Vertigo Page #14

SCOTTIE:

What I've been doing?

MIDGE:

If you want to. Naturally, we won't

talk about anything you don't want

to talk about.

SCOTTIE:

Naturally.

Pause.

MIDGE:

(Innocently)

What have you been doing?

SCOTTIE:

(With small grin)

Wandering.

He takes another long pull and wanders over and sweetens the

drink. Midge moves a little to block his view of the easel

and canvas.

SCOTTIE:

What have you been doing?

He wanders back into the room.

MIDGE:

Oh, I'm having a wonderful time!

I've gone back to my first love...

painting.

SCOTTIE:

Good. I've always said you were

wasting your time in the underwear

department.

MIDGE:

Well, it's a living. But I'm excited

about this.

SCOTTIE:

What is it, a still life?

MIDGE:

No, not exactly. Want to see?

Scottie moves toward the easel and Midge backs away, so that

as he comes around to face the canvas she in beyond him, in

back of him. As he moves toward the easel:

MIDGE:

As a matter of fact, I thought I

might give it to you.

SCOTTIE:

(smiling, surprised)

Oh?

And now he comes around to face the easel and stops to look.

Beyond him Midge's face has a great smile of anticipation.

And now we see what he sees. The CAMERA RESTS on the lower

half of the canvas and we see the folds of the blue and gold

gown, and the two hands, one holding the nosegay. The CAMERA

PANS UP to reveal that it is a hasty but quite creditable

copy of the "Portrait of Carlotta", half size, but there is

one difference. The face is Midge's face.

INT. MIDGE'S APARTMENT - (NIGHT)

Scottie staring at the portrait. Beyond him, Midge smiling

with anticipation. Scottie's face is drained and

expressionless, and a deep look of sadness and regret comes

into his eyes.

Pause.

SCOTTIE:

(Softly)

Not funny, Midge.

Midge's smile fades. She is puzzled and surprised. Scottie

puts down his drink gently and without looking at her, starts

for the door.

MIDGE:

Johnny!

Scottie takes his hat from the chair and moves on to the

door. Midge, completely taken aback, starts for him.

MIDGE:

But Johnny, I thought you would --

She breaks off as he turns his head to look at her. He's not

at all angry, but disturbed inside and sorry it happened.

SCOTTIE:

(Nicely)

We'll make that movie some other

night, huh?

And he goes out the door and closes it behind him.

MIDGE:

(Desperately apologetic)

But Johnny...!!!

And she stares at the door with a "Well-I'll-be-damned"

expression. And now, abruptly, she gets angry at herself.

MIDGE:

Ah, no!!

She turns away and moves toward the canvas

MIDGE:

Oh! Marjorie Wood!! You fool!!

She stops before the canvas and stares at her face in the

portrait. And all her anger at herself comes out in one great

blast of scorn.

MIDGE:

(At the portrait)

OH!!!!!

And she picks up a brush and with three vicious daubs paints

a moustache and a beard on her image. Then she throws the

brush out the window.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. UNION SQUARE - (NIGHT)

It is about 3 a.m. The Square is deserted -- perhaps an odd

taxi or car drives by. We see Scottie, a solitary figure,

walking. By his attitude, head down, hands thrust into his

pockets, we see that he is lost in thought wrestling with

his problem.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SCOTTIE'S APARTMENT - (EARLY DAWN)

Scottie is in the easy chair facing the fire asleep. His tie

is loosened, his shirt is open at the neck. It is clear that

he fell asleep while sitting there thinking of Madeleine,

and slept through the night. The fire is almost out. Through

the window we can barely distinguish Coit Tower in the

beginning of a grey dawn. The doorbell begins to ring

instantly. There is a knocking on the door. Scottie awakens

sharply, gathers himself together, hurries to the door and

opens it. Madeleine stands there, looking shaken and white

and frightened. She is wearing a black suede jacket and black

slacks. Behind her, fingers of mist swirl in the lightening

day. She stands there staring at him pleadingly.

SCOTTIE:

What's the matter?... What time is

it?... Madeleine, what's happened?

He draws her in and closes the door and leads her into the

room.

MADELEINE:

(Barely)

I should have phoned... but I wanted

to see you... be with you...

SCOTTIE:

Why? What's happened?

MADELEINE:

I had the dream. The dream came back

again...

She is trembling, and he holds her closely.

SCOTTIE:

It's all right. You're all right,

I'll get you some brandy.

He breaks away to a small cupboard nearby.

MADELEINE:

(Sharply)

No, don't go away!

SCOTTIE:

Only this far.

He gets out a bottle of brandy and a small glass and uncorks

the bottle and pours the brandy as he comes back to her.

SCOTTIE:

Here. Straight down, it's medicine.

She takes a sip and puts the glass away.

SCOTTIE:

Where's your husband?

MADELEINE:

I didn't wake him. I don't want him

to know...

She is still shaking.

SCOTTIE:

Here, now, it's going to be all right.

Here.

He gently pushes her down in the easy chair, turns swiftly

and kicks up the fire and throws some wood on. He pulls the

low stool up before her, sits on it, and takes her hands.

SCOTTIE:

It was a dream, you're awake, you're

all right, now. Can you tell me?

MADELEINE:

It was the tower again... and the

bell, and the old Spanish village...

SCOTTIE:

Yes --

MADELEINE:

But clear... so very clear... for

the first time... all of it...

SCOTTIE:

Tell me.

MADELEINE:

There was a village square, a green

with trees... and an old whitewashed

Spanish church with a cloister.

Across the green: a big, grey, wooden

house with a porch and shutters and

a balcony above... a small garden,

and next to it, a livery stable...

with old carriages lined up inside.

Scottie has been listening intently with growing awareness,

and now as she mentions the livery stable, his eyes glow

with the excitement of recognition.

SCOTTIE:

Go on.

MADELEINE:

At the end of the green there was a

whitewashed stone house with a lovely

pepper tree at the corner --

SCOTTIE:

(Finishing it)

-- and an old wooden hotel of the

old California days, and a saloon...

dark... low-ceilinged... with hanging

oil lamps.

MADELEINE:

Yes?! But --

SCOTTIE:

(Gently)

It's all there. It's no dream.

Pause, as she stares at him, puzzled, anxious.

SCOTTIE:

You've been there before. You've

seen it.

MADELEINE:

No, never!

SCOTTIE:

Madeleine, a hundred miles south of

San Francisco there's an old Spanish

Mission, Mission San Juan Bautista.

It's been preserved exactly as it

was a hundred years ago as a museum.

Now, think hard, darling. You've

been there before. You've seen it!

MADELEINE:

(Frightened)

No, never! I've never been there!

Scottie, what is it? I've never been

there!

Long pause as they stare at each other, he desperately trying

to think it through, shes moved and frightened. He rises and

moves away, anxious and shaken.

SCOTTIE:

(To himself)

Carlotta...

He shakes his head angrily, fighting the idea. Madeleine

watches him anxiously.

SCOTTIE:

What was it he said? She came from

somewhere south of the city... some

say a mission settlement...

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