The Artist Page #11

35.

106 INT. PEPPY’S HOUSE - STOREROOM - DAY 106

George opens the door and goes into the room, it's a kind of

storeroom in which everything is covered up with sheets. He

closes the door behind him. The room has a ghostly quality to

it. Jack sniffs about everywhere. George too seems troubled by

the strange pervading atmosphere. His curiosity is spurred by

a convoluted object that is covered in a thin cloth. A ray of

light surges into the room. The door has opened and, standing

against the daylight, is a maid.

Title card:
You should go back to your room, Sir.

George nods with a smile. The maid leaves pretty swiftly, we

haven't seen her face, the whole moment seems rather strange.

George is intrigued but leaves the room. He has to call Jack

to him. Jack is reluctant to go but finally obeys his master.

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 fa.ade 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 d.j.-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.

38.

114 EXT. BEGGAR STREET - DAY 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.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes