The Artist Page #4

22 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - GEORGE’S DRESSING ROOM - DAY 22

Finally, she goes into the room and places the envelope

addressed to George Valentin on the dresser. Then she

attentively looks around the dressing room. She looks at the

objects and photos and notices, hanging from a coat stand,

George's jacket on a hanger, and his hat which sits on a hook

above it. The way the clothes are disposed looks like George's

silhouette, except that the clothes are empty. She goes over,

strokes the jacket and little by little brings George to life

through his clothes.

11.

She puts her right hand into the sleeve and touches her own

waist. As it's George's sleeve, she makes it look like his arm

has come to life, as though George has come to life. Even more

so since her left hand is stroking the jacket as though George

were inside. She takes pleasure from the embrace and, when

George comes into the room, she slowly removes her hand without

any rush. George sees her, they look at each other. He closes

the door but doesn't go over to her, instead going over to the

mirror. He looks at her, she at him… He motions to her to

approach. She does. He stares at her face for a while before he

speaks.

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.

25 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.

26 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.

27 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.

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

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

happy.

29 INT. OFFICE - GEORGE/ZIMMER/CONTRACT - DAY 29

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

13.

30 INT. KINOGRAPH STUDIOS - TAVERN DECOR - DAY 30

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

imperially and gestures royally to a technician to bring him

a chair. The technician doesn't miss the chance to remind the

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

31 INT. SCREENING ROOM - STUDIO - DAY 31

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

passes on the message to the projectionist. The room goes dark.

The screening begins.

32 INT. VOICE TEST STUDIO - DAY 32

On screen we see a card that indicates it's a sound shooting

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.

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