The King of Comedy Page #8

YOUNG MAN:

Passive resistance, huh?

RITA:

Let's just write this thing off as

a big mistake. What do you say?

YOUNG MAN:

What's wrong with me?

RITA:

Nothing. I just want to go home.

YOUNG MAN:

I can see I'm not turning you on.

RITA:

(smiles)

You noticed that, huh?

YOUNG MAN:

Come on. What's wrong with me?

RITA:

You really want to know?

YOUNG MAN:

Yeah.

RITA:

How can I put it? Well, it's like

you've got your fly open and your

tongue hanging out.

CUT TO:

25INT:
THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT

PUPKIN, growing more frantic, pushes 4E.

CUT TO:

26INT:
YOUNG' MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The YOUNG MAN is all over RITA. No buzzer sounds.

YOUNG MAN:

I'm really a very sensitive person.

RITA:

Come on. Get offa me.

YOUNG MAN:

Sometimes I write poetry.

RITA pulls herself away.

RITA:

No!

YOUNG MAN:

So you wanna play hard to get, huh?

The YOUNG MAN grabs her.

CUT TO:

27 INT:
THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT

PUPKIN, even more desperate, pushes 4F.

OLD LADY'S VOICE

� Que es, por favor?

CUT TO:

28INT:
YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The YOUNG MAN is strong-arming RITA who is beginning to

get frightened.

RITA:

Come on. Let's talk this over.

YOUNG MAN:

I admire you very much. I respect

you, Mary.

RITA:

(her eyes beginning to fill

with terror)

You're hurting me.

YOUNG MAN:

I'm only doing what you want.

RITA:

(pleading, on the verge

of tears)

Oh, please.

CUT TO:

29 INT:
THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT

PUPKIN, frantic, pushes 4G.

CUT TO:

30 INT:
THE YOUNG MAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

The YOUNG MAN has RITA securely pinned and is starting to

undo her blouse. She is desperate.

YOUNG MAN:

Afterwards, you'll thank me.

The buzzer sounds with great force. It is one, long,

protracted blast that breaks the YOUNG MAN's concentration.

RITA takes advantage of the distraction to grab her bag

and rush out as the buzzer continues to sound.

CUT TO:

31INT:
THE ENTRANCEWAY - NIGHT

PUPKIN still has his finger on 4G as RITA rushes out the

EXIT door next to the elevator and comes rushing towards

him. She is numb and emotionally exhausted.

PUPKIN:

Rita!

RITA:

(in desperation)

What do you want?

RITA keeps walking out of the entranceway and onto the

street. PUPKIN is at her side.

PUPKIN:

Don't be angry with me. I was worried

about you, that's all.

RITA:

Just go home and leave me alone.

PUPKIN take off his jacket and puts if around RITA's

shoulders.

PUPKIN:

(quietly)

Here. You'll need this. It's getting

chilly.

RITA:

I'm so bad. I'm such a dummy.

PUPKIN:

Don't say that, Rita. Everyone

does crazy things.

RITA:

Not all the time.

PUPKIN:

I'll get us a cab.

PUPKIN rushes into the street and hails a cab.

CUT TO:

32EXT:
WEST 56th STREET BETWEEN EIGHTH AND NINTH AVENUES -

NIGHT:

WE SEE the taxi pull up in front of one of those middle-

class tenements -- a fairly well-preserved six-story

building with a fire escape running up the front. PUPKIN

helps RITA out of the taxi. A dime bounces at PUPKIN's

feet.

CAB DRIVER'S VOICE

Stuff it, big spender!

PUPKIN pays no attention. He walks RITA to her front

stoop.

RITA:

Well, I guess you're entitled to come

up for coffee.

PUPKIN:

That's okay, Rita. You're tired and

I know I'm not always the easiest guy

to be with.

There is a pause.

RITA:

(puzzled)

What do you want, Rupert?

PUPKIN:

(softly)

You don't understand anything, do you?

I love you, Rita. I want to change

your life ... if you'll only give me a

chance.

