintings on September 14th. There aren't many people in the room, just five or six. George is standing at the back, smoking a cigarette.

28.

His position and demeanor are exactly like when he was watching the screening of Tears of Love, from the back of the room with the verdict of failure in the air...

He's looking a little unsteady on his feet, probably due to the hip flask he's necking that seems to contain liquor. The objects go under the hammer one by one. We see the three monkeys go by, notably, hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. Two buyers especially are raising the prices by bidding against each other, a distinguished and reserved-looking man, and a lady of a certain age who looks a bit severe, to the point of bigotry. They don't seem perfectly comfortable, but they are the only two buying.

A few crossfades (the display table emptying, faces, hands being raised, hammer falling, "sold" labels) show us the lots disappearing - every single item is sold.

82 INT. AUCTION ROOMS - CORRIDOR - DAY 82

George is now with the auctioneer, he's studying the list of items as auction assistants busy themselves around him, carrying and packing the sold lots. The auctioneer, who is putting on his coat, congratulates George.

Title card:
Well done! It all sold, there's nothing left!

George nods but his smile seems a little ironic. He leaves the room.

On the stairway, as he's leaving, he is joined by the distinguished-looking man who puts on his coat and leaves.

83 EXT. AUCTION ROOM'S STREET - DAY 83

They leave at the same time. The man crosses the street, we follow him.

He gets into a car. Peppy is sitting in the back. She's alone and watching George walk off with his unsteady gait. She's sad.

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