The Leopard Man Page #14

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CLO-CLO

Two men for one beat? Afraid of the

big cat?

FIRST POLICEMAN:

(grinning)

Sure. I've got a family.

They pass on. The CAMERA FOLLOWS Clo�Clo. The love song has

grown louder and clearer and now we come to its source. A

young boy is perched on ton of some vegetable crates on an

old truck parked alongside the curb. He is singing for his

own pleasure and hardly notices Clo-Clo as she passes.

Smiling, she lifts one pair of castanets to follow the beat

of his song. He waves to her and she passes on into the

darkness beyond the truck.

The CAMERA HOLDS for a moment on the young boy as the

castanets, playing the rhythm of his song, fade away in the

distance.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. PATIO OF EL PUEBLO - NIGHT

The patio is pretty well filled with patrons. Clo-Clo,

crossing the patio from the entrance gates to the bar in the

rear, skirts the dance floor �- watching the customers with

amusement. In doing so, she almost bumps into a waiter with a

full tray. To let him pass, she backs aside and stands by one

of the tables.

At this table are three people; John Brunton, his daughter,

Helene and her husband, Dwight.

John Brunton is a heavy�set, rather impressive looking man of

about sixty Because he is an older man with the air of

authority which comes from success and money, you have to

look twice to catch both the gaiety and the gentle irony in

his eyes. Helene and Dwight are two of his closest reasons

for that irony. They are nice-looking, well�groomed, somewhat

conventionally smart people.

Waiting for the waiter to go by, Clo-Clo half turns and looks

down at the three people. She smiles.

CLO-CLO

Hello �-

Helene looks up coolly at Clo-Clo and then reaches for her

cigarette case. Dwight, with a faint smile which is intended

to put brash women in their places, busies himself lighting

Helene's cigarette. Brunton looks up at Clo-Clo end gives her

a friendly smile.

BRUNTON:

Hello, there.

Clo-Clo continues on her way to the bar, without looking

back.

DWIGHT:

(fretfully looking at his

wristwatch)

It's been half an hour since we

ordered.

BRUNTON:

Let's have a drink while we're

waiting.

Brunton leans back a little and cranes his neck to see if he

can locate the waiter. Helene puts her hand over his on the

table.

HELENE:

(sweetly)

Don't bother. I don't want one -�

do you, Dwight?

Dwight, disinterested, shrugs his shoulders. Helene gives him

one of those say-something-dope looks.

DWIGHT:

(hastily)

No �- no, thank you.

The music has stopped and the dancers applaud in the brief

pause, Then the orchestra starts again -- this time a tango.

BRUNTON:

(brightening)

Want to dance, Helene?

HELENE:

(shrugging her, shoulders)

I suppose so --

As she starts to rise, he gets up to pull back her chair.

HELENE:

Dwight --

Dwight rises from the table and the two of them walk over to

the dance floor. Brunton watches them as they go off. Then he

walks away, in the direction of the bar.

INT. BAR AT EL PUEBLO - NIGHT

Quite a crowd of people are standing around the bar, either

waiting for their drinks or drinking them there. Others are

seated at the small tables here and there on the veranda that

houses the bar. At a table quite near the steps leading down

to the patio, Clo-Clo is seated. A tall, thin goblet of beer

stands in front of her.

Brunton starts up the steps.. Seeing him, Clo-Clo grabs the

beer and puts it on the floor between her chair and the

veranda railing. Then she starts looking toward the bar, as

if waiting for someone to wait on her.

As Brunton comes to the top of the steps Clo-Clo just

"happens" to catch his eyes.

BRUNTON:

(pleased)

Hello!

CLO- CLO

(turning on the charm and

the gamin grin)

I think we are playing tag -- or

maybe hide-and-seek, huh?

Brunton steps over to her table and stands with his band on

the back of the unoccupied chair - - a little uncertainly.

BRUNTON:

Is someone with you -- can I get

you a drink?

CLO-CLO

Why not?

DISSOLVE:

EXT. PATIO AT EL PUEBLO - NIGHT

Helene and Dwight are seated at the table again. A waiter is

serving the dinner they hate been waiting for.

HELENE:

(savagely)

It's taken thisimpossible trip to

show me what an old fool father has

become!

Dwight rises from the table.

DWIGHT:

I'll look for him. He's probably in

the bar.

HELENE:

Probably.

INT. BAR AT EL PUEBLO - NIGHT

Brunton is now seated at the little table with Clo-Clo. Near

them, a waiter is preparing to open a bottle of champagne

from an ice bucket.

BRUNTON:

(to the waiter)

Just a moment

(to Clo�Clo)

Look �- you've ordered this stuff

like a sensible girl --but you

don't have to drink it.

Clo�Clo studies him, a little warily.

BRUNTON:

Do you want it? Or do you want

another beer?

He looks over the side of the table and gently nudges the

hidden goblet with the toe of his shoe, For a moment Clo�Clo

is startled � then she begins to grin.

BRUNTON:

(to the waiter)

Two beers -- big ones!

Brunton looks off toward the steps. An expression of dismay

comes over his face. Clo�Clo turns around to see Dwight

coming up to them. Dwight looks from Clo-Clo to the unopened

champagne �- and then smiles at his father-in�law with a

disagreeably "understanding" smirk.

DWIGHT:

They've finally gotten around to

our dinner --

BRUNTON:

(shortly)

I'll be there In a few minutes.

DWIGHT:

(nasty-nice)

Sorry -- but you know how Helene is

-- she's been worrying about you --

Still smiling, Dwight turns away. Clo-Clo looks after him and

then straightens around and faces Brunton again.

BRUNTON:

My son�in�law. What do you think of

him?

CLO-CLO

(flippantly)

That depends. How much money has

he?

Brunton studies her -- not disapprovingly, but as he would

study a child or an animal that appealed to him.

BRUNTON:

When you marry champagne, Clo-Clo,

you can't trade it in for beer.

You're stuck with it.

CLO-CLO

I can't understand that fancy talk.

(excitedly)

You mean I'm a gold-digger? Sure,

I'm a gold-digger -- why not?

BRUNTON:

(echoing her calmly)

Why not -- if you like it �- if

that's what you really want.

Clo-Clo sniffs angrily. The waiter serves the two glasses of

beer. Clo�Clo grabs hers and gulps thirstily.

CLO-CLO

Maybe I should just forget all

about money - - forget about mamma

and the kids and the rent, huh -

marry some poor dope like -- oh,

like Carlos Dominguez - - and get

fat and �-

BRUNTON:

(interrupting)

Who's Carlos Dom-what's-his-name?

Clo�Clo shrugs her shoulders in a dramatic gesture of

indifference.

CLO-CLO

Nobody. A boy who works in a

grocery.

BRUNTON:

(watching her)

Good looking?

CLO-CLO

Mmm���yes.

BRUNTON:

Nice fellow?

Again Clo-Clo shrugs her shoulders.

BRUNTON:

Is he in love with you?

CLO-CLO

I don't know �-

Clo�Clo looks down at her glass of beer, sullenly. Brunton

watches her, not saying anything.

CLO-CLO

(in a sudden outburst)

Why do you ask so many questions?

What difference does it make how

Carlos and I feel? Feeling does not

buy clothes and houses!

BRUNTON:

(kindly)

Drink your beer and don't get so

excited.

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