The Artist Page #12

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 116

George goes into his house that has been disfigured by the

fire. The flames have changed everything and the atmosphere,

here again, seems ghostly and sad.

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.

118 EXT. PEPPY’S HOUSE - DAY 118

She runs out of the house and over to the car, but the

chauffeur isn't there. She honks the horn to call him but

there's no response. She honks the horn again, then, not

wanting to wait any longer, and seeing the keys on the

dashboard, she gets behind the wheel, starts the engine and

pulls off in a series of kangaroo hops. It's obvious that she

doesn't know how to drive all that well, but still goes at full

speed - more or less successfully. Just as she passes through

the gate, the chauffeur turns up. Too late. He sees her drive

away.

119 EXT. PEPPY’S CAR (DRIVING) - DAY 119

Peppy is driving as fast as she can through town, but she's

pretty reckless and almost causes an accident.

120 INT. GEORGE’S BURNT HOUSE - DAY 120

Outside George's house, the wind is slamming one of the

shutters with the regularity of a metronome. George takes a

gulp of liquor, then puts down the glass, opens a cardboard box

and takes out a pistol that he places on the table in front of

him. He picks up the glass for another gulp. Jack doesn't like

what he sees. He barks.

(119) As for Peppy, she's speeding along, totally ignoring

even the most basic of road safety requirements.

(120) George puts down his glass and picks up the pistol.

Jack isn't happy at all. He barks and bites George's trouser

leg, pulling on it.

(119) Peppy speeding along.

(120) George puts the pistol into his mouth. Jack is barking

like mad. George, still in the same position, closes his

eyes.

40.

Title card:
“BANG!”

George is in the same position. He still has the pistol in

his mouth. Visibly, he's heard a BANG from outside, because

he takes the pistol out of his mouth and looks out the

window.

121 EXT. GEORGE’S BURNT HOUSE - DAY 121

Outside, we see Peppy's car has rammed into the gate and is

still shuddering. Peppy didn't brake in time, but she doesn't

care. She jumps out the car and runs into the house.

122 INT. GEORGE’S BURNT HOUSE - DAY 122

She rushes into the living room and stops for a moment to look

at George. George awkwardly tries to hide the pistol behind

him. She bursts into tears.

Title card:
I feel so awful. I only wanted to help you. To

take care of you...

He seems to reply that no, it's not her fault, she's got

nothing to feel bad about. He opens his arms towards her,

still holding the pistol and the gun fires itself.

Fortunately no one is hurt, but the incident makes Peppy

laugh and, between sobs and gasps of laughter she throws

herself into George's arms. They hug for a long time. Peppy

says into his ear,

Title card:
You’ve got so much that no one else has...

And into her ear, George replies:

Title card:
No, I’m nothing but a shadow. No good for

anything but silence.

Peppy doesn't reply. She just holds him tighter still and

closes her eyes. Jack is sitting close by, watching them and

wagging his tail.

Outside, the shutter is still slamming and the car is still

shuddering. Peppy opens her eyes. Visibly, she's had an idea.

Jack wags his tail and thumps it on the ground. The shutter

slams. The car shudders. Peppy smiles at George.

Title card:
I know what you have that no one else does.

Peppy moves away from George and motions to him to listen.

The shutter slams. Jacks tail thumps. The car shudders… Peppy

does a few tap steps. George doesn't understand.

41.

Peppy starts again, with a beaming smile, waiting for his

response. George does a few tap steps himself, basic ones,

without any great enthusiasm. She smiles at him and does a

few more complex steps that are a lot livelier. He smiles

back finally understanding the golden gift that he has in his

feet. He looks at Peppy lovingly with a beaming smile on his

face.

123 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS (1931) - ZIMMER’S OFFICE - DAY 123

Music suddenly begins to play and we see feet dancing in

another decor. Except that from now on we actually hear the

sound of the tap steps. We pull back to find Peppy and George

in Zimmer's office. They're dancing for him. Little by little,

Zimmer is convinced by them, and, when they finish their

demonstration, he has a broad smile on his face.

124 INT. STUDIO - PEPPY & GEORGE - DAY 124

We find Peppy and George on a film set, still dancing. The

piece of jazz they are dancing to has gone so crazy that now

everyone wants to get up and dance! They are dancing a tap

number facing the camera, in a d.cor representing a stylized

New York. The choreography is incredible, in the grand style

of the old Hollywood musicals and they finish with a knee

slide that brings them right up to us with big smiles on

their faces. The music stops on a powerful blast from the

brass instruments that leaves everyone bursting with energy.

In the ensuing silence, Peppy and George stay exactly where

they were, facing the camera, with the smile stuck on their

faces. It goes on for a little too long, they are out of

breath.

Then they look at someone off-shot. They are facing a film

crew (from their era of course). The director smiles. Zimmer,

sitting next to him, seems ecstatic. The director speaks and

we hear what he says.

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