True Romance Page #18

EXT. DICK'S APARTMENT - DAY

Virgil's knocking on Dick's door. Floyd (Dick's room-mate) answers.

VIRGIL:

Hello, is Dick Ritchie here?

FLOYD:

Naw, he ain't home right now.

VIRGIL:

Do you live here?

FLOYD:

Yeah, I live here.

VIRGIL:

Sorta room-mates?

FLOYD:

Exactly room-mates.

VIRGIL:

Maybe you can help me. Actually, who I'm looking for is a friend of ours

from Detroit. Clarence Worley? I heard he was in town. Might be travelling

with a pretty girl named Alabama. Have you seen him? Are they stayin' here?

FLOYD:

Naw, they ain't stayin' here. But, I know who you're talkin' about. They're

stayin' at the Hollywood Holiday Inn.

VIRGIL:

How do you know? You been there?

FLOYD:

No, I ain't been there. But I heard him say. Hollywood Holiday Inn. Kinda

easy to remember.

VIRGIL:

You're right. It is.

EXT. LOS ANGELES ZOO - PAYPHONE - DAY

Clarence is still on the phone with Lee.

CLARENCE:

Lee, the reason I'm talkin' with you is I want to open "Doctor Zhivago" in

L.A. And I want you to distribute it.

BACK TO:

LEE:

Stopped in the traffic on Sunset Boulevard.

LEE:

I don't know, Clarence, "Doctor Zhivago" is a pretty big movie.

BACK TO:

CLARENCE:

The biggest. The biggest movie you've ever dealt with, Lee. We're talkin' a

lot of film. A man'd have ta be an idiot not to be a little cautious about

a movie like that. And Lee, you're no idiot.

BACK TO:

LEE:

He's still on Sunset Boulevard, the traffic's moving better now.

LEE:

I'm not sayin' I'm not interested. But being a distributer's not what I'm

all about. I'm a film producer, I'm on this world to make good movies.

Nothing more. Now, having my big toe dipped into the distribution end helps

me on many levels.

Traffic breaks and Lee speeds along. The background whizzes past him.

LEE:

(continuing)

But the bottom line is: I'm not Paramount. I have a select group of

distributers I deal with. I buy their little movies. Accomplish what I

wanna accomplish, end of story. Easy, business-like, very little risk.

BACK TO:

CLARENCE:

CLARENCE:

Now that's bullshit, Lee. Every time you buy one of those little movies

it's a risk. I'm not sellin' you something that's gonna play two weeks, six

weeks, then go straight to cable. This is "Doctor Zhivago". This'll be

packin' 'em in for a year and a half. Two years! That's two years you don't

have to work with anybody's movie but mine.

BACK TO:

LEE:

Speeding down a benchside road.

LEE:

Well, then, what's the hurry? Is it true the rights to "Doctor Zhivago" are

in arbitration?

BACK TO:

CLARENCE:

I wanna be able to announce this deal at Cannes. If I had time for a

courtship, Lee, I would. I'd take ya out, I'd hold your hand, I'd kiss you

on the cheek at the door. But, I'm not in that position. I need to know if

we're in bed together, or not. If you want my movie, Lee, you're just gonna

have to come to terms with your Fear and Desire.

Pause. Clarence hands the phone to Elliot.

CLARENCE:

(to Elliot)

He wants to talk ya.

ELLIOT:

(into phone)

Mr. Donowitz?

(pause)

I told you, through Dick.

(pause)

He's in my acting class.

(pause)

About a year.

(pause)

Yeah, he's good.

(pause)

They grew up together.

(pause)

Sure thing.

Elliot hangs up the phone.

ELLIOT:

He says Wednesday at three o'clock at the Beverly Wilshire. He wants

everybody there.

(pointing to Clarence)

He'll talk to you. If after talkin' to you he's convinced you're OK, he'll

do business. If not, he'll say f*** it and walk out the door. He also wants

a sample bag.

CLARENCE:

No problems on both counts.

He offers Elliot the animal crackers.

CLARENCE:

Have a cookie.

Elliot takes one.

ELLIOT:

Thanks.

He puts it in the mouth.

CLARENCE:

That wasn't a gorilla, was it?

EXT. HOLIDAY INN - DAY

The red Mustang with Clarence and Alabama pulls up to the hotel. Alabama hops out. Clarence stays in.

ALABAMA:

You did it, Quickdraw. I'm so proud of you. You were like a ninja. Did I do

my part OK?

CLARENCE:

Babalouey, you were perfect, I could hardly keep from busting up.

ALABAMA:

I felt so stupid just blowing those bubbles.

CLARENCE:

You were chillin', kind of creepy even. You totally f***ed with his head.

I'm gonna go grab dinner.

ALABAMA:

I'm gonna hop in the tub and get all wet, and slippery, and soapy. Then I'm

gonna lie in the waterbed, not even both to dry off, and watch X-rated

movies till you get your ass back to my lovin' arms.

They kiss.

CLARENCE:

We now return to "Bullit" already in progress.

He slams the Mustang in reverse and peels out of the hotel. Alabama walks her little walk from the parking lot to the pool area. Somebody whistles at her, she turns to them.

ALABAMA:

Thank you.

She gets to her door, takes out the key, and opens the door.

INT. HOLLYWOOD HOLIDAY INN - CALRENCE'S ROOM - DAY

She steps in only to find Virgil sitting on a chair placed in front of the door with a sawed-off shotgun aimed right at her.

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