The Artist Page #2

5.

Behind the actress, the producer can't hold back a smile, and

this enrages the actress still more.

Suddenly, George, hamming it up, remembers something he'd

forgotten, and asks someone from the other side of the wings

to join him. It's Constance. She comes over, smiling to the

audience, and says something to George with a smile.

Title card:
I’ll get you for that.

She waves, but we can tell that her smile is set between her

teeth. She isn't feeling comfortable. George motions firing a

gun with his fingers, but she does not fall down, merely

casts him a "very funny" glance. George looks at his fingers,

not understanding why they don't work anymore then mimes

throwing them away behind him, as though they've become

useless. Constance stalks back off into the wings in

annoyance, but the audience is ecstatic. Once in the wings,

the actress sticks up her middle finger at George, and

exaggeratedly mouths so he can read her lips: "Put this up

your ass." George, grinning broadly, responds by clapping his

hands in applause, then leaves the stage, executing a few

more dance steps as he does so. The audience is delighted.

As he comes off stage, George gets soundly told off by

Constance, but, still grinning, he motions towards the

audience who are still asking for more. The producer,

although delighted by the successful reception, makes a weak

attempt to calm the actress down. As for George, he returns

to the stage, the audience roars. He pretends to want to

leave the stage, and mimes bumping into an invisible wall

just as he's leaving the stage. George holds his nose, the

audience goes wild, Constance gets even madder, and while

George carries on clowning about, the producer too breaks

into a beaming smile. He's probably realized that George has

the audience on his side… Constance, furious, storms off. She

is followed by the producer who is trying to placate her,

although it looks like he's got his work cut out for him.

11 EXT. MOVIE THEATER LOS ANGELES - NIGHT 11

Outside, we are in front of a typically American movie theater

decked out with all the accessories of a grand premi.re. The

entrance is lit up, there are crowds gathered on the sidewalk,

cops are guarding the red carpet with a cordon of bodies, etc.

George comes out, causing the crowds, mainly young women, to

press forwards - and the photographers' flashes to spark into

life. The cops are struggling to maintain control of the

situation as George poses for the photographers and waves at

his many fans.

6.

In the crowd, a young woman right at the front is staring at

him in rapture. She drops her bag and, as she bends to pick it

up, a swell in the crowd pushes her underneath the arms of the

policeman in front of her, out of the crowd and into George.

She stares at him, more in love than ever, delighted to be

there. The police wait for someone to give orders. George

doesn't quite know what to do. Nobody moves. The young woman

finally bursts out laughing, which, after a moment of shock,

causes George to laugh too, thus placating the cops and tacitly

signaling to the photographers that they can take pictures of

the scene. The flashes seem to lend the woman self-confidence

who, in a very carefree manner, begins to clown about in front

of them. George is delighted at the sight, by the whole scene

and, realizing this, the young woman steals a kiss. Flash. The

image becomes static, then dissolves into the printed picture

on the front page of "The Hollywood Reporter" newspaper, along

with three other pictures of the scene and the headline WHO’S

THAT GIRL?

12 INT. GEORGE & DORIS’ HOUSE - DAY 12

The very same newspaper is being read by an elegant woman

sitting at a sumptuous breakfast table. We are in the large

dining room of an ultra-luxurious Hollywood villa. All around

her are magnificent furniture, superb paintings and objets

d'art, including a beautiful trio of monkeys, one hiding its

eyes, one with hands clasped to its ears and the third

obscuring its mouth. George comes into the room and kisses

his wife. She responds with cold indifference. You could cut

the atmosphere with a knife. The woman hands George the

newspaper. He knows what's up but tries to laugh it off. She

doesn't find it funny, is as cold as stone and barely looks

at him. She is obviously extremely annoyed with him. George

picks up his dog and puts it on the table. Jack drops his

head to one side and his big eyes implore seem to implore her

forgiveness. It's the exact expression of someone asking to

be loved, but Doris is implacable. She gets up, walks away

and does not turn back. Left on his own, George has a closed

expression on his face. He seems unhappy to have hurt his

wife's feelings. Then he realizes that Jack is on the table

in a ridiculous pose, and signals to him to get down. The dog

obeys. George looks at the paper, the cause of his problems.

13 EXT. HOLLYWOOD STREET BUS - DAY 13

Thirteen white letters placed on a hillside.

HOLLYWOODLAND.

Below, in town, a bus.

7.

14 INT. BUS (DRIVING)/HOLLYWOOD - DAY 14

Inside the full bus is the young woman from the day before. Her

name is Peppy Miller. She is proudly holding "The Hollywood

Reporter" with her face on the front page, and is more or less

discreetly making suggestive glances, hoping that someone

recognizes her. But the people around her - from working and

middle class backgrounds - are visibly on their way to work and

remain impervious to her game.

She - carefully - puts the paper away in her bag, in which four

or five copies of the newspaper are already carefully tucked

away, then gets off the bus at the next stop.

15 EXT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - DAY 15

She goes through the main gates of Kinograph Studios, and

heads towards where they hire extras.

In a courtyard, fifty-odd people are waiting, some sitting on

wooden crates, others standing. There are mums with kids,

guys with animals, men dressed as cowboys, etc. Peppy is

among them, sitting next to a man of about sixty who is

dressed in a highly stylized fashion. His job is obviously

that of a butler. Peppy proudly shows him the picture in the

newspaper. The man leans to take a closer look, unfolds the

newspaper, sees the headline, smiles and then folds it back

up again and returns it to Peppy text-side-up, highlighting

the headline:
Who's that girl ?

Peppy is a bit annoyed to have been put in her place, but

deep down she knows he's right. Nobody knows who she is. She

puts the newspaper away.

A man who visibly works for the studio, some assistant or

other, comes into the courtyard, climbs on a crate and makes

an announcement.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes