The King of Comedy Page #14

PUPKIN and RITA stand before the front door. PUPKIN rings,

After a few beats, the door is opened by an Indonesian

HOUSEBOY. PUPKIN walks in right past him, RITA following

behind.

CUT TO:

68INT:
LANGFORD'S HOUSE - DAY

PUPKIN hands the HOUSEBOY the two suitcases as he talks.

PUPKIN:

You must be Jonno. I'm Rupert Pupkin

and this is Rita Keane. Mr. Langford's

expecting us.

Jonno nods politely but uncertainly.

JONNO:

(uncertain)

Mr. Langford asked you to come?

PUPKIN:

That's right. Would you mind

taking those up? Jerry and I have

some work that may oblige me to

stay overnight.

JONNO:

But Mr. Langford's not here.

PUPKIN:

Out playing golf, right?

JONNO:

(still puzzled and unsure)

That's right.

PUPKIN:

Maybe he'll finally break a hundred.

JONNO:

Maybe it's better if you came back ...

PUPKIN:

(interrupting)

That's alright. We don't mind waiting.

PUPKIN walks from the foyer into the living-room, leaving

JONNO staring after him holding the bags. RITA walks into

the living room after PUPKIN.

RITA:

(worried)

The table's only set for one.

PUPKIN:

That's from breakfast. Relax, will

you?

CUT TO:

69INT:
LANGFORD'S KITCHEN - DAY

JONNO is on the phone. A black lady COOK stands at his

side.

JONNO:

(into the phone)

Let me talk to Jerry Langford please

... I know he is ... It's important.

CUT TO:

70 INT:
LANGFORD'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

It is a handsomely furnished room, done in old American

antiques and other tasteful pieces. There is a grand piano

heavy with pictures in one corner and wall-to-wall

bookshelves that are mostly full and mixed with a balance

of classics and modern popular reading. The whole room

marks LANGFORD as a man of discernment. The shelves also

house a fine stereo and a small, discreet bar. RITA and

PUPKIN walk in like strangers in paradise, awed by the

obvious elegance and expense the room reflects.

PUPKIN:

(as though he owned it)

How do you like it?

RITA:

(admiringly)

I could live here.

PUPKIN:

(smiling proudly)

It's the only way to live.

RITA stands in the center of the room, ill at ease, while

PUPKIN strolls about comfortably, picking up an ashtray

here, a cigarette case there, inspecting the artifacts for

inscriptions, clues, hints about LANGFORD's character and

life.

RITA:

How come he isn't here?

PUPKIN:

You heard the guy. He's out playing

golf.

RITA:

Didn't you tell him when we'd get here?

PUPKIN continues to move about the room, fielding RITA's

suspicious inquiries effortlessly.

PUPKIN:

We didn't have time to iron out the

details. Now just relax. We're

the first guests, that's all.

RITA:

(interrupting)

That Jonno character hadn't even

heard of us!

PUPKIN:

(a little irritated)

It probably slipped Jerry's mind.

He has better things to think about

than what he tells his houseboy.

RITA:

It's just not time way I expected it,

that's all.

There is a pause. PUPKIN continues his investigation. He

has moved to the grand piano in the rear of the room.

RITA:

What do we do now?

PUPKIN is looking at a picture of an American Gothic couple

standing in front of a wood-frame house. As he comments on

the pictures, the CAMERA PANS over them. They form a kind

of slide-show of LANGFORD's life.

PUPKIN:

These are Jerry's parents. His father

runs the Post office in Wolverine --

that's in North Dakota.

PUPKIN then fixes on a picture of an eleven-year-old boy

standing next to a puppet stage with a puppet (obviously

held by the boy) staring at its master.

PUPKIN:

This one was in Newsweek. He started

giving these puppet shows when he was

still in grade school.

WE SEE a picture of a very young LANGFORD seated before a

microphone with some celebrity.

PUPKIN:

And this is from his quiz show in

St. Louis. Can you believe it?

RITA:

Sure I can.

PUPKIN:

That was the name of the show.

WE MOVE to a picture of LANGFORD smiling at JACK PAAR.

PUPKIN:

And here's when he wrote for Jack

Paar. He made a hundred and fifty

a week and look at him now.

Another picture of LANGFORD with a group of women sitting

in a studio.

PUPKIN:

And this is his morning show.

A picture of LANGFORD standing in a park with his two boys,

eleven and eight.

PUPKIN:

And his kids. He's divorced.

RITA, who has been only half-listening, has picked up a

small, beautifully enameled cigarette box.

RITA:

Look at this. I love these kind of

things. Look at the work. I've got

this thing about boxes.

RITA puts it down reluctantly, picks it up, then puts it

down again.

CUT TO:

71INT:
THE KITCHEN - DAY

JONNO is holding the phone, waiting. The COOK stands,

looking at him.

JONNO:

Mr. Langford? ... I'm sorry to

disturb you ...

CUT TO:

72 INT:
THE LIVING ROOM - DAY

RITA has just finished fixing herself a drink. She takes a

large sip and starts pacing around. PUPKIN is seated.

RITA:

How much longer are we gonna have

to wait?

PUPKIN:

I don't know. Until he gets back.

RITA.

Do we have to just sit here?

PUPKIN:

He should be back pretty soon.

RITA:

Doesn't he have any music or anything?

Let's get a little life into this place.

It's like a funeral parlor.

She walks over to the stereo and opens the cupboard beneath

it, revealing rows and rows of records.

RITA:

This is more like it.

She pulls out a record.

PUPKIN:

Come on, Rita.

RITA:

Come on, yourself.

She puts the record on. Frank Sinatra starts singing "They

Can't Take That Away From Me." She takes a big sip of her

drink, puts it down and comes over to PUPKIN.

RITA:

How about a little spin, handsome?

PUPKIN:

(pulling back)

Here?

RITA snuggles into PUPKIN and starts dancing him around.

He resists feebly.

RITA:

Come on, Rupert. I came up here for

a good time.

PUPKIN gives in and starts dancing with her in the style of

the 1950's, elbow out, arm up, box step. After a few

moments, PUPKIN closes his eyes. He has reached a moment

of perfect bliss, his dream girl in is arms. They dance

silently as we hear Sinatra singing.

SINATRA'S VOICE

The way you wore your hat,

The way we danced till three,

The memory of all that --

Oh no, they can't take that away from me,

No ... they can't take that away ...

from ... me.

The orchestra plays.

RITA:

You never could dance, could you?

PUPKIN:

How would you know?

RITA:

Oh I danced with you a couple of

times -- at the Sigma U party.

PUPKIN:

You were there with Tommy Winston.

RITA:

You didn't ask me.

PUPKIN:

That's the one time I did ask you

and you went with him anyway.

RITA:

Well, I couldn't go with you!

PUPKIN:

Why not?

RITA:

Be serious, Rupert.

CUT TO:

73INT:
THE DINING ROOM - DAY

JONNO stands a few feet from the kitchen door, staring at

RITA and PUPKIN dancing in the living room, an unbelieving,

anxious expression on his face.

CUT TO:

74INT:
THE LIVING ROOM - DAY

The music has stopped momentarily and PUPKIN and RITA

disengage. PUPKIN looks lovingly at RITA.

PUPKIN:

Well, it's all ended happily and

that's what counts.

RITA grows jumpy under his gaze. She looks around.

RITA:

I wonder what the rest of this

place looks like?

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