RITA just shakes her head sadly.

PUPKIN:

Look, what if I arranged it so you

could meet Jerry? You'd have to

believe me if you heard it from him.

RITA:

There's no ...

PUPKIN:

I'll arrange that, Rita. We'll all

go out to dinner some night or maybe

out to his place, on a weekend. You'll

see. The trouble with you is you've

got no faith. Now go to bed and get a

good rest and I'll see you in a couple

of days.

PUPKIN gives RITA a very gentle, sweet kiss on the

forehead.

PUPKIN:

(gently)

Now run along in.

RITA just stares at him.

PUPKIN:

Go on.

RITA turns slowly and goes in. She looks back. PUPKIN is

gone.

FADE TO:

33EXT:
MADISON AVENUE AND 48th STREET - DAY

PUPKIN carries a large manila folder into 424 Madison. As

usual, he is impeccably dressed.

CUT TO:

34INT:
OFFICES OF KOERNER-LIBERMAN TRAVEL - DAY

It is a large corner office, broken up by glass dividers.

A RECEPTIONIST sits at a desk facing the door. PUPKIN enters.

RECEPTIONIST:

Yes.

PUPKIN hands the RECEPTIONIST the package.

PUPKIN:

I need somebody to sign. You can sign

anything you want -- Cary Grant, Art

Carney, I don't care.

The RECEPTIONIST signs.

PUPKIN:

Would you mind very much if I used

your phone? It's local.

RECEPTIONIST:

Don't be, long. Dial nine.

PUPKIN takes out a little piece of paper from his suit

pocket and dials a number.

PUPKIN:

(tense, nervous)

May I speak to Jerry Langford, please?

Thanks ... Jerry Langford, please.

Rupert Pupkin ... Jerry knows. I'm

calling at his request ... I see.

That's alright. I'll call him again.

RECEPTIONIST:

That's not Jerry Langford, the ...

PUPKIN:

(smiling proudly)

That's right. Thanks for your phone.

CUT TO:

35EXT:
TIMES SQUARE - DAY

PUPKIN approaches Times Square phone booth. He rests a

few folders on a trash basket just outside the booth. He

enters the booth and dials.

PUPKIN:

Jerry Langford, please ... May I speak

to Jerry Langford, please ... Rupert

Pupkin, I called earlier ... I see.

How long do you expect that'll last?

Oh, fine. I'm at (PUPKIN checks the

number on the phone) CH 4-1482 ... I'll

be here for another half hour, forty-

five minutes. Please be sure he gets

my message. Thanks.

PUPKIN hangs up.

CUT TO:

36 EXT:
TIMES SQUARE - DAY

A SHOT of the clock on the Allied Chemical Building. It

reads 10:
10. A nearby record store starts blasting music

into the street through a loudspeaker. The music serves

as background for a montage in which we CUT BETWEEN the

clock, which moves in bites towards 11:30 to Broadway as

it looks to PUPKIN in the booth -- that cavalcade of

hustlers, whores, housewives, kids, weirdos and working

people; and SHOTS of various people waiting to use the

phone -- their impatience, anger, disgust. Each time one

of them arrives, PUPKIN pretends to thumb through the phone

book and dial a number. WE WATCH him chatting with

animation until the waiting party leaves. Then WE SEE him

push the coin return to retrieve his dime. Finally, PUPKIN

takes a last look at the clock. WE SEE that it reads

11:
30. He leaves the booth and goes to the trash basket.

His packages have been swiped.

CUT TO:

37EXT:
AN UPPER BROADWAY HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

WE SEE PUPKIN enter. He is watched by a plain girl of

about twenty in a black raincoat and a floppy black hat

whom we recognize as MARSHA.

CUT TO:

38INT:
A CORRIDOR IN THE HIGH-RISE OFFICE BUILDING - DAY

PUPKIN emerges from the elevator and walks down the

corridor looking for the door the Jerry Langford Show

offices. He finally finds it and enters.

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