Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Illustrated) (520 page)

Sundial with bench: Alex comes into the scene and sits down on a sundial with a bench. Althea appears — whereupon he rises and with an air of mock ennui, starts off scene.

ALTHEA: Why are you avoiding me?

ALEX (stops): I find you repulsive.

ALTHEA: Well, this will be a lesson to me.

She sits down on the bench; Alex sits beside her. He puts his arm around her and draws her close.

ALTHEA: Shall I risk my dinner makeup? (They kiss.)

ALEX (sentimental): It’s been a long time.

ALTHEA: Yes — seven years — too long.

ALEX (sentimentally): Much too long.

ALTHEA: I didn’t mean that way. I meant too long to — kiss me again. (He starts.) No, don’t.

ALEX: I’ve waited seven years — I can wait a little longer.

ALTHEA (taking compact from bag): Rouge on your face. (She hands him a little mirror.) I wonder what kind of life we’d have.

ALEX: I have no idea — I can promise you nothing beside my deathless devotion

ALTHEA: Would I fall in love with you?

ALEX (after a pause): Possibly you’ve had your big love.

ALTHEA: Possibly.

ALEX: So possibly you don’t bring me every possibility. The ghost of another man —

ALTHEA (low and passionate): The one thing in the world I know is that I’ll never go back to that, never want it again, never want a repetition of it. 1 had thai love and it was no good and I’ve killed it so dead. (She gets up.)

Backstage at a New York musical show: Full shot of girls coming off after a number.

Group shot of Harrison (evening clothes) taking to it naturally, not the Broadway Johnny, not handling the girls, but talking to two or three with easy familiarity.

Group shot of Nicolas and Gray, the producer, a little to the side, talking to the male and female leads, attractive, really sympathetic types. Nicolas, perched on a stage prop, is a little aloof and detached. This isn’t quite his sort of thing but he is enjoying it like a children’s party. His manner to Alice Duff, the actress, is deferential and polite.

ALICE DUFF (looking off): Half those girls have broken dates to go.

NICOLAS: I wanted them to bring their dates.

ALICE: You’re very generous.

GRAY: I’ll tell them that.

NICOLAS: I want to use my house before I sell it. There won’t be such houses much longer.

ALICE: I never understood what you’d do with a big house unless you had a thousand children.

NICOLAS: Nothing but vanity. Or else sometimes you think you’re so much in love that your love could fill the biggest palace conceivable.

MALE LEAD: Sometimes you haven’t gut enough to fill one room.

As they laugh he gets his cue and goes off scene.

Mrs. Waters’house: A big staircase rises from a central hall. Two rooms open from it at either side, showing people at bridge. There is radio music throughout the scene.

Alex and Althea are mounting the wide steps side by side, but separated laterally by five feet. We see them take several slow steps in unison when Mr. Lamb comes into the scene and runs up the steps until he is between them.

LAMB: I s-say — is there really any p-possibility of your needing a —

ALEX: A what?

LAMB: A d-d-divorce lawyer.

ALTHEA: You can leave your name.

LAMB: Lamb. Gordon H. — L-l -

ALTHEA and ALEX (together): Lamb.

LAMB: I can fix things up overnight.

ALEX: We’ll let you know.

LAMB: I arranged the Perkins divorce and the Oberton divorce and -

ALTHEA: We’ll let you know.

LAMB: French divorces and M-Mexican divorces and even a Russian divorce. I can refer you to Mrs. Carpenter, now Mrs. Kohlsatt, or, no, now Mrs. Bannister. Her mother, formerly Mrs. Bronson, is now Mrs. Cain and she married Harry Crandall. I arranged his divorce from —

At this point at the top of the stairs, Althea stops walking — the others also stop. The camera favors her.

ALTHEA (strain in her voice, a sudden flash of tears in her eyes): They all seem to have hated each other, didn’t they?

Hold on her a moment. Then Alex and Althea start to walk on, leaving Mr. Lamb staring.

