Vertigo Page #19

SCOTTIE:

Where did you get this car?!

THE WOMAN:

(Startled by his

vehemence)

I beg your pardon?

SCOTTIE:

This car...!!

THE WOMAN:

Oh! Why... I bought it from a man

who used to live here, in this

apartment building. Mister Gavin

Elster. I bought it from him when he

moved away.

As Scottie stares at her, she grasps the connection.

THE WOMAN:

0h! You know him! And his wife? The

poor thing. I didn't know her. Tell

me -- is it true that she really

believed --

But by this time Scottie has turned and walked away, and she

stares after him, a bit taken aback.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PALACE OF THE LEGION OF HONOR - (DAY)

Framed in the columns of the forecourt, Scottie wanders up

the front walk and passes through the doors into the Art

Gallery.

INT. PALACE OF THE LEGION OF HONOR - (DAY)

Scottie wanders to the entrance of the room in which hangs

the Portrait of Carlotta, and stops and looks towards the

far corner. Some people pass before him, but then as the

vista clears he sees walking toward him from Carlotta's corner

a woman who must surely be Madeleine. He stares, rigid, as

she comes closer, and then she passes out of view as she

heads for the exit. Scottie turns to keep her in sight, and

as she passes through the doors to go out to the courtyard

she turns a just a bit so that she is silhouetted slightly

in profile against the cuter light, and once again surely it

is Madeleine. Scottie heads for the door fast, pushes through

the courtyard.

He breaks into a run and catches up with her and puts out

his hand to take her arm, and as he does she turns, startled

by his sudden appearance at her side -- and they both stop

and stare at each other. It is not Madeleine. A moment, as

the woman stares at him, frightened.

SCOTTIE:

I'm sorry.

He turns away. The woman walks on.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PODESTA, BALDOCCHI - (LATE AFTERNOON)

Scottie stands before the window looking at the floral

display. In the foreground is a group of madeup nosegays and

one of them is exactly like the nosegay Madeleine carried to

the grave, to the portrait, to the moment she threw herself

into the Bay. A porter closes the shop door and locks it. A

moment, then Scottie turns away to move down Grant Avenue.

He stops short. Coming up Grant Avenue, headed for Sutter

Street, is a group of shopgirls who have just come out of

work, and among them is one who -- again -- must surely be

Madeleine. Scottie watches them come closer, trying to get a

clear view through the crowd of passersby, catching sight of

the girl only in glimpses, and as the girls come abreast of

him they stop to make their farewells. The one nearest to

Scottie, seen in profile, might have the same features as

Madeleine. He cannot be sure. This girl's hair is dark, where

Madeleine's was light; her features on closer inspection

seem heavier, and she wears much more makeup. And yet there

is something about the way she carries herself. The other

girls cross the street while the one nearest to Scottie goes

on alone. He instinctively turns and follows.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SUTTER STREET NEAR LEAVENWORTH - (LATE AFTERNOON)

A trolley coach passes, heading west. The girl starts to

cross the street in the middle of the block, waits for another

trolley coach to pass, continues to the opposite side, and

goes into the Empire Hotel, one of the typical inexpensive

residential hotels of that neighborhood. Scottie remains on

the opposite side of the street, watching, wondering what to

do next.

He waits, and then, in much the same way it happened to him

long ago at the McKittrick Hotel, his attention is attracted

to a window on the second floor. The girl appears and opens

the window about eight inches, then pulls down the blind.

Scottie stares at the window, calculates in his mind the

geographical position of the room, then starts across the

street.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. UPSTAIRS HALL JUDY'S HOTEL - (DUSK)

Scottie moves down the hall counting doors and comes to a

stop. He knocks. The door opens, and the girl stands and

looks at him, and waits. Scottie stares at her, searching

for a sign of recognition, but there is none.

JUDY:

Well? What is it?

Her voice is flat and slightly nasal, in sharp contrast to

Madeleine's low, husky voice. Scottie winces slightly at the

sound of it. He keeps staring at her for a moment. Then:

SCOTTIE:

Could I ask you a couple of questions?

JUDY:

What for? Who are you?

SCOTTIE:

My name is John Ferguson, and --

JUDY:

Is this some kind of Gallup Poll, or

something?

SCOTTIE:

No, there are just a few things I

want to ask you, and --

JUDY:

Do you live here in the hotel?

SCOTTIE:

No, I happened to see you come in,

and I thought --

JUDY:

0h, I thought so! A pick-up! Well,

you've got a nerve, following me

right into the hotel and up to my

room! You beat it! Go on! Beat it!

And she starts to close the door on him hard. Scottie holds

it open against her.

SCOTTIE:

No, please! I Just want to talk to

you!

JUDY:

(Pushing on the door)

Listen, I'm going to yell in a minute!

SCOTTIE:

I'm not going to hurt you! I promise!

Please!

She hesitates, impressed by the urgency in his voice.

SCOTTIE:

Just let me talk to you.

JUDY:

(Hesitating)

What about?

SCOTTIE:

You.

JUDY:

Why?

She is still holding on to the door, ready to slam it.

SCOTTIE:

Because you remind me of someone.

She laughs a short, ironic, skeptical laugh.

JUDY:

I've heard that one before, too. I

remind you of someone you used to be

madly in love with, but she ditched

you for another guy, and you've been

carrying the torch ever since, and

then you saw me and something clicked.

(scornfully)

Huh!

SCOTTIE:

(With a rueful smile)

You're not far wrong.

JUDY:

Well, it's not going to work. So

you'd better go.

SCOTTIE:

Let me come in.

Her mouth drops open with shock at his effrontery.

SCOTTIE:

You can leave the door open. Please.

I want to talk to you.

A moment, then she backs into the room a little, and he

follows.

JUDY:

I warn you, I can yell awfully loud.

SCOTTIE:

You won't have to.

JUDY:

(Doubtfully)

Well... you don't look very much

like Jack the Ripper...

But still she moves until she is next to the phone, her hand

almost touching it. She eyes him carefully.

JUDY:

What do you want to know?

SCOTTIE:

Your name. And --

JUDY:

Judy Barton.

SCOTTIE:

Who you are --

JUDY:

Just a girl, I work at Magnin's --

SCOTTIE:

-- and how you happen to be living

here.

JUDY:

It's a place to live, that's all.

SCOTTIE:

But you haven't lived here long.

JUDY:

About three years.

SCOTTIE:

No, a year ago! Where did you live a

year ago!!?

JUDY:

(Puzzled)

I told you! Right here!

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