Full shot of a pleasant small sitting room: For a moment it is empty, then two doors, one at either side, open and Alex and Althea peer into the room. Both are dressed as in previous scene.

ALTHEA: Good grief! She’s given us a suite.

ALEX: So it appears.

ALTHEA: A little obvious — oh, it’s all a little obvious, Alex, you and me. 1 can’t go to sleep — I’m going out to ride — ride to China.

ALEX: That sounds fine. The roadster tears along in the moonlight, Althea at the wheel.

Interior of a luxurious limousine: Nicolas, Alice Duff and Gray — the latter holds Alice’s hand.

ALICE: The natives must think there’s a circus parade going through.

NICOLAS: We’re almost there. A road: Full moonlight, woods in the background. Althea brings the car to a stop

ALEX: Where are we?

ALTHEA (carelessly): Where we were this afternoon. This is our land. The hospital’s a mile farther on. The hospital — that’s all I’ve got to show for our marriage.

ALEX: That’s your difficulty, Althea — you’ve got to forget your marriage.

ALTHEA: I have.

ALEX: In a way. But — it’s just like coming here now — all roads seem to lead back to it. Well, then why can’t you go back farther still. Once you and I were happy. This isn’t the first moonlight we’ve sat in. He has put his arm around her and he draws near her. She submits to his kiss, at first with a show of enthusiasm, then with her arm going limp on his shoulder. He leans back.

Close shot of Althea’s face.

ALTHEA: What’s the use, Alex? It must be like kissing a monument. I’m awfully fond of you but something is dead. Blame it on me, Alex.

ALEX (desperately): Nothing is dead. You just won’t let yourself go. You’re letting yourself dry up. Your mother said- (He stops himself.)

ALTHEA (quickly): My mother — have you been talking to her?

ALEX: Yes, she sent for me. She loves you. She thinks what everyone else thinks, that, you’re a fool, a stubborn little fool. If your marriage is finished, why don’t you get out of it, start over? Why do you want to drag the past along with you everywhere, like an ugly old dress you can’t bear to throw away.

ALTHEA: Stop nagging at me — go away — leave me alone.

ALEX: I will go away. (He gets out of the car — she scarcely notices.) This is the end as far as I’m concerned. I’m going right out of your life as soon as I can get a taxi to town. Which way is the hospital? He walks off in the darkness. Close-up of Althea: She is sitting without moving, and looks up as she hears his voice.

ALEX’S VOICE: Please ask them to send my things to the Plaza.

ALTHEA: I’m not going back but I’ll tell them.

ALEX (on side of car): If you’re going to town, I’ll go with you.

Suddenly Althea starts the motor, throws the car into gear, wrenches the wheel and apparently drives the ear right straight into the woods. Then silence and trees have apparently swallowed her up. Close shot of the car coming to a stop: Althea jumps out, runs around the front and by the headlights, making sure these are tracks and ruts she is following. Then back into the car which starts off again with a lurch.

Close shot of Althea at the wheel, branches and leaves slapping against her face. The car stops and lights come to rest on a sign, on its side.

Insert sign: PRIVATE ROAD, NICOLAS GILBERT

Angle shot of the car starting, running against the sign and over it, bumping, bumping on and into a tree.

Close shot of the ear: Althea gets out of it and, utterly distraught, walks around into the headlights, raising her hands to her face as she walks.

ALTHEA: Oh, my God! Help me! What shall I do? What can I do? (She starts as she hears a voice off scene.)

VOICE: If an ordinary mortal can be of any assistance —

Althea feels no fright — she is utterly absorbed in her own emotions, the climax of her two-year struggle — as Dr. Paul Borden, in chamois vest and white trousers, walks into the scene. With sudden weakness she gives a little sob and collapses into his arms. He holds her for a moment, not recognizing her.

ALTHEA: I’m sorry.

BORDEN: That’s all right.

ALTHEA: I’m frightened.

BORDEN: Don’t be afraid of me.

ALTHEA: Not of you — just frightened — hold me for a moment.

BORDEN: I’ve got a shack right here — can you walk?

ALTHEA: Sure — if you hold me. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a man’s arm supporting me.

A small cottage set in a clearing: Inside are lights and the sound of soft music.

About thirty feet from the door Borden and Althea sit down on a fallen tree.

BORDEN: Feel better? (His arm is still around her.) What’s the matter — drink a little too much and miss the road?

ALTHEA (still dazed): That’s it, stranger. I’m drunk, drunk as an owl and I like it. (She snuggles in his arms.) I like it here.

BORDEN: You’re not a bit drunk. (Suddenly — half to himself.) And I know where I’ve seen you.

ALTHEA: You’ve never seen me — and I am drunk. I’ll prove it. Would anybody kiss an absolute stranger if they weren’t drunk? Who are you anyhow?

BORDEN: At present, I’m one of the unemployed.

ALTHEA: So am I — I used to be a wife. Now — I’m a great concern to everybody.

BORDEN: You’re a pretty devil.

ALTHEA: Yes, I’m a pretty devil. I’ve heard that before. Don’t let me go.

BORDEN: I certainly won’t — unless I’m asked.

ALTHEA: You’re entirely a creature of my imagination — and you’re very good-looking. And you don’t remind me of anything that’s past. (He nods understandingly.) If you haven’t got any girl of your own, you might even kiss me. (Borden starts to.) Wait a minute — a little while ago, I was a monument, but you get tired of being a monument.

BORDEN : Yes.

ALTHEA: Now I’m not a monument — to anything. (He bends toward her.)

Boom shot: The grounds immediately around a palatial country house which blazes with light. Dance music.

Camera swings to the side lawn passing over a few people in evening clothes, lingers on a long buffet-bar with two or three caterer’s assistants dispensing champagne and light refreshment.

The camera swings on over an increasing number of people to an open, lighted pagoda, occupied by a big swing orchestra in full performance.

Continuing camera looks down at a wide, flat space on the lawn on which half a dozen caterer’s assistants are about to unroll a great canvas for dancing.

Thirty or forty people are cheering them on.

Ad lib: Let her roll!
On with the dance!
Let’s go!
Can I help!

As the canvas finally and swiftly unrolls there is a general cheer.

Immediately one man runs out of the crowd and performs an amazing Hide, and as if this is a signal, the canvas is invaded immediately by eager dancers.

Camera, now on the ground, takes a medium shot of the four permanent lanterns which illuminate the canvas at its four corners.

Camera moves to a closer shot and pans around the dancers and shows a bright, attractive crowd, some of the girls overdressed and blondined but no suggestion of an orgy.

Group shot of Harrison Gilbert, Cudy Gray, Alice Duff and a few others.

HARRISON (very faintly high): I told them to play Chicago!

GRAY (winking at Alice): Where are you from, Mr. Gilbert?

HARRISON (incredulous): What? The camera picks up a waiter passing in front of them and follows him over the lawn toward the house.

The side porch of the house: The same waiter is entering wide double doors. Camera trucks with him into huge dining room with pictures covered with cloth. Waiters are making ready to serve a hot supper.

Camera drops waiter and trucks into magnificent front entrance hall. Great mirrors are covered with cloth, so is the top of a great table and some enormous Louis XIV chairs.

Close shot of a live mouse looking toward camera. Something startles him and he scampers to his hole a few feet away.

Medium shot of the bottom part of the banisters: One of the little Una Merkels slides into shot and reaches the floor, then another and another.

Flash of the little Una Merkels running upstairs again.

The upper hall, head of the staircase: The camera trucks before the three ponies down a wide corridor. Their eyes are wide and fascinated and as they walk they sing to the music outside and keep in step with linked arms.

One of them pauses and looks cautiously through a half-open door — the other two look over her shoulder.

Full shot of a lighted billiard room: Shooting over two covered tables including ball racks and scoring markers, to the door which keeps opening and shows the three ponies.